'Tis the season....

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For those of you who have children that still believe in Santa I'm sure you are all too familiar with "Letters to Santa", and if you haven't already done so, I'm sure you are getting ready to help your children write their Christmas lists, stamp the letters, and then get them mailed off to the North Pole.  Or perhaps you are a grandparent who is assisting your grandchildren, or maybe you are simply an adult who is still very much a kid at heart and you, too, want to make a list.  Either way, it really doesn't matter, the point is that this is the season for making wish lists and they give you the opportunity to see if you have been naughty or nice this past year.

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Have ya'll ever ordered anything from Football Fanatics?  I actually order quite a bit from them, as their selection is pretty extensive, quality is good, service is excellent, and I really like their stuff.

Well, I recently ordered the cutest little UK Nike t-shirt (pictured below) and just couldn't wait for it to get here.  If you have ever used FF you know that all their stuff comes really fast, like in 3 days, and shipping is only $4.99 regardless of order size.  It's a great deal.

So, anyway, just a few minutes ago I'm sitting in my living room and who should arrive at my doorstep? -- But UPS!  I'm super excited, of course, as I just love to get packages by mail, and I know that this particular package just so happens to contain a really cute new shirt for me to wear as I'm watching the game tonight as well as some pom-poms for my daughters.  After checking out the pom-poms (they are darling, btw) I turn to the t-shirt package and open it up.  I can hardly wait to go and put on my new shirt and so I hold the shirt up to examine it, and holy crap, you'll never guess what I saw?  Instead of my UK shirt -- it's a KU shirt!  Yes, that's right, it's the exact same style of shirt I ordered, but instead of saying UK with the word "Wildcats" on the side, it has a KU and "Kansas" written on it and where there should be a little UK logo, there is a none-to-attractive Jayhawk staring at me!!  I simply can't believe it, is this some sort of joke??

Obviously, I immediately proceeded to call the Football Fanatics customer service department, and I actually feel rather sorry for the poor women who had to take my call as I was probably not all that polite after receiving my incorrect order, but bless her heart, she just fell all over herself apologizing, telling me that the shirt I actually ordered should be arriving by next Tuesday, all shipping fees would be waived, of course, and she's so sorry, she's just can't see how the service department could have made that mistake, is there anything else she can do for me, etc. etc. in addition to giving me all kinds of free coupons to use on my next order.  She was really great and even though I'm still waiting for the shirt I ordered to arrive I will most definitely be shopping at FF again.

I thought it was a rather funny (and true) story; I just had to share it as I still can't believe it happened.  Pretty crazy.  :  )

I am a creature of the senses.  So, without looking at a calendar (because that's just plain boring!), and since I also don't currently have the benefit that the majority of you have of living in the unbelievably exciting environment of the bluegrass, where reminders of the season are EVERYWHERE -- I rely on my senses to alert me that the seemingly endless wait for basketball season is almost over.

When I say that I am a creature of the senses, I mean, of course, that in addition to using the typical sense of sight to define things, maybe more importantly and more invigorating there are distinct sounds, tastes and smells that remind me of certain seasons or particular events in my life.  I'm sure this is the same for most of you, too.  You know, I'm sure that hearing certain music, eating certain foods, tasting certain drinks and smelling certain aromas can, on occasion, instantly transport you to a specific time or event.  For example, perhaps hearing a familiar song takes you back to your wedding day, or the aroma of a certain food takes you back to your most favorite vacation or holiday, or likewise, the smell of chlorine and the taste of gin and tonics and refreshing fruity umbrella-like drinks may remind you of summer.  

The other evening, it was a bit chilly around these parts, so I decided to pour myself a lovely Maker's Mark for a warm-up as bourbon is my typical go-to drink in the fall and let me tell you, in one sniff, and in one incredibly delicious sip, I was instantly transported to the memory of basketball season.  I could envision seeing the players on the floor, I could see the UK blue-and-white surrounded by fans, the lights, the scoreboard, the ball being passed down the court, I could recall the high of a remarkable win, or the moment of sadness after a loss -- all of it.  All the memories that previous basketball seasons have given me were instantly brought to my mind with that one smell and that one taste, and it was wonderful. 

For some of you there might be different reminders that basketball season is right around the corner, maybe you are a huge MLB baseball fan and the play-offs send a signal to your brain that it's almost time for some hoops, but for me, the taste of mouth-watering bourbon, the feel of cooler weather (I'm not a football enthusiast, so I instinctively think of basketball season once the cooler weather hits), the desire to go out, buy, and wear all the latest absolutely beautiful fall clothing, the sight of Halloween costumes, the sound of children trick-or-treating, and the feel of simply sitting around a fire on a frosty day are just a few of the unmistakable sights, sounds, feelings and smells that let me know that basketball season is almost here.

To say that I am excited for basketball season is a given, a no-brainer, really, as it is that way for me every year, and every year I totally plan our lives around the season making sure we are able to see each and every game, but considering all that we have on deck for this upcoming season (just a few of those reasons are pictured at left) it would seem that this particular season has the potential to be extremely wonderful and will hopefully be able to provide us all with some lovely lasting memories, perhaps even brought on by one of the senses.