5WF: The Mid-Life Crisis Edition

Time marches on for all of us, and E and Whiskey threw me the keys for my first 5WF at a very interesting time. The big 4-0 approaches this summer and so I bring you 5WF - The Mid-Life Crisis Edition.

You know the drill. I ask, I answer, you tell me how ridiculously wrong I am and provide your own perspective...

1. Spring football, done. NFL draft, done. Fall camp, months away. How do you fill this time in the sporting calendar?

Baseball is a bit of a snooze-fest, so other than using a Durham Bulls game as a beer drinking event, pass. There's some game they occasionally play on ice with a puck when they're not striking or locked out, but I've never been able to get in to it. That leaves me with the multi-month journey of the NBA playoffs. These conference semi's seem to be some of the best in years. Different story lines all over the place, the league's best players stepping up, etc... I could watch Durant play all day long.

2. Any talk about modifying the hallowed ground of Rockne Memorial Stadium is typically accompanied by an uproarious amount of whaling and gnashing of the teeth. It is also a time to look back on your favorite memories from ND home games. What is yours? Will you be making any new memories this season?

November 22, 1993. Smoked a victory cigar somewhere around the 25 yd line on the north end of the stadium. Thank you for knocking down that pass Shawn Wooden.

Sadly, I don't have tickets or plans to get up north this fall, but that can always change!

3. As I'm about to become a "man of a certain age," I've been considering a new ride. What would be your perfect ridiculous mid-life car purchase?

This is a tough one. I grew up with a poster of the 959 in my room as a kid and I have a clear fondness for German automotive engineering. However, if I'm going to do something ridiculously impulsive, I have to go Italian for that. I'm going to say 458 Spider for the wind in my (thinning) hair.

4. I'm also thinking it may be a perfect time to pick up an instrument to woo the ladies. Are you musical, if so, what do you play?

The Good Lord blessed me with absolutely no detectable musical talent. I've tried piano a few times and enjoy it, but my best bet for musical prowess is trying to beat my kids at Band Hero.

(and if you're reading this, Dear, you're the only lady I'm trying to woo)

5. I'm also thinking I may need to try some insane adrenaline/action sport to prove I'm still young at heart. If you could try one of these action sports, what would it be?

I tried skydiving in my early 20's at a place in Paw Paw, Michigan, a little over an hour from Notre Dame. I did the static line solo jump from 4,500 ft. It was cool, and my buddy and I were all set to keep going so we could get free-fall certified, but the following spring was so wet, they never opened the grass runways at the skydiving place, so it was a one-time thing. Damn you South Bend weather!

It is far from extreme, but I also managed to ride my daughter's Razor Ripstik the other night. If you haven't seen one of these, picture a skateboard that pivots in the middle and instead of 4 wheels on trucks, it has 2 wheels on casters. It was one of those silly moments where my wife said there was no way I was going to be able to ride that thing, and I was determined to show I'm not all that old yet. My daughter was so impressed, she recorded it as proof.

What about you, kite surfing? bungee? one of those crazy flight suits?