For those of us who grew up in the 1980's, there are plenty of commercial and other catch phrases that we remember:
Wendy's - "Where's The Beef?"
McDonald's - "You Deserve a Break Today"
Grey Poupon Mustard - "Pardon Me, Would You Have Any Grey Poupon?"
Nike - "Just Do It"
Toys R Us - "I Don't Wanna Grow Up, I'm a Toys R Us Kid......."
In the past few weeks, I ran into some personal struggles. In thinking about those struggles, the first thing that came to my mind was that I was a "Toys R Us Kid". Read on to see why......
Some of my struggles may have been indirectly due to the following things happening all within the span of a few weeks in April:
Job Lay Off / Pondering the future for jobs / school
Traffic Ticket
Owed IRS Taxes
But most importantly, I believe the one that had the greatest impact on me was when my mom got Bell's Palsy. While Bell's Palsy is not a serious thing (fortunately), my mom was scared and I think it scared me too. For the first time, I realized that my parents will not always be there. I think that affected me more than I realized and unintentionally caused myself some undue stress as I pondered an uncertain future.
My recent struggles has woken me up to how much of a comfortable and even maybe sheltered life I have lived. For all intensive purposes, I have almost been living the "Toys R Us Kid" lifestyle. I go to work, go have fun and come home with parents around to take care of everything at home.
My recent stress had come with the realization that this lifestyle will not always be there and that eventually I will have to grow up. In many ways, this is an uncomfortable feeling. It is very difficult to change how you've lived for so many years.
Fortunately for me, I've had plenty of support as I go through this and it has been suggested that I draw up some daily, short term and long term plans for my future. I have put together a short list with some immediate things I want to do. I've begun some of these things and begin the self improvement plan that will eventually change me from a "kid" (figuratively) into a more "mature adult".
As I write this, there is a some sadness in me. I think it's because it feels like a graduation of sorts. When we've graduated at every level of school, there is happiness at the accomplishment. However, there is also sadness as you leave behind the school, friends and other memories of your years. I am sad because I've enjoyed my life for many years and it's tough to change. Yet, it is a necessary change that will lead to bigger and better things.
This is definitely an unusual blog post for me but I appreciate people reading. In many ways, it is a way to let out a bit of the struggles I have been facing in recent weeks.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Adapting To Change
While I can't speak for everyone, I would guess that just about every human being on the planet Earth is a creature of habit in one way or another. There are dozens of things in our daily lives that we do without thinking. It might range from brushing our teeth or to how we shoot a basketball.
However, there are wide differences to different people in how they adapt to changes in their lives, especially when it affects their daily habits and routines. There changes could be as simple as having to travel to another country or something more involved such as having a new baby in the family. Some people are very adaptable and adjust to changes without missing a beat. Some people are very slow and any changes throw them out of sync.
In thinking about myself recently, I believe I am on the slow end of the scale when it comes to adapting to changes which affect my habits and routines. While I am not 100% sure why I am like this, a part of the answer lies with why people stick to habits and routines.
For some, habits and routines bring a sense of comfort and familiarity during stressful times. With the uncertainty with the economy, jobs and other things in recent years, having something to fall back to is a great benefit to many.
Alas, for the slow changers like me, getting your habits and routines disrupted can be disconcerting. I've had that happen before and trying to get back to a normal routing sometimes can be a challenge. This made me think that I need to open myself more to change and be more adaptable.
How to do that? That is the $64,000 question. If anyone had any answers, let me know!
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
20 Years / Seasons of Basketball
On a nice sunny evening here in the Bay Area, my summer basketball team open it's league season tonight with a victory. Tonight's game signaled a changing of the guard. A good number of my regular friends and teammates for much of the past 6 years / seasons were all absent. The majority of the guys who chose not to play are over 30 years old with family obligation so this was understandable.
In the place of my friends were a stable of young bucks. Tonight we had ten players present with nine out of the ten being under 30 years old. The only person over 30? ME! I originally wasn't going to play as most of my older friends were not playing. However, at the behest of one of my other teammates (whom I've played with since 2007), I decided to assume "player / coach" duties for the team.
I wasn't planning to play too much (if at all) this season and just remain a coach. Alas, the opportunity to squeeze in a few minutes proved too much of a temptation tonight. We were able to get a lead and I felt I could squeeze in a few minutes (about 15 or so) without affecting the outcome of the game too much. Overall, all the young bucks played about 20 to 25 minutes overall which was good. I hadn't seen them play much so it was good to get a feel of the team.
By playing in my team's game tonight, I have officially participated in this particular basketball league for 20 years / seasons. I first played in this league during the Summer of 1992. In total, I have played in 19 seasons with one season where I didn't play at all due to injury. I did not realize this until I got home tonight from the game.
In thinking about my participation in this league, I've seen this league grow and play in many different gyms through the years.
My first season in the league, there were only two divisions ("A - Competitive" and "B - Non Competitive") . The "A" league were primarily men while the "B" league had a mix of men, boys, women and girls. There were around 20 teams total (10 in each league) in 1992. As the league grew in the next 20 years, more men's divisions were added ("A - Platinum, "BB - Gold", "B - Silver", "C- Bronze") along with divisions for women and youths. This season, there is almost 70 total teams.
While the league has grown, it has also played in many different facilities over the years, each with their own quirks and charm.
Salvation Army 1992 to 1994 (SF Chinatown) - The gym was not regulation. The court had decent length but the 3 point line was cut off in the corners. Despite the size of the gym, "A" league games were still played in there. There was plenty of space for fans as well and it made for a great atmosphere for games. I played in my first CCU championship game here in 1994 (we lost).
Francisco Middle School 1992 to 1994 (SF North Beach) - I don't quite know if the court was high school regulation but it was pretty close. It was definitely longer and wider than Salvation Army so real basketball could be played. My best memory from this gym was when one of my then teammates hit a buzzer beating three pointer to win a game for us (45-43).
Cameron House 1994 (SF Chinatown) - Cameron House is a historic place in Chinatown. On the site of Cameron House, there are a couple of basketball courts, one downstairs and another upstairs. So while there is technically a ceiling to the lower basketball court, the court is basically outdoors as there is nothing to seal off the elements (wind / rain / etc). During 1994, the basketball league was forced to move some games to Cameron House. It was an interesting experience as there is a staircase exposed plus the court was slippery.
Washington High School 1995 (SF) - We only played one season at Washington and I don't recall anything super memorable from any of the games. The only challenge in playing at Washington was that the league was playing games side by side on two courts. Whistles from the other court could stop play on the other court.
Star Of The Sea 1995 (SF) - Like Washington, we only played one season here. Nothing particularly memorable except it was good to play on a court that I coached and officiated so many CYO games over the years.
Ben Franklin Middle School 1996 - 2004 (SF) - With two courts, Ben Franklin ably served the summer basketball league for 8 years. As a public middle school, the courts weren't particular well maintained. The courts weren't high school regulation as well but it was better than Salvation Army. I have too many memories over the years to easily share here. I was sad when the summer basketball league was forced to move away from Ben Franklin after the summer of 2004.
El Camino High School 2004 - Present (SSF) - El Camino High is like Ben Franklin with two courts. However, the courts are high school regulation and well maintained. This is easily the best facility the league has had in the years I have played. Again, there are too many memories that I can easily share here.
Lincoln High School 2005 / Holy Trinity Church 2010 - Present (SF) - A couple of other courts that were used that I don't have a lot of experience with. But the courts are regulation and the facilities are very nice.
Overall, the past 20 years / seasons have certainly gone by fast. I certainly did not remember it was my 20th year when I arrived at the gym tonight I don't know what the future holds for me in terms of playing in this particular basketball league. However, I am certainly thankful and grateful to my friends and other teammates that have allowed me to play with them over the years. Win or lose, it has always been fun. Here's to 20 more years!!!!
In the place of my friends were a stable of young bucks. Tonight we had ten players present with nine out of the ten being under 30 years old. The only person over 30? ME! I originally wasn't going to play as most of my older friends were not playing. However, at the behest of one of my other teammates (whom I've played with since 2007), I decided to assume "player / coach" duties for the team.
I wasn't planning to play too much (if at all) this season and just remain a coach. Alas, the opportunity to squeeze in a few minutes proved too much of a temptation tonight. We were able to get a lead and I felt I could squeeze in a few minutes (about 15 or so) without affecting the outcome of the game too much. Overall, all the young bucks played about 20 to 25 minutes overall which was good. I hadn't seen them play much so it was good to get a feel of the team.
By playing in my team's game tonight, I have officially participated in this particular basketball league for 20 years / seasons. I first played in this league during the Summer of 1992. In total, I have played in 19 seasons with one season where I didn't play at all due to injury. I did not realize this until I got home tonight from the game.
In thinking about my participation in this league, I've seen this league grow and play in many different gyms through the years.
My first season in the league, there were only two divisions ("A - Competitive" and "B - Non Competitive") . The "A" league were primarily men while the "B" league had a mix of men, boys, women and girls. There were around 20 teams total (10 in each league) in 1992. As the league grew in the next 20 years, more men's divisions were added ("A - Platinum, "BB - Gold", "B - Silver", "C- Bronze") along with divisions for women and youths. This season, there is almost 70 total teams.
While the league has grown, it has also played in many different facilities over the years, each with their own quirks and charm.
Salvation Army 1992 to 1994 (SF Chinatown) - The gym was not regulation. The court had decent length but the 3 point line was cut off in the corners. Despite the size of the gym, "A" league games were still played in there. There was plenty of space for fans as well and it made for a great atmosphere for games. I played in my first CCU championship game here in 1994 (we lost).
Francisco Middle School 1992 to 1994 (SF North Beach) - I don't quite know if the court was high school regulation but it was pretty close. It was definitely longer and wider than Salvation Army so real basketball could be played. My best memory from this gym was when one of my then teammates hit a buzzer beating three pointer to win a game for us (45-43).
Cameron House 1994 (SF Chinatown) - Cameron House is a historic place in Chinatown. On the site of Cameron House, there are a couple of basketball courts, one downstairs and another upstairs. So while there is technically a ceiling to the lower basketball court, the court is basically outdoors as there is nothing to seal off the elements (wind / rain / etc). During 1994, the basketball league was forced to move some games to Cameron House. It was an interesting experience as there is a staircase exposed plus the court was slippery.
Washington High School 1995 (SF) - We only played one season at Washington and I don't recall anything super memorable from any of the games. The only challenge in playing at Washington was that the league was playing games side by side on two courts. Whistles from the other court could stop play on the other court.
Star Of The Sea 1995 (SF) - Like Washington, we only played one season here. Nothing particularly memorable except it was good to play on a court that I coached and officiated so many CYO games over the years.
Ben Franklin Middle School 1996 - 2004 (SF) - With two courts, Ben Franklin ably served the summer basketball league for 8 years. As a public middle school, the courts weren't particular well maintained. The courts weren't high school regulation as well but it was better than Salvation Army. I have too many memories over the years to easily share here. I was sad when the summer basketball league was forced to move away from Ben Franklin after the summer of 2004.
El Camino High School 2004 - Present (SSF) - El Camino High is like Ben Franklin with two courts. However, the courts are high school regulation and well maintained. This is easily the best facility the league has had in the years I have played. Again, there are too many memories that I can easily share here.
Lincoln High School 2005 / Holy Trinity Church 2010 - Present (SF) - A couple of other courts that were used that I don't have a lot of experience with. But the courts are regulation and the facilities are very nice.
Overall, the past 20 years / seasons have certainly gone by fast. I certainly did not remember it was my 20th year when I arrived at the gym tonight I don't know what the future holds for me in terms of playing in this particular basketball league. However, I am certainly thankful and grateful to my friends and other teammates that have allowed me to play with them over the years. Win or lose, it has always been fun. Here's to 20 more years!!!!
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Appreciating My Friends
I won't elaborate too much right now but I had a rough week last week. A few of my friends know what happened to me but I don't feel ready to share with the public quite yet. I'm still trying to figure things out on my end as well.
However, I do feel I owe a shout out to a few of my friends who know they are. These friends listened me to talk about my issue, offered suggestions and were there for me when I needed reassurance.
However, I do feel I owe a shout out to a few of my friends who know they are. These friends listened me to talk about my issue, offered suggestions and were there for me when I needed reassurance.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Reflections on St. Mary's Class of 2003 (and college Class of 2011 & beyond)
In 1998, I embarked on a new journey. For the first time in my youth basketball coaching career, I was working with a 3rd grade girls basketball team. Prior to this, I had worked with boys and girls from 6th to 8th grade. Coaching a 3rd grade team was both an exciting challenge and a daunting challenge as well. Exciting in the sense that I got to mold the kids skills when they were young. Challenging in that I didn't feel I had all the necessary experience to work with the younger kids.
Well, I did the best I could for three seasons (1998 to 2000) and compiled a 21-13 overall record including spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons competing in the top division of the basketball league we were playing in. As the 2000 season completed, I stepped down from coaching as I had spent over 12 years as a volunteer coach with 7 different teams (boys/girls) in both assistant and head coaching capacities. The team also broke apart as several of the kids left St. Mary's for other schools. Another coach took over the next season as my former team merged with the kids from the upper grades for two seasons (plus their 8th grade season as an individual team again) and led them to several deserved championship runs.
My most enduring memory with this particular team is back during their first season in 1998. The team compiled an 8-0 league record but unfortunately another team had also finished 8-0. Instead of the usual 9 teams, there were ten teams and the schedule did not have my team play the other team. With both teams tied, we had to play a tiebreaker which my team lost 14-9. That send the other team to the championship game while my team was dropped into second place and awaited the winner of the 3rd/4th place playoff winner.
Even though my team was the second seed, we traveled to the opposing team's gym and engaged in a classic battle. With my team up 10-8 in the closing seconds, the other team banked home a shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. My team battled hard in overtime but ultimately lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to end our season.
Why would a loss be an enduring memory? The reason is that my team was always resilient and it showed in the next two seasons. We played against the best teams the league had to offer and we competed well. Some of the other teams in the league had players that ultimately played varsity for some Catholic high schools out here and I believe one even played college basketball.
This reflection comes as I noticed on Facebook that a few of the nine players that played under me are GRADUATING from college in the coming weeks. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the ones who are graduating this year. For the others who may graduating later on or even on different track from school, best of luck!
Well, I did the best I could for three seasons (1998 to 2000) and compiled a 21-13 overall record including spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons competing in the top division of the basketball league we were playing in. As the 2000 season completed, I stepped down from coaching as I had spent over 12 years as a volunteer coach with 7 different teams (boys/girls) in both assistant and head coaching capacities. The team also broke apart as several of the kids left St. Mary's for other schools. Another coach took over the next season as my former team merged with the kids from the upper grades for two seasons (plus their 8th grade season as an individual team again) and led them to several deserved championship runs.
