January 18, 2011...The day that was... A friend in need...

I heard a quote from Phyllis Diller (for those of you too young to know, she was a seriously funny lady a long time ago!) "if you ever want to make God laugh just tell Him your plans"

Well today I had all kinds of plans for how the day was to go. I got up and fed the dog, showered, flossed and brushed my teeth, took my vitamin and had my coffee. I got online to look for a job that my brother had told me might be available on the Boeing job website. I have been without full time employment for nearly two years now and it is ONLY through the grace of God that we have been able to make ends meet. Well God and the extremely creative bookkeeping and financial acrobatics that my wife makes happen that are keeping our two kids in college and a roof over our head.

Well back to my plan for the day, I had planned on getting some exercise, push-ups and some crunches mainly, but I wanted to get 100 0f each in...as I sit here at 11:35pm I did finish 40 push-ups and 50 crunches...it's a start but not what I had planned. In my planning, I wanted to get Champ up to the park to run and catch his frisbee for awhile, get my resume updated and apply for the Boeing position online, I wanted to take a couple of friends to see the new Green Hornet movie and then be home for my wife when she came home from work so that we could go together down the high school to work the boys basketball game. Then we could come home relax a bit and then snuggle down for a good nights sleep. Nice plan, didn't happen...

Well the first part of the day fell right into place, feed the dog, shower, floss and brush my teeth, vitamin, 20 push-ups, 30 crunches, a cup of coffee, then off to the park with the dog by 10am. Upon my return home and getting on the computer, I gotta admit, facebook was my first stop, got distracted with the silly dice game called yacht ( a modified version of yahtzee that I am somewhat addicted to ) so after a few rounds of that game, I finally got the the Boeing website and was scrolling through the job offerings there. As my AADD (adult attention deficit disorder) kicked in, I found myself looking at movie times at the local theater. My typical day when I do public address for the basketball games is to spend some quiet time not talking and sitting alone in a theater watching a movie and just being quiet. I wanted to take a couple of my friends to see the Green Hornet (I already saw it on Friday, but I know they both want to see it too), so I texted them to see if they were available today. Unfortunately, they were both busy, so back up plan B lead me to the Dilemma, Vince Vaughn's and Kevin James' new show. I have an in at the Regal Cinemas in my area as my sister is a manager and she is able to give me free passes to see movies, so I don't have to pay the $10 per show to see what is currently playing. Pretty nice for someone without a steady income! Yes, this is one of the blessings that I count every day! I was able to work it out that I could go to the Regal closest to my house to see the movie, so telling Champ I would be back soon, I went on my merry way to sit in the theater for a couple of hours and just chill.

This is when my day decided to take a turn and God put me in a situation to show who He was making me into and how far I had come (not to mention, how far I still have to go). About 40 minutes into the movie I received this text from a friend...

" Nick my 1 lung is collapsing. If i talk i get dizzy. Trying to get home"

First I am over the "k" being added to my name... second I totally started to freak out! My response was, can I come get you? where are you now? I can be right there

I waited for a few minutes, no response, so I went outside the theater and called him...still no response only voice mail....not knowing what to do I sent a text to a mutual friend asking if he as near or knew where our friend might be. I also forward the text I had received to him so he knew why I was being such a nutcase, his phone went directly to voicemail! Nearly 20 minutes later I got another text saying my friend was trying to get home and then to the hospital, but he wanted me to make a couple of calls for him . I responded that I could make the calls, but could I come get him and help in anyway to get him to the hospital? This was about 10 minutes to 2:00pm. At 2:05pm our mutual friend called and said he had been in contact and our friend was on his way home and should be there in 10-15 minutes and that I should try him again then. He was enroute to Seattle and wouldn't be able to head south for a couple of hours and that his phone battery was almost dead and he would be charging it, but it would be turned off for awhile, but he would be checking it. Not the news I was hoping for, but at least I had some kind of clue as to what was going on.

I went back into the movie to wait and see what developed, both with my friend and the plot line...

As far as the movie goes, it wasn't the comedy I thought it was going to be, although I have to admit I didn't get to see the last 30 minutes or so. I did enjoy what I watched and like both Kevin James and Vince Vaughn, free admission makes almost any movie tolerable.

I tried my friend at 2:25pm, no answer, just his voicemail...then he called back just a minute later...the voice on the other end was barely coherent and I could barely make out the words "home" and "hospital" before we were disconnected. I frantically tried calling back, to no avail. I hurriedly left the theater at a run to my car, trying to call our mutual friend as I headed for the parking lot. It went directly to his voicemail, so I knew his phone was off, I left a message letting him know that I was on my way to the house, but as I had only been there on one other occasion I was panicked as to getting there without getting lost. Not wanting to waste time I headed in the general direction with prayers to God to watch over my friend and give me the guidance I needed to get there in most expeditiously. A bolt from heaven struck my right in the forehead as I remembered that the one previous time I had been to his house I had put his address into my map application on my phone to help me find his place. Under the recent searches I found the address and was able to get directions via the navigate to location function! Certainly a blessing and insight from God!

