Seeeesters

When I was 6, Steve and Michelle announced we were getting another addition to the family. I remember being SO excited because I wanted a sister so bad! I had Bronson and Corbin and well, I love them. But I was out numbered and I wanted a sister. Steve and Michelle came back later and said we were getting two babies instead of one. Now for a 6 year old thats mind blowing and makes absolutely no sense. But when Steve and Michelle said one was a girl and one was a boy, I didn't even care because at the end of the day I was getting a baby sister. Now the twins came a little earlier than expected and I didn't get to see my baby sister until she was a few days old because she was so premature. Now I remember Steve and Michelle telling me she was really sick. I also remember just bits and pieces I picked up from people talking. For a 6 year old I like to think I was smarter than every one thought because I gathered enough information to know that my sister Daryl was so small she was probably going to die. Once again, mind blown. So I remember every night praying and crying that my little sister would live. Well prayers must be answered because Daryl is definitely alive now 17 years later.

Before I go off about how awesome Daryl is... Here are some fun facts about her you might not know...

• Daryl loves bacon more than life. Its her favorite food and she eats it everyday.
• Daryl is obsessed with polar bears.
• Daryl has a twin brother Devin.
• Daryl used to be a cheerleader.
• Daryl has the dance to Satisfaction on Dance Central memorized
• Daryl and her friends refer to themselves as the "Power of Six"
• Did I mention she loves bacon?
• Daryl will eat anything for breakfast. Costa Vida, fronsting, cookies, spaghetti. Anything. 
• Daryl hates reading books.
• Daryl's dog died and so she really wants a new corgi...

So here's the story of Daryl the princess and me the tom boy. When Daryl was 2 and I was 9 we shared a room. Oh Lord, You wouldn't think I had spent countless nights praying my sister would make it seeing us share that room. Daryl would always get scared every single night and would have to sleep with me. I hated that she wanted to sleep with me. I would tell her to go to Michelle's room upstairs but she was always too scared to go. She would cry usually and end up in my bed. Whenever she would be mad at me she would scratch me. The child had viscous nails like a lion which accounted for many of my current scars on my forearms. No one wanted to make Daryl mad because that meant 1. You were getting scratched and blood would be drawn and 2. You were also getting in trouble from Steve. Daryl is the princess. Daryl loved pink dresses and princesses and wanted to be a princess. When we would go to FAO Swartz she would go immediately to the princess section and try on the dresses and crowns. My Aunt Lisa had a pink robe that she would let Daryl wear because it was the "Princess Robe." Daryl was your typical little girl. Now she still She's very fashionable and wears more make up in a day than I wear in a month. She looks better at Prom and school dances than most girls do on their wedding day. She's just  your typical girl.

Now rewind about 4 years when I was her age. I was the complete opposite. I wanted to play basketball and football. And I was good. I was on a team of all boys and myself. I was the tallest by many inches and I was the only one who could make a layup. We actually have film of me playing and I never passed the ball because the little boys weren't very good anyways. I loved Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles. I always wanted to play the N64 and was always in basketball shorts and high socks and running shoes. I was your typical Tom Boy. Now I feel like most little girls will out grow their tom boy phase. I mean, I know most my friends did. The thing is, I didn't. I still go play basketball with the boys and beat them. I still don't play N64 but I do have my Xbox 360 that I do play. I still wear basketball shorts everyday. In high school Michelle had to make a deal with me I could only wear sweats and basketball shorts 2 out of the 5 school days. I hate shopping for dresses, but if you want to go to Footlocker or Dicks I'll be there in 10. As you can see, Daryl and I are complete opposites.

Now lets fast forward to the present day. Daryl isn't as girly as a girl as she was before. But when she wants to be, she can. I'm still the same, no change here. So how can such opposite little girls become best friends? Well easy, opposites attract. Daryl has become my closest friend. Growing up she was the pink menace that scratched me. Now shes my Wiener Dog and I am dreading her going on a mission because without her for 18 months I might have a break down and be depressed. I might have to relocate to where she serves because someone will need to take care of her. I'm assuming if you have little children or are intelligent you have seen the movie Frozen by now. If you haven't, you can borrow it from me its so good!! It always reminds me of Daryl and I. Daryl is innocent and sweet like Ana. I'm more stand offish and like my space like Elsa. I feel like one day I'm going to have to explain to Daryl that she can't marry a man she just met. When Daryl and I do have to pick dresses Daryl tends to go the conservative route not too revealing with sleeves and flats. I want something shorter, flashier, and a little more revealing with 5 inch heels. We are so opposite.

