Archive for category Football
‘Lotta Briefs — NCAA Championship Schedules and Scores
Posted by 'lottasports in Football on March 19, 2015
Click here for the scheduled games for the NCAA Basketball Tournament
Whoa Nelly!!!! Everyone of my EIGHT brackets are deadwood after the UAB upset over #3 seed Iowa State!!! My question is …. is there anyone left with a winning bracket???
According to CBS — who has a bracket contest — 99% of those entered were eliminated — with the SMU and Baylor losses.
This picture pretty well sums things up and Round 2 is not even half over!!
‘Lotta Happenings — Super Bowl Time!!
Posted by 'lottasports in Football on March 3, 2015
This column sponsored by Boynton Financial – twice winner of the prestigious Texas Monthly 5 Star award for wealth managers. Need help in planning and guidance for building your retirement nest egg? Just call Lotta Sports’ favorite pro golfer, president and CEO Frank Boynton, at the Kerrville office 830-370-1377 or George Fisher in the San Antonio location 210- 602-3891.
Just when I thought the beginning of 2015 couldn’t get any more exciting with Rick’s Buckeyes winning the National Championship, my NFL team won the AFC Championship — their ticket to the Super Bowl and I got a job!! I joined the Rio & Reyes Show, an internet radio broadcast out of San Antonio.
Unfortunately with the wonderful news of my New England Patriots going to the Super Bowl, came the doubt of their right to be there. DeflateGate would take the wind out of my sails and made me wonder if anyone with the Patriots organization was responsible for altering the approved footballs. Now I am the type who likes to understand both sides of a story before making judgment. (That’s probably why I was chosen for several juries and was foreperson of two.) Many of my friends were immediately jumping to conclusions about the “cheaters” and so ready to assume guilt before any evidence was presented. I kept the faith that the proper person (s) who did the act would be found and punished. And why assume that it was someone with the Patriots who did it? The Seahawks had just as much to benefit with this huge distraction for New England. Instead of having time to mentally prepare for the game, Coach Belichick and Tom Brady’s spare time off the field was dealing with repetitive DeflateGate questions by the paparazzi. Surprisingly, the NFL and the players from both teams as well others in football were not as obsessed with DeflateGate as the fans and the media.
The day of the Super Bowl, I went through my ritual of the lucky clothes I had been wearing each of their playoff games. You laugh, but retracing my steps back to the first playoff game with Baltimore, as my nephew Bret can attest, any wrong piece can affect the game. It was only after I discovered I had the wrong hair band in my ponytail and changed it to the one I wore the last game they won, New England took the lead and kept it! I know…. it drives Rick crazy. Super Bowl coverage started at 10AM our time and the game wasn’t even until 5:30PM. On our island, I had everything imaginable for food grazing. The crock pots housed Rick’s sausage beer cheese and beanie weenies. I even had a silver cake pan in the shape of a helmet full of Fuzzy’s chips with hot seasoning. There was nothing nutritious to be consumed in sight. After all, it was Super Bowl Sunday.
I have watched the Super Bowl every year since the first year at Los Angeles between the Packers and the Chiefs. Back when I was flying; I used to bid garbage the month of the playoffs and the big game just to have those games off. I was a football fanatic long before the internet site!! Of all the Super Bowls, this was probably one of the best — the final minutes of the game with more twists and turns than my favorite TV show, Castle. With 2:02 left, Julian Edelman, with his superstitious full beard, caught the go-ahead touchdown and the Patriots were finally leading after being down by ten points. The kickoff was a touchback so there was no runback. Marshawn Lynch, who had been slowed down on previous possessions, exploded down the field for thirty-one yards! Two incomplete passes followed by a short pass. 1:14 left. Wilson goes back to the left and throws to the right. Tom Brady and I watched in horror as Seattle receiver Jermaine Kearse juggled the ball several times and fell on the one yard line! By now I was one foot from the TV as I went with the ball. “NO!! NO!! NO!!” I sit back down on the couch in disbelief as it appeared to be a repeat of the Super Bowl XLII loss against the NY Giants. The next play equaled “the shot heard round the world” in the Revolutionary War. Wilson did the unconventional (Pete Carroll’s middle name) and went back to pass….. on first and goal… and it is intercepted by Malcom Butler, a pretty much unknown cornerback for New England. He came out of no-where! Brady still had to get the ball out of the end zone and it got dicey until a Seahawk got flagged for encroachment. Patriots won 28-24.
