'Tis the season...

Wow, Halloween is gone, Thanksgiving is just over a week away, and before you know it, Christmas will be here followed closely by New Year's. Squeeze in work, family and...heck, there's no more squeezing.

I've been putting off my workouts and gained some weight. Nothing too major, but it adds up...15lbs over the last 6 months. I lost 100 lbs 2 years ago. It took me a year to do it, and kept it off for a year...and now I've gained a bit back.

I don't like it. 'Tis the season to over eat and gain weight. I've got to get a handle on it before it I end up with a few of those handles again!

Getting Red trying to be Green

For the past several years we've had our boys doing chores around the house for a small allowance. The goal besides distributing the household workload was to teach the boys some

responsibility towards doing work as wall as managing their money. Honestly, it's worked wonders!

One of the bi-weekly chores is to sort the plastic bottles from the aluminum cans. Once a few bags has accumulated we take a trip to our local recycling drop-off to turn them in for cash. What better way to show the boys the value of recycling, right?

So today - Monday, I tell the boys to get the cans and bottles in the car so we can go turn them in. We head down to the Albertson's by our house where Re-Planet has a recycling drop-off location.

As we pull up, I can see the two big bins have the doors closed and as we pull closer I see a sign stating that they're closed because the bins are full. A bit frustrating after putting the sticky, leaking soda can filled bags in the back of my car, but we head South to the City of Carlsbad's recycling facility off of Faraday. I can't believe my eyes when we arrive to see a sign saying they're closed on Monday's.

I head North again as I had to make a stop at the Post Office anyway. I recall a recycling spot off of Tamarack next to the Sav-On Drugstore, right by the I-5 freeway. As we pull up, my youngest starts to giggle as he sees before me that it's closed as well. No sign explaining why, no business hours posted, no signage at all...just locked up tight. We continue to mail our packages and head over to the mall off Jefferson. I have to stop by Sports Authority. As I get closer I recall they had two self-serve recycling machines out in front of Stater Bros. grocery store. And as you can imagine by now...no luck. They'd replaced the machines with a water dispensing machine.

I was ready to quit at this point. Just thrown the dang things in the garbage can somewhere, and my older son reminded me of one last shot - the Re-Planet recycling facility next to Ralph's off of Oceanside Blvd, just East of the I-5 freeway. It was just over the hill, so why not. Heck, I'd already spent $10 on gas at $4.59/gallon trying to drop them off somewhere, what was another mile or two?

As we pulled into the lot, my son was elated, "they're open, they're open" he chipped. But as we got closer it turns out they're replaced the nice Hispanic man that ran this recycling center with two large bins and two self-serve machines. Oh well, a sign of the times I thought as we got out to feed the cans into the beast.

After an hour of driving, and literally five locations we were ready to get our $5.00 to give to the boys for their work.

***WARNING*** was what the little window said. As both machines were inoperable and jammed with something other than cans and bottles apparently. My boys looked at me not quite understanding when I told them to load the sticky bags back into the back of the car.

I was quiet for a bit on the drive home, reflecting on our adventure. My son, with his infinite wisdom said "it's tough to help take care of the environment isn't it Dad?" Yes it is, yes it is.

Schools Out Forever...

Ok, just summer. Wow, it seems like it was only a month ago the boys were heading back to school and bam! - they're out for 3 months!

Dylan's got Boy Scout camp in a few weeks. Jacob is playing All-Star baseball and still has his Tournament ball team too. He also has Cub Scout camp in a month.

No big trips like last summer (Tony Gwynn's induction into the Hall of Fame in New York), but of course we'll spend much of our time up in Big Bear. I plan on getting the boys to do a lot of trail running and mtn. biking with me, as well as kayaking. My guys don't really watch TV anyway, unless it's a baseball game, or really anything on ESPN. But the've never really spent much time watching cartoons or anything else and they don't own any game systems. Closest thing they have is a computer and the only games they have are of course...baseball and football games - go figure.

So, it will be a fairly low-key summer and I bet before you know it, they'll be returning to school and it will seem like a week since they got out.