At 2:52pm I received a call from my friends phone, again I could hardly understand a word, he was gasping and coughing so hard that his words made no sense. Then to my great relief a woman's voice came on and said that he was at home and wanted to know how close I was? I let her know I was less than 10 minutes away and would be there shortly. When I arrived, my friend was lying on his bed, gasping and shaking. I was at a loss. Inside I was literally freaking out! but externally, I was trying to be stoic and calm, getting him a clean shirt and fresh coat to wear to the hospital. Getting all the things he thought he might need if they admitted him overnight or for an extended stay (a certainty from my uneducated medical perspective). He could hardly sit up, but we got him dressed in the clean shirt and slipped his shoes on and out to the car we went.

As we were heading down I-5 to St. Joseph's hospital in downtown Tacoma, my friend was concerned about all kinds of mundane issues. He had me call his office and advise them of the status of a few of his business meetings, I let them know we were heading to the hospital (something he said he didn't want me to tell them?) and that he was having a hard time breathing and could barely talk at the moment. His phone is normally very busy, as luck would have it, his Mom called while we where driving and I let her know what was going on. She and I have never met and I tried to explain in brief while making sure she knew her son was going to be ok. As he said to me, "Don't worry I'm not going to die today". I was glad he knew that, I wasn't so sure as he was in extreme pain, breathing shallow and erratic and essentially having multiple seizures as we made our way through traffic.

Finally, after what seemed forever! I pulled into the emergency drive at St. Joe's, with my window rolled down I hollered to the person wearing the "valet" jacket that I needed a wheelchair and someone to help my friend. As I came to a stop at the curb next to the entry door, they were bringing out a wheelchair, I leaned across the car to pull the handle and open the door for him and snapped the latch right off! Yep, broke it right off in my hand with one quick pull! Stupid German car, plastic handle where it should be metal! frantically, I jumped out of the car, ran to the passenger side and helped him get out and into the emergency room. All the while he as saying how he hated the hospital and all the time he had spent there. The whole way to the hospital, he had been giving me instructions as to which Dr's names I should tell the emergency room nurses, where his files were kept and a myriad amount of other details that pretty much just washed over me as I steered my way through the traffic.

I must admit, I thought it would be more difficult to get him some attention, of course, having someone who can't breath and is shaking, convulsing and generally in terrible condition when you enter the emergency room, makes for quite an entrance. With minimal paperwork and a few choice nuggets of information, regarding his file and the specific doctors with knowledge of his pre-existing condition got him admitted rather quickly. My car was left at the curb and the woman working the valet came in and handed me a ticket saying that my car had been parked and to call when I wanted it back. I thanked her and made sure everything was being done to take care of my friend. After fielding a few calls from his phone and sending a few texts to those who needed to know and returning calls to those others, I was able to get a visitor pass from security and go find out how he was doing.

It was a little after 4pm by this time and I was running a little tight on time. Getting back to hallway C I found out that my friend had been taken to x-ray and would be back soon. As some of you might know, I do the public address for the Puyallup Vikings boys basketball games at Puyallup High School and the JV game starts at 5:30pm and I needed to be there by 5pm. I pretty much knew that wasn't going to happen as all of my equipment, computer, microphone, mixer and cables were all at home. After a couple of calls to my wife, she said she would be able to put everything together and bring it down for me and we could meet at the high school. My friend returned on his chauffeured adjustable bed with an IV hooked up, an oxygen tube in his nose looking much better than when I had last seen him, much to my relief! He told me to not worry that they probably wouldn't be keeping him and it would just be a bit before the let him go back home! In my humble opinion, NO WAY! ( I had just witnessed him convulsing and having seizures for the last half hour) I'm no doctor so I kept my opinion to myself and tried to cheer him up by taking a picture on his phone of his sorry ass sitting in the bed blowing on an inhaler! I let him know I was there for him, whatever I needed, thinking in the back of my mind that I really needed to leave about 20 minutes ago to be on time for the game. He is uncanny sometimes, as he asked me what I had going on tonight...I told him nothing important and I could get someone to cover for me, as I would stay until we knew what his situation and status was. He shook his head and said that I needed to go.

