Happy Birthday to the Greatest Mom on the Planet!

Today (April 11) is my mother’s birthday!  She’s 55, and though not necessarily young anymore, she still has the energy of a woman half her age.  For her birthday, I wanted to get her something she wanted, something out of the realm of her thought process.  I didn't care about cost, I just wanted her to know how much I appreciated her.  So I asked her, and of course she said she didn’t want a thing.  What do you say to something like that?  She is already a difficult person to buy for because she is exactly the opposite of my brother and father, who tend to buy everything they want the day it comes out.  My mother would rather live the simple life.  So I go back to my quandary of what to get the woman that doesn’t want anything but a phone call with a birthday wish; well I give her what she wants as well as my expression of love and admiration through the only bit of communication I know well, the written word.   

For almost 30 years my mom has raised me to be a righteous man, a man dedicated to serving my neighbor and serving God.  She doesn’t teach me by word alone, she teaches me through her actions.  She raised 4 children through much of her life, and then when she thought she was done, another gift arrived nearly 13 years ago.  Without complaint, she worried not for herself, but for those in the family she believed it would affect, another example of her desire to do what is right for those she loves.

She is also one of the funniest women I have ever met.  Never willing to take herself too seriously and always keeping her humor clean, she lives her life to the fullest while always striving to be better.  She never sees herself and the woman she really is because perfection is unattainable and she wants for nothing less. She is truly incredible! 

Whenever I struggle with anything in my life I go to her for her unconditional love, for her willingness to tell the truth regarding mistakes I’ve made and how to fix them as well as focusing on my strengths and how to utilize them.  She gives because it’s who she is, not because it’s what she believes she needs to do. 

Mom, I love you more than any set of words could describe. Your love and support mean more to me than you will ever know.  Although this present isn’t material, know that it is from the heart.  Again I love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday.   

That's Mr. Easter Bunny to You!

So I realize I am a little late with this post, seeing as how Easter is long past us, but I just got a hold of a few of these pictures and I figured I would share them with you all.  To give you the background, I recently started a new position at my company doing multimedia for the corporate events team.  I realized soon after that, as the only guy on the team, I would be volunteered for things the women didn't want to do.  Round one, play the Easter Bunny for a company Easter egg hunt.

They made me hold a dog!  Seriously, does it get any worse? At least it's potty trained!

This is my team that forced me into this mess!

As you can see, this was not the most comfortable costume, and I was less than thrilled to jump in and play this fictional fur ball, but the party turned out really good.  The little kids faces made it all worth it.  The second I emerged from dressing next to a dumpster near the school, the kids flocked to me with mouths wide open in awe and arms outstretched wanting a hug.  Not gonna lie, I felt like the NBA basketball player I always desired to be.  Unnecessary side note, my bad.  Anywho, I ended up spending an hour or so taking pictures and spending time with the kids, then disappeared back to my hiding spot next to the dumpster.  Good times had by all. 

The 2nd Greatest Player on the Planet

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved following the NBA.  I even thought, make that, knew I would one day be a player.  I was so sure of it I made a $500 bet with my brother.  I never paid him. The point is, I have a passion for everything about the league.  I love the atmosphere, the pressure of big games, being a part of history and just having something to take my mind away from reality.

My dad bought season tickets every year growing up and I had the opportunity to see the likes of Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Kevin Duckworth, Jerome Kersey and Buck Williams run their way to the NBA finals twice.  Those were amazing experiences I will never forget. Since then, I have been to hundreds of games and seen a lot of amazing players, but the one player I never got to see in person that I regret to this day is Michael Jordan, THE greatest player of all time. Currently, there is one player that seems to be unanimously compared to #23, Kobe Bryant, so when I was given the chance to see him play for the first time and to do so from the third row, I jumped at the chance.  

I took tons of pictures and video.  I felt like a giddy little school girl because I knew this may be the only time I see someone of his ability play in person.  Let me say, he did not disappoint.  I am including some video of him taking it to the baseline dunking, and just some random shots I took during the game.  My camera isn't great, but I thought I would at least share my experience from my seat.

Remember, I am a die hard Blazer fan and Kobe was on the team that ripped my Blazers' heart out in the 2000 playoffs, so writing this entry is extremely difficult for me, but the fact is, Kobe is ridiculously good.  The guy could score 50 a night if he wanted.  Honestly, he is unstoppable. 

Check out how easily he drives baseline and dunks.  Sorry, that ain't right.

This is no man crush, just extreme respect.

Next on my list is LeBron James.  That may be a few years.

Introduction

Life is a roller coaster; my ride has had it's ups and downs with a few fun twists along the way.  I thought it would be fun to start a blog and keep everyone who has any interest involved in what is going on.  I have no idea what I will post about, but I will post, a least a couple of times a week.  Some posts will be boring, some extremely entertaining because if I have anything, its funny stories to tell about people I interact with at work or girls I date, or random stupid things I do that make me me!  Life Happens...you'll see.