Oden number One!

The NBA draft held few surprises tonight. Portland did the right thing and drafted Greg Oden who should lead us fearlessly back the the glorious days of playoffs, western conference championships, NBA finals, and Championships. Dreaming. Realistically speaking Portland should become familiar with the playoffs again. Looking forward to it!

As far as the Zack Randolph trade goes, there has got to be more to this than is being seen at the moment. I have the feeling of a sick stomach and lost love. Although I was never in love with Zack, I loved Dickau and Jones. And I am all but skeptical of Frye and Francis.

Here's to a trade in the next few weeks!!!

Catch Phrase

I have decided that the game of Catch Phrase is: awesome! Seriously! Amber and I played a one on one game yesterday evening. It is truly amazing to see how two people communicate with each other through words, trying to describe something as petty as "Junk Food". The thing is, and this truly is the amazing part was the interaction between Amber and I. The words and stories chosen to get the desired words to come out of the other person mouth were funny, odd, and yet totally us. If you truly wanted to figure out how someone communicates just sit down and play this game with them. No need for tests or psychologists, or whatever else you need to figure out ones personality and communication skills. Give them Catch Phrase and a timer and have at it!


Just in case you are completely unawares of what this game is, here is the Wikipedia definition of the game: The game is played in two teams. The goal is to get your team to say the word displayed in the disc. One member of a team starts the timer and tries to get his or her team to guess the displayed word. A clue-giver can make any physical gesture and give almost any verbal clue. However, one may not say a word that rhymes with the word, give the first letter of the word, say the number of syllables, or say part of the word in the clue (e.g. "worry" for "worry wart"). When the team guesses correctly, the other team takes its turn. Play continues until the timer runs out. The team not holding the disc when time runs out scores a point. They also have one turn to guess the word that the other team did not guess. A correct answer earns a bonus point. The first team to seven points wins.

Sprinklers

Today I wished I was five again and could take all my clothes of and run around in my Batman underwear while frolicking and jumping through the sprinkler in my front yard.

Today instead, I watered all the flower beds, grass areas, and such around Village. There were a few moments that I purposely got a little spray here and there.

Oh, the joy of sprinklers! Especially on a day like today.

I also daydreamed a little bit about a time when I was in Kazakhstan and my family was wandering around downtown Almaty and we were near some political building and there was this goofy dog playing in the sprinklers; barking and trying to bite the water spraying him. I will never forget that odd and yet very funny moment that happened all the way across the world.

Last nights dream

I was knee deep in a cool river bed. Converse All-Stars on as usual. Fly rod in hand. Tunes in my ears. Nature surrounding me from all sides. Just me and the multitudes of fish rushing past my ankles waiting to be caught and soon released. I was in a good place. A place I have not been in yet this year. A place I hope to be in soon.

Then the dog sleeping at my foot farted, startled, awoke, and begin to whimper "let me outside!"

Man, I wish I was back on that river.

One "Hell" of a week!

In theater the week before the show goes on is usually called "hell" week. So as a captain would say to who his new recruits going to sea to ne'er return. "Welcome to hell!" On a lighter note, here are some cool pics!

A short to learn/to do list

1. Purchase a Fly Reel
2. Purchase my own fly rod (new or used)
3. Learn how to tie flies. (not sure I will ever learn)
4. Teach Amber how to fly fish.+

My Soul

My Soul-Peter Mayer

There are a hundred billion snowflakes swirling in the cosmic storm
And each one is a galaxy, a billion stars or more
And each star is a million earths, a giant fiery sun
High up in some sky, maybe shining on someone

And deep inside a snowflake, I am floating quietly
I am infinitesimal, impossible to see
Sitting in my tiny kitchen in my tiny home
Staring out my window at a universe of snow

But my soul is so much bigger than the very tiny me
It reaches out into the snowstorm like a net into the sea
Out to all the lovely places where my body cannot go
I touch that beauty and embrace it in the bosom of my soul

And so brief and fleeting is this tiny life of mine
Like a single quarter note in the march of time
But my soul is like the music, it goes back to ancient days
Back before it wore a human face, long before it bore my name

Because my soul is so much older than the evanescent me
It can describe the dawn of time like a childhood memory
It is a spark that was begotten of the darkness long ago
What my body has forgotten, I remember in my soul

So we live this life together, my giant soul and tiny me
One resembling forever, one like smoke upon the breeze
One the deep abiding ocean, one a sudden flashing wave
And counting galaxies like snowflakes, I would swear we were the same

Oh my soul belongs to beauty, takes me up to lofty heights
Teaches sacred stories to me, sanctifies my tiny life
Lays a bridge across the ages, melts the boundaries of my bones
Paints a bold eternal face on this passing moment, oh my soul

The Brothers K

I love this book. Still not finished with it yet. The reason is simple. I love it so much and I am so into and a part of these characters that I don't want them to end and vanish into the void.

Never have I felt so involved and a part of a book before. I understand most of it. Have experienced some of the wonderful things Duncan writes about and this is what brings me closer to the Brothers world.

The odd thing is, the few pages I read tonight were about India. Specifically the trains in India and even more specific Secunderabad. For those of you who don't know, Secunderabad is in Hyderabad. I rode the trains that the author is talking about in this book. I experienced some of the same things that Peter, one of the books main characters, goes through.

I felt like I was back in my beloved India for a few precious moments. I could see the dust. Feel the sweat rolling down my back. All the while the scorching sun overhead reminding me that I was not made for this kind of heat. I remembered my first trainride alone. Terrified of messing up or getting off in the wrong place or offending someone or just being wrong. I remember sticking my head outside of the bars on the windows. I remember the rain and how wonderful it felt to be wet, if just for a few moments before the son began to bake me again. I remember talking to the people in the seats across from me and wishing I knew how to speak Hindi so I could communicate with them in their language instead of broken English. I remember that ride like it was yesterday. The produce fields. The sky. And most of the constant reminder that God was in control.

Funny how a memory like this can be brought to mind so vividly by a few pages in an amazing book.

I like books that can do this to me.

Ocean's 13

Went and saw Ocean's 13 this afternoon. Much better than 12. It is worth the money you spend. Not too many surprises, but a fun ride non-the-less. It was worth the 6.50 I paid to see it with Amber.

A Linus quote

"sucking your thumb with out a blanket is like eating a cone without ice cream!"

Come see You're a good man Charlie Brown. It is going to be great. And you will get to see me dance with a blanket and suck my thumb.

COME!

The Beach

Amber and I went to the beach today. I love driving to the beach. I love the green. I love the curves of the road. I love the anticipation of getting to the beach. The big great ocean that causes me to lose my breath every time I see it. The sand that drives my sensitive feet crazy. The part where the ocean meets the sky in one little but very creative line. And most of all with the love of my life, Amber, by my side.

We took one detour today though. We drove the lower stretch of the Nehalem river. One of my favorite places in the state of Oregon. The reason is simple, Fly Fishing! I showed Amber my favored spots and pockets. I showed her potential spots and camping sites for days and nights when we are married. We talked and enjoyed ourselves. One of the most peaceful and enjoyable stretches of road in the entire Northwest.

I have to say I am really ready to go fishing again. I cannot wait to get my rod in hand and begin to dissapear into the world of healing. The world of mental, physical, and spiritual health. The world of flies, pockets, casts, sets, fish on's, and so much more. The world of Fly Fishing.

In all the day was wonderful. I got to spend an amazing day with the most amazing person in my life. Cheers for Salt water Taffy, good burgers, fishing spots, sunsets, forrests, oceans, and good company!