Prelude To Innovations in Motion

So, I wake up at around 5 40, with my dad telling me we are going to leave soon. I have packed e'erything the night before, so I am ready to go. I put on my new khaki shorts and one of my older blue button up shirts, one I like, and I head downstairs. After a little water, I had no breakfast, I waited for Sual to arrive, as he did. We got there and found out that our first game was not till 11 30, instead of 9 30 as we previously thought. We would still be going up there at these wee hours instead of at 8.

We asked if Sual could drive (because we wanted him to), but there were enough cars to take everyone (we thought) and the coaches declined it. As we piled in, I found out that I would have to be riding in the way back of a car, facing the other way. Now, my people, I always have digestive problems, I always say I am going to throw up, but the only times I have ever been sick were this summer on 101 and whenever I read in the car. But, as I was already feeling the blues as to now being able to do my business the night before, I was feeling sick in my throat on the way up.

The Ride Up

As we pulled away, "it feels like someone has filmed our arrival to Fort Reno, and now it is being played back to us in reverse," we noticed Corey, a player from last year who is acting as our Ass't. Coach, walking across Nevada. We were all bummed to find out there was not enough room for him to come (let sual drive) considering he was very into this. I felt bad for him. Sometime outside of DC, I fell asleep, sitting backwards, lying my head on the back of Phil's headrest.

I kept on coming in and out, until I pulled out my watch and noticed that it was "7 50." Shortly thereafter we pulled into someplace with a Big Boy. As soon as we got out, I could not decide if I were going to try to throw up, or go to the bathroom. I opted for the "WE USE LYSOL PRODUCTS TO CLEAN AND DISINFECT OUR RESTROOMS" option and sat on there for fifteen minutes biting my shirt and curling my toes in pain. IN PAIN. As we got out, I still felt a little sick in my throat and smelling the Cinnabon and Coffee from Ellie's breakfast in the car did not help me. I had to breath in through my nose the smell of my hands, which had been washed with that soap that is gel, you know that smell. Not of home bar soap, but of commercially used soap. So, that is what I did for a while, until I thought to remember my last summer trip to California;;;

I was feeling sick in bodega bay, and we sat down at a place called Tides Wharf & Restaurant. Suffice to say, I was feeling ill from our driving on the 101. My uncle Fred, who lives in California with Aunt Caroline and cousins Alison and Michael and Jane (twins about 10 years old I think), told me a method to calm your stomach was to put some cold water (like the ice water at the restaurant) on your wrists and rub your wrists. I would like to remember that this method worked, as I think it did. I applied this same method to the car ride, but with no cold water. I was rubbing my wrists together, smelling my hand, trying to fall asleep. Until we arrived at our destination (which I can now tell you where after looking at the website):

The Hip Hop on Pop Tournament at the Edgely Fields with 18 teams competing all day.

The Games

We all of our three games and by the end I was dog tired. I mean, horrendously exhausted. And in the past I have felt tired, but now I was falling asleep and all I could think about was eating a Gyro. A nice warm gyro with cheese. After our first two games, we had a wait of about an hour and a half, so I went over and bought a disc to remember the trip. The dude who sold it to me did not have change for my two fives of one single, so he said take it for five and if he sees me later to give him a single. I told Sam and Phil who walked with me over there to get some more water, that I was never going to see that dude again.

Our last game was , ironically, against Sidwell (yes we drove three hours to play Sidwell) and we lost by two points. But those two points were the 'win by two' two points and I was told by Noah afterwards that he thought Phil, a great scorer and catcher, had caught the goal that would have given us the game. So, the game went on, and we lost, and I feel really bad about not being able to get back in there but my knees felt like pudding. I got tired even looking at them play, and I am normally known as DCo¹ of Eternal Energy, but now I was done.

We walked over to the house on the fields, and got some pizza, which I gobbled up because I was so fucking hungry (I had had only water that day). During my feast of pizza (which I did not realize till later was not all that great; what the fuck is "Boston Style" pizza anyway?) we were informed we won the SPIRIT AWARD for the tournament. This meant that we showed the best spirit and sportsmanship which was awarded from all the three teams we played. Only now can I be really happy we won that, as at the time I was so tired you could have told me there was a PowerBook G5 just introduced and I would have wondered if there was any water around. We posed for a picture, and then we left shortly afterwards.

The Final Part

So, Curtis was nice enough, very nice enough to trade places in cars with me. He got the backwards seat, and I was sitting next to Noah on the right in an Alfa Romeo. I bring the kind of car up only because my father used to drive one, and I thought it was pretty nifty. Deriving home, the members of my team discussed how sucky that pizza was and the taste was still in my dry mouth, I did not feel well. As I went home, I slept for 2/3rds the way there. My body was sweaty, at least I hope I did not piss on myself. I came home around 9 20, and had two glasses of lemonade which totally blew my mind. I felt so fucking tired. I took a shower, had to shampoo my hair twice to make it feel like it was not cracked, and sat down and watched TV for the rest of the night, and had some steak. I was so fucking tired. I finally fell asleep at 12 08.

Today I awoke at 8 30, feeling exhausted and tired and slightly sick. My stomach was hurting me, but not queazy like my normal "danny is nervous of something or something like that." I just don't feel good. Fuck the shit, you know? Well, whatever, today I should just take.. it.. easy.. as I am so.. fucking.. out of it. You can tell when something is wrong with me when I cannot feign massive amounts of energy or a good humor. But now, all I want is soda, and I should not have that as it will mess me up, my bad digestive system

Afterward

Today, this morning, there is a game. And Jon called me, and asked me to come, because there were only seven people there, and people would get exhausted. I asked him not to do it to me, not to make me feel bad about not being there, to feel bad about letting down a team that is supportive of me when I need it. All my clothes from yesterday, the clothes I play in, are dirty (sans cleats). I know the best thing to do would be to go, but let me tell you, I am not up to it. My stomach is hurting, not the normal queazy, but the constipated and needing something to just push everything out (soda maybe?) and I am tired, my knees are not up to doing up. My mom said I should go, even if I don't play to show my support. I do feel bad about not going, and this is just an instance where it shows that I am either lazy or just physically weak. I don't have a lot of stamina. And now, it is just me feeling bad about not going, and feeling bad in my stomach. This is me trying to justify not going, I guess, but in this instance it is my bad, I did not Get It Done.