I won'ts spoil the movie for you if you haven't seen it, but at the end of it all Daryl and I are best friends. She knows everything in my life. I know everything in hers. I may think shes too nice at times and she may think I'm too mean at times. As different as we are we are also similar. I play basketball. She plays soccer. I am obsessed with sharks. She is obsessed with polar bears. I love cinnamon rolls. She loves bacon. We both love sushi. And we both love swig sugar cookies. The bond between sisters is something so strong and it lasts forever. When I go to Daryl's soccer games I'm that annoying fan who yells a ton and when my sister gets hurt you better believe I'm the first one on the field yelling at the ref wanting to know why there was no roughing the keeper call. I have a bad reputation of getting kicked out of Daryl's soccer games I won't lie. 

Daryl and I are 7 years apart just like Michelle and her sister Lisa are. My family actually grew up 5 houses away from my Aunt Lisa for most my life and I got to see first hand what good sisters are like. I hope Daryl and I can be close like that one day. If you have a sister you should probably let them know that you love them. I was never one at expressing my feelings well let alone being emotional and what not but I am so thankful I have Daryl as my little sister. She really is the greatest thing since the Cafe Rio burrito. I got lucky to only have one sister because by default she's my favorite sister. My poor brothers have to fight and battle to get their rankings as favorite brother. Currently Corbin is winning.

On the topic of sisters recently my brother Bronson got married and we got another sister Hilary. Lord bless Hilary because she is a good woman for being married to my brother Bronson. He is the typical little boy. Loud. Stinky. A know it all. She puts up with him well. She also has to deal with my family. We are crazy. I always say we need our own reality TV show because crazy things are always afoot at the Gypsy Lair. Fitting in with a family is never an easy thing to do. Its like moving to a new school. Times one hundred. But Hilary is doing a great job. I mean, your first year of marriage is hard enough now lets throw in a bunch of crazy brown people you now call your family. So I applaud Hilary for first of all living with Bronson and second of all putting up with the rest of us. Sisters just make the world easier. And now with her we have 8 people in the family which means 4 on 4 for family basketball. 

Sisters. Oh sisters. They're the friend that's always going to be there because they're blood. So if you have a sister give her a hug and go watch Frozen. You'll love it and you'll gain a whole new appreciation for your sisters. 

Have a great week everyone! Its only Tuesday but its ok, you can do it!

Alexis

How To Make Life Suck Less...

Sometimes life sucks. Just the way it is. My whole life I have experienced the ups and downs that come with living. Then again my whole life I also feel I have kept an optimistic yet realistic view on everything that has been thrown my way. I have been lucky though because I really haven't had anything too intense happen. I mean I have the ability to taste good food, I have two functioning legs, my eyes work great so I can watch Twilight when needed, I can hear Lorde's music any time any day I want, and I have the ability to speak fluent English and sometimes even in a British accent. Honestly, I have been blessed with a truly amazing and gifted life. At the end of the day though, sometimes life can suck. Sometimes you get 3 speeding tickets a week, or your 89' BMW just doesn't want to start, you get cancer, you might even burn your omelette. Life happens. So, here's my tips on how to make your life suck less. 

Step 1: Buy a Shark Onesie...
Life is better when you own onesies... 

Step 2: Watch Movies with Attractive People

Now don't be concerned, I am not a shallow person or a vain person. I clearly don't care how I look because I wear basketball shorts and a Vans t shirt everyday. I haven't work make up for 10 days now and going strong. And I don't weight 140lbs and don't look like Megan Fox in a bikini. So clearly, I am not vain. But when I'm having a bad day, I watch a movie with attractive people in it and it just makes me smile. So, to make life suck less, stare at attractive people on your TV screen even if their acting is less than perfect. So here are the best 5 movies or TV Shows with attractive people...

• Divergent: Theo Jaemes shirtless, tattooed, and holding a gun. Enough said. 

• Twilight: Robert Pattinson. My love. He can sing, act, and he gets Bella in the end. Kristen Stewart is quite exquisite as well. Put them together, second best vampire couple. 

