Fame

I am now famous through out all of Provo.

Let me explain.

During the BYU-Wagner Basketball game tonight, a very nice looking man (aka super attractive guy) came and sat by me. I attributed it to my beauty, naturally. I mean, who can resist a chick in a basketball jersey and jeans? So, his pick up line to me is, "Hey, would you like to shoot some hoops during halftime?" I'm thinking, wow, I really pulled off this whole "I am into sports hardcore" look tonight. He continues, "It's for the halftime show, and you can have the chance to win $100 from the BYU bookstore." So of course, I'm immediately in. Have you ever tried to buy books at the BYU bookstore and keep it under the price of a fairly beat up Geo?

Its not that easy being poor.

So I go for it.

I like to blame my desire to "shoot hoops" in front of hundreds of people on the fact that I needed money, but let's be honest. We all know Amanda is a bit of an attention hog and likes to embarrass herself any chance she gets. Actually I was super stoked and I thought it would be way fun. Hasn't everyone always had a secret desire to be the halftime entertainment?

So I meet my future eternal companion, I mean the announcer guy, down on the court five minutes before halftime. We will always tell our children that the Marriot Center is where we had our first hormonal revelation that we were to be together forever. (Props to Divine Comedy for naming this Provo phenomenon.) He asks my freshman comrades and I who wants to go first, and I immediately volunteer, because I was shaking like polaroid picture and seriously doubted my ability to handle a ball if I had to wait. tws2.

So I walk out to the middle of the key, and a booming voice echoes "Our first contestant, AMANDA MARTINEZ!" throughout the Marriot Center! I mean, I was standing where President Hinckley and Monson and Uchdorf and Eyering and Haight and who knows who else once stood! and Tabernari, but one time I waved to him from a car and he didn't wave back, so I think he might be kind of a jerk. But that’s judging, and that’s bad. Either way, he's not as cool as Hinckley. Regardless, they put 35 seconds on the clock, and instruct me to run across the court, do a layup, run to the other side, do another layup, and then run back and shoot a three pointer. I was on A team basketball in sixth grade, so I'm feeling pretty dang confident. Plus, my dad was good as basketball so obviously it follows that I am a natural. So I start dribbling. If I'm honest, the only sport (besides dance) that I have ever been truly successful in is running, so I didn't think that would be a problem. Turns out that running with a ball is way complicated, and it doesn't help when hundreds of people are boring their eyes into your soul. I tripped and kicked the ball into the hoop's stand dealio, and I run after it all hunched over like I'm Quasimodo or something. Awesome. After 5 shots, I made one in!! WOOHOO!! Nothin’ but net. Fer REALS. So I start running over to the other hoop, praying that I don't kick the ball again the whole way, and realize I have about 2 seconds left. I shoot.... and miss. But it wasn't an air ball, of which I am proud. I return to my seat, and being my upbeat, positive self, asked, "Wasn't that just so totally awesome?" and my friend Jeff said, "More like so totally awful!" haha. Actually it was slightly less witty than that but I spiced it up to make this blog more interesting.

MY 35 SECONDS OF FAME DIDN'T END THERE.

Anna, Stella (we will miss you in Romania, chica!) and I go to Carl's Jr. to eat, celebrate, and boy bash. (that last one wasn't really planned but it just kinda happened. I feel bad about it now, but chocolate-shake induced boy bashing is just so hard to see coming or resist.) An oldish man and three grandkids walk into the store. He turns, stares at us creepily, and then folds the outsides of his lips up.

I see a flash in his eye, (the jury is still out on whether it was a twinkle or hell-fire,) and he states, matter-of-factly:

"You need to work on your layups. Seriously."

HAHAhahahahahahahahahaha.

And that is how I became famous.