Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun. Show all posts

Live your life

Written above are 3 simple words that are actually quite easy to say, but rather hard to follow. Many people talk about trying to do fun things and go cool places, but I feel like very few of us succeed in doing so. Many of us repeatedly step up to the plate and all we hear is the ball fly by us while the umpire screams, “you’re out!!”

Why do so many of us fail to hit the ball or even swing the bat. I guess half the battle is getting in the batters box, but the other have is finishing what you started to do. Good intentions don’t get you anywhere in life. You need to finish what you started, you need to do what you said you were going to do and live your life the bet way possible.


What do I even mean by living your life? Well, to put it simple, “enjoy your life”, but those words don’t add much clarity as people will settle with what they have and tell you time and again they are enjoying their lives. But who are they kidding? Are they really? I guess it’s not your nor mine place to say yes or no, but it is quite easy to read between the lines and see who is getting in the batters box and swinging and who is still riding pine.

You need to be able to wake up every morning and be excited about your life, your accomplishments and what lies ahead of you in your path. You owe it to yourself to have the best life possible. So why not have it?

You would truly be surprised how fun your life can be if you just let it be fun. IF you smile a bit more everyday and do a few more fun things here and there. Get out and go for a walk in the park, see your favorite movie, drink your favorite wine (and maybe have too much), laugh hard and loud without caring when and where you are and most importantly live your life.

Too often we see mid-life crises, or people that have breakdowns. We push ourselves too far to the edge and finally we do fall over. I don’t think we need to slow down, but I do think we should smell the fuckin damn roses once in awhile. I mean why not? Plan for doing something fun. Now this doesn’t mean plan a specific time for fun, but rather have fun in doing more things. Expect everything to go well, more often than not, how you think about a particular task, errand, person, whatever…, will make it that much more enjoyable in the end…

Try this, trust me…

Bamer-

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , , on Friday, November 27, 2009 at at 10:37 AM 2 comments  

Being a guy

You ever think about, regardless of if you are a male or female, what it’s like being a guy? I can speak from personal experience and I would just like to take a moment and explain a few reasons why it’s good to be a guy. Hopefully you will get a chuckle out of this, I know I did when I thought about a few things this morning when I got out of bed.

The “meh…attitude.”
What I mean by this is that guys have an uncanny ability to just say ‘meh’ about a lot of decisions we make on a daily basis. I know that women can do this too, but guys do this on a extremely regular basis in my opinion. Think of this, “what should I wear today?” Well we could put a great deal of time into this if we wanted to but we rarely do, at least outside of the metrosexuals on the world. “…This is a cool green shirt, and this orange hat fits nice so I’ll wear that while I rock out in my sweatpants… she shouldn’t mind, we are just going to a movie…” This is a conversation we have many times with ourselves. It’s the ‘meh’ attitude. Clean my room or play video games? Wow, did I even just have that thought pass through my head? Video games, next…

Peeing anywhere
Duuuuude, we can go to the bathroom whenever wherever we want to. Bathroom in a restaurant, no problem. In the corner of a crowded street on the side of a building, piece of cake. Fishing on a boat in the middle of lake while trying to aim that little guy into a plastic cup, simple. We are actually pretty handy with that little guy and I am happy everyday that I wake up and see that I still have a hose to use. Very multifunctional. Watch this!
How many times have you heard a guy say this? Haha, I just laugh thinking about the stupid stuff I did after a statement like this. Now flip that thought and think of how many girls compared to the number of guys you just pictured also say this? I would be surprised if you said half. Guys just like to do dumb things, we get cheap thrills out of bottle rockets, firecrackers, fast cars, things that make you hurt, etc. We are programmed as well to push any limit that we see. Speed limit, haha what is it again? Alcohol limit, we can drink well over that, in fact lets buy a breathalyzer to measure our progress. Do I need to say more?

