Bell Crack
I’ve been to about 10 Ultimate tournaments in the past year, but other than Wildwood on the beach, I don’t know when I last traveled and stayed over night at a tournament I played. It felt odd at first to be at Bell Crack in PA. There were new faces and new names to learn. The setting felt familiar and yet I felt somehow out of place. It wasn’t one or two new names and faces either. It was more like 20. I’d picked up a few names at try-outs, but for the most part I am still learning.
On Saturday, we played like a team of strangers. There were a few moments where the team worked together, but a lot of moments where we looked lost and confused. Our results would reflect our struggle. We lost all three games and none were particularly close. Each contained pretty significant lapses where we fell behind. In two games, we were beaten by a star and a reasonable supporting cast. Individually we matched up pretty well, but overall we were failing. There is much room to grow.
The cup of our zone forced a floaty throwaway in one game that led to an easy Callahan. I was in the right place to make that score. The sidelines enjoyed it immensely. I handled a bit and was frustrated by two throwaways one to a popper in the cup that just seemed to be about confusion over the open space and one through the cup that was all about letting a backhand sail too high to a cross field handler. My favorite point on Saturday was also my most exhausting. One of my new teammates also played on a Rec league team I captained some time ago. I know he likes to huck. He knows I like to run. It works out well, sometimes. His first put in the zone was perfect, except that a speedy deep defender had more speed than we realized. By the time I knew that the defender was coming, I couldn’t adjust and we were back on defense. The second put was down the line, shorter, maybe 20-30 yards, but it didn’t come in bounds. It hovered a few feet out. I toed the line, laid out and tried to tap it over my shoulder on a greatest attempt. It wasn’t my greatest greatest attempt, I admit. Finally, we connected on a deep shot almost like the first one. This time the deep defender didn’t get there in time. I was fortunate that between at least one of these points, my opponent chose not to do much running because I was breathing heavily and trying to recover.
I think my experience with Andy from Rec league was helpful, because it allowed others to see me as a deep threat. I had a fair amount of success on the in-cuts as well and I felt like I was able to play some pretty good D, although I think my mark was lacking somewhat. Karpo called me “grease” for any offensive line, which was a nice compliment. I had a few more throwaways, maybe 6 in all, and I was D’d once on an in cut. That’s far too many turnovers, but I’m a little rusty. I feel like I’m not moving as well with the disc as I used to and I also thought that defenders were more likely to take away the lane. I need to work on exploiting that with break looks or dump movement. I did get off one huck that I was pretty pleased with, but it floated just a little too long and got knocked down.
On Day 2, I feel like my highs were higher and my lows were lower. I bid multiple times on Sunday on defense. On one I connected, but the disc spun up into the air and my receiver came down with it. Vowing to catch the next one, I all but had my hand around it and yet somehow the receiver still came up with it. I’ll have to work out those kinks.
My hamstrings were really sore all weekend, but especially on Sunday. My concern over my recurring psoas injury was also increasing. I had a sweet grab early on a disc trailing away from me. I grabbed the trailing edge and then turned and threw (a really shaky throw) for the score. I called a foul, but I’m not sure it was much of a foul. The defender laid out in front of me and hit my hand just a bit. I think I was startled as much as anything.
In the same point that my D failed, my offense left me too. Chasing down a floaty huck, I jumped too early once, recovered, and as I jumped a second time a woman from the other team flashed past. I took my eye off the disc and it bounced off my hands.
Obviously, I still have some work to do to get back up to game speed. I did catch our only game winner though. After a turn, I sprinted toward the end zone figuring Andy would put it. He hadn’t reached the disc, so I took off sprinting for the in cut, caught his eye, and changed direction. He floated a bender into space. I jumped up and grabbed it. It felt good to get a victory.
Two other cool moments: I spotted a college teammate and a former Schaefer teammate on the fields. It was a nice treat to see them both. More Ultimate to come.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Other things cooking (more Ultimate)
I've got about six things that I've been meaning to post. Let me give the short version here and see if I can find my way back.
1. Vibram Five Fingers- I bought a pair after serious (for me) shopping. I haven't run in them yet, but so far I'm pleased. I like the theory of minimalist running.
2. Paul's Boston success- I followed along on a combination of Twitter, Facebook, and alerts from the race itself. It was this weird collective but lonely experience. It reminded me of the Internet.
3. Conference for Habit- The men had an up and down tournament, but beat Navy twice, once in a wild nail biter where a 9-2 lead became a 9-8 lead, became a 12-8 lead, became a 15-13 victory. That was the third place game. It turned out 4 of the 6 teams went on to Regionals, but at the time we thought it was only going to be three. It was the first D-III Conference after the reorganization. I'm giving it mixed reviews with Regionals coming up this weekend.
4. Regionals for the women- I didn't get to watch, but they held seed in a tiny five team region with only one bid to Nationals. Injury and absence proved difficult, but I think lessons were learned.
5. Elections and awards for Habit. It was a wacky fun night, but the Andrew Stillerman freshman of the year award went to Rich and the newly created Tada Gan Irracht award went to Ben who would also be named captain. There were senior cakes, hilarious underclassmen awards, and good fun as well.
6. Some combination of regionals, trying out for a team, and what I feel about next year. I still want the job as Ultimate coach, but I'm wondering if I'm the right fit. More discussion and reflection (at least in real life) on that to come. Leaning toward a mid-level mixed team, but haven't fully committed.
More later. Maybe.
I've got about six things that I've been meaning to post. Let me give the short version here and see if I can find my way back.
1. Vibram Five Fingers- I bought a pair after serious (for me) shopping. I haven't run in them yet, but so far I'm pleased. I like the theory of minimalist running.
2. Paul's Boston success- I followed along on a combination of Twitter, Facebook, and alerts from the race itself. It was this weird collective but lonely experience. It reminded me of the Internet.
3. Conference for Habit- The men had an up and down tournament, but beat Navy twice, once in a wild nail biter where a 9-2 lead became a 9-8 lead, became a 12-8 lead, became a 15-13 victory. That was the third place game. It turned out 4 of the 6 teams went on to Regionals, but at the time we thought it was only going to be three. It was the first D-III Conference after the reorganization. I'm giving it mixed reviews with Regionals coming up this weekend.
4. Regionals for the women- I didn't get to watch, but they held seed in a tiny five team region with only one bid to Nationals. Injury and absence proved difficult, but I think lessons were learned.
5. Elections and awards for Habit. It was a wacky fun night, but the Andrew Stillerman freshman of the year award went to Rich and the newly created Tada Gan Irracht award went to Ben who would also be named captain. There were senior cakes, hilarious underclassmen awards, and good fun as well.
6. Some combination of regionals, trying out for a team, and what I feel about next year. I still want the job as Ultimate coach, but I'm wondering if I'm the right fit. More discussion and reflection (at least in real life) on that to come. Leaning toward a mid-level mixed team, but haven't fully committed.
More later. Maybe.
All Time again
I wanted to detail my thoughts around the all-time list a little more.
Alan was a force. His place seems relatively assured on this list for some time. He was a force on the field with HUGE throws to seemingly any point and he willed the team as far as he could take them. He made everyone better and was undoubtedly the reason that some people stuck around when times were lean. As you know, he's appeared many times on this blog and I'm biased because he's my good friend, but I don't think anyone could disagree with his spot on this list.
Jared was a grad student and already a club level player when he joined us. He was mainly a tournament player, but he had a solid all around game and a great mind for strategy. He is definitely deserving of a spot on the list.
The third handler position is a tough choice:
Scrapper- I never saw him play in college, but I met him soon after. He was a club level player or soon would be and his throws were improving to match his athleticism. From what I'm told he really helped the team in his years there and was often the offense. It's hard to tell where he belongs on this list, but it's hard to imagine leaving him off.
John T. - He was a reluctant leader, but he and his three pals were the ones who decided that they should cut ties with wafc and really start trying to play in the series and compete regularly with other schools. Not the most athletic of players, he was a gifted thrower and a trusted handler. His play and the way he elevated the team and made them compete makes him deserving of a place on this list.
Pete came from high school having played for several years. He had been a cutter, but we immediately made him a handler because he could throw. He was out of his comfort zone, but he held his own in a supporting role and we counted on him to do that. It never quite felt like we let Pete get comfortable, but the team was always better with him there. If I had to make a cut, he would probably be the one right now even though I'd hate to see his effort on defense go.
Many of our cutters have had some trouble throwing.
Arin was a playmaker. I'm not sure how he feels about Ultimate and he's probably the most incomplete player on this list, but if you needed something to happen, Arin made it happen through size, force, and will. It was awesome.
Lemon is a playmaker in his own way. He doesn't have the size of Arin, but he's got brains and speed. He's been slowed by injuries, but he plays as much as his body allows and maybe a little more. He's been the heart of the team for two years now and his hands have improved and he knows how to pick his spots. He needs to be able to throw better, but he definitely deserves a spot on the list.
