Week Four

So week four and practice was not, shall we say…the “best?” Ehhh, bound to happen right? Despite most of California being on fire, 40 plus players were present on Tuesday. We “walked” through some of the set pieces of rugby (the scrum, lineouts, etc) and I hope it was helpful to the rookies. Rugby is a complicated game with weird sounding names (God damn it…who the hell is the standoff and is he near the flyhalf?) Thursday saw even worse air quality and practice was cancelled. Several players made their way to Dominico’s for some pizza, beer and listening to Angelicas Tales of Lore.

Chris’ theme was “Bus Trip.” Those newer to the team will quickly learn that Chris’ thoughts are often as erratic as a Colorado Rockies pitcher, but “Bus Trip” remained a topic for at least an hour (interspersed with random jabs at new and old players alike). Pasadena has a love hate relationship with bus trips. Everyone loves the actual trip, the camaraderie, the Road House viewing…unfulfilled promises of Asian porn! Everyone hates the clean up and apologies to the driver.

I think it was Mark Frazier who originally brought the Patrick Swazy tour de force Road House on our trip to San Louis Obispo. Generally, the team would only take a bus once a year. We did not usually take a buss (that is for you Alistair) to Kern, San Diego or even to Vegas. The last few years, we have had the good fortune to be able to take a bus to SLO once during the preseason and two trips to San Diego during the season. Bus trips make for memorable stories.

My first bus trip I was “S” faced on the way home, thanks to a heavy handed bar tender and sang my own version of every rugby song known to man. They all ended with “SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS” screamed at the top of my lungs. Everyone hated me. Especially Jim Ciampa. He had broken his nose that game and, unfortunately, was sober.

Vomit seems to always play a role on bus trips. There has been stealth chucking (sneaking to the back of the bus when no one is looking.) There has been the coordinated parking lot boot, several players waiting to get off the bus then simultaneously Ralphing once on terra firma. There was even synchronized (left seat, right seat) tossing lunch into the isle last year. But my favorite bus story ahs to be the guy that brought his girlfriend. Wow. To be the only girl on a bus trip is a mistake that is only made once. The look of abject horror and utter disgust was priceless.

There have been other very memorable trips. The team once went to Europe (way back in the day), we have taken vans to Kern County and that trip taught us what a Bowl of Fruit was (I see two peaches and a banana!) Of all my time at Pasadena RFC, I will remember any time I spent time with my teammates laughing about old times, yesterday’s antics and giving the rookies a hard time…because that is what “old boys” did to me when I was a rookie. Next week, a story about a toilet.

Oops, Tanner