O Here's To Wake Forest...

After quickly ringing in the new year followed by a packed but memorable 48 hours down in Miami, it's official... the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have made their first Orange Bowl appearance in the history of the school. [insert here all sorts of stats about how we are the first school in ACC history to go 6-0 on the road, the smallest school in Div I-A to appear in a BCS bowl, and so on... not to mention how we gave the 'Ville a run for their money that they never saw coming]

A quick plug - having never been to a bowl game, I was quite enamored by the whole thing... but if you have a chance to go to your team's bowl game, BCS or not, GO! You won't regret it. (and the NCAA Bowls Committee didn't even pay me to say that)

Since Wake hadn't been to a BCS bowl before - this was very special. Wake sold out its allotment of tickets right away - bringing together the largest group of Deacon alumni ever in one place (keep in mind that even if every single living alum had attended, Dolphin Stadium still would have had over 20,000 empty seats).

Not wanting to miss a moment, after arriving and a quick lunch, we headed to Hollywood to see the official team hotel. Thanks to the Wake Orange Bowl blog, we already had an idea of what this would be like - and it did not disappoint. Who know that the "WF" logo looked so good with a tropical background?!

Monday night we hit the Wake alumni party up in Ft. Lauderdale. From the size of the crowd there, it was obvious that the Deacs had turned out en masse. Tuesday, we did lunch in South Beach and then headed to the stadium to partake in all of the pre-game festivities.

This included being treated to the FedEx pre-game party where we were lucky enough to be up close and personal with both Arnold Palmer and the great Muhammad Ali.

The Deacs played their hearts out from the very first moment they took the field. Taylor Hicks (who I am proud to say I voted for in last season's American Idol) took the stage at halftime along with Gladys Knight. Then, at the end of the 3rd quarter, as has become customary, but this time with over 17,000 of us, every single Deacon fan stood holding up a 5 in honor of Jon Abbate's late brother.

The only downside to the entire trip were the rain showers Tuesday afternoon - but even those had subsided by gametime!

Win or lose - up to the very last moment and even heading out of the Dolphin Stadium parking lot, I proudly waved my black and gold. I think this Sun-Sentinel writer put it best when he said that the "Demon Deacons charmed the Orange Bowl".

I know I speak for all Deacon fans when I say - thanks for one heck of a season!!

Dedicated to my Deacs

Win or lose, it seems that I have taken to following the Deacs around the country for various sporting events. I suppose I owe this, in part, to my central location here in DC.

Earlier last week, we were lucky enough to catch one of the first Wake basketball games up in Lewisberg, PA, on the beautiful campus of Bucknell University (reminds me of a smaller Wake Forest nestled up in PA). After an over-time victory (PHEW!), the midnight-2:30am drive back to DC made me question my loyalty, but we persisted.

Then this past weekend, we enjoyed some beautiful fall football weather back in Kernersville and Winston while visiting Jayne and Jason... Hopes were high in anticipation of a good Deacon-Hokie battle. The battle was fought, but I wouldn't say it was good.

Though even after this weekend, I am still quite the proud Deacon fan... falling to the obnoxious Hokies and entering our final regular season football game with a 9-2 record is nothing to be ashamed of, nor is losing to top-seeded Maryland for the NCAA field hockey championship (which we've won something like 3 times in the past 5 years).

Yet still, there is much more to come... the final Wake football game - where we will fight for our lives against the Terps for a spot in the ACC Championship game (yes, this really is Wake football we're talking about), and the start of another ACC basketball season (ah-hem, another rebuilding year for the Deacs).

* In other sporting news, Army-Navy rapidly approaches - December 2nd - GO NAVY!!!

Showtime

Since recently much has been made of Michael Phelps' daily caloric intake and diet, I jumped at the chance to post a similar "menu", one much nearer and dearer to my heart... this time from the Wake Forest football team!

Today is the kick-off of the 2008 Wake Forest football season... so it's only natural to talk about how the team is gearing up; and, with that, (thanks to the Deacons Direct Gameday Blog) comes this impressive list of food apparently consumed every gameday by my favorite Deacs:

Here's a breakdown of all the food available on this trip:

- On the bus to the airport: bags of Chick-fil-A and a bottle of Gatorade.
- Boarding the plane: bottle of Gatorade or water.
- During the flight: a bag of snacks that includes pretzels, two granola bars, a Snickers bar, an apple and a banana; plus more Gatorade available.
- During the flight, part 2: more fruit, cheese and crackers and again more Gatorade or soft drinks.
- Arriving at the hotel: more Gatorade.
- Team dinner: salad, fruit, rolls, green beans, mashed potatos and gravy, roast beef, spaghetti, more Gatorade (of course) and the highlight of the evening, the ice cream bar (including hot fudge, strawberry topping, caramel, whipped cream, nuts, bananas and cookies - yikes!).
- After movie: late night snacks which includes salty stuff such as chips and popcorn (gotta have salt to stay hydrated) and more Gatorade.
- Team gameday brunch: fruit, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, pancakes, grits, juice and more Gatorade.
- Pre-game meal: heavy on pasta and Gatorade. -
Post-game meal: TBA...everyone is usually given a bag or box of food (of course in a generous portion)
- During the flight home: similar to the first flight, but top it all off with a Wake Forest football tradition that is said to pre-date the current coaching staff: Dove ice cream bars. Oh, and more Gatorade.

