Game Day

 I think it's time to address the "Buckeye" aspect of this blog:

It pains me not to be able to watch Ohio State football this week. Unfortunately we do not get Big 10 network in our cable package here, so consequently I have spent my Saturday morning (I am up entirely too early) regularly checking ESPN's college football score page. Yikes. Who does that? Me apparently. An addict...

Being a Buckeye fan is like a disease, something from which you never recover. For me it onset early in life. As a baby, I was dressed in OSU onesies and every time I stretched both hands into the air my parents would say, "Touchdown Buckeyes!" Yep, I was indoctrinated.

But I loved it. We watched every game, every Saturday. You might say that my dad's "passion" (read: screaming, yelling, cheering, throwing things, etc) rubbed off on me quite a bit. I was hooked for life. I loved sports anyway as a tomboy growing up, but football always seemed to reign supreme.

You better believe that was an Ohio State football birthday cake. 4th grade, I believe.

As I got older though, things got rough every November during the OSU vs. Michigan game. Always intense. Always a battle. Always believing that the Bucks would pull through. This was particularly stressful to me as my best friend ever was...*gasp*...a Michigan fan!

Now, an uninformed onlooker might ask, 

"How in the world does that work?"

"Did you not speak that day?" 

"Did your friendship survive?!" 

Let me just say that we were very creative about our love each other/hate your team relationship. We trash talked, we joked, we even watched the game together at her uncle's house almost every year. I even lost a bet our Freshman year of high school that since OSU lost to Michigan, I couldn't speak for an entire day. Kind as she was, she even made a sign for me to wear that day explaining my predicament. Thanks Arika. But most importantly we knew that our friendship was more powerful than a rivalry that had lasted over a century.

Possibly one of my favorite pictures of all time.

I'm glad to tell you that this story has a very happy ending. My bestest finally saw the light and has converted from her heathen ways! She now enjoys attending Ohio State games with her husband.

Here in Hawaii especially, being an Ohio state fan is something that defines part of who I am. My love and passion for Buckeye football does not change simply because I live on an island where University of Hawaii is king. I am not a chameleon who changes dependent upon the environment (well, at least not in this case). I am a Buckeye by birth, coming from the great state of Ohio. And I intended to leave that mark on wherever I go.

OHIO on the Great Wall of China

Go Bucks!