Meanwhile, I was getting to talk about all this through my new job doing sports on internet radio. The start was challenging though for the first couple of weeks. Keep in mind — this was taking a person who rarely went to bed before 1:30AM and converting them to someone who had to get up by 6:00AM. I actually could have slept in longer, but I needed time to shower as the heat loosens my vocal cords, get the green tea caffeine flowing in my system and throw some make-up on. After all, although the public couldn’t see me, my co-workers could! Unlike my monthly column, hours of preparation the night before each show was needed to ensure I had something to report. Next was the hardest part. I had to leave my nightly Spades games on the internet by 11PM to ensure I was asleep by midnight. It took me a couple of weeks to synchronize my life style, but all is well. I am even waking up before my two alarms and having so much fun every morning!! I just love a happy ending… don’t you?
‘Lotta Happenings — National Championship Time
Posted by 'lottasports in Football, Hill Country Happenings Articles on February 1, 2015
This column sponsored by Boynton Financial — twice winner of the prestigious Texas Monthly 5 Star award for wealth managers. Need help in planning and guidance for building your retirement nest egg? Just call Lotta Sports’ favorite pro golfer, president and CEO Frank Boynton, at the Kerrville office 830-370-1377 or George Fisher in the San Antonio location 210- 602-3891.
The New Year started with Rick’s Ohio State Buckeyes playing the Alabama Crimson Tide in the National Championship semi-finals. TCU and Baylor fans were very upset that those schools were snubbed by the committee who instead chose the “revered for TV ratings” Ohio State team. I was in awe by the Buckeyes resistance to so many obstacles getting to that game including losing two quarterbacks to injury during the regular season. Rick and I watched the game in amazement as not only did the Buckeyes beat Alabama 42-35; they did it in very convincing fashion halting a late surge by the Tide. The reality hit us fast — The Buckeyes would be coming to North Texas the following week! Meanwhile in Ohio, Rick’s brother-in-law Gary and nephew Bret worked on getting tickets to the first National Championship.
When North Texas puts on a sporting event, it’s usually an extravaganza and the National Championship was beyond expectations! ESPN set up camp at Sundance Square in Ft. Worth a week before and produced their shows live. Over in Dallas, the convention center had interactive displays, pep rallies, appearances/Q & A with the teams and autograph sessions by former collegiate stars. For this sports aficionado, I found myself like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what events to attend. Friday morning Rick was off so I asked him to take me to see the ESPN production. When we arrived, it was just like what we witnessed the night before watching it on TV. Fans in both school’s colors were jumping up and down waving crazy signs in hopes of catching the cameraman’s eye. Just a few yards away from the fans were the ESPN personalities on-the-air. Between segments, I wandered around to the side entrance. As luck would have it, the ESPN security guy Kinely Williams was approachable including let us pose with him for pictures. While we stood by the back entrance, former Dallas Cowboys Darren Woodson exited by us and former Heisman winner Desmond Howard was escorted in. After we returned to our post as the backdrop of the show, the cameraman cued us to wave and yell as he panned the crowd. Despite being dressed for the Artic, the bone-chilling temperatures shortened our time at the outdoor event. We had an adventure finding our way out of the city as the high buildings confused the navigational system. Poor Rick was stressing as he needed to be at work in less than two hours.
