Amanda and I did like usual and got up and went to church this morning.  We stopped by the grocery store and got some bagels on the way home and had those for breakfast.  After that we took it easy for a bit then Amanda dragged me out of the house, bribing me like a five year old that if I went to the mall with her (to get a present for her mom’s birthday) she’d buy me a cookie.

I went, but I whined like a little kid half the way there.  Well, to the gas station anyway.  She had me go then she made me pump gas for her.  To top it off, the gas pump she went to was one that I knew didn’t have the stopper in it so you can pump it without having to hold it.  She was, at least, kind enough to make sure I’d brought my iPhone so I’d have something to keep me occupied while she was shopping.  Like a five year old, I tell ya.  Giving her kid practice.

We also stopped by Nick and Amy Warkentien’s house before going to the mall.  For the first time ever we actually spotted their cat, Gipper.  Amanda had walked back to the bedroom, where the cat food is, and she saw a lump move under the sheets.  I got my iPhone camera ready and she pulled the sheets back to reveal a cat who looked like he was thinking to himself, “Oh crap, what am I going to do now?”  He stayed that way just long enough for me to snap a picture then ran and hid behind the washer and dryer.

Amanda didn’t take long at the mall, which was nice.  We went into one of the sports stores to see if they had any baby Duke clothes.  They did, but they were all still too big for the size Milly will be next basketball season.

Amanda bought me a cookie then went to the pretzel place to get some lemonade.  Some women with a baby in front of us dropped a thing of soft pretzel sticks on the floor, and instead of picking them up one of them just sort of shuffled them off to the side with her shoe.  Very irritated, I picked them up, easily in one hand, put them in the box that was also on the floor and walked a few feet to drop them in a trashcan.  I can’t STAND people like that.

By the time I’d thrown it away they had gone across the thoroughfare to another store, and I made sure to announce that I had picked up their mess for them, although they either ignored me or didn’t hear me.  I honestly think they just didn’t hear me, but it was still irritating.

We came home and waited until the game came on.  It was Duke at Boston College, a team that hasn’t beat Duke in, I think they said, 24 years.  Yeah, that ended tonight.  Back to back losses.  They had a freaking 13 point lead which they let get down to five at the half then, I don’t know.  I don’t know what happened.  They seemed to play alright for the most part.  They started jacking up threes again and the refs blew a whistle every time someone breathed, but still.  The score was 80-74 with free throws at the end.

It’s demoralizing, to be honest.  This team, once again, started off so well and has a number of really good wins, but they just can’t seem to get it together towards the end of the season.  I’m starting to be glad that I’m going to Costa Rica for the end of the regular season.  I mean, I’m glad I’m going to Costa Rica, definitely, but one of the few downsides was that I was going to miss the last week of ACC games and the beginning of the ACC Tournament.

Next game is Wake Forest at Cameron.  I have no idea what to expect.  The rest of the season is St. John’s, which shouldn’t be too much to worry about, Wake Forest (a tough team this year who Duke lost to once already), @Maryland (who will be looking for revenge after the embarrassment  Duke gave them earlier), @Virginia Tech (always plays Duke tough, especially at home), Florida State (who Duke beat already, but is a big and tough team) then @Carolina.

Then of course Carolina won a squeaker against Miami, 69-65.  Ty Lawson made some clutch threes down the stretch to keep the lead.  Really, I just can’t get a break.

Virginia beat Clemson 85-81 in overtime, which doesn’t really matter that much to me except that it helps Duke keep second place in the ACC.

Amanda and I took some pregger pictures at half time, and during the Carolina game Milly was moving around a lot (hiccups maybe?) which made me happier for a bit (until the Heels won their game).

Zach Dotsey