Trashketball!

My office holds a trashketball tournament every year after March Madness.  (This is actually the 3rd year they have done so, after the game became an 'official' office sport, complete with written rules and a committee.)  This year we had a 32 person bracket, ripe with upsets, shut-outs, and glorious "sudden death" finishes!



This year the "Champ" title was bestowed upon a true dark horse, our new clerk Stephen.  Many of the power house players fell early in their brackets (including myself) and most of them were torn up by Stephen himself.  (Who gained the nickname "Buzz-saw.")  He faced a great foe in the final game, the notorious W.E.D. - a man known not only for his trash talk, but also his last minute victories.

I have been wanting to post a video of the game for a very long time, but this was the first year where I remembered to bring my camera along for all the fun.  Enjoy!

Rig Run 2011

Nothing can ever compare to the Rig Run from last year, which was epic ... except maybe this year.

For those of you who not know, the Rig Run is the race of the outrigger year hosted by my team, Ka Nai'a.  This year we were stationed down at East Beach, and I could not have been more excited.  So far this season has been a little on the rough side, and this being our 3rd race, many of us knew it was "our day to shine."  And shine we did!

Our novice crew took 2nd place in co-ed, and our "beast boat" from last year's Catalina run was partially reunited to charge the field in the open co-ed category.  The races so far have been about 10 miles, and little did we know this one would be extended out to 14.  But it was our home water, and we were chomping at the bit to  take over.  The shore break gave a couple of us a good lashing as we took off, knocking the senses out of our dear stroker and sending us sputtering and bailing to the line.  The start, however, was beautiful.

A masters team from Tahiti showed their colors by taking an early lead and dusting the pack, but that pack was lead by us.  It was an incredible rush, akin to being chased down by hungry wolves for 14 miles with no trees or caves in site.  Our coach, Linda, was steering us like the pro she is, shouting reminders as the rest of us fought to keep our form and our power up to snuff.  The unity of the experience is close to indescribable.  It is hard to say what happens when you are in a canoe full of not only capable fellow athletes, but friends that you literally trust with your lives.

Our hard work in the off season paid off as we came around the final turn to the straight away, lighting to water on fire as we crossed the finish line to claim 1st place.  What a day! (Fun pictures here posted by my friend Kathy!)

I love my team. :)

Failures and Successes

I failed pretty badly in my Lent ambitions to free write every day.  I did not think about how challenging it would be to remember to do something proactive for 40 days straight.  The worst part is that free writing is something any kind of decent writer really should be doing anyway every day.  Hmmm, apparently I have a very long way to go.

In spite of that failure, life has had many successes lately.  One out of the two classes I was taking this quarter is over, which has been a huge relief since it was by far the most frustrating (and time consuming) course I’ve taken so far in the program.  (Not to mention sitting through a 3 hour lecture in crazy uncomfortable lab chairs when you are nauseous and battling bowel issues is flat out torture.)  Friends are doing well/better, family is hanging tough, and the sun is shining once again.  Chris had his second degree black belt test in Soo Bahk Doh last weekend which he passed with flying colors.  He had been training so hard for it I was thrilled to see his radiant, glowing face of pride when he came home.

I’m getting really excited about the outrigger race season as well.  It is exciting to finally be nearing the “moment of truth” to put all the years’ hard work and training to the test. 

Oh, and in case anyone is interested, I have been enjoying a “lollipop” book I gobbled up recently called “Ex-Heroes” which is a genre blend novel that takes place in a world that is full of super heroes (like the Marvel universe) but after the world is smacked down by the zombie apocalypse.  Very fun and light, with some unique twists on the typical zombie lore.

Dark Times

It's funny how sometimes life really can just snowball you.  I've been having a rough week, not so much because of any one thing but a pile of little tiny things (and not so tiny things) that have just piled up.  My prayer request "inbox" has been filled recently with some heavy stuff.  Between friends doing missionary work in far off lands, folks dealing with some very serious decisions in their lives, and others that are just generally stressed out, overtaxed, working hard, whatever - I have been feeling their burdens on my heart recently.  On top of that, there was a death in my family last night, and I have been juggling what is beginning to look like too many projects.  Some gears are changing at work, paddling is going into mega crunch time full swing, Spring quarter in paralegal classes will be taking  up a hefty chunk of time, and my schedule just feels squeezed.

So far, everything is balancing out okay but I am going to have to remember this week that I can't do everything and I can't please everyone.  I hate feeling like I am letting people down almost as much as I hate admitting I'm human.

In the meantime, I've realized it's important for me to identify what things I'm doing because I love them, what things I'm doing because I feel obligated, and what things I should always keep in top priority.  For some reason thinking this way helps me remember when I can relax and when I need to be "on the ball."  Paddling today, for example, is something I really love.  I don't want to go to practice simply because I know coach will yell at me if I skip, I want to go because I know I'll feel so much better afterwards and it will lift my spirits to see my teammates.  It's a sunny, lovely day and even though I am aware the crap is going to be kicked out of me, I will feel all the better for it.

The rest, as they say, is in God's hands.