My most enduring memory with this particular team is back during their first season in 1998. The team compiled an 8-0 league record but unfortunately another team had also finished 8-0. Instead of the usual 9 teams, there were ten teams and the schedule did not have my team play the other team. With both teams tied, we had to play a tiebreaker which my team lost 14-9. That send the other team to the championship game while my team was dropped into second place and awaited the winner of the 3rd/4th place playoff winner.
Even though my team was the second seed, we traveled to the opposing team's gym and engaged in a classic battle. With my team up 10-8 in the closing seconds, the other team banked home a shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. My team battled hard in overtime but ultimately lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to end our season.
Why would a loss be an enduring memory? The reason is that my team was always resilient and it showed in the next two seasons. We played against the best teams the league had to offer and we competed well. Some of the other teams in the league had players that ultimately played varsity for some Catholic high schools out here and I believe one even played college basketball.
This reflection comes as I noticed on Facebook that a few of the nine players that played under me are GRADUATING from college in the coming weeks. CONGRATULATIONS to all of the ones who are graduating this year. For the others who may graduating later on or even on different track from school, best of luck!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Your Perception Is Not My Reality And Vice Versa (Personal Edition)
In the last few days, a double murder and suicide at San Jose State University (SJSU) has attracted a lot of comments and speculation. Read the articles below for more information on the situation:
San Jose State killings blamed on domestic dispute
SJSU students killed in shooting to get posthumous diplomas
The comments and speculation surrounded on two items:
1.
Why a 54 year old man and a 25 year old woman be married? Love? Money? Green Card?
2.
Was the 25 year old woman and the 26 year old friend that were killed having an affair or were they just friends? They were both married though the man had separated from his wife (at least for a time).
I'm not going to comment directly on either of the questions because I don't have the answers. I'll leave that to the police / investigators to figure out. However, what I can say is this case teaches us that "Perception vs. Reality" in friendships / relationships is an important thing to consider.
For me, it is perfectly normal to just be friends with people of the opposite sex. I have plenty of friends of the female persuasion both single, attached and married (don't think I know any divorced female friends). While having friends of the opposite sex is a good thing in my mind, I've learned that things change when they are attached and especially when they are married.
The main thing is that my female friend's significant other's take priority. I don't take it personally because every other friend is probably treated the same way. However, with me being a GUY, there is additional significance that I didn't think about in my younger days.
In MY REALITY (and all of my female friends realities), there is NOTHING going on between us. That stuff we can control. What we can't control? The PERCEPTION of their significant others. Therefore, when associating with your attached/married female friends, you have to tread carefully and not give any wrong ideas that something is going on. There is no one right way to proceed as every couple of different. My female friends let me know where the lines / boundaries are and I don't ever get close to crossing them! The good news is that I know the husbands pretty well and that helps me out!
This "Perception vs Reality" issue could have been one of the things (among many others) at play here in the SJSU situation. The husband's perception was of infidelity and affair. The two young people indeed may have been just friends. However, their actions (being in a car together at 8:30 PM in the evening) may not have portrayed reality and that caused the husband to lose his mind.
The husband definitely should not have done what he did. It is unfortunate what has happened and that has caused the loss of three lives. Best wishes to the families involved in this time of grief.
San Jose State killings blamed on domestic dispute
SJSU students killed in shooting to get posthumous diplomas
The comments and speculation surrounded on two items:
1.
Why a 54 year old man and a 25 year old woman be married? Love? Money? Green Card?
2.
Was the 25 year old woman and the 26 year old friend that were killed having an affair or were they just friends? They were both married though the man had separated from his wife (at least for a time).
I'm not going to comment directly on either of the questions because I don't have the answers. I'll leave that to the police / investigators to figure out. However, what I can say is this case teaches us that "Perception vs. Reality" in friendships / relationships is an important thing to consider.
For me, it is perfectly normal to just be friends with people of the opposite sex. I have plenty of friends of the female persuasion both single, attached and married (don't think I know any divorced female friends). While having friends of the opposite sex is a good thing in my mind, I've learned that things change when they are attached and especially when they are married.
The main thing is that my female friend's significant other's take priority. I don't take it personally because every other friend is probably treated the same way. However, with me being a GUY, there is additional significance that I didn't think about in my younger days.
In MY REALITY (and all of my female friends realities), there is NOTHING going on between us. That stuff we can control. What we can't control? The PERCEPTION of their significant others. Therefore, when associating with your attached/married female friends, you have to tread carefully and not give any wrong ideas that something is going on. There is no one right way to proceed as every couple of different. My female friends let me know where the lines / boundaries are and I don't ever get close to crossing them! The good news is that I know the husbands pretty well and that helps me out!
This "Perception vs Reality" issue could have been one of the things (among many others) at play here in the SJSU situation. The husband's perception was of infidelity and affair. The two young people indeed may have been just friends. However, their actions (being in a car together at 8:30 PM in the evening) may not have portrayed reality and that caused the husband to lose his mind.
The husband definitely should not have done what he did. It is unfortunate what has happened and that has caused the loss of three lives. Best wishes to the families involved in this time of grief.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
I Am Not Young Anymore..........
As much as I like to think I am young, the fact is age is slowly creeping up on me. The reason I say that is that my knees are screaming out at the punishment I put it through today:
1. Officiated three basketball games from 9 AM until 12:30 PM
2. Played pick up basketball with friends from 2 PM until 5 PM
In fact, this past Spring, I have put my body through some punishment:
1.
Officiated a JV basketball game at 4:30 PM, played an adult league basketball game at 8 PM at one gym, and played another game at 10 PM at another gym.
2.
Played in TWO tournaments this past Spring plus played in a Monday night league. That equated to playing FOUR games in 3 Days after the first tournament and playing FIVE games in 3 days after the second tournament.
I used to officiate and play basketball afterwards on Saturday frequently but I don't do it as much anymore. My legs have trouble taking the punishment and eventually I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do in the future.
For now, I'll ice down my knees and get some rest. :)
1. Officiated three basketball games from 9 AM until 12:30 PM
2. Played pick up basketball with friends from 2 PM until 5 PM
In fact, this past Spring, I have put my body through some punishment:
1.
Officiated a JV basketball game at 4:30 PM, played an adult league basketball game at 8 PM at one gym, and played another game at 10 PM at another gym.
2.
Played in TWO tournaments this past Spring plus played in a Monday night league. That equated to playing FOUR games in 3 Days after the first tournament and playing FIVE games in 3 days after the second tournament.
I used to officiate and play basketball afterwards on Saturday frequently but I don't do it as much anymore. My legs have trouble taking the punishment and eventually I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do in the future.
For now, I'll ice down my knees and get some rest. :)
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Enjoying The Simple Things.....
Today was a great day and not because of anything super special I did. Firstly, I met up an old friend for lunch and we caught up on our happenings over the past couple of months. My friend had been busy with work and went on vacation while I had been busy with my various things so we hadn't talked on the phone or met in person in a while. It didn't really bother me as my friend will always reach out to me when time permits and it was just a matter of time we met up again.
After lunch, I had to go home to take care of some personal business for a short while. After that, I left my car at home and took a walk around my neighborhood. I had planned to take a walk to the shopping center (2 miles away) but thought it might be too much effort to hit the mall. Instead, I took a pit stop at a local strip mall. There were some chairs so I sat down and just enjoyed the sun and the small breeze.
After a little while, I walked back home and got a call from another friend. I chatted with my friend for a while before having dinner.
While I didn't really do anything particularly special, I loved catching up with my friends and having some solo time to myself. :)
After lunch, I had to go home to take care of some personal business for a short while. After that, I left my car at home and took a walk around my neighborhood. I had planned to take a walk to the shopping center (2 miles away) but thought it might be too much effort to hit the mall. Instead, I took a pit stop at a local strip mall. There were some chairs so I sat down and just enjoyed the sun and the small breeze.
After a little while, I walked back home and got a call from another friend. I chatted with my friend for a while before having dinner.
While I didn't really do anything particularly special, I loved catching up with my friends and having some solo time to myself. :)
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Some Days You WIll Never Forget / Osama Bin Laded Killed
There are some days in your life you never forget. For me, a couple of days stand out:
October 17th, 1989 - The Day of the Loma Prieta Earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park in SF for a cross country meet when the earthquake struck at 5:04 PM. Not being close to buildings, I wasn't aware at how large the earthquake was until my team and I left the park and saw the power out. It took me several hours to get home due to buses getting delayed with power all over the City.
September 11th, 2001 - This day began as any other day for me. I was up at about 4:30 AM and got on a commuter train to go to work at 5 AM or so. I spent an hour on the train and another 30 to 45 minutes on a shuttle to get to my office. Obviously, as I was commuting to work, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York had started but I had no idea.
I arrived at the office to a co-worker telling me that a plane had hit the Twin Towers in New York. My co-worker thought it was a small plane. As I tried to get onto CNN's website to see what was going on, I COULD NOT. I tried a few other news sites and had the same problem. Obviously something major had happened. It would be a few hours later when the news finally broke. My co-workers and I spent most of the day in disbelief.
May 1st, 2011 - Let's add May 1st, 2011 to the list of days you never forget. On this day, President Barack Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden (leader of Al Queda and person who plotted 9/11 attacks) was killed in a US Military operation. I'll save the whole political discussion about this news for a later time, but it definitely is a historic day.
October 17th, 1989 - The Day of the Loma Prieta Earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was at the Polo Fields at Golden Gate Park in SF for a cross country meet when the earthquake struck at 5:04 PM. Not being close to buildings, I wasn't aware at how large the earthquake was until my team and I left the park and saw the power out. It took me several hours to get home due to buses getting delayed with power all over the City.
September 11th, 2001 - This day began as any other day for me. I was up at about 4:30 AM and got on a commuter train to go to work at 5 AM or so. I spent an hour on the train and another 30 to 45 minutes on a shuttle to get to my office. Obviously, as I was commuting to work, the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York had started but I had no idea.
I arrived at the office to a co-worker telling me that a plane had hit the Twin Towers in New York. My co-worker thought it was a small plane. As I tried to get onto CNN's website to see what was going on, I COULD NOT. I tried a few other news sites and had the same problem. Obviously something major had happened. It would be a few hours later when the news finally broke. My co-workers and I spent most of the day in disbelief.
May 1st, 2011 - Let's add May 1st, 2011 to the list of days you never forget. On this day, President Barack Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden (leader of Al Queda and person who plotted 9/11 attacks) was killed in a US Military operation. I'll save the whole political discussion about this news for a later time, but it definitely is a historic day.
The Introverted Extrovert
Recently, I received an email from an author. The author had written a couple of books that I had read. The subject was interesting enough that I took a class from the author about a year or so ago and he keeps in touch every now and then with folks who have taken his class.
In reading the author's email, I stumbled upon an interesting article published in the Boston Globe:
The Power Of Lonely (may require registration to read the article)
In this article, the author surmises that certain tasks and though processes are better done ALONE than other people around. In fact, the article suggests that the most developed personalities and leaders are the people who devote the appropriate time to taking some solitude for themselves.
How this applies to myself? I was a pretty shy and introverted kid during my early school years though I improved as I went through high school and college. It wasn't that I didn't talk to anyone. It's just that I talked to people I felt comfortable with but I didn't particularly branch out much. Especially during my years leading into high school, I didn't have a lot of hang out friends.
Thanks to an old friend from high school, I broke the mold and she became one of my early friends that I hung out with and talked to a lot (though that friendship has since faded into the sunset). It was from this friend that I met some people that are still my friends today. With a few of the friends, we don't hang out as much as we used to because they have families and other things to concern themselves with.
The thing that has changed is that I am now much more of an extrovert. I find myself curious about everyone I meet and I could hold a conversation on just about anything if given a chance. So while some of my older friends are busy, I have simply branched out to other folks and life goes on. The best example was during my birthday a few weeks ago. I was out with no less than three groups of friends (with some friends crossing over into more than one group).
I've got a reputation among some friends that I like to talk a lot. It's a reputation that I've earned because in the past I have spent a ton of time with my friends on the phone (and still do with some people). But as I have gotten older, I don't feel I need to talk to my friends as much.
I also need that ALONE TIME that is mentioned in the article above. With this alone time, I do a great many things. I read, I mediate, I write/blog, I take photos or just do whatever comes to mind. I think this may surprise people for my reputation among my more recent friends is being a talker, basketball / sports person and or just a very socially active person. All of this is true to a certain extent.
However, I am easily comfortable with being alone and going off to do whatever I want to do myself. It's been a while since I've done so but I have seen movies alone previously. Since I am currently unemployed, I may hit up some movies that have come out recently.
Everyone should take some away time for themselves. I understand this more than I did when I was younger. It's very beneficial and something you should work into your life schedule.
In reading the author's email, I stumbled upon an interesting article published in the Boston Globe:
The Power Of Lonely (may require registration to read the article)
In this article, the author surmises that certain tasks and though processes are better done ALONE than other people around. In fact, the article suggests that the most developed personalities and leaders are the people who devote the appropriate time to taking some solitude for themselves.
How this applies to myself? I was a pretty shy and introverted kid during my early school years though I improved as I went through high school and college. It wasn't that I didn't talk to anyone. It's just that I talked to people I felt comfortable with but I didn't particularly branch out much. Especially during my years leading into high school, I didn't have a lot of hang out friends.
Thanks to an old friend from high school, I broke the mold and she became one of my early friends that I hung out with and talked to a lot (though that friendship has since faded into the sunset). It was from this friend that I met some people that are still my friends today. With a few of the friends, we don't hang out as much as we used to because they have families and other things to concern themselves with.
The thing that has changed is that I am now much more of an extrovert. I find myself curious about everyone I meet and I could hold a conversation on just about anything if given a chance. So while some of my older friends are busy, I have simply branched out to other folks and life goes on. The best example was during my birthday a few weeks ago. I was out with no less than three groups of friends (with some friends crossing over into more than one group).
I've got a reputation among some friends that I like to talk a lot. It's a reputation that I've earned because in the past I have spent a ton of time with my friends on the phone (and still do with some people). But as I have gotten older, I don't feel I need to talk to my friends as much.
I also need that ALONE TIME that is mentioned in the article above. With this alone time, I do a great many things. I read, I mediate, I write/blog, I take photos or just do whatever comes to mind. I think this may surprise people for my reputation among my more recent friends is being a talker, basketball / sports person and or just a very socially active person. All of this is true to a certain extent.
However, I am easily comfortable with being alone and going off to do whatever I want to do myself. It's been a while since I've done so but I have seen movies alone previously. Since I am currently unemployed, I may hit up some movies that have come out recently.
Everyone should take some away time for themselves. I understand this more than I did when I was younger. It's very beneficial and something you should work into your life schedule.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Bell's Palsy / Watching Over Our Parents
About two weeks ago, I was home and my mom complained to me that her face was a little distorted and that she was having trouble swallowing food and spitting things out of mouth. Upon taking a look at her, my mom's face was indeed a little "distorted". But beyond those symptoms, she seemed to be fine. She was walking, talking and otherwise moving around without any problems. Alas, she had told me relatively late in the day so it was too late to call the doctor to schedule an appointment. My mom didn't think it was serious so she initially wanted to just rest and let things heal on it's own.
