Merry Christmas, Happy Blogging

I haven't blogged in 22 days. Yikes. Sorry, self. So now I'm back. If for no other reason than to say I was here.

Let's see, what's new? Cubbies signed a new first baseman. This guy:

Carlos Pena

He hit 46 home runs two years ago before a down year last season. Nice, polite guy with pop in his bat. Glad to have you aboard, Carlos. --that reminds me: With Zambrano, Marmol and Silva, Pena now makes it four Carloses on the Cubs roster. How cool is that?








Bulls are playing nice lately. Five straight W's and a 14-8 record thus far. I can dig it.

My league in Hutch is back from a two-week hiatus. After losing our first game, we shellacked our opponent in Game 2, 64-18. We take our 1-1 record into tonight's 7:00 game with certain signs of rust.

I will try to blog again before Christmas, but in case I don't...uh, it's Christmas time! I love Christmas. Everything about it. The music, the shopping, the decorations, the spirit. It's all just so fun. I'm literally, well...a kid at Christmas.

I still have most of my shopping to do, but I'm looking forward to it all.

I'm planning to buy myself a new (big) TV on the 23rd. Merry Christmas to me! But you can still buy me stuff, if you want.








Also, I'll be making my first ever (voluntary) student loan payment at some point this week. Big step! And planning to penny-pinch like crazy in January/February, in hopes that I can buy me a new vehicle (ahem, truck?) around March or shortly thereafter.

But in the meantime, trying my darnedest to take things one step at a time.

Next step: Cookie.

Merry Christmas and Happy Blogging,
Derrick

PS, I'd like to share this song with you. Heard it for the first time a couple weeks ago, and it's fun. You may not like it the way I do, and you'll have to pause my already-awesome music on here, but I'm sharing anyway.

[insert random clever title here]

To whom it may concern,

Two weeks in at new job. So far, so good. Definitely some intrigue of a few different varieties already. Some I could probably talk about if anyone is so inclined to hear...others, I'll keep to myself. [chuckle]

For this last week of October, I wore a pink ribbon pinned to my shirt each day. Took some flak for it, but I don't care. Pink t-shirt on Thursday night, too. Look, evidence...

Our home crowd at the High School game was clad in pink and pretty raucous for a 62-0 win to end the regular season. Players wore blue unis with pink numbers [and names] for the occasion, too. Pretty sweet.

Bulldogs head into the playoffs having outscored their opponents 473-36 in nine regular season games. Impressive.

However, I will miss the Regional game here at home on Tuesday vs. Ness City, due to working late. Dang it.

I don't really have a whole lot to say in this blog [go figure], but wanted to post something since I haven't since starting the new job. Also, it gave me incentive to change my layout off the the pink backdrop.

Note: People [ahem, girl(s)] who think they're going to get on my good side while badmouthing friends of mine... I think not.


Upcoming: Basketball league in Hutchinson starting next Sunday. Pretty pumped for that. Should be interesting.


Not much else to say at the moment. This one was pretty short. Maybe next time I'll have more to say. I need to try and blog on weekends, now that I'm working weekdays. Here's hoping!

Let me know what you think of the layout. It's kind of bland, but it occurred to me that maybe I've been too flashy in the past. Need to tone it down a bit. Any thoughts?

Happy Halloween.

Derrick, out.

It's not. Ranting if. I use. Short sentences.

Front page:
Hello, world. Been awhile.

Friend's wedding today. I want one.

I think I wanna get married on a Tuesday morning. Three kids. Maybe two. What's that? Gotta get a date first? Oh.

Haven't read much recently. Boredom problem.

Haven't written much lately. Idea problem.

Haven't run much either. Knee problem.

Hope to fix all these soon. Though the latter will be tough.

Breaking News:
Um, JENNIFER NETTLES! Sorry for the outburst. There is no story here. I just like her. The idea of having her babies has been floated about.

Tuesday is important. But I'm not telling you why. Just know that it is.

Obituary:
Joel Strohl, Pretty Prairie, KS. Small town, big deal. Rest in peace, Mr. Strohl.

Sports section:
Hometown fellas won 50-nil Friday. Hooray.

Jayhawks lost 6-3 Saturday. Bah.

Cubs are still terrible.

Bulls still look promising.

Bears look...eh.

Comics:

I need to write again soon. If only for my own mental stimulation. I'll do my best.

Until then.

Cheers,
Derrick

Here's the story...

Last Sunday (8 days ago)...