The following day Bret spent part of the day at the convention center touring the displays as well as seeing coach and player interviews. Meanwhile at home, I took a hiatus from college football to watch the NFL playoffs. The early game became one of the most disputable games in recent history. It was disbelief (and the end of the year) for the Cowboys when their winning touchdown was nullified by a rule in the NFL handbook. Next was my Patriots game and by then Bret had arrived. Little did he realize the magnitude of watching football with me and the potential for Oscar winning theatrics. Nothing was going right for my team. I was at a loss as I buried my head in my hands followed by a checklist of my lucky clothes. Bret quietly suggested that maybe it was my hair holder. AH!!!!!!!!!! It was! I ripped out the red band and twisted in my navy one. The Patriots made a comeback and never looked back. Bret, still in shock over my game-watching, left for Love Field to pick-up his dad.
On Sunday, after the NFL games and dinner out, Gary and Bret headed to Sundance Square for the ESPN broadcasts. Since Rick had to leave for work at 330am, we stayed home to watch it on TV. Suddenly, we spotted a close-up of Bret! A few segments later, we saw Gary with Bret peeking through his armpit! We turned in early as the next day was a full game day. After breakfast, Gary and Bret headed back to Sundance Square before heading to the game. After they left, it dawned on me I could take to the train to Ft. Worth. Less than an hour later, I was stepping down the stairs at Sundance Square. I had a momentary panic as I scanned the crowd of hundreds trying to find the guys. On the front row, I spotted a man in an oversized red ESPN cowboy hat leaning on the barrier. He turned — it was Gary! He and Bret squeezed me into their prime spot for the camera pans. After Gary and Bret headed off to the stadium, I mingled with other Ohio State fans. A gal named Connie was next to me doing the arm positions of O-H-I-O for cameraman Dana Sherman. “Come on, Carlotta!” she yelled. I laughed and explained I could barely master YMCA. OSU twins Kaci and Kelli Ferrelli introduced me to their dad Jeff who played for the Buckeyes in the 70s. Way too soon, it was back to the train with fans going to the game. Bev, seated next to me, played the Buckeyes fight song over her cell as the others chimed in. It was an awesome week culminating with fourth seeded Ohio State beating Oregon by a resounding 42-20! Was I there? No, but maybe next year…. it’s now on my bucket list…
‘Lotta Happenings — The Connection
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Football on January 1, 2015
This is my January ‘Lotta Sports column published in Hill Country Happenings
This month, Rick and I will be married twenty-nine years. Rick found out from the get-go just what a sports enthusiast I was. How many guys can say that on their honeymoon in Honolulu, their new wife forfeited hours on the warm sands of Waikiki to watch Super Bowl XX? Yes, I was camped out in our hotel room watching a rather lopsided slaughter of my Patriots by the Chicago Bears. In between cursing at the likes of “Refrigerator” Perry, Walton Payton and Coach Mike Ditka on TV, I was also bantering with some Bears fans in the room above us via our balconies.
The first years of our marriage found me working baseball charters. I continued to amaze Rick with my knowledge not only of the players’ uniform numbers but their wives and kids’ names as well. It was fun getting to know Texas Rangers rookies like Bobby Witt, Kevin Brown, Ruben Sierra and Pudge Rodriguez as they started their professional careers. One night, Rick picked me up at the airport from working a charter. As we started to pull away from the curb, I shouted out to two of the players waiting for a cab. “Need a ride home?” To Rick’s surprise, Bobby Witt and Jeff Huson jumped in the back of the Jeep and within ten minutes, we were letting them off at their homes. Soon our ski vacations were substituted for trips to Rangers spring training in Port Charlotte and in the fall, trips to New England scheduled where we could watch the Major League Baseball playoffs although minus the struggling Rangers.
With our marriage also came a merging of favorite college and professional teams. Our Christmas trees were adorned with ornaments of many teams. It was common to find us watching the games on different TVs when our teams played each other and verbal attacks got too personal. However, if either one of our teams made the playoffs, the other was politically correct in supporting the spouse’s team. In 2009, we visited friends in Pittsburgh to watch the Steelers-Cardinals in the Super Bowl. Rick, a Browns fan, shocked us when he donned a Steelers shirt and actually rooted for them!
