Playing a Little Catchup

It's been a bit, so I'm providing a condensed recap of my last few events, and a few thoughts about topics about town:

Anniversary Trip - The trip was truly amazing, and I'm glad that girl and I were able to get out of town and see the sights on the Oregon Coast. I love vacation time, but being able to spend quality time together without interruption was just great. We did have a nice house rental, we had nice amenities with a TV and killer view, and there was no Internet available, so we couldn't even work or check email if we even wanted to, so it was a matter of really relaxing and just doing whatever. Which it was we needed, because our schedule is pretty packed otherwise, with sporting events, social obligations, me playing soccer again, plus the things around the house to deal with. But it was nice to get out of town, enjoy a sunny weekend on the coast as it was 75 and sunny Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and we took advantage. We wandered into Rockaway Beach for a day taking in the sights, we went to Lincoln City to shop a bit and visit the casino and while we were there, we found anniversary pie to eat, and we drank a lot of really good wine. Ok, six bottles worth, but it wasn't all at the same time. There was a lot of cooking as well, as I got to barbecue on a charcoal grill, while girl made a very good sirloin dinner on our last night there. I am so happy to have her in my life, and it was great to be able to celebrate it. I really didn't want to come back, but at the same time, income is needed to pay for trips. If you want to see pictures, click on this link and you'll see our fun time.

Portland Timbers - We are just 12 days away from the start of the 2009 season, and I can safely say that it's going to take a while to get to know this bunch, as the roster is almost a complete turnover from last year. In some respects, that isn't a bad thing as the Timbers were the last place team from 2008 after being in second place the previous year with essentially a similar roster in place. While last year's team had some decent defense at times, we lacked stability in the keeper spot, as we played 4 different players there, and our offense up front wasn't very creative unless Bryan Jordan was back with us on loan from the Galaxy. We don't have the luxury of relying on him this year, as he's finally stuck on the team there. But at least from what I've seen in two exhibition games here in town during the first part of the season, we already have a different mentality.

The offense is willing to take more chances, with Antou Jallow and Manjou Keita providing some speed up top, and new additions Johan Claesson and Alex Nimo providing some speed and energy in the middle. And our keeper situation is solidified with having Steve Cronin and Brian Visser with us all year, and not on loan. It was tough to get any sort of solid attack and defense when you didn't know who was playing in the pipes. And I like Stephen Keel and Takuro Nishimura in defense, as they showed a lot of smarts and energy in the two games I saw. At least from what I've seen, we have a lot more energy on the pitch, and we tried a few things with passes and plays that we wouldn't have even tried last year, and while some of them didn't work, it was nice to see them trying something new besides trying to get the ball in the box and then trying to draw a penalty. It will also be good to watch the new Under 23 team that is starting this year, which will give us a chance to develop some younger talent, with the intent of moving them up to the first team or possibly the MLS team in 2011. We've not done much with player development, so it's nice to see the team finally looking at creating a foundation with guys that have a shot of doing something special. I'll be up in Vancouver, BC for our opener, and I can't wait for the 2009 season to get going.

Portland Trail Blazers - The playoff drought is over, and we are finally living up to some of the potential that everyone has been expecting. We could finish anywhere from 3rd seed to 5th seed, but for us to advance far, we need to secure the home court advantage in as many matchups as we can. Simply put, we have a dominant advantage playing games in the Rose Garden, and we can't count on that being there for any road games, especially in places like Houston, Dallas and Denver, places that we tend not to play very well at. I'm actually glad that Utah isn't a possible opponent, because of all of the places that we struggle with, Utah is like a Bermuda Triangle of offense for us, as we just don't play well there. I think it might be different in the playoffs, but I don't want to chance it. It's just nice not having to plan a lottery draft party this year to celebrate another top pick in the draft to add to our collection of young talent. It's great to have a collection of players that have skills, but it's better when those guys start to put it together and show their talent and start winning.

This team isn't just Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge either, as each member of the team brings a specific skill that fits the overall puzzle. Nicolas Batum plays great defense and shoots from the outside well, Steve Blake runs the offense with precision, Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden provide blocked shots, toughness and rebounds, Travis Outlaw provides the offense off the bench, Rudy Fernandez provides more offense and long range shooting, while Sergio Rodriguez understands his role in running the team, making others better while on the floor. Even guys that don't play much like Channing Frye understand their role, and do what they can when they get their minutes. It's a great collection of talent, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do in the playoffs.