There of course were others who were enroute to the hospital as we were talking. He said there was no sense in me just standing around waiting for him and that he had been through this before (many times) and in his opinion, they would be sending him home within the next couple of hours. I told him I would be able to be back by 9pm about 4 hours away if he still needed anything and was still in the hospital to let me know. I sent a couple of update texts, called the valet to get my car and let my wife know that I was going to try and make it on time, this was about 4:40p. At 5:02p I was still waiting for my car and I was on the phone letting my wife know that I would NOT be there in time for the tip-off of the JV game, but I was making every effort to get there as soon as I could and to apologize to the others working who would have to cover for me.

The 12 miles or so from the hill top in Tacoma to downtown Puyallup is not a strenuous drive, but trying it at 5pm in the rain is another issue. 45 minutes later, I was in front of Paul Hanawalt Pavilion and unloading the gear from my trunk to connect my equipment to the PA system in the gym. With only a couple minutes left in the first quarter, I was surprised that there was so much game left. It took me a few minutes to get myself situated and ready to be on the microphone and halfway through the second quarter the mic was handed to me and I took my customary spot.

It is at these times that I sincerely thank GOD for blessing me in so many ways. The stress of the previous few hours was knotted up in my neck and under my shoulder blade, yes a small annoying pain compared to what I had just witnessed. Being on the mic and calling a basketball game is such a release for me. The calming sense washed over me as I settled into the game and the routine of being the public address announcer. It is kind of a contradiction for me, as I am in a crowd, speaking over the PA system with the loudest voice in the gym, yet I am really in a place all my own. I know it may be hard to understand what I am saying, being in a crowd and in a sense at the center of attention (not really me, but the game is the center of attention and no one really listens to me) but I am part of the whole, so you can kind of see where I'm coming from. Anyway, for all of that, I am in a place that is all my own and I am comfortable there.

Between games, my friend who was going to the hospital to take my place, came down to the gym to pick up our friends laptop, change of pants and work notes out of my car and said he would text me with an update once he got back to the hospital. Much to my relief, shortly before the start of the varsity game, I received a text letting me know our friend had indeed been released from the hospital, was on his way home, feeling better but extremely tired. With joy in my heart I went through the motions of calling the varsity game to the best of my ability with the gifts God has bestowed upon me. A hard fought game, ended with the Vikings on top 75-69 and me happy to be part of it.

Not the day I had planned...but through the grace of God I was able to help a friend in need and put a few things in my life into perspective. Tomorrow, I've got plans too, we'll see how much of it I will be able to accomplish, but I know for sure if I get a call from a friend in need, I will drop what I am doing and make every effort to make a difference and help in whatever way I can.

Thank you Lord for opening my heart and my eyes so that I can be a servant for good, in service for God! Let me be your tool, let your will be done in me and through me, may I be your humble and obedient servant in whatever service I can be of most effective use to bring love and light to those with whom I come in contact.

January 12, 2011 - A couple of movie reviews, Country Strong and Season of the Witch

Country Strong:

Just got home from watching Country Strong with my honey. First let me say, the we both enjoyed the movie. Gwenyth Paltrow and Tim Mcgraw do an excellent job in the lead roles, her as Kelly Cantor, a country singing star and him as James Cantor, her husband and manager. Tim Mcgraw coming of a great supporting role in The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock did an outstanding job playing a part I'm sure he was familiar with from his career as a country superstar. Gwenyth looked great and played her role wonderfully as a top performing country singer who is dealing with multiple life issues. The supporting cast of Garrett Hedlund, who plays Beau Hutton, an up and coming singer/song writer who is tied up in the life of Kelly and Leighton Meester, who plays Chiles Stanton a young beauty queen, looking for a career in country music. The soundtrack is great in this movie, the story line is complicated as a life of a celebrity. The ups and downs this movie takes will have you wishing you had brought more kleenex. It's will make you cry, make you smile and have you singing along. One piece of advice, go see this movie with someone you love that you can hold hands with while you are watching. Go see Country Strong, you'll be glad you did. If I was giving stars, this one would be a 4 out of 5

The Season of the Witch:

The setting is the middle ages, the crusades are in full swing, fighting and killing in the name of God are being directed by the church. Nicholas Cage plays a knight, a veteran of the crusading wars. His side kick Ron Perlman, of Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy fame among other movies, does a good job of playing the straight man for Cage's characters lines. The battle between good and evil rages on as the church and the country are besieged by a disfiguring plague blamed on a young woman, played by Claire Foy. I really wanted to enjoy this movie more than I actually did. When I walked out, I wasn't too disappointed, because I had gone in with little or no expectations at all. There were many slow parts and the action was all chopped up and hard to follow. I don't go into a movie looking for a socially redeeming message and the battle between good and evil is usually enough for me. I tend to lean toward liking Nicholas Cage and his various roles, I was looking forward to this movie on many different levels, unfortunately, it didn't deliver on but a few. if you're looking to burn a couple of hours and enjoy Nicholas Cage, you might want to rentGone in 60 seconds at least Angelina Jolie as a blonde gives you something to look forward to. Save your money and wait for it to be released at Red Box, its worth the $1. Stars on this one is only 2 of 5.

