2008 Over the Line

OMBAC's Over the Line Tournament kicked off for the 55th time this past weekend and for the 9th year in a row, my teammates and I entered the tournament. This year, just as last, we played in the Century Division which is for players 30 years or older and the combined age of all three must equal 100 years or older.

Before you go thinking this is the old man's division, there are three more divisions with higher age requirements: Canardly, Canever and Camummy. Those are where the truly old guys play.

Century still contains a number of very competitive and athletic teams, we just don't happen to be one of them. Sure, we put together some good games and consistently have a decent showing in the tournament, but we're in no jeopardy of winning the contest.

Our goal in past years' was to win enough games to make it to the second weekend of the tournament. Last year, we exceeded our previous goal and not only made it to the second weekend but won two more games to bring our record to 6 wins and 2 losses. In doing so, we made it to the "pre-application" threshold. A coveted accomplishment as it meant we didn't have to get up before dawn, head to Mission Beach and sit in front of the Pennant and Beach Comber on a gray May morning waiting in line for hours just to be herded thru the sign-up process. Instead, "as one of the better teams of the tournament" we were mailed an application for this year's tourney.

Given the success of last year, we have set the bar high for this tournament. We now are striving for "pre-app" again and are poised to accomplish it if we can keep our bats going strong and improve our defense a little. We ended day one of the tournament with a 4-1 record, if you include the bye game (we do).

Game 1 (11:00am): HACAAS 8, other team 3 - W
Game 2 (1:50pm): HACAAS 1, other team 3 - L
Game 3: Bye
Game 4 (4:30pm): HACAAS 14, other team 0 - W (1 inning only)
Game 5 (6:30pm): HACAAS 13, other team 3 - W

So back at it next weekend at 7:30am to continue on our crusade.

Summertime

Where did the time go? When you were a kid, didn’t the 4th of July holiday seem like the middle of summer? Now, in this sped up world of high technology, professional life and child rearing, the holiday comes much too quickly. Sadly, at our house we’re already planning for Labor Day because it’s just around the corner.

Back to our youth: as a kid summertime meant swimming in our backyard pool (including swimming lessons my mom made me take), heading to the beach for the afternoon or just running around the cul de sac in the evening playing hide and seek. We’d stay out until well after dark playing with the neighborhood kids until we got called in from the front doors of our homes. The parents never went outside to get us, they just yelled from the comfort of their living rooms and we complied, most of the time. Life was simple then.

We would occasionally be spooked by the few bats darting in and out from under the street lamp as they consumed their weight in insects. The girls worried the bats would fly into them or even suck their blood. Or better yet, the rare summertime evening storm that would illuminate our cul de sac with lighting and rumble the neighborhood with booming thunder. One such storm still evokes laughter from my family when we reminisce.

By the time the 4th of July rolled around, it was time for the big blow out party of the summer. The annual cul de sac block party! As the only house on the street with a built-in pool, our family unofficially played “host” for the event. That is not to say we did it all, quite to the contrary. Every family had a role and put their all into it to ensure another successful party.

The street was informally closed down (I don’t recall ever getting a permit from the County) and a volleyball court went up thanks to our handy neighbor who made sure the posts were welded and the concrete filled tires could support the net and the players that always crashed into them. Everyone contributed their favorite summertime dishes and drinks, including the Scribner’s popular ‘Secret Sauce’ which, without fail, had all the adults loose, limber and in good spirits.

Little did our parents realize that us kids knew and enjoyed the effects of ‘Secret Sauce’ as well. It wasn’t that we want to drink it, but rather we liked it because it helped encourage them loosen the sober rules and allow more dangerous fun to be had by all willing to take the risk. Usually by 4pm jumping off our roof into the pool commenced.

The first jump of the year was always the scariest. Would I jump out far enough to miss the edge of the pool under the roofline? Would I jump too far and hit the loveseat under the water on the far side? Would I lose my footing and fall crashing down to the walkway below? Fortunately, it always worked out perfectly. Cannonball after cannonball was jumped from a height of about ten feet. Those ten feet might as well have been thirty! At the age of eight, those the brief moments of weightlessness felt like an eternity...and the 4th of July seemed like the middle of summer.

Live to Surf

Three little words uttered by my daughter last Saturday will make me smile the rest of my life. Of course there are a number of phrases she says that make me smile, including a very popular three word phrase such as "I love you". While that will always make me melt, the new phrase she said was music to my ears and warms my heart nearly as much - "I surf daddy!"

That's right. My 26 month old surfs! Ok, so it's not the traditional surfing that you may think of, but in her innocent little heart she surfed that day at the beach. Never mind that dad wasn't there to share the moment with her (he was actually surfing out in the lineup), but mom and grandma, both non-surfers, showed her ropes with mom taking the reigns and helping Grace hang ten (alright, so they were her fingers over the end of the boogie board).

