I did see Nell Fortner resigned. That's a real loss for them.
Crewing can be great, and you know enough about the scheduling give-and-take it requires that if you think you would like working, you'd probably actually love it.

And now comes probably one of the nerdiest replies ever to grace this bb. "Hoya" comes from the Greek for "such" or "what". Back in the more traditionally liberal arts based days of education, when all Georgetown students had to study Greek and Latin, appearently the students use to chant "such rocks" at their team, officially know at that time as the Stonewalls, in Greek/Latin. ( i can actually relate to this behavior because i went to a college were we all studied ancient Greek and cheered for our teams occasionally in the language as well. However, our only inter-collegiate sports team was in croquet which regularly use to whip Navy's butt.) So over time "Hoyas" has developed to mean "those who attend Georgetown." However, given that that University is a deeply intellectual Catholic school, there is probably also a far more metaphysical meaning to the term a Gtown scholar could put forward, or atleast make up just for the fun of it. Sometimes one has to wonder about these "elite" private univesities and their naming of teams. Standford is named after a color, how intimidating is that? (but then again, it is a shade of red)

(i don't consider the above necessarily a derail because there must be at least 10 boring bits of info in it.)

*****Derail

Wow! Wrinkles you are a font of knowledge! One could say a Hoya...maybe...I think...

Croquet, who knew?

Great tournament thus far, the Creigton/St John's finish had me jumping and yelling.

*****Rerail

1. GORGEOUS weather we’ve had lately. I’m scared for summer.
2. I get to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC next week! This is a bucket-list item for me, so I’m super happy. I really can’t wait even though I’m a big stress ball about going for a week. Wish I was going with someone I knew, but I’m thrilled to see them all the same! :)
3. Why am I a stress ball, you ask? Because I’m in a marketing class that is kicking my butt in the amount of homework we need to do. I’ve never spent so much time on any other class. Speaking of, we need lots of responses on a silly survey we created for Jazzercise. I’d love it if any of you could fill it out for us! It’ll take 2 minutes of your time. Better yet, post a link to your facebook wall if you have a bunch of friends under age 35 or so. We barely have any responses from womyn in that age range, and that’s our target audience. My friends are all older! :) Help me?? Please? :)

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FHFX25N

4. wrinkles: WOW. You do know a lot!
5. Trixie: How was the Detroit party??? (And check out my #3! I’m talking to YOU, among others!) :)
6. Red: We were just talking about my garden last night. I’m dreaming of it already! I was reminded that anything I grow will be gluten-free. (Groan.)
7. Yep. I apparently also have Celiac disease. I know I’m in good company here, both on this thread and also at fest. I’ve been gluten-free for one week and I already feel a lot better. Crazy!! I’m in major denial that I can’t have some of my favorite fest foods anymore. :( :( :( Don’t get me started on nutloaf. Please tell me thats gluten-free???
8. luckdragon: Another bucket list item WAS to go to VooDoo donuts! Rats. Too late. See #7. :(
9. spark: Monoski? You ROCK!!!
10. outsider: Yes, it certainly did work for you!! I’m so happy for you and the kg. :) Can’t wait to see you in August!
11. tori: How’s Ace doing?
12. lucilledesign: Puppy farts can’t be any worse than old-dog-with-allergies farts. :)
13. In remembrance of all fallen angels…

HF, I drove my the cherry blossoms yesterday and they look beautiful! I'm sure you'll enjoy them. Take lots of pics.

1.) Confession time: While i may have recognized the Greek, the Gtown website supplied the bulk of the info about the name. I don't want to be a font of knowledge. Been around people like that and they can be truly boring.

2.)"Perhaps all games are silly, but people are silly."

3.) Picks for upset wins tonight: Gonzaga

4.) South Carolina

5.) and Wis.-Green Bay

6.) Red, is it just me or has Kim Mulkey toned-down her game day wardrobe this year. If so and this is a result of success, it's a high price for the fans to have to pay.

7.) Delle Donne - what an incredible player and so fun to watch

8.) As good as Griner was last year, she has grown so much better. i'm sure they'll select her for the Olympic team and wonder if she will return to Baylor next year. (That could be wishful thinking. And i'd love to know what Phil jackson would advise for say a team like Notre Dame to do to take on the Bears. One might need to be part zen or aikido master to figure that challenge out.)

9.) Go Vols: start your seniors, play all your players, motivate Strickland early, control Simmons' desire to jack up a quick shot from anywhere on the floor and with Glory Johnson in the middle and intense D things look pretty good.

10.) I think the most important lesson learned from the first round of games is that when in doubt one should bet on the Catholic schools' teams to win. Not because God and the BVM are on their side (though i doubt the monk with the rosary in the stands for St. John's hurt them down the stretch any). But because those Papists know how to recruit and take their sports seriously, even women's sports.

