oh my tortured sole[s], part two

I got to 24 a little earlier hoping that the same cats weren't monopolizing the court again. They were there, and since I went specifically wanting to ball, I waited. Three games I waited, even though I should have only waited one. It sucks not knowing anyone and waiting for pickup games. The third game got started and I was getting warmed up. Turns out these dudes like to argue. As good as two of the guys were, they liked to argue about stupid calls. That got everyone arguing. There were at least six occasions when they stopped playing for 3-5 minutes and argued. It was so ridiculous to the point of comedy. One of the shorter dudes got pissed off for being called for traveling, so he chucked the ball from half court to the wall. Well the ball almost didn't make it to the wall. Pretty funny. Two of the other cats almost went to blows... well maybe a shoving match... when the game was over one of them was still heated, so he jumped up and put a hole in the drywall near the exit sign.

So I played.... more like ran around and through screens, hoping I'd grab a loose ball or long rebound so I could dribble a few times, maybe think about taking a shot. There's a whole lotta iso up top... "i don't need a screen. clear the lane and look at me drive this into traffic"... I didn't get my first shot attempt till my fourth game. good thing i swished it. and then two possessions later we lost.

My feet are tore up. And I'm sore. But in a good way.

I'll pick this up again in a few days

turn the corner

I feel like I'm making some headway.

push

repopulation

Slowly but steadily, I'm filling up my old ass Zen with music courtesy the Zune Pass 14 day free trial. Unfortunately, the subscription tracks don't seem to work with my crackberry, even though Rhapsody's tracks work with both the Zen and the Storm. The deal (almost) breaker is the weak ass Rhapsody software (I mean really? Really?) compared to the goodness that is Zune 3.0 Marketplace. Plus the 10 free (sans DRM) tracks that go along with the Zune Pass. That's pretty major. Even with the inky spider web blob of a screen on my Zen, I think I'm willing to forego the compatibility with the Storm and stick with Zune over Rhapsody... and maybe pick up a smaller player to bring everywhere, so I wouldn't be draining my phone battery so fast. The new Samsung Sensa Clip 8gb is supposed to support subscription services and it's supposed to be mad cheap ($75?), plus reviews say it has some of the best audio quality among all mp3 players. Cheap enough to make justification of some sick in-ear headphones (Ultimate Ears 5.0 Pros ~$200) a little bit easier. I got to make some headway in the gainful employment direction first though.

I miss the days when I used to watch Kings-Lakers games with my old roommates from Sacramento. Man, I love watching them Lakers lose.

Speaking of basketball, it's kind of crazy looking at the power shifts, which Cleveland and Boston going nuts in the East, a team which will not be mentioned again today being tailed by Portland (which is going to be a monster in the next few years), and some of the older contenders falling by the wayside. When are the Hornets gonna show up? I really hope Iverson works out in Detriot. Derrick Rose is... wow. And you got dudes like Rudy Fernandez, OJ Mayo, Caron Butler, Danny Granger, et al playing out of their minds. I love this game.

Jason Mraz's new album is like John Legend's new one. Shouldn't be slept on. I'm a little ashamed of myself. I got a good excuse though.

24 Hr Fitness is a long way from the ARC. A freaking mile of cardio equipment lined up like a military formation, one damn squat rack (seriously?), almost no redundant machines, a basketball court with a low ceiling that smells like a gym bag all the time (at least this one has a court... most don't), a lot more douchey older dudes that monopolize equipment, and less... wildlife. And no towel service! I miss those pink towels. Maybe I'll get used to it, because it's less than half the price.

Leverage on TNT looks pretty good, from what I watched today. Kinda like the Ocean's movies, but in a syndicated series. Yes, more ways to kill time.

Speaking of time, my clock is seriously out of whack. I need to work on that.

boredom strikes with the ferocity of a great white shark

and i'm sinking

reset

don't sleep

Good night. Especially by my newly lowered standards. It helped to get into bed on time last night, because I felt pretty decent in the cloudy morning. No frost on the car windows outside? Eighty all the way down to Irvine, fairly smooth sailing at work, and despite the last minute things to tend to, none of it got to me. I even had no problem staying late and helping out some more although I missed some free breakfast.

And the weather! Season appropriate weather? Who woulda thunk? Damn, I love the cool air. It made the walk to mass all the better. Good words to grow from at mass, and leftover Vietnamese sandwiches in the fridge sealed the deal. Didn't have the energy to drive back right away, so I took a nap in my car (again) and enjoyed the last bits of sun peeking through the clouds and the cool breeze.

I haven't driven home during dusk in a while. Cruise control, not having to use the a/c, 5 speeds, fast traffic, and a good soundtrack. I saw another shooting star too. In the same spot in the sky, almost exactly a month after I saw my last one, on the way home after my last night in Irvine.

Didn't have the energy to make the gym either, but I had dinner with my dad, then watched some food network and had a little convo. Bonding time with Pops. Good deal. Then helped out the Meechsters with one of her many projects and did the usual online deal. Lil bro came down for his midnight "lunch." I convinced him to forgo the easy microwave lasagna (seriously?) and cook up some chicken sausage and fried egg sandwiches on garlic bread. I gotta teach him a lot still. It's nice doing it family style. I wasn't digging the "do you own thing" vibe that's been way things have been for the longest.

I finally got to listening to new music. After my music subscription switched from Yahoo to Rhapsody, I let it run its course and it didn't auto renew. I kept recycling playlists from the few CDs and mp3s I have on my computer and in my car, and playing some songs off youtube and imeem, but I've been on a Zune Pass trial for the past two days, and wow... no comparison. So much good stuff out there. I can't believe I semi-slept on Evolver. Dope. Dopeness. Pete Yorn is unofficially on my short list.

sleep well

me: are you sad that your boy lost?

Michelle: i watched pacman online

me: sad por la raza?

Michelle: LOL shut up

sad por la raza.. you kill me