I was hit in the nose [hard] while playing basketball. It made a loud 'crack!' noise. I was then hit again about 20 minutes later. Original thought: It's probably broken. Oh well, it's happened before. It's just a nose. Second thought: Very real chance I have a concussion, too.

But...for the past 8 days, I've been having very intense, almost blinding headaches. They come and go every few minutes, each time worse than the last it seems. It's like a sharp, stabbing pain in the side of my face and head. One night, it got so bad I cried. And I'm not a crier. I even fell down once. I haven't told some people because I know they'd worry. I shouldn't have told some others, because they won't stop hounding me about it. Or others because they've been rude and not supportive at all.

Scary moments:
1. Someone actually mentioned (with a straight face) the idea of "internal bleeding". Eek!
2. I awoke to the following news story on ESPN.com: [NAIA football player dies following blow to head]

I do not have health insurance. I can't go get X-rays. I can't go get it checked out. I'll just have to ride it out. But I've been worried. And I'm not a worrier, either. But I'm doing all the right things in terms of taking care of myself. Except for not playing basketball. Don't even try. I've played three times since then, and plan on continuing...

Basketball has been the one constant in my life--especially lately--and no one is taking it away from me. Not that.

After looking feverishly online and analyzing myself, this is the best diagnosis I seem to be able to find:
- My nose is broken. There's no way around it.
- I may or may not have a concussion. I'd be certain of it, but I haven't vomited. They say that's a key sign. Although I haven't thrown up in more than 8 years, so maybe that's not a key variable for me?
- Somehow, the blow to the head may have caused some sort of migraine onset. Although my headaches have been shorter and more reoccurring than migraines are supposed to be.

Ultimate synopsis: I still have no freaking idea.

There. I talked about it. Now I'm done. Moving on...

Other news:
- The Cubs suck. Definition of irony: Talk to a Cub fan about a broken heart. Hello? Every day.
- This could be a big week for me. No details now, just be aware.
- My propensity for saying the right thing to the wrong person/people is epic. The streak continues! Someday, it will pay off. I am sure of it. Well, sort of. Well, maybe. Or maybe not. But that's who I am. Foot in mouth? Whoa is me.
- Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics pitched a perfect game yesterday. I watched the last four innings. Perspective: The first recorded baseball game took place in 1846. In 164 years, there have been 19 perfect games. 19. Perfect game = most beautiful thing in sports. I love baseball.
- New poll question. Vote on it! Go. In the meantime...

Results from most recent poll:

Question: Where are you from?
McPherson (county), KS: 4 votes (26%)
Somewhere else in KS: 4 votes (26%)
Another state: 3 votes (20%)
Wichita, KS: 2 votes (13%)
Pretty Prairie, KS: 2 votes (13%)
Another country: 0 votes (0%)

Once again, this poll didn't tell me much. I have tons of friends from other countries--but apparently none of them read my blog. Tear. And only 2 Wichita people is a little surprising. No worries, on to the next poll, I suppose...

Have a good week,
Derrick

Things People Say

I'm pretty much hilarious. If you disagree, stop reading now.

Hey, thanks! You kept reading, which means I roped you into a trap. See? Funny.

Here are some funny things I've said (or thought) recently to make myself laugh--if no one else. Just because I can...

Facebook chat with Jen Th.: "I'd rather [long list of funny, ridiculous things here] than watch volleyball."

Text conversation with Teri K:
[I had mentioned having to move farm equipment off my basketball court and that one item was particularly heavy].
T: "What part was heavy?"
D: "Do I look like the type of cat who knows farm equipment?! For all I know, it's an alien spaceship."

Pretend conversation between me and F. Scott Fitzgerald [who's been dead for 70 years]:
F: "Exclamation points are like laughing at your own jokes."
D: "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jerk."

Thought to myself:
- If I was Weird Al Yankovic, I would create a song called: "Beer Drops on My LeCar."


Think Taylor Swift would approve?


Side note: If you have negative thoughts or views about Taylor Swift, you can commence to the rock-kicking portion of your day.

I'm sure there are more funny things I've said or thought. But I'm so funny, it's hard to pick out the best ones. Just kidding. Actually, I thought I had more material for this bit--turns out, not so much.

Moving on [but still on the topic of things people say]...

I've noticed at times that people develop certain habits in their patterns of speech and become insanely repetitive with the way they talk. I try to refrain, but am probably guiltier than anyone.