Paul is only a sophomore, already a captain and an awesome athlete. He can huck it a mile, jump as high, and has speed to go with that. He's on this list and he's another who will remain for a long time. We're going to squeeze out some more leadership from him and help him raise the games of those around him, but he's an incredible individual player.
The 4th cutter grouping is hotly contested and would be a tough decision.
Karpo had speed and hands. He was Lemon before there was a Lemon. He couldn't do much throwing, but he chased them down regularly. His efforts on D were all out and he kept coming at you. He was the perfect complement to John and that class.
Stills was a scoring machine. He found ways to get open. His lefty flicks were a little scary, but he worked hard to get better and he was a great teammate when he wanted to be. His ability to find a whole in the zone was uncanny.
Jimmy is a dark horse in my mind, but he had excellent hands and could pick his spots, especially in zone. He did it with less speed, but a good field sense. His hard throws in college just about drove me mad though.
I wanted to detail my thoughts around the all-time list a little more.
Alan was a force. His place seems relatively assured on this list for some time. He was a force on the field with HUGE throws to seemingly any point and he willed the team as far as he could take them. He made everyone better and was undoubtedly the reason that some people stuck around when times were lean. As you know, he's appeared many times on this blog and I'm biased because he's my good friend, but I don't think anyone could disagree with his spot on this list.
Jared was a grad student and already a club level player when he joined us. He was mainly a tournament player, but he had a solid all around game and a great mind for strategy. He is definitely deserving of a spot on the list.
The third handler position is a tough choice:
Scrapper- I never saw him play in college, but I met him soon after. He was a club level player or soon would be and his throws were improving to match his athleticism. From what I'm told he really helped the team in his years there and was often the offense. It's hard to tell where he belongs on this list, but it's hard to imagine leaving him off.
John T. - He was a reluctant leader, but he and his three pals were the ones who decided that they should cut ties with wafc and really start trying to play in the series and compete regularly with other schools. Not the most athletic of players, he was a gifted thrower and a trusted handler. His play and the way he elevated the team and made them compete makes him deserving of a place on this list.
Pete came from high school having played for several years. He had been a cutter, but we immediately made him a handler because he could throw. He was out of his comfort zone, but he held his own in a supporting role and we counted on him to do that. It never quite felt like we let Pete get comfortable, but the team was always better with him there. If I had to make a cut, he would probably be the one right now even though I'd hate to see his effort on defense go.
Many of our cutters have had some trouble throwing.
Arin was a playmaker. I'm not sure how he feels about Ultimate and he's probably the most incomplete player on this list, but if you needed something to happen, Arin made it happen through size, force, and will. It was awesome.
Lemon is a playmaker in his own way. He doesn't have the size of Arin, but he's got brains and speed. He's been slowed by injuries, but he plays as much as his body allows and maybe a little more. He's been the heart of the team for two years now and his hands have improved and he knows how to pick his spots. He needs to be able to throw better, but he definitely deserves a spot on the list.
Paul is only a sophomore, already a captain and an awesome athlete. He can huck it a mile, jump as high, and has speed to go with that. He's on this list and he's another who will remain for a long time. We're going to squeeze out some more leadership from him and help him raise the games of those around him, but he's an incredible individual player.
The 4th cutter grouping is hotly contested and would be a tough decision.
Karpo had speed and hands. He was Lemon before there was a Lemon. He couldn't do much throwing, but he chased them down regularly. His efforts on D were all out and he kept coming at you. He was the perfect complement to John and that class.
Stills was a scoring machine. He found ways to get open. His lefty flicks were a little scary, but he worked hard to get better and he was a great teammate when he wanted to be. His ability to find a whole in the zone was uncanny.
Jimmy is a dark horse in my mind, but he had excellent hands and could pick his spots, especially in zone. He did it with less speed, but a good field sense. His hard throws in college just about drove me mad though.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Alumni game number 4
I wanted to get this on my blog and in my record of memory. The alumni game was a success. I spent a lot of time taking pictures and flitting among old friends. Following is my post-game note and write up.
"Thanks again for making the 4th annual alumni game a success! Thanks especially to Mark K for his generous support of the BBQ. Thanks to Tini for hosting. And thanks to all those who helped to organize teams, cook brats, direct traffic, cheer, and wait patiently to play.
In a break from tradition, we played three round robin games with a mixture of alums, students and guests sharing the field and the teams. We saw some great highlights in those games which ended with each team 1 and 1. One particular stand out for me was the Brian Heller huck to a sliding, diving Law School Pat. Other great moments included Tim Crowley diving around the field, Jimmy DeMartini directing traffic, Lemon hucking, and Sean Dorsy holstering a biscuit. Turned out he was actually saving up for a chicken wing for the score later. That's more like the Dorsy we know.
Even with a BBQ looming, almost everyone wanted to keep playing so we undertook the traditional alums vs. current team game. Planning a shortened game to 9, the game picked up where we've left off in previous years. The alums started out moving the disc well and working well together. Some wondered if the warm-up games had been in the alums favor, but later they'd claim the games had tired them out. The alums took half 5-4 and it looked like this might be the year they'd break out of their slump. Sam was unstoppable underneath and Jim McMahon was diving all over the place to get some sweet D's, but he couldn't find anyone on the other end of his hucks.
The current team struck back quickly and re-established a lead. With a nod toward strategy, the alums pulled out a zone in the second half. It created a few turns, but the momentum had shifted. Frodo ran the offense and really had the alums talking on the sidelines. Jen tracked down some hucks. Then with some snappy disc movement and some forced hucks, the current team ran their record to 4-0 by taking the game 9-7.
At the BBQ the conversation shifted to an all-time all-Catholic team. It was a lively, friendly, and fun discussion and I'll hope you take it that way. Remember that the crowd skews younger with '02 or '03 being the earliest class represented. The rules of the All-Catholic team were spotty, but everyone did agree that only play at Catholic, not later development should be counted. With that in mind, the proposed all-time all-Catholic team looked like this.
The three handlers would be Alan J, Jared A, and either Pete W, John T, or Scrapper Woods.
The four cutters would be: Arin H, Andy "Lemon" , Paul G, and either Mike "Karpo" , or Andrew "Stills" . (Added: There was also some lobbying for Jimmy D and his good hands as a cutter.)
The important lesson in this for young players out there is that if you want to be considered for the all-time team, you should use your last name to create a nickname.
All in good fun! Thanks again to everyone. This is a fantastic tradition and I really appreciate your support!"
I found the all-time CUA team discussion to be particularly interesting, since I have/had seen the most players in action out of anybody. What I found really difficult was to compare the players who really never played together. It's so hard to tell if a player who carried the team in one year would have had that same effect in other years. How much did teammates have an effect? Even that question has two meanings. In some cases teammates surely made each other better, but in another context it also meant that a stand-out in one year might have been part of the crowd in another.
I think others had their own problems with this discussion too. Freshmen from four years ago had seniors that they looked up to and in some cases had seen evolve in the DC Ultimate scene. Karpo was initially named as one of the starting handlers until several others jumped in to say that in college he was barely allowed to throw.
I'm sure there are others who go back into the late '90s and early '00s and the early formation of the team that should be considered, but no one was at the game to champion them. There's been a pretty big shift in the game over those years and a shift on the support and interest of the university, so who knows?
It's a fun discussion.
I wanted to get this on my blog and in my record of memory. The alumni game was a success. I spent a lot of time taking pictures and flitting among old friends. Following is my post-game note and write up.
"Thanks again for making the 4th annual alumni game a success! Thanks especially to Mark K for his generous support of the BBQ. Thanks to Tini for hosting. And thanks to all those who helped to organize teams, cook brats, direct traffic, cheer, and wait patiently to play.
In a break from tradition, we played three round robin games with a mixture of alums, students and guests sharing the field and the teams. We saw some great highlights in those games which ended with each team 1 and 1. One particular stand out for me was the Brian Heller huck to a sliding, diving Law School Pat. Other great moments included Tim Crowley diving around the field, Jimmy DeMartini directing traffic, Lemon hucking, and Sean Dorsy holstering a biscuit. Turned out he was actually saving up for a chicken wing for the score later. That's more like the Dorsy we know.
Even with a BBQ looming, almost everyone wanted to keep playing so we undertook the traditional alums vs. current team game. Planning a shortened game to 9, the game picked up where we've left off in previous years. The alums started out moving the disc well and working well together. Some wondered if the warm-up games had been in the alums favor, but later they'd claim the games had tired them out. The alums took half 5-4 and it looked like this might be the year they'd break out of their slump. Sam was unstoppable underneath and Jim McMahon was diving all over the place to get some sweet D's, but he couldn't find anyone on the other end of his hucks.
The current team struck back quickly and re-established a lead. With a nod toward strategy, the alums pulled out a zone in the second half. It created a few turns, but the momentum had shifted. Frodo ran the offense and really had the alums talking on the sidelines. Jen tracked down some hucks. Then with some snappy disc movement and some forced hucks, the current team ran their record to 4-0 by taking the game 9-7.
