Ding!

And that's a rap. No fancy pictures or dramatic finishes. I definitely came through late in the 12th round for a knockout. I almost had to go the distance and shouldn't have had to go the distance.

I'm not really as bruised or as beaten as I thought I'd be. Good thing.

Remember me talking about remnants of the better me? Well they came through tonight. Total time 5.5 hours and my paper's reading better than pretty much any journalistic piece I've written in four years. Prolly since my Powder days. I really thought I was screwed for a minute.

I've done so much in January it feels like Obama got elected two months ago and I was at Baker doing my story last season. Man...

This morning I got to finish dumping the rest of the $1,400 into the Subaru over the past ten days. What fun. But it's over.

He's down for the count. I beat January.

I'm officially 1-0 vs. 2009.

Putting it Down

January is coming to a close and so are a myriad of projects started this month. I feel comfortable saying this month will be a victory - for many reasons.

I'm back in the ring and that's the most important thing. Second, I can feel it starting to come back in a ton of ways. I can see where I'm doing well and where I need ot improve.

For now, I'm just going to put this fighter down and take the W.

It wasn't pretty though - and it shows I have much training to do. This one should have gone down much easier. Bobby Knight was right about Ws and Ls - but we haven't addressed the training aspect of things. I have much to do in the gym - both figuratively and literally. But I survived on raw talent.

Two Freeskier travel stories for the magazine, four online stories, two temporarily confidential in-depth work proposals, drill weekend with locked orders to Commander Navy Region Northwest, maintaining school, my 9-3 work study, Surfrider volunteering and being a respectable father and husband - it was a tough fight.

But I did it. Done and this is the point within the match where I this one in the books. Now to make sure I build on it.

And She Plays the Flute Too

I apologize to everyone at once. Somehow I missed this during the election. Well there's no time like the present to make it up to you.

Funny how I just saw a direct correlation to Mrs. Palin's managing her candidacy like a beauty pageant.

Enjoy!

They Keep Comin'

Still plugging along. I think we're somewhere in the middle of some round - I have no idea which one or how deep I am.

Rounds one, two and three went very solid. I even managed to pass the monotony of late round two. Now I'm just plugging away and the hits keep coming. Nothing's taking me to the mat, but no doubt about it these are starting to sting. I know I'm up in points, stamina and the opponent is feeling weary - but not enough to put him down. I just have to wait.

Now is where I start thinking about distance training or going the distance. This is where it gets easy to lose sight of the goal. This is where a fighter can get lost. You've done really well this far, but the battle is far from over. It's this comfort that allows you to be taken by surprise. I'm not letting my guard down.

Where Did That Come From?

Evergreen seminars are like a failed tennis match.

A good game is played where the ball is served to the opponent with the hopes of having served well enough the other cannot return. And if it is returned you can hold your own till the opponent slips up - you win.

Tennis is like debate - unless it's at Evergreen.

I just watched terrible tennis players serve to themselves and purposely see how far they could hit the ball into the crowd.

I'm just laughing to myself while watching what could be a great class turn into a personal spout session. I hammer myself when I participate.

Hard News

It's like the most basic mechanics of any activity. In this case it's writing. And the foundation is hard news writing. I can do it fast and it's always effective. Good thing too.

I went down right in the end of the second last night. This was a good way to get back on top and win the round - despite the surprise hit. Didn't really see it coming. But I got back up, hit fast and hard and delivered. Good thing. I won this round. Thank god. Now for the next - class. Oh boy.

Three Minutes of Unknown

Things are looking up for the champ as I close the second round. Countless solid punches and I'm hardly feeling the sting of a blow. Now I'm starting to see results. Now is also when I need to keep composure. I've started a lot of losses here.
So just concentrate on this round of this match only. If it were only so simple. I'm accustomed to training.
Training is lonely.
The match is before thousands of emotionally charged onlookers. The crowd adds a whole new dynamic. Cheers, screams, jeers, ambient noise - it all adds up. Either completely block it out or only take the good. Seems better to block it all out. I care about them too much.
Fans come and go. Old ones return to route for the champ. New ones jump on board. Old haters still hate and some switch back and forth. Then you get new haters you wish were fans.
This is when you need crowd control and it is incredibly difficult to master with a fight at hand. I feel like I need the fans to win. I don't want to have my crowd turn on me. The most successful fighters have solid fans and it can be the edge. I want that edge. It is often my demise.
Truth is, more people cheer you when you win - even in light of the harshest critic. Fans are not your friends. They don't even know you. Start losing and they'll turn on you. That's tough to remember. Even now - entering the third round.
I'm ready for this round to end, but it's three minutes long and that's that. I'm up so far and now I'm scared things could change in remaining seconds. Going the distance right now seems far. Truth is, that distance is a very short one.
Every punch and move still counts very much in this fight. Let's win and we'll look at the next fight afterward. Winning here is part of training for the big one.

Because I Haven't

It's about time to write.

The holidays are over. I just got back from Mt. baker and Bellingham and my first travel budget story for Freeskier before being stranded in Olympia for the better portion of last week.

I also have two more stories due next week, along with two school assignments, my work study and need to think about going to Vegas for SIA.



I don't know what to do, other than stay busy.

I Accepted It

This is your assignment should you choose to accept it - and I did. So now I'm feeling a little like I don't have any direction. I need to make something happen tomorrow because the trip is feeling a little uneventful.
I did get to ski the same location Iberg and everyone hit in Idea. It's pillow lines in the trees - something I've been dreaming of skiing for years. I don't know if it's appropriate to write about skiing my dream line, but it sure feels right. Maybe I'll do that for the web and do the cheese for the magazine.
I have no idea - what I do know is that I'm fucking tired and I'm pushing it again. Time for beddy bye.

And I Thought Avalanches Were Scary

Hello Again

Someone should physically restrain me from blogging while intoxicated. I mean really. I, and absolutely anyone else reading it, have no idea what I was writing about. So I removed it.

I know what I'm talking about now. Not remembering the last hour of 2008 is kind of how I wish the entire year went - and I did my best to make it that way. I spoke of things changing with the magazine, work and school in December and it's absolutely carrying over to 2009. This new year is poised to be the best yet and I'm doing everything I can to make it that way.