What now?

I can’t imagine driving off 100 miles per hour into the side of a building would be very much fun, but it’s how I felt last week.
This sports guy went from the fast-paced lifestyle of fall sports, a different community visited each day with an *insert sport here* assignment on any given night to seemingly locked away at home for an entire week with nothing more to do than make sure the leaves are picked up and the bed is made.
Woof.
Given an opportunity to get away from the sidelines for an entire week, I’ve learned quite a bit about “normal” life for myself and others.
For example, did you know they televised football games during the week? Crazy, right? I usually only make a dent in my couch over the weekends for that kind of entertainment.
I sat down Thursday night and became completely enthralled in multiple games at once, from Texas Tech holding off TCU to Duke coming from behind to defeat Wake Forest and even Troy rolling past South Alabama. 
Hey, football is football. Who cares who the teams are. I could watch a Div. III game with a shaky streaming signal if I have a bit of free time. 
Coincidentally, I have plenty right now. 
I also discovered there’s a cute, pleasant woman and awnry dog staying at the residence I normally show up to long enough to eat, shower and sleep. 
She seems pretty okay. I like having her around. The dog is sort of annoying, begging for chicken and other meat scraps. I can see myself hanging around this girl.
The World Series also played out last week with the Texas Rangers hoisting the trophy for the first time in franchise history. 
Sure seemed like, if I listened closely, I could hear Aurora music teacher Jason Frew’s celebration. Fun to see someone new in the winner’s circle.
Friday night was a whole new experience, though. Since I’ve been here (2015 for those counting at home), Aurora’s football team has only been bounced from the opening round of the playoffs one time. 
However, during that 2017 season, the Giltner football team surivived an extra week. In other years, we’ve had good representation at state volleyball, too.
So, this was easily the earliest the Aurora News-Register’s sports department was eliminated from the fall season.
It was one heck of a run.
What could I possibly do to pass the time on a free Friday night? Everyone remembers the cute woman from earlier? 
This sports guy traded in his playoff look for a big date night, with almost no sports to be seen.
Except for the Nebraska volleyball game on the tube. Anyone else have trouble breathing during that fifth set?
We won’t get into what happened on Saturday, that’s for another time with proper refreshment. 
If you need me over the coming weeks, I’ll be watching some random college football game and getting into the books for our area winter sports teams.
Surely by the end of this week, that cute woman at home will want me on the basketball and wrestling sideline. Such is life.
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.