11.) survey - done and painless

1 - Aw Wrinkles I think you are a fascinating font, never boring, I aspire to be the BB nerd you are.

2 - Are you watching the Louisville/Maryland game? It is woo ee rough, those womyn do not like each other. And close, I am thinking Maryland will take it, if fist fights don't break out.

3 - I noticed Kim was less flamboyant this year, and yes rather disappointing. Sherry Cole was making up for it last night with huge hair and lots of cleavage.

4 - Did you see the stat last night about height? The average was 5' 5" in the first ever NCAA tourney, now it is 6'1".

5 - Oh crap another coach leaving BB, GG leaving Texas.

6 - The Delle Donne story is incredible, and she seems like a good person, I do not think she will move on to the WBNA. I do look forward to seeing her on the floor with Griener.

7 - Speaking of Griener, she has grown a lot more mature on the court. I got to see her last weekend in KC, but I gotta tell you Odessy Simms is more fun to watch.

8 - Yeah in Phillie the Catholic girls always beat the crap out of us public school teams. Speaking of which did you see the Mighty Macs, cute movie, just don't think about Rene Portland being on the team.

9-You know Pat Summit says she is going to keep coaching, but really she doesn't get off the bench much these days. She looks really wane in person. Remind me to tell you about a tattoo a fan had at the game I saw earlier this year. If I was Pat I would have been totally creeped out.

10 - So if that was not boring to 99% of the readers I would be surprised, back to watching the games.

10. Woke up and got a flash about how to complete a design i am working on. So now, after a productive session in the wee hours of the morning, i contemplate getting back into bed.
9. Wish i were into basketball, i would be in heaven this week and then some.
8. Anyone here still on AOL using or having an AOL broswer that is on a MAC? I need someone to check out a new site and some kids games for me. If you can do this, please email me or do a shout out.
7. Hoping to find a ride down to Santa Cruz Saturday for the Midway to Michfest Santa Cruz party. I hope i hope i hope....
6. My puppy went stir crazy last week with all the workmen next to the windows and on the roof banging away and the rains being kept inside... I went stir crazy too... but while i was in the office trying to ignore the constant barking from the older one, the younger one decided a good pacifier was to shread the area rug i had in the living room. Now it was was old, so i was not bummed too badly, but geez, he really shredded it. Ahhh the joys of puppy.... (but he is soooo big, he cannot possibly be still a puppy can he?)
5. I forgot to eat yesterday, just coffee, not good for the body, and now i am quite hungry.
4. Is it august yet? I want a vacation please.. even if it is a working vacation. I wonder if i will ever just get a vacation.... rest, no work... maybe i will go as a festie for the 40th anniversary. In all the luxury of an rv. Now this is on my bucket list.
3. So who here is gonna go crowd surfing with me this year beside Red. Looking for crones to join us. You are never too old to be absolutely floored with a new esperience.
2. I wanna go on one of those cables that go zipping through a forest. Know what i am talking about? So long as it is fast, i wont be afraid of heights.
and the number one boring fact about me is....
1. my ankle has healed.

1. LD....don't you love when you get a flash of brilliance in the middle of the night. Wish I had AOL...I'd be a good tester. :)
2. HF....celiac. so sorry but glad you got diagnosed. the earlier the less damage. How sensitive are you? The nutloaf doesn't have gluten but the cross contamination is an issue if you are that sensitive. And totally forget about the food on Sat....pasta both meals. Hope you get to enjoy the cherry blossoms. They were peak last year the day we saw them, which was also the day V went Home. I heard they peaked last week or even earlier but there are all sorts of varieties. If you have time, go to the national arboretum...they have an amazing display of bonsais.
3. March Madness.....what can I say. I'm glad you are all enjoying yourselves. I like going to live games to watch the girls run around but haven't a bit of understanding of the game. It would be good to hear that one of my alma maters does well UWGB. go phoenix!
4. Spark - yay for the monoski!!!!
5. Outsider. good to see you here! Sounds like you are getting out and having fun. Awesome!
6. luck....I feel ya on the hangover. Was feeling a bit under the weather sat morning myself. Overdid it thurs and fri....job woes are driving me to drink
7. Speaking of job.....still don't know. Haven't a clue really. I just keep trying to do everything they want and keep them all happy. I don't know where I'll land but if I end up landing close to where I already am in the heirarchy then I will most likely have to move to NJ. sigh
8. I'm starting to look around for jobs here. It's hard cause I think I'm pretty specialized and somewhat limited to large organizations plus I can't afford a pay cut without getting rid of my house and my house is one of the two things that pulls me to stay.....K of course is the other.
9. I have to say it's hard to put your whole self into a job or relationship or anything really when you don't know where you are going to be within a year. I've been struggling with this on and off for a while now. Really since the announcement that I came back to after fest.
10. Been smoking again....struggling to quit. Really just descending into self destruct mode.
11. Therapist on vacation for two weeks....not the best timing for me. Especially since we touched on something last session that I need more help with.
12. On a brighter note! The flowers in my yard are amazing but blooming and then fading very quickly. Right now my front stoop is surrounded by purple, pink and white highly fragrant hyacinths and the wild cherry trees are blooming in my hedge. daffodils are punctuating my wild area and my forsythia is blooming. There's honey bees already at work gathering pollen. I do love spring
13. Sendfing my love to all our fallen angels
14. If I move I want one huge ass going away party.....I've been in Madison for 29 years....can you believe it?