• Vampire Diaries: Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev. Done! Best vampire duo. Also surrounded by a huge cast of attractive vampires. 

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom. Not only is this trio gorgeous, their accents are heavenly. 

• Greys Anatomy: Lexie Grey, McSteamy, McDreamy, Meredith, Owen, Calizona... There's a reason there are 10 seasons of this show. Not only is the drama good, but ALL the doctors are easy on the eyes. If only all doctors were as attractive. 

Step 3: Buy a Dog or a Cat

Imagine the perfect companion. Always there, always excited to see you, never talks back, does what you say, always wants to cuddle, and always wants to be right by you. Get a dog, or a cat. If you don't the means for one, then rent one. Or go see someone else's. Everyday I come home to two dogs and a cat, yes I am a blessed girl. On any given day I know I will always have a cuddle buddy as well as a protector. Bella is hands down the best guard dog that ever existed!! Klaus is afraid of his own shadow so likes to stay right at my side at all times. Lastly Porsche the kitty always always always wants to cuddle. You'd be surprised what a furry little creature could do for your happiness levels...

Step 4: Eat Good Food

Food makes everyone happy. And if food doesn't make you happy well I hope you enjoy your skinny body while I'm busy enjoying my double double from In N Out. But seriously food makes life suck less. Just from my own personal experiences and having common sense, when girls have bad emotional days, they also have good food days. Why? Because food makes life suck less. So take some time and a little extra cash money out of your bank account and go indulge a little. Treat yourself to the best food around! If in your mind that means eating a box of Lucky Charms out of a huge mixing bowl then do so. If that's eating 8 rolls of sushi then do so-- for the sake of your wallet I hope its all you can eat. Spend the extra $5 on dessert. If its deep fried just know its double the calories but doubley delicious! Eat good food.

Step 5: Sing Loud and Proud

For those of you who have been so privileged to hear me sing, well like I said, you're privileged. On any given day, usually driving home from work, you will find me going way too fast on I-15 singing at the top of my lungs. What am I singing? Probably some country or indie. 5 times out of 10 I would guess Lorde. Now when you sing and drive, make sure the music is so loud you can't hear yourself and that you know all the words to the song. Something about driving fast and singing loud and jamming out is liberating. So do it. Your day will become better. Now if your voice is a terrible as mine then those in the car will suffer, but you'll feel better. Be selfish this one time.

Step 6: Make Goals

Growing up whenever the Gypsy made us do our Saturday chores she would write them on this big white board in our kitchen. As you completed your chores you got to erase it from the board. I'm almost 25 and I still do this! Something about erasing things as I do them makes me feel good. So make some goals, write them down, do them, and feel the accomplishment of completing them. Make a bucket list and actually do the things on your bucket list. Travel, bungee jump, sky dive, get a tattoo, drive a race car, see Cher live, touch a shark, go skinny dipping, whatever it is do it! Even if your goal is talk to the attractive individual at Starbucks who you see there every Saturday morning, just do it. Write it down. Do it. Mark it off. I can promise and guarantee you that your life will become exciting and have this new found meaning. Need ideas? I have plenty just ask.

Bucket List Item 5: Go to the San Diego Zoo

Step 7: Lets Get Physical

Go work out. There's a part in legally blonde I love it goes something like, "Exercise gives you endorphin's. Endorphin's make you happy. Happy people just don't kill their husbands." This is a very true statement now. Happy people typically don't kill their husbands, lets be honest most people don't kill their husbands. But go work out! I recently just switched to 24 Hour Fitness from Golds gym. Why? Because playing basketball makes me happy. On nights I'm bored, can't sleep, and am caught up on Greys, I go shoot. The best part is I can go at ANYTIME of the day. There's times when its 12:30 in the morning and all I want to do is go shoot around so I do. Whatever physical activity makes you happy do it. Michelle runs marathons it makes her happy. Steve spends hours standing and walking watering his grass, but it makes him happy. Everyone's physical fitness is at different levels so do something at level and be happy. 

Step 8: Say Thank You

Not only do I make lists on white boards but I also use paper. Sit down and write down the 5 most influential people in your life and write them a thank you note. Then write down the top 5 worldly things you're thankful for and remind yourself everyday how thankful you are for those people and those things in your life that make things easier. Everyday if you're remembering how thankful you are for those around you and those things around you then you'll be happy. I can tell you right now my top 5 for both but I'm not going to. I'll save that for another post. 

