About 2.5 months ago, I felt a very sharp pain in my shoulder when I attempted to hit (spike) a volleyball. For three weeks, I experienced deep shoulder pain when shampooing my hair, putting on a t-shirt, or making any arm motion over my head. I still cannot do pushups, throw a baseball, or pick up my laptop without immediate pain.
Tomorrow at 7:45a I go for an MRI with contrast of my shoulder. This means that specialists will inject a dye of some sort into my shoulder that should help in diagnosing any soft tissue damage. My classmate Todd described this procedure as getting stuck with a needle "fit for a horse." I am nervous for the horse needle, the damage to my wallet, and most of all, for the results.
The Good: I'm enjoying management accounting, my first class this summer. Naomi Soderstrom is one of the smartest profs I've had in Business School. She is an uber nerd. Her lectures are fast paced, fun, and come with all the chocolate covered espresso beans I can eat (scary). Last night after class, I sat down with a Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale and Bartle Bull's The White Rhino Hotel, a prequel to one of my favorite books, A Cafe on the Nile. Also, Amanda and I recently went camping in Moab. This trip was hugely sucessful (more on this trip soon).
The Bad: I hate to be that guy but there's been some bad. It's not really fit for the blogosphere though.
The Ugly: Dr. Eric McCarty at the CU Sports Medicine clinic thinks I may have a torn labrum and has recommended I get an MRI. I'm no hypochondriac but after reading up on labrum tears, this sounds very much like what I feel. I'll keep you posted.
No this isn't the latest Cosmo test. It was actually a question posed to potential NFL first round draft pick Dez Bryant by the Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland in a pre-draft interview. After Bryant reported the question, public outcry reached incredibly high levels. Ireland has since apologized to Bryant but his query still may end up costing him his job. Question is, was Ireland in the wrong to ask this admittedly very insensitive question?
From Ireland's perspective:
Now this is obviously an insulting question and probably was even intended to be so. General Managers are under intense pressure to draft young men who will perform well on and off the field. This potential draft pick has a history of off-field issues. The NFL punishes players and teams for morality issues even if no criminal charges get filed. Ireland must be able to accurately assess the risk that Bryant is going to get in trouble down the road. As the Dolphins enter a window of playoff contention they can't afford to squander their first round pick. It's important to know how Bryant responds to adversity and unpleasant situations. Also, for the record there's a pretty good chance she is a prostitute.
Let's get one thing clear. This is not your standard job interview. This is the NFL draft, wherein players submit to all sorts of physical and psychological pokes, prods, tests, and measurements. Why? Because the 32 people drafted in the first round this year will be given somewhere between $6 Million and $42 Million guaranteed. Standard job interview rules don't apply.
From Bryant's perspective:
Bryant is in an impossible situation here. If he calmly fields this incredibly offensive question he may be labeled as soft, or a pansy--a kiss of death in the human meat-grinder of an industry that is the NFL. If he tells this @$$hat where to shove it he may fall out the first round for "having issues", thereby losing his big payday and his ability to immediately get his mom (prostitute or not) off the streets where she was selling cocaine last year to survive.
Furthermore, this question is simply irrelevant to determining Bryant's potential. He, like many football players came from a very difficult background but whether or not Bryant's mom is a prostitute has no baring on his ability to play football.
Finally, would a white draft prospect be asked this question? Would a middle-aged white man from Texas who holds all the power in this dynamic dare ask a white student this? Unlikely. Must Bryant, who will almost certainly endure numerous injuries and ultimately shorten his life expectancy be expected to break himself for a racist jerk like this?
From my perspective:
Ireland shouldn't have asked the question. Period. It's offensive and really, is this going to help him make a decision? Ireland works for one of the few NFL teams who have (minority) owners of color. Furthermore, the league is clearly trying to expand viewership in non-white markets. Questions like this set the Dolphins and the league back. It's just not worth it. Also, if Ireland really needs to know the answer, couldn't he just ask Bryant to expand on his childhood?