Weird Things I'm Eating

Cherimoyas

Pretty much no one knows what a cherimoya is when I talk about them.  They are only available from March - June, and are deemed a "labor intensive" crop so they aren't exactly a bargain either.  You have to love them to seek them out.  This is a very polarizing fruit, that is, you either love it or you hate it.  It's kind of an ugly Betty as well, since it totally looks like a dinosaur egg and smells about that way as well.

The taste, however, I love.  They are hard to get in many parts of the country since they really only grow in South America, but here in Santa Barbara several people have these bushes that they raise so they are available in local markets.  I think they taste a little like a strange pear, but I mostly refer to them as "the mystery flavor" of dum-dums.  You have to wait until they are a little soft, and you can scoop out the white fleshy part in the center.  The big chocolate colored seeds are easy to spit out, and the entire thing makes a fun breakfast.  (As long as you can handle the stares from co-workers.)

Baked Seaweed

This is a new obsession.  They were having a sale at Trader Joe's of this stuff, you could get a little packet of them for $1.  I bought about five, and gobbled them up over the weekend, much to Chris' horror.  They are crispy and salted, quite tasty I think and reminds me how much I miss eating sushi on a regular basis.  It's a little bit strange when it comes to texture because it kind of melts in your mouth in a gross way, morphing from a crispy sheet to a gooey sea veggie.  The salt is good though and obviously more healthy than a bag of chips.

I know, I know.  My tastes are not for everyone.  But I still thought it was fun to share. :)

The Four Phases of the Post-Paddle

Phase I: “The Hunger”

Phase I often begins immediately upon termination of the workout, though in some paddlers the effect can be delayed.  There have also been cases observed in which the Hunger will begin over the course of a strenuous workout.  The Hunger descends with great fury, a primordial drive that terminates all logic, and can remove ones very identity.  The empty husk that remains is a desperate creature, fueled solely by the need to eat everything and anything within reach. 

On a more positive note, spouses and roommates attest that the Hunger is an excellent way of getting rid of leftovers in the fridge or fruit on the verge of spoiling.

Phase II: “The Bliss”

For a moment in time, carbohydrates and proteins make peace with one another, and fats, salts and sugars of all varieties are welcomed to the table of even the pickiest eater with gusto.  Only a miracle of heaven can be compared to the sensation of full life being restored to the body through food.  The sensation of unalloyed joy consumes the once hollow body; the spirit returns to the eyes and soul.  Just as the Israelites were led out of the wilderness, one may feel that they have been freed from the bondage of hunger and into the paradise of milk and honey.  (Or both milk AND honey, on top of large crusty rolls of bread, dipped in yogurt with fresh fruit, a whole chicken, and a stack of peanut butter pancakes on the side …with hot chocolate and horchata.)

Phase III: “Denial”

Riding the wave of Bliss, there is a moment, ever so brief, where a paddler may think for a time that their day can continue on as normal, like any other human being.  In this phase, as one relishes the color that has returned to their cheeks, they may begin to plan doing chores, attending events, or mapping out projects which have yet to be accomplished for the rest of the day.  One may even begin to exert themselves in large social gatherings in complete ignorance of there own limitations. 

This phase is often short lived.

Phase IV: “The Crash”

Once the body obtains that which it needed so desperately, the crash may begin with a sometimes violent, sudden, and unexplainably powerful wave.  It is recommended that paddlers be watched by loved ones prior to this phase; in case there is need to set up a soft landing space for their impending collapse.  Like C3PO, the body shuts down with an electronic “biiieeeeewwww” and hums happily in the healing cocoon of sleep.

(Phase IV: Guest comic thanks to Matthew "Chumie" Ochocinco)

Wash. Rinse. Repeat next Saturday.

Shantaram

As I said before, I've been trying to write a bit every day for Lent.  (I've missed a few days, but have been generally good about this.)  Some of it is, as to be expected, utter rubbish.  This one, however, I thought I'd share because I like the inspirational quote so much.

__________

This is a passage from the novel I am currently reading, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.  I highly recommend it to pretty much anyone; the story is beautifully written, dark and at times quite challenging.  There have been several passages I have dog-eared or jotted down, but of them all I think this one so far has struck me the hardest.

“One of the reasons why we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame, and sorrow.  But some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you find them again.  Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them.  And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you.”

At one point or another, every human being has been lonely or felt completely alone.  It’s incredible how terrifying that feeling can be, especially when it is unexpected.  There are times in my life, too many times, where I managed to delude myself into thinking and believing that I didn’t need anyone or anything else, that if I had to go it alone in the world I would be able to survive.

Being alone makes you face things that creep up in the silence, the stillness.  We have an incredible stockpile of noise and distractions we use to combat the reality of our dark hearts, our petty needs, our twisted thoughts and deeds.  Facing our flawed reflections can crush our spirits, but can also indeed be cured with love; the overflowing forgiveness and unconditional covering that is the grace of charity. 

Love fuels the effort we sacrifice in the belief that we can be better than what we are, and gives us the continued opportunity to become the person some believe us to be already.