On other hand, while she seemed OK, I insisted she call and schedule an appointment with her doctor the next day. During the evening, I did some research online and discovered something called Bell's Palsy. Bell's Palsy is inflammation of some facial nerves which cause partial paralysis on one side of the face. That is why my mom's face looked a little distorted because the facial muscles were locked into place. There is no direct correlation with Bell's Palsy and getting a stroke. The good news is that the majority of the paralysis eventually goes away over time though some medication is involved.
At the doctor's office the next day, it was confirmed that my mom had gotten Bell's Palsy (which could occur for many reasons) and not a stroke. In thinking about things, it was silly to not have my mom checked up earlier though.
Unfortunately, as all our parents age, we have to keep an eye on them for sometimes they don't know what is going on. While my mom seems OK now, I am keeping a close eye on her just in case. It's good that I am unemployed and have time to be at home.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Appreciate Every Moment, For It Will Never Come Again......
Last night, in my Monday Night Open Division spring basketball league, my team (Red) defeated our opponents (White) 64-48 to advance to the league championship game next week. My team led the game from beginning to end and there was not a lot of drama. It was a stark contrast to the Fall season, when my team (who was also Red) had to rally from a 10 point deficit to win and make it to the championship game.
Having made it to the championship and winning it last season, I didn't put any particular importance to my team's win last night. However, one of my teammates and I were talking afterward and he pointed out that he would now be playing in his fourth consecutive championship game in the league. I thought that was interesting and it got me to remember that I myself would be playing in my THIRD consecutive championship game in the league as well (all on the same team as the guy I was talking to). That made me appreciate our win last night a lot more!
The other interesting thing I did yesterday was to hang out with my friend. We didn't do anything super noteworthy. We had lunch, talked and collected points that got us some rewards. I should mention I used those rewards to buy something today! While my friend and I didn't do anything crazy, it was definitely a unique experience that I appreciated a lot.
The point in all of this? Even in moments of life that you don't necessarily think is important, they are all unique and should be appreciated. For someone who didn't win my first championship in this particular league until last fall, it surprises me that I am now playing in my third consecutive championship game.
If I were to somehow were to repeat playing in three consecutive basketball league championship games again in the future, it would be under different circumstances and an entirely new experience.
Remember to appreciate every moment (good or bad) in life for once it passes, you'll never get a chance to experience it exactly the same again!
Having made it to the championship and winning it last season, I didn't put any particular importance to my team's win last night. However, one of my teammates and I were talking afterward and he pointed out that he would now be playing in his fourth consecutive championship game in the league. I thought that was interesting and it got me to remember that I myself would be playing in my THIRD consecutive championship game in the league as well (all on the same team as the guy I was talking to). That made me appreciate our win last night a lot more!
The other interesting thing I did yesterday was to hang out with my friend. We didn't do anything super noteworthy. We had lunch, talked and collected points that got us some rewards. I should mention I used those rewards to buy something today! While my friend and I didn't do anything crazy, it was definitely a unique experience that I appreciated a lot.
The point in all of this? Even in moments of life that you don't necessarily think is important, they are all unique and should be appreciated. For someone who didn't win my first championship in this particular league until last fall, it surprises me that I am now playing in my third consecutive championship game.
If I were to somehow were to repeat playing in three consecutive basketball league championship games again in the future, it would be under different circumstances and an entirely new experience.
Remember to appreciate every moment (good or bad) in life for once it passes, you'll never get a chance to experience it exactly the same again!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I Love Vegetables!!
It's a bit of an odd topic tonight but I can be pretty random sometimes! In thinking of my diet these days, I can't imagine NOT eating vegetables. I eat bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, corn and just about any vegetable out there. There is one minor exception. I've never been a fan of eggplant.
In thinking about my life, I don't if I always had vegetables. In my younger days, my mom usually cooked vegetables at home but I didn't make a point to eat vegetables outside of home. In fact, when I was grammar and middle school, I eat a LOT of McDonald's fast food for lunch.
When I got to high school, I started to learn a little more about a healthy diet. Because I ran cross country (and was a fencer), our coach encouraged us to get more carbohydrates. That's when I started eating a ton of pasta. In fact, since my layoff, my default lunch at home is usually a bowl of pasta.
In recent years, as I got older, I realized eating healthy was important. I'll still get some occasional fast food but for the most part, I try to get vegetables in my diet as much as possible. If I brought in lunch to work, I'd make sure there would be some vegetables (left overs or frozen). If I went out to buy lunch, I'd usually pick meals with some sort of vegetable present even if it was fast food.
When eating dinner at home, my mom still makes a ton of vegetables which I gladly consume. The funny thing is that I am not really a salad person. I'll eat one every now and then (Fresh Choice is good) but I don't out of my way to eat a salad.
While American culture is typically a meat and potatoes one (and I let meat and potatoes), vegetables are also an important part. If you don't eat vegetables frequently, you should try. They are quite good for you!
In thinking about my life, I don't if I always had vegetables. In my younger days, my mom usually cooked vegetables at home but I didn't make a point to eat vegetables outside of home. In fact, when I was grammar and middle school, I eat a LOT of McDonald's fast food for lunch.
When I got to high school, I started to learn a little more about a healthy diet. Because I ran cross country (and was a fencer), our coach encouraged us to get more carbohydrates. That's when I started eating a ton of pasta. In fact, since my layoff, my default lunch at home is usually a bowl of pasta.
In recent years, as I got older, I realized eating healthy was important. I'll still get some occasional fast food but for the most part, I try to get vegetables in my diet as much as possible. If I brought in lunch to work, I'd make sure there would be some vegetables (left overs or frozen). If I went out to buy lunch, I'd usually pick meals with some sort of vegetable present even if it was fast food.
When eating dinner at home, my mom still makes a ton of vegetables which I gladly consume. The funny thing is that I am not really a salad person. I'll eat one every now and then (Fresh Choice is good) but I don't out of my way to eat a salad.
While American culture is typically a meat and potatoes one (and I let meat and potatoes), vegetables are also an important part. If you don't eat vegetables frequently, you should try. They are quite good for you!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
2.99 GPA And Some Old College Memories.........
It's been a couple of weeks since my layoff and all is good in my world. There's been a few job leads but I am not overly concerned about how they turn out. I've taken my time to finish up my final paperwork to complete my departure from my company, clean up the house a bit and just relax a bit.
One other thing I've been doing is researching information on graduate school. There's one program that I had looked at during my last layoff back in April 2009. However, when I got rehired at my old job in September of 2009, I didn't look at the graduate school program again. With the layoff hitting me again though, I am seriously looking at graduate school again.
In doing my research yesterday, I found out that the graduate program I was considering requires a 3.0 GPA. That was a bit of a downer as I knew my overall GPA from college was around 2.86. In digging a little further, I found out that the graduate program was just looking at my last 60 semester units. That made feel a little better as I had done better in the last couple of years before I graduate than my earlier years.
I had pull up my old transcripts from college and upon doing the math, my overall GPA from my last 62 units was.........2.99! That was pretty frustrating and got me to think "What if I had done better in this one class or another class?" Alas, those thoughts didn't stick around long as there's nothing I can do about it now.
However, in reviewing my old college transcript, it did bring up an old memory I hadn't thought about in a while (and it could have made a difference in my last 62 unit GPA). There was a class that I had received a grade of C in that I should have gotten at least a B instead.
What had happened was the lecturer graded the class on a curve. Usually, when a class is graded on a curve, it's to help the students on the lower end of the grading scale to pass. I think most of my fellow classmates thought the same. However, when the final grades were distributed after our final, I was given a C grade despite scoring 85% (or somewhere around there) in the class. Basically, our lecturer had went on a curve and RAISED the standards since the class was not terribly difficult.
I wasn't the only one who got stuck with a C in the 85% range. A bunch of classmates tried to complain but it didn't get us anywhere as the lecturer had warned us upfront he was grading on a curve. Who would have though that class could have implications over 13 years later?
All complaining aside though, with a 2.99 GPA, it looks like I will have to take a class, get an A, and get my GPA about 3.0 to apply for the graduate program I was looking at. While this is a little frustrating, it is also a benefit. I haven't been in school in a while so taking a class to boost my GPA will also get me back into school mode.
One other thing I've been doing is researching information on graduate school. There's one program that I had looked at during my last layoff back in April 2009. However, when I got rehired at my old job in September of 2009, I didn't look at the graduate school program again. With the layoff hitting me again though, I am seriously looking at graduate school again.
In doing my research yesterday, I found out that the graduate program I was considering requires a 3.0 GPA. That was a bit of a downer as I knew my overall GPA from college was around 2.86. In digging a little further, I found out that the graduate program was just looking at my last 60 semester units. That made feel a little better as I had done better in the last couple of years before I graduate than my earlier years.
I had pull up my old transcripts from college and upon doing the math, my overall GPA from my last 62 units was.........2.99! That was pretty frustrating and got me to think "What if I had done better in this one class or another class?" Alas, those thoughts didn't stick around long as there's nothing I can do about it now.
However, in reviewing my old college transcript, it did bring up an old memory I hadn't thought about in a while (and it could have made a difference in my last 62 unit GPA). There was a class that I had received a grade of C in that I should have gotten at least a B instead.
What had happened was the lecturer graded the class on a curve. Usually, when a class is graded on a curve, it's to help the students on the lower end of the grading scale to pass. I think most of my fellow classmates thought the same. However, when the final grades were distributed after our final, I was given a C grade despite scoring 85% (or somewhere around there) in the class. Basically, our lecturer had went on a curve and RAISED the standards since the class was not terribly difficult.
I wasn't the only one who got stuck with a C in the 85% range. A bunch of classmates tried to complain but it didn't get us anywhere as the lecturer had warned us upfront he was grading on a curve. Who would have though that class could have implications over 13 years later?
All complaining aside though, with a 2.99 GPA, it looks like I will have to take a class, get an A, and get my GPA about 3.0 to apply for the graduate program I was looking at. While this is a little frustrating, it is also a benefit. I haven't been in school in a while so taking a class to boost my GPA will also get me back into school mode.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Opening Up To Different Perspectives.......
From my youth through my high school days, I didn't really have a lot of close friends. I had some buddies I hung out with but not being with the popular crowd, I didn't really have someone I talked to consistently about "life issues".
Toward the end of my high school years, I finally found one really good friend and we remained close for many years. I talked to this particular friend about most (if not all) of my life issues for the duration of our friendship. Alas, as this friend lived in the East Coast, distance and life in general spelled the end of this particular friendship.
Unlike my younger days, I had met some other friends throughout my college years and many of them remain my friends today. These friends are usually the first ones I go to and discuss my life issues with. As I have grown up and matured, I realized I don't need to talk to my friends about "every thing" that happens in my life.
However, as I have matured, I have realized that I don't have to just rely on my "close friends" for perspective on things. I am fortunate to have a HUGE circle of people to draw from. I can draw on my fellow basketball players or officials for perspective on things. In fact, tonight I officiated some basketball games with a fellow official who had been laid off in January. That was definitely a topic of discussion because of my recent layoff.
Last night, I spent a good amount of time talking to the girlfriend of one of the guys I play basketball with. She's quite a few years younger than me but awfully mature and we had some nice discussions over a few different topics.
My friends like to make fun of me in the fact that I "talk a lot". There is some element of truth to this as I do like talking to my friends on the phone. What some of my friends haven't seen is that I just don't talk to "shoot the breeze". I have realized I have a natural curiosity over many things and I can discuss almost any topic under the sun.
So while my close friends will remain my close friends, I am 100% open to talking to others about anything they want to talk about or if something catches my fancy. It's actually quite refreshing!
Toward the end of my high school years, I finally found one really good friend and we remained close for many years. I talked to this particular friend about most (if not all) of my life issues for the duration of our friendship. Alas, as this friend lived in the East Coast, distance and life in general spelled the end of this particular friendship.
Unlike my younger days, I had met some other friends throughout my college years and many of them remain my friends today. These friends are usually the first ones I go to and discuss my life issues with. As I have grown up and matured, I realized I don't need to talk to my friends about "every thing" that happens in my life.
However, as I have matured, I have realized that I don't have to just rely on my "close friends" for perspective on things. I am fortunate to have a HUGE circle of people to draw from. I can draw on my fellow basketball players or officials for perspective on things. In fact, tonight I officiated some basketball games with a fellow official who had been laid off in January. That was definitely a topic of discussion because of my recent layoff.
Last night, I spent a good amount of time talking to the girlfriend of one of the guys I play basketball with. She's quite a few years younger than me but awfully mature and we had some nice discussions over a few different topics.
My friends like to make fun of me in the fact that I "talk a lot". There is some element of truth to this as I do like talking to my friends on the phone. What some of my friends haven't seen is that I just don't talk to "shoot the breeze". I have realized I have a natural curiosity over many things and I can discuss almost any topic under the sun.
So while my close friends will remain my close friends, I am 100% open to talking to others about anything they want to talk about or if something catches my fancy. It's actually quite refreshing!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
A Different Level Of Basketball......
Today concluded a super busy weekend for me. I formed a team to play in a Easter basketball tournament and we played two games Saturday and two games Sunday. In addition, I met up some friends for dinner after the tournament Saturday and I attended an NBA game after the tournament on Sunday.
Overall, I felt the tournament was a success. My team consisted of two separate groups of people who I played with previously and we meshed together pretty well. We won two games and lost two games to finish in 3rd place.
My team was really a middle of the road team in this tourney and it was reflected in the games we won, the games we lost and how we finished. My team had plenty of guys who have played league basketball before but not at a super high level. We also had a couple of guys who didn't play much organized basketball before but we were able to make up for it.
In first game we won Saturday, we beat an older but somewhat inexperienced team. This team was pretty tough inside but struggled with their shots and our team played solidly enough to pull off the win. In the second game we won today, we played a young and inexperienced team. My team didn't play particularly well but had enough in the tank to knock off the young kids.
However, the two losses reflected many of my team's weaknesses. In our first loss on Saturday, we played some early to mid 20's guys who just ran circles around my team offensively and defensively. Their youth and athleticism was just too much of our team to overcome.
In our second loss this afternoon, we played a mixed team with vets (over 35), guys in their prime (25 to 30) and young kids. The story of this game? Defense. The mixed team came out in their man to man defense and suffocated my team. We were just not used to the level of defense that was being played. The older guys used their experience to clog all our passing lanes and contested all of our shots. The younger guys took advantage of our tired legs on offense. This was a tough game and showed why defense is so important in basketball.
