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Tonight I indulged in one of my favorite guilty pleasures that very few people who know me know about - professional bull riding. I started watching during a time when I was home-bound and bored, having a hard time dealing with my broken bones on top of my COPD. My favorite at this time is Guilherme Marchi, a Brazilian rider who won last year's top spot in the world championship. I would like to see him be the first to win 2 in a row.
It all started innocently enough. I was so bored with television. I spent all of my time at home after I broke my right shoulder and left hip. It was impossible for me to get out except for infrequent vistits to the doctors so I was at the mercy of people who would visit me and the television for entertainment. Ha! I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, and finding something that held my interest for an hour was really a challenge. I watched the PBR and it made my heart beat faster. At first, I was thrilled with the prospect of a wreck. Those were awful and I was so impressed with how they came back so soon after devastating injuries. I continued watching it and I began rooting for particular cowboys that sparked my interest. Eventually, I learned what it was all about and began to admire the cowboys for their ability. They really are athletes!
This has all led me to watching Dancing With the Stars because Ty Murray, a bull riding hero, is competing. I voted for him 13 times by cell phone in the first 2 weeks! You have to understand, I don't EVER do this for ANYONE on ANY TV show.
So what started as a diversion, has turned into an obsession and a very happy guilty pleasure! I watch every week and follow the riders from week to week to see how they are doing. Don't tell anyone, but if someone calls me during a show, I ignore it!