A turbulent situation from which it is hard to escape.

A rapidly rotating mass of water in a river or sea into which objects may be drawn, typically caused by the meeting of conflicting currents.

A magnetic, impelling force into which one may be pulled.

See also: vortex, maelstrom.

Yup.

I left my house last Sunday morning at a ridiculous hour. The things we do for our clubs.

I didn’t take a headcount, but I’d guess somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty TA and associates made the hour-long trek into the coastal Cascades to meet up for the ritual Eating of the Cinnamon Rolls and Blessing of the Victory Log. We sang, we danced (as much as we could without tumbling down the stone steps at Camp18), we licked beer from a log. Well, I didn’t. But others did.

And it was good to be back among family. This offseason has been dark and cold and painful. This was the first step, for me anyway, toward getting back into regular season form.

And then Monday dawned and I hadn’t even had my first cup of coffee before we’d traded away Eric Alexander and that little black cloud that’s been following me around reappeared.

I’m told I get too attached to the players. I’m told this a lot. There’s really no need to keep telling me. I know. And I know it’s a business and business decisions are made in order to create a stronger team. And we’ll all be happier when we get to watch a stronger team.

Yeah. Okay.

But I hope I never reach the point when trading my favorite players doesn’t hurt. Brunner and Smith, Boyd and Alexander, (don’t judge) that little hobbit Fucito. I was looking forward to seeing them all back in ponderosa green this season but it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll get over it, but it’s been a lot of change in a short period of time and anyone who knows me can tell you that I don’t adjust to change as quickly as most people.

But here we are. It’s the night before our return to Jeld-Wen. Our home, our cathedral. It’s TA Christmas.

You know it is.

People are talking about how they’re going to have a hard time sleeping tonight knowing that we’ll all be back at the field tomorrow. For a week, my Twitter and Facebook timelines have been full of daily (and, at some points, hourly) photos of Jeld-Wen in all her glory.

We’re ready. Let’s do this.

Once more into that swirling, churning mass of green and gold we call the North End.

Once more into a sea of possibility, an ocean of hope. Once more into the arms of our brethren, our TA family. Once more.

Once more, after a tumultuous offseason, following on the heels of a craptastic regular season, once more.

Once more we gather.

Once more we find a way to believe beyond reason.

We’re gonna win the league.