Derail

Amberlight, happy to report the Phoenix won in the first round. They put up a good game, but fell to Kentucky in the second round. I loved the cheesehead fans.

Rerail

1. Monoskiing is definitely done for the season. The week of temps in the 70s & 80s has made sure of that. Got the email this morning from my favourite local ski resort that they are now officially closed. Duh.

2. I have already put away my ski, which makes me a bit sad. But I made good notes on future adjustments, including increasing the tension on my shock, since I bottomed it out a few times. Yes, I catch air. Sometimes even intentionally.

3. Random yard bulletin of the day: yellow primroses have now bloomed. Lilac bushes are setting buds, and shoots & leaves from tulips and irises have emerged from leaf mould. Praying that the local rabbit population does not receive the announcement that the salad bar is now open.

4. Feeling a bit of self-induced pressure to get out in the yard & start the massive clean up. I checked the rose bushes for pruning needs & discovered they are already growing, significantly in places. Can I still prune without causing serious harm? We had a huge blizzard here a couple of weeks ago, with heavy wet snow that brought down lots of trees/branches. The city is doing a free pick up, but I have to somehow haul all of the branches to the curb. And get two of them off of the garage roof.

5. HF, take a look at the few threads on the new BB re: celiac. I posted last summer on one about my sister's experience at fest. She has celiac disease, and if you are at all sensitive, I strongly urge you to bring your own food. Like 90% of it, unfortunately. She was only able to eat whole fruit & pick up a bag or two of rice cakes/wraps. Cross contamination was huge, even for plain salad, and she only felt well if she avoided all kitchen-prepared food, unfortunately. Stop by my campsite in DART for GF snacks, anytime. We usually have a whole cooler that is designated GF.

6. amber, I would come to Madison for a going-away party. Just sayin'. But hopefully you won't have to leave!

7. I do not understand anything to do with March Madness. It was only this week that I finally got that it's about basketball.

8. I really must start the pre-Passover cleaning. What a daunting task. It makes me simultaneously grumpy and gives a sense of accomplishment. I am not hosting a seder this year, and haven't been invited to any yet either.

9. About a week ago, I put out a request to a select group of friends around the country for an invitation to come & stay for a week in April or May. I need a vacation & strangely won't be hosting anyone myself this spring, so I have the travel bug. The responses so far have surprised me.

10. Between local restaurant week, a cookbook menu series, and catching up with a few foodie friends, I've been enjoying a lot of great food in March. This is not great for the budget, however. I need to cook more.

11. My little sister did not come up & visit as planned last weekend. She is now on bed rest due to pregnancy complications & can't travel. I won't see her now until after the new one is born. Guess I will have to go & buy tiny, adorable clothing on my own.

12. Shhhhh. I am cautiously trying Ok Cupid.

13. For the angels...every time I see a purple crocus, I smile.

1.) Yes! the Phoenix did their school proud.

2.) Red, we seem to think quite similarly and make many of the same observations, but to be honest i failed to notice the cleavage part. (or are you just saying that to get others to tune in?)

2 1/2.) "To see what's infront of one's eyes it needs a constant effort."

3.) G.G. leaving such an elite program, and the reasons she gave! -shows what the stakes and pressures have become. Although i think people should hire based on merit, and the athletes need the best coach Texas can bring in, i hope they find another woman to take-over that program.

4.)Rene Portland, that's a story of conflicting thoughts for me. On-the-one-hand, how she treated student athlete's she believed were homosexuals was terrible, particularly as a professional educator. On-the-other-hand, she had an exemplary record toward fighting racism in the women's college game. No less a figure than Vivian Stringer speaks very highly of her in this regard. The lesson i take from that situation is that because it has continually been shown that the key factor in whether-or-not people believe in discriminating against homosexuals is do they personally know any, the most important action we can take is being out - whether it's in a Catholic Parish or company picnic. It can be tough but that's what changes people's minds and behavior.