So there you have it. How to make life suck less by yours truly. But on a serious note life is too short to really focus on the bad. Yes things aren't going to go how you want. People are to disappoint you. The Lakers will disappoint you. Believe it or not though, things could always be worse. Regardless of what happens we need to see all the good and not focus on the bad. Anyways, keep smiling and go buy some onesies.

Alexis

#KaufusiProbs

Growing up my whole life people have always been able to take one look at me and say, "Hey you're a Kaufusi!" Around here in Utah the Kaufusi name is tied to BYU and Utah football. Back in the 90s Steve used to coach there and coached four of his younger brothers there. Back in the 80s Steve and my Uncle Rich played football at BYU. And now that we are all grown up Steve coaches at BYU, my little brothers all play or will play there, and my cousin Isaiah will be there as well. As you can see we are clearly a football as well as a BYU family. So being a Kaufusi obviously has its upsides. Usually when I get pulled over I throw on a BYU hoodie I always have in my car and the cops usually put two and two together and as me how this years team will be. I then proceed to talk about how much I love BYU football and how I wish Bronson would've played basketball this season blah blah blah. Before I know it I'm driving home ticket free. Being a Kaufusi also means when I'm walking into the BYU football games that I get stopped by all the people tailgating as get to have good food. When I go to Timpview football games they usually just let me know because President Michelle is legit and has benefits like that. I mean being a Kaufusi in Provo Utah is a nice little set up, probably why I am yet to leave Utah County lets be honest now. But being a Kaufusi can have some downsides trust me.... 

#FatKidProbs

Being a Kaufusi you're destined to be a little on the pudgy side... At the Kaufusi house we love food. We cook a lot of food. We eat a lot of food. Therefore you gain weight because the food is just too dang good. Don't be mislead, Michelle is an amazing cook. But so is Steve. Steve has perfected the art of French Toast as well as the Grill. Michelle has perfected EVERYTHING else. Well and being the oldest, I have MASTERED the grill and everything else there is to be amazing at in the kitchen. Not to toot my own horn but I can cook. Now food. We plan our whole days around food. I remember being in high school and knowing if I wasn't up by 7:00 then Bronson and Corbin would eat all the food. Everyone knows after every Timpview or BYU football game Michelle usually whips up some delicious post game party meal. No one can put food down like my family. The other day I went with Steve to Costco. I remember going with Michelle when all 5 of us kids were home and Brons, Corb, and I were in high school. Michelle would go to Costco every Saturday and it would be at least a $400 trip once a week. I figured now that there are only two kids at home the Costco bill wouldn't be as much... False. $398 later Steve and I were walking out with food to last Sunday to Tuesday. In high school everyone always wanted to eat lunch at Michelle's house because we always have the best food. On any given day at the Gypsy Lair I can guarantee you there will be at least candy 4 dishes full of gummy bears, sweedish fish, hot tamales, and skittles. There will also be a plate of double chocolate doughnuts, some banana bread, and some other tasty treats. Michelle always tries to throw a bowl of fruit and granola bars out too. She has to appeal to all ages and appetites. There is also always food. Michelle has 3 fridges that are always over flowing with all kinds of food. When I was in college and living away from home I still ended up at home once a day just for the food. When we go out to sushi as a family its ridiculous. I'm talking like, 3 rolls per person and some.When we BBQ we don't just do hamburgers and hot dogs. We do short ribs, steaks, teriyaki chicken, sausage, hot dogs, cheese burgers, turkey burgers, and sometimes we even will mix it up and do some salmon. Literally every kind of meat will be on the grillNow you can see why I have always been on the chunky side of the weight spectrum. I take after Steve. We just love food! Even our pets are fat! I mean, midnight In N Out runs are completely normal. Now don't get me wrong some days I would love to be skinny and not eat anything. But as Steve would say, "Least I'll die happy and full of good food."