In both cases, if my team had played more together and got more time to gel, we might have a better chance against the more organized teams. Alas, my team was just playing on the fly and that was why we struggled against the better teams. As it turned out, the two teams we lost to this weekend ended up playing the championship with the mixed team beating the young kids in overtime.
My days of competitive basketball are winding down but it was fun play in the tournament with my team.
Overall, I felt the tournament was a success. My team consisted of two separate groups of people who I played with previously and we meshed together pretty well. We won two games and lost two games to finish in 3rd place.
My team was really a middle of the road team in this tourney and it was reflected in the games we won, the games we lost and how we finished. My team had plenty of guys who have played league basketball before but not at a super high level. We also had a couple of guys who didn't play much organized basketball before but we were able to make up for it.
In first game we won Saturday, we beat an older but somewhat inexperienced team. This team was pretty tough inside but struggled with their shots and our team played solidly enough to pull off the win. In the second game we won today, we played a young and inexperienced team. My team didn't play particularly well but had enough in the tank to knock off the young kids.
However, the two losses reflected many of my team's weaknesses. In our first loss on Saturday, we played some early to mid 20's guys who just ran circles around my team offensively and defensively. Their youth and athleticism was just too much of our team to overcome.
In our second loss this afternoon, we played a mixed team with vets (over 35), guys in their prime (25 to 30) and young kids. The story of this game? Defense. The mixed team came out in their man to man defense and suffocated my team. We were just not used to the level of defense that was being played. The older guys used their experience to clog all our passing lanes and contested all of our shots. The younger guys took advantage of our tired legs on offense. This was a tough game and showed why defense is so important in basketball.
In both cases, if my team had played more together and got more time to gel, we might have a better chance against the more organized teams. Alas, my team was just playing on the fly and that was why we struggled against the better teams. As it turned out, the two teams we lost to this weekend ended up playing the championship with the mixed team beating the young kids in overtime.
My days of competitive basketball are winding down but it was fun play in the tournament with my team.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Quote Of The Day
"If you're on the path you're meant to be on, everything falls into place; the Universe is telling you that. If you are not on the right path, you will experience roadblocks all along the way, and this is also the Universe telling you to stop, look, and ask if this is where you are supposed to be."
— James Van Praagh
This quote was something I shared with a friend a while back. With my layoff, I was thinking about this a bit. The layoff is obviously a rather large roadblock. So while I am poking around for job leads related to what I've been doing, I am taking some time to think about the distant future and see if the "Universe" / "God" / "Whatever suits you" has plans for me.
I'll let you know when I figure out what my plans are!
— James Van Praagh
This quote was something I shared with a friend a while back. With my layoff, I was thinking about this a bit. The layoff is obviously a rather large roadblock. So while I am poking around for job leads related to what I've been doing, I am taking some time to think about the distant future and see if the "Universe" / "God" / "Whatever suits you" has plans for me.
I'll let you know when I figure out what my plans are!
Thursday, April 07, 2011
The Layoff Aftermath
It's a late Wednesday evening / Thursday morning as I write this. It will be a week since I unexpectedly got laid off from my job. While the title of this posting makes it sound like something bad or bad happened after my layoff, in reality NOTHING earth shattering happened.
I didn't jump off a cliff, bang my head against a wall or curse out my luck, bosses or anything else for that matter. I talked about things with a few people last Thursday. I wasn't too emotional and was pretty rational trying to figure out what exactly happened.
The next day was my birthday and I spent my day relaxing. I had lunch with my parents and went shopping at the local mall for a while before going home to rest for a bit. I then headed out to dinner / dessert with friends and had a good time. While my layoff was discussed, I didn't express my bitterness and actually was my normal jovial self.
Saturday, I spent the day officiating basketball before going to dinner with another group of friends for another birthday celebration. This time, the celebration was for two other folks plus me. Once again the layoff was discussed but not too long.
Monday, I replied back to a ton of emails from my former co-workers who expressed disbelief at my layoff and gave me some best wishes. I also took care of submitting my unemployment papers as well. Though I was not intending to job hunt, I ran across some job postings so I reviewed them as well.
Tuesday, I spent time reviewing my severance papers and understanding what I was signing. I have to return the papers in the next couple of days to complete from departure from my company.
Wednesday, I actually started the job hunt by talking to a recruiter. The recruiter actually had two leads for jobs and I got another email later with another lead. Whether they will come to fruition is another story but it's good to see I have some options.
As Thursday dawns, everything is all positive on my end. I left my job last week in a state of disbelief. In the week sense, I've gotten over it and moved on. Sometimes when these roadblocks occur, it is life telling you that you should going another direction. What that direction is I don't know 100% yet.
However, I am in the process of figuring it out and will take everyone once I decide which way I am going. :)
I didn't jump off a cliff, bang my head against a wall or curse out my luck, bosses or anything else for that matter. I talked about things with a few people last Thursday. I wasn't too emotional and was pretty rational trying to figure out what exactly happened.
The next day was my birthday and I spent my day relaxing. I had lunch with my parents and went shopping at the local mall for a while before going home to rest for a bit. I then headed out to dinner / dessert with friends and had a good time. While my layoff was discussed, I didn't express my bitterness and actually was my normal jovial self.
Saturday, I spent the day officiating basketball before going to dinner with another group of friends for another birthday celebration. This time, the celebration was for two other folks plus me. Once again the layoff was discussed but not too long.
Monday, I replied back to a ton of emails from my former co-workers who expressed disbelief at my layoff and gave me some best wishes. I also took care of submitting my unemployment papers as well. Though I was not intending to job hunt, I ran across some job postings so I reviewed them as well.
Tuesday, I spent time reviewing my severance papers and understanding what I was signing. I have to return the papers in the next couple of days to complete from departure from my company.
Wednesday, I actually started the job hunt by talking to a recruiter. The recruiter actually had two leads for jobs and I got another email later with another lead. Whether they will come to fruition is another story but it's good to see I have some options.
As Thursday dawns, everything is all positive on my end. I left my job last week in a state of disbelief. In the week sense, I've gotten over it and moved on. Sometimes when these roadblocks occur, it is life telling you that you should going another direction. What that direction is I don't know 100% yet.
However, I am in the process of figuring it out and will take everyone once I decide which way I am going. :)
Monday, April 04, 2011
In Sales, It's All About The "Numbers"
In just about any job, you generally have a set of general company goals and employee specific goals that you are evaluated against. These evaluations will determine many things such as raises or even if you KEEP your job (for those that do their jobs poorly).
Salespeople likely have these same things but there is ONE overriding factor above all else: The dreaded QUOTA. What is a quota? The amount of revenue (aka "dollars") that is required to be brought in by a salesperson over a given time period (monthly, quarterly, etc).
If you've ever wondered why salespeople are so pushy when it comes to homes, cars or other things they sell, the quota is the reason why. If salespeople don't meet their quota consistently, they don't have a job. Sales is a tough job and I've asked various salespeople why they work in the industry. The respond that they like the challenge of selling and the excitement of closing a large deal.
The flip side of this is that even if the salesperson does everything 100% correctly, their jobs and livelihood could depend on the consumer signing the contract. Imagine if all your jobs were dependent on others?? The only other job I can think of that could even be close if Project Managers. Project Manager have to depend on other people to get their jobs without being their direct manager. That poses challenges in of itself.
Prior to my time as a Sales Engineer, I didn't really understand the sales process and what salespeople went through. As I've been supporting a sales team for the past few years, I've gotten a great understanding of what the salespeople go through on a daily basis and they have earned my respect.
Salespeople likely have these same things but there is ONE overriding factor above all else: The dreaded QUOTA. What is a quota? The amount of revenue (aka "dollars") that is required to be brought in by a salesperson over a given time period (monthly, quarterly, etc).
If you've ever wondered why salespeople are so pushy when it comes to homes, cars or other things they sell, the quota is the reason why. If salespeople don't meet their quota consistently, they don't have a job. Sales is a tough job and I've asked various salespeople why they work in the industry. The respond that they like the challenge of selling and the excitement of closing a large deal.
The flip side of this is that even if the salesperson does everything 100% correctly, their jobs and livelihood could depend on the consumer signing the contract. Imagine if all your jobs were dependent on others?? The only other job I can think of that could even be close if Project Managers. Project Manager have to depend on other people to get their jobs without being their direct manager. That poses challenges in of itself.
Prior to my time as a Sales Engineer, I didn't really understand the sales process and what salespeople went through. As I've been supporting a sales team for the past few years, I've gotten a great understanding of what the salespeople go through on a daily basis and they have earned my respect.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Life has a way of repeating itself
This morning, I was informed by HR and my team VP that my job position was being eliminated due to budget cuts. This was not pleasant for several reasons.
One, I had already gone through his once before two years ago to the day. The reasons in 2009 were the same as they were today. It was about the budget and not about my performance.
Two, as with two years ago, tomorrow is my birthday. Of course with the end of the month and quarter coming, there is nothing that could be done with the timing.
I leave with my head held high. I had my struggles last year but worked through them as best as I could. Many people in my office and team were surprised that I was let go.
What's next? In the short term, going to enjoy my birthday the next few days as I have some dinners. Beyond that, we will see. I will take some time off and focus on some hobbies (not basketball as I do that enough). I may jump into photography more and get back into sportswriting a bit.
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One, I had already gone through his once before two years ago to the day. The reasons in 2009 were the same as they were today. It was about the budget and not about my performance.
Two, as with two years ago, tomorrow is my birthday. Of course with the end of the month and quarter coming, there is nothing that could be done with the timing.
I leave with my head held high. I had my struggles last year but worked through them as best as I could. Many people in my office and team were surprised that I was let go.
What's next? In the short term, going to enjoy my birthday the next few days as I have some dinners. Beyond that, we will see. I will take some time off and focus on some hobbies (not basketball as I do that enough). I may jump into photography more and get back into sportswriting a bit.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Enjoying the simple things in life
Up in Tahoe this weekend and having a food time. My friends and I are keeping things simple. While most of us have experience skiing and snowboarding, it was bypassed this time die to logistics. There'd were kids and elders where they wouldn't able to participate much in skiing and snowboarding.
While there wasn't adrenaline based activities, we did have fun in the snow and just hanging playing pool and board games.
This goes to show that hang out activities do not have to be extreme to have a good time. That is the general attitude I take with my friends. Let's enjoy ourselves whether we are hanging out or just talking on the phone. After all, as long as we enjoy what we are doing, it doesn't matter what the actual activity is.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
While there wasn't adrenaline based activities, we did have fun in the snow and just hanging playing pool and board games.
This goes to show that hang out activities do not have to be extreme to have a good time. That is the general attitude I take with my friends. Let's enjoy ourselves whether we are hanging out or just talking on the phone. After all, as long as we enjoy what we are doing, it doesn't matter what the actual activity is.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, March 25, 2011
Shoveling Snow In Lake Tahoe
In Tahoe with friends and the house we are staying at is full of snow. We are shoveling away to clear the driveway so we can park our cars.
How do people do this constantly in the east coast do this?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
How do people do this constantly in the east coast do this?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Five Years And Four Months Ago......
Five Years and Four Months is a long time. That would put things around the month of December in the year 2005.
Looking back at December of 2005, I was still employed at SBC Internet though unknown to me at that time, I would leave about 5 months later for a job at a startup. I was still officiating high school basketball at that time as well.
But looking back at that time there was going to be a significant change in life for me. During December of that year, I had went to Las Vegas to hang out with a old school friend who had flown in from the East Coast on a work assignment. That would also be the LAST time I would hang out with my friend. It was a few weeks later when I lost my cool and put a chill on our long time friendship.
In looking back, the situation should not have been unexpected. My friend and I had gotten into a disagreement a few years prior. Though we had settled the issue, I had personally grown a bit disenchanted with my friend. The distance between us was great and I put in a lot of effort into the friendship which I didn't think my friend reciprocated.
Five years and four months later, I can see clearly now that the break in this particular friendship needed to happen. There are a few reasons for this.
One, I had become too dependent on my high school friend over the years. I had made them my best friend. I talked to this person about everything and asked for advice. Alas, my friend didn't look at me this way. I knew this but still treated them in a slightly one sided fashion. While I had a few other friends, I had neglected developing them very well.
Two, I wasn't a very mature person and perhaps I was being selfish in expecting a lot from my old friend. Plus, I was narrow minded and didn't consider other alternatives in the form of other communication methods or just talking to other friends.
In looking back at how this broken friendship benefitted me, I can see a few things:
One, I expanded my myself from ONE best friend to several groups of friends. There's a few different groups of people I hang out with. They may be groups of old friends, basketball buddies or just other folks I have met over time. I have a couple of old friends I talk to the most on the phone.
Two, with experience comes wisdom and with wisdom comes maturity. With maturity comes the realization that life isn't just about YOU! I was a little selfish with my friend back in 2005. I've realized that for a while now. It just didn't occur to me how much!
In the old days, I would call my old friend every couple of days just to jabber about stuff and ask advice. These days, if I am lucky, I'll talk to my two old friends once a week. In fact, one of my old friends and I haven't talked in about a MONTH recently due to work. Yet, I've emailed and texted them to say hi.
This particular friend of mine is great about calling back and when they don't call back, it usually means they are pretty busy. I've been mature enough to accept this and continue on with life until we touch base again.
I could go on all night but let me summarize. Things in life do happen for a reason. The broken friendship was NOT fun at all. Yet as I look back at the friendships I built and some maturity I've gained in recent years, it was a required process that I had to go through.
Though I probably hurt my old friend and may need to make amends one day, the learning process was definitely something I needed to go through.
Looking back at December of 2005, I was still employed at SBC Internet though unknown to me at that time, I would leave about 5 months later for a job at a startup. I was still officiating high school basketball at that time as well.
But looking back at that time there was going to be a significant change in life for me. During December of that year, I had went to Las Vegas to hang out with a old school friend who had flown in from the East Coast on a work assignment. That would also be the LAST time I would hang out with my friend. It was a few weeks later when I lost my cool and put a chill on our long time friendship.
In looking back, the situation should not have been unexpected. My friend and I had gotten into a disagreement a few years prior. Though we had settled the issue, I had personally grown a bit disenchanted with my friend. The distance between us was great and I put in a lot of effort into the friendship which I didn't think my friend reciprocated.
Five years and four months later, I can see clearly now that the break in this particular friendship needed to happen. There are a few reasons for this.
One, I had become too dependent on my high school friend over the years. I had made them my best friend. I talked to this person about everything and asked for advice. Alas, my friend didn't look at me this way. I knew this but still treated them in a slightly one sided fashion. While I had a few other friends, I had neglected developing them very well.
Two, I wasn't a very mature person and perhaps I was being selfish in expecting a lot from my old friend. Plus, I was narrow minded and didn't consider other alternatives in the form of other communication methods or just talking to other friends.