I'm sure if you talk to me much at all, you've already noticed, but just for fun, here are some things I say way too much:

- I know, right? [this one's trendy--hence its annoyance]
- Whatever, dude. [kind of coined this one myself, I think]
- No worries. [makes me feel like an Aussie]
- Hey Phil, I hate you. [ah, brotherly love]
- lol [force of habit--I hate myself for this one]
- Well hi to you, too. [to people who start conversations without a greeting]
- Sorry. [unnecessary apologies drive me nuts, but I'm guilty, too]
- Did you see my Facebook status? [seriously, did you?]

- I wanted to post one of my current favorite songs on here, but since the music website I use doesn't have this song, I'm posting a video instead [NOT the official music video for the song, but still great]. I love this song! Give it a listen.

Things People Say - Lady Antebellum



If you don't have anything nice to say, talk about something else,
Derrick

Some stuff I like...

Howdy, y'all.

So...not sure how I've managed to never mention it before, but I am absolutely in love with the TV show Castle. It's officially my favorite show on TV--I recently moved it above 30 Rock and Family Guy. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out majorly. Give it a shot. Amazing stuff.


With that out of the way, on to some more of my favorite things. Well, people...

My favorite baseball and basketball players each made news this week.

Carlos Zambrano. Ace of the Cubs pitching staff has been moved to the bullpen. Since most my readers are not sports enthusiasts, I'll spare you--just know that this is a big deal to me. Normally viewed as a demotion, but hopefully it will help the club.

Joakim Noah. If you know anything about sports, chances are, you hate him. I couldn't care less. He's ugly as sin, but the dude is a winner--two traits I reckon we both share. *chuckle* He outworks anyone and everyone on the floor at all times, and he's not afraid to say what he thinks. I love it.


His latest comments were about the city of Cleveland, while playing the Cavaliers. He was asked his opinion of the city (not the team--we all know they're great), and he gave an honest answer, saying "It sucks."

He's annoying a whole city at the moment. So what? Few people in the country like him anyway. --excluding Florida Gator fans, people from New York City (where he grew up), people--especially girls--from France (where he's from)...and me.

The following is from the next day's press conference.


In case you're reading from a place in which you can't watch or listen to that clip:

When asked if getting booed bothered him.
Response: [Shakes head] "I was booed a lot. My whole life, I've been booed."

Then, asked if he regretted his Cleveland remarks.
Response: [Shakes head] "Not at all. [Pause] Do you like it? Do you think Cleveland's cool? I mean, I never heard anybody say 'I'm goin' to Cleveland on vacation.' What's so good about Cleveland?"

Hilarious.

Interesting week for some of my favorite things and people--so with nothing much else to discuss, thought I'd share...

Need a new sign-off,
Derrick

Have you not heard? It was my understanding that everyone had heard...

So the last two nights, I've stayed up much too late, watching baseball. Err, listening to [Vin Scully] talk. If you don't know who he is, you're missing out. Greatest. Broadcaster. Ever. No regrets. Ladies, if your voice sounded like Vin's, you'd never have to worry about a man listening to you ever again, guaranteed.

Also today (well, yesterday--it's after 2 AM now): Saw the girl my mom wants me to date again. *chuckles* That's going to be an annoying, yet recurring thought.
...but with no real prospects, the notion is at least entertaining--which is admittedly kind of lame.

Other nonsensical gibberish: Been thinking lately about changing the title of my blog. Not the title of each post, but the "...flip-flops and jump shots." part. I think it fits me, but I've also had it up since I first started this site and wondering if it's time for a change. Any suggestions?

Sports News:
- Had a game in Wichita on Wednesday. We lost. I haaaaate losing! Next game: Sunday, 4 PM. We will win. Period.

- Bulls made it to the playoffs. Yay!

- Cubs are still struggling to string wins together, but getting better.
...Marlon Byrd is a stud! In case you haven't heard, the Byrd is the word.



Keeping this one short, so I'll try and write again soon.

Do the right thing,
Derrick

A word to the wise...

In case you couldn't tell, I made some more changes to the site (again). I felt the last version was a little too dark, and with summer around the corner, thought I'd lighten it up a bit. Any thoughts? Share 'em.

For now, though, I'll just try and catch you up a bit on a few things that have happened since my last blog:

March 27: 3 on 3 tournament in McPherson went off without a hitch. My team lost in the semifinal to a team we'd already beaten--and we'd also beaten both teams who played in the Championship game. Needless to say, we coulda, shoulda, woulda...

April 1-2: Did some praying--and lots of it. I won't go into details here, but a scary situation involving a very good friend of mine...