Outrigger Paddling

My son Dylan started paddling competitively just a month ago. He paddles down in San Diego on a coed team and really enjoys it. This weekend they had their first race since he joined the team. This particular race was not coed and they raced in the all boys division.

It was quite a surprise to my son when he found out the race was 1 1/2 hours long, and just the boys - no adults like practice. There workouts were typically an hour long and were supervised by an adult.

But as it turns out, they did just fine. They got 3rd place overall and as one of the photos shows, they're sporting there medals (turtles). He was proud and tired at the same time. What a great workout and good time. I'm so glad he enjoys the water as much as I always have. Some great pictures below taken by a family friend that actually got him involved in the outriger paddling.

Soccer on the Beach?

If you've read my Blog even a little bit, you've surely heard about my son Jacob. He's quite a little athlete and I'm a proud papa, so I talk about him.

Well a few weeks ago we got a note home from school. I know what you're thinking - same as me when my son told me he had a note from his teacher. But it turned out to be a note from the PE Specialist. The note said that this teacher had "rarely seen this level of athleticism at this age" and since he coached a local competitive soccer club he wanted Jacob to come try playing soccer for him.

Truth be told, Jacob had asked to play soccer, but it had conflicted with his rec baseball, travel baseball or football schedules, and we'd just never made the leap. One other factor was the expense of it. Competitive soccer in our area runs from $1000 to $1400 per year, money we just don't have.

I called the coach and explained our situation and he encouraged us to let Jacob give it a try at least and we'd go from there.

He went to 2 practices before he was invited to play in a weekend Beach Soccer Tournament - one of the largest soccer tournaments in the US. Strangely he was not committed to baseball that weekend and we went to play in the sand. He did fantastic.

Afterwards the coach told us that Jacob was right where the others were after a year of coaching and he'd just started a few days before. I thanked him for the opportunity but told him our time constraints and financial concerns.

He said if Jacob wanted to play, and we'd allow it - he would "make it work" and would cover the cost of the soccer. We couldn't believe it. Was he "that" good? Maybe so, and as nice as it was to hear, and even flattering - it's just too much. The poor kid wouldn't have a spare moment to himself.

We sadly had to decline the invite and told the coach maybe after baseball. He insisted we keep the uniforms he gave us and bring Jacob out when we could and he'd see to it that his skills would improve.

I'm still thinking as a retirement plan - Baseball is where my future is, but Soccer's not a bad backup. :o)

Competition And Learning To Lose

There's no doubt I'm extremely competitive. I'm not sure when it started or what made that intense desire to win a priority. But it's definitely there. I hate to lose at anything...I mean it's bad. I hate losing in games with my kids...seriously. How bad is that?

I guess it should come as no surprise to me that my son Jacob inherited or learned this behaviour from me. And while I think competition is a great thing...the overwhelming 'need' to win can have its pitfalls.

If you've read my Blog in the past - you'll remember that he's an incredible, natural athlete - specifically a baseball player. Since he was very young he could throw and catch. He has that natural smoothness to his play. Coaches are constantly telling me - 'he moves well' referring to his plays at second and shortstop.

For the past season Jacob's been playing on a Tournament baseball team - also known as "Travel Ball". It's a team we put together of the best 10 boys of the local league of 150 kids. I coach the team with another coach whom I've worked with for the past few seasons. They're a good team, and they've faired well in tournaments around Southern California.

This past weekend we had a tournment locally and the first day boys lost the first game and won the second game on Saturday. We returned to play Sunday in a do or die situation and the boys rallied in the last inning from being down by 3 to winning by 3 and everyone was pumped.

We advanced to the final Championship game against a VERY competitive team - a team that routinely wins every tourney they enter. It was tough going and our boys were getting beat pretty bad.

Then it happened...Jacob missed a groundball hit to him. Not the end of the world...certainly not for most players. But he'd made probably 20 incredible plays in the 4 game series and he is not used to missing the ball. He let it get to him. I told him from the bench to let it go.

