My sincere apologies for the long absence of any post whatsoever. A lot has been going on since that Southampton-City match way back on December 7, 2013. I had to, first-and-foremost, complete an essay for my Shakespeare module before the holiday and much time was dedicated to that! -- something my parents should be pleased to know, that I only completed two seasons of my NCAA Football 11 dynasty mode instead of a potential three or four.
Jokes aside! The No. 41 house had a lovely Christmas meal before we all departed our separate ways. I think we went our own ways for a bit... I know I did! The condition in place for my return to England was that I had to spend Christmas at home unlike 2011 when I spent the holidays in Woking with my cousin, his wife, and her family. And to be frank, I'm glad I made the trip home, even if it meant sitting in an unbearable airport in New Jersey for four and half hours.
1) How incredibly much I miss seeing my family at the drop of a dime. It was a great laugh right from the get go as I told them how I had hoped to bring Christmas crackers (tradition) back with me. I had them with me up until the point the lady at the airport said they were a "weapon". Turns out she told the entire flight the same thing -- evident when they wheeled out a giant rubbish bin filled to the brim with them. The airlines playing Grinch, tisk, tisk. Another thing that eased me right back in to life in America: my mother clenching her daggum phone following our North Carolina Tar Heels go into overtime against Davidson. There were "hellos" and hugs, but there was Carolina ball to attend to. Priorities.
2) The Routine. Waking up at 9AM, (not like I couldn't do that here if I tried), then flipping on the tele to watch Sportscenter in my favourite recliner with a cup of hot chocolate. And I mean watch Sportscenter from 9 till 3. ESPN via BT Sport is great, we get college basketball and football, and major college championships, but we don't get Sportscenter. We don't Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, and most importantly, we don't get Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable. But for all those shows I can get the podcast, but it rolls in two nights later when the stories are no longer fresh. And all games were at their appropriate hour. Tough for me to complain about a game that starts at 9PM EST when that is going to be 2AM GMT. So if there is anything petty about my life, its The Routine I've for as long as I can remember, well before high school even.
3) The amount of money thrown into football, go on, "socccer", is incredible. Every game live, whether it be on NBCSN or online. That without having to search for some dodgy feed that buffers at all the wrong moments. I guess I can kind of lump a bit more of my previous rant into this one... The amount of live sport is tremendous, its all accessible even if you'd don't have the grandest of cable packages. NFL goes to Sky Sports, don't get that. ESPN even will show the most random game possible at times. Nothing like a bit of Big South b-ball, a showdown of Radford-High Point to get your blood flowing at midnight. But to feel it, really feel it, I find myself yelling at the TV regardless because as an American, its in my nature -- or so I'm told by every Brit. And I agree, I get well into sports and I'm 100% okay with that.
Petty. Its all petty. And I knew giving up minute things was the price to chase my dreams and I won't stop till I get there. That is a passion that is unyielding.
Now Christmas. It was grand. You can get Christmas crackers for a price. A high $14.99.
But it was all capped off perfectly when I was presented with the panoramic photo of Williams-Brice Stadium from my grandma's bedroom. It was a special photo I always showed friends and I'm glad to see it hanging above my bed.
Here's to 2014.
And a decent mark on the two essays I've handed in.
And to Sunderland away on Saturday.
Come on you Saints!
