I am totally running out of wall space.

I'm actually surprised this has happened. I never thought I'd own enough artwork that I actually like, such that all the walls in my house would have one of these pieces on them.

And that I'd have to stop buying artwork for lack of a place to hang it.

Let's see, I currently have the wall space in the guest bedroom, though I've commissioned Mom to make a piece for that wall. There's the wall in the bedroom, maybe two walls if we find something light enough that I'm willing to hang it over the head board (unlikely, but let's keep the options open).

There might be space in the livingroom, but not really.

I guess I'm down to the office. Time to clean out that office and paint the walls so that I have more space for artwork. The trick then is, of course, finding the artwork I love.

Yeah, that's always the trick.

Tonight was Mischief's End of Year Extravaganza, also known as the Michief EYE.

The EYE is a good time to review the season, congratulate ourselves on a season well done, see people we haven't seen for a while (say, since the season ended, which is strange because these people are so part of our lifes, so close to us during the season, that the abruptness of their disappearance from our lives is startling - or that could be just me).

Kris played a song on his electric guitar for Lori, after partaking in some PARS. He was making up his lack of psych-up-buddiness during the season to Lori, since he had done a particularly poor job (which even he admits he didn't do so well). He had grand plans, they just took a while to actually complete.

After the song, team awards were handed out. I received the Most Statistically Significant award, by making all the other statistics possible. I lurve the award.

After the awards, we had the captains' gifts and then the white elephant gift exchange. The exchange was quite entertaining, more-so since I didn't actually bring a gift, and could watch everyone else's gift exchange many hands.

That, and play with Mirabelle and Meter. That's the best part of the evening.

Although we go to Velocity Sports on a regular basis, and have managed to directly or indirectly sign up another four people with the facility, the team hasn't actually partaken of the facilty. Wes arranged for a group training event today, so a group of us went.

That group consisted of Kris, Wes, Paul, Doyle, Shirley, Lori, Adam Brown and me.

We started out with the usual dynamic warmup of jumping jacks, split jumps, jogs, walking stretches, accelerations and the like. I was surprised to realize how much of the warmup process is learned by watching others and following the more experienced people. Kris and I were the only two people at the training day who had been at the facility and done the warmups before. We were both in the front line of two lines during the warmups, which was a little unfortunate.

Unfortunate in that, instead of waiting for the instructor to vocally start the second line, the second line started when the first line started. This meant Lori, who moves more quickly than I do, was running on my heels (quite literally), by the end of the turf, making up the five yard starting difference quickly.

After the third time of having to break form in order to keep ahead of Lori, when the instructor said, "Go!" I immediately yelled, "Stop!" to the second line, before going myself. They stopped, surprised, and waited for the instructor to start the second line. We all had a good chuckle, and the rest of the warmup went more smoothly.

We did a lot of form work in the training sessions. We practiced techniques for running backward (need to lift my toes more before picking up my foot to reach backward), changing direction, and running sideways. I can't say I agreed with all of the training techniques (some would lead to foot injuries if taken to an extreme), but the workout was hard and fun.

At one point, a couple of the group had to step away from the workout to catch their breath. It was kinda nice to know the regular workouts I've been doing have helped me in the off-season somewhat.

I doubt the team will continue with the training sessions. It would be nice if they did, but I won't hold my breath on that one.

Lori is staying with us tonight. I picked her up from the airport tonight. We were like this -> <- with our timing, synchronizing her exiting baggage claim with my slow down drive-by-then-stop arrival at the curb. I think she might have waited one second.

On the way home from the airport, we were talking about life, catching up with the ins and outs of life, work, and, of course, ultimate. She's visiting this weekend to visit friends, but also to par-tay at tomorrow's End of Year Extravaganza, because, well, Mischief is so cool.

At one point, I asked her if she was going to Kaimana next February. I had been invited to play with the same group of women Lori is going to play with (said group being a fantastic group of women), but wanted to stop playing ultimate for a while to heal, build strength, and develop better generic athletic skills. That, and I'm probably going to have shoulder surgery for the shoulder I jammed on that (wonderful, glorious) layout.

Lori said she was going to go, and asked if I was going to go. When I said no, she said, "Oh, yeah, you're one of the quitters."

I laughed, and said, no, I was RETIRING, expecting to drop down to lower level of play in order to keep playing, but I wasn't expecting to stop playing ultimate completely.

The conversation moved on, but her words stuck with me, maybe more than they should have. Her words weren't meant in any mean way, but they still hurt a bit.

Quitting has such negative connotations. "I'm not a quitter!" and "Winners never quit!" and other platitudes about quitting. Why would I want to quit playing ultimate, some still in the passions of the sport might ask. I've certainly been in that state where I couldn't understand why anyone would want to retire, stop playing. Those people must have been insane, I'd think.

Yet, trying to rationalize why leaving elite utlimate is a good thing is hard in some respects, yet easy in other respects. I stopped developing as a player when Mischief started doing well. I've been injured for the last three years, barely playing at Nationals went I've gone. What fun can it be to take stats for Regionals and Nationals? What fun can it be to watch and never play? It's fun for a while, but it becomes less interesting the more you realize what you used to be able to do and can no longer do.

Though, I'm clearly not completely comfortable with the thought, though, as I refer to my decision as "leaving elite ultimate" instead of "quitting elite ultimate."

Eh, maybe I'm reading too much into this. It's only December. If I can heal over the winter and develop the skills I feel I'm lacking (think: 45 yard forehands, consistent backhand and forehand breakmarks, better form on my forehands, stronger hamstrings, and quicker feet on marking), then I'll probably continue playing at higher levels.

However, it'll be on a team where I actually play. And more than just practices.