January 8, 2011 - Seattle wins!!!! (i'm tired)

What a day in the city of Seattle! The NFC West division champions the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks faced the defending Superbowl champions, the 11-5 New Orleans Saints, in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

bottom line Seahawks win 41-36, Huskies men's basketball time wins their 11th straight Pac 10 win over Oregon state 103-72 and are now 4-0 in the Pac 10 and are on top. Then the Seattle Mountaineers of the ABA put a show on as they destroyed the team from Oakland 166-105 in a up and down the floor affair where the men in orange finished the 1st half by doubling up the Oakland Showtime 94-47.

I'm tired, thought about writing a detail of my day, worked as stage manager for the FSN broadcast with Kevin Calabro and Lenny Wilkens at the UW basketball game, then went straight to Green River College and did the public address for the ABA game. A great day, kinda sorry that I missed working the Seahawks game and spending the day with my son, who worked in the Saints locker room and sideline, but I had to make a decision based on integrity and so I stayed with who had crewed me first and who needed me most.

After some sleep tonight, tomorrow I will be much more coherent and able to put my words together in some semblance of order that may even make sense to someone. Thank you Lord for blessing me with another wonderful day and by your mercy I will have another day tomorrow to find my way in Your light.

the story continues... (from Nov. 17, 2010)

So many people coming and going it was easy for her to blend into the bustling crowd. It wasn't a large town, but just like any rural community, people went about their business with an almost drone like quality. Going through the motions of their daily routines without hardly a notice to the world around them. The monotony and slow pace of the country lifestyle had a way of creating a comfortable rut for the folks in these parts. That suited her purposes better than anyone knew.

She was here to perform a specific task. For her it was more than just a job, more than the duty and responsibility bestowed upon each Reinsertion Facilitator, she handled each of her touched with the greatest care. Her concern and attention to the small details also made her one of the best at successful reinsertions and acceptance. Jessica drew on her own experience whenever she was handling a newly touched. Each RF was chosen from the group of touched within the boundaries from which they were recovered. Mental acuity, the ability to accept and process the experience and the adaptability to incorporate the heightened senses without mental overload were the key factors in being selected and trained as a Reinsertion Facilitator.

She was always amazed at the blessings she now could perceive all around her that other people were still blind to. She felt sorry for the multitudes of souls who would never gain the insight and inner peace that she knew was available to them, if they only chose to open their eyes to see. As an RF she was sent to guide and help lessen the shock that a newly touched invariably struggled to wrap their mind around. The human brain is such a complex and unique work of mastery from the Great Maker. Although the substance of the brain is identical from a physical make-up perspective, the thought patterns and emotional development of every man, woman and child on planet Earth created the their own signature. Not unlike at written autograph, each person on the planet, through their conscious actions create an energy that is uniquely their own. Just as a fingerprint is singular, an energy signature is also unable to impersonated or copied. On the contrary, a soul's energy signature was in a state of constant flux. For her it flowed around the touched in a visible cloud of color. The infinite diversity a testament to the awe inspiring greatness of the Great Maker.

His name was Douglas and he looked as if he was beginning to find his own way back. That was always preferable to her in the newly touched she handled. If one could emerge from the labyrinth of their own mind without a guide, then the odds where incredibly increased that a successful reinsertion could be achieve. Jessica had hoped that Douglas was as strong inside as she had felt upon his being brought to her attention. The process wasn't extravagant nor particularly secretive, it was just that society had chosen not to see her for what she had become.

Reading the local newspaper she kept an eye on him as he tried the coffee she had sent over to him and saw the grimace cloud his face. The waitress who was more in tune than most untouched, was also keeping an eye on him and responded quickly to his request for cream and sugar. Jessica saw the tension leave her shoulders and her energy signature shifted to a cooler, deeper blue of contentment. Jessica could hear what he said to her, but she brought him back cream and sugar for his coffee. For an instant their eyes locked and the connection was made, if he was strong enough and had the will power to force the new gifts into their rightful and proper place, Doug might be able to be recruited into the ranks of the RF's. But, that was jumping the gun, her primary objective was to make sure that he was stable, clear and focused on gaining his memory of the recent past. The more each touched was able to remember became another rock to build upon. Eventually, with enough information out there to draw from a "new normal" lifestyle for the touched would catch like wildfire.