April 2-4: Prayers seem to have been answered. Thank you, Jesus.

April 5: Cubs Opening Day! Easily my favorite day of the year. YAY!!
...3 hours later: Cubs lose, 16-5. I hate baseball.
...3 seconds later: I don't mean that.

April 7: Basketball game in a league in Wichita. Another win, now 2-0. I love winning.

April 8: Saw the girl my mom thinks I should date. Makes me laugh every time I see her. Not in conniving way--she's actually a terrific girl--just in an "Oh goodness, my mom has a legitimate opinion on my social life; I must have issues" kind of way.

Results from most recent poll:

Question: How did you meet me?
College: 5 votes (31%)
Other: 5 votes (31%)
High School: 2 votes (12%)
Basketball: 2 votes (12%)
Family: 1 vote (6%)
Through a friend: 1 vote (6%)

I dunno what to make of the five 'other' votes, but the 16 total votes is the most I've had on a poll so far. Shooting for 20+ votes on a poll one of these days.

Quote of the day:
"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." - Bill Cosby

Do the right thing,
Derrick

I have no title for this. McPherson and stuff.

I am now less than 14 hours away from playing basketball at my favorite place ever.
- If not for basketball, I would have never left this place.
- If not for basketball, I would have never found this place.



Safe to say, emotions are running rampant. Despite being cut from the team shortly before our first game and being forced to transfer [KWU debacle, circa 2005] in order to pursue my dream of playing college basketball in an actual game--I have nothing but fond memories of both McPherson the town and the college. I love it there.

-- The ankle is feeling better-ish. I ran on it for the first time on Wednesday. It's still pretty sore, and for an idea of what colors still appear on my foot and ankle, [click here]. Neat, huh?

But it's playable and shouldn't be as difficult in a half-court, 3-on-3 setting as Wednesday's full-court pickup ball was. Here's hoping...

Other topics:

- Had a lengthy blog written the other day, posted it and quickly removed it due to its controversial nature. Apologies to anyone who saw it and clicked, only to see it'd been removed.

- 10 days away from my favorite day of the year--Cubs Opening Day! You could say I'm excited.

- Effectively limited everything I look for in girls down into one specific trait--nerves. If I get nervous while talking to a girl, very good sign. If not, probably not a chance. Not sure why this never occurred to me, but I feel like I've stepped on a gold mine. Eureka!

- I'm really curious what everyone thinks of the new layout. I received an e-mail from Blogger, advertising its new features and felt like trying something new again. Any feedback is appreciated--as always.

Quote of the day:
"Worry often gives small things a large shadow." - Swedish Proverb

Word of the day:
criterion - Singular of criteria. Used it (in the flow, I might add) in the aforementioned deleted blog and wanted an excuse to throw it in here, too, because I've always liked the word. So there.

Do the right thing,
Derrick

Luck of the...inept?

In case you weren't aware, I hurt my ankle playing basketball Sunday night. Hurts. Pretty certain it's just twisted/sprained, not broken--but with no health insurance, can't go to the doctor, either way.

So I'm rehabbing like T.O. before the Super Bowl, trying to heal the best I can before attempting to play in a much-anticipated 3-on-3 basketball tournament on March 27 (10 days). At my favorite place ever.


But walking is tough. You know, swelling and all. I'm past hopping, but it's still a pretty severe limp. Annoying. There are some nice bright colors on the ankle/foot area. Might be neat, if not painful. Crossing my fingers it will pass in a week. Likely? Not so much. A guy can hope, right?

Those who know me well know that I don't take medicine--for anything. Not gonna start now, either. I have my reasons. And despite what some believe, they're legit ones. So I'll have to do it the old fashioned way: Ice, elevate, etc.

Also, it's St. Patrick's Day today. Truth be told, it would have completely slipped my mind if not for all the Facebook status posts about it. Truth be told, it doesn't mean much to me. Not a drinker, and even if I was...I can barely hobble to the door, so going out at all is out of the question. Not gonna lie, it sucks.

Still, I'm wearing my green, anyway. Not that anyone's here to pinch me if I didn't...

Either way, I could use some luck lately--and not just with this darned ankle.


Cheers,
Derrick

My Birthday Wish List

Birthday's tomorrow. Just for kicks, here are the things that top my wish list--not necessarily in this order.