And as far as opening round matchups, I think we would do very well in a matchup with New Orleans or San Antonio, as we play great defense versus the Bugs, and San Antonio is reeling with major injuries around their roster. Houston just drives us nuts, and I'm hoping that if we have to face them, it's later than sooner. Even the Lakers don't provide as much of a challenge, because they just can't win up in Portland regardless of what they do, even if their top guys are on target.

MLS to PDX update - The plan for the baseball stadium is starting to take a bit more shape, and it looks like the Rose Quarter is the final destination. While some might not like the idea, I think it's great to consolidate these stadiums in a destination area with other shops and restaurants that will attract people to the area. It's not just firming up the actual numbers for the financing, and that magic number is $15 million dollars. There's lots of other news floating about with different figures, but essentially, with the removal of the urban renewal district around PGE Park, this amount needs to be secured before the deal can be finalized. The next few weeks, the city council will be firming up their commitment to the plan, and then coming up with final renderings of the stadium and more firm financial numbers.

This plan makes sense for the city, as we get two great stadiums that will help solidify our position as a major sports player, and we'll get the attention of the soccer world in 2011 going up to MLS. I do love a lot of the "Internet whack a moles" who quote a lot of their fears or issues with this plan, which falls into the "we need to think of the potholes or kids" or "why not when we're in crisis" thing. And there's just as much deception with some specific members of the media, like Beth Slovik from Willamette Week and Matt Davis from the Mercury, who think that good reporting is done with minimal facts and maximum conjecture. I don't mind people being against the plan as long as their reasons are valid or at least well thought out, because I realize that not everyone is going to be a fan of this. But at least be factual in your presentation, which is seeming to be hit and miss with some media.

Ok, that's it for now, talk to you all this weekend!!

Extra Wedding Pictures

It's Finally Done

Ok, the blog has been a rather quiet place lately, not for lack of ideas to talk about. I mean, the thoughts I've pondered about lately were (in no particular order): hearing the most disturbing song remakes (Why remake Eye in the Sky?), bemusing about the lack of originality in television, why steriods aren't just a sports issue, why I like the rain, why coffee is good, and the crazy things men think of before getting married. But as I tried to find time to write, there were more and more wedding tasks that came up to do, and the blog took a back seat.

I know that girl was just as busy as I was, probably more so because she did more of the crafts for the tables. I didn't go into this thinking it would a competition of who was most busy, but the number of decisions about this and that even amazed me and my job daily gives me dozens of times to make decisions. What I was most impressed about was that while we wanted the ceremony to be nice, we were more concerned about making sure people had fun. Honestly, the committment between us was made long before we said our vows on April 5th. Neither of us went into this with blinders on.

People have said they enjoyed our wedding for a multitude of reasons. Maybe it was the free alcohol, maybe it was the amazing speech that Obi gave as my best man, maybe it was seeing Timber Jim speak about lessons of the heart, maybe it was the near destruction of a blown up orca, maybe it was the great pies because we didn't want cake, maybe it was the comic relief during the ceremony, or maybe it was the location. But I think the biggest reason that people enjoyed it was because we made it our own ceremony our own way. There were some traditional elements going on, but let's face it, there were many things that made this ceremony unique.

If I could give advice to anyone getting married, I would start by saying that you should listen to each other about what you want in the ceremony, and then be prepared to discuss things and compromise on some things as well. Assume some things will happen that you aren't expecting, and have back up plans just in case things change. But the biggest thing to remember is to make the ceremony your own with some personal touches. I remember going to a lot of weddings during my 20's and many of them melded together because they were all the same - colors, music, unity candles, songs. Not that I want to fault anyone for their choices, but when you plan a party for people, it's nice to make it somewhat memorable.

There have been a couple of links for pictures from the ceremony. Right now, I'm getting prepared for our overseas honeymoon trip to Sunderland, Rome and London. We get to see a couple of BPL matches, see some friends, see some parts of the world I haven't seen, and generally relax after the ceremony. So the blog will again go dormant only for a short time. I promise to write more when I return next month. In the mean time, avoid lousy remakes, drink coffee, and love everyone.

Links----

oooh yeah's bundle of pictures.

Allison's wedding pictures.

Steve's bundle of pictures

Talk to you all soon.

