Dana vs. Mary-- the Messick Sister Smackdown

When home in Columbus a few weeks ago, my grandmother told her favorite story about when I was two years old at Easter, and Mary (4 years old at the time) had some plastic bunny. Apparently I sat in my high chair in the kitchen looking sad and announced, "Mary has a bunny. I don't have a bunny."

Whether plastic bunnies or GPAs, 1983 or 2007, big sister and I have always been on the competitive side...er, make that in total, constant warfare trying to beat each other (keep in mind this is coming from the always 2nd place younger sister, so I could also be creating the competition in my head). She was always the smart one in the family and I distinctly remember they day her SAT scores came in the mail...she shrieked and called mom and dad after seeing a perfect "1600" in the envelope, while I promptly retreated to my room and cried for two hours. Did I mention she also won a state tennis championship that year?

The Mary vs. Dana drama is getting played out on a bigger stage tonight (7pm, the deuce) as her alma mater (Rice University) takes on my Tar Heels in the NCAA baseball tournament-- winner goes to the championship and loser goes home! Of course papa Messick had to fuel the competitive fires over email this morning, and made sure to let us know they'd be watching at Gram and Granddads (alas, cable has yet to arrive in the Messick household). I'm taking small pleasures in the fact that Mary had to wear a Carolina blue bridesmaid dress for our wedding. Mwa ha ha ha! Fire up Tar Heels!