She sipped her coffee and turned the page of the paper, there below the fold on page three was an article about a skier who had gone out of bounds in the back country of Snoqualmie and disappeared almost 4 days ago. The picture didn't do justice to the man sitting across the diner from her, it was a few years old, but it was for certain him. Jessica wasn't ready to make the first cc (conscious contact). It was crucial, almost mission critical for the first cc to be seen as a chance encounter. She wasn't sure, but she thought Doug might have been sand bagging it a bit while trying to get his mind clear to remember what he was doing in the diner and how he had gotten there.

Jessica stopped Wanda as she passed and said she would like to send over breakfast to the man across the bar, "Yes" she replied, "The same man I just sent the coffee to. Did he say anything to you about who he was or why he was here or where he came from?"

"No darlin," Wanda replied. " It was all he could do to lift his head and thank me for the coffee, I wasn't even sure he could talk, but he sure is cute now isn't her?" A little red rose to Wanda's cheeks as she spoke of Doug. She was a natural, untouched but in tune, more common in the rural areas and especially among the service oriented individuals. Still a very small percentage, but so startlingly refreshing, Jessica could draw reserves from them while also gearing herself up for what she prayed would not be a tragedy in the making.

She closed her eyes to bring herself into focus, when a hand rested lightly on her shoulder. The initial and unexpected contact nearly jolted her off her stool. She regained her composure quickly as she turned to see who was behind her. There stood Doug, tall, lean, muscular, his stance non-threatening and the look on his face searching. He was still trying to find his way she could tell, but the connection had been made and it was now up to her to bring him the rest of the way. She smiled at him. A smile that she knew carried power, that would put him at ease and allow her to coax from him a thread of energy she could begin weaving into their bond. Once the bond was established she would be able to really get down to the details of facilitating his reinsertion.

"Can I help you?" she asked as her smile penetrated his defenses. She could feel his wariness and realized that he had acted out of impulse rather than conscious action. His instincts were good and that boded well for the rest of their encounter. " You look like you could use some breakfast and someone to talk to. Will you sit down here and let me buy you something?"

"Do we know each other? I mean, I thought I recognized you when our eyes met, but know that I am here I'm not so sure. I didn't mean to scare you, but I really could use someone to talk to, you see I'm not sure who I am or how I got here?"

January 6, 2011 - Vikings vs Rams, a Puyallup tradition

My ears are still ringing, somewhere close to 1200 people in the house tonight as the Rams from the hill came into Paul Hanawalt Pavilion to play the Vikings in the first home game of the new year. I have been looking forward to this game since the season began. This is a game that you need to attend to really appreciate. If you're from the area you know what it's like to be in either gym when these two teams get together.

Back in the day I was a Ram and there was no greater rush of adrenaline than leading the team out on the floor as the band played and the crowd cheered. It still gives me goose bumps to remember back to those days as a player (a long time ago 1981 and '82). The pre-game warm ups were more to get the adrenaline under control and keep the fire stoked for the actual game action. To be a player in this game is something the players will remember for a long time, win or lose. The fact that it is a rivalry game makes the win/loss record for each team irrelevant. It doesn't matter who is favored or what people think, it comes down to who can control their game the best and channel the energy of a packed house into execution on offense and poise in the face of relentless defense. Both teams always bring their best game and it's about who can get the other out of rhythm and cause the most disruption that end up winning the game. When I was blessed to play if you didn't get into the gym before half-time of the jv game, it was usually sold out and the fire marshal wouldn't allow more tickets to be sold. Great times being a high school basketball player.

Tonight was really no different. A Huge shout out to the Viking student section for showing up early and doing a great job of cheering on their team. A full lower bowl and nearly full upper deck made for a very hot gym to play in. Sitting in my seat at half court at the scorer's table doing the public address gives me a unique perspective of the action on the floor. As I said, I have been looking forward to this game for a couple of months now and I was fired up and ready to go after the jv game where the Vikings won 61-51 and set the tone for the varsity. If you don't follow high school basketball in the South Puget Sound League, both teams came in tonight with identical records 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the division. Puyallup with a big win over #2 ranked Curtis before the Christmas break, were coming off a fairly easy 34 point win over Graham-Kapowsin. The Rams only division loss coming at the hands of Curtis in early December as they lost 69-67, were geared up as they were coming off a good home win over Federal Way by 15

Tuesday night.