-K

Only 4 weeks and counting

Ok, the blog hasn't been touched much because I've been very busy preparing for my upcoming wedding. Really, as of this date, I'm only 26 days away from marrying girl and just over 30 days from heading off to a once in a lifetime trip. I've had lots of people ask me if I'm scared about being married, and honestly I've never wanted anything more in my entire life. I'm still scared out of my mind though.

Let's face it, it's hard enough to get to know someone these days with other people playing games or trying to protect themselves, it's easy to find yourself playing the games back. And then when you truly meet someone that's more worth it than anything, the games don't seem as much important unless you are scared, stupid or clueless. More than 50 percent of people that get married end up divorcing, which doesn't lead to a lot of optimism in the sanctity of the ceremony. You have some conservative groups fighting with everything they have to protect marriage between a man and a woman, and gay/lesbian groups fighting to define a marriage as a contract between two people that want to share the rest of their lives together, regardless of gender. And the world today is crazy, busy, stressful, with people going so fast to be everywhere always that it's hard to stop and slow down. Marriage just means a lot of different things to different people.

And yet, being married is something I'm so ready for. As much as we all want to think that our family and friends are important, it's very different when you have a relationship with someone that gets you more than anyone, who finishes your sentences, who puts up with your flatulence, who infuriates you with some quips, who hugs and cries with you when you need it. Girl came along at a time when my life was going through some turmoil, as I'd just lost my mother to cancer and she was a huge foundation in my life. And the more I got to know girl, the more I knew I wanted her in my life.

I've grown a lot, changed a lot about me. My last name is now my birth name, I've shaved off my beard, I have cats, and a lot of new clothes about. I've started to actually be a responsible adult, owning a car and paying to own a house someday. My purpose in life now is to make her as happy as she makes me, and try not to aggravate her as much as I know I do to her at times. I don't live to work at my job for hours upon hours, but rather work to live and do things that I would prefer doing. I've never wanted this more, and had nothing ever in my life challenge me so much as melding two lives together.

I've also come to the realization that as much as I love my mom, she wasn't close to being a perfect parent. When you lose somebody suddenly, I think you can idolize them and not remember the faults and issues as much. I know exactly what my stepfathers did to me over the years, but my mom contributed to some of my personal scars that need to be patched up. We all have baggage from our past, it's how you deal with it now and in the future that's important. I realize that my dad, for all of his faults, is a good guy and I'm happy to have him in my life, even if he loves skunky beer.

I just know that they would want me to be happy, and I'm truly happy with girl around. As I wake up some mornings and see her sleeping, or see her smile at me from across the room, or give me a hug sometimes for no reason, I know I've made the right choice. I may be scared out of my mind, but I don't think it's due to fear or unwillingness to do this. I see glimpses of the future, and I get excited about what the future holds.

I think I'm scared because as much as I think I'm prepared for all of this, I know that I can't be prepared for everything. No matter what, life is going to throw some challenges at you because life isn't all about happy moments and resolving issues after the commercials. Life is real, scary sometimes, and frightening at points. But it can be exhilarating, intoxicating, and joyous, too. You sort of need to jump in with both feet and go for it sometimes. So for me, this is my jump into the deep end. I'm not entirely sure what the future holds, but I know the ride is going to be fun because I have the love of my life at my side. I love you, girl, and always will.

At least it's not raining..but I actually don't mind the rain

I don't mind the rain. I know that's something even the most long time Oregonians have trouble saying, but honestly, rain isn't bad. It keeps things green, it makes our air clean, and you can still go outside and do things in the rain. Investing in some great rain gear was something I immediately did when I moved here, and it's the best investment I could make. That, and learning the Oregon fashion rule of dressing in layers. You get too hot, pull off a layer, too cold, add another layer. It's a small price to pay for living in such a cool place.

Why I started with this seems odd, but I have been going back to read old blogs of mine. I tend to write as I think, which makes my style very conversational but the editor in me cringes at some of the text that's been published here. Yes, I would do things slightly differently in some posts, but unlike George Lucas, I'll leave well enough alone. There is an energy and vibe to something that isn't completely polished, sort of a raw feeling. I will still spell check each blog, cause I may not be in the mood to edit much but spelling counts.

