When Cooking Class Collides with the Tournament

My mind is blown. That’s what happens.


Last night was Sista M’s cooking class. I always learn something when I go, which for someone who’s been cooking regularly for the last 15 years, I love new insights and she always delivers. For example: To see where the tough and tender part of the asparagus stalk is, just bend it. It snaps where its suppose to. Brilliant.

On the menu:

Thai Chicken Curry Soup – chicken, coconut milk, mushrooms, curry with other spices and potions
Oriental Chicken Salad – cabbage, chicken, asparagus, oranges, sesame seeds, fried wonton, vinaigrette
Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches – baguette, marinated flank steak, carrot/cuke veggie topped with a vinaigrette
Lemon Cookies – cookie goodness, doused in glaze goodness

Sista M walked us through all the recipes and we sampled everything at the end. De-lish. Even the steak looked amazing. How Sista M works her magic, I will never know.

With a group of a dozen+ women, there is inevitably lots of sharing, a little oversharing maybe, but Sista M stole the show when she shared quite possibly one of the best stories (which I won’t repeat for the bloggersphere) I have ever heard in my whole life. I laughed until I cried. This was the perfect pick me up after watching the Huskies season come to a close. What a night and it didn’t even end there!

After most of the group had left, 5 of us were in the kitchen cleaning up when the Xavier v. Kansas St. game quickly became the focus as we gathered around a 4”x6” screen hanging from under the kitchen cabinet. Xavier and Kansas St. were exchanging basket for basket and miracle 3 point shots were sinking for both teams. I was quite certain my heart was about to pump right through my rib cage. I could hardly stand it.

Now, I don’t generally get too invested in competitive sports. With one exception: I love the Tournament. Over the years I’ve had to tone it down because it’s really not good for me. (Case in point: After the devastating Husky loss, LL came downstairs to find a blob of a human being defeated, moping on the couch. “You wanna talk about it?” she asks. “No, no I don’t,” I replied, arms crossed and forlorn. See, not good.)

Almost as much as I love the Tournament, I love an underdog. Six seeded Xavier was giving second seeded Kansas State a run for its money and I loved it. There we were, all five of us gathered around this little screen rooting for the underdog. Once they went into the first over time, we migrated downstairs with a little more room and a bigger screen. With every shot, every answered basket, every penalty, I about jumped off the couch in disbelief. In fact, I’m pretty sure I almost catapulted myself when they went into the second overtime. It was exhausting.

In the end, Kansas endured. Kudos to all for a game well-played.

The point of this inane post - I’ve come to some conclusions:
1.) I have the unsubstantiated theory, that lacks any sort of empirical evidence, that underdogs can’t win in overtime.
2.) Work is totally getting in the way of life.
3.) I really heart my life and the people in it. Tons.