This could have been a great day...

I feel like I've been robbed, dumped, run over, and rendered useless generally.

It could have been an epic day.  It started out with so much potential for greatness.  Spring weather, good night's sleep.

Then looked at the news about Chile (in case you live under a rock, read this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_chile_earthquake).  It makes my heart hurt.  I'm very thankful that the area is more prepared for such an event than Haiti was for theirs, but it's still a scary and heart-wrenching situation.  I've had a cousin and many friends serve missions in Chile and I know it must be so hard for them to wait for the news about the safety of friends.

After that crappy start to the day, I figuratively pulled myself up by my bootstraps and studied for my archaeology midterm which I had to start taking by noon so I could make it to the last home basketball game by 2pm.  I think I did pretty well on it, and was feeling like a champ as I headed over to the Marriott Center for the big game against New Mexico.  It was a close game the whole time, and the teams were within 3 points of each other the whole time.  The biggest lead was when we got up by 6 points for about 2 seconds.

And then the officials ceased officiating.  I have 6 brothers and a sister who have all played basketball.  I've been to almost every single home game while I've been in Provo.  I've watched a LOT of basketball, and it was the WORST officiating I have ever witnessed in my entire life.  I don't say that because we lost.  I say that because it's true.  I'm willing to admit when we are playing crappy, or the other team is playing well, but we were both playing well and we just got robbed by blind referees.  I'm still boiling about it.  It felt like the game was 5 on 8 instead of 5 on 5.  I'm not even upset toward NM (well, mostly...there was an awful lot of dirty play today boys).  They are a good team and showed it today as they sunk all the 3-pointers we couldn't.

I'm usually a pretty happy person.  I tend to get along with others even when we don't see eye to eye, or I lose, or someone gets hurt.  It takes a lot of crap to make me angry for reals, not just sad or disappointed or annoyed. There is one trigger that gets me going like nothing else, though, even in its smallest dose.

Unfairness.

I love playing games, but if we aren't playing fairly I'd rather be pulling weeds (trust me, that really means something).  It's never fun to play with a cheat.  If I lose, I lose because I didn't play as well as the winner and I'm over it.  If I ever play you at anything, please don't cheat.  I'll lose respect for you faster than I'll get mad about it, and it makes me mad fast.

I hate how anger makes me feel, but in the defense of justice, I think it's, well, justified.  It may be just a game, but it's still involves and element of morality. Basketball is included in that admonition to be "honest in all things."  Ok, moving on.

For all of you that have loved ones in danger around the world, either from health problems or natural disaster or broken heart, I'll keep praying for you and them.  Those are real problems that matter.