My Lucky Shirt

It is absolutely true, I have a lucky shirt.

It is a solid black 3 button collared polo, with white trim on the collar and a Texas Tech double-T emblem embroidered on the left pocket area.  It is a 2X, which is way too big for me so it kinda hangs off of me if I don't tuck it WAY in, but it still has a prized place in my closet.

Why a 2X?  You see, I bought it from Campus Design at 98th and Quaker in 2008.  It was just after the famed 39-33 win over the hated #1 Longhorn football team, so Tech merchandise was hard to come by.  I was to attend the next game against a WAY overrated and over-whiny OSU team with my friend, Ryan Butler.  It was to be a black-out game, and I did not have a black Tech shirt....so off I went to find one.  The only one I could find was this 2X, and there was no way I'd attend the game out of uniform!!  So I bought it.  We won handily 56-20 to improve to 10-0.  What a fantastic year, could have ended better, but I had found my lucky shirt, clearly.

I've worn it since then, on occasion, and it has always brought me good luck.  I wore it on our recent Alaskan cruise, and promply hit the bingo blackout game, winning about $1,200.  I wore it during a visit to the United Spirit Arena this year to watch our struggling basketball team, 0-3 at the time, win their first conference game against the quitter-Nebraska 'Huskers (good riddance).  I wore it during a recent outing with my boys to see the Monster Truck Rally, and we had a fantastic evening, even found a close-up parking spot.  I've worn it other various and sundry times as well, and I can never recall anything short of a good day while wearing it.

I wore it again this past Monday.  It was the day of our Captain's promotional examination, a test I had been studying long and hard for.  I had sacrificed time with my family and co-workers, as well as this blog, all in the name of trying to promote.  I had put in the reading, study, toil, note-taking, sweat, long nights, weekends, and stress upon stress to prepare for this test.  I felt like my lucky shirt would be just the thing to wear that day.

Guess it worked.  I was fortunate to take a good exam and place #1 with a 98 score.

Other friends of mine also took the exam and did very well, everyone should be proud of their performances and I hope my friends also get to promote....it looks that way, anyway.

However, they were just no match for the lucky shirt that day.  It's power and influence is well-documented and known.  It's sway is like no other.  It is real.

So if you see me sporting my lucky shirt, just take note.....it is going to be a good day, well, at least for me it will be.

All kidding aside, it looks like I will be promoted around the 24th of June.  No word on where I will land, but as my good friend Greg Stevens has told me, there are no bad Captain's spots.  I owe a debt of gratitude to my wife and family....I relied heavily on you to carry the load while I prepared.  Thank you, especially Denise, for your love and support.

Oh, and you too, lucky shirt......