Can you spell college graduate?

And so, a week and a day ago, a goal that I had set out to accomplish had the closure and taken its course. I took the road less traveled, dropping out once, then enroling in a different school and had countless bumps and flips and spins like a trapeze artist/ball rolling around. So much had happened in the past five years, sounding like an over dramatic actress on stage. However, my time in college had to end. And it did with a degree to my name.

Walking up that stage, hearing my name called out loud (and mispronunced), I felt that sheer sense of relief and exhuberation clothing me. So much emotions running through my head. As I was told by the organizers during the briefing: Do not do anything funny. Go up there and shake the dignitaries hands and walk across and back to your seats. As much as I had been flashingly annoying in classes and made a name for myself by speaking up too much, I didn't want to mess this up. Just. Be. Normal. That's what I did. Like how everyone else went across the stage with no attention.

The rest of the ceremony was spent meddling around with my phone and I couldn't wait for it to end, knowing that I had a super long day ahead the next morning-- like a responsible adult, judging yet another debate tournament and making a couple bucks, and a super cool 6 days to look forward to-- time to get out of town to meet a special someone. Something I have been eagerly waiting for to happen for a good 2.5 months, and here I am now, coming towards the end of this 6 days sadly.

Olympic Trials fever!

I'm probably the only local, half a world away who has been watching the US Olympic swimming trials religiously online. After 2008 when the team had training camp here before Beijing, an online friend and I decided to wait around to try and meet the team on two evenings. I did so, four times in total since the team hotel was downtown. Those were the days of being a crazy fan. For example, heading downtown early Saturday afternoon before going for a music festival (thanks to having a free ticket from Joe) with bands I sort-of listened to during my teenage days (New Found Glory and Lost Prophets) and Travis that were playing. Boy, did I get lucky. And I must say, August 2, 2008 was one of the coolest days of my life meeting a ton of Olympians who had won medals/would be crowned.

The races were spectacular I must admit. My condolences to those who came so close but didn't make the team. Ie: Garret Weber Gale, who was part of the historic 4 by 100 free relay in Beijing, the senior statespeople like Ed Moses, Megan Quann-Jendrick, the mid-distance fly Kim Vandenberg, teenage sensation Amanda Beard and the list goes on on who I was rooting for.

Members from the 2008 team that will be competing in London that I have met:

Matt Grevers, Elizabeth Beisel, Rebecca Soni (the double breaststroke queen) and her boyfriend, Ricky Berens, Chloe Sutton, Kathleen Hersey, Kara Lyn Joyce (not too pleasant I must admit.) Ryan Lochte (*gasp, ladies you can start throwing rocks me*), Cullen Jones, Brendan Hansen and Eric Shanteau aka the guys I've camwhored with when I met them. I've met Eric twice and he was really humble and friendly. Brendan was laid back as chill.

Yankees have been goofing as of late, 2 straight losses to the White Sox who have suddenly established themselves as the AL Central team to beat. And the Red Sox are streaking and finally above .500 which worries me. Anaheim is getting better too, and no division lead is safe in the AL East till the regular season is over.

Now on to NBA musings... Who would've ever predicted that the first two top draft picks would come from the same school? Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd Gilchrist did it for the National Champion Wildcats... but sadly Thomas Robinson, the power forward from Kansas who received nationwide support and made headline news when he lost his grandparents and mother in the span of 3 weeks and had an elementary school-age sister to raise slid to the fifth pick. I admire his strength and how he became a dominant player after the Morris twins left for the NBA. (Marcus and Markeiff Morris, re: 2011). He deserves utmost respect and I certainly wish him well and hope he succeeds in the NBA.

Jared Sullinger slid all the way to the 21st pick and got drafted by Boston due to his injury report. He might have been the steal of the draft with an ageing Celtics team needing some temporary saving grace, perhaps.

The Tar Heels almost had four players go in the lottery. First was Harrison Barnes at number 7 to Golden State, followed by Kendall Marshall at pick 13 to Phoenix, then John Henson rounded out the lottery by going one pick later to Milwaukee. Tyler Zeller went at 17 to Dallas but was traded to Cleveland. Should be fun to see Kyrie Irving have his former college rival as his running mate on the fastbreak. If Steve Nash were to bolt during free agency, Kendall Marshall might be forced to grow up, real fast. Harrison Barnes, hopefully he doesn't turn out to be Brandan Wright #2 aka a former Tar Heel, also drafted by Golden State who was a bust/ did not fit well in the system.