Simple pleasures
Girls probably know what I mean when I say this. Guys can find pleasure anywhere.. (ohh, butterfly.. ahh where was I…?) How many times have you tried to talk to your guy and he is watching T.V.? And of those times how many times has he responded with an intelligent answer? The percentage is one that would probably represent the amount of PSI you need in your bike tire, not much. We get pleasure out of the dumbest things. Take, for example, a ball. Guys can play for hours upon hours with a ball and be completely content. We have sports designed around ever weird shaped ball in the world, I swear. (who made the wiffle ball anyways??)

I could make this list 100 pages long, but I just want to take a moment and remember why I love being a guy. All these stupid things make us who we are, and I wouldn’t change anything for the world.

Greetz-

Posted in: , , , , , , on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at at 1:15 PM 10 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse Part 4

Fast forward to the end of the season...


That team who started with their first ever victory this season in their 3rd game of the year ended up finishing 3-3 for the season, while showing massive improvements in stick, team and hustle. Their only loss, suffered after that first win against Basel was against Zurich, the reigning champions of this league (SLL) for the last 2 years running. This is actually only technically the 3rd season the Swiss Lacrosse League has been in existence so it's safe to say the powerhouse is Zurich.

The Herzogenbuchsee boys finished with an impressive dismantling of Fribourg 17-0, and another win against Bern 9-2 en route to their 3-3 finish on the season. Remember this is a team that didn't even think of winning more than maybe a game has come a long way, both on the field and off the field as you can really feel the chemistry starting to develop as the friendships get better and the skills hone in.

What once looked like just a bunch of guys has now started to turn into a hard-hitting, ground ball winning, fast team. They have had 4 games now under their belts and are hungry and awaiting the post season which is just around the corner. This will actually be the first post-season where they have a chance to play more than 1 game and out, and you can feel some of the excitement that is building up to the 1st playoff game that is scheduled against Bern.

Bern is probably one of the most hungry teams in the league that wants to beat the boys of Herzogenbuchsee, because Bern has been downed by the Herzogenbuchsee Iroquois team 3 times already in 2009. Once in league play and 2 times in a tournament where they squared off. The score for 2009 stands at H'buchsee 3 - Bern 0. The total goals for each team are H'buchsee 19 - Bern 7. With the closest of the games coming in a 3-1 victory for the Iroquois.

Either way it's setting to be a good first round match up where either team could walk off the field with their heads held high and their arms in the air as they are pretty evenly matched. Wish the team some luck, it's the next big test for the boys of H'buchsee.

Will be back to continue after the 1st playoff game...

[to be continued]

Posted in: , , , , , , , on Friday, September 25, 2009 at at 2:49 PM 1 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse Part 3

Down.....Set....... *whistle*


The first faceoff was a clean win for us, not a bad way to start. We moved the ball down the field and got everything settled down by working the ball around the outside perimeter. There was a comfortable feeling already taking over, even after the first minute and the guys seemed excited to be playing and even more so to deploy their newly acquired skills that they had learned over the previous 1.5 months.

A few more passes, a pick here and there and the game started to open up for us in the offensive zone. A few guys had some early open looks, but nothing found the back of the net. The confidence at this point was building and you could feel it, I mean even the 30 or so fans that turned up were started to get a bit excited. You could tell that the guys had raised the bar and the expectations of the team were somehow nothing less than a victory for this game against Basel. I don't think the guys wanted to settle for less...

A few more changes of possession happened, our defense stood tall, and then finally after about 9 minutes of play there was a quick play from up top to a down low cutter by the crease and the ball flew past the goalie, top right, for a quick 1-0 score. There was a big celebration on the field as this team wasn't really known for it's scoring capabilities prior to this game. (3 or 4 goals total the entire season up to this point)

Herzogenbuchsee seemed to get a huge lift from that first goal and it never seemed to let up. The next faceoff was a clean win again, in fact I don't think Basel had won a single one the whole day? Today wasn't about Basel, it was about the Iroquois H'buchsee boys showing themselves that they were better than what the 2 previous years had shown, and the score quickly showed it. After one quarter it was 4-0 in favor of the Iroquois. That was equal to their entire years total with all the other games combined.

