things i think about while powerwashing 71

Hi all!

Yes, I forgot to write powerwashing this week so we're getting it on a Sunday. At least we're getting it at all!

It's been a wild week — especially considering how the previous one ended and how this one started. As some of you are aware, the 2024 Men's NCAA basketball national championship is now over.

And I was there to witness it.

After watching Purdue handily beat their Final Four opponent NC State, I had a wild thought — what if I went to the national championship. What if, I went to Arizona. I turned to esteemed subscriber Aashir Aumir. Before I could even ask a question, I got a call from esteemed subscriber Caleb Balisican. He only had one question:

Do we do it?

Within 15 minutes, we had bought the tickets. A few hours later, I had the boarding pass on my phone. And less than 24 hours later, I was in Phoenix, AZ.

Rental car. Backpack. AirBnb. Dinner. The night before the game flew by. My eyes were glued to my laptop screen, reading comments on how Edey could beat Clingan, how Edey would lead Purdue in the charge against UConn, and take them down. I gave a long glance at esteemed subscriber Ellie Wang's March Madness bracket picking UConn over Purdue, wondering if I should say anything in the newsletter the following week given Purdue's imminent victory.

Well, Purdue didn't win. But I still said it.

The day of the game came. We went for some breakfast, got some t-shirts, caught up on some work, then got Caleb and headed straight for the arena. The atmosphere was insane. Purdue fans everywhere screaming BOILER UP, our student section chocked full of young Boilermakers forgetting for a moment that they had an exam coming up, ready to cheer raucously for our first national championship appearance in almost 60 years.

Purdue had broken and dismantled all the teams it had faced thus far in the tournament, but if Purdue was a hammer that broke through walls, we were nothing to the buzzsaw that was UConn. They played a flowing offense — guards swam through defenders, weaving like fish swimming from rock to rock in a stream, only to turn abruptly, catch, and shoot a well-timed ball passed from the guard. Poor Zach, held hostage by the static offense that he facilitated, could only watch the fish swim by like a grizzly bear staring through the ice in early spring. They got what they wanted, and there was nothing Purdue could do to stop them.

The cheers around us quickly turned quiet, with the UConn cheers growing louder and louder. All that winning, all that domination from Zach Edey, all those awards and point leaders and rankings. They all fell to the generational offense put together by the screaming and wandering Dan Hurley. Me, Caleb and Aashir with horror, then sadness as the point differential grew and the grounds crew starting pulling out the platform for the trophy ceremony. Then the blue confetti fell. And we sat there in our nosebleed seats, taking it all in.

The blue lights shone bright in our eyes, with Boilermakers pulling their hats over their eyes as they made for the exits. We sat there as Ernie Johnson gave his condolences to our season. "Don't discount this historic Purdue team," he said, to which many Purdue fans cheered. And I think that's where I'm at. It was a hell of a season. The team was lead by our Goliath, Zach Edey, through which all the offense was run. We hit the rank 1 in the AP poll multiple times in the year. It was over, and that was ok, because it was a great year.

Drunk and understandably ecstatic UConn fans walked by us, with two thumbs down screaming BOILER DOWN. I nodded and waved. Not gonna lie, it hurt a little in the moment. We just had a championship not snatched, but grabbed then kicked while we were down, from us by a generation college basketball team. So yeah that kinda sucked.

But I was there. I was there at Purdue's first national championship appearance in this century. Is this massive cope? Yes. But I had fun. And I can't wait to root for them next year.

anonymous subscriber news

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• anonymous subscriber is reading All the Light we Cannot See
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top 3 tunez: jennifer wang

This week, esteemed subscriber Jennifer Wang comes to us with a great range of songs with some great descriptions. Love "cinematic mood!" Go get that main character energy!!!

• derniere danse - indila - mystical french song that puts you in a cinematic mood
• shackles - steven rodriguez - regardless of the romantic context, it’s got a groovy beat that makes you want to get up and dance
• great time to be human - jagwar twin - plot-based lyrics with an ironic tone. love the sing-along vibes and the whimsical light heartedness contrasted with a heavier beat and theme

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animal of the week

This week's animal of the week is presented by Emi Chan! I am fortunately acquainted with one such cat. Super friendly, all barriers are down just for food. No sense of danger, just gambling on the off chance for a treat or a nibble of a burrito. Remember to send in your pet of the week to ryan @ torrtle. co!!!!