It appears as though the countless number of hours watching such classic surf movies is paying off. We regularly watch great flicks like "Surf's Up", "Step Into Liquid", "Riding Giants" and then coincidentally, while we were getting ready to leave the house, we caught impressive surfing in "Blue Crush" where Grace was captivated by strong, talented women riding sizeable waves.

Last Saturday was the day I've been waiting for my entire married life (sorry wife) - the day my child realized the joy of hitting the waves. Granted, the waves she rode can barely be classified as waves, but we're going with it. We're not sure what caused her to grab that boogie board and head for the water all on her own. Did she see her cousins and their friends riding out in the water, or was she inspired by her dad grabbing his board and heading to the outside lineup? Or perhaps it's just in her genes. No matter what the reason, she decided to surf!

Now begins the lifelong pursuit of the perfect wave, the great ride and the marvel that is surfing. As I write this, I begin to question if this is the greatest day as a dad, or perhaps the saddest. For my little girl shall now go the rest of her life always searching for, but not necessarily obtaining, that perfect ride.

With the advantage of age, I know that the perfect ride is always one wave away. Sure, I've had my share of great rides and ridden on some fantastic waves, but I've yet to get that perfect ride. It's a quest not easily achieved, but a journey worth embarking upon. So yes, it still is a great day!

The Fear of Failure

As Life Rolls On and we get caught up in the day to day grind, do you ever wonder where you would be or what you would be doing if you were assured you would not fail? As I stood waiting for a cup of coffee, I found myself browsing the shelves of coffee paraphernalia that line the otherwise empty walls of a crowded coffee shop. Indiviual coffee makers, fancy tea steepers, a plethora of travel mugs, and of course, the pièce de résistance - quotable coffee mugs.

It is to one of these important pieces of Americana that I owe the inspiration to today's thoughts.
"Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something" - Frederick Smith, Founder of FedEx

What would you be if you did not fear failure?

Would you be a professional athlete, a rock star, or an award winning actor enjoying all that celebrity provides? Would you be a politician doing what you think is best for the public well being or an activist challenging the policy makers? Would you be a teacher, a musician, an artist or a world traveler without a care?

Unfortunately the challenges of everyday life don't always afford us the ability to fail. We have families that rely upon us to be active participants in their lives and to foster their dreams, to provide income for the mortgage and schooling expenses and to put food on the table. There is too much at stake to risk.

Or is there? While we may not be able to quit our jobs and start anew, does that mean we've actually fell victim to the fear of failure? For those of us that are blessed with the challenge of being a parent face failure everyday. Our children look to us for guidance, encouragement, education, boundaries, inspiration, love and every other trait that molds them into the people they will grow up to be.

So, maybe we won't sell the house and travel the South Pacific to surf uncrowded breaks. Maybe we won't quit our jobs and establish a restaurant on the beach. Maybe we won't move to wine country and open a bed and breakfast or buy a winery.

Does that mean we've fallen victim to the fear of failure? I think not. I believe we've overcome our fear of failure and have chosen to dedicate our lives to raising a family despite the numerous opportunities to fail in the rearing of children.

Wood

Six short years ago I embarked on this journey called marriage, but the story of course started many years before. It started similar to many others: a slow methodical courtship (not to be misconstrued as boring) gradually progressing to the altar. At that time I recognized that I was a bit slow to 'pull the trigger' and make the ultimate commitment, but with the benefit of time, I now know that the timing and progression of our relationship needed that four and a half years.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to witness my friend's nuptials - an enjoyable mixture of a modern wedding infused with long standing Asian tradition. This event, falling on the eve of my own six year wedding anniversary, caused me to reflect back fondly on my wife's wedding day (I'm smart enough to know that day was for and about her; I was merely a prop in the play), the six years we've been married, and more importantly, to look ahead toward the future.

Looking back on those years it hit me that day after day, without much fanfare or any moments of epiphony, my feelings for the woman that looked me in the eye and said "I do" grow every day. Of course we have our moments, who doesn't? Life would be dull if we didn't. But for every one of those moments, which are few and far between, there are countless others that remind me how lucky I am and how life for me is pretty darn good, and bound to get better.

Obviously nobody can predict the future, but a little over two years ago, I met my contribution to it and promptly accepted responsibility to prepare my daughter for her role in shaping it. What I didn't expect though, was that I would learn more than I teach, and love more than I thought possible. I'm experiencing that the view of the world from the perspective of a two year old is: new and exciting but sometimes scary; challenging, but most often fun; and in the case of our child - full of love and admiration from the world around her, not just her parents.

As I embark on my seventh year of marriage, I look forward to loving another and no longer worry that I don't have the capacity to love them all.

Why wood? I admit to not knowing the traditional answer, so I'll create my own. Day after day, year after year, a tree slowly grows. You can't really see it getting bigger and stronger each day, but over time there is no mistaking its growth and presence.

Afforded the perspective of six years, I think wood is the perfect substance to symbolize my marriage.