So, the layout.

I don't layout in ultimate. I can count on one hand the number of times I've laid out (4), but I've wanted to be able to do so for a long time. Actually, I've been wanting to be able to be able to reach a disc, increase my range of reception, be a bigger target.

So, to overcome this "limitation," I've been visualizing. My body can't do what I want it to do if even *I* don't know what I want it to do. I've been watching videos, and live games, watching for what I want to learn to do, imagining myself doing it. Mostly what I'm trying to figure out is how to lay out in stride. I recall seeing Dave Brokaw lay out in stride by reaching by just running and reaching out straight, and that seemed the smoothest way to go.

Figuring out the movement has been the challenge. I'd settled on a one-two-boom! step where the first two steps set up the launch.

Not sure it helped though. I've asked Doyle to teach me, but his response has always been, "No, you just have to do it."

Somehow, today was the day. I had cleared to the back of the stack, and saw the disc swing from the sideline to the dump straight in front of the stack. I started cutting in as the disc was swinging, as hard as I could. Ryan threw the disc, but it was low.

Just as Doyle say, "You just have to do it," I got low and tried to reach low. It wasn't graceful. It wasn't pretty. I held my right arm tucked into me as I landed, slightly jamming my shoulder as I landed, my left arm reaching out for that disc, I wanted that disc.

I missed. It hit the ground and bounced up. I don't know what my legs were doing during the attempt. I could have looked as much like a dork as I fear I did, but I don't care. I had one arm stretched out and I tried for that disc.

Shirley congratulated me on the attempt, and included a "so close!" A couple other people commented on it. I've heard a few comments on my attempt from other teammates when they didn't realize I was listening. I've been so happy to hear their praise. It means I didn't look like the dork I think I might have been at that moment. *smirk*

Odd that I'd post on just one play in one game in the entire tournament, but I'm happy that, on my last tournament at the elite level of ultimate, I managed to achieve that one elusive goal.

I can retire satisfied.

We lost our first game, quarters, dropping us to the bottom half of the top bracket, playing for 5th. We lost to Slow White, whom we had beaten last year in the finals to win the Championship. We had beaten them earlier this year, and, well, they had their revenge today.

Since we were out in the finals, we played two more games for fifth place. We won both of them and finished the tournament in 5th place. Not bad, but not 1st. I played a lot more points in the last two games, managing to actually lay out in a bid for a low disc coming in. I missed, but the visualizations I've been doing for the last month paid off: I didn't think about getting low, I didn't think about reaching, I just did it.

Next time, I'll actually catch the disc.

Tonight will be a night of debauchery, given we're done with the tournament. Not the reason we wanted to celebrate, even Kris dashed off for beer as soon as the game was over and psych-up buddies were revealed, but, well, sometimes parties don't need reasons.

Today was better than yesterday. We played Brass Monkey in the first game. We have their number, though it was close, close, close, and won 15-13. I wasn't at the field to see the end of the game, as I took Steffi's friend Janie to the airport (thankfully close!), leaving as the score was 12-12.

The second game of the day was against AMP. We took half 8-5. Shirley let me know when we were up by four points, I should sub in. I asked if I should go in, or if I should wait for her to call me in, and she said just go. Three points later, and we were up 10-6. On the line, Kyle told the women to front their women. After the pull, I ran down, and was fronting my woman, but the sideline started screaming at me to back my woman. I did, and tragically she caught the disc three times going in on the way to their scoring the next point. Sigh.

Winning two games, however, meant we don't have to play a third today. The other games finished such that we have probably our best possible path to the finals. One game, one point, one cut, one catch at a time, not looking past the next game.

However, if I had to request a path, given yesterday's results, it would look like this:

When walking back from seeing the results of other games going on in another pool, Andy noticed a big box of cookies on the ground.

They were tasty cookies.

Andy, DanO, Kris and I went off for lunch to a local Italian place. When the drinks arrived, DanO picked up his straw, removed the wrapper, plunked it into his drink, and started drinking.

"Given how environmentally conscious you are, I'm surprised you use straws. Is there a particular reason for doing so?" I commented and asked.

Kris looked over at me surprised at my directness. Andy looked over at me unsurprised, but reached for his drink.

DanO hemmed and hawwed for a few moments, trying to come up with some reason for using a straw, as I continued, "You know, those take decades to decompose. They're made of plastic."

Kris sat silent. Andy looked down, busy with something in his hands.

DanO continued to wave his hands and say little, until he finally stopped, and stated, "I like drinking from straws."

"That's fine," I responded, "As long as there's a reason, and not just a mindless use of them. Liking them and deliberately using them, say, to keep the liquids from staining your teeth, is reasonable."

We looked over at the relief on Kris' face.

And Andy's answer to my straw accusation:

It exploded five seconds after the picture.