It's a struggle to get back into the swing of things. All these awfully awkward clunky chunks of free time are going to take some gusto and wherewithall to prevent a torrid fall into alcoholism, hero worship, and other falls into 21st century hedonism.
Life is great by all intents and purposes but some things slip slide away on the wind of fool hardy notions.
I am back at school; attending what should (hopefully) be my last semester of hand held education. As I fall asleep in class and eat Tacos from restaurants that never should have been sanctioned, I wonder where the past four years and all the enthusiasm went.
As a freshman all of education, even the pittance afforded by my community college, was a sparkling gem of information. A delicious morsel of knowledge meant to be slurped down in the smooth mash up of gravy discipline. As a 5th year senior I worry about what would be done if I were to suddenly get a terrible itch in the middle of class. Would it be acceptable to vigorously scratch? What if I suspected a bug had crawled into my shorts?
It's the imagination's playground. Why pay attention to French when I don't understand the language and even my classmates are scolding on me? Why pay credence to Chinese History when wrestling with flash backs?
I realize this all sounds so pithy and bitchy. It is. Things end for a reason. The reason graduation (surmisably) exists is that college has done it's job and done it well. I suppose it has. I'm not running towards the next step. I imagine the fear and pit in my stomach will subside into excitement and enthusiasm.
Ummm... I guess the gist I'm trying to give birth to here is that while I suspect I'm over college because of a growing mix of immaturity, lack of focus, and Academic Fatigue, it's something simpler and much happier. I might be ready to run around and do actual shit instead of yammering away at how my life's preparing me well for the next evolution.
Does anyone own washable markers?
*****
On a side note, the NBA season is coming upon us as fast and furious as Vin Diesel's heart rate near Andrew Bogut's locker. I'm already thinking and analyzing a lot in hopes of discovering the Great Narrative for this season. Toronto looks like an interesting thread, as do those Knickerbockers from New York. However, as preseason hopes sparkle like embers on this cusp of September I am once again drawn deep into the Heart of Texas where my Academic Appreciation for the Rockets resides.
As the Calender, shuffles and quakes away the days on it's own merry way. The Rockets, sure as sun, have made another change. One must wonder (painfully once again) what this move will mean? The Rockets are like puberty without sex education. A change springs forward, ushering in the new era. One hopes that this new change will be the one that completes us, taking us to the Alter of Adulthood. As we embark forward as our new incarnations, we learn rather quickly that there's more growing to do.
A brief time line of Rocket related teasing, the sports equivalent of a lush pocket of freshly sprouted pubic hair or welcoming wet dream.
2002
Expectation:
Wow Yao Ming! A 7'6 Center with passing, post game, and international appeal. i think we are seeing the next great center take form right before are eyes, albeit via satellite. Paired with the effusive and explosive duo of Stevie Franchise and Cat Mobley the Rockets will be a powerhouse for years to come.
Result:
The Rockets lose Rudy T to cancer, hire the immortal Jeff Van Gundy and finish 43-39 to narrowly miss the playoffs. Yao does well but appears too soft to ever dominate.
2004
Expectation:
Holy Cow! The Rockets just got Tracy McGrady! T-Mac! One of the top five players in the game was obtained for nothing more than Steve Francis and picks. I hope Cat Mobley doesn't get too upset about that one, oh well, he has to understand. This is Tracy! One of the top five players in the league and one of the more dynamic offensive forces this side of Dominique Wilkens.
On the plus side, Tracy will help the burgeoning Yao blossom from an All-Star into a Superstar.
Result:
Tracy, though injury prone, plays great. Yao grows into a superstar. They were a team that couldn't get out of the first round of the playoffs before T-Mac and still can't
2006:
Expectation:
Superstars can't do it all. Yao and Tracy are taking on too much of the burden, getting hurt, and shelving themselves. You know what this team needs? Someone to draw an offensive foul! The sort of player who makes the extra pass, hustles, and does it all with a smile on his face and on the strange folds on the top of his head.
The Rockets trade for Shane Battier, the sort of player who's impact supposedly can't be seen on the stat sheet.
Result:
You can't really see Battier's impact anywhere. They lose in the first round. Again. But in Seven Games! I watch game seven with my Mormon Roommate Greg. Later that night, my girlfriend dumps me.
2007:
Expectation:
They fire Jeff Van Gundy, freeing one of baseball's greatest minds to unleash his reign on NBA broadcast booths everywhere. He talks about baseball, his personal life, and his brother's mustache to my great delight. I live in Los Angeles, land of constant celebrity sightings, and grow jealous upon hearing that someone saw JVG at Chipotle.
The Rockets hire Rick Adelman, which is akin to their first hand job.
They trade for Luis Scola, which is akin to getting your first hand job in a hot tub. A hot tub with Luis Scola in it.
Result:
Turn into a juggernaut for a 22 game win streak. Yao Ming breaks his leg, the Chinese weep and Yao wails. The winning continues, but not in the playoffs.
The Rockets lose to the god damned Jazz again. Will they ever get that mustache they long for? T-Mac will never get out of the first round, he might as well start calling them "The Western Conference Quarterfinals" to save his heart the additional damage.
2008:
Expectation:
The Rockets trade for Ron Artest, effectively mortgaging their sanity for a better chance at the second round. At this point I can't wait for their season, to see them sparkle, fade, and inevitably come together.
It probably won't happen. This move is the equivalent to buying a prostitute so they can lose their virginity. You want your first time to be special. You don't want to get it the wrong way or have it occur with Survivor playing in the background.
