Got Jazzed

Okay, so if you think you're the biggest Jazz fan that ever walked the face of the planet you haven't met my Grandma. She watches every game and knows the ins and outs of every single player on the team. She is elated when they win and devastated when they lose. She strategizes about plays and probably would have a thing or two to say to Mr. Sloan and the rest of the players if they aren't living up to the bargain of winning. Grandma has been fighting cancer and congenitive heart failure and has been declining steadily over the past year. On a recent visit with her she was talking Jazz with Todd and said, "I just don't know what I'll do when the season is over--I will have to find something else to occupy my time!" It's with this comment, the fact that her birthday was coming up, and the fact that she will shortly be leaving this life that I decided to take her to a Jazz game.

I told her of our plan to take her to a Jazz game on a recent birthday celebration. She squealed and threw her hands to her head exclaiming, "Oh! I never thought I'd get to go to another game! I'm so excited!" Over the next few weeks she proceeded to tell everyone whom she came in contact with that she would be going to a Jazz game. I started the quest to find tickets. Oh boy. I didn't know how difficult it would be. I called the ticket office and they only had 2 wheelchair-accessible options for the rest of the season: Option 1: close up and by herself or Option 2: the very top row. Grandma is legally blind and she would rather sit home and watch it on tv than to sit by herself. So, I petitioned to everyone I knew who might have access to tickets. I called the Jazz headquarters, telling everyone who would listen to my story to see if any other tickets might be available. I talked with friends, family and I even put an ad on KSL pleading for someone to be generous and settle for less than they were asking. When I found myself panicking, I inevitably had a calm come over me and I knew something would come through. My prayers would not go unnoticed.

To make a long story short, my brother did come through. Thanks D. He works for Xango and not only did he get the Xango suite, but he was able to get it for the sold-out Phoenix game that I had wanted to take her to. In her own words, "Phoenix is my Alma-mater! (she's from AZ). She had been checked into a care facility only days prior because of some falls she has had, but her ONE worry was that she wouldn't be able to go to the Jazz game. Luckily the facility okayed her being checked out. So I went to pick her up Saturday, arriving earlier than I had arranged with her. I found her waiting on the front couch, purse in hand, adorning her Jazz T-shirt and as giddy as a 3-year old with a popsicle.

Kudos to the Energy Solutions Arena staff who met us curbside with a wheelchair, took Grandma to the suite and after the game was over, waited outside in the freezing cold to help her into the car. We were VIPs for one night. The seats were AWESOME, she could see everything and we had all the guaco-dip, Swedish Fish, Apple Pie a la mode, and Xango juice (to name just a few) our bellies could handle. Grandma said, "This can be my funeral--this is all I need!" I kept worrying about her ability to see everything and she said the figures were blurry but that she knew the players well enough to know who they were. We saw Shaq in real life and yes, he really IS that big!

Though the Jazz were up by 21 at half and we thought the game was in the bag, Grandma almost left disappointed as Phoenix came back to take the lead in the second half. I literally saw her biting her nails as they went into overtime. Luckily they pulled off the win and I dare say they did it for the little old lady with the big grin in the Xango suite.

Thanks again, Dainon, for having the clout at work and making this possible and thanks Grandma for sticking around long enough for me to see you enjoy another Jazz game.