Cards Go Home for the Holidays
The wintertime holiday season usually involves an extended break for Louisville sports. Men's Basketball vs Kentucky (postponed this year due to COVID-19) and Football bowl games are the only exceptions.
Many of our athletes take advantage of the opportunity to go home with friends and family. As student-athletes, it's extremely difficult to travel home during the semester due to practices, workouts, and NCAA regulated games and events.
If you're active on social media, you may have seen some of the student-athletes already share photos and videos of them enjoying some well-deserved time away from campus.
UofL does an excellent job of giving student-athletes a break, which often includes leaving a gap open between games and events. Jeff Walz is a good example of this as Louisville Women's Basketball often has around a week and a half between games, giving players roughly a week at home. Walz notes that it's just long enough for players to get tired of boredom or being made to do chores at home and they arrive back to campus eager to play again.
We do wish all student-athletes, coaches, staff, and administration safe travels to and from campus during this season.
Christmas Traditions
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| I HOPE ALL WILL JOIN ME IN MY ANNUAL "EAT A BUNCH OF BACON ON WHITE BREAD" ANNUAL TRADITION ON THE 24TH !!" |
Paulie talked about some of his favorite Christmas songs yesterday. I'm not sure I have true favorite Christmas songs but often prefer the 'classics' or instrumental Christmas music. There are some songs I strongly dislike such as "Christmas Shoes", "Wonderful Christmas Time", and any "Sleigh Ride" that has the "ring-a-ling-a-ling-a-ding dong ding". There's also plenty of Christmas songs by newer artists such as Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber that I have a distaste for.
Another big part of Christmas is traditions. Traditions can change over time, but it could be something about whose house you go to for Christmas, certain foods, who opens presents first, going to church, and so much more.
We haven't had a normal Christmas since pre-COVID-19, but we often visit my grandma (mom's side) on Christmas Eve for an early dinner and do some presents there before heading to the Candlelight Service at church. The morning of Christmas would be at my parent's house before going to my other grandma's place (dad's side) for the last of any presents and have chili. There's usually a fair mix of Christmas movies and NBA games while at different homes.
This year will be different for me. By the time this article is viewable to everyone, I will be at the airport about to board a plane to Charlotte. From there, it's about a half hour drive to Fort Mill, S.C., to Katy's parent's house. I'm not all too sure on what Christmas traditions and plans we have going on there, but I know their church has a Candlelight Service too. Her dad loves to make a giant shrimp boil on Christmas Eve or Christmas that I hear is to die for. Some of her family enjoys to hit the gun range around Christmas and have invited Katy and I to join them this afternoon. Me shooting a gun? As long as I don't pull a Ralphie I think I should be okay!
Do you have any Christmas or holiday traditions? We'd love to hear!
Happy Thursday, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Go Cards!
Jared
Hello Friends !
ReplyDeleteArthur Here !
I HOPE YOUR HOLIDAYS are going well !
Jared, you'll be about 2 hours east of me on I-85. Be careful with those guns You wouldn't want to pick off any Gamecock goofies by mistake.
When my son was growing up, we had a tradition of where he would try to "beat the old man" 9me) in a race, one time around our high school track. We'd run it a couple of days before Christmas He finally got me when he was in the ninth grade, but I was champ from when he was six until then. Note: I WAS 61 when he finally won.
I'd like to think I was somewhat responsible for developing his interest in running. He ran varsity track and cross country in high school, kept it up recreationally in college and still jogs a mile or two most mornings. As for me, if I can run To the bathroom in time...well, you get the idea...BUT I was a runner in high school too.
I'D LIKE TO WISH ALL CARDINAL COUPLE READERS HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM BEA AND I. SHOW A LITTLE KINDNESS, IT'LL GO A LONG WAY.
Your friend
#1 Clemson Fan
Arthur
Greer, SC
Holiday traditions? My old high school pal still does rib get together the day before Christmas. He's been doing it since 2010. I can't tell you how many rib racks he smokes. It has gotten so big, he uses the community center to stage it in and they donate the use of the facility to him! . ALL you got to do to take part is donate a "side' to the tables or volunteer to work. I am a shirt cook each year.
ReplyDeleteAnything left over, and there usually isn't much, we donate to a local church for their feeding of the homeless on Xmas day. I'm grateful. I know our group loves it each year and we have a jar on one of the tables you can donate to where you cn help out with the cost of ribs, sauce, plates and such
Go Cards!
Curtis "Be Kind" Franklin
I'm in on those ribs Curtis! Love some ribs! I also make a mean pot of beans. Old family secret recipe.
DeleteAn old tradition I remember is actually from New Days Day. We would go to my grandparents for New Years Day dinner. Under each dinner plate was a a quarter. It was explained to me that it was there for good luck and prosperity for the new year.
Nick O
I come from a large family of boys and I'm the second youngest. I always loved the family touch football game we would have in dad's side yard Christmas afternoon. All us boys were atheletes and it was always competitive. Is was usually my brothers and me against "the neighborhood" and we usually won. My brother Frank was a DIII quarterback and fiercely competitive. It rolled over each year with sons and cousins and nephews joining in and keeping the tradition alive. My dad died in 2016 but my one of my brothers bought the house from mom and moved in with her so she wouldn't have to go to a nursing home. He still invites all back and I'll leave tomorrow to go with my family. These days, they just kick a soccer ball around or toss a frisbee. But, what memories!
ReplyDeleteBlue Lou
Great tales all! We'll be 70 degrees here in the Ville for Christmas...guess I'll grab a few days and lay in my hammock.
ReplyDeletepaulie