1. A nice-looking damsel.
- Long hair
- Long legs
- No drama
- No baggage
- Age 20-30
- Really hot set of...morals.

2. A head coaching gig.

3. A new car. Well, truck.

4. New Basketball shoes. Adidas, size 13.
- Like this.

5. Anything Cubs
- Tickets
- Hats. Size: XL; top 2 choices: 1. This one. 2. This one.

6. Eric Church tickets
- Wichita, KS; March 26

7. New baseball glove. Big one.

8. Lose 32-36 lbs. OK, that one's on me. Ready, go!



While I'm posting...results of most recent poll:

Question: How do you interact with me most?
Facebook/MySpace: 8 votes (53%)
Text/On phone: 5 votes (33%)
In person: 1 vote (6%)
Don't know you/Random reader: 1 vote (6%)

Not surprised at this, but a little disappointing. I'll try to fix this; need to reach out a bit more to my people, I guess. ;)

Yay for pointless blogs,
Derrick

I love this game.

I love basketball. Have since before I can remember. I wasn't born with hoards of athletic ability, but a passion for the game I'll put up against anyone's.

As a kid, I'd shovel a foot of snow off the court to shoot in below-zero temps.

As a teenager, I skipped breakfast to shoot before school. I hid in the locker room after practice until everyone left, and snuck back into the gym for another couple hours of shooting--in the dark. I skipped class--a lot--to sneak away to the gym.

I even loved practice. I begged for two-a-days in High School. I loved four-hour practices in college.

When other kids were at parties or out on dates--I was on the court.

It's a beautiful game.

Whether it's a peach basket and a broom in a tiny, quiet gymnasium or two nylon nets 94 feet apart in a raucous arena--a there's a certain peace and tranquility that comes with being between those lines.

First ever basketball court--Springfield College, 1891

U.S. Airways Center; home of NBA's Phoenix Suns, built in 1992 (101 years later).


I'm ready to be a Head Coach. I'm a student of the game, and learning more by the day. Most importantly, I know enough to know that I'll never know it all. Many coaches feel they have nothing left to learn--and that's when they get beat.

Players will enjoy playing for me. Not only do I carry a passion for the game, but I make it simple and fun. Too many coaches complicate things by over-coaching.

It's an easy game. Intricate schemes, techniques and designs are essential, but at the end of the day, my offensive philosophy is simple--and something past players have heard me say often:

"Just go score." -- Too simple? Hogwash. Whether it's a fade-away J from the elbow, a tip-in put-back in traffic, or a tomahawk dunk on the break, a basket is a basket [see also: peach basket vs. nylon net].

So just go score. Get the ball in the hoop, go lock up on D...then do it again.

I digress...

Basketball feeds my soul. I go to it when I need to exercise, when I need to vent. I go to it when I need to think, need to cry, need to breathe.

I go to it in times of joy and times of sorrow--
I loved it yesterday; I'll love it tomorrow.

It's always been there for me, and I love it.
Always have, always will.

Just go score,
Derrick

What's my age again?

I was already plotting a post about age this past week--and officiating little kids' basketball games this weekend strengthened the desire to put something down.

"Grow up."
"Act your age." --just a couple things people often say (not to me; OK, sometimes to me). But why?

Don't mistake me, I get it. I understand the importance of learning from things as we get older, and putting that knowledge to use as the years go by. Whatever. But...it leads me to a few questions:

Why is maturity essentially synonymous losing one's sense of humor?
Why is maintaining a sense of humor synonymous with immaturity?

Why can't adults just relax and live life?

Tell jokes, laugh at yourself, have fun...enjoy life to the fullest. Corny cliche, but a necessary reminder, I think.

I've never understood why most people seem to hit a wall in life where they immediately become boorish and lacking in the heartfelt compassion that we possess by the truckload as children.

And don't feed me the load of bull about more responsibilities, bills, etc. That's hooey. If you think you're mature enough to live in responsible situations, be mature enough to roll with the punches and deal with whatever life throws at you.

While reffing several kids' basketball games this weekend, it hit me--adults suck. Half those kids were there because they love to play the game; half because they get to be around their friends. And while various parents lived and died with every call, their child would simply run the other way and shrug it off.

Only adults carry grudges--children are far too wise.

Opinion: Just because you know more stuff, it doesn't make you smarter.

"You're only as old as you feel," they say. Well...stop feeling so old, dummy. Do whatever it takes to feel young. Be a kid--even if just at heart.



Ironic thought: I've never heard a senior citizen complain about being old. Not once. All the 'I'm getting old' rants I hear are generally from people under 30 who don't know what being old even means.