Throughout the years, Rick has learned that he’s married to a “social butterfly” who talks to strangers and it’s usually about sports or being a flight attendant. Last month while we were in Ohio visiting Rick’s dad for an early Christmas, we had breakfast at Panera Bread every morning. The first morning, Bob’s table was already occupied so we sat facing another table in front of the fireplace. At the other table sat an attractive older woman in a sable brown outfit. As she interacted with the people at her table, she looked happy with life. I thought to myself, “I hope I’m like that in twenty years.” She and I caught each other’s eyes and exchanged smiles. Once in the car, I remarked about the woman. My father-in-law shared that she had been married to a professional baseball pitcher. I knew it!! I am always a magnet to sports. I call it “The Connection.” The following day, we returned to the restaurant. This time she was at a different table but with the same group. Bob’s usual table was available and her back was to me. As luck would have it, someone in her group stopped me enroute to the restroom to compliment me on my Santa sweater. Here was my chance to strike up a conversation about her husband. Instead I told her how I had admired her outfit the day before when they were seated in front of the fire. It was then the whole group chimed in that the table the previous day was their “usual” table and someone else had beaten them to it this day. We all laughed when I explained the same thing had happened to my father-in-law the previous day. Once in the restroom, I reprimanded myself for not asking about her husband. When I came out, she was at the coffee stand. “It’s now or never,” I told myself. After I stumbled through my explanation of knowing about her husband, we chatted several minutes just like old friends. Her name was Polly and her husband Dell Bethel, had pitched for the New York Giants in the early 50s. When I told her how I had worked several MLB team charters when at Delta, she smiled and said, “You have had an exciting life!” I shook my head and said that hers was probably a lot more exciting. She shared that they rode trains instead of planes back when Dell played. I yearned to talk to her more. As I reached for my purse to grab one of my cards, I discovered I didn’t have it. After a few seconds of internal panic, I spotted Rick in the entry way swinging the bag back and forth, and then shaking his head. Just another day of keeping up with his wife and her “connection” with people….Happy Anniversary Rick!
‘Lotta Happenings — Another Year of Fantasy Football!
Posted by 'lottasports in Fantasy Football, Football, Hill Country Happenings Articles on October 1, 2014
This is my column in the October Hill Country Happenings magazine.
Fall is my favorite season of the year — cooler temperatures, leaves changing colors and Fantasy Football! High in the hills above Kerrville, we convened for our annual draft. The twelve of us chose a place to sit; most of us camped out at the long table adjacent to the draft grease-board. Commish Alek stood at the kitchen counter, hostess Laura manned the food area and Brad set up a command center at the far corner of the room. Brad carefully guarded his post which included facing the laptop screen out of view of all of us and neatly stacking his notes. My brother brought his secret weapon too, a computer drafting program. Rick had two draft magazines while I chose to go with the one day-old computer printer out. We had the same participants as last year except for Roger who passed away mid-season and he was replaced by a guy named Eric. When I exhibited my scar, plate and protruding screw on my left elbow, several joked to the newcomer that I had tripped over the tennis ball on my walker. I’ll have to admit. That sounds better than doing it walking the dog!
First was the Rookie Draft. I drew number nine and ended up with Latimer of the Broncos since my wish list of A & M’s Evans and the Buckeyes Hyde were gone. I figured anyone catching balls from Peyton Manning was a pretty good gamble. Mid-way through the second round, Ralph posed the question, “If a rookie is not picked in the second round, can they still be picked in the regular round?” The answer was yes; Ralph took a running back for the Patriots. When it got back to me, Manziel was still available. I toyed with the idea of picking him but at that point, Johnny was still the announced back-up. I settled on Matthews, a wide-receiver with the Eagles. We were down to the last rookie pick by newcomer Eric. As he wrote his choice, his body blocked the easel. When he stepped back, a roar left our mouths and Ralph slammed down his pen. In Eric’s block were the words, “T.F.ND. – QB CLEV.” The initials stood for Tivy Fight Never Dies. No one needed a name. Much to Ralph’s chagrin, Mr. Manziel was no longer available.