GO DEACS

Come Sit With Me

While I'm on a roll driving away (the droves of) readers with my awkward eulogy to our ice cream maker... I thought there was no better time to toss in a post about the imminent NFL draft. (perfectly logical connection, don't you think?)

Really? Yes, really. And it's important, not to mention being way more interesting than when I babbled about the MLB All-Star game (although that's not saying much).

I think I've mentioned before about being proud to be a Deac - maybe just once or twice. There's no pre-tense here, so I'll say it right upfront... I'm going there again.

But, Kara, you said this is about the NFL draft... what's that got to do with Wake Forest? *for those of you who already know where I'm going with this, please pardon my elementary explanation - you may now proceed on with your day

GLAD you asked!

Type in "Wake Forest" and "NFL draft" into your preferred search engine now. Go ahead, I'll wait here.

I assume you got quite a few hits.

Perhaps one of them was this article about a certain Wake alum, showcased on the front page of USA Today's sports section... saying that it's "hard to find a flaw" in him and asking if he might just be the "draft's safest pick".

Or maybe this one... explaining that even though linebackers rarely go very high in the draft that our alum is such a "sure tackler and versatile player, able to flatten a running back behind the line of scrimmage on one play and drop into pass coverage with speed and agility on the next, that NFL coaches and front-office executives are plenty excited about him." Whatever that means... I know this: most analysts agree that our boy will be picked in the top 5 or 6 (no jinxing!!) tomorrow evening.

But please, whatever you do, don't stop reading just yet. Yes, we love our alum, are proud of him and his accomplishments on the field, and there's no doubt that the whole wide world of Deacons will be waiting with bated breath until his name is called tomorrow... but this article says it all, this is what it's all about.

Thank you, Aaron Curry, for making us proud to be a part of your (rather extended) family. It's true that we will be cheering you on with fervor tomorrow (and beyond) and that we want you to go as early as possible in the draft... but it's things like inviting this leukemia survivor to sit with you as you await the news that will surely change your (and your family's) life that make us truly beam with pride.

Sure, we aren't certain exactly how high you'll go in the draft or what city you'll call home as of tomorrow, but there is one thing I know... when you get there, tell your new team to get ready for a bunch of gold and black wearing fans.

... and After...

... QUITE a weekend!

AFTER the Wake-Maryland game was over Saturday night, the outcome was Wake on top, 38-24... meaning I received this in my email Sunday morning. *Yes, this is Wake football that we're talking about...

** ... after much deliberation, I think it is time to take the plunge and sign up for the Demon Deacon license plate!!
AFTER the fiasco with my original contractor skipping town (anyone seen Guido??), my real estate agent came through at the very last minute with a new, comparable recommendation. Neddie and his side-kick showed up Friday morning, bright and early, and started and finished the job within the next 36 hours. I was left with beautiful new floors in my foyer and kitchen!

AFTER a long Wednesday evening spent casually with some friends (read: they hung out while I prepared Thanksgiving sides - dijon glazed carrots, stuffed mushrooms, and a fresh green salad with candied walnuts, blue cheese, and Craisins - and desserts - Tollhouse and pumpkin pies), I was ready to head to my brother's house for Turkey Day. Though we tried to avoid it, we definitely had more food than we knew what to do with.

... of course, Charlie was always willing to jump in when needed.

... and as usual, the box for the roaster had to be measured before anyone could eat.
AFTER eating more than my share Thursday evening, there was more to be had. This weekend also marked the celebration of Chris' cousin's Bar Mitzvah.
The event started off Friday evening with a delicious, hearty meal at "That's Amore". Saturday evening was Max's actual Bar Mitzvah service and party... and quite the party it was. I'd been to my share of "mitzvahs" growing up but I don't remember them being this fancy and fun. My favorite part? The candy bar, of course...
... and dancing off the delicious food with the cousins!

AFTER all was said and done... the weekend wound down just perfectly... since my floors were done so much faster than we thought, my dad and I headed back up to my brother's house to hang out Sunday afternoon. My brother, of course, took this opportunity to put my dad to work.

But dad also got some quality time with "the boy", teaching him the proper method for using a measuring tape... and what it feels like to walk in the shoes of a "king".

(this was just way too cute not to share)

Isn't it obvious that "GO NAVY" was on the tip of his tongue??

Going to the Chapel!!

Approximately 32 days from now, Katie, one of my dearest friends from college will walk down the aisle to meet Mr. Scott Thompson to start the rest of their lives together. I can't wait!!

In the meantime, we managed to toast their future together in a weekend of events celebrating the happy couple.