In looking back at how this broken friendship benefitted me, I can see a few things:
One, I expanded my myself from ONE best friend to several groups of friends. There's a few different groups of people I hang out with. They may be groups of old friends, basketball buddies or just other folks I have met over time. I have a couple of old friends I talk to the most on the phone.
Two, with experience comes wisdom and with wisdom comes maturity. With maturity comes the realization that life isn't just about YOU! I was a little selfish with my friend back in 2005. I've realized that for a while now. It just didn't occur to me how much!
In the old days, I would call my old friend every couple of days just to jabber about stuff and ask advice. These days, if I am lucky, I'll talk to my two old friends once a week. In fact, one of my old friends and I haven't talked in about a MONTH recently due to work. Yet, I've emailed and texted them to say hi.
This particular friend of mine is great about calling back and when they don't call back, it usually means they are pretty busy. I've been mature enough to accept this and continue on with life until we touch base again.
I could go on all night but let me summarize. Things in life do happen for a reason. The broken friendship was NOT fun at all. Yet as I look back at the friendships I built and some maturity I've gained in recent years, it was a required process that I had to go through.
Though I probably hurt my old friend and may need to make amends one day, the learning process was definitely something I needed to go through.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Weird Night At The Gym / Career Night #2
The sports of basketball can bring you the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. Tonight, I think my team went through both the highs and the lows all in one night in our Thursday Night Friendship Basketball League against Team Blue.
For whatever reason, my team came out frigid offensively. It didn't matter if we were shooting jump shots or layups, nothing was falling. Team Blue also took advantage of some defensive match ups and took an early 14-0 lead. My team called timeout with 14 minutes left and zero points on the board.
I knew the team was struggling and tried to get myself going. I wasn't exactly scorching hot but ended scoring my team's first 6 points (8 points overall in the first half) of the game to keep us afloat. The rest of the team finally followed suit. Despite falling behind 14-0 to Team Blue, we were only down 33-21 at halftime. My team even pulled a Chris Webber moment to add to the weirdness in the first half. We called timeout when we had none and that cost us a point and possession as well.
The second half was a bit of a blur. I remembered trying to get going early and missing. However, the shots that weren't falling for me early finally starting going as I got into the zone and my team slowly clawed back into the game. I scored 21 of my career high 29 points in the second half.
I know we eventually tied the game but immediately fell back behind the next possession. Both teams went back and forth a bit as Team Blue held on to a slim lead. With about 30 seconds or so left, there was controversy. My team was down two and got the steal and was cruising for the layup but the referee called a tough traveling call. That definitely hurt and put us into a tough situation. Team Blue got the ball and we had to foul them to let them shoot free throws. Fortunately Team Blue made only 1 free throw and my team had a chance as we were only down 3 points at 52-49.
I dribbled the ball up the court and with several teammates setting screens, I was left wide open for a three pointer from the left wing and nailed it with 10 seconds left to tie the game. Team Blue had a chance for a final shot but fortunately missed and that sent the game into overtime.
In the overtime, both teams went cold as no one could score for the first 1 1/2 minutes of overtime. I personally rushed a couple of jumpers which frustrated me. However, with about 25 seconds left, I finally got the ball again and knocked down the only shot for both teams in overtime for the 55-53 win. Team Blue tried to tie but was unable to and my team pulled out the victory.
As you can see, this was a weird game but I am glad we won. As for my career high 29 points, it was great to be able to score a lot AND help the team win. There weren't stats kept so not exactly how well I shot. My guesstimate is I shot around 50% or maybe a little below as I did take quite a few shots tonight.
Adding to the statistical weirdness, my teammates were consistent tonight. My 7 other teammates combined for 13 points in both the first half and the second half.
All in all, it was a fun evening trying to carry my team and being the hero. I'm normally a role player but for one night, i got to be the star. My legs and body are paying for it a little bit but I'll enjoy it the next few days.
For whatever reason, my team came out frigid offensively. It didn't matter if we were shooting jump shots or layups, nothing was falling. Team Blue also took advantage of some defensive match ups and took an early 14-0 lead. My team called timeout with 14 minutes left and zero points on the board.
I knew the team was struggling and tried to get myself going. I wasn't exactly scorching hot but ended scoring my team's first 6 points (8 points overall in the first half) of the game to keep us afloat. The rest of the team finally followed suit. Despite falling behind 14-0 to Team Blue, we were only down 33-21 at halftime. My team even pulled a Chris Webber moment to add to the weirdness in the first half. We called timeout when we had none and that cost us a point and possession as well.
The second half was a bit of a blur. I remembered trying to get going early and missing. However, the shots that weren't falling for me early finally starting going as I got into the zone and my team slowly clawed back into the game. I scored 21 of my career high 29 points in the second half.
I know we eventually tied the game but immediately fell back behind the next possession. Both teams went back and forth a bit as Team Blue held on to a slim lead. With about 30 seconds or so left, there was controversy. My team was down two and got the steal and was cruising for the layup but the referee called a tough traveling call. That definitely hurt and put us into a tough situation. Team Blue got the ball and we had to foul them to let them shoot free throws. Fortunately Team Blue made only 1 free throw and my team had a chance as we were only down 3 points at 52-49.
I dribbled the ball up the court and with several teammates setting screens, I was left wide open for a three pointer from the left wing and nailed it with 10 seconds left to tie the game. Team Blue had a chance for a final shot but fortunately missed and that sent the game into overtime.
In the overtime, both teams went cold as no one could score for the first 1 1/2 minutes of overtime. I personally rushed a couple of jumpers which frustrated me. However, with about 25 seconds left, I finally got the ball again and knocked down the only shot for both teams in overtime for the 55-53 win. Team Blue tried to tie but was unable to and my team pulled out the victory.
As you can see, this was a weird game but I am glad we won. As for my career high 29 points, it was great to be able to score a lot AND help the team win. There weren't stats kept so not exactly how well I shot. My guesstimate is I shot around 50% or maybe a little below as I did take quite a few shots tonight.
Adding to the statistical weirdness, my teammates were consistent tonight. My 7 other teammates combined for 13 points in both the first half and the second half.
All in all, it was a fun evening trying to carry my team and being the hero. I'm normally a role player but for one night, i got to be the star. My legs and body are paying for it a little bit but I'll enjoy it the next few days.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
CIF NorCal State Division I Boys Basketball Playoff: Washington (SF) vs. Santa Teresa (San Jose)
I was working in Santa Clara today and realized that the Washington High Eagles boys basketball team would be playing in San Jose tonight against Santa Teresa at 7 PM in a CIF State Playoff game. Since I was in the area (sort of, it was estimated to be some 19 miles + 30 minutes away), I decided to head over to the game. Some thoughts......
The drive to Santa Teresa High School took about 40 minutes as I ran into rush hour traffic. As I pulled into the school's parking lot, I was surprised to see a lot of cars already there. As I walked to the gym, I saw a short line out the door. It was then I knew I would be walking into hostile territory.
The environment was crazy. Both sides of the gym were packed with fans (the majority of them Santa Teresa). There was a student cheering section as well as cheerleaders. The entire gym was loud, especially since Santa Teresa played well and eventually beat Washington 70-60. I don't know if Santa Teresa is like this every game they play, but it was definitely a boost to their team and hostile to the visiting Washington team.
The Santa Teresa team deserves some credit too. I haven't watched a ton of varsity basketball games this year but Santa Teresa was one of the better teams I have seen. Santa Teresa shot the lights out from three point land, had great fundamentals, played hard defense and crashed the boards. In my opinion, Santa Teresa was probably the best team Washington had seen in recent weeks. I don't think Washington had seen such a balanced team in a while and that proved frustrating. Washington's defense couldn't lay back as Santa Teresa would hit the three's. If Washington played tight, Santa Teresa was able to blow by the defenders.
The Washington team wasn't bad though. While I am not a graduate of Washington, I had officiated one of their games during this past season and knew the coach personally. After winning the San Francisco AAA championship against Mission last week (first championship since 1982), I was curious how Washington would do in the bright lights of the CIF State Playoffs.
Some of the things I had noticed during the AAA championship game came to light against Santa Teresa. Washington and Mission both thrive on up tempo games as evidenced by the 75-72 final score in the championship. I thought it was interesting that Washington didn't hit a lot of outside jumpers. Most of their shots were put backs or layups.
This proved to be a key against Santa Teresa. With Santa Teresa hitting their shots, Washington was forced to play half court and had trouble generating offense. They went through a cold streak from halfway through the first quarter into the second quarter and allowed Santa Teresa to pull away to a 20 point lead. Washington never really challenged after that.
While it was a tough night for Washington, they should keep their heads high for making a great effort. Good luck to Santa Teresa as they travel to Sacramento for their next game.
The environment was crazy. Both sides of the gym were packed with fans (the majority of them Santa Teresa). There was a student cheering section as well as cheerleaders. The entire gym was loud, especially since Santa Teresa played well and eventually beat Washington 70-60. I don't know if Santa Teresa is like this every game they play, but it was definitely a boost to their team and hostile to the visiting Washington team.
The Santa Teresa team deserves some credit too. I haven't watched a ton of varsity basketball games this year but Santa Teresa was one of the better teams I have seen. Santa Teresa shot the lights out from three point land, had great fundamentals, played hard defense and crashed the boards. In my opinion, Santa Teresa was probably the best team Washington had seen in recent weeks. I don't think Washington had seen such a balanced team in a while and that proved frustrating. Washington's defense couldn't lay back as Santa Teresa would hit the three's. If Washington played tight, Santa Teresa was able to blow by the defenders.
The Washington team wasn't bad though. While I am not a graduate of Washington, I had officiated one of their games during this past season and knew the coach personally. After winning the San Francisco AAA championship against Mission last week (first championship since 1982), I was curious how Washington would do in the bright lights of the CIF State Playoffs.
Some of the things I had noticed during the AAA championship game came to light against Santa Teresa. Washington and Mission both thrive on up tempo games as evidenced by the 75-72 final score in the championship. I thought it was interesting that Washington didn't hit a lot of outside jumpers. Most of their shots were put backs or layups.
This proved to be a key against Santa Teresa. With Santa Teresa hitting their shots, Washington was forced to play half court and had trouble generating offense. They went through a cold streak from halfway through the first quarter into the second quarter and allowed Santa Teresa to pull away to a 20 point lead. Washington never really challenged after that.
While it was a tough night for Washington, they should keep their heads high for making a great effort. Good luck to Santa Teresa as they travel to Sacramento for their next game.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Focal Point of the Defense
Tonight was game #2 for my team (Red) in our Monday night basketball league. It was just a week ago I dropped home a career high 23 points in a 64-54 loss. My performance was still the talk of the other players as our game was going to tip off tonight against the Gold team.
Having played so many years, I didn't worry too much of trying too hard to replicate my performance from last week. The Gold team knew my game pretty well and I was sure they were going to focus their defense on getting me off of my sweet spots.
The Gold team did pretty well in the first half as I only hit one shot for 2 points as my team was down 11 points at halftime. We hung tough in the second half to keep the game close. Unfortunately, my team also only had five guys so we were noticeably tired as the half went on.
I got loose to hit two jumpers and two layups to total 10 points for the game though I didn't shoot as well as last week (5-12 FG). It was a week our team needed some more but it wasn't meant to be.
From my experience the past two weeks, I have to say that the sport of basketball is a fun game but difficult to master even with years of experience. I was able to score 23 points last week because I have developed a solid mid-range jump shot in recent years. Alas, at this point in my life, my game isn't as diversified enough to score more without jump shots. I don't drive as much or grab a ton of offensive rebounds as I used to when I was younger.
All in all, you have to appreciate the special talents that play NBA, college, high school and even your local recreational basketball league.
Having played so many years, I didn't worry too much of trying too hard to replicate my performance from last week. The Gold team knew my game pretty well and I was sure they were going to focus their defense on getting me off of my sweet spots.
The Gold team did pretty well in the first half as I only hit one shot for 2 points as my team was down 11 points at halftime. We hung tough in the second half to keep the game close. Unfortunately, my team also only had five guys so we were noticeably tired as the half went on.
I got loose to hit two jumpers and two layups to total 10 points for the game though I didn't shoot as well as last week (5-12 FG). It was a week our team needed some more but it wasn't meant to be.
From my experience the past two weeks, I have to say that the sport of basketball is a fun game but difficult to master even with years of experience. I was able to score 23 points last week because I have developed a solid mid-range jump shot in recent years. Alas, at this point in my life, my game isn't as diversified enough to score more without jump shots. I don't drive as much or grab a ton of offensive rebounds as I used to when I was younger.
All in all, you have to appreciate the special talents that play NBA, college, high school and even your local recreational basketball league.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Getting Away
Work was especially stressful this week with the end of the month approaching and our sales team trying to close up deals. As someone who supports these efforts, I typically remain calm, cool and collected. Alas the strain did finally get to me and I felt some of the effects. It did not help I was busy with my after work activities.
So, after being asked, I am out of town with friends on a church retreat. I'm not that far from home (1 1/2 hours). However, It is welcome respite from work.
The point is that work isn't always everything. Good to get some me time which I will try this weekend.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
So, after being asked, I am out of town with friends on a church retreat. I'm not that far from home (1 1/2 hours). However, It is welcome respite from work.
The point is that work isn't always everything. Good to get some me time which I will try this weekend.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Career Night On The Court
There some things that occur during your lifetime that cannot be easily explained. There might some weird coincidence that happens which causes you to meet your future wife, get a job or something else.
Tonight, something weird happened tonight which I cannot easily explain. Take a look at the following stat line from my adult league basketball game tonight:
23 Points (11-19 FG's, 1-1 FT)
7 Rebounds
1 Assist
1 Steal
1 Turnover
That stat line was MINE tonight. There was a considerable buzz around the gym as I put up my 23 points tonight. The reason was that I am not usually the main scorer for any of the teams I play on. Secondly, while I am known as a decent mid-range (15 foot and in) shooter, I can be streaky at times.
Plus, I've only scored 20 points in a game less than 10 times in all the years I played in league basketball (probably more like 3 to 5 times, though I don't remember exactly).
However, if I were to try and explain why I shot so well tonight, here's some possibly explanations....
MY TEAM WAS MISSING TWO KEY GUYS
We were missing our center (injury) and our young guard (illness) tonight. Between those two guys, they probably would have gobbled up the majority of my 19 shots. With the two guys missing, the remaining six guys had a chance to get more shots up. Of course, with more opportunities, you still have to make the shots. Fortunately, they were going in for me tonight!
I PLAYED IN A WEEKEND BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
I played in a weekend basketball tournament with some other guys. My team didn't do too well as we lost all three games. However, I played quite a few minutes and got a lot of running in. So that definitely helped me get in shape.
But the other thing was that I was hitting my shots during the tournament. My overall shooting percentage wasn't that great because I forced some bad shots during the games. However, when I was open and shot the ball in rhythm, the shots were going down with good frequency. In fact, during the second game of our weekend tournament, I hit my first four shots of the game! Overall, I averaged 10 points a game during the tournament which was solid.