We took a quick break for people to load up their plates with food before the main draft started. Instead, I opted for the restroom since I didn’t want to miss any of the selection process. I chuckled as I entered the bathroom. I’ve been in the league several years and gone was the potty chair on the toilet. I wasn’t gone long and I came out to find all the numbers except for two drawn for draft order! I swirled my hand through the two numbers. I could sense it was going to be a bad draw and reluctantly opened the folder paper. Two! And the unchosen? Number One…. Two was quite OK. This year I scrubbed choosing my favorites and went with whatever fell in sequence with what the experts went with. As in every year, the Commish’s strategy for his picks immediately blew up when Rick drafted quarterback Aaron Rodgers third. Alek shook his head again in the third round when I took the first Defense. Ok, that was a deviation from the book’s order, but isn’t a woman’s prerogative to change her mind? Besides, I knew it was driving the Commish crazy.
Of all our drafts, I think this was my favorite so far. Despite the intense looks on the participants, humor dominated the entire afternoon. While Laura was on break, her mom AKA Ralph’s wife, was chosen to “guard” her daughter’s notes. Instead she picked up Laura’s folder, got a devious laugh and broadcasted, “Hear ye, hear ye….Would you like to know who Laurie is going to pick?” When Brad drafted Ron Gronkowski, he grinned at me and said, “That’s Polish for broken arm.” There was also the blonde moment by my sister-in-law Tonya where she studied her picks and carefully scribed, “Emmanuel Sanders WR DEN” on the board. Brad strolled up behind her and quipped, “Tonya, I make my own picks…thank you” as he gently erased her pick out of his box. During a discussion of why the Oilers had changed their name to Titans with the move to Nashville, my brother Craig had an explanation. “Oil has nothing to do with Tennessee” long pause “Although, there was the Beverly Hillbillies.” The first kicker to go was in the 7th round. When Tonya wrote “Phil Dawson K SF,” the room groaned. A look of panic spread across her face. “Has he lost a leg or anything?” she asked. Our group never tips their hands. After all, in fantasy football, it’s all for one & one for all!
‘Lotta Happenings — Vacation Fun for a Sports Junkie
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Football, Hill Country Happenings Articles on September 2, 2014
June was Rick’s birthday and I really wanted to do something cool for him since our lives had been anything but fun after my accident last November. One night I discovered that Tommy MacDonald, star of Rick’s favorite TV show, Rough Cut, had a book on Amazon.com. I wrote the woodworking legend and asked him if I could get an autographed copy of his book for Rick’s sixty-third birthday. The next morning his response was in email. “Better yet, maybe you could do a surprise trip to watch a taping for about an hour.” Since the taping was in New England, I had to confess to Rick what his present was and we decided to make the occasion a real vacation.
Flying on standby is nearly impossible with summer loads and we got on both flights by the skin of our teeth. After we rented our car, our adventure began when we decided to take in some of the local sites. Google Maps showed Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, just nine minutes away from Logan Airport. We did great until we got to a street which forked out in multiple directions. We discovered quickly that GPS didn’t work in the city. We also discovered why the guide book said, “Locals are very confused giving directions as they use the transit system rather than drive.” We became VERY familiar with the Charles River scenery including a Harvard rowing team, Boylston St and the multitude of one-way streets especially those with no street signs. Back at the original fork for the fourth time, we finally noticed just past the Fenway sign a smaller sign showing Fenway Park going the other way! Finding Fenway Park was worth the effort. Although it was just an hour tour, we experienced the ambiance of the historic stadium. We sat at the top of the Green Monster (pronounced by our tour guide Joe, Mon-stah) as well as other areas throughout the stadium. The right field bleachers housed a lone red chair amid all the blue ones. It was where the longest home run, 502 feet, landed. According to Joe, the hitter was Ted Williams and no batter has come close to the feat. We viewed a hallway of memorial plaques of famous Red Sox players, coaches, owners and announcers as well as different uniform jerseys worn by the team. Joe also pointed out the neighborhood of Fenway located on the horizon. Yes, we already knew where that was!
