Birthday Surprises.

“You should definitely try to come down to Midland on Thursday for my birthday!”

“I don’t know… I would, but I have to work. I have extra shifts this week.”

“Oh, I’m sure you can take a day off of work!!”

“No really, I can’t. I already asked if I could get off to come to Midland, but if I do I will probably get a 2 week suspension from work and yes, that would be a great 2 weeks of vacation except for the no money part.”

“I bet you can afford to not work for 2 weeks. You’ll be fine.”

“No really, Steph, I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Well dang, I really wish you could!”

A FEW DAYS LATER:

“GUESS WHAT?! I CAN COME DOWN THURSDAY!”

“Do NOT lie to me Patric. Are you for real?!”

“Yea. Turns out my boss died last night and with his dying breath he told me to go to Midland on Thursday for your birthday!”

“So that means you’re lying.”

“No, actually hell froze over and a magical unicorn said it could fly me down to Midland.”

This, along with several similar conversations took place over the few days leading up to my birthday between one of my best friends from Lubbock and myself.

He would act like he was able to come, then tell me he was joking and there was no way he could actually get off of work to come down. He had me convinced a few times that he was coming, then quickly shattered my excitement by telling me he was just kidding. I told him that if he ended up showing up, I was going to kill him for torturing me like that. Needless to say, I was pretty upset that he was not coming.

Wednesday, June 23, the night before my birthday… A few friends from Midland came over to my house and we watched a movie and just hung out until about midnight, when it officially became my birthday. Once they left, I went back to my room, got ready for bed, and was about to go to sleep when my mom walked into my room. She told me goodnight and then asked if I wanted one of my birthday gifts early. I said sure, why not. She then turns back to my bedroom door, opens it, and in walks Patric, my friend who “absolutely could not get off of work to come down to Midland even though he tried very hard to”.

I was in shock. I really was. I jumped up, and the first words out of my mouth were “PATRIC! I hate you!!” I could not believe he was there, standing in my room, in Midland, for my birthday. It wasn’t until about 45 seconds later that I realized there was somebody else with him. My other friend, Marshall, came with him!

A few minutes later, after I had accepted the reality that they had come down to Midland for my birthday, I apologized for what the first thing I said to Patric and told him that “I hate you” actually meant “I love you and I am so glad you are here!”

Turns out, my mom was in on it the whole time. She and Patric had this whole “surprise” planned out almost a week before my birthday. Then Patric called Marshall right before he left Lubbock and even though it was last minute he asked if Marshall wanted to come to Midland and he did! It was a fantastic surprise.

We went to Venezia’s for dinner and even another surprise was waiting for me there. My sister and her boyfriend had come down for my birthday dinner! I was, once again, shocked, but thoroughly excited to see them.

With all of this being said, I had a wonderful birthday. I spent it with my family and with my best friends. From Midland AND from Lubbock.

This weekend I went to LBJ with my parents and 4 of my girlfriends. We cruised the lake, wake boarded even on choppy water, rode the inner tube until our arms were numb, laid under the sun with loads of tanning lotion on, and just had a blast spending time with one another. I truly do love my friends. They helped make this birthday absolutely wonderful.

19.

19 years old.

My last year as a teenager.

Wow.

Where did the time go?

Crazy.

Those were the days.

Oh how I miss the days when life seemed so easy. When such great energy flowed through this body. When running in 100+ degree weather was fun. When soccer practices every night were just a part of life. When these frail knees were strong. When these muscles endured slide-tackles, twists, turns, cuts, and bruises with no aches or pain. When “tired” was not in my vocabulary.

Those were the days.

Mexican league soccer… It is definitely a way of life for some people. In fact, the starting midfielder for the USA, Clint Dempsey, got his start in a Mexican league in Nacogdoches, Texas. Pick-up games, dirt fields, phenomenal skills. Mexican league soccer is as legit as it gets.

We like to call ourselves the Mexican league of Midland… but we are far from a true “Mexican league” considering our grassy playing fields, our average skill level, and our fair complexions. We are more of a “white kids getting together to play soccer pretending like we are hardcore league” which is still loads of fun. It is, however, pretty hilarious when we haven't even been playing a full hour and we look at each other, panting, hands above our heads, drenched in sweat, and just shake our heads and say to each other "if only we were still in shape... those were the days..."

It is always a bit nostalgic playing soccer in the hot sun at Hogan fields. So much sweat, even some blood, and many tears were spilled out onto those fields over the several years of my life that I played soccer, and at the time, it meant everything to me. Every ounce that was in me craved a W in our book, ESPECIALLY if it was against Blast (who later became the Texans).

You see, I was a West Texas Heat soccer player through and through. There was nothing in me that would ever even consider going to the other side to team with Chad, Shane, or any other Blast coaches or players. Not that they were bad people, but I knew what I wanted, and I knew that in order to achieve that, Heat was the right choice.

