If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

I know. I know.  I stay so behind on this ol' thing called the blog. But I'm trying to do better. It's a matter of relevance, the term better. Putting up a post months after the fact is better than not putting it up at all. Right?  So, Elder Son tried out for the basketball team again this year, and this time he made it! Yeah for Elder Son! We were proud of him, as this was something he really worked hard to do, and really wanted to be a part of the team.  

He still isn't a starter, but he has seen some playing time on the court.  I actually wasn't there to see him play in his first game, but his father was....and he was kind enough to send me that sweet text "your son just scored his first points."  I was elated!  And immediately sent a text out to several friends announcing the big breaking news. As if anyone really wanted to know, but hey, I'm a proud mama, I'll tell the world about my kids if they'll only stop and listen! :)

It's been hard trying to keep up with 3 kids all going different directions, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world! 

Now, aren't you glad this was a feel good post instead of a tear jerker like this POST from last year when he tried out...and didn't make it?

Me too.

'Cause those will break your heart slap in half when you have to live through them.

This year it was a much better time for all of us involved.  And don't think for a minute I didn't sweat bullets waiting for the call to come forth that tryouts were over.  Last year, I had been at gym with Baby Girl and Granny had to pick up Elder Son from the dreaded let down of not making it.  I decided not to miss that this year, win, lose or draw, I'd be there to shout with joy or cry silently inside with him.  

So, because he is a teenager, it seems fun to play tricks on your mom.  Tricks that make your heart stop a beat or two. Just because. Yeah, it's real funny, unless you're the mom. Who loves your child more than basketball or life itself. Here's how this year's conversation went after try outs:

"Hey, mama?"
"Yeah, buddy, are you finished?"
"Yes, we're finished, come pick me up."
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute, so, how'd it go, did you make the team?"
"I can't hear you real good, just come pick me up."

I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to figure out teenage boys and their emotions even face to face, but through a converstaion on a phone???? please, ....it's virtually impossible. So, my mind raced a thousand miles while I drove the dreaded few to the gym.  What if he didn't make it?  What would I say? How could I make it feel okay? It's not like a scrape on the knee after a bicycle wreck on the driveway when he was 6....band-aids, kisses and popsicles don't work anymore.

I pull up to the gym and he's in the parking lot talking with some other kids, and a close family friend who's in college. He hops in the passenger seat and I just smile, not wanting to cause any unneccessary drama in front of his peers, I don't immediately ask the BIG pressing question.  

The college aged family friend (who was an outstanding athlete in high school and college) stands at my window and leans in....then says aloud across me, "it's okay, Elder Son, you'll make it next year." 

I just look back and forth between them like a tennis match at Wimbledon.  I'm speechless. And heartbroken. But trying to be strong. Elder Son seems like he's being really strong, too. And we sit there for what seems like forever or maybe it was just a few seconds, and finally Elder Son cracks a broad smile and says "Mama, we're just messing with you, I made it!".

Real funny. Teenage boys. They're a laugh a minute.

I have no clue where the pictures went when they vanished.....

however, I am ever so thankful I  was able to get them back.  Okay, not me, exactly.  As we all know I am technologically challenged, digital camera challenged, card reader recovery stuff challenged.....and well, the list could continue but to cut it short, let's just skip ahead and say I'm basically just "life in general" challenged.  There, that should cover it.

Anyway, I promise, in fact I would even pinky swear, that I stood on that court Tuesday night, with all the other REAL press people, and pretended I knew what I was doing on that shiny parquet floor.....and in doing so, I took several hundred photos.  I know that because my photo count reader went from 693 to 274......in the course of less than 2 hours.  And I managed to even sneak a peek at a few of those photos during time-outs and half time, and I KNEW they were there. 

I even checked the camera viewfinder again after the game, as I was standing in the media room (oh yes, I even got invited to the media room because of my press badge...and was told I could ask questions if I wanted....um, yeah,"life challenged" would also include this area as well.  I was happy to be in the media room, take a few pics of the Q & A session, but I would not be participating in it otherwise.  Basketball terminology is not my strong suit (are you surprised???)....as I once asked the coach why we didn't just play 1 on 1 in defense....and he laughed in my face.  I have later learned it's called man coverage, or man to man, or whatever....and that they also have zone coverages as well as box and 1, and crazy other stuff.  I personally still hold to the fact that if you'd just play 1 on 1 defense things would work out fine.  But, alas, no one has of yet asked me to begin my coaching career....so I'll just keep my playbook to myself and let the others suffer on their own will.

Back to the pictures.....they were THERE.  I packed up my camera bags, hubby loaded them in the car and we headed towards home, arriving to slumber city around midnight.  Too late for me to begin sorting through all those photos to begin the editing process.  However, first thing the next morning, I pulled that card out of the camera, stuck it in my laptop and waited to see if I had any pic that would be newspaper worthy........and the pics were not there.  They were not anywhere.  Not anywhere to be found. Vanished....and they did it like most of those with a criminal mind....in the middle of the night, under the cover of darkness.  It was the craziest thing I'd ever seen...there were pictures I had taken as late as 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon that were on the card, but absolutely none of the game just hours later.

