Days 5-7 - Hand down, MAN DOWN!

Day 5 as a Cubs fan started off a little bit different. See, I did not care if they won that day. I was up early and I was on my way to Orlando for a mini NBA trip with two of my friends. Because of work, I was able to request some tix for a Magic game that night, and a Miami Heat the next night. We had to travel in some terrible weather. Charles Barkley TURRIBLE weather. We eventually made it and went to my favorite store, the House of Hoops. Much to my surprise, I was able to keep the wallet in my back pocket, even though we went in there on two separate occasions. I really battled with myself, even though either way, I would've won.

After that we checked into our hotel. My boy was able to get a good rate on a nice hotel room. We hung out, got ready and left for Amway Arena. We were able to park fairly close and it only took a few minutes to make it to the media gate. No line and a friendly face. Just the way I like it.

We got in to the game, drank a couple beers and made our way to our seats. I swear, I died and Elijah's chariot came down to take me to my seat. Not because they were so heavenly, but because he dropped me off on his way back to heaven. Trust me, it wasn't out of his way. I had flashbacks of my ant farm when I was little. I literally got the fear of heights butterflies when I looked down. We sat there for about ten minutes and decided it was time to go back to the Baseline Bar. The 4th quarter just started and they told me they stopped serving alcohol. BUZZ KILL! (see later, as like Jesus on the third day, my buzz rose again). I then decided it was time to go down to someone else's seats. We flaunt the passes and they let us go down towards the court. We find a whole row open. We sit there for most of the fourth quarter. Magic win...

After the horn sounds, me make our way to the scorer's table at center court to thank our man that hooked up the tix. I turn around and see Dwight Howard on the court and Hedo Turkgolu sittin' with a towel around his head. I then turn and look at my friends and they are in absolute amazement. see, these two guys are huge basketball fans, and they look like me the first time I went to House of Hoops. We sit there for a little bit then we get to take a pic at center court. We then each got a shot at the hoop. I clanked it. The other two, well, let's just say that they drained that shit. All good stories should have happy endings and this one is no different. Shit, even the Cubs won. Apparently, they won 6-5, much to my surprise. I'm starting to feel like Cubs fan #1. If I don't watch, they win...

We get back to the hotel and I get faded. We'll end that night on this note...

Day 6 - What a night we had. I woke up to the front desk giving us our wake up call. Slightly hungover, I get ready and it's off for a four hour drive to Miami. South Beach bitches. We make it after what seemed like a LONG drive. Get to the Doubletree downtown and this bitch is plush. Room was great, view was beautiful and the stories from the prior night ice the cake. Hopefully, Miami can show us similar love, but we're not expecting any of it. We all agree that it couldn't get better than the night before.

We have some time to kill and we head to Ocean Drive to walk around. Beautiful day, great people, couldn't ask for more. We even went to the gelato place where the Jersey Shore worked while they filmed in Miami. I got the pistachio...WOW! Sent pics to mu girl who FWD them to daughter #2. Both were extremely jealous. anyhow, it's almost game time. We get to the arena and hea to meet our next contact. He comes out and flashes his '06 Championship ring to the boys and that quickly puts a smile on their faces. We get inside, and we have a fourth with us. He joined us fo th night. Seats were ok. But hell, we get to see the king. Though I AM NOT A HEAT FAN, I like to watch Lebron play. Having a good time. Heat are losing, but it's all good. Then it happens. The worst day of the year so far.

Let me break this one down. I'm in South Beach so naturally I'm wearing my Lebron South Beach's. I'm walking to have a cigarette at halftime and this old bat of a woman is next to me. She decides she is going to stop walking forward and start walking sideways. Not like a drunk sideways, but like you're enjoying your first slow dance at the junior high Halloween dance. Just straight sideways. Of course her 3/4" heel (why the fuck she is at the Heat game is still a mystery, but why she was wearing 3/4" heels is even harder to fathom) lands right on the toe box of my South Beach's. I give her a glare and if looks could kill, I would've placed her other foot inside of that coffin. She looks at me like the colored boy that I am. I look down and disaster. Black mark, not coming off with spit. I'm devastated. Later that night I get to the hotel, grab a wet napkin and rub, and paint comes off. I immediately Googled Voodoo death curse and cast a spell. She deserved it. Heat lost, but that didn't matter to me. My night was already ruined. We went out to the Hard Rock later, we lost. Cubs lost. South Beach's, they lose the biggest. So sad. Like the day Gunner left us, I leave you on this note...



Day 7 - Lots of roads and lots of music...THE END...

EDIT - Day 7 was not just a lot of driving. I got home after a long day on the road. BTW, props to my boys J-Hollywood and VJ for doing the driving. Clutch. anyhow, I get home and no more than 30 seconds later, there is a knock at my door. To my surprise, it is my three daughters. they said they came to visit. I absolutely love my three little girls, though are not little. Hell, they aren't even mine, but I love them like my own.

Daughter #1 is a senior in high school. She has some anger issues at times, but when she's with me, she's an absolute sweetheart. She is the brainiac. She is smarter than I am and I'm pretty fuckin' smart. She is going to do huge things with her education. This girl just loves to learn. I love that about her. She is determined to succeed, and she will.

Daughter #2 is a freshman in high school and she is a handful. She takes after me. That is scary in it's own right. But she is an absolute doll. She's fun to be around, as are the other two. But this one here, she's is going to be the reason I have no hair left. Her interest in school isn't there, but she shows flashes of knowing what to do. I just need her to get it together. I am confident she will. They just never had any direction. See, daughters #1 and #2 grew up without their father. Trust me, that is his fucking loss. I have never met him, nor do I want to, but he has missed out on two beautiful girls. They are his own flesh and blood, and he has decided to not have anything to do with them. i hate him for that, but it has allowed me to enter their life and try and fulfill that role. I'm not trying to be their father, just trying to do what their father should be. His loss. Without him being there though, I don't know if I would be as close to them as I am. So, fuck him.

Daughter #3. She is my latest addition. She too is a senior in high school. She is best friend to daughters #1 and #2. She is also the daughter of a very good family friend. I absolutely adore daughter #3 (all three of them, of course). She is so polite and always says thank you. She is always smiling. One day she said she loved coming to our house. I asked her if she wanted to be daughter #3 and she just said "Sure". Me, being the big softy that I am, all I heard was "Hell yeah". But nonetheless, she holds a special place in my heart right along with the other 2.

Again, I have no intentions of trying to replace their dads or be their fathers. I am just offering them someone to talk to. Someone they can confide in. Someone they trust. I will do anything for them. I would trade my life if it meant that one of them could continue on with theirs. All of this would not be possible if it weren't for the absolute love of my life. She introduced me to them and let them be apart of our life together. Baby, I love you and these girls are three more reasons why I do.