At the BBQ the conversation shifted to an all-time all-Catholic team. It was a lively, friendly, and fun discussion and I'll hope you take it that way. Remember that the crowd skews younger with '02 or '03 being the earliest class represented. The rules of the All-Catholic team were spotty, but everyone did agree that only play at Catholic, not later development should be counted. With that in mind, the proposed all-time all-Catholic team looked like this.
The three handlers would be Alan J, Jared A, and either Pete W, John T, or Scrapper Woods.
The four cutters would be: Arin H, Andy "Lemon" , Paul G, and either Mike "Karpo" , or Andrew "Stills" . (Added: There was also some lobbying for Jimmy D and his good hands as a cutter.)
The important lesson in this for young players out there is that if you want to be considered for the all-time team, you should use your last name to create a nickname.
All in good fun! Thanks again to everyone. This is a fantastic tradition and I really appreciate your support!"
I found the all-time CUA team discussion to be particularly interesting, since I have/had seen the most players in action out of anybody. What I found really difficult was to compare the players who really never played together. It's so hard to tell if a player who carried the team in one year would have had that same effect in other years. How much did teammates have an effect? Even that question has two meanings. In some cases teammates surely made each other better, but in another context it also meant that a stand-out in one year might have been part of the crowd in another.
I think others had their own problems with this discussion too. Freshmen from four years ago had seniors that they looked up to and in some cases had seen evolve in the DC Ultimate scene. Karpo was initially named as one of the starting handlers until several others jumped in to say that in college he was barely allowed to throw.
I'm sure there are others who go back into the late '90s and early '00s and the early formation of the team that should be considered, but no one was at the game to champion them. There's been a pretty big shift in the game over those years and a shift on the support and interest of the university, so who knows?
It's a fun discussion.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Three point five thoughts from a full weekend
Last weekend I patrolled the sidelines of Steakfest '11. For a while I tried to update scores by smartphone, but eventually lost interest. The guys ended up in 14th place. They were troubled by only having 9 players and eventually losing their star to a hamstring pull in game 2 on Sunday. They had a 2-6 record, but one key victory in a crossover game to make it to the championship bracket. They beat Cornell-B and Ursinis and lost to Georgetown, Columbia (x2), TCNJ, and American. They narrowly missed upsetting Georgetown in the windy opening game. They had two shots on universe point and one of those bounced off Lemon's outstretched hands (See how close they came here .) The girls ended up in 2nd place, going 5-2 with both of their losses coming to TCNJ. John G. was patrolling their sidelines and got good reviews. The girls dominated a few games notching victories of 15-0 and 15-1 and from the bits I saw are really starting to play some Ultimate.
There is much I could comment on, including how proud of everybody I am, but there are a few moments that I'm going to record for posterity.
The first is about Ben. Ben is a transfer and he's our secret weapon. He's started to catch everything, he cuts well, and he just keeps getting better. He's got a little hitch in his throw and he doesn't commit to the dump the way I think he should (shocking, I know), but he's really helping out the team. After making another fine grab, Ben is five yards out of the endzone. The count gets to nine. Ben just decides to get rid of the disc. Somehow his flick comes out vertical. It's a blade. The blade strikes a defender in the noggin, bounces or rolls over the defender's head and is caught by a diving Cocco. It was pure wackiness.
The second is about spiking the disc. In the championship game, down something like 12-4 and feeling frustrated, Super Jess makes a deep cut. Knockout throws a nice flick down the line, Jess jumps up and grabs it. Score. She comes down and spikes it hard on the ground. It's a celebration, but there's some angst in there. The game is observed, so I think that's held off some of the ugliness, but there's still a clear distaste forming between these two teams. Next point, the girl from TCNJ makes a grab and spikes the disc in clear retaliation. For a second everyone stops. It's shock or confusion or some combination of the two. A little chatter starts and then what's been observed is reflected by the observer. TCNJ girl was not in the endzone. Turnover. The sidelines guffaw. It's inconsequential as far as the outcome of the game, but not a moment I want to soon forget.
My final note on Manheim, PA is to say that other than the RV in Dallas, I've never stayed closer to a field. We walked out of the hotel and onto the fields. We could see the fields from our room. I don't expect that luxury regularly, but how sweet it can be.
Now, I want to play. I want my shins to stop hurting. Let's go.
Last weekend I patrolled the sidelines of Steakfest '11. For a while I tried to update scores by smartphone, but eventually lost interest. The guys ended up in 14th place. They were troubled by only having 9 players and eventually losing their star to a hamstring pull in game 2 on Sunday. They had a 2-6 record, but one key victory in a crossover game to make it to the championship bracket. They beat Cornell-B and Ursinis and lost to Georgetown, Columbia (x2), TCNJ, and American. They narrowly missed upsetting Georgetown in the windy opening game. They had two shots on universe point and one of those bounced off Lemon's outstretched hands (See how close they came here .) The girls ended up in 2nd place, going 5-2 with both of their losses coming to TCNJ. John G. was patrolling their sidelines and got good reviews. The girls dominated a few games notching victories of 15-0 and 15-1 and from the bits I saw are really starting to play some Ultimate.
There is much I could comment on, including how proud of everybody I am, but there are a few moments that I'm going to record for posterity.
The first is about Ben. Ben is a transfer and he's our secret weapon. He's started to catch everything, he cuts well, and he just keeps getting better. He's got a little hitch in his throw and he doesn't commit to the dump the way I think he should (shocking, I know), but he's really helping out the team. After making another fine grab, Ben is five yards out of the endzone. The count gets to nine. Ben just decides to get rid of the disc. Somehow his flick comes out vertical. It's a blade. The blade strikes a defender in the noggin, bounces or rolls over the defender's head and is caught by a diving Cocco. It was pure wackiness.
The second is about spiking the disc. In the championship game, down something like 12-4 and feeling frustrated, Super Jess makes a deep cut. Knockout throws a nice flick down the line, Jess jumps up and grabs it. Score. She comes down and spikes it hard on the ground. It's a celebration, but there's some angst in there. The game is observed, so I think that's held off some of the ugliness, but there's still a clear distaste forming between these two teams. Next point, the girl from TCNJ makes a grab and spikes the disc in clear retaliation. For a second everyone stops. It's shock or confusion or some combination of the two. A little chatter starts and then what's been observed is reflected by the observer. TCNJ girl was not in the endzone. Turnover. The sidelines guffaw. It's inconsequential as far as the outcome of the game, but not a moment I want to soon forget.
My final note on Manheim, PA is to say that other than the RV in Dallas, I've never stayed closer to a field. We walked out of the hotel and onto the fields. We could see the fields from our room. I don't expect that luxury regularly, but how sweet it can be.
Now, I want to play. I want my shins to stop hurting. Let's go.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Inheriting a car for a month
Giving up my car several years ago was a triumph of public transportation and good sense. I've made the most of it for many years. I've biked, grabbed rides from gracious friends, taken the Metro, participated in car-sharing, and perhaps stayed a little closer to home. Last month after C went down with a broken leg, her car suddenly became very available. I couldn't resist its lure. As the temperatures hovered just above freezing and the Ultimate practices hovered just before bed time, I borrowed the car on a regular basis. At 8 o'clock at night and beyond, the car was a treat to warmly whisk me to practice and home again.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all evening back street driving. Clare also asked me to drive her a few places. Those adventures didn't go as well. The hour was usually day time and the traffic was thicker than I like my milkshakes. I don't have a great sense of direction anyway, but having a passenger who would rather be driving only made my misdirection seem more severe. All my reasons for choosing to be mostly car-less came rushing back. I think what Sartre really meant was, Hell is other people- in cars. In this city there are just too many cars vying for too little space. Then they want to park too.
It has been a great relief to return to my bike. Yes, I often feel that I'm going to be crushed under the weight of a giant unfeeling steel and plexiglass box on wheels, but at least I'm going to go out with a sense of freedom and control.
Part II
Although Clare has reclaimed her car, this experience has made me realize that in the world of car-less, I no longer fully count. I'm not pure. I do have more access than before. I live in a household with a car. At some point in my life, I think this blurring of the line would have bothered me greatly. Now, I acknowledge it, but I'm going to go about my business. Also, I think I'll go for a bike ride.
Giving up my car several years ago was a triumph of public transportation and good sense. I've made the most of it for many years. I've biked, grabbed rides from gracious friends, taken the Metro, participated in car-sharing, and perhaps stayed a little closer to home. Last month after C went down with a broken leg, her car suddenly became very available. I couldn't resist its lure. As the temperatures hovered just above freezing and the Ultimate practices hovered just before bed time, I borrowed the car on a regular basis. At 8 o'clock at night and beyond, the car was a treat to warmly whisk me to practice and home again.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all evening back street driving. Clare also asked me to drive her a few places. Those adventures didn't go as well. The hour was usually day time and the traffic was thicker than I like my milkshakes. I don't have a great sense of direction anyway, but having a passenger who would rather be driving only made my misdirection seem more severe. All my reasons for choosing to be mostly car-less came rushing back. I think what Sartre really meant was, Hell is other people- in cars. In this city there are just too many cars vying for too little space. Then they want to park too.