Blogging has turned into a decent passion of mine, even if I don't get a chance to publish something as much as I want. Recently, I watched Brandon Roy represent our fair city in the All Star Weekend (with some huge help from LaMarcus Aldridge), girl and I went to Cape Lookout to explore sites for an upcoming camping trip, and I've dealt with about every insane person I know at my work. I love my job, but honestly, it's crazy to think that people can work this fast and not have it start to wear on you. The new corporate motto of do more with less is now replaced with do more with less quickly but don't make mistakes. I don't live to work, but rather work to give me a chance to live and do the fun things I want to do.

It's important for me to be this way as I move into the last few months before my wedding. I know things will be stressful, and things will pull us in all sorts of different directions. But if you love the person more than anything and you talk and communicate to each other, there's nothing that can't be resolved. That's not meant to be simplistic, but I think that many of us (myself included) have spent so many years stressing to keep up with this and that and being everywhere that after a while, it just gets old. I couldn't care less about having the nicest car, best looking phone, or cool toys, I'd rather be happy and comfortable with who I am and where I am in my life. Trust me, it's taken a long time to get here and it's not been easy, but it does make dealing with the crap of the world more tolerable. I'm sure that in a few weeks, my nerves will be frazzled again and I'll be stressing about something else, but I'll use the knowledge of this to keep things in perspective. Because in the end of everything, it matters not what you own or the things that you have but instead the people you've touched and the things experienced.

And no, I'm not quitting my job to write Hallmark cards.

Long Weekend of Not Posting

I have been a little busy the past few days, and so the blogging has been put to the wayside a bit. My friend Obi's dad turned 75 on Sunday, and some of the TA and myself pitched in to help out for the party. Was loads of fun, although I was exhausted when I was done, still trying to get caught up on a bit of sleep.

Things that have been on my mind so far..

• Lebron James is pretty amazing, but the Trail Blazers essentially gave away a game tonight. They had the Cavs on the ropes with aggressive play, timely shots, and keeping Lebron in check. Then, with about 5 minutes left, they forgot everything they'd done in the first 3 quarter, Lebron hits 3 uncontested 3 point shots, and the offense stalls. The game was in the balance until the end, but really it came down to a lack of aggressiveness. There were too many times a guard broke down their man driving to the basket to have an open 10 footer, only to pass it to another guy for a difficult shot. It doesn't help when we shoot close to 35 percent for the night, either, but this is a game you can look at and say "woulda, shoulda, coulda, but didnta". They face the Knicks on Friday with Zebo in town, and I hope they drill them.
• PGE Park gets some new grass, and it's about time. The old Nexturf had been installed when the park was first renovated in 2001, and seemed to get more dingy and flat as the years went on. The past couple of seasons I imagine the stuff was like concrete painted green, and when I got a chance to walk on it after a match last year, I think concrete would have more give. It's sad that players needed to play on such crappy turf, but to the credit of our new owner, he's trying to get facilities upgraded for new events and possibly to bring MLS to town. I'd love to see it, cause I think we'd do amazing in the league.
• The past few days, we've been threatened with snow, ice, wind, and other winter weather, but so far, the snow in my area has been limited to a couple of light dustings, and an ice day on Monday that kept me from going to work although things were thawed out by early afternoon. I appreciate weathermen trying to keep us informed, but I could do without the gloom and doom forecasts. Although last year, they misforecast something and we ended up getting 5 inches of snow on a random March day. It's a tough job to do, I'm sure, but I'd also like to be paid to do something where you can be off that much and still be believed.
• Wedding planning is coming along for the Row N wedding. April 5th, my life changes again and I couldn't be more happier about it. The past year, things have been a whirlwind getting to this point, and I really appreciate what having girl in my life has done. I feel like I'm a happier person overall and as crazy as it sounds, I have things to focus on outside of work. I know, they say being single shouldn't matter, but at the same time, it's fun to come home to someone and share your day. Pets are great in that respect, but then again, I'm not sure I would want to take a cat to the movies or to a Trail Blazers game. Well, maybe Daisy, she might like the constant action, and balls flying about.

Peace out for now, talk to you all soon. It's been almost a week, and I still am having trouble processing the Timber Jim retirement. I know he'll still be about at games, but I'll miss the antics. Anyone know anybody that's good with crowds and a chainsaw?

