The Petsmart immunity challenge

Elka, our seven year old boxer, was out of food so I drove up the road to Covington to the Petsmart. I arrived at 8:30 knowing the store closed at 9. What I didn’t know was that I should have brought my hiking boots.

I grabbed a cart and turned down the first aisle only to find a Petsmart employee sitting on the floor organizing cat and dog shampoos. So I went around her making my way back to the dog foot section. Although the store was still open for another 30 minutes it was clear the restocking crew wanted to get an early jump on the evening as stacks of boxes littered the store. As luck would have it, I only had to move two boxes in order to free the dog food I was after.  maze

But the dog collars were an entirely difference matter. I attempted to make my way over to where the collars were hanging which was in the far back corner. This wasn’t going to be easy because every aisle on the way was littered with stacks of partially open boxes. I shoved boxes to the side as best I could but eventually decided to abandon my cart. I did my best to move boxes out of the way but some where heavy leaving me little choice but to step over and sometimes on them. As I got closer to the collars I realized there was a moat of stacked boxes in front of them. I began moving boxes, stacking them on top each other. I cleared out a path to one area of the collars but still had to stand on a box to reach them on the wall.

I grabbed one of the few collars I could reach and decided it was time to head back to my cart. It was nearing 9 pm by this time and I’m not kidding when I say it took another five minutes to navigate my cart full of dog food around the obstacle course and back to the front of the store where I was greeted by a friendly checker.

Looking back now, I wish I had left the store when my quest for dog food made me feel like I was rat in a maze. Or maybe I was competing in a Survivor-like immunity challenge and just didn’t know it at the time.

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What basketball tells you about a person

I love to play basketball and have for many years. It’s one of the sports I’ve played consistently since high school. I would say I’m an average player with maybe a better than average outside shot. The three point shot hadn’t yet been implemented when I was in high school (missed by a year) and so most plays were focused on pounding the ball inside (we had a center who went on to play at the University of Utah) and occasionally the ball was kicked back out for a perimeter shot. But back then, as a guard, you’d better be very open if you decided to hoist up a shot from 18 feet. Times have sure changed since the three point came in to play. Now, many teams pass the ball around the perimeter looking for the open shot, and forwards and even centers frequently hoist up 20 footers. Look at how many centers in the NBA can shoot from down town. It’s changed the game.

I’ve played in organized leagues as well as a number of pick-up games at the gym. What I’ve learned is that I can tell a lot about a person by how he plays basketball. Here’s what I look for:

  1. Does he try to involved his team member or does he ball hog?
  2. Does he play defense or stay back and cherry pick for layups?
  3. Does he call his own fouls or whine when someone calls one on him?
  4. Will he pass the ball to an open teammate or insist on going one on three?
  5. Will he make the extra pass to an open teammate who is closer to the basket?
  6. Does he go after loose balls and rebounds?
  7. Will he offer to sit out a game if there’s an odd number of people?
  8. Can he dribble the ball with his head up? Or does he think he can drive the middle on three defenders? (My personal pet peeve)

These are few things I look for when I play. Those players who will pass the ball around and get everyone involved are those I enjoy the most off the court. As amazing a player as Michael Jordan was, he’s not the person I’d choose to play alongside had I been given the opportunity. The two players that I would have most liked to play with would be Magic Johnson and John Stockton. Both of these guys made their teammates better because of their unselfish play. They were so fun to watch because they were masters at distributing the ball at just the right time. Some of their amazing passes are legendary. I think a fantastic pass beats a slam dunk anytime.

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When the world slows down

Most of my day is spent frantically typing emails, signing expense reports, in meetings or running from one cube to another. There’s not a lot of time to slow down and assess whether my actions are doing any good. Some days I return home exhausted yet unable to account for my time away. This is the case when a good portion of my day was spent in meetings.

There are days when it’s hard to get out of that “must get it done immediately” mode even when I’m home and have time to reflect. I don’t need to rush around the house picking up after the kids, but my mind says I should be helping out more around the house especially while Kim is getting close to delivering baby #4.

It’s nice when something rattles me out of this mode like happened tonight as I sat at the computer. My six-year old daughter, Luca, could not sleep so she tip-toed down the stairs and into my arms. She was so warm and cuddly. I showed her my fingerprint reader emitting a bright red glow. I showed her I how could lock my computer and then unlock it using my fingerprint. She thought that was pretty cool so I showed her how to register her finger. She smiled from ear to ear as she put her small index finger on the reader and unlocked my computer.

These are times when the world slows down and my heart beats a little slower. I’m not as stressed out and I my mind comprehends that it’s OK to mellow out and take a break. These are some of the best times.

The world of Twitter

twitter Remember when you tried to explain what email or the web was to your grandparents or maybe even your parents? It wasn’t easy to find the words to describe this new world without using words that would confuse more than teach them.

Back in 1994 I was discussing sports with my brother-in-law. As we finished I asked, “Hey, do you have an email address?” figuring maybe we’d keep in touch as I was planning a move to Seattle. I’ll never forget the look he gave me. It was a look of total confusion mixed with some derision and a little snobbery thrown in for good measure. It was as if I’d crossed the line of manliness transitioning from sports talk to geek speak.

Well, it feels like 1994 all over again when people ask me about Twitter. I’m running into the same looks of confusion and derision. Describing Twitter as “sort of like micro-blogging” carries with it a field full of land mines ready to take off a limb or two. “I don’t blog” or “Blogs are for people who can’t get enough of themselves” are two responses I’ve heard lately.

And that’s the problem. It’s nearly impossible to describe Twitter to someone without making them feel inadequate or making yourself sound self-obsessed. It’s not a product that catches people attention by description only. I’d go so far to say it doesn’t lend itself to demo very well either. Those expecting instant satisfaction will likely go away disappointed.

So going forward I’m not going to attempt to explain Twitter to my friends, coworkers for family. I’ll give them the address and maybe my feed and let them discover it on their own. It really is one of those products that takes some time to discover. For me, it’s worth the time investment. For others, it may not be, and that’s just fine.

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