Saturday, February 12, 2011

Go Orange and think pink

Today we went to our first Syracuse University women's basketball game and we had a marvelous time. It was a special Think Pink event for breast cancer awareness and anyone wearing a pink shirt received a discount on admission. Aidan is a member of the SU Kids' Club and got in free, I wore a pink breast cancer tee, so it was just $15 for all three of us to attend.

It was my first time being in the Carrier Dome for a basketball game, so I was a big intrigued by how it was configured. The basketball court is set up at one end, with temporary seating on one side in what is usually the middle of the football/lacrosse field. Here is the view of the Villanova team warming up, wearing pink t-shirts over their uniforms, and the temporary seating is on the right:


We chose great seats, just outside the seats on the right in the above photo. I have never sat that close to any sporting event and it was a great view. Seeing a basketball game live is NOTHING like watching it on television; I saw nuances of the game that I never knew existed. I like watching women's basketball, because they play a different game than men: more teamwork, far less showboating. And I was very surprised that the squeaking of the shoes on the court is not as noticeable as it is when watching on television.

The Orange wore special pink uniforms while 'Nova sported very cool pink shoes. Here is an SU player getting ready to shoot a foul shot:


What a fun game, especially since the Orange won. While Villanova had an amazingly three point game, Syracuse beat them in rebounds, lay ups and kept their fouls to a minimum. At least one SU basketball team won today:



Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Merry weather

February is a brutal month and our weather the first eight days of the month has been particularly lousy. If you have not already heard, Syracuse is on track to set a new winter snowfall record. Yippee ki-yay.

Today has been sunny, bright and beautiful - cold, yes, but seeing the sun lifts the spirits. My spirits also received a lift from a surprise gift of knitting goodies from my dear friend Kelli. What a box! It arrived from Knit Picks with the words "Happy February! Love from Kelli" on the label, and the box was packed with awesomeness (sorry, but my glee makes me channel my inner fifteen year old):


Kelli gave me a ball winder, a Namaste buddy case in a rich eggplant color, some flexible stitch markers, tapestry needles and three skeins of Andean Silk yarn in a pretty dusty blue green color. Andean Silk yarn is a luxurious blend of 55% Super Fine Alpaca, 23% Silk and 22% Merino Wool; I knit a scarf for my Uncle Vernon out of Andean Silk and it was gorgeous.

What riches! And what a lovely surprise from a wonderful friend. And whether she deliberately chose the colorway because of the name, I don't know, but look closely:


Merryweather!