But I outsmarted them this time.  I took my card to a photo shop in town, owned by a very smart man.  A very smart man who is not technologically or digital camera or card reader recovery stuff challenged.  And am happy to report that with his cunning skills, a software program, and lots of patience......he was able to recover all the files.  That's right....he found, retrieved,  rescued and restored all 645 pictures I had taken at the basketball game.  And I couldn't have been happier....breathing a huge sigh of relief. 

Sure, it's just our local, weekly, newspaper, and it's barely mediocre pics that I offer up, but it's important to me that I get something to represent these kids who work so hard at every game. 

So, I figured since I went to all the trouble to get these pictures back, I might as well show you a few.  Let me say right now, sadly, there was no Miracle on the Court for our boys on Tuesday night. As was evidenced live and in person, the team they played is ranked No. 1 for a reason.  They are that good.  Their record is 28-2.  Wow.  That's impressive, I don't care who you are.  But the point is, our guys made it to the Sweet 16....and as I said before, that's nothing to hang your head about! 

Yep, the other team won.  And so what if their boys could do this....often.

We still had the sweetest scorekeeper this side of the Mississippi.

And the best student section, with some fanatic fans.

Really fanatic fans.

Maybe those gals were an omen of sorts, a sign of things to come.....as I had one more hair raising day trying to find the vanishing pictures.  No need now of course to have your hair standing on it's end.....they were able to be recovered.  And I learned a hard lesson, a lesson that gave me a few dozen more grey hairs to add to the stash I'm collecting atop my noggin.  

Houston, we definitely have a problem.

I went, with press pass around my neck, and took over 400 photos last night at the Regional Semi-Final basketball game. 

Over 400 photos.

That now are NO WHERE to be found. 

Yes, they were all there last night.

Yes, I saw them on the viewfinder of my camera.  

I was so excited about some of them that I couldn't wait to get up this morning to start perusing through the hundreds of favorites I knew I'd have.  Favorites of lay-ups, the cheerleaders, the fans, the SUPER fans, the coach, the scorekeeper, the signs, the dribbling, the passes, the free throw close ups, the entrance of the team, the media room afterwards. 

Over 400 photos. 

NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. 

Not on the camera card, not on the camera, not on the computer when I insert the card to be read.

It's the strangest thing I've ever known. And one of the saddest, at the moment.   

Sweet 16...(in basketball world)

Because of recent events, I'll be getting to use a press pass for the state sporting playoffs, for the second time this school year.  The State sends out these handy dandy press passes for those media folks, even for those who don't know exactly what they are doing (ME), but work pro-bono in order to get the athletes a little press time in the small, weekly edition of the local paper(ME). 

Back in the fall, I had the honor of being on the sidelines, taking pictures of our high school football team as they made a run through to the 2nd round of state playoffs.  It is no secret, football is my favorite sport.  However, I still take pictures for all the other sports as well, but due to the MONO that invaded our home during basketball season, I was unable to attend all the games this year, and thus missed a lot of the action. 

So, it's been nice that these last few weeks I've found a surge of energy and time, and found myself back courtside, taking pictures yet again.  And what a time to be here.  To see these kids give up their hearts and lungs, running up and down the court for just a chance to play one more game.  Just one more game. 

Win the Area Tournament? Check.  They were given that chance to play in one more game, at home even, in the Sub-Regional game. 

Win the Sub-Regional game? Check. They were given that chance to play in one more game, in the Regional Semi-final. 

And so it brings us to where the guys are for now.....mere hours away from playing their hardest, giving it their all, yet again, for the chance to play in just one more game.

They have made it to the Sweet 16 for our classification.  Only 16 teams are left.  It is the first time for our current coach to make it to the Sweet 16.  It is the first time in a long time, over a decade I believe for our school to make it to the Sweet 16.  It must be a great feeling. I think it is, and heck, I don't even know that much about basketball.  But I sure love the emotion captured in the above photo after that Sub-Regional win.  That emotion and exhiliration of .....wow, we just won, I can't believe it, we're going to the next level.....we get to play in one more game!

Sure, there's comes a pinnacle at some point.....we are a mere 3 games away from that view.  Do I think we'll get there?  I can't say for certain, it's probably doubtful.  As tonight, they play the current seeded number 1 team in the state.....tough break for our guys.  As one of the senior players told his mom...."to beat them would be like the biggest miracle in the history of high school ball. " 

I've read about miracles happening. Have you?  As the Olympics have arrived, especially since it's the winter games, you hear a lot of reference to the Miracle on Ice quite often.  I'm sure all of you have as well.....you may have watched it unfold on your 3 channel, rabbit eared, television back in that very moment, or maybe you have watched the not one but two movies that have been made about that game in the history of our nation's great Olympic moments.  

During the Olympic games in 1980, USA's hockey team defeated the Soviet Union's team. A team that was far more than heavily favored. In fact, the Russians were known as the best team in the world.

Not just the best team in their classification. 

Not just the best team in their state. 

Not just the best team in their country. 

But rather, the best team in the world. 

And, as evidenced in 1980, even the best team in the world can be beaten.....it just takes one game. 

No, Al Michaels won't be calling the game tonight for our boys.  No, even if they were to win, they wouldn't have their photos plastered all over Sports Illustrated.  No, you won't find a snippet of the game on an ESPN highlight reel. 

But those boys have one more game to play in.....they have made it to the sweet 16.....and for all of that and more, there's plenty of reasons to hold their heads high.