"Respect your elders." - well that's just a given. Do it. Sir, ma'am, please, thanks, and so on. But you know what? Blaming a lack of respect on today's youth is pretty ignorant--and lazy, if you ask me. Do a better job of instilling respect as a parent, and you won't have to complain about it down the road. Simple as that.

Disclaimer: I am almost 25. I feel sore a lot after playing basketball--but I love it. I relish that sore feeling. Makes me feel like I've done something, accomplished something. And besides, better than not feeling anything at all, right?

Few more fun quotes about age...

"Every man over 40 is a scoundrel." - George Bernard Shaw

"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." - Henry David Thoreau

"A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age." - Robert Frost

Finally, I'll leave you with a clip of a commercial I've always loved, featuring perhaps the best soccer player in the world, Ronaldinho. I think it's brilliant.



Act whatever age sounds like fun,
Derrick

Just some white dude writing about Black History...

I once took an African American Literature course at Wichita State University. First day, teacher opens by saying: "In case you haven't noticed, I'm white."

Then, I laughed. But now, I make the same proclamation as I write a blog about Black History Month. I'm white.

Not only am I white, but I come from a tiny Kansas town of approximately 600 people, all white. Disclaimer aside, here are a few thoughts on race relations:

- Ignorance: I've actually heard various white people complain about Black History Month. "Why should they get their own month? Why isn't there a White History month?," they'll say. My reply; two words: Shut up.

- We have a black President. Well, sort of. He's actually as much white as he is black-- something I feel people forget about completely. But still...I'm proud to say I voted for him. Despite your political views, or my own personal doubts about whether or not I'd vote for him again, I'll never regret voting for him the first time. Change was needed, period--not just politically, but socially. [opinion]

- Some of the most fun basketball I've ever played in my life was at the YMCA in Pittsburg, KS every Sunday afternoon in the Fall of '03. It was usually me, and 35+ black guys. I saw one other white dude there--once. That was it. The way we played: If you didn't get picked, you didn't play. Ever. Several guys wound up just watching for 4 hours every week. Luckily, a guy saw me hit several shots warming up and said: "I'll take the white kid." Everyone laughed, but I played well my first game and got picked every week from then on. Fun, fun times--and some darn good basketball.

- My best black friends: Justin Rogers, Ashley Hurd, Larry Ellis.

- Most interesting racial conversations: My old roommate, Donta Cherry. Ah, brings back memories. Love that guy!

- Most annoying racial remarks: When people from my hometown see me wearing a pair of baggy shorts or a hat backwards, various folks often say: "Why are you dressing black?" or "Do you think you're black?" This is beyond stupid. Why can't it be a cultural thing vs. racial? Why can't it be a style I enjoy and find comfortable from time-to-time? Would you ever go up to a black person wearing blue jeans and ask them: "Why are you dressing white?" I very much doubt it.

- Saddest story of racism: Off the top of my head...Bobby Hutton. [click his name for link to brief Wikipedia explanation] Heard his name in one of my favorite songs of all-time, Ghetto Gospel--a collaboration by Tupac Shakur/Elton John. Did some research on him, and the story is sickening.

* Lighter note * I tried thinking of a couple light-hearted racial clips that wouldn't be offensive to anyone. I came up with a movie scene and a racial joke that shouldn't be offensive to any race, and are just funny in general. :)

- Funny movie clip:
Jerry Maguire: "I love black people! Show me the money!"
Rod Tidwell: "Congratulations, you're still my agent." HA. Freaking classic.



Joke time: The Greatest, Muhammad Ali. Enjoy.
[embedding has been disabled on this clip, so you'll have to click the link to see it]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kJdd6T5-xA

Do the right thing,
Derrick

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

Well folks, it's almost 2010. Almost a new year, a new decade. Let's review. First, a brief glimpse at the past decade. Then the year of 2009.

10 years ago, 1999:

- I was 14. 8th grade. I had a crush on a redheaded 7th grader--yikes!
- I was a part of the first ever undefeated football season at PPMS. I take zero credit for that.
- I was a guard on the basketball team. Shot from the hip and began my affinity for shooting the 3.
- Favorite teacher: Mrs. Matthews. She was mean, yet oddly kind.
- Least favorite: Mr. Baker. He was odd. Nine years later, he added me on Facebook. Declined.

In the last 10 years...

My best year: 2007. June, more specifically.
My worst year: 2003/2009.
Biggest accomplishment: Playing college basketball.
Biggest loss: My best friend moving halfway across the country, and essentially out of my life.

