Sunday, February 10, 2013

Dave's Thoughts of the Day: February 11th

Now that was a weekend!

Sunday morning, I set out to swim the 100x swim at Speiker with the Bruin Masters Club.   This is where you swim a certain length 100 times on an interval.  It does sound daunting but I love the challenge.   Some do 100 yards, short course yards.  Some do 75.  I was assigned the measly 50 yards, but while true, I was given a tight interval of 1:15 (this is tight for my current speed.  However it's a good 15 seconds faster than the 1:30 I got two years ago).

I set out to swim with my friend Paul who also swims Lane 8 with me and I gotta tell you, Paul pushed me to keep a fast pace throughout the whole swim.  I thought for sure I'd slow down and start eating up more and more of my interval with each swim but he kept gaining on me the whole time and it made me hold about a 1 min swim (within the interval) throughout all 100 of the 50's.   I averaged about 1:03 in all 100 swims.  I can't believe I held 1:03 over 100 swims.. that is insane, but Paul really delivered the goods today.  He said I helped him finish all 100 swims too in that without my doing them all in a row, he might have quit about 3/4 through.

This might be the best example of teamwork in swimming.  I'm glad we both were able to elevate our game.

After the swim, our group had a small potluck, and it was well stocked.  I'm really glad they provided coffee.  Much needed, was the coffee.  I didn't eat a whole lot, saving room for the wedding banquet later, so I stuck with a few blue corn tortilla chips, some chili, a cookie, and fruit. 

After the potluck, I got home and showered, then prepped to go to my friend's wedding.  If you recall I was trying desperately to get a +1 to join me and I made some last ditch texting efforts.  It was brutal.  All the while the Lakers were putting up a semi-decent game at Miami and I was getting directions to the hotel in Pasadena.

I thought I was hosed... it was all over and both the groom and a poster on TMF.com were going to chew me out.

I went to the wedding and it was a great ceremony.  One of my co-workers administered the vows, so to speak.  I forget the proper term but he had the "power vested" to award the couple marriage.  He did a tremendous job although he was nervous.   Not to mention, the whole affair was outdoors in nippy weather in Pasadena.   Good times, though.

After the tremendous, and remarkably short, wedding ceremony, and by that I mean 10 minutes tops... that would never happen in a Mexican Wedding... ever, but anyway, after that we headed inside to the lobby where they set up the open bar.   Good times my friends good times... BUT!

I look at all the table tags for each of the guests and notice something peculiar.   Most folks had their own name set up for a tag and some persons had "[Person] and guest."  My tag:  Just my name, no guest!  YES!!!  Would you believe I never marked "+1" in the first place?!  I am off the hook!  Do the dance!!!!!

With that huge sigh of relief, I went to the open bar and asked for a chardonnay right off the top.   Then my friends urged me to get another so I asked for a Jack and Coke.

Now get this:  the jokers at this bar at the Westin in Pasadena didn't have Jack Daniels *or* Coke.  They had this bogus brand called "Canadian Mist" and Pepsi.   Who would make a freaking "Canadian Mist and Pepsi??!"   But, I went with it, and it was just as good, so it was fine.

My friends and I then talked with each other and we kept with the drinks, then we were ushered into the ballroom.   Food and dessert was a treat!   Most of us got the NY Steak which was pretty good.  I won't say spectacular but considering the mass production of tonight's dinners I thought the Westin did a great job.   Even though they didn't mean to, they wound up cooking most of the steaks at medium, which I *loved.*   The night was tremendous... I suppose our party had a good look at "Drunk Dave" but I made sure to hydrate and I was 100% sober by 8:15.  

Weddings -- aren't they grand?  I tend to enjoy them even more when I don't have an active role in one... i.e. A groomsman, or best man, or something of that nature.   You have all the fun, and none of the responsibility!

I'm sure many of you just thought this:  What would have happened if I "succeeded" and brought a date to the wedding, only to find out there was no provision for him or her?  That would have been a disaster!   I suppose in life, some of the best moves are ones you don't make.

I'm happy to report that one of my friends has a blog of his own.   Meet John in CT's new blog: http://jdwsports.blogspot.com/

Remember when the Grammys were at Radio City Music Hall in New York instead of Staples Center, and everyone else in the building wasn't forced to go on an 19 day road trip?  Those were good days.

Remember when the Lakers didn't get bitch-slapped by the Miami Heat every game?  Those were good days.

The most frustrating thing about the Heat game is that the Lakers actually played pretty well for most of the game.   Then, once again, the Heat just "turned on the switch" and shut the Lakers out entirely.  That's what I hate the most about all this!!!!!!  Whenever they want to, the Heat can basically cut the Lakers' balls off and destroy them.  I'm so sick of being humiliated by the Heat, but if it's any consolation, the Lakers are hardly alone with this.

I believe when it's all said and done, LeBron James will have a far more prolific career than Kobe Bryant could ever dream of.  Consider all that he's done up to now, before he even hit the age of 30.  When you consider that the venerable Kevin Garnett just this week got 25,000 points in his late thirties, whereas LeBron got 20,000 points this year at the age of 28.  There's really nothing at this point that can really stop him.

He is *not* pretty to watch offensively, one on one, and he gets away with a lot of contact and "traveling," but to say he's not the best player in the NBA is absurd.   We all will look with wonder back on these days when LeBron was tops in the NBA.  He does it all: scoring, passing, shooting, rebounding, and defense.

For  while I felt like Kevin Durant was a better player than LeBron, but to be honest, Durant is a scorer, nothing more.  I can't speak to his defense.   Thus, I came around to LeBron as the best player in the NBA.

If you thought they saved all the College Basketball excitement for March, think again.  How exciting was that 5 overtime game between Louisville and Notre Dame?

SC playing good basketball?  Believe it!

Kansas lost three games in a row... it still blows my mind.

That's all from here.  Have a good day everyone!

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