Dude, Where's My Bus? Part 1

This particular bus ride separates itself from all of the others because this was not one that was quirky or amusing,but a ride where I meet a couple of extremely interesting people. It all started in my once a week, 3 hour art history class. as much as I love art and history, there is only so much of it I can take continuously before I tune out. By the time we were well into hour 2 I had organized and purchased a spring break flight to Destin, FL with a few friends and made plans to eat cupcakes and watch tv with a good friend of mine after class, with my way of getting there being the Metro. We were getting out of class around 4pm and I thought I would be able to beat the 5 o clock traffic if I started out on my adventure during daylight hours. I walked over to the rail stop nearest to my college (MUUUUUURRRT!!!!) and a train promptly arrived. I hopped off at the downtown transit center and walked over to the corresponding bus stop. I looked to my right, then my left, and there it was! Not even 3mins of waiting the bus rolled proudly down the street before pulling up to the stop. Looking back now I should have known that since things were going so unbelievably smooth it was only inevitable that thing would take a turn for the worse. But while things were still good, I took a seat near the front, opened up a Special K bar, and checked my messages as we went through downtown and headed north.

NCAA Finals and Pole Dancing

Ok. So this is what you need to understand about two important sports in the South. Basketball and football bring out the best characteristics in everyone, especially when your own favorite team is not involved and you are a non biased observer. You sit back, don't really care who wins, and just watch the sport for the love and respect of the game. Bringing the 2011 NCAA Final Four to Houston was perhaps the best idea whomever came up with the idea ever came up with. It seemed to get many areas of the city involved, and the normally sleepy downtown was awakened and full of events and activities within walking distance from one another, which if you have ever been in Houston know that  is a feat all in itself. Through a program within our Athletic Academic Center I was able to volunteer at Bracket Town to teach a group of kids how to shoot layups and the importance of dribbling the ball as you run around the court. Directions in hand, I hopped on the Light Rail and headed towards the George R. Brown Convention Center where Bracket Town had set up camp. I was immediately greeted by smiles and high fives from a goodhearted group of friends. They were in between bars (prime happy hour hours) and figured the light rail would be their safest mode of travel. What they failed to realize is that the rail also served as the most amusing mode of travel for anyone riding with the group that day. They soon moved on from the High Five greetings and started dancing using some of the support poles in the middle of one of the rail cars. I guess they wanted to share their fun because they started inviting people to join them. I had already worked out that day so I stayed seated but a number of good humored people joined in as the train headed into downtown. A few people fell, some slipped, others were really getting the hang of it and a couple had me convinced they were professionals. Regardless, the ride into the heart of downtown conveyed the great vibes felt around the city had during the Final Four. As I stepped off of the train, I exchanged high fives with the group one last time and headed in the direction of Bracket Town, ready to volunteer and happy to take those memories with me.