It has been a great relief to return to my bike. Yes, I often feel that I'm going to be crushed under the weight of a giant unfeeling steel and plexiglass box on wheels, but at least I'm going to go out with a sense of freedom and control.
Part II
Although Clare has reclaimed her car, this experience has made me realize that in the world of car-less, I no longer fully count. I'm not pure. I do have more access than before. I live in a household with a car. At some point in my life, I think this blurring of the line would have bothered me greatly. Now, I acknowledge it, but I'm going to go about my business. Also, I think I'll go for a bike ride.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
A tale of a mattress written in exactly five minutes
At first there was nothing, but a sleeping bag. Then came a mattress out of a garage. I look back on that time and I wonder, "how was that ok?" It was.
Next came a mattress, just the mattress, flopped on the floor. I was happy there. The mattress was firm. I was low to the ground. The danger of falling was minimized. Time passed and my need to stay low was overtaken by a need to grow up. Pressure mounted. I caved. My mattress was joined by box springs.
My firm Serta Ferndale Supreme mattress and a fine box spring made their way together through the years. Until, one day, my mattress and my box spring no longer fit my life. I needed a new mattress. I found one. It was firm. It would fit.
It arrived damp. Phone calls were made. Angry action threatened. Curses sent under my breath. Nothing took effect. Finally, a call to my credit card company stopped payment on the damp mattress. Still it sat in my room, propped up on the window, unmoving. For months. I had to get another mattress. I chose quickly. I felt pressured to right my wrongs, pressured to find a satisfying sleep.
A mattress trade later and I had just enough comfort to survive. This is not an easy tale to tell. I tried to call Serta to see if they had a replacement for the Ferndale Supreme, but they needed more information. My frustration continued.
Finally, they came and took my damp mattress away. It's only been 5 months.
That story took an extra 22 seconds. The end.
At first there was nothing, but a sleeping bag. Then came a mattress out of a garage. I look back on that time and I wonder, "how was that ok?" It was.
Next came a mattress, just the mattress, flopped on the floor. I was happy there. The mattress was firm. I was low to the ground. The danger of falling was minimized. Time passed and my need to stay low was overtaken by a need to grow up. Pressure mounted. I caved. My mattress was joined by box springs.
My firm Serta Ferndale Supreme mattress and a fine box spring made their way together through the years. Until, one day, my mattress and my box spring no longer fit my life. I needed a new mattress. I found one. It was firm. It would fit.
It arrived damp. Phone calls were made. Angry action threatened. Curses sent under my breath. Nothing took effect. Finally, a call to my credit card company stopped payment on the damp mattress. Still it sat in my room, propped up on the window, unmoving. For months. I had to get another mattress. I chose quickly. I felt pressured to right my wrongs, pressured to find a satisfying sleep.
A mattress trade later and I had just enough comfort to survive. This is not an easy tale to tell. I tried to call Serta to see if they had a replacement for the Ferndale Supreme, but they needed more information. My frustration continued.
Finally, they came and took my damp mattress away. It's only been 5 months.
That story took an extra 22 seconds. The end.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Live Blogging the Oscars (until I get bored)
Oops. I'm late. Good thing I don't actually have live readers. (Not that you're not alive, just, well you know...) I caught the introduction, got excited about Back to the Future and then thought that it was poorly used. I liked the younger dynamic joke, but am unsure about these hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Hey, Morgan Freeman! Why isn't he hosting?
Gone with the Wind references and all this mom talk have me missing mine.
8:45 Let the awkward speeches begin.
8:49 First commercial break- affordable fashion with JCPenney, inspiring children with McDonald's, the family angle with Hyundai. Finally, iPad (oops I mean Samsung Tab) is the first one to not hit the "women's Super Bowl" demographic hard.
8:52 Kirk Douglas pulls off that compliment to Anne Hathaway with class.
8:54 Helena Bonham Carter looks great and King's Speech is the only one I saw, but I bet True Grit gets best supporting actress.
8:56Good thing I don't bet. Melissa Leo from The Fighter seems completely shocked, genuine, and just got censored. Yes!
9:01 The hosts seem to be relaxing. Maybe that's not good.
9:02 An app joke? Unimpressed. And are those breast tattoos Mila? I know they aren't and I might still be impressed.
I'm not sure I'm young and hip enough for this Oscars, though.
The problem I'm having here is providing context and a response. I'm starting to doubt my talent as a LiveBlogger. Perhaps, I'd be better off watching with someone else rather than reaching out to the Internet.
9:09 Commercial break: We're going less overtly female this round. Hyundai is back again. So's Samsung Tab; no wait, that's Kindle. I kind of liked the quiet pitch they made. Then came the quiet pitch for Fancy Feast. How in the world does a cat food manage to tie itself into the wedding industrial complex? And does that make sense?
9:15 Aaron Sorkin can write. He just picked up the Screenwriter's Oscar. Seems like an interesting fellow. I'd listen to more but the musical hook is coming to take him away. Still he manages to ask for respect from a guinea pig. Not bad.
Ok. Thanks for reading. I'm through. This isn't doing it for me. I'm not sure how much Oscar I have left in me anyway. Good night and good luck.
Oops. I'm late. Good thing I don't actually have live readers. (Not that you're not alive, just, well you know...) I caught the introduction, got excited about Back to the Future and then thought that it was poorly used. I liked the younger dynamic joke, but am unsure about these hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco. Hey, Morgan Freeman! Why isn't he hosting?
Gone with the Wind references and all this mom talk have me missing mine.
8:45 Let the awkward speeches begin.
8:49 First commercial break- affordable fashion with JCPenney, inspiring children with McDonald's, the family angle with Hyundai. Finally, iPad (oops I mean Samsung Tab) is the first one to not hit the "women's Super Bowl" demographic hard.
8:52 Kirk Douglas pulls off that compliment to Anne Hathaway with class.
8:54 Helena Bonham Carter looks great and King's Speech is the only one I saw, but I bet True Grit gets best supporting actress.
8:56Good thing I don't bet. Melissa Leo from The Fighter seems completely shocked, genuine, and just got censored. Yes!
9:01 The hosts seem to be relaxing. Maybe that's not good.
9:02 An app joke? Unimpressed. And are those breast tattoos Mila? I know they aren't and I might still be impressed.
I'm not sure I'm young and hip enough for this Oscars, though.
The problem I'm having here is providing context and a response. I'm starting to doubt my talent as a LiveBlogger. Perhaps, I'd be better off watching with someone else rather than reaching out to the Internet.
9:09 Commercial break: We're going less overtly female this round. Hyundai is back again. So's Samsung Tab; no wait, that's Kindle. I kind of liked the quiet pitch they made. Then came the quiet pitch for Fancy Feast. How in the world does a cat food manage to tie itself into the wedding industrial complex? And does that make sense?
9:15 Aaron Sorkin can write. He just picked up the Screenwriter's Oscar. Seems like an interesting fellow. I'd listen to more but the musical hook is coming to take him away. Still he manages to ask for respect from a guinea pig. Not bad.
Ok. Thanks for reading. I'm through. This isn't doing it for me. I'm not sure how much Oscar I have left in me anyway. Good night and good luck.
My fountain of youth makes it hard to walk
Decked out in neon green shorts and matching neon emblems on our chest, the Catholic team split in two for the first tournament of the semester. It was mixed, the only one on the schedule this year. We pulled in some alumni help and I strapped on my ankle brace and laced up my cleats. I'd been bothered by a shin splint all week, but at game time the pain was gone. That was a relief.
Dubbed team pretty, we had most of the handlers while the other team was team gawgeous and had most of the cutters. Gawgeous looked fast and explosive, but they were mostly without our star Paul as he's battling an injury. In this one day tourney, Gawgeous would be 2-2 in pool play and end up tied for 3rd overall with a nice performance from a couple rookies and strong leadership from Lemon and John. They had lots of hustle, including the exciting return of Senor Banjo in short spurts.
Team pretty got off to an ugly start. Our throws were off and our cuts just weren't coming. We were quickly and easily dispatched by one of the teams that would reach the championship. Our second game was better, but we still struggled in spurts with throwaways and the little big things like setting up cuts and using good fakes on throws. Pretty was joined by Jim and Kyle and both were big contributors to our success. Jim's forehand huck was our weapon of choice, but he also found some success with his backhand. I had a personal highlight in the second game as universe point rolled around. The other team had the disc on the goal line and was looking to score. I was on the mark and as the thrower released I yelled up just as the disc smacked into my hand. We went on to win the game. It was probably Ben who caught the score, though I don't remember for sure. Ben emerged as our favorite target coming down with lots of scores during the day.