The next 2 quarters went by extremely fast with only a few penalties from each side creating the stoppages. I just kept telling the guys to keep giving it 110%, don't stop, every ball is ours and we were going to make sure we didn't give them a chance to get back into the game. Perhaps it was a bit much to tell them to keep putting them in the net, but the guys earned the right in my eyes to show what they could do, to show what they had learned.

9-2 after 3 quarters, the guys could feel the upper hand that they had at this point. All they had to do keep up the same intensity and hang on for one more quarter and they would have their first victory of their clubs existence. A pretty good feat for a group of guys that just thought this sport looked cool a couple years earlier and decided one day to buy some sticks...
The last quarter was a good one and hard fought, but it was obvious what the outcome was going to be as Basel slowly got out-hustled to the ground balls and in turn watch their chances to win the game slip away.

*whistle* game over... end score 14-2 in favor of the home team. Happy faces all around, hugs, handshakes and a job well done.

Finally I felt a big relief and deep breath find it's way out of my lungs. The first test was over, but it was just the beginning...
(To be continued)

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at at 1:06 PM 5 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse Part 2

August 9th, 2009.


My first game with the team since I took over coaching Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse in Switzerland. It was the first real test my boys were going up against since I had tried to teach them the basics of this sport and the basics of team play and camaraderie. It was the the first test for me as a trainer, the game had a whole bunch of meanings for me. I was filled with a whole bunch of different emotions as we took the field and started to warm up before the game. Technically we had been at the field for 3 hours already setting everything up, but now people were starting to show up and I was starting to feel the butterflies in my stomach and the anticipation growing from within.

Was a cool feeling overall and nothing like what I had previously felt before. I mean I had never been a "full-time coach" before. I had simply been a helper and an assistant, someone who could help teach but more or less be there to support the coaches wishes. So to me this day had a completely different feel, a feeling of a true reflections on what I had taught the boys over the last 1.5 months or so that we had to prepare for this game.

-I hoped everything I taught them sunk in?
-I hope they remembered everything and didn't let their own emotions get the best of them?
-How was this game going to turn out?

Lots of questions were going to be answered by the end of the day, that was for sure. I half wondered if the boys even knew how to win? I mean they had experienced 2 seasons worth of games without a single win. I mean, sure they had scored some goals, but mostly they had been slaughtered by the other teams in the league. Basically if you had a coach and could throw and catch the ball with a little bit of togetherness and understood some plays, then you could beat the Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse team.

Either way there was nothing more I could do about it now, it was game day, they needed to do it on their own and win for themselves. Just had to apply some of the basics I taught them and they would be alright. Or so I hoped?

Basically the pregame warm up went well and the pre-game prep talk went like this below, however I had to say it in my half-German-half-Swiss slang that I had acquired as there was very few English speakers on the team...

I have a few goals for us guys:
1) Hustle, 110% always
2) Mentality, "Win every ground ball.."
3) Have some fun and play as team, watch each others backs.

And with those three points being said it was already time for the opening faceoffs...

...was I ready?

(To be continued...)

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at at 2:02 PM 6 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse part 1

Lacrosse: A sport that is relatively unknown in Switzerland, but is starting to grow at a rapid pace. A sport of high intensity, filled with big hits, fast shots and full body contact.

This sport is one that I started coaching about 4 months ago in Switzerland and one that I have loved every minute of. Picture this: A group of around 6-10 guys on a regular basis that are trying to throw this little round pellet around as fast as they can without any real indication of which way is actually correct and which way is not. Then enters this American who doesn’t really have much experience, just a little more than a year or so in the states playing Lacrosse, and decides that he wants to help these guys learn to play as a team and not 10 individuals trying to put the ball in the net themselves.

I was definitely not an expert at this sport, but I have a real passion and love for team sports and was fortunate enough to play many team sports growing up in high school and in college. Starting with hockey when I was only 3 years old, which I still play today, along with American football among other sports.