With its measuring, testing, and guesswork regarding the likely productivity individual humans, 65% of whom are black, the NFL draft bears an uncomfortable resemblence to slave auctions. Teams all but ask players to show them how nice their teeth are. Is there a more dehumanizing interview process in America? (Check Chris Rock for a very NSFW piece on the NFL)
The difference is, electing to play football at the highest level is a legitimate choice. No one is forcing Bryant or any of the other thousands of players who declare themselves draft-eligible to do this. While Ireland's question is insensitive, unnecessary, and probably racist, he should have the right to ask whatever he wants. This isn't a Kumbayya session, it's football. His job rests on him being able to assess talent and risk.
Personally, if you are interviewing me for that kind of cash you can ask ask, intimate, or outright accuse me, my family, or anyone else. I may not like it and I'll never respect you as a person but it'll be worth it in the end. No one will make YouTube highlight reels about Jeff Ireland. They've already made 800 about Bryant.
One of my favorite parts of summer is the abundance of fresh fruit. Every year I eagerly await the coming of Costco's 2lb box of Ranier Cherries. Yellow cherries are no gimmick friends. They tend to be 130% to 200% of the cost of red cherries but when you bite down through a really sweet meaty cherry, you'll know where that money went. I have put down the entire 2lbs box in one setting. This is not recommended.
Currently King Soopers (dumbest name for a grocery store ever) is selling whole pineapples for $3 (Sooper Card required). I don't want to know what insidious deals one has to strike with other countries in order to get $3 pineapples but damn these things are good.
School: One year and one final to go. I can't wait to rediscover happy hours when I graduate. Interestingly, because of programatic budget changes at the Leeds School of Business, I have the option to graduate one semester early. However, the program cost doesn't change. I learned in business school that it's unwise to pay $5,500 for air. I'll be getting final two class's worth, thanks.
Love: Amanda and I got back together in March and celebrated our one year anniversary in April. I planned to write a long epic post detailing how we got back together but it would have necessitated chronicling most of the last year, something that is hard to do. Since we reunited things have been great. We have already made summer plans for Rockies games, concerts galore, and camping.
Work: I never really blog about work but I will say that 2010 is going better than 2009, which went better than 2008. One of the projects I'm working on is helping Paul write a poker book.
Fitness: A nagging shoulder injury has sidelined me for the week. Currently I'm having trouble lifting this laptop. In the meantime I've been running a fair amount, albeit sporadically.
Other: As I'm sure you noticed from the previous picture, I have a big bushy beard! Also, blogger decided to get with the 21st Century and update itself. Now we have strikethrough.
Today I turn 29 years old, an age The Big Bopper, Kitty Genovese, and Heath Ledger failed to reach. My birthday began last night with a party at Jump Street in Thornton, where friends and family assembled for intense battles of trampoline dodgeball (pictures coming soon!). I had a wonderful time and have the ~black eye to prove it. Amanda baked delicious cherry almond cupcakes.
After dodgeball we went to the Castaways Lounge, a dive bar that appears to have been inspired in equal parts by Jimmy Buffet and Dale Earnhardt Jr. This nautical theme is consistent with Westminster's dolphin fountain so I felt right at home.
I have received awesome presents this year: tasty looking wine, a sweet backpacking thermos for cold climbs, a very fancy kite, deluxe Eddie Bauer ladder golf, and best of all... tickets to Green Day in August!
The best part of my birthday has been spending time with my friends and family. Thank you thank you.
My mom is desperately trying to get me to attend the democratic caucus on Tuesday night. I find politics so depressing that in the past, I have just buried my head in the sands of ignorance and let others make the decisions affecting virtually every aspect of my civic life. I realize that logically I either must not care what happens or should fight to change it. It's just hard to feel that I'll be making a difference. Nevertheless, I guess I'll go and see what this "politics" thing is all about. :)
Since Amanda and I broke up, I've been eating better, and running a lot. I know that these are completely predictable and perfectly cliche but they feel good. Instead of getting a haircut, AKA the most cliche move of all time, I've begun growing a beard.
I've also been playing online poker.
Instead of trying to consciously choose how to feel, I've just been doing whatever feels right. Sometimes this involves listening to sad music, sometimes it involves midnight trips to King Soopers for broccoli. Mostly I've been spending more time with various friends.