"Don't let 1 mistake become 2" I coached. Let it go...but he was visibly upset. Another ball came to him - this time he scooped it up like a pro and... threw the ball wide to the second basemen allowing the runners to advance extra bases. He was coming apart at the seams now.

We got the last out of the inning and had our at bat. Jacob came to bat, still with tears in his eyes. I'd tried to reassure him and calm him but it hadn't worked and now he was supposed to focus on hitting. He was rattled and backed out of the box repeatedly and watched - without swinging at 3 strikes. Something he hasn't done before. He walked dejectedly to the dugout. It didn't help he was the 3rd out and we were headed back out to the field.

He was standing on the field sobbing and we had to pull him from the game. He was in danger at that point...obviously unable to focus, protect himself or make a play.

I wondered how it had come to this...he felt so pressured that he couldn't let 1 mistake go. No amount of reassurance seemed to help. Of course everyone and their brother reminded him of all his 'highlight reel' plays - diving snags to the left and right, turning double plays that no one at his age makes. But he sobbed on. It broke my heart.

I have to take responsibility for it. I don't know how I did it, but I made it so important to win that my 8 year old doesn't know how to lose. I've always tried to be supportive with the good and the bad. I'm not typically a yeller - certainly not at my ball players. I just didn't see it coming.

Anyway, not a great game. He's fine now and really was better within an hour after the game. Kids bounce back that way. We went to batting practice today and he wanted to stop on the way home and play catch - and we did. Just me and Jacob, playing catch at the park. This was my son, the happy, go-lucky kid. Hopefully we can bring this to the games and still win a few games.

So you wanna' be a Rock Star?

Well you may not, but I know someone who does...my son. My oldest son Cole - recently turned 17 is just about as close as you can get without actually being a rock star. Check him out with my daughter Teddi.

He's got the hairdo, tight pants, boots...leather jacket, the works. He actually does play the Bass Guitar and plays in a band that changes names weekly it seems with some buddies of his. I'd love it if he took some lessons.

Cole is not necessarily the athlete my other children are, but he is most certainly the artist that the others aren't. He loves to draw, paint, work on the computer and has a unique talent for it. He's always had his own style and never really tried to fit a mold. Now it seems his style is that of the 80's big hair bands, and that still makes him unique now in 2008.

Cole's Mom has a friend that does video production and he and Cole are good friends. Quite some time ago he invited Cole to help out on a video shoot of the Beach Boys, or was it their sons...I'm not sure now actually, but it was very cool for Cole. He like it, they liked him, and he's done some additional 'gigs' for them.

Recently he went on a video shoot for an up-and-coming young Pop Star named Whitney Steele . He was just going to do some production work, help set-up and tear down the stage I believe. He was walking around working and Whitney saw him and assumed he was in the band based on his 'look'. He explained he wasn't and they chatted a bit. Well as fate would have it, the 'band' that was supposed to show up was missing a few guys, and Whitney immediately insisted that Cole stand in at the Base position for the video.

So, if this isn't as close as you can get to being a Rock Star...without actually being one, then I don't know what is. Pretty cool for Cole. Cool for all of us. Now if we can get him into some lessons for Bass, or into a technical school where he can further his post-production skills...Check out the video below. Cole is to Whitney's left (right side of the video) in the top-hat (his previous look).

Sledding in Big Bear, California

Ahhh, sledding in Big Bear! We've been coming here for years to spend vacation time in our favorite place - Big Bear, California. It's a small mountain community at around 7000' elevation in the Mountains above San Bernardino.

When we first came here, years ago we used to have to hike up the sledding hill. For several years in fact - but it's improved. The first improvement was a rope tow up one side. You'd sit in your tube and grab on to the rope. One year they added log-like steps with hay on them. Then a big rubber mat. Then miraculously one year the rubber mat moved like an escalator. That got better for a few years and then last year, they actually covered the moving sidewalk so you're out of the elements for the 3-5 minutes it takes to get to the top of the sledding runs.

I've combined all the videos I shot this week into one sledding montage put to the music of AC/DC. :o) Enjoy!