IT'S THE SHOES!
My knees had been aching the past several week while playing basketball. I thought it was just due to old age. However, it never occurred to me that it was my basketball shoes. The shoes I had been using looked great on the outside. However, I wondered if I had overused it the past year or so with the number of league games I had played.
For my weekend tournament, I decided to break in my Li-Ning BD Doom shoes (Baron Davis's signature shoe with Chinese company Li-Ning). Surprisingly, the shoes were comfortable and held up well over the weekend. Of course, I played reasonably well and the trend continued into tonight. I might need to order up another pair for backup!
IT WAS A HOLIDAY!
It was great to have today off. I got in plenty of sleep and didn't do a lot during the day. I went to the mall and CostCo with my mom to get some shopping in. Other than that, I just chilled and showed up at the gym pretty laid back.
One underestimates how much work stress can have on you for the other activities in your life. Too bad I can't take days off every time I play basketball!
JUST ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS
I could throw out my possible explanations. But hey, it could have just been one of those crazy evenings. Assuming our other two guys come back healthy, I'll probably settle back into my role as a bench player.
I should mention that it would have been nice if my team had won (we lost 64-54). Career nights are great but not so if the team loses. However, it was a fun evening and definitely one to remember.
Tonight, something weird happened tonight which I cannot easily explain. Take a look at the following stat line from my adult league basketball game tonight:
23 Points (11-19 FG's, 1-1 FT)
7 Rebounds
1 Assist
1 Steal
1 Turnover
That stat line was MINE tonight. There was a considerable buzz around the gym as I put up my 23 points tonight. The reason was that I am not usually the main scorer for any of the teams I play on. Secondly, while I am known as a decent mid-range (15 foot and in) shooter, I can be streaky at times.
Plus, I've only scored 20 points in a game less than 10 times in all the years I played in league basketball (probably more like 3 to 5 times, though I don't remember exactly).
However, if I were to try and explain why I shot so well tonight, here's some possibly explanations....
MY TEAM WAS MISSING TWO KEY GUYS
We were missing our center (injury) and our young guard (illness) tonight. Between those two guys, they probably would have gobbled up the majority of my 19 shots. With the two guys missing, the remaining six guys had a chance to get more shots up. Of course, with more opportunities, you still have to make the shots. Fortunately, they were going in for me tonight!
I PLAYED IN A WEEKEND BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
I played in a weekend basketball tournament with some other guys. My team didn't do too well as we lost all three games. However, I played quite a few minutes and got a lot of running in. So that definitely helped me get in shape.
But the other thing was that I was hitting my shots during the tournament. My overall shooting percentage wasn't that great because I forced some bad shots during the games. However, when I was open and shot the ball in rhythm, the shots were going down with good frequency. In fact, during the second game of our weekend tournament, I hit my first four shots of the game! Overall, I averaged 10 points a game during the tournament which was solid.
IT'S THE SHOES!
My knees had been aching the past several week while playing basketball. I thought it was just due to old age. However, it never occurred to me that it was my basketball shoes. The shoes I had been using looked great on the outside. However, I wondered if I had overused it the past year or so with the number of league games I had played.
For my weekend tournament, I decided to break in my Li-Ning BD Doom shoes (Baron Davis's signature shoe with Chinese company Li-Ning). Surprisingly, the shoes were comfortable and held up well over the weekend. Of course, I played reasonably well and the trend continued into tonight. I might need to order up another pair for backup!
IT WAS A HOLIDAY!
It was great to have today off. I got in plenty of sleep and didn't do a lot during the day. I went to the mall and CostCo with my mom to get some shopping in. Other than that, I just chilled and showed up at the gym pretty laid back.
One underestimates how much work stress can have on you for the other activities in your life. Too bad I can't take days off every time I play basketball!
JUST ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS
I could throw out my possible explanations. But hey, it could have just been one of those crazy evenings. Assuming our other two guys come back healthy, I'll probably settle back into my role as a bench player.
I should mention that it would have been nice if my team had won (we lost 64-54). Career nights are great but not so if the team loses. However, it was a fun evening and definitely one to remember.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Chinese New Year Basketball Classic Tournament - Day 1
So the day is finally over. After getting up at 7:45 AM for my team's 9 AM game and playing a second game at 11:30 AM, I stayed and watched the other games before returning home moments ago.
The day was tough for my team as we lost both games. The first game we played some college kids and they jumped out to an early lead that they never relinquished. We ended up losing 78-57. The second game was better as our opponent was more at our level. Alas, after taking a one point lead with 4 seconds left, our defense wasn't good enough as our opponents hit a shot at the buzzer to win 43-42.
With our record at 0-2, we will play tomorrow morning at 11 AM against First Chinese Baptist Church. They are a pretty young and athletic team so my team will have to be at our best to have a chance.
As for myself, I actually had a pretty offensive day. I scored 12 points in the first game and 8 points in the second game. In fact, I hit my first four shots of the second game but struggled in the second half when the opponents went to a man defense.
All in all, while the record isn't great my team did have a good time and it was good to get my team onto the floor. We'll do our best tomorrow!
The day was tough for my team as we lost both games. The first game we played some college kids and they jumped out to an early lead that they never relinquished. We ended up losing 78-57. The second game was better as our opponent was more at our level. Alas, after taking a one point lead with 4 seconds left, our defense wasn't good enough as our opponents hit a shot at the buzzer to win 43-42.
With our record at 0-2, we will play tomorrow morning at 11 AM against First Chinese Baptist Church. They are a pretty young and athletic team so my team will have to be at our best to have a chance.
As for myself, I actually had a pretty offensive day. I scored 12 points in the first game and 8 points in the second game. In fact, I hit my first four shots of the second game but struggled in the second half when the opponents went to a man defense.
All in all, while the record isn't great my team did have a good time and it was good to get my team onto the floor. We'll do our best tomorrow!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Game Time!
In about 12 hours, a rag tag basketball team I put together will tip off in a Chinese New Year basketball tournament being held in South San Francisco. The team comprises with 4 guys I played with in some leagues recently, 2 friends, and 3 other newcomers I have never met.
I have no idea how my team will do and the quality of the competition we will face. It will not be easy though as we will play twice tomorrow (9 AM & 11:30 AM) and at least one game (hopefully more) on Sunday.
This particular tournament has existed for some 50 years. From reading something online, this tournament could be the 50th Anniversary though the coordinators have not acknowledged it. The tournament started play at the Chinese Recreation Center in San Francisco's Chinatown and was played there up until last year. Due to a remodel of the Center, the tournament has been moved to a high school in South San Francisco for this year.
Being a Chinatown kid and hanging around Chinese Recreation Center a lot, I had watched various teams play the tournament over the years. Yet, I never actually played in the tournament. I wasn't a huge basketball player in my youth though I always enjoyed watching it. To me, this particular tournament represented a higher level of competition among Asian/Chinese players than I could ever be at. Interestingly, I actually have officiated the tournament in recent years though will not be doing so this year as I am playing.
I have no idea how my team will do and the quality of the competition we will face. It will not be easy though as we will play twice tomorrow (9 AM & 11:30 AM) and at least one game (hopefully more) on Sunday.
This particular tournament has existed for some 50 years. From reading something online, this tournament could be the 50th Anniversary though the coordinators have not acknowledged it. The tournament started play at the Chinese Recreation Center in San Francisco's Chinatown and was played there up until last year. Due to a remodel of the Center, the tournament has been moved to a high school in South San Francisco for this year.
Being a Chinatown kid and hanging around Chinese Recreation Center a lot, I had watched various teams play the tournament over the years. Yet, I never actually played in the tournament. I wasn't a huge basketball player in my youth though I always enjoyed watching it. To me, this particular tournament represented a higher level of competition among Asian/Chinese players than I could ever be at. Interestingly, I actually have officiated the tournament in recent years though will not be doing so this year as I am playing.
Many friends wondered why I decided to form the team and play in the tournament, especially since I am 36 years old and my knees have been aching lately. Some thought it was because I am a basketball nut. In a way, you could that is true. However, I could have easily chosen NOT to form a team as I normally play basketball on Saturdays anyway.
I decided to form a team because I felt this was one of my last few opportunities to play in the tournament. Because of the move to another facility, there was enough space to host two tournaments. There is the Upper Division for the more competitive teams. Then the coordinators formed a Lower Division for the other teams who wanted to play but couldn't compete with the better teams.
Seeing that there was a Lower Division compelled me to form the team and make perhaps my first (and probably last) appearance in a tournament that I have watched since I was a kid. Playing this year is less about winning than about being part of a tradition that has existed for many years.
Win or lose, I am going to enjoy this weekend with my teammates. Wish us luck!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Struggles Of Work / Life Balance
I'm a season ticket holder for our local professional basketball team and split the tickets among a group of people. So, for my friends, they take their significant others OR other friends they know from church or other social groups
For me, since I am not married nor do I currently have a girlfriend, I knew I had to find people to take to the games. I had several friends in mind but not all the plans come to fruition. The main problem is that the games are sometimes on weeknights which make it difficult for people to go. Fortunately, my mom is around. Since she is retired and likes basketball, I ended up just taking her instead.
However, for this particular weekend, I had a Sunday game with a marquee team and player coming into town. There was one friend (call her Friend A) who I wanted to take. She wanted to go but the timing (Sunday evening) would be tough because she had to work the next day. Of course, I have to work too but I can deal with it better than others since I typically have more energy than many people I know.
So I had to go to a backup plan with another friend (Friend B). This friend had already went to a game about a month ago. While there was going to be some logistical things I had to address with this friend about the game, I figured it would be worth the effort.
Alas, all the plans got shot down. Just like Friend A, Friend B has work issues. Alas, Friend B's work issues were a little more pressing. She was put on call for this weekend out of the blue and could not commit to making the game.
I admit to being frustrated at the time we talked. This had nothing to do with Friend B and more so with the fact that it's just been one BUSY week for me. I have had evening activities this ENTIRE week and not much downtime to myself. While it's enjoyable, I haven't had much a chance to recharge. Friend B's situation just muddled matters. With me being tired already, I wasn't too thrilled to have think about what to do for the game.
After taking a nap to recharge, I feel better and thought I need to address the issue of work / life balance because of what I went through with my friends the past couple of days.
For me, work / life balance has always been important. In the years I've been in the workforce, I've always done my 40 (and sometimes more) hours. But after work, I've always had activities. It could be something simple like just going to the gym to workout or hitting a bookstore to read which take a small amount of time. Alternatively, I officiate, play or go watch basketball.
For Friend A, work dominates her life though she doesn't seem to mind and she cuts small time for herself to take walks. I wasn't surprised at her for not attending the game. Her life is structured around work and you have to fit into her schedule. It's not always easy to do that.
Friend B isn't anything like Friend A. In fact, Friend B is probably more like me in that work/life balance is important. The major difference with Friend B and me? Her work schedule is currently Tuesday through Saturday PLUS she works in an environment that operates 24 hours a day.
Thus, that is why Friend B's situation came up and I believe that is a source of resentment for her. On one hand, you have to do the job you currently have. On the other hand, she's already losing one weekend day. Plus this weekend, our plans got shot down just because she MIGHT have to do work on one of her days off.
Since I am calmer about the situation now, I advised Friend B to start looking for a job that is Monday to Friend and does not operate 24 hours a day. I am not thrilled that Friend B's job is going to make her miss the game Sunday. We talk a lot but don't see each other much so any opportunity to see her is welcome.
But beyond that, work / life balance is important. You need time to yourself and the fact is work is not everything. Yes, we all need to earn money to support ourselves. But work should not override your own personal time that you need for yourself. Considering I know Friend B very well, this personal time is much needed, maybe more so than maybe your average person.
I went through what Friend B is experiencing now early in my career and I am quite understanding of what her situation is. I worked in call centers with odd schedules like Thursday through Monday. Fortunately, as time went on and I got seniority, I was able to get myself out of those odd schedules. My current job is just Monday through Friday though I have to deal with odd hours every now and then.
All in all, I don't envy what Friend B has to deal with. It's not fun. For everyone reading, do what you need to do at work. But make time for yourself and also try to avoid working on your days off. All in all, I think it will allow you to enjoy your life much more.
For me, since I am not married nor do I currently have a girlfriend, I knew I had to find people to take to the games. I had several friends in mind but not all the plans come to fruition. The main problem is that the games are sometimes on weeknights which make it difficult for people to go. Fortunately, my mom is around. Since she is retired and likes basketball, I ended up just taking her instead.
However, for this particular weekend, I had a Sunday game with a marquee team and player coming into town. There was one friend (call her Friend A) who I wanted to take. She wanted to go but the timing (Sunday evening) would be tough because she had to work the next day. Of course, I have to work too but I can deal with it better than others since I typically have more energy than many people I know.
So I had to go to a backup plan with another friend (Friend B). This friend had already went to a game about a month ago. While there was going to be some logistical things I had to address with this friend about the game, I figured it would be worth the effort.
Alas, all the plans got shot down. Just like Friend A, Friend B has work issues. Alas, Friend B's work issues were a little more pressing. She was put on call for this weekend out of the blue and could not commit to making the game.
I admit to being frustrated at the time we talked. This had nothing to do with Friend B and more so with the fact that it's just been one BUSY week for me. I have had evening activities this ENTIRE week and not much downtime to myself. While it's enjoyable, I haven't had much a chance to recharge. Friend B's situation just muddled matters. With me being tired already, I wasn't too thrilled to have think about what to do for the game.
After taking a nap to recharge, I feel better and thought I need to address the issue of work / life balance because of what I went through with my friends the past couple of days.
For me, work / life balance has always been important. In the years I've been in the workforce, I've always done my 40 (and sometimes more) hours. But after work, I've always had activities. It could be something simple like just going to the gym to workout or hitting a bookstore to read which take a small amount of time. Alternatively, I officiate, play or go watch basketball.
For Friend A, work dominates her life though she doesn't seem to mind and she cuts small time for herself to take walks. I wasn't surprised at her for not attending the game. Her life is structured around work and you have to fit into her schedule. It's not always easy to do that.
Friend B isn't anything like Friend A. In fact, Friend B is probably more like me in that work/life balance is important. The major difference with Friend B and me? Her work schedule is currently Tuesday through Saturday PLUS she works in an environment that operates 24 hours a day.
Thus, that is why Friend B's situation came up and I believe that is a source of resentment for her. On one hand, you have to do the job you currently have. On the other hand, she's already losing one weekend day. Plus this weekend, our plans got shot down just because she MIGHT have to do work on one of her days off.
Since I am calmer about the situation now, I advised Friend B to start looking for a job that is Monday to Friend and does not operate 24 hours a day. I am not thrilled that Friend B's job is going to make her miss the game Sunday. We talk a lot but don't see each other much so any opportunity to see her is welcome.