The crowd was hyped, the band was jamming and the stage was set for a great head to head match-up. I'm having a little bit of a hard time bringing my emotions to task and not shouting out about my personal reaction to the night. Both teams started out with an over abundance of adrenaline flowing and it took a few minutes for the players to settle into the game. Puyallup had a hard time converting on the offensive end and finished the first quarter down by 5 as the Rams lead 15-10 behind the 6 points of Keylin Huddleston and the 5 from reserve Spencer Hanson. The Rams continued to maintain control of the game in the second quarter as they out scored the Viks 18-11 to lead by 12 at the half 33-21. The third was a back and forth affair as the Vikings came out and cut into the lead behind a couple of 3's from Dalton Daniels and another from Dom Holub, but when all was said and done with the 3rd quarter both teams had put up 17 points and the Rams held onto their 12 point lead 50-33. The energy in the gym was still high with the expectant Viking faithful cheering on their team and the guys responded with a 8-1 run to open the 4th quarter cutting the Ram lead to 3 and 48-51 Jay Balmer with a couple of clutch threes to really get the house rocking. Unfortunately, that was as close as it would get the Vikings failed to convert on 3 consecutive possessions and the Rams went back to their big junior Keylin Huddleston who was able to score 7 in the quarter. Huddleston finished with a game high 21 points. Dalton Daniels had a great game as he finished with 18 points 11 of those in the second half three field goals from beyond the arc and a couple of free throws. The Rams did a good job of defensing Balmer who wasn't able to really find his rhythm until late in the game when he put up 10 points in the fourth quarter, dropping a couple of rainbow threes, a nice left hand in the lane and a couple from the line. In the end the 12 point deficit was just too much for Puyallup to overcome, missed opportunities and untimely turnovers cost the Vikings down the stretch with the final score ending up 63-55.

From my public address position, the clinical description of the game and how it went down is pretty straight forward. As a fan of the game the Rams played hard and showed more poise in a hostile environment where it's difficult to come away with a win. Emotionally and personally, from my own selfish perspective I was deeply disappointed. Although for a few minutes in the 4th quarter the game came close to matching the energy in the gym, the 12 point margin by the home team made for a somewhat dry and difficult game to call. For regular season games at PHS the visiting teams get NO love from the public address announcer. Hence, when Huddleston was in front of the pack in the 4th quarter and scored on a two handed dunk, my call was just a plain "huddleston" no inflection, no enthusiasm and no love for the visiting team. It's hard for me to keep the excitement level at a peak when my home team is down and not playing very crisp. Unforced turnovers and missed lay-ins don't really lend themselves to much passion and enthusiasm from the PA guy.

Consequently, a great game and solid win for the Rams, coupled with a great crowd and come from behind effort from my Vikings made for me a disappointing night overall (that's an internal perspective, which I hope I was able to keep inside and was not apparent to those in attendance). The game is about the players and their efforts on the floor and I strive to always maintain that level of enthusiasm for their sake. In a general sense, I really or rarely care about the outcome of a game I am calling or who wins or loses. But from my selfish perspective, in a big regular season situation, I prefer a close game with my home team on top and ultimately winning.

Tonight will be a memory for a lifetime for the boys who played and it was awesome to be blessed to be on the mic and provide something to overall event. I am proud of the effort the Puyallup team put out on the floor and the Roger's team showed great discipline and deserved the win they went home with tonight. It's only a few short weeks before these two teams match up again to end the regular season at Rogers. Hopefully both teams with remain as solid as they were tonight and represent the SPSL South in the playoffs come early February. It's a tradition in Puyallup and if you have the time put it on your calendar to come watch the Rams and Vikings mix it up on the basketball floor!

Have I mentioned, I love high school basketball and Thank God daily for allowing me to be part of so many great games. Until the next game, " I'm Nic Beckman, play fair, play hard, have fun! Let's play Vikiiiiiiing basketbaaaaalllllll"

He's a big yellow dog!.

Enough already about me and my patience exercises and what goes on in a typical day in my life. Today was another long day, got up at 6:15am took my wife to work. It is still really dark at that time of day and fairly cold too. We have a yellow lab as a pet, not a small dog by any means, he tips the scale at just about 110 lbs. This week as I have been taking my wife to work I have taken Champ with me to go for a ride. He is the most expressive dog. His complete joy at going for a ride is a sight to behold. The big yellow head sticking out the back window of my black car with tinted windows is kinda funny. His tongue hanging out, the smile on his face in unmistakable.

On a normal day when I am not working or on a schedule that has me home part of the morning, Champ and I head out to one of the parks in our area and I throw his soft frisbee for him. He loves to run hard and snatch the flying disc out of the air. His head held high and his tail sticking straight up as he returns, the bounce in his step is so profound and his unrestrained joy brings a smile to my face after every toss. He goes and goes without stopping until he decides that he's had enough and he just looks at me with that "okay I'm done" look. Breathing hard and his legs shaking from the exertion, the joy of being out and playing comes off him in waves. His big brown eyes full of expression, seem to look right into me, making me feel good for taking the time to get out and play with him.