Back to the present, 2009:

Biggest accomplishments: Running 351 miles in the month of July, and re-establishing a relationship with my sister.
Biggest loss: I got dumped the day before Valentine's Day. She then got engaged less than 3 months after saying she still loved me. Neat, huh? Then again, in perspective--maybe not such a big loss after all.

Looking ahead, 2010:

Resolutions:
- Find a job (by end of January, no exceptions).
- Find a girlfriend (by March 6 would be nice, but probably not realistic. Let's say June 1).
- Pray. Every single day.
- Run a few races, maybe a half marathon.
- End bad habits. Live right. Do right. Motto--WWAD: What would Amanda do? This is not a new motto, but I will be leaning on it more from now on. Lord knows I need to.

Further ahead, next 10 years...

Goals:
- Get married/have kids.
- Coach at least one championship team.
- Own a house.
- Own a pickup truck.
- See a game at Wrigley.
- Have my picture taken next to the Jordan statue.
- Learn to play guitar.
- Learn to play piano.

Lastly, I'll leave you with a 23-second video that comes to mind for me every single New Year's. Terrific movie, funny clip. Enjoy.



Make your own luck,
Derrick

What a weak week. Word. Wait, what? Whoa, weird.

Due to the desire to write, yet lacking much of an idea--let's try a good ole recap of the week, hopefully in a comedic way, of sorts. Tried a few of those awhile back to relatively positive reviews.

Thurs; Dec 10...
7:00-8:45 PM--Play a little roundball with the fellas at home in Pretty Prairie. Only managed enough for 2-on-2, but it was fun, as small town basketball usually is. Then this one crazy cat apparently tripped over something (no one saw it) and watched his ankle swell to the size of a beach ball within minutes. He claims he blocked a shot on the play. Ironically, no one saw that either.

Fri; Dec 11...
I do not remember this day. It must not have happened.

Sat; Dec 12...
9 PM-4 AM (Sun)--Hang out in Hutchinson. Watch I Love You, Man for the first time. I pretty much am Paul Rudd. Except for the whole fiancee thing.

Sun; Dec 13...
4:57 AM--Finally arrive home. It should be a 30 minute drive, max. Worst fog I've ever seen in my life extended the drive a bit. Not pleasant.

6:00 PM--Game time.

6:53 PM--Another close loss, 0-4. 62-68, bad guys. For the first time, I wasn't horrendous. Barely. By my count: 16 points, 13 rebounds. Estimate of what I probably should have had: 28 points, 18 rebounds. Had a nice blocked shot on a former teammate I admire a lot (got called for a nonsense foul, but it was a make-up call for something I got away with previously).

Missed a few chippies--pause to check if "chippies" is a real word or just basketball slang. Chippies: Plural of chippy--a promiscuous young woman. Yikes. Definitely not what I meant. Rephrasing...I missed a few easy baskets.

Oh, promiscuous. Easy! Yeah, I get it now...

7:51-9:18 PM--Get back to gym in Pretty Prairie and join the hometown blokes for some 4-on-4.

7:59 PM--Receive a message that totally spikes my curiosity. Like a volleyball. You know, except not boring. Guffaw.

Mon; Dec 14...
11:45 AM-2:15 PM--Get some good games in on the courts at Wichita State. My team won in its first 7 games. Then a loss, then two wins, a loss, and a win. 10-2? In pickup ball? Pshaw, I'll take it.

7(ish) PM--Watch a pretty intense double-overtime Middle School game. Pretty Prairie wins on a tip-in at the buzzer. That kid will remember that moment forever. I know I have a few moments like that. One that was eerily similar, in fact.

Tue; Dec 15...
8 PM-12:30 AM (Wed)--Hang out in Hutchinson again. Pizza rolls and bread sticks from "The Hut" and a drink from Sonic? Eh, fuggedaboutit! <-- imagine an Italian accent.

Wed; Dec 16...
3 PM-6 PM--Jaunt to Wichita. Pick up a few Christmas gift on very limited budget. Result: I'm an awesome big brother, a decent son and pretty solid brother-in-law. As for being a little brother? Jury still out.

6:30--Taco Bell. Cheesy Gordita Cruch. And some soft shells on the side. No lettuce. Dr. Pepper. Yum.

This is a very anti-climactic ending, but that's pretty much all I've got this time.

Do the right thing,
Derrick

Warning: If you read this, you'll learn something new...

I'm a pretty open cat, if you know me. Finding a secret on me is like finding a needle made from hay in...well, you know--a haystack.