It was fun to see Kyle and his amazing little-guy ups. I'd love to see him with bigger throws. For me as I was cutting deep for him, but also for him because I know he sees the field and reigns it in. Frodo continued to play well. The best part for me is to see him shake off mistakes. He had a couple rough ones: a dropped pull and a dump for a callahan, but he shook them off immediately and got right back to business. We were fighting some injuries on team pretty, but as our numbers dwindled a bit, we seemed to be clicking better.
The women played well. Jess is dominant and fun to watch. She skyed a guy and scored a number of times on up the line cuts with sweet little grabs. She forced a few hucks that worked in our favor too. The crowd loves her and she works hard. My only criticism is that when she meets her equal in speed, she ends up chasing on D. This is my recurring complaint about most of the team this year, so I shouldn't be too hard on her. This was Marian's first tournament and I was excited to see her get a score and a couple catches as a cutter. She's feisty and I get the sense that once she figures the game out she's really going to like it and contribute. I hope that can happen within this semester.
Back to me, it's my blog. The fields were short and the competition sometimes shoddy, but I had a good time. I got frustrated and tired at times, but Ultimate is good. I loved pulling down deep puts from Jim and I felt like my deep puts were having more success than usual. I had one or two bad drops and five or six bad throwaways, but I also had a couple grabs that I'm really proud of. They felt well timed. Overall it was a good day. That's what it's all about. I think because I knew alumni were around and playing, I never let that feeling of not belonging creep in. It's pretty awesome to still be a part of Catholic Ultimate. The drama has been high at times this year, but days like yesterday make that easy to forget. We ended up fifth, dominating a game to 5 as the sun was setting. Thanks, Catholic.
Decked out in neon green shorts and matching neon emblems on our chest, the Catholic team split in two for the first tournament of the semester. It was mixed, the only one on the schedule this year. We pulled in some alumni help and I strapped on my ankle brace and laced up my cleats. I'd been bothered by a shin splint all week, but at game time the pain was gone. That was a relief.
Dubbed team pretty, we had most of the handlers while the other team was team gawgeous and had most of the cutters. Gawgeous looked fast and explosive, but they were mostly without our star Paul as he's battling an injury. In this one day tourney, Gawgeous would be 2-2 in pool play and end up tied for 3rd overall with a nice performance from a couple rookies and strong leadership from Lemon and John. They had lots of hustle, including the exciting return of Senor Banjo in short spurts.
Team pretty got off to an ugly start. Our throws were off and our cuts just weren't coming. We were quickly and easily dispatched by one of the teams that would reach the championship. Our second game was better, but we still struggled in spurts with throwaways and the little big things like setting up cuts and using good fakes on throws. Pretty was joined by Jim and Kyle and both were big contributors to our success. Jim's forehand huck was our weapon of choice, but he also found some success with his backhand. I had a personal highlight in the second game as universe point rolled around. The other team had the disc on the goal line and was looking to score. I was on the mark and as the thrower released I yelled up just as the disc smacked into my hand. We went on to win the game. It was probably Ben who caught the score, though I don't remember for sure. Ben emerged as our favorite target coming down with lots of scores during the day.
It was fun to see Kyle and his amazing little-guy ups. I'd love to see him with bigger throws. For me as I was cutting deep for him, but also for him because I know he sees the field and reigns it in. Frodo continued to play well. The best part for me is to see him shake off mistakes. He had a couple rough ones: a dropped pull and a dump for a callahan, but he shook them off immediately and got right back to business. We were fighting some injuries on team pretty, but as our numbers dwindled a bit, we seemed to be clicking better.
The women played well. Jess is dominant and fun to watch. She skyed a guy and scored a number of times on up the line cuts with sweet little grabs. She forced a few hucks that worked in our favor too. The crowd loves her and she works hard. My only criticism is that when she meets her equal in speed, she ends up chasing on D. This is my recurring complaint about most of the team this year, so I shouldn't be too hard on her. This was Marian's first tournament and I was excited to see her get a score and a couple catches as a cutter. She's feisty and I get the sense that once she figures the game out she's really going to like it and contribute. I hope that can happen within this semester.
Back to me, it's my blog. The fields were short and the competition sometimes shoddy, but I had a good time. I got frustrated and tired at times, but Ultimate is good. I loved pulling down deep puts from Jim and I felt like my deep puts were having more success than usual. I had one or two bad drops and five or six bad throwaways, but I also had a couple grabs that I'm really proud of. They felt well timed. Overall it was a good day. That's what it's all about. I think because I knew alumni were around and playing, I never let that feeling of not belonging creep in. It's pretty awesome to still be a part of Catholic Ultimate. The drama has been high at times this year, but days like yesterday make that easy to forget. We ended up fifth, dominating a game to 5 as the sun was setting. Thanks, Catholic.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
There's music in my pants
Drums are awesome. When I was a kid, I wanted to be in a drum line. The thrill of the bang, a parade, that rhythmic sound like a giant heart beating. BAM, BAM, BAM of the bass, the rat-tat-tat of the snare made me wave my arms and play in my imaginary band. It brought the streets to life. It gave the lines of clowns and shriners a pulsing hop in their step. I wanted to be a drummer.
I don't really remember when that dream went quiet. I think it just slowly leaked away from me. It might have been the inferior quality of my Fisher Price drums or it might have been the value of peace and quiet that my parents subtly instilled. The high cost of a drum set surely played a part, but I was too young to understand that. It could have been that I just went to fewer parades. Do parades in another countries have drum lines? The marching band seems like it could be more American with its size and volume. Maybe I missed some that way.
My memory is fuzzy, but the drums got replaced by another instrument. What it lacked in verve it more than made up in portability. Particularly, my first harmonica, which fit easily in the pocket of a first grader. My first harmonica was a miniature. I could blow through it and then hide it under my tongue. It was a great recess trick. I did worry about choking on it in the event that I was hit by a four-square ball (or more likely in a game of sap), so I was careful to use my trick away from the ball games. It was fine for when I was climbing on the lincoln-log-esque tee-pees or for trying to get the attention of the girls like Candice and Autumn.
I suppose I lost that miniature harmonica. I had a tendency to lose things at that age, especially hats, so to lose an instrument smaller than my finger seems quite likely. I soon replaced the miniature with a beautiful full-sized Hohner Echo in a yellow carrying case. It fit in my pocket, but not under my tongue. The Echo was made in Germany and probably purchased there too. I can't remember picking it out specifically, but I do remember looking through many glass counters at the rows of harmonicas. The rows were full of musical possibility. Possibility that has mostly gone unrealized for me. These days the twenty-something Echo has lost a bit of its shine. The red edges still contrast with the silvery metal, but a bit of rust and twenty some-odd years of boy mouth dust have collected on the front side.
Somewhere along the line, I picked up another harmonica. I think it was a Hohner too. Single hole, in a blue carrying case, possibly a G rather than a C. It shows a little less wear. Sometimes I play these harmonicas, picturing myself in Folsom prison, out on the prairie, or riding the rails. I don't play them well and I don't usually play tunes that are recognizable, but there's something about that metallic sound and its portability that makes me keep them around.
Drums are awesome. When I was a kid, I wanted to be in a drum line. The thrill of the bang, a parade, that rhythmic sound like a giant heart beating. BAM, BAM, BAM of the bass, the rat-tat-tat of the snare made me wave my arms and play in my imaginary band. It brought the streets to life. It gave the lines of clowns and shriners a pulsing hop in their step. I wanted to be a drummer.
I don't really remember when that dream went quiet. I think it just slowly leaked away from me. It might have been the inferior quality of my Fisher Price drums or it might have been the value of peace and quiet that my parents subtly instilled. The high cost of a drum set surely played a part, but I was too young to understand that. It could have been that I just went to fewer parades. Do parades in another countries have drum lines? The marching band seems like it could be more American with its size and volume. Maybe I missed some that way.
My memory is fuzzy, but the drums got replaced by another instrument. What it lacked in verve it more than made up in portability. Particularly, my first harmonica, which fit easily in the pocket of a first grader. My first harmonica was a miniature. I could blow through it and then hide it under my tongue. It was a great recess trick. I did worry about choking on it in the event that I was hit by a four-square ball (or more likely in a game of sap), so I was careful to use my trick away from the ball games. It was fine for when I was climbing on the lincoln-log-esque tee-pees or for trying to get the attention of the girls like Candice and Autumn.
I suppose I lost that miniature harmonica. I had a tendency to lose things at that age, especially hats, so to lose an instrument smaller than my finger seems quite likely. I soon replaced the miniature with a beautiful full-sized Hohner Echo in a yellow carrying case. It fit in my pocket, but not under my tongue. The Echo was made in Germany and probably purchased there too. I can't remember picking it out specifically, but I do remember looking through many glass counters at the rows of harmonicas. The rows were full of musical possibility. Possibility that has mostly gone unrealized for me. These days the twenty-something Echo has lost a bit of its shine. The red edges still contrast with the silvery metal, but a bit of rust and twenty some-odd years of boy mouth dust have collected on the front side.