But beyond that, work / life balance is important. You need time to yourself and the fact is work is not everything. Yes, we all need to earn money to support ourselves. But work should not override your own personal time that you need for yourself. Considering I know Friend B very well, this personal time is much needed, maybe more so than maybe your average person.
I went through what Friend B is experiencing now early in my career and I am quite understanding of what her situation is. I worked in call centers with odd schedules like Thursday through Monday. Fortunately, as time went on and I got seniority, I was able to get myself out of those odd schedules. My current job is just Monday through Friday though I have to deal with odd hours every now and then.
All in all, I don't envy what Friend B has to deal with. It's not fun. For everyone reading, do what you need to do at work. But make time for yourself and also try to avoid working on your days off. All in all, I think it will allow you to enjoy your life much more.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Live from Oracle Arena
Blogging from the Warriors - Nuggets game. :). Warrior up 111-105
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Celebrating Chinese New Year
At a local casino, Chinese New Year is celebrated annually with a performance from a Chinatown Lion Dance Troupe. Here's a picture of their performance:
http://campl.us/yjx
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
http://campl.us/yjx
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Mostly 365: One Day, One Photo and lots of beauty at a time
Camera+ had been rated highly by many users but had been removed from the App Store for several months. The reason for the removal was that the developers had added a hidden feature that violated Apple's guidelines.
However, I was poking around the Internet one evening in late December and saw that Camera+ had been added back to the App Store. I was thrilled to see this and immediately bought the app for 99 cents. With the app in hand, what was I going to do with it?
I've had an interest in photography for a while. In fact, I am armed with my Iphone, two point and shoot camera (one older, one newer) and one Digital SLR. The Digital SLR was purchased for the express purchase of learning to take better photos manually. Alas, learning the basics and getting out to do photography can be time consuming.
However, I lucked out. After purchasing Camera+, I was reading a blog posting by Lisa Bettany (developer of Camera+) discussing a project she called Mostly365. The idea behind the project was to encourage everyone to take one picture a day for 2011 and share the picture with the world via a website she created:
Mostly 365 Website
For some reason, this project resonated with me and for the past month, I have been snapping away with my Iphone. Check out my photos here:
coach41's Mostly 365 Photos
Originally, I was doing the project as Lisa had stated. I was looking around for interesting things to shoot and I would share the picture. However, a co-worker made an interesting point. He saw one of my photos that was shot at a department store and commented: "Are you sure you want that to be the thing you remember from that particular day? Try shooting things that would make your day memorable".
Since then, I've tried to shoot things in the locations I have been in. This could be murals, food or just the scenery. But the point is I am trying to capture a moment that I will remember at the end of 2011. I can't say I've had fantastic success with all of my photos but I feel I have some nice shots.
There has been one additional benefit to participating in this project. With my eye constantly looking out for things to shoot, I have noticed there IS A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS out there in the world. It could be the sunset, a mural or just a small flower that maybe you otherwise wouldn't notice.
In our day to day lives, we tend not to appreciate the little things due to stress, work or other things. With this Mostly365 project, I think I've certainly gotten back to appreciating some of the little things. Beyond taking pictures though, I think everyone's lives would be improved if they slowed down and appreciated some of the smaller and beautiful things in the world.
However, I was poking around the Internet one evening in late December and saw that Camera+ had been added back to the App Store. I was thrilled to see this and immediately bought the app for 99 cents. With the app in hand, what was I going to do with it?
I've had an interest in photography for a while. In fact, I am armed with my Iphone, two point and shoot camera (one older, one newer) and one Digital SLR. The Digital SLR was purchased for the express purchase of learning to take better photos manually. Alas, learning the basics and getting out to do photography can be time consuming.
However, I lucked out. After purchasing Camera+, I was reading a blog posting by Lisa Bettany (developer of Camera+) discussing a project she called Mostly365. The idea behind the project was to encourage everyone to take one picture a day for 2011 and share the picture with the world via a website she created:
Mostly 365 Website
For some reason, this project resonated with me and for the past month, I have been snapping away with my Iphone. Check out my photos here:
coach41's Mostly 365 Photos
Originally, I was doing the project as Lisa had stated. I was looking around for interesting things to shoot and I would share the picture. However, a co-worker made an interesting point. He saw one of my photos that was shot at a department store and commented: "Are you sure you want that to be the thing you remember from that particular day? Try shooting things that would make your day memorable".
Since then, I've tried to shoot things in the locations I have been in. This could be murals, food or just the scenery. But the point is I am trying to capture a moment that I will remember at the end of 2011. I can't say I've had fantastic success with all of my photos but I feel I have some nice shots.
There has been one additional benefit to participating in this project. With my eye constantly looking out for things to shoot, I have noticed there IS A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS out there in the world. It could be the sunset, a mural or just a small flower that maybe you otherwise wouldn't notice.
In our day to day lives, we tend not to appreciate the little things due to stress, work or other things. With this Mostly365 project, I think I've certainly gotten back to appreciating some of the little things. Beyond taking pictures though, I think everyone's lives would be improved if they slowed down and appreciated some of the smaller and beautiful things in the world.
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Beginning Of The End?
The year 2010 was a great year for me basketball wise. I played in 52 official league basketball games over the course of the year. In addition I squeezed in a lot of time playing with various friends throughout the course of the year. 2010 was highlighted by my Fall basketball league winning the league title, my first ever in over 8 years playing in the league.
After taking some time off between Christmas and the beginning of 2011, I resumed playing in a Thursday league that finished tonight. Since I had not play extensively to start 2011, I was a little out of shape and didn't play too well.
However, in recent weeks, I realized that age may be creeping up on me. After officiating a rather intense basketball last Friday, my knees were quite sore. I played basketball on both Saturday and Sunday and officiated yet another game on Monday. My knees were hurting pretty badly.
I didn't do any strenuous activities for a couple of days before playing tonight. I felt fine during warm ups but toward the end of the game, my right knee starting aching. I finish the game just fine but the knee is still rather sore at the moment.
While it could age, it also could be my basketball shoes which took a lot of pounding through my 52 game season in 2010. In either case, I realize I need to slow down a bit. I have enjoyed a rather healthy run since 2007 (no serious injuries). It's been quite fun and while I'd love to keep that up, I need to realize that your body can only take so much.
It's going to be hard to take it easy the next few weeks as I am officiating and have a couple of basketball leagues starting up. However, I am going to get plenty of rest so my body can recover and try to avoid injury.
After taking some time off between Christmas and the beginning of 2011, I resumed playing in a Thursday league that finished tonight. Since I had not play extensively to start 2011, I was a little out of shape and didn't play too well.
However, in recent weeks, I realized that age may be creeping up on me. After officiating a rather intense basketball last Friday, my knees were quite sore. I played basketball on both Saturday and Sunday and officiated yet another game on Monday. My knees were hurting pretty badly.
I didn't do any strenuous activities for a couple of days before playing tonight. I felt fine during warm ups but toward the end of the game, my right knee starting aching. I finish the game just fine but the knee is still rather sore at the moment.
While it could age, it also could be my basketball shoes which took a lot of pounding through my 52 game season in 2010. In either case, I realize I need to slow down a bit. I have enjoyed a rather healthy run since 2007 (no serious injuries). It's been quite fun and while I'd love to keep that up, I need to realize that your body can only take so much.
It's going to be hard to take it easy the next few weeks as I am officiating and have a couple of basketball leagues starting up. However, I am going to get plenty of rest so my body can recover and try to avoid injury.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Taking Off My Referee Hat For A Moment........
Yesterday, I blogged about a very competitive game I officiated:
Never Judge A Game By It's Cover
Tonight, I am going to take off my referee hat and offer a different perspective. Why? Well, for people don't officiate basketball, they don't understand that officials are fans of basketball too. We're not robots or some evil people that want to make one team or another team lose intentionally.
So tonight, instead of my officiating hat, I will put on my player and coaches hat instead. I've played 19 years of adult league basketball and have a good understanding of what a player thinks while on the court. I also coached CYO basketball for 14 years and have a good feel of the strategy and tactics that are involved during a game.
A brief recap of the game last night: home team (2-10 overall) is playing the visiting team (11-5 overall) in a rivalry game. In checking the stats online tonight, the home team throughly outplays the visiting team for the first three quarters and holds an 11 point lead entering the fourth quarter. The visiting team doesn't give up and outscores the home team 27-10 in the fourth to win by 6 points.
PLAYER PERSPECTIVE
As a player, I know that when you're the underdog team, you want to get in the first punch against a superior team. The underdog team wants respect so they will come out hard and try to impose their will on the superior and more talented team early. Think about the Warriors and some of their games against the Lakers and the Heat. The Warriors came out like gang busters on a few occasions.
On the flip side, the superior and more talented team has likely been through these situations before. They have confidence that no matter the situation, they always have a chance to win. Sometimes, the superior team has to fight complacency. They can't always let an underdog team take leads and expect to come back. Think about the Lakers and Heat games against the Warriors. The Warriors play well early and the Lakers / Heat played well late to win. But the Lakers and Heat sometime falter and let a weaker team win (think Clippers games).
That was the key difference I saw between the home and visiting teams last night. The visiting team had won a good number of games this season and had confidence that could execute down the stretch. On the other hand, the home team faltered late as the visiting team turned up the pressure.
For both coaches, I'm sure there were some frustrations and things to be learned. Let's jump into the coaches perspective next.
COACHES PERSPECTIVE
While I know the visiting coach from officiating his team's games during spring league, I have not seen him much during high school seasons. For the home team, I did not know the coach at all.
The visiting team coach is fairly laid back though he rode his kids pretty hard when they fell behind. On the other hand, the home team coach is intense and emotional. She was thrilled when her team was winning but started to yell at the officials when the home team started to make their rally. I think her players responded to her intensity. One thing I won't comment is on both coaches tactical ability. I don't remember that much of the game to judge their X's and O's.
From a coaches perspective, last night's game was lost when the visiting team made their rally. The visitors went on a 10-0 run which I believed turned a 6 point deficit into a 4 point lead. My partner and I were surprised that the home team coach DID NOT call a timeout during the run to try and break the momentum.
To me, that indicated some inexperience on the part of the coach. No matter if you're a player, referee and especially if you're a coach, you should be aware of the flow of the game. As referees, the flow of the game is important because we need to be aware of taking care of situations. As a player, you should be aware of the flow (especially if the flow is not good for your team) and settle the team down if needed. That's why a good point guard is very important for any team.
However, out of all the parties, only the coach has the full power to completely stop the flow of the game by calling a timeout. Yes, one can argue that players can call timeouts as well but it's usually when coaches tell them to call it.
For the game last night, I think the home team players did the best they could to keep the game from going out of control. However, when the visiting team made their run, it was obvious the home team players were rattled. Unfortunately, the coach did not call timeout until they fell behind and that hurt their chances.
Note that is is not meant to criticize the home team coach. I used to be a screamer and yeller in my early years as a CYO coach. Unfortunately, that only takes you so far. The home team players seem to respect their coach and she seemed to be able to make adjustments. Hopefully, the home team coach can learn to channel her energy but also be more aware of game situations.
All in all, it was a great game. I hope the players and coaches enjoyed it as much as I did. Yet, there were some lessons to be learned and I hope both teams learned their lessons well for the rest of the season.
Never Judge A Game By It's Cover
Tonight, I am going to take off my referee hat and offer a different perspective. Why? Well, for people don't officiate basketball, they don't understand that officials are fans of basketball too. We're not robots or some evil people that want to make one team or another team lose intentionally.
So tonight, instead of my officiating hat, I will put on my player and coaches hat instead. I've played 19 years of adult league basketball and have a good understanding of what a player thinks while on the court. I also coached CYO basketball for 14 years and have a good feel of the strategy and tactics that are involved during a game.
A brief recap of the game last night: home team (2-10 overall) is playing the visiting team (11-5 overall) in a rivalry game. In checking the stats online tonight, the home team throughly outplays the visiting team for the first three quarters and holds an 11 point lead entering the fourth quarter. The visiting team doesn't give up and outscores the home team 27-10 in the fourth to win by 6 points.
PLAYER PERSPECTIVE
As a player, I know that when you're the underdog team, you want to get in the first punch against a superior team. The underdog team wants respect so they will come out hard and try to impose their will on the superior and more talented team early. Think about the Warriors and some of their games against the Lakers and the Heat. The Warriors came out like gang busters on a few occasions.
On the flip side, the superior and more talented team has likely been through these situations before. They have confidence that no matter the situation, they always have a chance to win. Sometimes, the superior team has to fight complacency. They can't always let an underdog team take leads and expect to come back. Think about the Lakers and Heat games against the Warriors. The Warriors play well early and the Lakers / Heat played well late to win. But the Lakers and Heat sometime falter and let a weaker team win (think Clippers games).
That was the key difference I saw between the home and visiting teams last night. The visiting team had won a good number of games this season and had confidence that could execute down the stretch. On the other hand, the home team faltered late as the visiting team turned up the pressure.
For both coaches, I'm sure there were some frustrations and things to be learned. Let's jump into the coaches perspective next.
COACHES PERSPECTIVE
While I know the visiting coach from officiating his team's games during spring league, I have not seen him much during high school seasons. For the home team, I did not know the coach at all.
The visiting team coach is fairly laid back though he rode his kids pretty hard when they fell behind. On the other hand, the home team coach is intense and emotional. She was thrilled when her team was winning but started to yell at the officials when the home team started to make their rally. I think her players responded to her intensity. One thing I won't comment is on both coaches tactical ability. I don't remember that much of the game to judge their X's and O's.
From a coaches perspective, last night's game was lost when the visiting team made their rally. The visitors went on a 10-0 run which I believed turned a 6 point deficit into a 4 point lead. My partner and I were surprised that the home team coach DID NOT call a timeout during the run to try and break the momentum.
To me, that indicated some inexperience on the part of the coach. No matter if you're a player, referee and especially if you're a coach, you should be aware of the flow of the game. As referees, the flow of the game is important because we need to be aware of taking care of situations. As a player, you should be aware of the flow (especially if the flow is not good for your team) and settle the team down if needed. That's why a good point guard is very important for any team.
However, out of all the parties, only the coach has the full power to completely stop the flow of the game by calling a timeout. Yes, one can argue that players can call timeouts as well but it's usually when coaches tell them to call it.
For the game last night, I think the home team players did the best they could to keep the game from going out of control. However, when the visiting team made their run, it was obvious the home team players were rattled. Unfortunately, the coach did not call timeout until they fell behind and that hurt their chances.
Note that is is not meant to criticize the home team coach. I used to be a screamer and yeller in my early years as a CYO coach. Unfortunately, that only takes you so far. The home team players seem to respect their coach and she seemed to be able to make adjustments. Hopefully, the home team coach can learn to channel her energy but also be more aware of game situations.
All in all, it was a great game. I hope the players and coaches enjoyed it as much as I did. Yet, there were some lessons to be learned and I hope both teams learned their lessons well for the rest of the season.