A dog's life is simple, eat, sleep, play, poop and be with his people. Champ likes nothing more than to just be with us. It really doesn't matter what we are doing as long as he can be near us. Each afternoon when we come home he is there waiting, although he waits in our bedroom for me and he goes to the garage door when my wife comes home. I don't take it personal, its just that he likes my wife better! Having a pet is awesome. Of course, there are the obligatory responsibilities that come with having a pet, especially on like Champ. He needs to go outside first thing in the morning and when he comes back in, it's time for him to be fed. Routine is very important to having a healthy, happy dog in the house. Outside play time and just loving interaction are basic requirements of each and every day. So off I go to get Champ off the bed out of my spot and snuggle in for a the night. Yes, every night Champ is the first one on the bed before either my wife or I can get under the covers. When he stretches out, he can easily take up half of our queen size bed. Thank God that he is such a good dog and gets down onto his own bed when I come into the room and tell him it's my turn. He's our big yellow dog and we love him!

Sheesh, my train of thought is all over the place and I am rambling...tomorrow is the Puyallup Viking vs Rogers Rams boys basketball game, a rivalry that is always fun to attend. I am blessed to be on the mic and need to get to bed so that I can get some decent sleep before getting up tomorrow to do it all over again. Tomorrow will probably be a recap of the game from the public address announcers perspective.

January 4, 2011 - The Patience workout continues...

So if you've been reading you know that I thought it would be a good idea to focus on making sure I was and am more patient in my dealings with others, situations and circumstances that I encounter. Consequently, the past few days have been a non-stop series of opportunities for me to exercise my self-control and patience in a diverse manner of challenging and some emotionally charged situations. Today was more of the same...

NBC was in town last week for the NFC West NFL game with the Seahawks and Rams. I was blessed with the opportunity to work for a few days with the production crew, then switched over to the technical/broadcast crew for the game on Sunday. After the win by Seattle ( Yeah!) NBC let us know they would be in town next week for the first round playoff game, although it was going to be a different production and broadcast crew coming in, ( don't ask, it makes a lot of sense for the people here to just stay I know, but it's much more complicated then logic would dictate). Anyway, I was pulled aside and talked to about coming in on Wednesday and helping with the "shipping" by one of the tech managers and I was also told I would be getting a call from the production side to again be a runner/production assistant just as I had been this last weekend. I let them know that I had a couple of evening commitments on Wednesday and Thursday and that I was already scheduled to work for FSN at the UW men's basketball game as a utility and that I would be able to get someone to cover that spot for me, so I would be available to work on Saturday as a utility, (just as I had done the previous week). All seemed in order and went to find my car with a dead battery! (that was a fun way to end a long day)

Monday comes and I am contacted and advised that I am now going to be the stage manager for the UW basketball game, a job that I much prefer at a better day rate. The catch here is that now I cannot drop the basketball game and work the football game for NBC. I had already contacted someone to cover the utility spot for me for the FSN gig and called to see if he would be ok working the NFL game...silly question! He was in and I made a call to NBC headquarters and left a message for the crewer to give me a call. Feeling that I had the situation in hand, I was glad I had been able to cover myself, I was still able to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for NBC so I didn't think much of it. Shortly thereafter, a call comes from New York and it is the production manager calling to see if I'm available to be his production assistant as I had been the previous week. I let him know of my evening commitments and that the situation on game day had switched and I wasn't available any longer, but I had someone who was amply qualified to take my spot. At this time I was under the impression that I would be there Wednesday morning to handle the shipping as I had already discussed and he said we could work out the details on Wednesday. So far so good...if you're still reading this, "thanks for your patience!" i'm getting to the good stuff soon...

This morning I get the confirmation from the crewer at FSN I am in fact the stage manager, he had to move me due to the fact that so many others had bailed on the show and were now working the football game. I let him know that I too was scheduled for the football game but would stick with him out of loyalty in the hope that he would remember my sacrifice for him down the road and use me to fill openings that occurred in his schedule. He was thankful and let me know that he appreciated me making the effort. As I told him, I would rather do the stage manage gig, but the football job paid more, so any extra days he could send my way would be appreciated by me. I also let him know that I was still scheduled to work the three days prior for NBC so it was a total loss from the employment perspective. Little did I know that within a couple of hours that would all change.

