Thursday, July 22, 2010

I think I'm in love...

Well my friends, I think it's safe to say that I've struck gold.

Everyone, hopefully, will get to experience the joy and exultation that I have been blessed with, to feel the immense happiness that comes from finding that one thing that makes them feel complete and whole. For many long years I have searched, and at long last, true love has come into my life.

Now for all of you lucky enough to be reading this, I will now give you glimpse of one of my love's wonderful features.And for those of you who can't get enough, here's another.

If tennis was a woman I would marry her in a heartbeat. This sport has always been a part of my life, and I have always known it was there. However, in the last month it has dominated my life. Some might call it an obsession, some may call it an addiction. After all, the last 4 mornings in a row I've been up at 6 AM to play. This is July. I didn't know 6 AM existed in July.

I call it true love.

Now, some may know that my first love has always been soccer. Since I was 5 we've had a rough and tumble relationship, with many ups and downs and doctors visits.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. "Why have you stayed in such an abusive relationship for so long?" Yes, soccer can be abusive.
I'll be honest, while growing up I thought I was a hotshot soccer player. One of the greatest compliments I would receive during a game is when an opposing team's coach would be continually yelling at his players to cover me. This all came to an abrupt halt one fateful day when the goddess of soccer decided to lay the smack down on my poor little knees. I was shocked, devastated, my dreams of playing high school soccer were dashed to pieces. As in many abusive relationships, after the first slap I was of course in a state of bewilderment, but figured things would still be okay. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and within a year I had to stop playing on organized teams.

I still play soccer recreationally, however that's more of a booty call than a relationship. With tennis I have found new talents and abilities that have been dormant my whole life.

Lately in my matches I've been playing great. Everything has been fluid, my hitting has been smooth, and I've been winning games. I'll be the first to admit, I've been due for a piece of humble pie for quite some time. Luckily my father is a tennis phenom, and he was more than willing to provide me with an experience to drop me down a few notches on the pride ladder. Did I say knock me down a few notches? He ended up kicking me off the ladder and then pushed it on top of me. And he wasn't even trying.

My pride in my tennis skills went from something like this:
To something like this:
I am not ashamed to say that I was pounded into the ground. In fact, I'm proud to say that after 90 minutes of play with father I was able to win a single game. Heck, it's the first time in my life I've gotten a game from him.

All in all, it's been a great time playing tennis and learning new skills. My game is still young, and I'm obviously still a very inexperienced and immature player. But, I'm always looking to play, so if you're up to it just let me know.

My lovely lady tennis and I will be ready for you.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Artsy Fartsy


I've realized that the individuals in my family are each artistic in different ways. A few of my siblings have the ability to use a camera to catch so much more than a simple image. They capture a moment, an experience, a feeling. Their photography can influence your mood, change your perception, help you to see things from a different angle, both physically and intellectually (I have no idea how that works, but it does, trust me).

Taking an image from one's own mind and presenting it through various media is another talent that many of my family members possess. Through paintings, drawings, or simply doodling they are able to express things that others can only imagine. One brother has had the makings of an engineer since he was 5, thinking of grand contraptions and machines, then methodically drawing them out and showing you exactly how they work.

I like to think that I share at least a small portion of these artsy abilities, however there isn't very much evidence to support that. There's another talent in my family that I feel I have a good handle on, and that's the use of words, either in speaking or writing. Public speaking is, naturally, a little bit nerve racking, but I enjoy the challenge of keeping the attention of an audience, not through slapstick humor, props, or action, but merely through the use of words. Writing is something I've always been able to do, even though at times I haven't enjoyed it. I BS'd my way through more English papers through junior high, high school, and college than I care to remember. Of course, I've never had anything published, unlike some in my family, but there are times that I find a lot of joy in putting things to paper. This posting is not a very strong example of writing prowess, as you may have already determined in your own mind, but it's not meant to be. This is merely me contemplating the abilities and talents with which my family has been blessed, something everyone should do once in a while. You'll find that as you recognize the skills of those closest to you, you might have a little of that skill in yourself as well.

I'm not much of a photographer, but sometimes I get a lucky shot. These are from the last few years. Don't judge too harshly, my talents lie elsewhere...















Monday, July 5, 2010

If you're reading this...

Well, it's finally happened. I cracked, fell to the pressure (and boredom), and decided to start a blog. I'll be honest, I needed a hobby, and this felt like the best way to spend some extra time. Of course, I'll most likely be kicking myself later on for this, when I have no extra time, yet I'll still feel the odd compulsion to write something on a blog that will only be read by myself, insomniacs reading random blogs, and possibly lawyers at some future date.

Posts will be few and far between I'm guessing. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry (from sadness, excessive laughter, or brain-melting boredom), and some will make you question all of your long held beliefs about just about everything. There are times you may question my sanity, but that will only lead you to question your own, as you wonder "What is possessing me to read this drivel?" I answer: senseless drivel it may be, but it is addicting dribble. Like Velveeta cheese, ranch dip, or barbecue flavored chips, you'll keep coming back for more. And just like all of those, this blog will likely be hazardous to your health. But let's face it, all the best things are.