Crunch, Crunch, Crunch

That's the sound I hear...crunch, crunch, crunch. I'm in Big Bear, California. My home to be in the next few months hopefully. It's a crisp 38 degrees outside and I'm mid-way through a 7.5 mile run.

There are so many things that go into this run. They seem to all come to me at once. A year and a half ago I started losing weight. When I plateaued a year later, I had lost over 100 lbs. My wife has lost 75. We're the same people with a new lease on life. So here we are...at 7000' altitude, a week before Christmas, running in the snow. Yes - the snow. One of the many reasons I can't wait to make Big Bear my permanent home instead of vacaction destination. I love the snow and I love that crunch, crunch, crunch sound our feet make as we run the Alpine Pedal Path along the North Shore of Big Bear Lake.

The weight loss is one of many things...the next is the running itself. An athlete most of my life, I've never considered myself a runner. But I've run 20-25 miles a week for the past 75 weeks. I'd be lying now if I told you I wasn't a runner. I enjoy it now. It doesn't hurt anymore. I find comfort in my runs. I think better while I run and certainly better after.

Ok, back to Big Bear! It's the small town I love - the community. It's the skiing, hiking, mtn. biking, backpacking, kayaking, running, horseback riding, snowshoeing...jeeesh the list goes on and on.

I don't understand it...evertime I tell someone I'm moving to Big Bear, it's always the same reaction. First they get the dumbstruck look, and then they all say it. "Why Big Bear?". I recite the list above and I guess because none of those things are part of their lives - th lieir expression doesn't change. And I just smile. I can't wait to make it my home.

It's been a goal for years. Slowly working towards it. Getting the ducks in a row, and now the house is on the market. Of course it's an ugly time to try to sell a house in Southern California, but I don't even care. I don't have to make a dime on it. If I can just break even, I'll be the wealthiest man alive! I'll be living in my vacation spot of choice, on the Pacific Crest Trail in the mountains of California, a mile above the ocean, where the air is still clean and I can hear that crunch, crunch, crunch!

'Tis the Season

Wow, Thanksgiving came and went in a flash and Christmas is just around the corner. I can't wait until next week. We're heading to Big Bear, California - our favorite vacation spot and future home - for a week of relaxing and fun. Big Bear got over a foot of new snow in the storm we had in Southern California this past week!

So what's new? Well lots of stuff! Our bicycle clothing has been selling fantastic. We've ordered and sold through our arm, leg and knee warmers, jackets and shorts. We designed a few new short styles and they have arrived and are selling well too!

Most recently I got some of my samples in for my new line of Triathlon clothing. We'll have Tri shorts and Tri-Suits. Probably a few other items, but they samples look good. We're fine tuning the styles and they'll be ready for the early Spring Triathlon Season.

What else...weight loss is being maintained. Freelance eBay and Internet Marketing business is up! I've been doing a ton of freelance work creating listing templates, designing eBay stores and more. Nic is helping out at her old job working part-time after someone recently left with no notice. And with the holidays upon us - it's a good time to make some extra money.

Happy Holidays everyone! Whether it's Chanuka or Christmas, Kwanza or just another time of year for you... it's still the Holiday Season - so Happy Holidays!

Monopoly - it's not just a corporate conglomerate

My family likes to play games. Board games to be specific. We always have. My wife and I have played cards since we started dating - rummy or gin usually. And as our boys came of game-playing age we got them started with the basics...Candyland and Chutes & Latters and Uno. Then we graduated to Life, Battleship and Monopoly Jr. And they've grown to love it.

Jacob & Nic at Starbucks

As it turns out - we rarely play at home. We keep our games in the back of the family car and the games are usually played at Starbucks. It's such a regular occasion that when we walk in we're greeted with "Monopoly tonight?" .


We still mix the games up - but our family favorite is the classic Monopoly. Even my 7-year old has been playing since he was 5. We all have our favorite game pieces and some (Jacob) even have custom pieces - like a LEGO man.


Of course our boys could make change for a hundred since they were toddlers - and we credit the board games with that. But they learn a lot of other values from playing. Patience, teamwork, a bit of business sense - but mostly they learn about family. This is our time - game time. Family time - sitting, sipping a hot chocolate or mocha and spending an hour or two together playing a game.