But I decided to dig deep and come up with some things that some folks may not know about me. I do this every-so-often, and figured I was due. Some of these things are quite embarrassing--but alas...

- In 2nd grade, I wanted to be a preacher when I grew up.

- I'd had a long day at school and basketball practice the day before my grandfather died--so I told my mom I'd pass on visiting him in the hospital. Doctors assured us his condition wasn't serious, and he'd be fine. No worries, I figured--I'd see him in a few days. He passed away in the middle of the night. My decision that day still bothers me sometimes.

- My first kiss was approximately 6 weeks before my 18th birthday.

- I would marry (______) today, if she let me.

- I had this High School classmate--real cool chica. I've said occasionally for years (almost always to myself) that I definitely wouldn't mind marrying a girl exactly like her someday. I can't think of anyone who knows (guessing aside) who I'm referring to.

- If I don't have a kid before December 19, 2014--I will consider myself a major disappointment.

- The first episode of SportsCenter I ever recall watching was on November 7, 1991. It remains the most memorable thing I've ever seen on ESPN. I couldn't actually find an ESPN clip--they appear to be stingy with their rights--but here's one from CNN. It's 9:56 long, but you'll get the idea very shortly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSfy4AhDDnw

- I did not go to my High School graduation. People insisted I'd regret it, but truth be told, I often even forget that I didn't go. My college graduation was much more important to me. I went to that one--almost entirely for my mom.

- I absolutely love Pretty Prairie, KS. There, I said it.


- I love to sing. Almost exclusively in my car. Primarily along with various country songs, but not that part's not exclusive. I'm convinced I'm pretty okay at it, too.

- I was 100% comfortable with my weight until 2005. My college basketball coach (Jones, not Trimmell--Trimmell was too busy being a good person, and winning games to ever demean his players) made several comments about it. Even resorted to cheap name-calling. To this day, I am self-conscious about my weight because of that man. I think about it at least a dozen times a day.

- I have never been in a relationship with anyone on Facebook. I've also never had a girlfriend in the summertime. Or the fall, now that I think about it. More specifically, never between June-October. Whoa...

One last one that I'm borrowing from a flick (gee, guess which one), but I always liked it, and it holds true for me, too...

- "I could be fun, if you want. I could be pensive, uhh...smart, superstitious, brave? And I, uhh--I can be light on my feet. I could be whatever you want. You just tell me what you want, and I'm gonna be that for you."

"You're dumb."

- "I could be that."

Do the right thing,
Derrick

Well wake her a** up; we gotta win tomorrow!

Day 26: INcomplete

Morning session: N/A
Evening session: 6.03 miles
Total distance: 6.03 miles

No early run since I went to church, and not much running in the evening, either, since I drove to the gym. Lucky thing, too, since no one showed to play ball. Kids around here have no dedication these days. Lazy schmucks.

From 1998-2003, Sunday ball in Pretty Prairie was legit. Nowadays, it's still us old school cats spearheading it, while the High School blokes come up with a new excuse every single time. And the guys on the basketball team are the worst ones, at that. Frustrating, to say the least. No matter, got a little run in out in the country, instead. All-in-all, a bit of a letdown today in the running department.

Movie now: The Waterboy.
Adam Sandler is one funny hombre. In case you didn't know.


And since tonight's blog is short, and I may have finished my last VHS sports movie by blog-time tomorrow...

The next, and final sports flick of the month: Jerry Maguire.
The only time Tom Cruise has been, and ever will be tolerable, in my opinion. Pretty solid flick, though.


Don't feel like thinkin' too hard tonight, so this will be a short, easy one...

Tonight's Top 10 list:

Top 10 favorite sports (to watch):

10. LaCrosse
9. Futbol (soccer)
8. Hockey (NHL)
7. Tennis (ATP)
6. Boxing
5. Football (NCAA)
4. Basketball (NCAA)
3. Football (NFL)
2. Basketball (NBA)
1. Baseball (MLB)

The fact that baseball is #1 on my list would surprise those who don't know me too well. The reason is simple. I get too antsy when I watch basketball, and I want to play. Other than the Cubs, basketball is my true love. But I simply can't stand watching it being played poorly--on any level.

Also, boxing would be much higher if it wasn't dying out. We need more big-name, primetime boxers in the game today. It's a beautiful sport.

Finally...

My beloved Cubbies won today, and the hated Cardinals got thrashed by Philly. Which means what, you ask? It means my Cubs are now in first place for the first time since April 21. They were in 4th place (4.5 games back) in the division when July began...

Don't look back, fellas!

D, out.