At about 1:30pm my time (4;30pm eastern time) I got a call from the technical crewer from NBC who had hired me the week before and whom I had left a message for the previous day. He started out telling me that I was booked for four days, Wednesday through Saturday and I would be doing the shipping all week long. This was news to me as my discussion on Sunday was not specific about what I would be doing and I thought I had been clear as to my situation. I let him know how my situation had changed and I was no longer available on Saturday, but I had someone to fill my spot for him. His tone immediately changed and I could tell he was not happy with the information I was giving him. I let him know I had talked with the production manager yesterday and had explained my situation to him and he had said that we would work it out on Wednesday morning. This sent him into a small tirade about who was who and who I should be listening to, but ultimately it sounded like it was all being laid at my feet for the miscommunication and problems I had created. With a terse and abrupt comment he let me know that I was most likely not going to be working for them at all as Saturday was the most important day for me to be there and he would look into it and call me back. The line went dead and I was left alone to take a few deep breaths and reflect on how I had gone from four days of work to one and in the process been made to be the scapegoat?

Patience is the exercise of self-control and the challenge to hold your tongue when emotions inside want to come out uncensored and unfiltered. The previous few days of working on my patience paid dividends while I was on the phone. My first response was to fire back that I had done all I could and the fact that they had too many people with separate agendas and little communication between the factions was NOT my fault. Although I was in the middle and the nexus of the scheduling issues, I felt in no way responsible for the way things were working out. I tried to communicate at every turn what my circumstance was and how I could be of help within the time frame I had available. I could sense the frustration of the NBC crewer and the "problems" I had created for him. Of course, I didn't have the big picture and never understood that by accepting the shipping position for Wednesday that it included the next three days, nor did I realize that it was a separate job from the production assistant job that I had done the previous week. I just wanted to help in whatever role they felt I could be of most use. I certainly was not double, even triple booking myself intentionally. Holding my tongue and just taking the comments and tone from the NBC crewer was difficult. I really wanted to defend myself, but as I was taking the deep breath and working on my patience, I realized that anything I said wouldn't actually make any difference. The facts were out there, I had already explained the situation so I decided to just let it play out and see what would happen. PATIENCE. Four hours later the call came in. I could tell my his tone right away that the news was not favorable. Bottom line, the problem was mine and that I was not going to working for the technical/broadcast side of the production for any days and that I was no longer needed. He let me know that I created the problem and I would have to just deal with the fact that if I couldn't be there on Saturday, they weren't going to use me at all. Not the news I wanted to hear, but pretty much what I was expecting after the previous call. I apologized for any miscommunication that occurred due to me and let him know I was sorry that we couldn't work it out. He really didn't want to hear it and said to me that I was "on my own" on this one, just before he hung up.

Thing like this happen in life all the time. I try to maintain an even keel and to make sure that I do my best to communicate with honesty and integrity. To give notice as soon as I am aware of a potential conflict and make an effort to have a resolution in place to alleviate any additional work for others involved are the main items I try to cover. In the past I have failed miserably at this due to my lack of patience and being quick to jump to conclusions with emotional outbursts which tend to only exacerbate the situation.

Hence the resolve now to exercise my patience and work on listening to the others position and concern before I strike out in my defense. More importantly, while I am taking the deep breath I am trying to focus on hearing the word of God inside me, to sense His presence in my heart which is a balm to the strife and conflict I find myself immersed. It only takes a split second of focus to bring a sense of calm and foundation into my head and allow me to hold my tongue and let the other have their say. I find myself quicker to apologize for any perceived slight on my part and less inclined to seek retribution or acknowledgement for my deeds. These are things which in the past I felt I was entitled to. I am a flawed and faulted individual with many weaknesses and glaring deficiencies, but it is in those times when I am weakest that God has the opportunity to be at His greatest! I pray that I may be a tool for God, a tool for good and be used as a way for His light, His love to shine. I will continue to make mistakes (hopefully fewer) and most likely be perceived as causing problems for others (hopefully not as grand) but through the exercise of self-control and the discipline of patience, by listening to the voice of God inside me and then acting accordingly I will become a better person.

Oh, finally...after hearing that I was cancelled off the show all together, I sent a text to the production manager and let him know that I was no longer working any days and not doing any of the shipping and I was not available on Saturday at all. I wanted to make sure all the communication was followed up on. Amazingly, he texted me right back and said he was thrilled to hear that I he wanted me to show up tomorrow morning at 9am and work for him the next three days, he'd find someone else for Saturday and was glad the other group had let me go so he didn't have to fight for my services! WHAT?!?!

Thank you God for the challenges you present me with and the opportunities to better myself through You. In my weakness you are strong and through Your strength I will prevail. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings, because Thursday night it's Viking vs Rams in an epic battle on the court for the boys first home game of 2011 and I will be on the mic letting the Lord's passion, love and enthusiasm flow through me! See you at the gym...