Hey, those are my shorts!

When I was 9 (same time that I was starring in those Donut Hole productions I told you about...) I participated in a basketball clinic put on the UCSB women's basketball team. (Ok, done laughing? Let us go on...) Not only did I participate in these clinics for a few years, but I also worshipped the ground the players walked on and went to every single home game they played. Sometimes alone. (I know, seriously, what were my parents thinking?)

So anyway, my last year to participate in Lil' Gauchos, my parents bought me a pair of high quality, Champion-brand, UCSB Gauchos basketball shorts. For some odd reason I chose an entirely too conspicuous royal blue in what seems to be a Men's XL. That's how they fit me anyway. Since the age of 9, I have worn these shorts faithfully. Due to their size and lack of chic-ness, I have spent most of the last 13 years sleeping in them, but oh what a delightful pair of shorts they are. I have few material possessions that really matter to me, but this pair of shorts is among the few.

So you can imagine the degree of devastation I experienced when these shorts disappeared my first or second week in Natal. They traveled with me to Natal once last year, so maybe they just liked the city so much they decided to venture out on their own for a little vacation. We had no idea what happened to them, and the only logical explanation I could come up with was that they flew out the window, literally, while line drying in Roberto and Marisa's apartment. I was almost sick, Roberto and Marisa felt bad, but assured me they were sure the shorts would turn up eventually.

So flash forward to this past Monday when we were at the Braga's apartment helping them move. Roberto went back to the bathroom to change into moving clothes while I was sitting on the floor eating lunch. He came out wearing a pair of entirely too conspicuous royal blue basketball shorts and passed right in front of me. I would have thought nothing of it had I not seen the yellow "UCSB Gauchos" logo printed right in front of my face.

"Hey!" I yelped. "Those are my shorts!" "Huh?" he looked at me with a confused look, probably because I was yelling in English out of nowhere. "My shorts!" I switched to Portuguese, "that flew away!!" He looked down, then looked back up, "Seriously???"

Now you need to understand one thing. Roberto is a big guy. I, however, am not. So it's understandable that when they looked for my shorts, they didn't really think to look among Roberto's clothes. And when he put them on, it's understandable that they fit, because they're HUGE. But that's exactly what makes them so delightful.

So the sad, sad story has a happy ending. My shorts had been taken good care of and have now found their way to their new home. I have a feeling I'll be getting much better sleep now that things are right again in the pajama world...