Reunion Time, Part Two

If you have been following this blog from the beginning then you know that I lost a close friend earlier this year.  Losing a loved one is always rough but I am pleased to say that I have developed a pretty close bond with his friends and family since that time.  I always felt like his was a second family to me anyway but it's nice to see people looking out for one another the way we have.  We all live in different parts of the country but social media and frequent cell phone contact have allowed us to stay in touch in a neat way.  I got to spend some time with them this past weekend.

Taylor's sister married her college sweetheart, who is the long snapper for the Chicago Bears (for you non-football types, that means he snaps the ball and then blocks on field goals, extra points, and punts - a pretty important job) .  Patrick recently broke the team record for most games played in franchise history.  First of all, that is just awesome.  I'd also like to add that he texted me the day before the game asking for directions to Charlotte's version of Whole Foods (which I figured would be Earth Fare).  I told him where to go and he responded a few hours later, "Nevermind, there's a Chic-fil-a right across the street from the team's hotel."  You just...ok.  I recalled a funny story Taylor had told me about driving well over an hour away from Chicago in search of a Chic-fil-a and then finally finding one across the Wisconsin border.  People really love that place, I guess.  Anyway, if you're reading this and have aspirations of becoming the best long snapper in the NFL, just start eating Chic-fil-a the day before your games.  That should do the trick.



"COACH SAYS WE CAN GO TO CHIC-FIL-A AFTER THE GAME!!"

I met Tommy and Olivia for a few drinks the night before the game and we all agreed to get together at a tailgate spot the next day.  As usual, Tamara was spot-on with a great parking spot, tons of food, and of course the game tickets for everyone.  I enjoyed catching up with them and also with Travis and their mother.  Tommy and I were cranking out the inappropriate jokes at an alarming rate, as always.  Tommy John III is one of my all-time favorite people.  He is an athletic trainer who specializes in nutrition-based performance and is also studying to be a chiropractor.  The link to his business facebook page is at the upper left of this blog.

The Bears crushed the Panthers 23-6 and Patrick was #65 on the field but #1 in our hearts.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:  The author has been ordered to stop boring everyone to death with running posts and give us his opinion on what exactly has happened to his beloved Panthers, who are 0-5 as of this posting.  He whined about that being a lengthy topic and needing more time but assured that he would deliver, so stay tuned.]