Days of Birth; Nights of Sportscenter

Well, if you follow me on Twitter then you know I've been watching the NBA playoffs every possible minute, as well as much fruitless scrutinizing of pre and post game interviews and reading of D-league assistant coaches blogs to break down lineup options to try and make sense of it all.  At one point the Spurs were unstoppable and there were no good teams left in the East.  I remember that pretty clearly.  Then LaBron literally sucked the remaining life force out of the aging Celtics and used it to stop the coolest, funnest team in NBA history.  Doodle Jump?  Doodle Jump?!?!  Just ask James Harden's Beard's Cat how sad it all was.  *Sad Meow*  That's how sad.  I'm just hoping that this is the first battle in a long storied Heat/Thunder rivalry where two meteorological forces battle for intergalactic supremacy for years to come.

Suddenly I find myself with a bit more free time, so I'll update ye Olde Blogger account.

Summer is going pretty well.  I got to see sweet baby Kate graduate from 8th grade which was pretty insane.  She does not look like this any more:

 I also got out to Oak Island to the beach house.  Robbie took us out on his boat and I had fun playing in the ocean.


We held another lemonade stand.  Thanks so much for everyone's donations to fight pediatric cancer.  We had another great stand with tons of help from the Guptons, balloons and posters and raised more funds for research.  It's not too late to donate.  You can send a quick text from your cellphone “LEMONADE E83129” to 85944 to make a $10 donation directly to our stand.  Lindy is doing great but kids are diagnosed every day. Here's Emily (Kate and Lindy's cousin) Kate, my Mom, Ayer Jennae and Lindy at the stand:

I'm playing in twice as many ultimate summer leagues and a pretty casual women's club team as well, so I guess I still have not retired from ultimate despite all common sense.

The birthday was super fun, thanks to Sarah who also supplied a top secret surprise guest.  Thanks for dinner.  Mom made me my favorite food and an old fashioned Rum Cake and thanks for all my presents.



Speaking of birthdays, 1) Lindy turned 10.  2) I got to welcome Chip Stout to the great decade of the 30s with Jen and a lot of his old truck stop teammates.  Seems that vast quantities of bourbon are not gatorade for skeeball as I was led to believe by those scoundrels.  3) I was also up in NYC for one minute for a surprise 40th celebration for Emily O'Halloran.  It was great to see her and hear about doing the Ironman.  I guess once I turn 40 I'll start acting like a badass too.  That's how it works, right?  NYC is always amazing and what little time I had in town I spent just walking around enjoying the city.  I stayed in the Millennium Hilton and had this incredible view of the 9-11 memorial which is a lot bigger than it seems on TV: 

 (Sorry if you are in NYC and I didn't tell you I was swinging through, it was a surgical strike.)

I've been working my usual spate in Knoxville.  When in DC, I'm running and biking when I'm not on the way to league.  I had fun at the DC stop on the Tour de Fat.  Was pretty interesting so check and see if it's coming to your town this summer and since they are doing so much for cycling rights and awareness, maybe go ahead and order a Fat Tire or a Ranger next time you are out.

RIP Ray Bradbury who was right about almost everything. Go to a used book store and get a copy of Dandelion Wine as Ray did not want you reading it on a Kindle or a Nook.

Or go ahead and read all Summer in A Day right here online in about 8 minutes (it's 3 1/2 pages long) and deep, hard, stomach punch.

Looking fwd now to Wimbledon, the Olympics (track and field mostly) and the NFL pre-season.

Delinquent Blogger

Hi. Sorry I have been so delinquent. Happy hot summer. May was a blur.

Things have been pretty busy. I have been spending a lot of time in the Charlotte and Atlanta airports. I am so over business travel. Calgon take me away!

In early May, I went to the Kentucky Derby with my Cousins and Aunts & Uncles. It was a lot of fun. I did not foresee the winner, Animal Kingdom, but I did win on a couple of earlier races so I came away ahead for the day.

Last weekend my Mom & I had a lemonade stand for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.
It went pretty well and I am glad to be able to give something to a good cause. It's not too late to pledge us if you're interested in supporting pediatric cancer research:
http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/72432

I had a great birthday out on the Del-Mar-Va peninsula with Dave. We went to the beach. Except for the mosquitoes, it was a great time. I can confirm that I am still terrible at Putt-Putt.

I have been watching a lot of the NBA playoffs, and I am glad the Heat did not prevail. Someone get a Binky for baby Bron Bron. I doubted Dallas from the Portland series and I was surprised when they won it all. I am not sure what I will do for sports now. Baseball is so baseball and NFL continues to have labor hesitation. Luckily, Wimbledon starts soon.

Friz-wise I am the captain of a summer league team (Go Green!) in Charlottesville and I am trying to get in shape for the Masters National Championship (Ultimate for the Elderly) in Ohio in July. Look out.

I'm looking forward to a beach trip in July to Oak Island, and Neko Case is coming to town, so things are looking up. Have a great summer.

Rebecca is praying for a miracle.

Rebecca is praying for a miracle. If she doesn’t get one she will probably die in a couple of weeks. She is a senior in High School who loves singing and performing in plays and musicals. It shouldn’t matter that she’s beautiful and intelligent, but she is. She has been cheerfully battling through grueling, painful treatments for years now. I don’t know what to say about this. Maybe there is nothing to say. But this is tragic. Maybe we are helpless to do anything for her. You can pray if you want. I’d like to ask you to think about making a contribution to pediatric cancer research. Maybe medicine can’t do much else for Rebecca, but there are other kids out there that there is still time to help. If you read the last few entries of her caring bridge site and you don’t feel like you want to do something, then fine. But I think you will and I think all of us could. Think about making a contribution and having one less dinner out, or one less Gaia jersey, or a few less cabs and more subway rides. You know what you can do. I’m not running a race or digging a hole or skipping rope against cancer. I’m just asking you. (If you really want me to run a race I will.) I contribute every year in Lindy’s honor and I’ve made a second contribution just now for Rebecca. I’d really like for you to consider doing something to help, in Rebecca’s name.

You can give to St. Jude’s Hospital
or the
Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation
or the
Leukemia Foundation
or
Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Please give this some consideration. I wouldn't ask you if this wasn't important to me.