I have had a lot of chances to teach kids before, but never really a full on chance to coach a bunch of guys around the similar age of myself. I mean what could I teach people in America, especially people my same age? Well here it’s different; the concept of team sports isn’t explained as well to them. I see many Europeans as individuals before I see them as a team. The concepts are known, but they don’t practice them, and I know for experience that these are things you need to learn and re-learn to really understand them.

So that was my chance to teach these Swiss guys about Lacrosse. I was bound and determined to take this little Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse team, which had never won a game before in their team history, and make something out of them. I mean just by looking around that first day I could see that there was talent in the room, but no leadership or any concept of what the word “team” really meant. I mean when you work together it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

To be continued……….

Posted in: , , , , , , , on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at at 9:19 AM 3 comments  

Break in Technology

Finally back after an extended vacation where I got to hang out with the coolest guy in the world.... my dad.


Anyways I was just chilling minding my own business being cool and writing some emails when I got a work related email from a colleague that got me thinking about technology and age and more specifically how they relate. Now this gentleman is about 55 or so and is in the generation above me which means that we have a lot of differing features in the way we read, write, speak, etc. and I think most people would agree that there are huge difference from generation to generation. And after reading this email, for me, that was ever so evident.

While reading this email I got this feeling that this person was extremely angry with someone else, (not me, I was just copied on it) but when I talked to the individual that wrote it he kind of chuckled and laughed explaining that it wasn't supposed to be in an angry tone at all.. I kind of looked puzzled as I thought back to what he had wrote and the tone in which I felt it was written in. Hmm, really was he that oblivious to how the email read?

You can probably all think of a friend that you know that doesn't write emails all that much or writes in one sentence formats, and sometimes that is too much. I have seen as little as 3 or less word answers and the author behind these emails generally thinks that is enough to answer the 4 questions you wrote to them above. Really??

Now email has a many advantages such as; response time, quicker than writing, fast delivery, etc. But there are also disadvantages which include; the inability to always express the tone of your writing (especially if you from an older generation), lost emails or intercepted ones, falsely written email addresses, etc. I mean think about it, we are long overdue for someone to make a "sarcasm color rule," I mean why can't someone make a rule that when you are joking you need to write your comment in green. Pretty simple eh?

Anyways just wanted to chat a bit about the inability for some people to communicate successfully the way they want to through the Internet. For me it's easy to see a generational gap which lines up quite nicely to way people can or can't write emails.

Get with the times old people.... geeez. :P

Posted in: , , , , on Monday, August 24, 2009 at at 2:34 PM 4 comments  

Furries

Question: Have you ever seen the television show Entourage?

Subsequently it’s my favorite show and a few of my friends have even assumed some of the character’s nicknames because we watch it so much. (In fact I can’t wait for the new season to come out, this summer if you’re wondering.)

So anyways, there is an episode in there about people better known as “furries.” If you have seen this show you know where I am going. Well these furry people are special people with fetishes to dress up and act like animals. Many common ones are rabbits, squirrels, and the like. They will dress up and reform sexual acts and do other random things while in “costume.” However the following story below tells you about one furry dude who took it too far.

In reference to this story and this guy who is a furry, I just wanted to ask you why people do things like this and how do realize this about yourself? When do you wake up one day and say, “damn I wish I could dress like a rabbit and act out foreplay with another person of the opposite gender (hopefully) who is also dressed up in an animal suit?” I laughed when writing that actually.

Anyways, sorry for the random thought and the even more random article, but I found this too bizarre to not write it on the blog.

Ciao~

http://www.startribune.com/nation/46720442.html?elr=KArks:DCiUMEaPc:UiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUr

Posted in: , , , , , , on Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at at 5:41 PM 9 comments  

The word “No”

I read a piece on this word by another fellow blogger and liked his ideas so much, that I figured I would throw my 2 cents at trying to explain this word as well.

This word is complex and tricky at best. It has a ton of different meanings and that’s not too bad, considering it’s only 2 letters long. This word is best described as misleading and confusing at times and I will explain what I mean.

