Rock Chalk for Life

I graduated from the University of Kansas in May of 2010. I was born and raised a die hard KU fan and couldn't imagine going anywhere else for college. It doesn't get any better than Jayhawk country, my friends. If you haven't experienced a basketball game in Allen Fieldhouse, you need to add it to your list of things to do before you die. Even though I've been there more times than I can count, attending games in that venue will remain on my Bucket List forever as something I will never be able to cross off. I can't get enough of it. 

Graduation 2010. Once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk.

The atmosphere is roaring and haunting with history and tradition. The pre-game videos give me chills, and I find myself embarrassingly smiling and entranced while I'm watching. But I don't care if people see me gushing - I look around and rarely see people who don't share the same emotion that I do. This is the place where basketball and basketball fans were born. 


My Mom told me the story of when I was born and I use it in conversation almost too proudly too often. So, here it is, long story short: April 4, 1988. My Mom and Dad watched KU defeat Oklahoma 83-79 in the NCAA Championship game, with Danny Manning leading the team to victory. The game was over, and my Mom was ready to have me. 8 AM the next morning, April 5 (also my great grandmother Mimi's birthday) I was born. 


My parents didn't know if I was going to be a boy or a girl. Fresh off the NCAA win, my Dad was clearly still on a high and wanted to name me after Danny Manning. Daniel (Danny) if I was a boy or Danielle (Dani) if I was a girl. My Mom vetoed and here I am, a Traci. In my mind though, I always knew I was a Jayhawk baby. I still came home representing my team wearing my KU onesie. It was then and there that my Kansas love began. 

We could have changed into "going out attire", but true fans represent into the night.

Russ Rob - one of my all time favorites.

Cheering on our Hawks from Dallas.

20 years later in 2008 my beloved Jayhawks did it again. They captured the Title in one of the most memorable games I've ever nearly died of a heart-attack watching. My intensity during these basketball games I would say is unexplainable, but I know my fellow fans live and die with these games like me. I'm not a religious person, but boy was a I praying during that game. These title games are always right around my birthday and this had to have been one of the best birthday wishes I've ever had granted (yes I take all credit for that win...just kidding). 

On Mass Street after we won in '08!

Mario's Miracle shot will remained engraved in all of our memories until the day we die. Now, every three-point shot Mario takes in the NBA is reminiscent of that single shot that made Jayhawk history. I am most definitely not a Heat fan, but I can't help to cheer on one of KU's greats. 

Mass Street at its best.

Our team almost did it again this year as we made it to the Championship game and played against the top-dog team, Kentucky. We stayed right with them until the end, and although we didn't come out on top, I couldn't be more proud of our team. This team we had this year had the most fight and drive through the season. FOE (Family Over Everything) has become a team motto through Thomas Robinson's heartbreaking family tragedies and it's what we all feel when we connect to these players we don't even know. It's this unspoken bond and attachment we feel that only Jayhawk blood can understand. It's a KU thing.

2012 Final Four Game

On to the Ship! Mass Street was in full force once again.

All rivalries aside, I am not saying that KU is THE best at everything or even THE best at basketball (even though they are sometimes). I am just saying there's no place, no team, no atmosphere, no heart like KU's. And it all comes together in what can only be explained as awe-inspiring in a place called Allen Fieldhouse. Take it from these guys:


"Saturday night was another reminder that Phog Allen, not Cameron, is the best, loudest and most intimidating basketball arena in the country. The alma mater sound, the Rock Chalk Jayhawk chant, the swaying of the crowd, and the deafening noise at times, make The Phog a true treasure in the sport."
—Andy Katz, ESPN reporter


"I thought the atmosphere was unbelievable. I've been here before, but it's just such an unbelievable place. It has such character. I can't say I've ever been in a better arena."
—Jay Bilas, ESPN announcer


"I tell everybody there's not a place around—I know Chapel Hill, Pauley Pavilion, Cameron, you name it. They are pretty special, but there's nothing like this. All the guys who scout, I always tell them, 'You'll never have an experience like Allen Fieldhouse.' This is how a college fieldhouse is supposed to be."
—Larry Brown, former KU, UNC, UCLA, and NBA coach and Hall of Famer


"Best arena: Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas. Do you really have to ask? Few sports venues anywhere can match the tradition of Allen Fieldhouse."
—Jim Caple, ESPN, Journey to the Heart of Hoop


KU is my family. I will be waving the wheat, connecting to the strangers around me while singing the Alma Mater, cheering "Rock Chalk Jayhawk", crying when our Seniors leave, putting them in my bracket as the team taking home the Title every year even if they're the Number 16 seed (which isn't likely), and rooting for them no matter what. You non-believers (aka rivals and other school alum/fans) may not understand this insane fandom I have for my team and school, and that's OK. We just may not get along sometimes.