The following day was the Rough Cut filming. In route to the studio was Gillette Stadium. This sports nut was again in her element. Time only allowed me to peer through the tall locked gates at the turf that my hero Tom “Easy on the Eyes” Brady calls his football home. Rick was relieved at the time constraints since the gift shop was on the pricey side and I loved everything I saw. I came out with two Patriots bandanas for Roxie and Rex. Before I could check for a price on a helmet made out of Legos, Rick had us back on the road to Canton and meeting Tommy MacDonald. After all, that was the point of the trip. One side of a warehouse was where Rough Cut was filmed. The set consisted of a large room with monitors, equipment cords, bright overhead lighting and huge air-conditioning tubes. It was a woodworker’s paradise complete with orbital sanders, saws and clamps of all sizes. Although we had never met, Tommy greeted us like we were long lost relatives at a family reunion. There was furniture all over the place in different stages of completion and the room reeked of fresh cut lumber. Rick was “in the zone.” We sat quietly in an area right under the monitors and the director’s left arm. A script lay to the side with arrows and scratch-outs on the typed material. We discovered later it was rarely referred to as each re-take was spontaneous. Just as we saw on TV, Tommy filmed in front of a large wooden cabinet with bookcases over it. A military flag in a wooden case on top of the furniture piece reminded me of my parents and brought a tear to my eye. Tommy was fun to listen to. His thick Boston brogue and humor brought more tears to my eyes. It was apparent he loved doing the show and his goal was to entertain as well as educate viewers. The two hours there went quickly as we watched the production take shape. While the crew was on break, we lunched with John, the director. It was then I spotted a chair complete with baseball bats for the legs. Yes, there is always a sports connection for me!
After we left, we headed southeast to seek out where our forefathers landed at Plymouth. Again, despite GPS, it was not an easy journey. I had loaded Plymouth MA. not realizing that the town was different than where the rock was. The diversion was worth it as we went through an area of gorgeous Colonial estates nestled in tall trees facing the Atlantic Ocean. As we had been already warned, Plymouth Rock is a small rock set down in a display in the ground so one couldn’t actually touch it. A replica of the Mayflower was docked at a wharf on the shore behind it. It was still neat to imagine part of American History began there. The week went by way too fast as most vacations do however it did have its benefits. Rick reorganized the garage when we got back so he could get to his tools. He added pegboards and shelves similar to Tommy’s. <smile> It would make a great home for a Lego helmet.
‘Lotta Commits — #IceBucketChallenge
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Football, General on August 19, 2014
I completed the Ice Bucket Challenge for raising money and awareness for ALS and I passed on the challenge to Hector Reyes who encouraged me to believe, my wonderful brother Craig Williams, my best friend in Ligonier PA — Trish and of course, for being overzealous in the ice and water, my husband, Rick. You have 24 hours to compete the challenge. Click here to view all the action!! And here is Rick’s answer to my challenge.
Is it almost over?
whoa! That’s cold!!
For more information on how you can help, click here.
‘Lotta Happenings — Part 2 Accidental Happening
Posted by 'lottasports in Football, Hill Country Happenings Articles on February 1, 2014
It has always amazed me how football players who make lunging catches and scrape across the solid turf, get up like nothing happened. Unfortunately, some don’t. Instead they end up carted off the field in excruciating pain, loaded in an ambulance and within hours, are in surgery. Weeks or months later they return to the playing field, but what happens in between? I have lived it first-hand.
Not for the squeamish!
