Millennium Jungle Aftermath Habitat

I know it’s hella old, but in “Forgot About Dre”, Dr. Dre raps: “I ain’t havin’ that/This is the millennium of aftermath/There ain’t gonna be nothin’ after that/So gimme one more platinum plaque and/Fuck rap, you can have it back”.  This is the millennium of aftermath — that’s my favorite line.  I don’t know what [...]

Checklist

So I said I wanted to relax on my vacation and, finally, I’m doing just that. A comfortable and relaxing place to go? Seattle. Check. Privacy and freedom? Hotel room. Check. Mobility? Rental car. Check. Companionship? Call up Master P and Special K (and [...]

Calling My Number

During the start of a pickup basketball game, everyone has to take a cursory look at their own team and the opposition to determine height and defensive assignments. For offense, it’s got to be determined quickly who will handle the ball, who will play inside and how the floor will be spaced; it’s establishing [...]

New Day, New Cafe

Happy Donut is packed with people on Easter Sunday, so I’ve driven down the road this afternoon to Pearl Cafe in Mountain View (or am I in Los Altos?). It’s more elegant than Happy Donut; more cafe, less cafeteria, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this cinnamon streusel coffee cake. I’m not saying it beats [...]

Spring Respite

Holy shit, this week has been a strange one. Kids going nuts, a ton of grading, a whirlwind of basketball coaching to finish the season, staying awake trying to get people to hear the GSW rap and an extremely awkward female episode — I guess I squandered an opportunity but I just thought it [...]

Jobless in a Victory of Yourself

When you’re a kid, often times the news is meaningless.  The stories just seem like they’re happening so far away and to other people.  Taxes, politicos, wars, business, environmental  news…it’s all just elsewhere for many kids…or even adults!  So, having been informed that my school is dropping from five to four science teachers next year [...]

Endless in a Victory of Yourself

We won Tuesday!  It was the first victory for the A-team (B-team wasn’t so fortunate) and it felt really good; a 45-43 thriller over Thornton Junior High.  Thornton was the team that beat us by two when we visited them, so it was nice to come away with a win we knew we could get.  [...]

The Brian Vortex

Hearing about the scandal involving the New York governor–it’s disappointing, but far from a surprise–and I’m reminded that you can’t trust anyone you don’t know personally, and even then you can’t really trust anyone beyond yourself.
It makes me think of Brian, who I’ve recently begun speaking to once again.  It sounds so childish to declare [...]

How the Hell?

I remember that first game of the season when I hadn’t planned to play everyone. I looked down the bench and there was Heidi, red-faced and teary-eyed and me feeling like a total jackass for shattering the basketball dreams of this little girl. “How the hell did THAT happen?” ran through my mind [...]

Whining and Projecting Myself Onto Others

Sometimes I can’t tell if things are coming together or falling apart. Or maybe it’s all in some eternal holding pattern. Hanging on by a thread at school with no guarantee for employment next year, confusion with the girlfriend and I’m not sure what I can do to strengthen our relationship, constant mental [...]