Stormy Petrels

After two straight nights out on Wednesday and Thursday I hedged my bets and went out Friday night, most of the day Saturday, and some on Sunday.

Late Friday afternoon I checked my 2015 calendar for one of the first times all year, and noticed that Oglethorpe had a home game. Matthew needs to get out more, so we went down to see our friend Connor Smith play. Going into the game he was Oglethorpe’s leading scorer. He also leads the team in free throw percentage and probably other categories. We arrived in time to see the end of the girl’s game. Connor’s family arrived, as well as my friend/neighbor Lee Bates, who said as a new empty nester comes to many of the games. The Stormy Petrels were playing conference foe Rhodes College from Memphis. 

Oglethorpe had no answer for Rhodes’ tall center, but kept it close throughout the first half. In the first seven minutes of the second half Oglethorpe could only manage one free throw, and Rhodes pulled out to a double digit lead. Everything was going Rhodes’ way. The Petrels did a great job drawing fouls, sending several Lynx starters to the bench in foul trouble. But Oglethorpe missed 7 or 8 foul shots, which turned out to be the difference in the game. Even the normally reliable Connor missed one. Last season as a freshman Smith had torched Rhodes, and Oglethorpe had beaten Rhodes both in Atlanta and Memphis. This year Rhodes closely guarded Connor and limited him to less than ten points. Connor helped out in other ways, with deft passes and a team leading seven rebounds. As the clock ticked down Oglethorpe pulled close but ran out of time, losing 66-60.

We hung around after the game to greet Connor, then Matthew drove home. We stopped by McDonalds to get Matthew a McFlurry. We had stopped by Taco Bell on the way. I finally had one of those dollar crunchwrap sliders at Taco Bell Friday night. Not as good as the dollar beefy frito burrito or the cheesy chicken burrito. The Lower Roswell Taco Bell did toast my beefy frito burrito longer than usual, making it better than usual. M got his regular five layer burrito with no sour cream. We didn’t get home until almost 11:30. Oglethorpe hits the road until February, but I’ll keep you in mind in case I try to attend another game.

Saturday morning I drove Ceil and Matthew downtown near the old Georgia Baptist Hospital to help out at Matthew’s Legacy School service project, taking food to the poor, sharing the Word, and playing with kids. The children were thrilled to see us, wanting us to hold them and give them piggyback rides. I got to know two Legacy dads. Fred and I got to share with two men in their 20’s. One was 28 with 8 kids spread out across the country, aged 3 to 14. He had fathered a child in 9th grade. Later he went to prison and got out at 21. Said he worshipped in an African church who believed God manifested himself not only in people but also animals and other objects. Smelled marijuana in several apartments. Not sure many in this area attended church. A group of college kids from the University of Idaho were on a two week mission trip in Atlanta, and they helped out as well.

The bitter cold turned out bright and sunny, so being outside wasn’t bad. On the way home Ceil ran in a couple of stores and we grabbed a late lunch at Nuevo Laredo Cantina, which was packed. Took home two to-go boxes and didn’t need dinner. M drove home – his first time on the interstate. I crashed on the couch and saw Cam Newton seal the loss with the late game pick-six. Watched some of the Patriots/Ravens. C and M went to the grocery store.

Sunday morning we went to the marriage class at Johnson Ferry, then Ceil went with her friends to Rays on the River to celebrate birthdays. Back home M made an instant cheesecake and ate a quarter of it. I turned on the Packers/Cowboys then rode as M drove down to Passion. I had him take Johnson Ferry to Sandy Springs, then Lake Forrest to Buckhead, then Piedmont the rest of the way. Takes twice as long but there’s less traffic. Will was home when I returned, having spent one last weekend with MC before taking her to the airport. After I cleaned the kitchen M repeated the drive home. He ate Moes, the rest of us ate grilled chicken strips, rice, and salad.

I was rooting for the Packers. Many people were saying that Dallas – and Dez Bryant in particular - got paid back for the calls last week. Had Dez not tried to stretch the ball out over the goal line and instead tucked it close to his body it might’ve been ruled a catch. It was less of a catch than Calvin Johnson’s ill-fated touchdown catch that was ruled incomplete a few years ago. Hoping for a Packers/Patriots Super Bowl, but Seattle appears to be a team on a mission. 

Considering that some called the Packers/Cowboys game The Ice Bowl 2 (or 3), Tony Romo’s balaclava looked remarkably similar to the one worn by Dallas starting QB Don Meredith back in the original Ice Bowl.