It was easy post-surgery with a catheter hooked up and food as well as pain medication coming in intravenously. I figured with my right arm in a sling and left arm in a full cast I would be in the hospital for a few days. Not so! They had me up and walking in the hall, flashing in my hospital gown with an aide, toting all the equipment I was hooked up to, behind me. I was released within an hour of that feat and sent to my first rehabilitation center. I found out quickly that those places are a combination rehab, long-term care facility and nursing home. Seeing the reality of “health care” was downright scary! The main contacts for my needs were the aides and they would determine if a nurse was warranted. The sad part was the aide-to-patient ratio was ludicrous so getting an aide to answer the call bell was the challenge. Now having been a flight attendant, I understood how some overuse the summoning device. However, in my case, I had no use of either arm or one hand so when I rang the bell, help was definitely needed. I hated counting on others and it really sapped the dignity out of me. Thanksgiving night proved to be a turning point when no one was answering my call light. It was either wet the bed or improvise. An hour later, a text of my accomplishment was heard ‘round the world! The recipients at midnight I’m sure thought I had been in someone else’s meds. I was free at last — to accomplish all the tasks involved in going to the bathroom by myself! Perhaps I could get my “walking papers!” Not so fast! The doctor and my hubby’s concerns were the dogs jumping on me and reinjuring something. As it was pointed out to me, one of those dogs was the cause of me to being in there. I was not pleased with the news of two more weeks of a rehab facility.
Ugh!
Fast forward to the second week of December and my next doctor’s visit. Dr. Lue was pleased with the healing of my left elbow and shoulder. Not only was I getting to go home, but I acquired a contraption for my elbow instead of the sling. Remembering my interest in football, Dr. Lue proudly communicated that it was the device football players wore when they returned to the playing field after elbow surgery. The next thing I knew I nestled in an almost two-foot mechanism which felt like about ten pounds on my arm. It was locked in ninety degrees forcing my elbow to stay in place. Do think there was a problem with the dogs jumping on me after I got home? Hardly! Rex wouldn’t even get within two rooms of me!
Rex says,”As long as I don’t make eye-contact with that thing on her arm, I am safe!”
Nothing is easy during rehabilitation.
In December one usually spends it on shopping and tree-trimming. Not me… I was busy tackling day to day activities like putting on deodorant by zooming my underarm over the container and experiencing several near misses. Half the time the vessel would end up on the floor spinning like a roulette wheel. There was also the “Guess How Many Additional Items Will Fall” game each time I was in the pantry retrieving with my grabber or putting on make-up. Rick had a better appreciation of the art of cosmetology as he tackled securing a ponytail. One of my personal favorites was the day I turned on the toothbrush just short of my mouth. I had toothpaste everywhere including my armpit which the deodorant had missed! There were also milestones like the day I held the hairdryer with my left arm and partially dried my hair. The hair was disheveled but I was happy just feeling normalcy.
Shall I style with my foot?
December was also for College Bowl watching, but even this sports fanatic got bored with the thirty-five games! Because bowls are named after their sponsorships now instead of the traditional Orange, Rose and Cotton, I got to know a lot of companies I had never heard of as well as some participating colleges. All the viewing was worth my dedication as one game I saw a player running off the field wearing my elbow apparatus! Not only did I see the miracle of someone out there playing football again after my same injury, but renewed hope that someday I would again function in the simple things in life.
‘Lotta Challenges — The Recovery Continues
Posted by 'lottasports in Football, Hill Country Happenings Articles on January 31, 2014
As many of you know, Lotta Sports is still recovering from her serious accident (shattered left elbow and broken right shoulder) walking one her dogs. Each day has presented challenges with adjusting to life with limitations. There are good days and bad days…. Some therapy days are great and pain-free while others are agonizing and never-ending.
There are the monumental days like the day I almost formed the TD stance. Getting there — baby steps…
Excerpt from my Hill Country Happenings column on the stands tomorrow. “It has always amazed me how football players who make lunging catches and scrape across the solid turf, get up like nothing happened. Unfortunately, some don’t. Instead they end up carted off the field in excruciating pain, loaded in an ambulance and within hours, are in surgery. Weeks or months later they return to the playing field, but what happens in between? I have lived it first-hand. “
‘Lotta Questions — Super Bowl Time
Posted by 'lottasports in Football on January 27, 2014
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