Somewhere along the line, I picked up another harmonica. I think it was a Hohner too. Single hole, in a blue carrying case, possibly a G rather than a C. It shows a little less wear. Sometimes I play these harmonicas, picturing myself in Folsom prison, out on the prairie, or riding the rails. I don't play them well and I don't usually play tunes that are recognizable, but there's something about that metallic sound and its portability that makes me keep them around.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Creative block
I've run out of pithy observations. I've adopted my own metro stare and I'm avoiding elevators with a high rate of success.
My cleverness no longer impresses me. Fake mustaches stuck to my forehead and the line, "they'll grow on you," notwithstanding.
Generally, I feel heard. I don't need an outlet to share my thoughts, because I have people who are willing to listen to me, or at least "like" my Facebook status updates.
I stumble over words when I'm trying to write. This may be self-perpetuating. I don't write as much, so I don't practice and then I haven't practiced, so I don't feel like writing.
So much is being said. There are so many blogs, that have started and stopped, and started again. Sometimes I feel like every idea I have has already been spewed onto the Internet before. Probably in song and with better visual effects.
I want to write. At least I think I do. Yet, I'm impatient. I don't like to revise. I like to get it out and be done with it. I like to write something and smile a self-satisfied smile while I wipe my hands of it. Maybe I've become more critical. My internal editor has seen it before and he wants it to be better. The writer in me needs to step up and answer the challenge.
For now, he's going running.
I've run out of pithy observations. I've adopted my own metro stare and I'm avoiding elevators with a high rate of success.
My cleverness no longer impresses me. Fake mustaches stuck to my forehead and the line, "they'll grow on you," notwithstanding.
Generally, I feel heard. I don't need an outlet to share my thoughts, because I have people who are willing to listen to me, or at least "like" my Facebook status updates.
I stumble over words when I'm trying to write. This may be self-perpetuating. I don't write as much, so I don't practice and then I haven't practiced, so I don't feel like writing.
So much is being said. There are so many blogs, that have started and stopped, and started again. Sometimes I feel like every idea I have has already been spewed onto the Internet before. Probably in song and with better visual effects.
I want to write. At least I think I do. Yet, I'm impatient. I don't like to revise. I like to get it out and be done with it. I like to write something and smile a self-satisfied smile while I wipe my hands of it. Maybe I've become more critical. My internal editor has seen it before and he wants it to be better. The writer in me needs to step up and answer the challenge.
For now, he's going running.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Hey KIDS!
I thought I'd try to live blog the State of the Union address. I'll give my reactions as we go. A few disclaimers before we start:
1. I really just need a new blog post, I don't expect to pull out much insight.
2. I usually don't last the whole state of the union.
3. It somehow seems important to watch since I'm down the street.
9:13 It's nice to see the ceremony of politics sometimes. It gets so much more polite than the rest of the TV shows that I watch about politics. Let's go. (edited that comment a bit).
9:15 Is Joe Biden updating his Facebook page?
9:18 Xerox corporation CEO? It's been a busy day for Xerox in my life.
9:19 Nice. I like the spin on what the election meant. Figure it out together.
9:21 Oh. I just realized why there were so many police officers around the capitol tonight. (forehead slap).
9:23 "The future is ours to win." I missed the how.
9:24 Oh. That's the rest of the speech. Thanks, Obama.
9:27 Can't help but hope that the budget isn't out of this world, with all that space talk.
9:31 I won a science fair once. It was a tea-related experiment.
9:32 I like all these sports comparisons- race to the top, ours to win, etc.
9:34 Teachers as "nationbuilders". Wow. Makes me want to be a teacher and build a nation. Too bad I'm most interested in English.
9:39 Taking on the issue of immigrants seems like a massive undertaking.
9:40 Highspeed rail and highspeed Internet? Awesome.
9:44 Snack time.
9:46 Is our food safe to eat? Maybe our foodstuff is. I realize how lucky I am when I can make that snarky comment and also how much I've been reading about nutrition and/or watching The Biggest Loser
9:53 He's really pushing the bipartisan approach. He does it well.
9:55 YES! Simplify the tax code. Please.
9:56 Reorganization? I wondered if that was coming earlier when President Obama was talking about cutting the budget. I've been hanging around big companies too much lately. Sheesh.
10:00 C's home. I'm feeling a little sheepish about this project now.
10:03 "Begin" to bring our troops home. This seems like what's been said before...
10:05 I'm losing steam, but it seems rude to abandon the President. My landlord just started rocking out on his electronic keyboard. John Kerry would smile if he could hear it.
10:08 "One voice." The push for unity is everywhere around me too.
10:10 Selling messy democracy. He's at it again. Man, he's good. Somebody should elect that guy.
10:15 BAM. Let's do big things.
Well, looks like the VCR clock is running a couple of minutes ahead. That's the clock I was using. How embarrassing (right). That was an interesting way to view the address. I missed a few things, but it was also a bit like taking notes. I wasn't very clever, but I think this might be interesting to look back and read. In some ways, it made me feel shallow, but in other ways I felt good because I was really paying attention and being thoughtful. Several themes have emerged from my life of late. A number of speeches and books are on the motivational, even inspirational side. The reorganization, the budget cuts, the push for unity all keep cropping up.
I have high hopes for highspeed Internet and rail, as well as electric cars, alternative energy, simplified tax codes, and more. I'm ready for big things.
I thought I'd try to live blog the State of the Union address. I'll give my reactions as we go. A few disclaimers before we start:
1. I really just need a new blog post, I don't expect to pull out much insight.
2. I usually don't last the whole state of the union.
3. It somehow seems important to watch since I'm down the street.
9:13 It's nice to see the ceremony of politics sometimes. It gets so much more polite than the rest of the TV shows that I watch about politics. Let's go. (edited that comment a bit).
9:15 Is Joe Biden updating his Facebook page?
9:18 Xerox corporation CEO? It's been a busy day for Xerox in my life.
9:19 Nice. I like the spin on what the election meant. Figure it out together.
9:21 Oh. I just realized why there were so many police officers around the capitol tonight. (forehead slap).
9:23 "The future is ours to win." I missed the how.
9:24 Oh. That's the rest of the speech. Thanks, Obama.
9:27 Can't help but hope that the budget isn't out of this world, with all that space talk.
9:31 I won a science fair once. It was a tea-related experiment.
9:32 I like all these sports comparisons- race to the top, ours to win, etc.
9:34 Teachers as "nationbuilders". Wow. Makes me want to be a teacher and build a nation. Too bad I'm most interested in English.
9:39 Taking on the issue of immigrants seems like a massive undertaking.
9:40 Highspeed rail and highspeed Internet? Awesome.
9:44 Snack time.
9:46 Is our food safe to eat? Maybe our foodstuff is. I realize how lucky I am when I can make that snarky comment and also how much I've been reading about nutrition and/or watching The Biggest Loser
9:53 He's really pushing the bipartisan approach. He does it well.
9:55 YES! Simplify the tax code. Please.
9:56 Reorganization? I wondered if that was coming earlier when President Obama was talking about cutting the budget. I've been hanging around big companies too much lately. Sheesh.
10:00 C's home. I'm feeling a little sheepish about this project now.
10:03 "Begin" to bring our troops home. This seems like what's been said before...
10:05 I'm losing steam, but it seems rude to abandon the President. My landlord just started rocking out on his electronic keyboard. John Kerry would smile if he could hear it.
10:08 "One voice." The push for unity is everywhere around me too.
10:10 Selling messy democracy. He's at it again. Man, he's good. Somebody should elect that guy.
10:15 BAM. Let's do big things.
Well, looks like the VCR clock is running a couple of minutes ahead. That's the clock I was using. How embarrassing (right). That was an interesting way to view the address. I missed a few things, but it was also a bit like taking notes. I wasn't very clever, but I think this might be interesting to look back and read. In some ways, it made me feel shallow, but in other ways I felt good because I was really paying attention and being thoughtful. Several themes have emerged from my life of late. A number of speeches and books are on the motivational, even inspirational side. The reorganization, the budget cuts, the push for unity all keep cropping up.
I have high hopes for highspeed Internet and rail, as well as electric cars, alternative energy, simplified tax codes, and more. I'm ready for big things.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Don't be cruel
The following scene remixes my Saturday from a week ago. I couldn't find a way to include a memorial for my neighbor Yelba, but somehow I think that's probably for the best.
I glanced outside to find six snowflakes on a windshield. The track workout is on, I thought to myself. After breakfast, a toothbrushing, and some unrelated thoughts playing pong in my mind, I looked again to find the white coming down hard. I checked my phone. I checked email. No one was going to give up. With nothing left to check, I headed out the door. Purposefully overdressed, running ahead of schedule, I tromped down 14th on my way to the track.
With a Lincoln look-a-like in one cage and a cardboard Washington Monument dipping down to enter the other, round one of the Elvis Birthday Fight Club was all but underway. Lincoln would land the early punches and take control of the phallus. What looked like certain victory was snatched away when a trap door opened in the cardboard masonry and out popped a six shooter.