#InjuredProbs

Being a Kaufusi also means you're going to get hurt a lot. No because we all fight and you're going to get a black eye or need a band aid. You're probably going to get multiple concussions, shatter your ankle, tear every ligament in your knee, chunk out your knee cartilage, tear your rotator cuff and labrum, get compartments, have a dozen knee scopes, dislocate fingers, dislocate shoulders, get your adult teeth pulled, meningitis, hepatitis, and if you're luck you'll even get cancer. Now thats just the rough breakdown of the past few years. At first I figured we were always getting surgeries and injuries because we aren't as coordinated as we really are and we have bad knee genetics and we all play sports. But then I started looking at how and when we all had our different injuries and I have come to the conclusion we just go hard. Or in Devin's special case... he just didn't think. I look back to when we were little and Bronson and Corbin were in the ER every month with stitches in their forearms. 
They used to race each other down our grass hill and rather than stopping and opening the door they ran arms extended into the glass door and the winner won a trip to the ER with Steve to get 10 stitches. In my high school and college times I managed to shatter my ankle, tear my ACL, MCL, and meniscus, break my nose and face, tear every ligament in my ankle, get compartments surgery, tear my meniscus two more times again, and cancer. Bronson tore up his shoulder, tore his PCL, then the next year year he blew out his ACL and meniscus, and just recently had another shoulder surgery. Corbin chunked out a piece of his knee and had to be hooked to a machine 23 hours of the day for 2 weeks. Daryl blew our her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Devin had a double compound fracture in his arm and 5 or 6 surgeries on that. Steve gets random diseases anytime he leaves the country. 
Michelle dislocated her shoulder, has had some knee scopes, and somehow manages to take care of all of us. So being a Kaufusi means is great but you will probably get hurt. Break some arms, blow your knee out, get 100s of stitches... thats just the way it is. After so many hospital visits Steve and Michelle now argue over who has to take us to the ER with whatever new injury we get. Its okay though, those things happen. 

#BallIsLife

As mentioned before all my brothers play or will play football at BYU. Steve played football at BYU and in the NFL. I played basketball at BYU. So clearly we are a sports family. For a long time us kids we 4 for 5 as athletes. Daryl gave us a royal scare for a long time being into the dancer and cheer thing. Michelle was a cheerleader and a cougarette as a young lass and she was wearing off on Daryl for a while but after much harassment Daryl converted and is one of the best keepers in the state. Michelle has even abandoned her pom poms and taken to running marathons and triathlons in her free time. Frankly I think shes insane but thats probably because I hit one mile and about pass out. Now my whole life my parents have pounded into my head as well as my siblings that school is first, sports second. Growing up I hated this because all I wanted to do was play basketball. But in order to play basketball I had to have perfect grades and by perfect I don't mean a 3.9 I mean a 4.0. Two of the scariest days of my life were telling Michelle I got an A- in Human Biology my freshman year of high school and then telling her I got a B+ in Trig my junior year. Now I'm not saying if Daryl had decided to be a cheerleader we would have judged her... I'm just saying her soccer games are more fun to watch and to get kicked out of (happens at least once or twice each club season). We have a phrase in family called GT. It stands for gene trader. It would be such a waste of our great gene pool to not be athletes. Could you imagine being 6'10" and not being a football or basketball player? So not that football and basketball and soccer are life, but being a Kaufusi means you're going to play a sport and you're going to be good at it. If not you'll struggle in family basketball games of 21. 

#ACleanHomeIsAHappyHome

If you have ever been to the Gypsy Lair besides noticing the bowls of candy and the huge cat you usually notice how clean it is. Michelle runs a tight ship at the house and you either step up and keep it clean or you lose your cell phone, Xbox, iPod, iPad, and any other electronics and privileges. Every day Michelle does something every day to maintain the house's clean state. Every Saturday is chore day. On this day you typically clean your room, your bathroom, do your laundry and put it away, change your sheets, and then you have to pick something else. She always gives you options so the first person to wake up gets first pick. I used to dread Saturdays because I hated cleaning my bathroom and I never wanted to do anything. But you couldn't go out or have your phone until it was all done. Its also required you make your bed everyday. I remember I got a scary long text because I didn't make my bed or put my laundry away. I came home to all my clean laundry and anything that was on the floor thrown on my bed so I couldn't sleep on it. I then started sleeping on top of my comforter so I wouldn't have to make my bed and more so straiten it every morning. I was always trying to find ways around cleaning. Bronson was famous for always leaving his dresser drawers open. On many occasions he would come home to find his drawers on the floor of his room. I'm sure he still does that too because he never really learned his lesson. Now that I live on my own I feel bad for my roommates because I am my mother's daughter. For hating to clean my whole life I love to clean my house and HATE when its messy. I'm borderline OCD I would say. If the house is messy, I have to clean it before I can do anything. I don't care if its 11:00 at night I will vacuum the upstairs if its messy. Every Saturday I clean everything and I even scrub the floors on my hands and knees. Its amazing how the older you get you realize Michelle was actually right and she actually had a purpose behind teaching us kids to be clean freaks. I love it because you better believe my house is clean! 

