Guilford College Women's Tennis

Life, Laugh, Love

I'm changing up the font a little bit, hope you don't mind! It's late on Wednesday night (almost early Thursday morning) and I just finished cleaning my room entirely.  I mean, entirely. I vacuumed, organized my drawers & shoes, put my hat collection out for all to see, organized where I keep my books and my desk, etc.  When things just aren't going right, I clean, but I love every second of it.  

Today was the eighth anniversary of my best friend Kaitlyn Dawn's death.  She was twelve and two months years old.. she died of a brain tumor.  Kaity was one of the most genuine people I have ever met.  A lot of the things I do today are in her honor, such as donating plasma.  Regardless, it was a rough day all around.  Silver lining: I know she's watching over me and helping me out as I truck along.  

Because of this, today is just one of those days, annually, that I look at everything in my life, analyze it and decide whether or not it should be there; life is too short to be merely content.  Luckily, I can say that I am happy.  I just figured out my ideal schedule for next semester; it's amazing! I'll have no classes on Friday, two on Monday: 6-8pm and 8:10-10:10 pm, one on Thursday: 1-2:15, one on Wednesday (lab from Monday) 6-8, and two on Thursday: 1-2:15 and 7:25-10:10.  Thus, I can work, put in more office hours for my internship, work out like I would love to have the time to do everyday and just enjoy life, including that sunshine that is vital for my complete and utter happiness.

Another plus: I have four classes that double-count, so I can indeed double major: Sport Management and Business Management.  I'm very excited about this; I love school, I love learning.  Call me a nerd and I'll tell you that you are 100% correct.  

OH! The POWDERPUFF game is this Friday (November 13, 2009).  I am quarter back, naturally.  I have been waiting and waiting for this event.  Granted, it was postponed for good reason, however I am glad to get it underway.  Let's just hope this weather holds up!

My Title IX article is coming.. I promise.  It HAS been pushed a week though; I promise it's good.  There's nothing quite like getting your thoughts to come through without directly editorializing.. I can dig it.  

I'm thinking about getting involved with WQFS - what are your thoughts?  I'd like to have a show: Ask Paulette.  I think I am rational and love giving advice enough to make this work.. It's something I've been interested in. 

Hmmmmm, something to think about.

Rock on.

Vraiment

Or, directly translated from French: "Really." Yes, that really did happen, truth.  Sometimes you come to realize the important aspects of life through television.  For example, in "He's Just Not That Into You," Jennifer Anniston is dating Ben Affleck.  They dated for 7 years and she was frustrated because he did not want to get married.  On a smaller scale, what do relationship titles really mean?  Nothing.  It's just a way to broadcast to the world that you are 1) not single and 2) used to hold yourself back from other potential temptations.  Who's business is it anyway?

What I'm saying is that personal business should remain just that .. personal.  As long as you're on the same page, literally or figuratively, with your work, boss, friends, etc, that's all that matters - an understanding.  A bond is, after all, stronger when this is accomplished and sometimes made more exciting when things are kept on the DL.

This relays into everyday life, sports, etc.  As long as you are happy, more so than solely content, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. It's your life - you have earned the right to be selfish.  You get to decide who you want to spend time with, what you want to do, how productive you are going to be, etc.  The only person that will always and forever be in your life is you - take steps now to improve your relationship with yourself.  

On an uneasy note, tennis is starting this week. Wednesday & Thursdays, although I have my internship on Wednesdays.  It's cold outside. There are variables. We shall see how this turns out.

Take my food for thought and snack on it .. you cannot truly love anyone or anything completely until you can completely love yourself. Until then, surround yourself with those who mean a lot to you, may it be best friends or what have you. Be true to yourself and for heaven's sake, stay classy.

Rock on.

Keep On Keepin' On

Tennis is starting up again this week! We are having our captains practices, if any new girls would like to come out.  Please e-mail me or comment me on here!

Halloween was yesterday.  'Twas a great time.  During the day, at the ACC, I was a Back Judge, which made it humorous that I was wearing a white referee hat, courtesy of R. Douglas Rhoads.  Regardless, I was a pink skittle at night.  It was a success and I ended up sleeping for twelve hours! This was something much needed.

I would also like to say that I lost to my boss in tennis the other week, after trash talking so much.  In my defense, I was ready for some scrub who'd played once or twice - not someone who admitted, after the match was done (0-6, 1-6) that he had the opportunity to walk on at Florida State. Not only was he good enough to play D1, he was good enough to play ACC tennis.

Anyway, I'm going to go read Breaking Dawn before the Celtics come on.  Hopefully Ray Ray and Sheed can continue this great start to a great season!

