Sometimes I like being an athletic trainer (saturday steal)

A few weeks ago I headed off to Denver for an athletic training (not personal training!) conference and to see my lovely aunt and her family (Hi Aunt B! and Uncle D!)

The conference had a few really interesting presentations, like athletic training in professional rodeos, in depth low back evaluations, causes of sudden cardiac death, managing sickle cell trait and rhabdomyolysis, and lots more. (My degree covers a huge amount of really cool stuff. I forget how much I like it until I go to a conference.) The best part was definitely the workshop, a two hour workshop on proper hip biomechanics in running. Now I need another athletic trainer to watch me do the exercises and fix my running gait.
So what's the steal? Free stuff from the vendors! This year I came home with bright pink prewrap, a car first aid kit, a gatorade water bottle, free powerade, free USB from powerade, The Right Stuff NASA hydration, new MRSA killing cleaners and bandages, and a chance to try a new short wave diathermy machine (It's a therapy that creates deep heat by using rf waves. I had one happy back)

But the biggest steal came from a buddy of mine.
Row ten, lower levels, Spurs vs Nuggets. Free. A $100 ticket.

F-R-E-E.

It just so happens my buddy Mike covered a few scouting practices for Richard Jefferson's agent. He made a call or two and ended up with a couple tickets at will call, with no idea what kind of seats they would be. And since I was the only other one of our graduating class there, we went to check it out. The picture doesn't do it justice. I could actually see Tim Duncan trying to look innocent after a foul. It was awesome. Well, except that it was the Spurs. I hate the Spurs. An irrational amount. But I felt obligated to at least clap halfheartedly whenever Jefferson made a basket. I mean, he did get me a free ticket.

Quite the steal.