#HugsAndKissesForAll

So the last thing that comes with being a Kaufusi is hugs and kisses. If you have ever been around my brothers specifically Bronson and Corbin, 10 out of 10 times they will pick you up and give you a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. Now for someone like me, I'm not into the touchy feely stuff so I always hated it when they would do it. But when they were on their missions thats one of the things I missed most is I didn't get these huge bear hugs every time I saw one of my giant baby brothers. Steve is a large man. Sometimes I call him Fat Man. But his hugs are just engulfing. He's a big dude. Usually I can wiggle free from Brons and Corb, but not Steve. He's still got some muscle from his Eagle days and just doesn't let go. His hugs are great though. Bronson is roughly 6'7" 265lbs. He's super skinny right now its really weird, he always had to shop in the "husky" section of Gap when he was little. Bronsons hugs sometimes hurt because he squeezes so hard and when he kisses your cheek its really slobbery. I don't enjoy his hugs and kisses that much. Corbin is 6'10" and 240lbs. His hugs are my favorite. He usually catches you by surprise. Hes famous for throwing people over his shoulders and running around with them. The only problem with Corbin is you never know if he is fully dressed, half dressed, or in his speedo. Whenever he would come home from work between his car and the front door he always managed to end up at least topless. The boy has a free spirit lets be honest. So if you're going to be in or around my family, be prepared to have your personal bubble space violated. The first day I met Steph was when she moved into my parents house for the summer and the first thing I told her, "Don't be alarmed if my brothers pick you up and kiss you thats normal." Sure enough, Bronson picked her up kissed her on the cheek and welcomed her to our home. Like I said, there's no such thing as personal space in our home. 

So now you have a small look into my crazy family and what it really means to be a Kaufusi. If you follow me on twitter I will always hastag #KaufusiProbs when I tweet anything that reminds me of my family and just how we are. Now we aren't perfect but I will say this, we are a good freaking time! The missing piece and the funniest one comes home in two months and two days then we will FINALLY be complete after four years. Missionaries are always weird. In Bronson's case he still is weird, but for the sake of our family holidays and my sanity, I hope Corbin isn't weird long-- If you've ever seen our Christmas Eve dance party pictures you'll know what I'm talking about.

I hope everyone had a great Spring Break. I spent mine working. If you happened to be at my parents you'd know Devin broke his foot and got surgery, Bronson got his shoulder fixed, and Michelle is recovering still too. Like I said #KaufusiProbs = #InjuredProbs. 

Have a Marvelous weekend and go see Divergent if you haven't!

Alexis

That Rec Ball Life...

Rec Ball Life

Now this post has been in the makings for about a week or two now and its all about Recreation Women's Basketball. Also known as: Rec ball, Rec league, Old Ladies League... Whatever you call it, Rec ball is life post college basketball. I've been playing rec ball in different leagues for about 3 years now and I just felt the need to talk about it so people fully understand how awesome it can be. First off this is the breakdown of how one enters into Rec Ball life. The inevitable happens and you finish out your college playing career and you enter NARP life. NARP stands for Non Athletic Regular Person. This is something that everyone dreads as a college athlete. The first week of NARP life you're like, this is awesome I have no early morning practice, my body doesn't ache, and I have the free agency to do whatever I want on a Friday night. But then the first week ends and you start missing it. So to fill the void you decide to go play in a rec league with fellow NARPS. Now not all NARPS are created equal. Some NARPS are post college atheltes like yourself. Others have been NARPS since day 1. 