Hahaha okay, okay, enough of that nonsense. I just had to let my competitive side out for a moment. Now, back to the serious stuff…

Soccer was my life. I loved practice. I loved the scrimmages. I loved the intensity the coaches expected from us. I loved the shin guard tan lines. I loved traveling hours and hours for games and tournaments. I loved the ice packs on my knees and ankles after each game. I loved the Crowne Plaza in Richardson. I loved the UTD fields with their thick, luscious blades of grass that felt like we were playing on fields in Heaven compared to Midland’s practice fields. I loved soccer.

Even after I quit playing soccer at a competitive level, soccer remained my favorite sport. Whether it was just going to kick the ball around with a couple of friends, playing on an intramural team, or just pick-up “Mexican league” at home during the summer… I just can’t get enough of it.

Well, I guess my BODY can get enough of it. And I think it has. My joints ache. My muscles are sore. My body is completely shot. But even though my body has had enough, doesn’t mean I am fully satisfied and content. As soon as my phone lights up with a text informing me what time to be at the fields to play, I will be up and out the door in a heartbeat. It’s kind of an obsession. Even when my body has reached it’s limit, my heart and my mind just can’t understand the term “enough” and I absolutely love it.

7 Things.

Ashley Brimeyer brought it to my attention that my blog was in desperate need of an update.

Of course there is the option of stopping everything else that I’m doing, sitting down, digging deep, and pulling out something that could potentially be incredibly profound, something “moving”, something that has been on my heart, or anything else of that sort… however, I don’t really feel like putting that much into this blog. I would rather it be spontaneous. I guess I’ll just write what comes to mind as I go along with this.

Hmm. Idea.

I was just thinking about how my birthday is 7 days away, so I’m sticking with the number 7 for this idea.

I’m going to pick a few categories and write 7 different things about each category.

(without going into deep, sappy, heartfelt, details… just keeping this simple)

Here we go.

7 things that have made me smile today:

1) Waking up and being surprisingly well-rested.

2) Hearing my friend’s new song that he just recorded. And it is absolutely incredible.

3) My momma bringing me an Oscar’s breakfast burrito this morning.

4) Looking at the calendar and realizing that I am going to Kenya in exactly 3 weeks.

5) Having lunch with 3 of my very closest friends.

6) Watching 6 episodes of Friends.

7) Skyping with Patric, Cameron, Jeremy and Andrew.

7 things that I miss:

1) Taking walks to the ditch after hanging out by Grandma’s pool all day.

2) Soccer.

3) The days when nobody had grown-up jobs in different cities during the summer and we could cook-out and hot tub every night.

4) The dirt road behind my house that is now paved.

5) Pine Springs.

6) Toasted cheese sandwich day in the cafeteria.

7) Seeing my sister everyday.

7 things I love about Midland:

1) If I leave my house relatively early in the morning, when I turn off of Island and onto Midland drive, I can see the sunrise over that open field with the silhouette of downtown midland on the horizon.

2) Sitting on the hill behind my house watching the breathtakingly beautifully sunsets with nothing blocking the view.

3) Murrays.

4) Southside Mexican food.

5) Our cute little downtown.

6) Midnight T&T runs.

7) The oil rigs that are so close I can hear them in my bedroom at night.

7 things I would add to Midland:

1) My friends who live in other towns.

2) PF Changs.

3) A dine-in movie theater (although, rumor has it that we may be getting one downtown sometime soon?)

4) A coffee shop like Sugarbrowns.

5) A lake (at least right outside of town anyway)

6) Spoonful.

7) An Imax.

7 things you may or may not know about me:

1) I did not read a book “for fun” until my junior year in high school.

2) I used to have an under bite, then maxillofacial surgery changed that.

3) I absolutely cannot stand it when anything touches my achilles.

4) I check to make sure the front door is locked at least 3 times before I go to bed at night. OCD not paranoia.

5) Just because I’m usually in athletic shorts, t-shirts, and my hair on top of my head doesn’t mean that I don’t like dressing up, fixing my hair, etc… because I really do.

6) I haven’t grown since about 6^th grade. Still 5’ 3 ½" and I don’t think that’s going to change.

7) I am ¼ Ukrainian.

7 random things that come to mind right now:

1) I’m absolutely pumped about going to lake with everyone tomorrow.

2) Patric Johnston is unbelievably talented.

3) Matti Swierc works way too much for a 19 year old.

4) I really want to go run right now, but it’s insanely hot outside.

5) USA! USA! USA! 9am tomorrow! YES!

6) Disneyworld is fun no matter how old you are.

7) This is probably the most pointless blog I have ever written.

Wow. If you even read this far, I halfway apologize, yet I am very impressed that you lasted through all of this nonsense that my fingertips randomly decided to type. But I guess that gave you a little glimpse into my mind. It’s scattered. It’s unorganized. It’s crazy. It’s fun. I love it. I hate it. It’s exciting. It’s frustrating.

It’s me.