Ironic Detachment is a Hard Habit to Break...

But sometimes I muster up the courage to tell her all the scary stuff.

The Harley Crop Dusters

Going to see the Harlem Globetrotters in Stuttgart tonight. Hope it's the real show and not some watered down European version.

Also hope I'm not saddened by the sight of these talented ball-players reduced to clowning.

Bet they all can dunk though.

Maybe they can teach me some tricks?

Dusty

Maybe I should be wary of the hype. After all, The Hurt Locker happened.

So next year's basketball-related goal will be more humble.

Free Throws!

64 Slices of American Cheese

Q: What's the only distance greater than the space standing between me and my dunk?

A: The 14 feet between my bed and my computer when I'm falling asleep and I realize that I haven't fulfilled my daily obligation to satisfy a stupid sense of over-indulgent, self-imposed pressure to succeed in some vague and undefinable way, leftover from my hazy, underachieving high school days when I supposedly failed to meet the academic potential that was inferred upon me in Grade 3 when I passed a dubious intelligence test by parroting the expression I had recently heard my parents say - "that's a matter of opinion."

Good luck and good night.

I Jest, But...

The funny thing is that I actually find it very difficult to multi-task on a large scale: it's comforting to "take it one game at a time", especially when the "game" in question is actually a very meaningful aspect of life, like searching for a home to purchase.

This type of activity requires long-term planning and committed follow-through. If you put it on the back burner to focus on the responsibilities of daily work, the process grinds to a halt or is poorly done. I tend to shy away from this process.

On the other hand, I find it relatively easy to juggle many trivial short-term demands, or in a different vein, to manage friendships and other relationships.

I also find it relatively easy to wear sweat pants for an extended period of time. Doesn't make it a virtue.

However, I'm pretty sure that if I obsess about dunking a basketball for the next 9 months I will become a more responsible person, more committed to the process of long-term planning.

Of Course It's Boring, That's the Point

Crash Davis was a wise, fictional man. He understood, amongst other things, the importance of "taking it one day at a time."

Now, I'm sure Crash would have also had a deep and abiding appreciation for the hollowness of this treasured sports cliche. When you're on a losing streak, when you feel like you're off kilter, there's nothing you want more than to turn it all around in one fell swoop.

So here's my plan: to right this ship and regain my mojo, I will write every day for the next 17 days.

By then it will be time to embark on yet another vacation. This time, I intend to avoid the malaise that has undermined my travel adventures in the past.

And the good Lord willing, things will work out.

Going Through the Potions

Thanks to some antibiotics and the incredible efficiency of my good friend Herr Doctor, I hope to be feeling better soon. Still, I'm feeling the hit from just a week of illness. I won't be able to exercise until Monday and that's where the next challenge will be waiting. Long term goals this one are all about habits and consistency. But the temptation is to try harder and regain two weeks of lost momentum all at once. Important to leave the past behind.