A Day Off (Memento Post)

I'm at the 30 day mark in days accrued at the J-O-B, which means use 'em or lose 'em...so I am off. Got some stuff to do but decided to post an update on last night's game.

So like the movie Memento, I'll start at the end. We lost 40-39.

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Flash forward (backward) about 23 seconds. We were up 39-38. They come down court, get off a shot, we don't box, they hit a little layup, score is 40-39. I call a timeout with 17.7 seconds left. Tell the boys a few very pertinent points: that we do not need a 3-point shot, and I do not want a 3-point shot, that we need to drive basket to get off a good 2-pt shot, and that the other team has six (6) team fouls and if we get fouled we go to line for 1 and 1.
We inbound underneath opposing basket and the other team let's us roll! We save at least 3 seconds!!! We get ball in across halfcourt, pass, pass, stand still, dribble around perimter for approximatley 12 seconds then huck up a terrible 3-point shot which did not go in. Game over.

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Now earlier in the 4th quarter, around the 2:30 mark, my center committed a foul under the basket. To which the corekeeper for home side says "fouled out with 5!", and my scorekeeper disputed, saying that was his 4th foul. BTW, my scorekeeper was 100% correct. Anyway, we have about a six (6) minute interruption as we discern the absolute horror of a book the home side kept. And even though the ref knew we were right (told me afterwards) he has to go by home book by rule, so big man is out. That smarts.

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Earlier in game I put a boy in that misses a lot more practices and games than most. To be fair, he had a tough injury (outside of basketball), but he also plays in some GD soccer program, so that apparently takes precedent. We go into 3-2 defense and I call out his spot. When we come down, he's in wrong spot...then he's WAY OUT OF POSITION on a pass across court and a boy has an easy lay-up for 2. Now you may say, "that happens"...and you could be correct. BUt about 3 weeks ago I sent out a video of a major college team explaining the 3-2, with instructions to all the boys to watch (practice time is severely limited), and guess what? He never watched. And even after I found out oh so long ago and told him to watch, he still has not. So he doesn't know what's what. And that's a shame. But it's also on him.

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So we play the 2nd best team in league (by record) on Saturday night and win or lose, we will be limping into the playoffs. Next year I give an IQ test at tryouts.

What's In Front of You

The 7th Grade Hoops team is playing tonight. Got two games left in regular season, then playoffs. Currently sitting at 9-6 so a W tonight would be tremendous.

After two (2) championship travel seasons as 5th & 6th graders (respectively), we are a little average this year. Could be that we don't have that early bloomer, height-wise and we haven't always been best and hardest working team on the court.

So my pre-game ramble will basically tell this terrific group of boys young men that we can only concentrate on what's in front of us. See what happens.

Stay tuned!

Encapsulation

Really the whole thing boils down to this:

Are we all just an infintesimal speck on some giant diorama?

Beefsteak!

Our basketball program holds an annual beefsteak as a fundraiser. Lots of buttered beef, bread, fries and beer.

To wit: "The dining style originated in 19th-century New York City as a type of working-class celebration but went into a decline in the mid-20th century. Resurrected by caterers in New Jersey"

I'm sure there will be a lot of jocularity.

The Weather Demon

That pesky demon of climate dropped some more white stuff today. It's not a question of when is school open, but if it is open. OSSS had another day off. Little does he realize he has to make 'em up at the end of the year, so he may be enjoying some July learnin'.

Now we get some warmer weather heading our way. Hopefully it can melt the snow monoliths we have every-damn-place. SoulSlam's driveway is starting to look like a tunnel.

In other news I joined a gym. I like it there. Don't have to talk to anybody. And it's big and never too crowded. I'm a beast.

The Mother of All Winters

I used this captivating title in an e-mail, and now I am using it again. We have a MAJOR storm a brewing, to start overnight and continue to Friday (it's lunchtime Wednesday as I type)...
This is the worst winter I can remember. Been Alaska-cold, snow and ice every few days, town here in the North J. running out of salt. Kids are already running a deficit on days off and they are starting to take daya away, which is absolutely chapping the YSSS.

So I need to go gas up my Detroit Guzzler. Get some extra petrol for the snow thrower, de-ice said snow thrower and hope for the best.

Could be a long couple of days.

What Is The Problem?

Michael Sam made an announcement last night.

While newsworthy, and he's pretty brave coming out, it's OK people. Get your heads out of the sand.

Good Luck Michael!

Weather Report

Absolutely Shitty.

The Nostradamus Post (NFL Edition)

Broncos - 33
Seahawks - 24

And Peyton Manning is elected POTUS in 2024. Now that's a prediction!

The Longest Day

Back here where I belong - but here's where it started:

Woke up at 3AM Saturday Tokyo Time (TT) (1PM Friday EST)

Left hotel at 5:30AM Saturday TT (3:30PM Friday EST)

Flight #1 - Osaka to Tokyo. This occured at 5:55PM Friday EST

Flight #2 - Tokyo to Dulles in DC. Twelve hours. Left Saturday TT at 11:30AM, landed Saturday EST at about 9:30AM

Flight #3 - the United Shuttled from DC to Newark. In air about 45 minutes.

Waitied 20 minutes for my bags at Newark, then had to deal with the Air Train. Bad today.

In sleep deprivation, made a wrong turn leaving airport, then sat in some traffic by the infamous Club Marlo in Irvington.

Walked into the old homestead at 3PM Saturday EST. Door to door that is about 24 hours. Add the 2 hours I woke up earlier and the extra 6 now and I have been up for approx. 32 hours.

IRONMAN