The track was white with snow. The quiet seemed more morning related than snow-related, but once my partners arrived it was obvious we'd have the track to ourselves. We warmed up slowly, our footfalls tracing the oval in shoe sizes.
Lil' Dutch and more than her fair share of make-up were disrobing. The poor seating arrangement blocked anything below waist level and for the most part this seemed ok. Out came the tassles, on went the twirling. What a curious talent. With a mixture of awe, horror, amusement and something not entirely unrelated to arousal, I watched spinning tassles with my head bobbing in time.
Paul went out too fast in the first half mile. I couldn't keep pace knowing that I was under-trained and we still had seven halves to run. I wanted to slow Paul down, but wasn't sure that my pace was the right pace, so I let him go and sought a realist's pace while trying not to slip on snow. The rest lap came quickly and soon we launched into another half and another round.
Colonel Sanders seemed to handle the chicken easily, he may have even choked it, but then just as the match seemed to be in hand, he took to making a racist rant. It wasn't long before the crowd turned on him and his goose was cooked. The chicken would live to fight another day.
By the third half, Paul had come back down to earth and I had sped up slightly. I felt ok at our 5:30ish mile pace, but was unsure how long I'd last. I lasted longer than the giant cross-dressing man. He won his early round, but then fell to a better-dressed opponent.
I made it through four and five before the personal bargaining began. I'd do one and sit one I thought. Or, I'd sit now, so I could finish the last one ok. Yet somehow, like the burlesque dancer on burlesque dancer fight that broke out in the middle rounds, it seemed like I just didn't know when to quit. As shirts and boots were tossed aside and as I seemed to recover just enough each time, I survived five and six, then happened upon half number seven.
A robot was fighting a chicken and technical difficulties ensued. I stayed close through seven convincing myself that I'd be done after it was over. Then I couldn't quite quit. I started eight. I tucked in behind Paul and ran strong for 400 meters. Chicken wings were flying. Robots were dancing the chicken. Chickens were dancing the robot. It was a back and forth battle and my mind lost. I slowed considerably, and fell off the pace. Way off. It's not how I like to finish a workout, not how I want to finish races.
I think the chicken emerged victorious. I don't think that was a metaphor. Thanks Elvis. Thanks Paul and Bill.
The following scene remixes my Saturday from a week ago. I couldn't find a way to include a memorial for my neighbor Yelba, but somehow I think that's probably for the best.
I glanced outside to find six snowflakes on a windshield. The track workout is on, I thought to myself. After breakfast, a toothbrushing, and some unrelated thoughts playing pong in my mind, I looked again to find the white coming down hard. I checked my phone. I checked email. No one was going to give up. With nothing left to check, I headed out the door. Purposefully overdressed, running ahead of schedule, I tromped down 14th on my way to the track.
With a Lincoln look-a-like in one cage and a cardboard Washington Monument dipping down to enter the other, round one of the Elvis Birthday Fight Club was all but underway. Lincoln would land the early punches and take control of the phallus. What looked like certain victory was snatched away when a trap door opened in the cardboard masonry and out popped a six shooter.
The track was white with snow. The quiet seemed more morning related than snow-related, but once my partners arrived it was obvious we'd have the track to ourselves. We warmed up slowly, our footfalls tracing the oval in shoe sizes.
Lil' Dutch and more than her fair share of make-up were disrobing. The poor seating arrangement blocked anything below waist level and for the most part this seemed ok. Out came the tassles, on went the twirling. What a curious talent. With a mixture of awe, horror, amusement and something not entirely unrelated to arousal, I watched spinning tassles with my head bobbing in time.
Paul went out too fast in the first half mile. I couldn't keep pace knowing that I was under-trained and we still had seven halves to run. I wanted to slow Paul down, but wasn't sure that my pace was the right pace, so I let him go and sought a realist's pace while trying not to slip on snow. The rest lap came quickly and soon we launched into another half and another round.
Colonel Sanders seemed to handle the chicken easily, he may have even choked it, but then just as the match seemed to be in hand, he took to making a racist rant. It wasn't long before the crowd turned on him and his goose was cooked. The chicken would live to fight another day.
By the third half, Paul had come back down to earth and I had sped up slightly. I felt ok at our 5:30ish mile pace, but was unsure how long I'd last. I lasted longer than the giant cross-dressing man. He won his early round, but then fell to a better-dressed opponent.
I made it through four and five before the personal bargaining began. I'd do one and sit one I thought. Or, I'd sit now, so I could finish the last one ok. Yet somehow, like the burlesque dancer on burlesque dancer fight that broke out in the middle rounds, it seemed like I just didn't know when to quit. As shirts and boots were tossed aside and as I seemed to recover just enough each time, I survived five and six, then happened upon half number seven.
A robot was fighting a chicken and technical difficulties ensued. I stayed close through seven convincing myself that I'd be done after it was over. Then I couldn't quite quit. I started eight. I tucked in behind Paul and ran strong for 400 meters. Chicken wings were flying. Robots were dancing the chicken. Chickens were dancing the robot. It was a back and forth battle and my mind lost. I slowed considerably, and fell off the pace. Way off. It's not how I like to finish a workout, not how I want to finish races.
I think the chicken emerged victorious. I don't think that was a metaphor. Thanks Elvis. Thanks Paul and Bill.
Monday, January 03, 2011
I'm one of 'em
I'm inspired by the new year, inspired by sitting around and doing little to nothing in the last week as I let a cough peter mostly out and let my social life do the same. Once 2011 hit and I finished my stockpile of Gilmore Girls episodes, I morphed into a man ready to take flight in all areas of life.
I'm ready to exercise, eat right, spend my time wisely, and on and on. Oprah magazine has the answers. Or the books I'm reading. Or the newspaper. I've got vague ideas and half-formed plans. I'm off to a good start and recognize that I cannot sustain this momentum completely, but I'm hoping that I can hold up enough to make a difference. When's the last time I was able to get a workout in, make dinners ahead of schedule, clean up, post to the blog(s), and still find time to bathe and read? Unheard of? Nay, it's 2011 and the new year shines with possibility.
I'm off to floss!
I'm inspired by the new year, inspired by sitting around and doing little to nothing in the last week as I let a cough peter mostly out and let my social life do the same. Once 2011 hit and I finished my stockpile of Gilmore Girls episodes, I morphed into a man ready to take flight in all areas of life.
I'm ready to exercise, eat right, spend my time wisely, and on and on. Oprah magazine has the answers. Or the books I'm reading. Or the newspaper. I've got vague ideas and half-formed plans. I'm off to a good start and recognize that I cannot sustain this momentum completely, but I'm hoping that I can hold up enough to make a difference. When's the last time I was able to get a workout in, make dinners ahead of schedule, clean up, post to the blog(s), and still find time to bathe and read? Unheard of? Nay, it's 2011 and the new year shines with possibility.
I'm off to floss!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Happy New Year
1...2...3... Go. I woke up today, drove to Gaithersburg, got lost, managed a long line and an abbreviated warm-up and then found myself at the front of the starting group at a 5k. This is the third year of the last four that I've kicked off with this race, so the comparisons are getting a little too telling.
I didn't mean to start from the front. At some point, I had a conservative plan of running 5:50 per mile. In the front, that plan seemed foolish. Instead, I decided I should run with the gentlemen surrounding me. After all, I could keep pace, even if it was a faster pace than I wanted. I did keep pace, through most of a mile, which clicked off at about 5:27. Then my weak last few months of training and my ongoing battles with cold and flu-like symptoms kicked in and 10th place became 11th, became 13th, became clinging to 13th. The two mile came at 11:20 and the pain kept coming. I kept clinging to 13th place and finally sauntered home in 18:21. It was a battle and I probably cost myself 10 to 15 seconds with that start. The ego won out and I paid for it.
Now, I have all of 2011 to think about it. I didn't break the 5 minute mile in 2010. I've started off 2011 with the stuff of a freshman. It's time to get going again. Hello '11, here I come.
1...2...3... Go. I woke up today, drove to Gaithersburg, got lost, managed a long line and an abbreviated warm-up and then found myself at the front of the starting group at a 5k. This is the third year of the last four that I've kicked off with this race, so the comparisons are getting a little too telling.
I didn't mean to start from the front. At some point, I had a conservative plan of running 5:50 per mile. In the front, that plan seemed foolish. Instead, I decided I should run with the gentlemen surrounding me. After all, I could keep pace, even if it was a faster pace than I wanted. I did keep pace, through most of a mile, which clicked off at about 5:27. Then my weak last few months of training and my ongoing battles with cold and flu-like symptoms kicked in and 10th place became 11th, became 13th, became clinging to 13th. The two mile came at 11:20 and the pain kept coming. I kept clinging to 13th place and finally sauntered home in 18:21. It was a battle and I probably cost myself 10 to 15 seconds with that start. The ego won out and I paid for it.