This word was taught to us at a young age, we learned that no means just that, “no”. End of story. If mom or dad says no, you only have a few choices. One is to whine like an idiot and try and get them to change their minds, but this normally results in further agitation and the same response and a swift smack on the head from mom. Or you can just except it for face value, like we are taught to, and say, “ok” as you walk away with your tail between your legs.

“No” is a word that gets different meanings attached to it as we grow older though. And I hate to say it, but mostly these other connotations are added by women. (Ok I am lying, I don't hate to say it, haha) We start to realize as we are going through high school and into college that “no” actually means “yes” to some girls. Like “no, you can do that.” Which most of us know that if it’s accompanied by a ‘lip biting gesture’ then it really means “Yes, please do that, I actually like it a lot.”

So then we, “we” being males, start to push the boundaries and always go through a “no” like it’s a “yes.” And this works great for most of us, especially for the duration of college. I mean we have been trained by women to go further when hearing this queue. But then there comes a time where we get thrown a curve ball and a “no” is supposed to mean an actual “no” again. We bite her ear or nibble on something a bit too hard, she says “no” and we go harder…. Oops. You can’t really blame us can you? I mean you taught us...

So why do girls do that to boys? Is it because some girls don’t actually know what they want? They climb on you one minute and kiss you almost uncontrollably and then tell you “no” the next minute and actually mean it. What gives? And I know any girl reading this has definitely done this before, you can’t deny it. It’s the meanest trick in the book. I mean what would you do if a guy played the game called, “just the tip, just for a minute, just to see how it feels” with you? I am sure you would go nutz on him. But don’t ask why any guy would do that? Unless for payback.. muwahaha!

Either way I think life would be better if girls didn’t expect us guys to be mind readers. I mean we sometimes have trouble working the television and drinking a beer while listening to you talk. Just playing, but seriously I can’t concentrate when Sportscenter is on?

Posted in: , , , , , , , on Friday, May 22, 2009 at at 2:01 PM 12 comments  

Life Referees

So who is reffing this game called "Life"?


When we were children growing up, it was mom and dad who were there to 'ref' you and watch over us at all times. They made sure to pick us up when we fell and dust the dirt off. They fed us our favorite meals and told us bedtime stories. They told us when we needed to be home at night and what was accepted and/or expected of us at all times.. But mom and dad aren't around forever and there is a gradual weening period where we have to start fending for ourselves.

Some people start the road to maturity and independence earlier than others, but either way we all need to get there sometime. We all need watch out for ourselves and make the right decisions without the help of referees from the side lines. When this happens though is up to you, but either way it's inevitable.

Some of us flourish without people helping us while others flounder in the water, always looking around for the next helping hand, just to keep their noses above. I agree we all need help from time to time to get anywhere in this life, but you also need to be able to stand on your own two feet as well, even if it's only for a few minutes here and there.

There are many good feelings that come with standing up by yourself though. Like when you accomplish an extremely lofty goal after months of trying. You get the feeling of accomplishing something by yourself, with no one else's help, which is the biggest 'high' ever. It's like a splash of fresh water when your standing under the sweltering sun. It's great! And it makes you want that feeling to last and to come back again soon.. (and it will)

"Life referees" are going to always be there, but use them seldomly, and when you need them let them know you appreciate them. (For example: Mother's Day, I hope you all gave your mothers a call??) But more importantly show them that you can do everything on your own, and that will be the biggest reward you could give. And that's when this cycle starts over again....

As you get older and become a very active member of society and start your own family, you then in turn, become a referee as well and you will love it. (I know I am making up some new rules, Muwahaha) And you get to share your experiences with others and see the other side of the street. I can only imagine what a trip that will be.. haha!

Posted in: , , , , , on Monday, May 11, 2009 at at 9:43 AM 11 comments  

Alcohol

What a drug...


..the things that alcohol can do to you, that make you wish you didn't remember. And most of the time you don't remember, if you drink enough of it, except that your best friends will never let you live down that ugly girl you kissed or that guy computer nerd that you danced with.

