Don't sweat the small stuff; don't be like me

For the sake of my blood pressure, I've learned throughout the years to not get too bent out of shape over things that I can't control, especially rooting for my favorite sports teams.

For the most part, I'm talking about screaming at the TV and not sleeping when things don't go my way. Like I said, for the most part, I've done a pretty good job of not getting too upset.

Until Sunday, that is.

My Packers lost a game they shouldn't have to the Lions. No, I did not take it well. I screamed at the TV and at the dog. Poor Sam, he did nothing wrong and didn't deserve to be yelled at. Of course, he has forgiven me without hesitation. I haven't forgiven myself.

To make a short story long, I'm in a foul mood and I have to go to work. It's a long drive to Cheyenne as it is, but even longer when you're ticked off. I hadn't had lunch, so a quick stop at the McDonald's drive thru was going to have to do.

Wouldn't you know it. Like Sam, they (McDonald's workers) were about to take the brunt of my unpleasantness. For some reason, no one waited on me for about 5 minutes in the drive-thru, although cars were getting their orders in from the other drive-thru. Yeah, I'm not too happy. Then after getting my food and pulling out into Grand Ave., I realize that they didn't give me a straw or napkins.

No, it doesn't get better.

I pull back into the parking lot, go inside and grab a straw and some napkins. I decide to wait a couple more minutes and get in line. "What can I get for you?" the 19-year-old or so McDonald's employee asks me.

"How about some better service," I grumbled, much to the surprise of the worker and the man and his kids who had just ordered. "It took you guys 5 minutes to get my order from the drive-thru when others were going through the other order lane. When I got my food, there wasn't a straw or napkins."

A fool am I.
"Well ... uh, we only have four people working now ... uh, they must have gotten behind," the worker said.

That wasn't what I wanted to hear.

As I was walking out the door, I screamed back, "I don't want to hear excuses!"

Of course, the second I walked out of the door, I realized what an idiot I was and regretted my actions.

"So much for not letting the little things bother me," I say, as I called my wife when I got to the parking lot at work.

Earlier in the week, I told Teresa, no more sweating the small stuff.  After all, I had enough to deal with. Things hadn't been going well with Teresa's health, and this past week was especially a rough week. A friend of mine had just lost his mother to a massive heart attack. Just a few months ago, he lost his wife to cancer. He has two young kids at home.

We often complain about things that aren't important when others, like my wife and my friend, have serious issues to deal with every day of their life. They keep going because they have to and they want to, and we bitch about crap.

So I'm screaming at the TV, the dog and minimum wage workers at McDonald's because my team lost and I'm in a bad mood.

Later on Sunday, I go to the hospital to eat and visit Teresa. I'm at the cafeteria to pay for a visitor's tray (great deal, anything on the menu for $5.75) and I discover that I only have $3 cash on me. I give the cashier my debit card. Unfortunately, they don't take plastic. So I ask him if there is an ATM.

"Yes, there is an ATM, but don't bother," the cafeteria worker said. "I got it."

He reaches for his wallet and takes out $6 and puts it into the register. I'm stunned and say, "Did you just pay for it?"

He said, "You know, I have to be here because this is my job. You're here because your wife is sick and she is here. I try to help people out when I can."

Still stunned, and quite frankly, embarrased by my earlier actions, all I can do is shake his hand and thank him.

I asked the girl who brought up my tray to Teresa's room what his name was and described him. She smiled and said, "That sounds like Chris. He does things like that all of the time."

Well, Chris, you're a better man than me. You reminded me that there is hope in this world and maybe there is still hope for me.

Once again, I'm not going to sweat the small stuff.  I owe it to Chris.

Say an extra cheer for UW -- my wife would if she could

For those who don't know, my wife is a former Cowgirl basketball player from the mid 1980s (Teresa Poindexter, later Teresa Clift). She then became a RN at Ivinsion Memorial Hospital for many years before working at the Cathedral Home for Children. She has spent much of her adult life taking care of people.

Teresa was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis in 1993 and the disease has taken a serious toll on her health. Add to that, she was in a very bad car accident a year ago that basically shattered her back beyond repair. To make a long story short, she has been in and out of hospitals and nursing homes since then, as she basically can't walk or hardly sit up in bed on her own. She is now in the Cheyenne hospital without much hope of ever leading a normal life again.

Teresa, along with her daughter, Cassie, were fixtures at Wyoming athletic events throughout the years, especially Cowgirl basketball games. She was proud to be a Cowgirl, and win or lose, loved cheering for her school. You might have seen or heard her at the games. She was the one who was constantly standing up cheering, telling the Cowgirls or Cowboys to run their offense, get back on defense or rebound. As a former player, she was still in the game.

Teresa and Cassie might have more Cowgirl basketball t-shirts than anybody I know. They seemed to come home with a new one after each home game. The WNIT title, and then the NCAA Tournament appearance the next year, were special times in their lives, something they'll never forget. It was also an opportunity for Teresa and some of her old teammates to reconnect again, which is something I'll always be grateful to Joe Legerski and the Cowgirls for giving them that opportunity.

I can't help but think about how my wife would give anything to be able to go to a UW game and cheer on her Cowboys or Cowgirls again. I can only pray that that will happen.

I know sports message boards give fans a place to vent -- I've done it before myself. But I'm thinking, instead of trying to find all that is wrong, take a break and cheer on the Cowboys and Cowgirls, even when things aren't always going as well as you would like. It just seems to be easier these days to be critical, rather than supportive.

Maybe I'm crazy, but when you get a chance, give an extra cheer. Hopefully, Teresa will have the opportunity to cheer again some day. If anybody needs a reason to cheer, it's my wife.

Sewell lights up the boxscore

Cowgirls sophomore Chaundra Sewell has been a high-energy player in her short tenure at Wyoming. Elbows flying and pure hustle up and down the court. She has been a crowd favorite from the beginning.

In her previous time off the bench, the 6-foot-1 forward did many things a team needs that doesn't always show up in the boxscore.

Until Saturday, that is.

Sewell started her first game as a Cowgirl and played a career-best 37 minutes, scored a career-high 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists in the 68-55 win over Idaho in the Arena-Auditorium.

To put this linescore in perspective, her previous high in points was 11 and she went into Saturday's game averaging 4.8 points per contest.

Sewell got the start with junior Kristen Scheffler now out for the season with her chronic bad back. While the news is certainly disappointing for Scheffler, the Cowgirls and the UW faithful in the stands, Sewell's performance was not only an eye-opener, but it gives all involved an adrenaline shot of optimism.

Without Scheffler, Wyoming certainly needs another scoring option to go along with go-to seniors Aubrey Vandiver and Hillary Carlson. A more consistent offensive effort from senior forward Jade Kennedy and senior guard Randi Richardson -- who both do a fine job in other aspects of the game -- will help the depth-challenged Cowgirls down the road, especially once they reach Mountain West Conference play.

"For Chaundra to get her first start, play 37 minutes and get 23 points and eight rebounds, she was a force out there on the court," Wyoming coach Joe Legerski told the media after the Cowgirls win over the Vandals.

Was this a one-time highlight for Sewell? Not necessarily because the gangly forward has shown signs of offensive prowess. Yet, to think the Cowgirls are going to get 23 and 8 every time out is unrealistic, especially for a young player who is really just getting her feet wet.

But it was that type of effort and performance that will get noticed from around the league -- and if that happens -- it could open up a lane or two for Vandiver and Carlson.

One highlight game does not make a career, but it's not a bad way to make your first start.