This past weekend, all of Katie's bridesmaids gathered in "the 'boro" (as the natives call Greensboro, NC). Friday evening kicked the festivities off with a relaxing round or two of Apples to Apples (my new favorite game... sorry Mexican Train).

Saturday morning we threw Katie an "Around the House" shower and brunch, complete with a number of Triad favorites... yummy Carving Board chicken salad plated on red-leaf lettuce, pineapple and strawberry skewers, Sister Schubert's rolls piping hot from the oven, Dewey's cheese straws, and Paige and the Cake Doctor's delicious mocha-angel food cake dotted with slivered almonds. All of the guests left with little bags of custom-M&Ms to remind them of the upcoming wedding!

Before heading out for the bachelorette events, Katie took us on a tour of their new home... so fun to see the place they will call home in just a few short weeks!

Once in Charlotte, assembled in our hotel, we started with a nice dinner *also enjoying a private viewing of the first quarter of the Wake-FSU showdown* and though it had started raining, nothing could dampen our spirits.

At Cosmos, we celebrated Wake's first-half lead with a fellow grad... c/o '36?? (we think not - but it was fun nonetheless). After it was official that Wake had shut-out FSU at FSU for the first time since 1973, we were well on our way! A few bars later, we finished off a fun evening at the Buckhead Saloon (had to include this for any Atlantans... apparently it still lives!)... and, of course, no bachelorette party would be complete without the bride up on the stage for her "last dance".

What a fun and memorable weekend! Katie's going to the chapel!!!

Thanks, Coach

Thursday, July 26, 2007, is a day that will remain in the hearts and minds of Deacon fans far and wide...

Mens' basketball coach Skip Prosser suffered an untimely and sudden death Thursday afternoon. The Wake Forest community is and will grieve for the loss of this very special member of our family.

During and before the memorial service held yesterday, July 31, students, fans, and others related to the University joined in a ceremonial rolling of the Quad in honor of our beloved Skip.

I think these words spoken by those who knew Coach Prosser best say it all...

"Wake Forest is profoundly grateful for the gifts that this remarkable man displayed as he walked among us[]"

"Skip lived life to the fullest[]"

"He took everyone seriously, without pretension. His life reflected the values he professed."
- Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch

"God called coach early[]" "That team in heaven must have been pretty terrible. God needed coach right away."
- [Chris] Paul

"God got a great one[]" "He took the best coach he could find. I just hope I get to coach with you one more time."
- Associate Head Coach Dino Gaudio

Game Face

It's that time of the year...

And apparently something like 130 million of you agree with me (and some of you even take it this far - whoa!). At least in the overall concept. However, most of those millions probably didn't wake up this morning contemplating how you could wear your Wake sweatshirt or t-shirt to your place of employment like I did.

Since I couldn't figure out how to incorporate the old gold and black into my outfit today, I brought my game face instead. (lame, but true)

I am confident in and proud of my Deacs. Our little team (okay, big team) from our little school has gone through some unexpected adversity in the past few years but never let that stop them from putting their heart and soul out on the line (almost) every time.

I'll keep saying it until the cows come home (speaking of cows, if you haven't already - please introduce yourself to the Pioneer Woman, but be forewarned that her amazing Blog of the Year will suck you in) - I couldn't be happier to be a Deac.

And depending on the outcome of a certain 9:55pm-ish game tonight, I will be only slightly more or less proud. Does that make me a bad or less-devoted fan?

Go Colonials?

Fear not Wake Forest... not that this was up for debate, but it's official... there's no chance my loyalty to my alma mater is at stake... have you ever tried yelling "Go Colonials"? It just doesn't work...

However, I'm also not about to turn down 4 free front row (read: on the floor) tickets to a GW men's basketball game. So off we went Wednesday evening to get to know GW's campus a bit more and see what basketball at an A10 school is like (GW won the A10 conference in 2006!)!

I know this much - I never got anywhere NEAR this close to the floor at a Wake game... and the fact that we could speak in a normal tone and have the ref hear and acknowledge us was pretty cool.

All Things Orange

If you're a Deac fan, you will undoubtedly recognize this as the itinerary for a trip down to Miami for the 2007 Orange Bowl, where we will face Louisville.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR0fI5mXm9g

You can be sure that this is a first...

I can honestly say I don't think I've been prouder to belong to any group of people or organization... just take one look at this list of letters to the Deacon football team that Wake fans around the world are posting and tears'll be streaming down your face too... http://www.wfu.edu/wowf/2006/orangebowl/

See you in Miami!!!! GO DEACS!!!!

From CBS Sportsline: As of Friday morning, [December 15,] Wake Forest had sold all but 400 of its 17,500-ticket allotment for the Orange Bowl. This from a school that has only 55,000 living alumni and the third-smallest enrollment in I-A (4,321). If you want to do the math, that means there is a ticket available for every 3.36 alums and undergrads.

http://www.wfu.edu/orangebowl/info/