The things that alcohol can make you do.. *laughing to myself* It can make you invincible and make you think that no one can hurt you. (most often found in guys) Or it can make you extremely emotional.. (I know everyone knows a girl who is like this) It affects everyone differently. So much so that no one drinks or needs the same amount to reach their desired level of... well lets call it 'happiness'.

Take me for example. 2-3 beers and I am feeling great! Give me 4-5 and I am already wasted and looking for a garbage bin or scoping out the nearest toilets. My tolerance level is that of a 12 year old girl on her period drinking for the first time. It's crazy. And I am not a little guy at all, 6'1'' and 230 lbs. Then I look across the room at my buddy hitting on a girl, that is drunk, and is somewhere in the range of cute and horribly ugly.. all the while he is on his 6th vodka red bull and shows no signs of stopping. Unbelievable at the range of tolerances people have no matter their shape or size. All that really matters is their 'training' they have had previously.

When you are drinking the things that will come out of your mouth, faster than R. Kelly buying front row tickets to a Hannah Montana concert, are hilarious. You are normally the last one to tell "insert name" that she is wearing the ugliest shirt ever, but put a little Jack Daniels in you and you meet that girl at the front door with 3 other people and proceed to point and laugh... Why do we do that?

With alcohol, no one can have just 'one' glass either. We have to at least feel the buzz, before we stop. Because that's about the point when we feel frisky and look at our significant other with 'fu _ck me eyes and the point where we think we can still drive and not act too stupid. Although the definition of 'too stupid' is quite open for discussion as well.

Alcohol can make a quiet person talk, a loud person shut up, a stone-faced man cry and make you say things you didn't even know you were capable of. Alcohol is the biggest excuse for screw-ups ever. I mean it's at least worth a shot as a last resort as to why you did something stupid and ended up with a tattoo last night.

Alcohol, what a drug.

Everyone tries you, everyone pukes you up eventually, but they always come back for more.

Just some random Saturday evening thoughts.

Ciao-

Posted in: , , , , , on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at at 11:40 PM 12 comments  

Too much of a good thing?

Can you have too much of a good thing?


I mean too much ice cream gives you a stomach ache.. and if you decide you want to eat it too fast, well then your brain literally freezes.

Too much food and you get fat, too much alcohol and you throw up.

Too much sleeping and you get more tired than when you went to bed, and if you stay in the bathtub too long you turn into a prune. wtf?

I mean it seems there isn't al ot of truth to the saying, "You can't have too much of a good thing.." I guess the person who made this quote up never had 3 or more sisters growing up. I had the experience of living in a sea of estrogen and I couldn't swim. Sucked at times, but at least I got the experience of how to deal with women at a young age right?

Anyways, here is the question I am trying to get at. There might be one thing you can't get enough of..? Or at least some people would argue you couldn't. And that is SEX. Yep I said it, can you get enough sex, like really turn it down because you had so much or is it not possible?

I think you can get enough, whats your opinion?

Posted in: , , , on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at at 11:38 PM 15 comments  

Windy City

Chicago.. wow.

How do explain a city like this? Here is a couple ways I would do it by what I have seen over the last 3 days of being here and what it feels like.

It feels windy, because of how hard the weather comes off of the lake morning, noon and night. It is lively with 24/7 people running around town, all with different agendas and different places to be. It's organized chaos at it's finest. (Read a book called 'crowds' this is explained quite well.) There is a loud and rowdy night life if you can find the location on any given night. (not easy...) The roads are so bad in places I can hear the cars actually screaming while driving over them... Food is so easy to find and not just any food, but everything you could possibly imagine. Brats, Pizza, Asian Cuisine, fine dining and steakhouses and the lists go on. And on that same note, there is a Starbucks on every corner. (this is really amazing actually as well as a McDonalds never too far away)

Overall Chicago is a cool city, it's got the Sears Tower, Wrigley-ville, 6 or more museums within a 3 mile radius and more bars and nightlife then anyone would know what to do with.

I recommend visiting this city. There is so much here that anything less than a week wouldn't be justice enough.

Caio-

Posted in: , , , on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at at 1:45 AM 10 comments  

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