I also signed up for a library card and have been devouring mountaineering books. These books really fall into two categories:
I survived a disaster and here are pictures (e.g. Into Thin Air, Annapurna, In the Hall of the Mountain King)
I can't explain why I climb but I will try (Mixed Emotions, Above the Clouds, In the Shadow of Denali, Climb)
The best books combine the two. Walker has declared that he will climb Longs Peak this summer. I definitely plan to accompany him. My goal is to use the Bolder Boulder and possibly the Garden of the Gods half marathon as tune ups for 14er season.
I went dancing at the Mercury Cafe last Tuesday and had a wonderful time. If felt as if it my soul had let its hair down. I have at times described the swing scene as petty (and I even helped cause it to be so) but since the 23 Skidoo implosion of 2008, the scene has become more friendly and more supportive. Dancing on Tuesday, enveloped by great music (somewhat of a Merc rarity these days), I felt a wonderful combination of nostalgic, comforted, and Sasha Fierce.
The chief beneficiary of the breakup has been Roxy the cat. She never suffered for lack of affection but now I'm home every night and it's pretty easy to read with one hand and give Roxy love with the other. She has reclaimed her spot at the top of the bed.
As for dating, I know I'm not ready but online profiles are siren songs. I set up a minimal profile and have been lurking. Even down the road, I don't know if I'll muster the energy to meet random people and hope for sparks. Perhaps in a few months...
Life is good. I am about to turn 29. I miss blogging but have struggled with how much to share.
Since most of you read facebook before you see this, you probably already know.
I honestly don't really know what to say. We got off to a rocky start, patched things up, and then fell apart over the last four days. For the record, I do believe that online dating is possible and that there are amazing people out there because I met one. In the end, I don't think it was a good fit though.
Unlike a few past relationships, I didn't blog much about Amanda's and mine. I'm not sure whether that was good or bad.
I had a lot to do with this breakup. I was pretty self-centered during the relationship and although I didn't know it at the time, I made trying new things very scary and ugly. I was frequently unclear about communicating care and concern and I fought tooth and nail sometimes. I had difficulty showing empathy. These are all things I will work on. I also learned a lot of things and experienced a great deal of emotional growth, if you will. Perhaps a post on that later.
I believe Amanda and I will both be better off down the road but today I am sad.
On Saturday, Walker and I met up with Jeremy, Ryan and Mike Wanger, and two of Jeremy's friends: CJ and (it might have been) Robin. Originally Jeremy and I had planned on doing Mt. Audubon or Toll but with the added length of the Brainard Lake Rd being closed and a high avalanche warning for most of the front range, we decided to attempt Meadow Mountain, a much easier peak further north.
Apparently Meadow Mtn affords fantastic views of Longs Peak. As predicted however, it snowed for most of the day Saturday. We never had much visibility so seeing Longs wasn't going to be an option. We got a somewhat late start but moved quickly up the road to the Saint Vrain Trailhead. The trail heads west for quite some way before crossing a valley and then climbing up a "small" mountain in front of Saint Vrain Mtn. The trail was visible for the most part, but only just so because wind and heavy snowfall had filled much of it in.
We discussed board games, poker, and work. During one of the steeper sections, Robin and CJ called it a day. The five of us hiked up out of the trees and grabbed a 10 minute lunch before losing the trail shortly before gaining the ridge between Meadow and St Vrain Mtns. It didn't matter though because the route was obvious. Upon gaining the ridge, we left our snowshoes and began the final .3 mile push to the unimpressive summit. Here it began snowing in earnest, big fat flakes. The terrain consisted of slick snow covered rocks interspersed among deep pockets of wind blown powder. Those with poles excelled.
Shortly thereafter, we sat on the leeward side of a snowy windblock atop the summit and shared a piping hot cup of lapsong suchong tea, pored into Walker's thermos 6 hours earlier. It hit the spot. Knowing the falling snow was obscuring our tracks, we retraced our steps, descended back to treeline, and fairly flew down the now well-packed trail.
This is the perfect introduction to winter climbing. The route is very safe, and short enough that many have a good chance to summit.
Congrats to Mike, who had never before donned snowshoes. He broke trail longer than anyone else.
I became friends with Paul when he invited me to his birthday party in 7th grade. Paul was extremely excited because his mom was taking us to a video arcade (obviously). I am terrible at video games but had a wonderful time playing side by side with Paul, slaying all the demons that we encountered. That night we went on the first of many tp-ing raids. The perfect start to a wonderful friendship.
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