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Other Side Of Me
If you were to ask my friends who I play basketball with the following question, you would likely get some varied responses:
"How is coach41 on the court?"
"How is coach41 on the court?"
- Focused
- Good mid-range shooter
- Doesn't play defense (a bit of an exaggeration!)
- Plays with good fundamentals
- Pretty good team player
- Occasional ball hog! Yes, when I get frustrated, I sometimes put up a few shots without passing.
All of this is true. When I play with people I know, I go out there, play the game and enjoy myself. I know how most of my friends play and I just adapt myself to how the flow of the game is going. The negatives associated with me is usually with how I play the game than how I act on the court.
However, I've noticed an interesting aspect of my personality surface in the past 3 months. It started when I joined up with some guys I know to play in Sunday Open (non-Asian) basketball league last year and has continued on to a Thursday Intermediate Open (again, non-Asian) basketball league that is finishing up in a couple of weeks.
In these couple of leagues, there was a lot of trash talking, players on the other team playing dirty and other people just acting like jerks. Not to say the usual leagues I play in doesn't have that. However, there is a level of respect among the players and I typically remain above the fray if things if anything is directed to me in my regular leagues.
However, in the two non-Asian leagues I've been playing in, I have switched gears. I sense a lack of respect from some teams (my team hasn't won a game in the two seasons we have played). Some of the players on the other teams also take things much too seriously to things I have done.
What have I done? I box out. I get in people's faces on defense. I'll even occasionally dish out a hard foul. I'm also very vocal with my team. As the oldest and probably most experience guy I my team, I am constantly talking to my guys on what to do.
Some things that have happened:
- Toward the end of one game we were losing, I fouled a guy to make him shoot free throws. I hung on to him to make sure he didn't fall. The guy basically said: "F***ing let me go". I told the dude he should calm down. I also said I wasn't gay and trying to cop a free feel on him or something.
- In a more recent game, there was this guy who was just killing us on the perimeter. My teammate wasn't doing a great job guarding him so I switched up on him. I didn't let him out of my sight and I denied him the ball. The guy did beat me back door on one play. I tried to block the shot but the guy was like 3 inches taller than me so I think hit him in the head. The guy cried to the referee that I punched him and swore at me. Usually, I make sure players are ok after a hard foul. In this case since the guy was classless, I ignored him and didn't say a word. I noticed he didn't go to the basket anymore though. He was probably afraid I would hit him again.
- In a game last year, one guy commented to me that I couldn't play defense or box out by fronting him. I told him that I could. He said he was a referee. I told him I was too. We went back and forth for a while and I kept constantly talking to him before the other guy had to tell me to SHUT UP.
- Tonight, there was a dude he did some crap to my teammate and swinging elbows when I tried to defend him on the post (he's 6'4" or something). If he was going to freely swing, then so did I. He bumped me so I bumped him back. The guy was 100% jerk that didn't belong on the court.
Interesting huh? Is this the same coach41 my friends know? I'm still the same guy but in a different arena. When I'm with my friends, we all respect each other. However, in these other leagues, guys don't know each other and want to earn respect and they'll do anything to get it. It's perfectly fine if we play a clean game of basketball. Alas, there are some hyper competitive people or people who just don't understand class and respect on the basketball court. I have absolutely no respect for those people and will not hesitate to let them know. A part of this may come from me officiating adult leagues. As an official, I sometimes chirp back to players who complain about my calls.
On a side note, my friends know I talk a lot. Guess what? Some teams/opponents now know that too when I engage them in an extended dialog. I have a feeling some of them don't really like it. Oh well. I may seem to be your normal quiet Asian guy. They learn that isn't the case quite quickly.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Living A Single's Life In A Married Person's World
I've been thinking about this for a while and it took some time to put my thoughts together. With the marriage of another friend last year and another coming in the near future, it seems like the majority of my friends are married or getting married. In looking around online today, I saw various articles on how single people interact with their married friends and vice versa. It was interesting to read and I thought I would share some of my thoughts on things I've learned.
PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE
If you're the impatient type, then it will be difficult to deal with friends who are married. I can't say I was the most patient type when I was younger but as I have aged (or matured), my patience has grown. This also applies to the various situations involving married friends. The simple fact is that married friends can't hang out as much as they used to. Their significant other has a major say in things. If there are kids, that also plays a factor in any plans you try to make.
When I was younger, I was a little impatient when friends didn't call back. It was part immaturity and some selfishness. However, a few years ago, this immaturity and selfishness blew up in my face. It probably cost me a good friend when I had issues with the friend not calling me back.
After this particular incident, my patience grew to the point where I am fairly laid back with my friends. Instead of calling or emailing constantly and demanding attention, I reduced my volume of emails to next to nothing. I called a few friends every now and then. When they didn't call back right away, I just went on with life.
INDEPENDENCE
Related to patience, when I was young, I didn't do things on my own. If there was nothing going on with friends, I tended to hang at home. Maybe I slept in, watched TV or played some video games. I still do all of those things if I am home. However, I've gone out to see movies by myself. Obviously I like to write so I spend time blogging. I'm doing some photography when I get the chance. All in all, I'm spending time doing things instead of waiting for friends (especially the married ones) to initiate.
I have good friends around me but the realization is (again, especially for the married ones) they cannot be with me 24/7/365. Since I am not attached or married, I might as well enjoy life while I can. In not getting married sooner, I get to go out more and get everything out of my system before settling down.
The other things is I've made other friends and have other social groups to hang out with. The unfortunate fact is that once you get married, your regular friends are less of a priority. Not that married folks don't care about friends but with kids and other things, there is just less time. I just use my activities as a springboard to meet and get to know other people.
I'M WATCHING YOU
There is a benefit to having so many married friends around even if I don't see them as often as I used to. I get to observe their dealings with their significant others and kids (both good and bad) and learn from them. No one is perfect so problems will occur and watching people handle their situations is a good learning experience. Every marriage is unique so what happens to one couple may not happen to another. However, it never hurts to see it up close and personal.
Hopefully, this is not taken in the wrong context but I've learned a lot about my friends prior to getting married as well. I've seen their dealing in past relationships and even with their wives before they were married. I'm pretty observant, more so than people realize and it fascinates me how relationships go.
THE SINGLE LIFE IS NOT BAD
I have to give credit to my friends, especially the married ones. They are genuinely interested in my well being and there is a general wish that I find the right woman and get married. To that extent, I appreciate their concern. For the married folks, I believe it is because they are happy in their marriages and they want me to be happy as well.
However, because my married friends haven't been single in a LONG time, I think they forget how it is to be a single person. I did wonder for a long time when I would get married. Maybe I was getting too old and I couldn't find someone. I think a lot of singles go through that. You see people being happy together and wonder why you can't share in that.
Well, I've learned that you have to be happy, regardless if you're in a relationship or by yourself. I'll still go through my phases of ups and downs. Yet, I believe I am content with my life and where it is headed. There are always things to be improved but overall, I like where I am.
However, if you are unhappy, you can't expect a woman (or anyone) to fix that. Any person in your life should complement what you have and not fill in anything missing in your life.
Overall, single folks sometimes are looked at oddly. I've learned to get past that and just take care of my own business. When the right time (and woman) comes along, I will be ready to join the ranks of the married. Until then, I roll on with whatever life throws at me and enjoy it every step of the way.
PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE
If you're the impatient type, then it will be difficult to deal with friends who are married. I can't say I was the most patient type when I was younger but as I have aged (or matured), my patience has grown. This also applies to the various situations involving married friends. The simple fact is that married friends can't hang out as much as they used to. Their significant other has a major say in things. If there are kids, that also plays a factor in any plans you try to make.
When I was younger, I was a little impatient when friends didn't call back. It was part immaturity and some selfishness. However, a few years ago, this immaturity and selfishness blew up in my face. It probably cost me a good friend when I had issues with the friend not calling me back.
After this particular incident, my patience grew to the point where I am fairly laid back with my friends. Instead of calling or emailing constantly and demanding attention, I reduced my volume of emails to next to nothing. I called a few friends every now and then. When they didn't call back right away, I just went on with life.
INDEPENDENCE
Related to patience, when I was young, I didn't do things on my own. If there was nothing going on with friends, I tended to hang at home. Maybe I slept in, watched TV or played some video games. I still do all of those things if I am home. However, I've gone out to see movies by myself. Obviously I like to write so I spend time blogging. I'm doing some photography when I get the chance. All in all, I'm spending time doing things instead of waiting for friends (especially the married ones) to initiate.
I have good friends around me but the realization is (again, especially for the married ones) they cannot be with me 24/7/365. Since I am not attached or married, I might as well enjoy life while I can. In not getting married sooner, I get to go out more and get everything out of my system before settling down.
The other things is I've made other friends and have other social groups to hang out with. The unfortunate fact is that once you get married, your regular friends are less of a priority. Not that married folks don't care about friends but with kids and other things, there is just less time. I just use my activities as a springboard to meet and get to know other people.
I'M WATCHING YOU
There is a benefit to having so many married friends around even if I don't see them as often as I used to. I get to observe their dealings with their significant others and kids (both good and bad) and learn from them. No one is perfect so problems will occur and watching people handle their situations is a good learning experience. Every marriage is unique so what happens to one couple may not happen to another. However, it never hurts to see it up close and personal.
Hopefully, this is not taken in the wrong context but I've learned a lot about my friends prior to getting married as well. I've seen their dealing in past relationships and even with their wives before they were married. I'm pretty observant, more so than people realize and it fascinates me how relationships go.
THE SINGLE LIFE IS NOT BAD
I have to give credit to my friends, especially the married ones. They are genuinely interested in my well being and there is a general wish that I find the right woman and get married. To that extent, I appreciate their concern. For the married folks, I believe it is because they are happy in their marriages and they want me to be happy as well.
However, because my married friends haven't been single in a LONG time, I think they forget how it is to be a single person. I did wonder for a long time when I would get married. Maybe I was getting too old and I couldn't find someone. I think a lot of singles go through that. You see people being happy together and wonder why you can't share in that.
Well, I've learned that you have to be happy, regardless if you're in a relationship or by yourself. I'll still go through my phases of ups and downs. Yet, I believe I am content with my life and where it is headed. There are always things to be improved but overall, I like where I am.
However, if you are unhappy, you can't expect a woman (or anyone) to fix that. Any person in your life should complement what you have and not fill in anything missing in your life.
Overall, single folks sometimes are looked at oddly. I've learned to get past that and just take care of my own business. When the right time (and woman) comes along, I will be ready to join the ranks of the married. Until then, I roll on with whatever life throws at me and enjoy it every step of the way.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Back To The Basics / Building A Strong Foundation
Back from the land of Virginia and enjoying home! I am so glad to be back that I officiated a basketball game 6 hours after I landed yesterday and two more today (more on officiating in my other blog).
While my trip to Virginia was fun (seeing various people I don't see often), there was a lot of information that I learned. Most of this was work related and really not applicable to be shared in my personal blog.
However, there was one thing that I could share with people. During my meetings with my Sales Engineering team Thursday, we were asked to share one bad and one good thing that occurred during the 2010 year and what we learned from the each of them.
While most of my co-workers shared incidents that occurred with customers, I shared the struggles I had at work that started in April. There were complaints about my job performance and that led to some discussions with my manager. The result was that I was put on a development plan to work on improving.
That was quite a challenging time for me. It's never fun to be told that you aren't doing your job. I took it pretty hard and didn't know exactly what I was going to do.
After coming to terms with the situation, I dug in and followed the development plan the best that I could. I studied my company's products and services to as much detail as I could. I took online courses on communication, listening and other skills. I listed to my fellow teammates on their calls. Nine months later, things have quieted down. My managed indicated there were no further complaints that he was aware of.
The point in all of this? In everything we do in life, a strong foundation is needed. For my work situation, going back to the basics helped me build a stronger foundation for me to do my job. This was NOT my ideal situation but yet it was what I needed.
In the future, if you run into any struggles personally or professionally, try going back to the basics. Somethings things aren't as complicated as they seem and focusing on the basic things will get you back on the path you are trying to go. If you don't have a strong foundation, then going back to the basics will also be helpful as well.
While my trip to Virginia was fun (seeing various people I don't see often), there was a lot of information that I learned. Most of this was work related and really not applicable to be shared in my personal blog.
However, there was one thing that I could share with people. During my meetings with my Sales Engineering team Thursday, we were asked to share one bad and one good thing that occurred during the 2010 year and what we learned from the each of them.
While most of my co-workers shared incidents that occurred with customers, I shared the struggles I had at work that started in April. There were complaints about my job performance and that led to some discussions with my manager. The result was that I was put on a development plan to work on improving.
That was quite a challenging time for me. It's never fun to be told that you aren't doing your job. I took it pretty hard and didn't know exactly what I was going to do.
After coming to terms with the situation, I dug in and followed the development plan the best that I could. I studied my company's products and services to as much detail as I could. I took online courses on communication, listening and other skills. I listed to my fellow teammates on their calls. Nine months later, things have quieted down. My managed indicated there were no further complaints that he was aware of.
The point in all of this? In everything we do in life, a strong foundation is needed. For my work situation, going back to the basics helped me build a stronger foundation for me to do my job. This was NOT my ideal situation but yet it was what I needed.
In the future, if you run into any struggles personally or professionally, try going back to the basics. Somethings things aren't as complicated as they seem and focusing on the basic things will get you back on the path you are trying to go. If you don't have a strong foundation, then going back to the basics will also be helpful as well.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Live from Virginia
Alright, it's past midnight here in Virginia and I have a flight in 8 hours to come back to the Bay Area. However, I couldn't resist the opportunity to blog from out of town. I've been in Virginia since Sunday for business and looking forward to getting home tomorrow.
Overall, the trip went well. I saw the other folks on my team and met a few other people from other groups that I didn't see before. It was a good time though there was still work to be done.
I'll leave you off with some pictures I took while in Virginia:
http://campl.us/s9Q
http://campl.us/sYj
http://campl.us/sMh
Overall, the trip went well. I saw the other folks on my team and met a few other people from other groups that I didn't see before. It was a good time though there was still work to be done.
I'll leave you off with some pictures I took while in Virginia:
http://campl.us/s9Q
http://campl.us/sYj
http://campl.us/sMh
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Appreciate Life And People Are You NOW!
This one will be brief! I found out today that a local boy's varsity basketball coach had suddenly passed away yesterday at the age of 50. While I didn't know the coach that well, I had seen him around when I officiated or spectated high school basketball games around the area.
All in all, the point is we all need to appreciate life and the people around this. You never know when it's your time to go. Even though I didn't know the coach that well, I feel sadness for the family, friends and players he leaves behind.
All in all, the point is we all need to appreciate life and the people around this. You never know when it's your time to go. Even though I didn't know the coach that well, I feel sadness for the family, friends and players he leaves behind.
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