So, on Tuesday I got to work in the morning, planning to stay late that night, as I just hadn't felt like it Monday night, and what with the show, I hadn't really been able to do much overtime.

Then, I saw on my desk a flyer, which said:

Preseason Tickets

This raffle will be for TONIGHT'S 7.30p Game against the Utah JAZZ!

If you would like a chance to win these tickets, fill out and DETACH the coupon below and return it to Suzanne by 1p TODAY, October 23rd!

The raffle will be announced at 2p

Sorry, but previous winners are not eligible.

One entry per person, please!

I read that and basically flew up into the air, like when Marilla told Anne that she could see Diana again. I filled out my coupon, but realized that that wasn't anything like enough, so I got my entire department to fill out entries for me, too, and ended up with about eleven chances.

I had to win, I had to see my beloved Jazz play, because I won't be able to this year, as they'll be at the Nets when I'm in LA, and they never play Boston or Philly on a weekend, and it's so hard to get tickets for the Garden, not to mention at the Garden, you have the insane NY fans who do not take kindly to one rooting for the other team.

I called Cynthia.

"Hi, it's me. Guess what?"
"What?"
"There's a basketball ticket raffle today, and it's tonight's Knicks game, and they are playing the Jazz!"
"What, really?"
"Yeah, and I've made everyone fill out entries for me and promise me the tickets if they win. I probably won't win, but if I do, can you go?"
"Sure, I already have babysitting lined up, because I was going to see Fran's show, but I don't have to do that."
"Great! I'll call you back after 2p."

I had to win, because I wanted it the most. I spent the whole day shaking and slightly hysterical, getting very little done. And then, at 2p...nothing happened. All of Accounting was tense, waiting for the announcement, and then Amy's voice came over the loudspeaker:

"The winner of the basketball tickets is...Kymm Zuckert!"

I leapt into the air, shouting "God loves me!", as everyone around me yelled out with one voice, "It's a fix!"

I could not believe that after stuffing the ballot box with everyone else's names, that it was mine that was pulled. And the Controller picked the slip, and he was the only one in my department that hadn't filled out a form or heard the story of how much I wanted these tickets, and he just reached down and pulled out my name.

I said that the entry jumped into his hand, because I was the only person in the building who would really appreciate seeing that game.

I spent the rest of the day getting even less done, if that was imaginable, but finally the day passed, and I ran down to meet Cynthia at the Garden.

The tickets weren't too bad, either--they weren't the top section, but the next section from the top, and right in the front row, practically, with kind of a sideways view of the court, but not bad.

And the game was incredible!! My man Stockton played almost the whole game, not being pulled in for enforced rests, because if he wasn't made to, he'd never leave the court. I guess because it was pre-season, and there are new guys out there who need to work with him out there, plus, Malone was out with some sort of injury or something.

It's just so beautiful watching him in action, just the way he moves is so arresting, it's like watching an animal, it's so natural, so unconscious. I've said it before and I'll say it again--there is nothing on earth sexier than watching someone do something that they are really good at, and that man can move down a basketball court, baby.

Greggie, (upgraded last season from "That useless piece of poo, Ostertag," because he has been playing much better, and besides, he may be an idiot, but he's our idiot), did reasonably well, only forgetting twice that he's not supposed to hang around under the basket anymore, what with the rule change, and only once getting ticked off at a ref and getting himself T'd, (i.e. a technical foul, which means basically that you called the ref a motherfucker), while three of his teammates straight-armed him away from the official. But he got a couple of baskets and a couple of rebounds, and we were all very proud of him.

For the last quarter, they knew that they were going to lose, so they let the children out to play, all the rookies staggered out onto the court like toddlers, and ended up doing really well. There's this new point guard, clearly being groomed to be Mini-Stockton, named Rusty LaRue, who was just this little firefly about the size of my fist, (though it says on the Jazz page that he's 6'3", which is hilarious), running everywhere and practically passing to himself, and directing the flow on the court, and getting 16 points and practically winning the game single-handed!

Yes, out little baby third-string team came back against pretty much the starting lineup of the Knicks and we ended up losing only by four points instead of eighteen, and we didn't do better because Rusty didn't quite have a cool enough head and got slightly hysterical in the last ten seconds, blowing a shot and passing the ball with such force that, had it not been snatched out of the air, would have concussed someone in the eighth row.

And the sweetest part was that, lead by Greggie, the rest of Utah's bench was up and cheering for the nursery team. And they really almost did it! It looks like they might have a deeper bench than usual--that big new Russian looks useful, and Crotty played well in the first half, giving Stockton a rest. They just really need to work on their rebounding, which just sucks ass now.

Another swell thing was that the place was not that crowded, and there were other Jazz fans in our section, so we were actually free to cheer for the away team without getting attacked by those insane NY fans. But I still wouldn't let Cynthia unzip her jacket to show the Utah jersey that she was wearing underneath.

All in all, an extremely satisfying evening out.

Today's horoscope:
You dream about a vocational opportunity, but fear risking what you have. Protect your gains, but be open to a chance to change.

One year ago today:
Her loony quality is good for the role, though, or I would be forced to kill her. Or at the very least, pelt her with candy.

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Last Updated Wed 17 October 10:18:09 2001