Now, I have all of 2011 to think about it. I didn't break the 5 minute mile in 2010. I've started off 2011 with the stuff of a freshman. It's time to get going again. Hello '11, here I come.
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 movies
I've really been clinging to the past recently. I re-watched Finding Forrester, Star Trek, and have the Back to the Future trilogy all lined up as a possibility for tonight. The new ones in 2010 went like this-
1. All About Steve
2. Fired Up
3. Legion
4. Good Dick
5. Avatar
6. Hollywoodland
7. Confederate States of America
8. Singles
9. Blindside
10. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
11. It's Complicated
12. Hot Tub Time Machine
13. The Invention of Lying
14. Kick Ass
15. Bottleshock
16. King of California
17. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
18. District 9
19. Funny People
20. The Chateau
21. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
22. $9.99
23. Appaloosa
24. Paul Blart Mall Cop
25. Inception
26. Zac and Miri make a Porno
27. Bicker Schlecker's Cool Idea
28. Moon
29. Jackson Pollack
30. The Girl who Played with Fire
31. Mongol
32. Men who stare at goats
33. Malice in Wonderland
34. Visioneers
35. ???? Something with Time Travel in Vermont?
36. The Kids Are All Right
37. Piranha 3D
38. Invictus
39. The Town
40. Inglorious Basterds
41. Leap Year
42. State of Play
43. Gran Torino
44. Public Enemies
45. Iron Man 2
46. Valentine's Day
47. The Express
48. Paris je t'aime
49. I Love You Beth Cooper
50. Clash of the Titans
51. Monsoon Wedding
52. In July
53. Please Give
54.
Inception was good. Piranha 3D was everything it promised to be and gets credit for that and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a pretty solid movie version of a good book. Good Dick was odd and uncomfortable. Public Enemies was pretty disappointing.
I miss Netflix on demand.
I've really been clinging to the past recently. I re-watched Finding Forrester, Star Trek, and have the Back to the Future trilogy all lined up as a possibility for tonight. The new ones in 2010 went like this-
1. All About Steve
2. Fired Up
3. Legion
4. Good Dick
5. Avatar
6. Hollywoodland
7. Confederate States of America
8. Singles
9. Blindside
10. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
11. It's Complicated
12. Hot Tub Time Machine
13. The Invention of Lying
14. Kick Ass
15. Bottleshock
16. King of California
17. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
18. District 9
19. Funny People
20. The Chateau
21. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
22. $9.99
23. Appaloosa
24. Paul Blart Mall Cop
25. Inception
26. Zac and Miri make a Porno
27. Bicker Schlecker's Cool Idea
28. Moon
29. Jackson Pollack
30. The Girl who Played with Fire
31. Mongol
32. Men who stare at goats
33. Malice in Wonderland
34. Visioneers
35. ???? Something with Time Travel in Vermont?
36. The Kids Are All Right
37. Piranha 3D
38. Invictus
39. The Town
40. Inglorious Basterds
41. Leap Year
42. State of Play
43. Gran Torino
44. Public Enemies
45. Iron Man 2
46. Valentine's Day
47. The Express
48. Paris je t'aime
49. I Love You Beth Cooper
50. Clash of the Titans
51. Monsoon Wedding
52. In July
53. Please Give
54.
Inception was good. Piranha 3D was everything it promised to be and gets credit for that and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a pretty solid movie version of a good book. Good Dick was odd and uncomfortable. Public Enemies was pretty disappointing.
I miss Netflix on demand.
2010 books
For some reason I've started several books in the last week and not been able to finish them. I also launched in for a quick re-read of the last 200 pages of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It's still a winner. Here's the ones that I got all the way through in 2010.
1. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and sex
2. Bel Canto (re-read)
3. Up in the Air
4. Enter Jeeves: 15 Early Stories
5. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual
6. Olive Kitteridge
7. The Lost Symbol
8. The Yellow Jersey
9. My Life in France
10. The Girl Who Played with Fire
11. Never Let Go
12. Nudge
13. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
14. Ender's Game (re-read)
15. Traffic
16. An Abundance of Katherines
17. Seeing
18. Abide with Me
19. One Day
20. The Wind-up Girl
21. The Simple Truth
22. Drive
23. Getting to Yes
24. B is for Beer
25. Soon I will be invincible
26. Simple Genius
27. Click
28. The Bean Trees (re-read?)
29. Bounce
The tops: Olive Kitteridge was really well-written, but kind of depressing. My Life in France was entertaining and fun to read in France. The Girl books were suspenseful and fun. Bounce was really interesting, but odd at the beginning and the end.
The ones that disappointed: B is for Beer, Seeing, The Yellow Jersey.
For some reason I've started several books in the last week and not been able to finish them. I also launched in for a quick re-read of the last 200 pages of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It's still a winner. Here's the ones that I got all the way through in 2010.
1. Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and sex
2. Bel Canto (re-read)
3. Up in the Air
4. Enter Jeeves: 15 Early Stories
5. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual
6. Olive Kitteridge
7. The Lost Symbol
8. The Yellow Jersey
9. My Life in France
10. The Girl Who Played with Fire
11. Never Let Go
12. Nudge
13. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
14. Ender's Game (re-read)
15. Traffic
16. An Abundance of Katherines
17. Seeing
18. Abide with Me
19. One Day
20. The Wind-up Girl
21. The Simple Truth
22. Drive
23. Getting to Yes
24. B is for Beer
25. Soon I will be invincible
26. Simple Genius
27. Click
28. The Bean Trees (re-read?)
29. Bounce
The tops: Olive Kitteridge was really well-written, but kind of depressing. My Life in France was entertaining and fun to read in France. The Girl books were suspenseful and fun. Bounce was really interesting, but odd at the beginning and the end.
The ones that disappointed: B is for Beer, Seeing, The Yellow Jersey.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
I walked intro the living room this morning and saw my mom reading the news on the iPad. The paper is gone and this tablet remains. In the same moment, I glanced at the fireplace and thought of the crumpled newspapers of another era and their use as fire starters. How would we start fires now? The electrical switch on the wall should suffice. The electric fire will sizzle to life. I bet even misbehaving children will receive batteries in their stockings here.
I am hunting and pecking to make this post a reality. Very quickly I am realizing that the iPad is not a tool for use with the old ways, blogging, email,etc., but for apps that I have not yet discovered.
The speed of change is reflected in the statement above as now a generation of change takes place in a
I am hunting and pecking to make this post a reality. Very quickly I am realizing that the iPad is not a tool for use with the old ways, blogging, email,etc., but for apps that I have not yet discovered.
The speed of change is reflected in the statement above as now a generation of change takes place in a
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
I promised an update
Bad news. It may have been the high road. It may have been differing tastes in humor. It may have been too much other stress, but I'm afraid that my follow-up to yesterday's prank is to report that there was little reaction to our hi-jinx. I heard mumbles that "maybe someone thought taping the fridge shut went too far" and my particular scrawl was recognized, but otherwise nada.
Sorry, kids. Hopefully, Santa's next prank will go over better.
Bad news. It may have been the high road. It may have been differing tastes in humor. It may have been too much other stress, but I'm afraid that my follow-up to yesterday's prank is to report that there was little reaction to our hi-jinx. I heard mumbles that "maybe someone thought taping the fridge shut went too far" and my particular scrawl was recognized, but otherwise nada.
Sorry, kids. Hopefully, Santa's next prank will go over better.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
I probably won't be featured on a tv show about an office any time soon
Tomorrow is the holiday party at my office. One of my coworkers is on the planning committee. Today, before he left work, he taped the refrigerator shut and posted signs that no one was to touch the food or open the fridge. This seemed a little excessive to a few of us. I mean, he taped the fridge shut.
We considered a few revenge scenarios, including emptying the fridge and leaving a ransom note or taking a bite out of each item, but ultimately decided that hysterics and/or a heart attack were not going to feel like victory in the morning.
Instead, we broke through the tape and placed post-its with comments from Santa and friends on all of the items. Comments like:
"Ginger ale gives the elves gas."
"Where's the beef?"
"I almost named a reindeer Tiramisu."
We were as clever as we could be and we tried not to leave any item out. We then taped up the fridge and covered his note with a letter from Santa. Reactions tomorrow...
Tomorrow is the holiday party at my office. One of my coworkers is on the planning committee. Today, before he left work, he taped the refrigerator shut and posted signs that no one was to touch the food or open the fridge. This seemed a little excessive to a few of us. I mean, he taped the fridge shut.
We considered a few revenge scenarios, including emptying the fridge and leaving a ransom note or taking a bite out of each item, but ultimately decided that hysterics and/or a heart attack were not going to feel like victory in the morning.
Instead, we broke through the tape and placed post-its with comments from Santa and friends on all of the items. Comments like:
"Ginger ale gives the elves gas."
"Where's the beef?"
"I almost named a reindeer Tiramisu."
We were as clever as we could be and we tried not to leave any item out. We then taped up the fridge and covered his note with a letter from Santa. Reactions tomorrow...
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