BFF and fellow die hard fan.

Going Home

I was fortunate to get to enjoy Father's Day weekend in good ole Topeka and spend time with my family (sans my older brother, Adam - lucky guy is traveling the country opening restaurants). I am reminded every time I head to town the reason I moved away from there in the first place. However, I think this was the first time in a while I didn't completely dread pulling off the interstate into my hometown...

Might have been the combination that I hadn't spent much time with my family in a while and that I was going to get together with some high school friends to say goodbye to our friend, Matt who is getting deployed to Afghanistan in two weeks. Or it could have been the fact that I was about to indulge in my favorite Topeka restaurants that I had been missing for quite some time (both Mexican might I add). 

In any case, my pup and I made it to town Friday evening and were ready to settle in for the weekend. 

Barrett, me, Allie (my parent's dog) and the impostor - Ryan, my little brother.

Saturday was a trip down memory lane with my high school friends (who I am still so close to) as we met up at our favorite lunch spot - Taco Villa (only the best!). I'm not sure we know what it is about this place, but we seem to always sit there for a really long time...could be the people watching, chatting/reminiscing and ordering more food perhaps. After successfully stuffing our faces with delicious Mexican food, we ventured over to Matt's house for a quality pool party, which was overtaken by our dogs, of course. 

Our day ended sitting in Matt's driveway with a fire pit and good company. 

I spent Sunday with my parents - running errands and getting a pedicure with my step-mom and chatting and watching golf with my Dad while he was smoking a tenderloin for dinner. While waiting for dinner to be ready, I took another trip back in time by flipping through some very old photo albums. My hatred for Topeka moved down the scale just a little while I was sitting in that chair smiling and laughing at old pictures. I decided to capture some of my favorite moments back in the day in dedication to my father. If he ever reads my blog I hope he makes it to this post and sees this and takes away this final thought: I have always been striving to make my parents proud, especially my dad. Even though I am still trying to figure out what I want to be "when I grow up" I know that through his sarcasm and annoyingly logical advice, he is always there for me and ready to say "I told you so" only after he consoles me in the hard times. I'm working on a way to one day prove him wrong that I can or can't do something, but in the meantime - thank you, Dad, for guiding me through this growing up process.

Bundled up at my brother's soccer game. I was such a dedicated sister.

Adam (my older brother), Dad and me. We sure were an attractive bunch.

Our semi-failed attempt at doing family pictures ourselves.

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's - Dancing with my Daddy (on his knees)

Dad and his socks. Side story: Dad always asks for socks for his birthday and Christmas. So, my cousin took it up a notch and got him some great toe-socks for Christmas. Don't know if I've seen socks on his wish list since...

BUCKet List Item #1

Well here I am...

My first blog and the first thing I can check off my Never Ending BUCKet List. In case you're wondering why I capitalize "BUCK" in "BUCKet" it's simply a play off my last name: Clatterbuck. Never been too proud to state my name aloud to folks. Why you ask? Possibly because of the "Never ending" list of nicknames that comes with it or the many times I have to repeat how to spell it. You'd be surprised (or maybe not) how many people butcher it in writing and verbally. However, the older I get, the more I appreciate it and where it came from. I am slightly going to miss it the day I get married (should a man ever be so lucky). Nevertheless, it has helped me build character and in a roundabout way defines who I want to be.



Me & Barrett - the main man in my life (back in his cute puppy days)


I'm a natural-born list-maker. Ever since I remember, I was writing down all my "to-dos" and "to downloads" and "to make my boyfriends" (Yes I kept my elementary crushes organized and ranked in my heart-shaped notebooks back in the day). It's only natural that I have come to this stage in my life as a 20-something gal with many things on her "to-do" list in life. Seeing as I am quite the procrastinator, I have yet to accomplish many of them.

Which leads me to now...starting something new...starting a Bucket List. Now, I don't foresee me going skydiving and climbing the pyramids to keep up with creating new posts every week, but my plan is to do what most people do with blogs: share. Share ideas. Share my plans. Share some news. I am such an indecisive person who has trouble connecting her thoughts in writing, so bear with me. We'll see how this all pans out. Maybe putting my potential plans and aspirations out there in the public will motivate me to actually do something to accomplish them.

So, with that, let's start conquering my life to-dos and that never ending bucket list looming over my conscience, shall we?