Elon basketball starts tomorrow; you'll see me there if you attend!

Rock on.

Are You Content or Are You Happy?

They really are two different animals.  I've been finding myself diving into the depths of these words a lot recently .. I am 100% content in Greensboro, North Carolina and attending Guilford College.  There are aspects of life here that genuinely make me happy, although the percentage is not quite as high.  My internship with the ACC, for example, makes me very happy.  But, I find that I crave more. That's always been my personality. Maybe I'll just never be that happy since I always strive for more, but I'm going out on an optimistic branch here and am going to say that I will be. But, is that here?

There are many stepping stones in life and I'm beginning to question whether or not this is one of mine.  Before any of you take offense personally at this remark, let me explain.  Last year, I was in love with Guilford and everything it has to offer.  Now, I'm beginning to think I was naive.  Do not get me wrong, Guilford is a great place, but I'm not sure it's for me at this point in my life. I feel as though I've grown so much in the past year - emotionally and otherwise.  I've met a couple people this year that have completely reminded me of my values and what my potential really is.  Please don't get me wrong, I am far from unhappy here.  However, this feels like a time in my life that I might wonder "What if?" What if I transferred to a larger Florida city where I could bask in the warmth of the sun and simultaneously thrive in the inevitable opportunities of the sports industry?  

On the other side of this balance is my internship with the ACC and my relationship with several faculty here at Guilford.  Ben, Allison, Doug and the rest of my ACC family mean more to me than I'll be able to put into words.  It's not just the personnel - it's also the atmosphere while enhancing my resume simultaneously.  I can honestly say that I enjoy doing tasks such as stuffing envelopes and registering youth participants for the youth celebration portion of the ACC football championship.  If I like this, I can only dream of what might be upcoming.  Might it be more beneficial to stay with the ACC for another two years and have three ACC years on my resume than to transfer having only one and hoping that I get lucky by meeting the right people in Florida?

If you know me at all, you know I psycho-analyze every situation and will undoubtedly write my pros and cons before I irrationally act. However, this is true and also food for thought.  How many people are even at college because they want to learn?  Has it not become the social and respected norm after high school?  Parents' expectations and peer pressure influence the decision of most individuals when looking for a college.  I stepped out of my northern comfort zone to enter the south for an education that I truly want (Yes, when I was a senior in high school, around November, I questioned my reasons for going to school and therefore know my actions are true now). 

Maybe it's a curse that I'm constantly thinking about how to improve myself and situations, but this concept of being happy versus being content is one that I really think will help shape my life. Humor me, think about it. Talk to a friend that you trust - even if you just met them this year; you'll never know - you might have a lot more in common with them than you could have ever expected.

On the tennis front, we're submitting our schedules to captains to begin some captains practices before the weather gets miserable. 

Rock on.

Cough Cough Cough.. Sniffle Sniffle

You guessed it; Paulette Wyatt is sick.  I managed to make it to the ACC this morning, from 10-4, however, which was a feat in itself.  I did registrations and was given two important projects to work on and complete by my Wednesday office hours.  I'm sick, so I will undoubtedly finish the tasks, and well might I add.  Weird, but when I'm all stuffed up, my reading comprehension and problem solving skills are improved immensely; don't ask why.. I won't know.

I was perhaps planning on taking a trip to Asheville today and Raleigh on Monday to visit two friends, but I'm pretty confident I will not make it to Raleigh and I sure as heck didn't make it to Asheville today.  I don't enjoy being ill, not that anyone does. On the plus side, with every cough I am plagued with, my abs get that much more of a workout - that's GOT to count for something. 

This coming week, permitting I feel better, I am playing my boss in a tennis match! I'm thoroughly excited and gives me some hitting practice, as the weather has been pretty crummy. 

Speaking of weather, I think this winter is going to be brutal; I'm not very excited for the cold when I go home, although the figurative warmth will be well worth it; I miss my mom, family, puppy & friends oodles! Also, hot apple cider by the fire sounds absolutely INCREDIBLE! 

On that note, I'm going to satisfy my hopeless romanticism by reading more of Breaking Dawn (book four in the Twilight saga).  I have 700 pages to finish, and think I can be done by Monday, or Tuesday the latest! 

Sleep well; rock on.

I've Got That Rainy Day Kinda Feelin'

It's raining here.. again. Nothing new, though. It was 44 degrees today. And damp. Great! I could have stayed in Connecticut for this weather. Luckily, that is not the only reason I find myself in Greensboro. 