5.) Expecting some close games and a few upsets tonight. They'll probably prove me wrong but i think Kansas will beat Delaware. They just look so unbalanced offensively.

6.) 5'5"! - almost makes a person feel tall

7.) love Odessy Simms game; and of course Griener is the star but it's the team play and talent they have surrounded her with that puts the Bears over the top

8.) aging gym rats do tend to get caught up in march madness, but it only lasts a short time

9.) Plus NCAA Women's bball is concrete feminism in both action and prime time TV coverage (if not yet network)

10.) The thing about Pat Summit and coaching next year is that it makes the situation just so much more stressful for the rest of the staff and players; and it's hard to imagine she'd want that for the program. Plus, I've had family members and older friends with Alzheimers. It's difficult to believe all the travel coaching requires isn't taking a serious toll. That being said I hope she returns to the bench because it would probably mean her health is holding strong.

11.) and some of the officiating!! Ok, these are physical teams, but how about some consistency on both ends of the court. If it's in the book, make the call; and don't change good officiating practices just because it's tournament time.

1 - Wrinkles we should "get a room," I mean a thread of our own.

2 - I completely agree women's BB is feminism in action, I have always thought so. These amazons won't go back an inch. It is a long time since we took cars and school buses to games. Since the volleyball teams and softball teams shared tunics, yeah, tunic, skirt like things. Just one step up fromt he blue gym bloomers. We played everything in skirts! Reference the "Mighty Macs".

3 - I think your evaluation of Rene Portland is generous and admirable. I am not there.

4 - And good choices last night, two out of three ain't bad.

5 - OMG all Greiner has to do is hold the ball up with one hand, no one can touch her. As in all things BB I am hoping for great games tonight. So you are thinking Marist is going to take the Bonnies?

6 - Yeah, when the average height was 5'5" I was tall, LOL!

7 - And yeah, I see the cleavage, I am a dawg, I might have to turn in my feminist card, but they will have to take it from my cold dead hand. I spent too many years in the trenches to give it up willingly.

8 - With the stakes so high, more and more men are getting into coaching women's teams, just sad, but so many good players are coming up, I think that will swing back in the next decade or so.

9 - HF you may shoot me, but I do believe I copy catted you again...just order a very cool camp kitchen that you may already have. Not to worry I will be far enough away no one will notice. You are the organizational Queen (with Tori being the Empress), so you just have to expect imitation.

10 - Yep, not gonna be on D Lane, moving over near or in Brother Sun to help with my Grands, their Mom is on crew this year and it is time for me to step up and be Grandma. That said the BAC will be on D Lane, next to Nefarious's rig.

11-Raining like mad here, everything is greening up and that pack backing trip will have water sources.

12 - Woo, a quick beer on an empty stomach just proves once more I am a drinking wimp.

13 - Aw gee wheez even though I never talked much to our angels, it chokes me up knowing I will never see them again at fest. I will just go lie in the ferns and feel them there to console my self, that and raise one for Bruno for sure.

Derail

Wooo! Griener Dunked!

Rerall

-Red you might be a dawg
-or i might just be repressed
-but it was probably that big hair
-i thought about starting a seperate thread but considered that it might not fit the new board guidelines and LD would give us the boot
-so now the sports chat has ended up here (didn't you start it?)
-can't believe i'm picking Kansas; makes no sense in round 2
- a bit of Random info i learned the other day; the brilliant, energetic, positive minded present leader of Planned Parenthood is past Texas Gov. Ann Richards daughter - why should this not surprise me?

1 - Close games all night.

2 - Wrinkles beginning to look like you called it again with Kansas, still a lot of game left though.

3 - I realize Delaware needs to get through your favorite team to meet Baylor, unlikely.

4 - Definitely a Dawg.

5 - And yes I think I called you out into this discussion, not to worry after tonight we are silent for four nights.

6 - Thanks for the fantastic info about Ann Richards daughter, she does her Mom proud.

7 - Spark I tried sking once, they told me I did a triple somersault, saw my brief life pass before me, quit school and enlisted in the Navy. Doing it on one ski I find truly amazing.

8 - Yeah Trixie tell us about the Detroit Party, pretty please. It sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun. Counting the days to the Chicago party. Saving my $$ to buy raffle tickets from my favorite diva.

9 - I hope it dries up enough this weekend to get the last of the oak leaves out of the beds and mulched up. Living in the woods means raking and blowing oak leaves is an eternal quest. No rescue transport request yet this week, hopefully all the fur babies are in good homes.

10 - This tournament is making getting enough sleep tough! I wanna turn it off, but just cannot push the button. And now the numbness in my jaw has worn off from the itty bitty filing I got this afternoon. I will work it all out in the pool in the morning.

Night all, where ever you are.