Day of reckoning

It's early morning, and I'm heading back to the hotel. Several teammates have left jerseys and shoes and other stuff in their hotel rooms, and I'm going to pick them up. I have mixed feelings about this tournament, feelings I need to resolve, preferably quickly.

I went to the fields on time with Kris and Brynne, and thus was remarkably on time. On time to see the frost on the ground and my breath in the air, which, by the way, is a little disturbing when viewed in a port-a-potty. After I made it to the fields we are going to play on all day, I settled in, and watched the team warm up, wishing beyond hope that I could be out there warming up with them, the butterflies in my stomach in anticipation of the game ahead.

Instead, I was taking pictures on the sideline with Doyle's camera, crappy pictures, but ones that will commemorate the warm-up event, wondering when the sun will finally come through and and start to burn off the layer of fog that settled on the fields (answer: 8:26 am). Several teammates asked me after the warm-up how my ankle was, and I had to admit I wasn't playing this tournament. My 20 yard run last night, on a flat sidewalk, managed to injure it again, so any uneven surface would be worse.

Lori was one of the people who asked me. After I answered, she honored me with one of the biggest requests a newly-wed can offer a friend: she asked me to wear her wedding ring until JJ showed up at the fields. I was so honored! I'm totally with the bling-bling now: three rings on my left hard!

Brynne had left several jerseys in her room, so I handed her my jersey. Then I heard Adam Fagin asking if anyone had extra cleats: he had left his shoes in his room.

So, back to the hotel rooms to gather the crap everyone seems to leave behind. It's a good thing I reserved rooms in a hotel so close to the fields.