Friday Night Lights In The Friendly City

Wow, it's been a long time! I'm sorry for that. It was never an intentional neglect of my little Ramble On (it never is), but after a while, it almost becomes a habit to not write as much as you need to make it a habit to write. Nevertheless, I'm back with full force as the semester winds to a close, and I have a plethora of things to be excited about, with a multitude of topics to discuss!

Topic the first: tomorrow night at 7:30, the Tolsia Rebels will be playing in Wheeling, WV for the AA State Championship in high school football. This is the first time the team has made it to the championship in school history, and what's perhaps even more exciting is that they are facing another Wayne County team, the Wayne Pioneers. I wish I was back home for the excitement for so many reasons. Obviously, it's great for school spirit, but I'm also happy for what this means for Wayne County in the eyes of the state. Often ridiculed and filed away as a bunch of rednecks by our upstate friends, this should at least lend some credibility to one aspect of our schools (if our test scores could follow, I'd be tickled pink). I'm also excited for my dad, who is joining the team on their trip as a VIP of sorts. I'm excited for my nieces, who get to join in on the sense of pride a situation like this builds inside a school. I'm excited for the parents, the alumni, the students, the coaches, the local businesses - everyone. Wayne County is going to be emptied out this weekend, if it's not mostly there already. Wheeling won't know what hit it!

Tomorrow night, I believe I'll put on some orange and blue (which is acceptable in this situation and slightly different from the bad orange-and-blue) and tune in to MetroNews' webcast and live score updates (with some side trips to TristatePreps). I'll definitely be yelling and jumping around and cheering, too, just like in my high school days. This, my friends, is a big deal for Tolsia, and while I wish I could make the drive to Wheeling, I'll be content forming my own single-man student section here in Falls Church. Go Rebels!

(I've also been making recent headway on my Flickr galleries. Give them a look!)