NARP Life Day 1
 WOOT WOOT PARTY NO BASKETBALL

NARP life Week 1
I miss basketball 

NARP Life 25 years later
Who cares about college basketball

Once NARP life is accepted you then enter in the rec league and play and your eyes are opened to his whole new world of rec ball. So there's some things one needs to know about rec ball. Rec ball is short for the adult recreation leagues held at the city and county recreation centers as briefly mentioned before. Now while playing rec ball you might be lucky enough to get into a competitive league where the NARP ladies can at least make a lay up. Then sometimes you get the less experienced NARPS who come in spandex and wear their hair down. Its like the BYU men's basketball team, you never know what kind of team you're going to get. Now in rec ball you have 5 different kind of people:

1. The ladies who played in high school who try to do the same things they did in high school but they've gained 60lbs and have 5 kids so they can't. You don't want them on your team.

2. The ladies who thought it would be a good form of cardio after their yoga and zumba classes. So they come strait from Golds Gym in their spandex with their hair down and in their little florescent running shoes. It would be like having Michelle on your team. Lord knows Michelle can't shoot a basketball to save her life. You don't want them on your team either.

3. The ladies who actually played in college and know what a flare screen is. These people are competitive, sometimes almost too competitive. But you're most likely going to win and most like going get a free tshirt or a free duffle bag that says "Salt Lake County Rec" on the side. You want as many people like this as you can find on this team.

4. There are the ladies who played in high school and probably should have played in college but didn't, and they're still really good. They're usually pretty competitive and are the most consistent people. You want these ladies on your team.

5. Lastly are the ladies who you wonder if they have ever touched a basketball in their existence. Or if they know who Michael Jordan even is. These ladies have a tendency to shoot the ball with two hands and hit the back board on the other court. You really don't want to play with one of them. If you are so unfortunate to have to go through this, Shaylee you know what I'm talking about, then I am so sorry and I'll pray for your patience.

So over the past two almost three years of rec ball experience I have been blessed to always play with the ladies who fall in categories 3 and 4. I have been even luckier to get to play pick up basketball on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays with ladies who fall under categories 3 and 4. More specifically my friend Shaylee. Shaylee and I actually were playing together 4 days a week until our Salt Lake league just ended. We got 2nd place to Morgan Warburton's team. If you don't know who Morgan Warburton is google her. So I can't be too mad but still losing sucks either way. Like I said, its just rec ball, but I can't help but get so competitive. Yes we are not playing for any kind of cool trophy or Conference Championship, but we are playing for a tshirt. And lets be honest everyone wants a tshirt! Example, after we lost I think it was the next night at a different league that Shaylee and I were still mad about losing. Like I said, its rec ball, but for some reason I get so competitive and just want to win the dang tshirt.

As I mentioned in the previous paragraph Shaylee and I play basketball 3-4 times a week together. On this past Thursday we had the ultimate rec ball experience. So we only had 4 players. We got down by nearly 30 points. It's a good thing shaylee couldn't miss because I didn't hit a shot. So the team we played everyone was 30ish with 2 kids or my age and married. They had a whole cheering section. I'm talking parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, kids, husbands, friends... Like more people were at that game than a BYU womens basketball game. Did I mention we were down the whole game by a lot? So the whole game these fans are yelling at the refs and talking so much crap. I just wanted to be like, ok we are all adults. 1. This is rec ball 2. This is Spanish Fork rec ball 3. You're up by 25 and 4. We only have 4 players calm down everyone! Let's just say the situation escalated quickly as we made our come back and the ref almost ejected everyone. We were within 2 but still lost. Moral of the story, make sure you bring everyone you know to your rec ball game to talk all the crap they can and cheer excessively and annoyingly. So if any of you would want to come and be in our cheer section, which is lacking immensely, feel free to join. 

Now as much of a joke rec league ball can be, at the end of the day it's really all of us post college athletes have. After our 4 years the options of still playing are EXTREMELY limited. My advice, play in as many leagues as you can and have fun. Stay competitive but have fun too. Of there's no competitiveness that takes the fun of winning away, which is probably why Shaylee and I get so angry when we lose. So keep in mind as you enter NARP life try to make the best of it and play basketball as much as possible. Just because college play is done doesn't mean you can't play anymore! You will always have that rec ball life to look forward to. 

So don't forget, our fan section is struggling. So if you want to come and cheer Shaylee and I on feel free to join us on Tuesday and Thursdays in Spanish Fork and Wednesdays in the City of Salt!

Stay Classy my friends.

Alexis