Andy had bought a big red ball a few days ago. He was playing with it at the fields. He was playing with it at the villas and on the beach. It was used as a foot rest by some teammates. It became the object of much mirth and entertainment as it was snagged by some teammates, often from under the feet of other teammates.

One morning, say, Saturday's morning, Andy took the ball to the fields and, rather than take it INTO the port-a-potty he was about to use, he set it down outside the port-a-potty before going inside to do his business.

When he came out, it was gone.

Sunday, when he and a group of teammates were at the fields to watch finals, Andy noticed a group of three women bouncing the ball around amongst them. He quickly ran up, grabbed the ball and called out, "Thank you, ball thieves!"

Surprised, the three tried to explain how the ball was just sitting there, it was abandoned, no they really weren't ball thieves.

Uh huh. Riiiiiiiiiight.

After the tragic disappearance and the joyful reappearance of the big red ball, Andy couldn't bear to be without it. Packing it in his luggage, however, might be difficult.

Andy managed to find a way.

How many engineers does it take to get gas in a rental car on the way to Tampa Bay airport without getting lost?

From today's experience, more than 4.

Paul, Warren and a few others were driving back from the store when they saw a group of McCain supporters waving signs on the side of the road. One of them was young (think twenties instead of the expected sixties of most Republicans), which surprised Paul. So, he leaned out to ask the guy what was up.

He had to shout, however, since they were on a busy road.

Paul shouted out of the car: You're so young! Why are you voting for McCain?
The young supporter shouts back: What? We can't hear you!
Paul: You're so young! Why are you voting for McCain?
Supporter: What? Can't hear you!
Paul: But I can hear you!
Supporter: What?
Paul: Is this some one way sound barrier?
Supporter: Yes!

Last night, with the tournament over for the team, I decided, okay, fine, I'd head out to the beach. I've spent most of the tournament on the fields or in the villa, not really wanting to go out to the beach when it was cold. Funny that, Florida, cold.

Bah, and went.

So I wandered out to the beach, less wandering, more skipping.

I REALLY should have clued in when I met not 5, but 10 ultimate players walking away from the beach.

Nope. I didn't.

I went through the archway under the condos next to the villas and stopped.

This is NOT what I saw:

Instead, I saw hundreds of people crowding the beach. There were at least five teams hanging out, drinking, playing double disc court, running around, and playing whatever throwing, hitting or shouting game drunk people can make up.

There were so many people I couldn't find any teammates for a good two minutes, having to scan each team carefully.

Funny how all athletic, half naked men all look the same on a Florida beach.

I eventually found my team, and was happy for a moment.

Until in nearly the same moment I realized that everyone around me was drunk, and it was raining.

Yep, about right, I thought, and went back to the villa.

I had some stats to finish up.

So, today begins the third day of games with a games against Amp. For some reason, Amp has always been a big Mischief competitor. I can't help but wonder if it's because Amp uses Drupal as their website platform.

I crack me up.

The weather is, of course, sucky. And, honestly, the players aren't much better. Since I stopped playing this season, I've tried very hard (VERY VERY hard) to stay emotionally uninvested in the games. Sure, I'll cheer when Mischief scores, and I'll gasp when someone goes down, but when a foul call is made or a bad calll is made, I say nothing. I'm not playing, it's not my call.

And let me tell you, as anyone who's played with me in the last 15 years knows, my not saying something is a HUGE deal.

I ALWAYS know what's going on and am ALWAYS right.

ALWAYS.

Except when I'm not.

Yeah.

This game was way hard to keep my mouth shut with the horrible mutterings and mean spirited heckles coming out of both teams. My "Yeah, Right" muttered loud enough for few people to hear unleashed anger from Doyle that subsequently unleashed a fury from me.

I don't like that person when she comes out. Unfortunately, I was unable to find ANYWHERE on the field where I could both get away from the spite and see the field well enough to take stats.

Had I thought about it, I would have put my ear plugs in.

quarters vs amp
wind bad. cold.
0-1
1-1
1-2
2-2
2-3
3-3
3-4
WAIT WAIT WAIT doyle can heckle, but I can't? wtf?
3-5 amp up 2 breaks
no, make that 3
3-6
so tell me, how can amp suck so badly, requiring the play in game, then play like this? do they have only two speeds off and vs-mischief?
there is no place on this field I can stand without becoming annoyed and frustrated with the negative b.s. talk on the sidelines from both t
4-6
that was "from both teams."
from amp "yes, I knocked here down, but I didn't foul her."
"why do you keep calling foul?" "why do you keep fouling me?"
5-7 on giz to kyle layout grab
6-7 dano to em
mark to kyle - did he toe the field? one amp guy says yes, one says no. disc comes back
wind dies when they have disc. OF COURSE.
6-8
6-9 after half
7-9
8-9
9-9
10-9
11-9 on kyle to doyle
h.b. adam
adam to kyle blade, 12-9
softcap on
7 turns so far
maybe 13-9 several injuries and calls, including mark with the injury
yep 13-9 chucky to adam

Around here is when Lyndsay asked me if I wanted to go in. We were up four points and the softcap went on a good ten minutes ago. We need to score only one more point, why not go in.

Oh, was I tortured by that question.

I had brought my cleats.

I wanted to go in.

I so wanted to go in.

Instead, I turned to Lyndsay and said, "There is no hard cap in this game. You have to win it outright. I don't feel comfortable going in knowing that."

She looked at me, turned and walked away.

We needed to put the universe line in and finish the game.

We didn't.

ours is the only quarters still going
13-10
no hard cap in this game, since its not a placement game. this could be our undoing, given how relaxed the team is right now
13-11
gah. this point is killing me.
oh god 13-12
14-12 andy to mark

And yet won anyway.

Our last game of the day was against Shazam.

That FY-YAR from yesterday? Yeah, not here today. Too many unforced errors and luck not going our way. Shazam set the pace of the game and controlled it. We never calmed down from the frenzied pace they set. At Regionals it took a misthrown disc to break us out of the frenzy last time. Will was sick so we didn't have his poor aim today.

semis against shazam in 1 hour
semis against shazam starting now. flycoons vs alpha cobra squadron in the other one
0-0
the wind which has been dead for the last hour, chooses to gush now.
heh.
0-1
1-1
2-1
2-2
3-3
some shazam person was ranting on the sideline about the violation calls. leventhal's response? "this seems to really upset you..."
"... is there something we can do for you?"
4-3
4-4
unfortunate power dump for 30+ yards. they score. 4-5
4-6 on drop
time out mischief
double teaming zone is no match for andy pickett and gizmo 5-6
5-8
5-9 after half
5-10
6-10
yeah I give up. this team is giving heart attacks.
wtf. the observer called the score before the catch
6-11
shazam double teaming, we're not calling it
timeout shaz, 17 yards from goalline
6-12
okay this freaking sucks. where is the mischief of yesterday?
hi kris.
7-12 dano blade to nick
8-12 kyle flick to adam b
point from hell
still going
shaz time out
still going
kyle to leventhal toeing the line 9-12
9-13
I don't think I could play at this level again. way too much stress
paul on goal line to nick 10-13
11-13
11-14
shit.
11-15
crap.

Last week, Kris and I were talking about the number of games teams play at Nationals. The most you can play is nine, if you need to play pre-quarters game. You'd play three the first day (everyone does), three the second day (if you play the pre-quarters game, otherwise you play two), two the second day (quarters and semis) and one the last day (finals). The least you can play is seven if you lose in the semis and didn't need to play the pre-quarters game.

I guess we had a light tournament this time.

What I'm really trying to say is, "GO FLYCOONS!"