Hero Worship

Mom arrived in Arizona on Wednesday night to keep me company for almost a week! Back when she was planning this trip, she carefully cross-checked her dates against the WNBA schedule, so we had a long-standing date to attend the Phoenix Mercury-Seattle Storm game on Thursday night. Since the main priority in watching WNBA games is to check in on UConn girls, we were quite pleased that this game would let us see no fewer than four: Diana Taurasi and Willnett Crockett (Phoenix) and Sue Bird and Swin Cash (Seattle).

I was able to leave the hospital in plenty of time for us to head into the city for the evening game, and on the way, I asked Mom where we were sitting. She said that she thought we were somewhere in the Seattle section.

Then we made our way to the arena, walked halfway around (why does one inevitably enter a sporting arena one hundred and eighty degrees from where one's seats are actually located?) and presented our tickets to the guy at the door, who looked at them and said, "Oh! You're right down on the floor! Just head all the way down the steps!" It turns out that Mom had gotten us seats DIRECTLY BEHIND the Seattle bench. As in front row. There was no one between the players and us. It was the most amazing view we've ever had at a basketball game! I am so excited to tell the crumpet how close she actually was to Sue Bird.

The game got quite exciting at the end...Phoenix completely dominated the first half, and then Seattle staged a tremendous comeback in the second half and actually pulled out the win. We got to see a lot of Diana, Sue, and Swin (Swin has had a rough couple of years playing in Detroit and it's wonderful to see the "old" Swin reemerging with this new team). Mom turned to me at one point and said, "well, we've never had our view blocked by the referee before!" Indeed. And what's with those coaches feeling the need to stand up all the time? Couldn't they crouch out of our sightlines?

It was amazing to be that close to the action, and to see how quick and strong the players really are. Also lots of fun to hear them all talking to each other. We thought we'd be able to hear the Seattle coach in the huddle during timeouts, but the arena blasted the music so loud that we could only catch a few words here and there.

All in all, it was a big treat, and a great night. I wished very much that I had a camera, but after several minutes of fiddling with my cell phone and trying to figure out how to work the pathetic camera it has, then finding that the shutter delay was about ten seconds, I abandoned the attempt and just watched the game!

The surgery rotation is trucking along. I had a good week with a breast surgeon, and actually have a three-day weekend now, being lucky enough to have Memorial Day off. Mom and I have been joined by Susan, visiting from Oklahoma, and we'll be heading up north this afternoon, staying overnight in Flagstaff, and visiting the Grand Canyon tomorrow. Susan, luckily, has a camera, so I may be able to post some photos from our adventure in a couple of days.

The crumpet is growing and bouncing around, she'll be 30 weeks along on Monday! She has been very obliging when I've been scrubbed in for surgeries, staying nice and quiet and not kicking me in the spleen. In return, I'm trying to get her as much sleep and good food as possible, and finding time to do some yoga every night. We're getting along quite nicely, though we miss Alex (and Jasper) very much.