Pop Warner Football

It's funny...I couldn't wait for this day, and now it's come and gone and I'm kind of sad. The day...well, the last day of Pop Warner Football of course!

I have two younger boys playing ball this year. It's the first year for both of them. My youngest has been bugging us for years to play. He's 7 and this is the first year he's allowed to play. He asked Santa for pads last year - a year before he could play on a team. So of course Santa brought both he and his 11 year old brother full football pads/helmets...the works.

They spent hours out in the yard tackling each other. I have to be honest - I loved it. I played football as a kid and hockey as I got older. I like contact sports. I'm one of those guys that likes the physical hitting. The crack of pads against each other. I know...sick right? :o)

Anyway, my younger son Jacob is around 40lbs lighter than his brother Dylan. But he would hit him hard - drilling him. He'd bring him down hard and delight in it. We couldn't wait until the season started to see him in his 'element'.

Dylan however is more of a technical type kid. A math wiz, a thinker...not so much of a physical type kid - though an excellent athlete. Dylan runs distance with ease and is great at Baseball. We just weren't sure how he'd hold up under the pressure of coaching and the physical punishment dolled out on the field. It turned out because he is fairly light weight for his age - that he played down a division in what they call "older-but-lighter".

Imagine our surprise when Jacob came home from practice saying it was "ok" not great. Saying he didn't want to play next year and showed general disinterest in playing. We watched practices from a distance - nothing going on at practice (like poor coaching or bullying). He is small for his age and was the second smallest on his team. At 7, he was also the youngest on his team with most of the boys being 8 or 9 years old. But we still thought he' revel in the sport. He just didn't.

He played his minimum required 10 plays a game, sometimes more. He was a wide receiver and they call that a 'skill' position, but really at this level it's a blocking position for sweeping runs, as the quarterbacks are usually too young and weak to pass the ball effectively, certainly not to a wide-out.

It was such a surprise to us, and to Jacob. He can't wait for Baseball to start and he's actually practicing with his tournament team once a week. He loves baseball and has played for several years at the All-Star level. I think he thought he'd be an All-Star at football, and when he wasn't it really took the wind out of his sails. We tried to encourage him, but the lesson in humility was a great lesson for this cocky young man. I think he'll play football again, even if it's not next season. He is an incredibly gifted athlete, and as he gets older we'll delight in seeing him put those skills to use in different arenas.

Ok, that's Jacob's story - but the real story here... the shocker, is Dylan. Dylan was immediately seen as one of the quicker boys on his team. He was the starting tight-end immediately and they used him often as an outlet for the QB. He LOVED playing tight-end. He loved practicing. He came home telling of the big 'hit' he delivered in practice or even the licking he took now and then. We were so happily surprised at his joy.

But wait - it gets better. It turns out, probably the best athlete on his team was the quarterback. And having at QB really limited his ability to run the ball - at least at this level. So they went to the next best they had - Dylan. After practicing for nearly 6 weeks at one position they switched him from tight-end to starting quarterback. He was absolutely dilerious with pride and joy! It was fun to watch him.

He did have some serious growing pains in his new position. Remeber, this was his first season ever playing football, and certainly had no practice at quarterback. But he's a smart kid, a good leader, and works hard. He had some rough weeks, dropping snap after snap. Pitching the ball back to non-existant running backs because he mis-called a play. But it got better, and better and soon things started to click.

The team didn't have a winning season overall, but for Dylan it was stellar. He started throwing completions, running the ball himself for 1st downs, and making good calls and plays with the old QB who was now his primary running back.

As the season wore on, attrition took its toll on the team and what was a lean team in terms of numbers dwindled. They found themselves short on players and soon Dylan was playing both ways - as starting QB and on defense as a safety or linebacker. He was leading his team, had worked through adversity and it shows in the way he carries himself. He talks "team" and "we", not me and I.

This is why kids play sports (in my opinion). They learn, grow, get stronger and smarter and learn about life while they have a ton of fun. Football...I love it - can you tell?

That's a happy kid!