I don't feel well; mentally, physically & emotionally. Yes, mentally & emotionally are separate, in my mind.  On the plus side, the past couple weeks and how I've felt have led to my decision to get a detox wrap.. Hopefully that, in combination with our season being done will help. (Not that I'm glad it's done - it's pleasant to have some breathing room).  ALSO! Break starts for me on Friday at 12:45 PM, after French class.  That's super exciting, especially because I'm staying here - I'll have plenty of time to sleep and finish reading twilight.  Maybe I'll get my mind right - who knows.

It's funny how much I am in tune with the weather.. my moods normally shift with the changing of the weather. Awkward, perhaps - but I'm learning to embrace it.  However, this cold is making me crave Florida.  Luckily, I'll be in Atlanta for Thanksgiving and Tampa in early December for the ACC Championship with my fellow interns.  That'll be a necessary break.

We have a couple weeks off of tennis, until captains' practices commence.  

Rock on.

There's Something Good About Every Ball You Hit - E. Luck

Guilford women's tennis ventured to Roanoke, VA to play in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) individual tournament held at Hollins University.  We left Guilford at roughly 6:30 AM Saturday, stopping only at Chick-fil-a for a free breakfast, courtesy of me (one time last year, on Chad's birthday, Laura, Julia, Chad, Zach and I stayed outside in Chad's truck bed [Zach was warm in the cab] until 6 AM to get 52 free breakfast meals, complete with hash browns and a drink).

Regardless, we were the first to arrive, almost before Leslie. For those of you who don't know Leslie, she is the Hollins coach. She's... well, interesting - for a lack of a better word.  We played well on Saturday.  Liz and I (we played 2nd doubles) lost to a very good Hollins team (who ended up playing very well against Washington & Lee - which is a feat in itself; they are always up there in rank in the nation for D3). Everyone played hard on Saturday, but we did better and played better today.  We ended the night with a beautiful sunset (pictures in my Facebook under my Tennis album).  

We began the day playing singles, which was a relief since the high temperature was only supposed to be 60 degrees.  We got lucky and the sun came out, however (my face is pink).  Anyway, I won my first match of the day 7-6 (7-5) in the tiebreaker (I had a TON of unforced errors; the reason she was that close in the first place) and 3-0 in the second set before my opponent from Lynchburg College retired (she claimed to have a blister..). I ended up winning my second match of the day, versus a girl from Roanoke College - one of the, if not THE, nicest girls I have ever played!  I won 8-3 (we played pro-sets for consolation).  Liz and I played doubles next, letting the match get way closer than it should have been! Not bad, though, for our second match together ever.  

All in all, we played very well this weekend and are looking forward to the spring season.  We're taking a week off in addition to fall break then getting at it! In the mean time, I'm sure we'll get out and hit sometime.  If you are reading this and want to be on the team in the spring, e-mail me at: wyattps@guilford.edu.  I'll hit with you for the rest of the fall if you wish! Until next time..

Rock on.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles Must Begin with a Single Step

I'm Paulette! For those of you who don't know me, I'm a sophomore here at good ole' Guilford College.  I love it here; it's here that I've realized who I really am and what is truly important to me.  No more of this gushy stuff though, I'm here to write my first blog! MY FIRST BLOG! I cannot really tell you how pumped I am for this; thank you Sports Information Director Dave Walters for hooking me up!  All in all my current happiness can be chalked up to doing very well on two midterms this morning after not studying particularly hard and sleeping for four hours.  See what happens if you study as you go and pay attention in class? Rock on! (you'll be reading that frequently - it's one of my infamous phrases; you'll also pick up some more cool lingo as you read - can't spoil it all at once!)

From my understanding, I'm supposed to base my blog entries upon being a student-athlete here at Guilford and focus on my endeavors on the tennis courts.  

Let's start off saying that I love the new courts. Blue and green is far superior to the older, cracked red and green we had before. Secondly, Guilford women's tennis is on the up-and-up.  The team has been participating in tournaments throughout this individual fall season, although I haven't been part of them until this weekend's individual ODAC tournament in Roanoke, Virginia (rain alternative at the indoor facilities of Washington & Lee, the Duchossois Tennis Center).  As a team, we're very excited!

To prepare, we're carbo-loading at Olive Garden! Soup, salad & breadsticks is my favorite.  Ask me what time we're leaving tomorrow.  I'd probably tell you 6:30 AM.  For some, this isn't exciting. However, I thrive when I go to bed mildly early and wake up early, getting things accomplished in the process.  When you feel well, you play well.  Naturally, the outfit affects how I feel.  I have my hair ribbon ready, am straightening my hair so I can braid my hair and recently bought a new Under Armour hat for the event!  

I'm sure I'll have more for you tomorrow evening, after we've played!  Stay tuned and you'll get a first-hand report from Roanoke, Virginia!

Rock on.