Friday's calvalcade of stuff

• The Portland Trail Blazers won again tonight in Miami, and the game was one of the more exciting I've seen in a while. Nobody really dominated, rather it was a serious of scoring runs back and forth. However, the young Blazers matched up well tonight, made good shots when it counted, and held off the charging Heat to win 99 to 91. The team also got some love from ESPN the Magazine and Sports Illustrated this week nationally, and ESPN also carried tonight's game. I guess the secret is starting to get out.
• Been spending my days lately working on wedding invites for the big April event. I honestly didn't know I knew so many people, but leave it to putting together a list and you realize how many folks you interact with on a daily basis. Then, go through the uncomfortable process of comparing the numbers on the list with the number of seats you have at your hall, and try to manage not offending anyone while finalizing the list. I will say this much, our invites are truly one of a kind.
• Tough week around the work stead, and I think the new year's cheer has finally worn off and people are returning to normal behavior. I remember reading the guy's book about all you needed to know you learned in kindergarten, and how many people forget the simple lessons - treat people with respect like you would expect; don't steal other people's food especially if it's special diet food; when the bathroom says for handicapped use only, don't get pissy when security gets mad at you cause you are able bodied but can't read; respect people's time by meeting deadlines instead of crafting an elaborate excuse that only an out of work Hollywood writer could come up with. But hey it's Friday, and I'm not working for a few days.
• I bowl each week with some Timbers Army folks in the local Big Turkey Bowling League on Tuesdays. We've had fun doing this for about 3 years now, mostly cause the league is rather different: 6 week seasons, theme nights now and then, crazy prizes, and usually loud and crazy fun. The best part of the league was the 3 spares or 3 strikes gets you a free beer rule, but apparently this violated the laws of nature or the liquor guys whatever is worse. Tomorrow night, the team is getting together to watch the Portland Winterhawks play their arch rival Shittle Thunderchickens. While the Hawks aren't playing well, it's a rival game and so I expect good things to happen. But it will be fun none the less, because we are going because our team got the most prize tickets in last bowling terms' consolation round. A bonding experience over hockey and beer, could be fun.

Enjoy your MLK weekend all, talk to you next week.

It's Been A Rather Fun Start to the New Year..

Well, 2008 has gotten off to a crazy start so far. We had a small gathering of folks here for New Year's Eve, mostly Row N folks and a few other TA folks as well as some of my friends from the bank showed up. The party was an open house format, with the first few hours being family friendly and alcohol free, but then after 8 pm, we opened up the bar and let loose. I don't have any problem with family friendly events, and for the most part, the kids yesterday were very well behaved. Some of the families were a bit scared off by the 8 pm bar opening, but our invite was pretty clear that the first hours were going to be quiet but then notched up a bit. The last guest left at 2 AM which left a few hours for girl and I to clean up. We passed out about 4:30 AM or so, and slept most of the day.

But something of a big event occured earlier on Sunday, as I shaved off my goatee and am now clean shaven. This hasn't happened for at least 10 years, as I've had some form of beard on my face. It started with the movie Clerks, and the character Dante who had a goatee and I thought it looked cool. So I grew one, and have kept it until Sunday.

At first, it was itchy but I thought the facial hair was cool and I wasn't dating anyone at the time. However, my mom hated it. My mom never hated much of anything, except the beard, so I had to listen to her object through many a visit why I grew such an ugly beard. She eventually grew to like it because my friends and sister actually thought it was pretty cool. But admittedly, I was told by many of my dating prospects that the beard was a nice touch because my smile wasn't very good and it covered that up. Not exactly the nicest thing to share with someone, but since self confidence wasn't something I had much of at times in my life, I went along with it.

Then many years later, I met girl and she grew to love me but admitted on many occassions she didn't like facial hair but knew it was me so she didn't mind. But my beard was getting more filled with white and grey hairs, and at points, it felt like 200 grain sandpaper and there were points I was scratching her face pretty bad. She had never seen me without my beard, and it had been a while since I was clean shaven, so on Sunday I took the plunge.

This wasn't something I just did because she asked, but it was more of me realizing the beard was nice, but it was also a bit of a crutch to hide what I thought was a bad feature. I had even admitted to many friends for years that the goatee was a way to hide my face, and hadn't put that all together until Sunday. I have to admit that while my face is still a bit dry and not used to being without hair, it's been a nice change of pace. I can always grow it back at some point, but now that it's not there, I find myself smiling a bit more. Plus, I think I look a bit younger without all the grey hairs on my face, too. While my age isn't something I concern myself with that much, I do want to look good for girl because I want her to feel special when she's with me. Yea, even after all these years, I'm still smitten with her. Not a bad realization to start 2008..