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Denial

5:30 pm 3/21 - On my way to the gym last night I called my husband to coordinate our evening plans, and he said something strange to me. It sounded like “Adam Vinatieri has signed with the Colts”.  What?  I immediately dismissed it.  He couldn’t just have said what he said.  He was wrong.

Continued State of Denial

6:30 pm 3/21 - At the gym, I found my husband by the pool, we sat to talk about our day for a few moments. Then I vaguely recalled something he said to me on the phone on my way to the gym. “Did you say that Adam Vinatieri has left the Patriots and signed with the Colts?”

SHOCK

10:00 pm 3/21 - Watching FOX news at 10:00 pm. The announcement from the sportscaster headlining the news, “You are not going to believe this, Adam Vinatieri has left the Patriots and you are not going to believe who he has signed with!”

Continued Shock and Denial

11:00 pm 3/21 - Went to bed.

Continued Shock and a bit of Anger Starting to Brew

6:00 am 3/22 - Put on the morning news and hear it again. See it scrolling across the bottom of the tv in writing.

FULL-FLEDGED ANGER and RAGE

7:20 am 3/22 - Call my brother Nick to get his take on the matter?  What followed is a 5 minute rant where we both got it off our chests.  I thought that helped and I was a little better.  I was wrong.

Continued ANGER, however sliping back to the SHOCK stage - Speechlessness sets in

8:00 am 3/22 - Get my coffee at the Bagel Shop down the street from work.  Inside the owners/operators are discussing the matter.  I can’t speak, I’m completely flabbergasted and fumbling over my words.  I grumble something to the effect “I can’t even talk about it” and storm out to my Car.

Back to ANGER

8:15 am 3/22 - Get into my office and pass Colleen’s (a friend and colleague) desk who asks me how I’m doing? I respond “I’m Angry”.  I proceed to tell her the source of my Anger. Jon G. (another colleague) chimes in “It’s the way of the world now, things are a-changin”.  Head into my office and turn on my computer, look up at my Patriot’s bobblehead doll and turn it upside-down on it’s head in protest.  Am momentarily pleased that it can stand on it’s head and not topple over.

Depression

10:00 am 3/22 - Still can’t face email from friends and family talking about it.  Decide to put of reading email until I can handle it.  I’m getting nauseous and there is a bile taste in my mouth.  I think I could actually be sick.

Bargaining

1:00 pm 3/22 - Maybe I’ll will check my email and there be news that there was an error?  I think I’ll check in on Boston.com and see if there has been a change and the Patriot’s have countered the Colts offer?  Maybe there is a way to not let this happen? “Please God Please?” 

Sad to find that none of my hopes were realized.  After checking email from friends and family, it helped to know that I was not the only one feeling sick. 

A quote my friend Chris found published in an article on the Boston Herald today:

“Bill Parcells once said that losing felt like throwing up in your mouth. He was talking about games, but you can extend the analogy to what Patriots fans have felt like this free agency season.
And last night, millions of people throughout New England felt like projectile vomiting. “

A quote from an email I received from my friend Margaret:

are you F*%$#&^*  kidding me????  WHAT ARE THEY THINKING??? !!!  

Someone, PLEASE, tell me the logic of that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  I can’t believe this is true!!  Is this early April fools?
 

It helps to know I’M NOT ALONE and I feel bad that my friend Margaret has just found out and is only at the Denial phase.

Acceptance
   IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!!!!