Stories of a Volleyball Junkie

"I Miss the Mountains" from NEXT TO NORMAL

2011-08-27T23:56:00.001-04:00

I'm so bad about not updating this blog but now I feel more motivation to update it. I only updated it once in 2010 which is so sad but now I can't dwell on the past and must look toward the future.

This week has been a crazy week of natural occurrences for the city of New York City. On Tues 8/23, during lunch time, as I was eating a very good cheeseburger and fries from the local deli, there was an earthquake in VA that was felt all the way in NYC. People in the office felt it and things in the office were seen shaking a bit. I started reading people's status on Facebook and they were talking about feeling a tremor in the city. I walked out into the front of the office and they were saying they felt it but they were very blase about it. It's not everyday that you have an earthquake in your city so it was a pretty big deal. We did not evacuate or get any special instructions but the tourists downstairs must not have felt it because they were going on about their business. People were posting about being evacuated out of their buildings, of course that's one of the things you're NOT supposed to do in the event of an earthquake. It was a rather strange occurrence and I did not feel it so it was a little weird. So NYC had a strong reaction to a nearby earthquake which had not been felt like in years. That was on Tuesday and it blew up on social media sites for that day but it would not be the only time a natural occurrence would take place in the city this week.

For a few months now we had a weekend planned where we were going to Rhode Island to volleyball friend Andy's parents house to celebrate his 30th birthday. I was driving a minivan with Trisha, Mary, Dee, and Rich and leaving on Friday afternoon to make the trek up to RI and we would meet up with 9 other people to do the celebrating. But what we didn't see coming on Tuesday that would impact our weekend was a hurricane which was heading right for NYC. So we went back and forth on whether we should go to RI but after some talk and watching the weather reports we ventured up to RI for a night and return back to the city the next morning before the hurricane arrived.

So we left during rush hour which was not a very good idea but it was just what time we got out of work. Anyway it took about two hours just to get out off the island of Manhattan and once we did that we flew up up the highways all the way to the country space of RI where Andy's parents lived. So all totaled it took us 6 1/2 hours to get there but we also stopped to eat at Cracker Barrel and did some hurricane suppies shopping at Wal-mart. We seriously went to the backwoods of RI where they make movies like "Blair Witch Project" because it is so freakin' dark out there. Dee said she would rather be in the rough neighborhoods of the city than be stuck in these woods. We finally made it to Andy's parents' house in pitch black cool weather and had a fun time as we celebrated Andy's birthday with cake at midnight. Welcome to the 30s Andy! As we sat around and chatted, it was a scene very reminiscent of a family gathering for a birthday where the family huddles around to do the cooking, a few sit around and chat, and others play some game on the side, and all of that was happening right there with this little group in RI which I call my NY family, aka my volleyball cousins. As if I needed more cousins, but they are my family here in the city. We don't get together as much but we're all bonded by volleyball and if I'm in trouble I know I can count on them to be there for me.

They continued playing games into the night but I was having a lot of trouble with my knee, it was hurting quite a bit so I turned in early. We headed back the next morning with little sleep so that we could all get back into the city before the rains started to come in before the hurricane hit our area later that evening.

After going through the hurricane, at least in my area, it was not a lot of damage, just a lot of rain and heavy winds. It could have been a lot worse but it wasn't so now we're just trying to get back to a regular normal schedule. But looking at the pictures from the small time we were together, it is hard to believe that we've all been together for 5 years now. It has been a lot of fun times, tears, and a lot of karaoke in those five years and I hope for a lot more to come and I know there will be because they'll always be in my life.

"Listen" (DREAMGIRLS)

2010-02-01T17:19:00.003-05:00

So I seriously am a slacker because I went the whole year of 2009 and updated once. And even when I did it, it was not about volleyball. My year was still filled with a lot of volleyball. I did more work as a referee for NY Urban which still thrills me. I still kept my days of open play filled with the craziness of it, getting to see friends while playing is always a plus. I didn't do league play which was a little odd but it was okay. I saw a lot of people while I worked and went to watch friends play when I had the chance. I just wanted to put up the first note of the new year and will be doing a lot of exploring the world of volleyball through my eyes and the eyes of friends.

"Timeless To Me" (HAIRSPRAY)

2009-01-05T21:14:00.001-05:00

This first post of the 2009 year is dedicated to something before I played volleyball--HAIRSPRAY. Here are my thoughts on its closing.
*********************************************************
Today the realization sets in and like times in the past when a closing performance has happened--a sense of absence gnaws at me. Much like the days before approaching the final performance of Heather Headley in AIDA or the final curtains of FOOTLOOSE, KAT AND THE KINGS, THE CIVIL WAR (Alley Theatre production), or my all-time favorite, MISS SAIGON, I got a little sad at the thought of its absence from the theatre. It's that feeling of loss that propelled me to listen to recordings (legal and bootleg), watch taped TV appearances, and go catch the show just a few more times. Those moments were filled with memories and an ache in my heart grew. Memories of my first viewing and subsequent viewings, meeting cast members, or just connecting with the show's message, music, or lyrics--all those factors reflected my love for the LIVE theatrical experience and it became special to me.

Yesterday it was HAIRSPRAY, and I had to say goodbye after six and a half years. I was there for the first public preview sitting on the front row, and during that time I knew I was experiencing something special, a bonafide HIT. It was a show of layered messages with infectious moves and music. I would return for another 42 times and take others to experience the show, of course, any reason to see it again. I've had the honor of meeting and working with many cast members, stage managers, house personnel, and creative team over the last six years, and a number of times I've told them of the show's great ability to put a smile on my face but sometimes I felt that never seemed enough, it was much more to me. The show had a world of colorful characters converging in the depths of a racially-charged Baltimore in the 1960s, but it was the character of Tracy Turnblad that resonated in me greatly. The finale in that show, "You Can't Stop The Beat," was infectious, and no matter what kind of mood you were in, you were going to leave that theatre with an exhilirating feeling. I sometimes went to the show just to get a pick-me-up, and it put me in a better mood and a better place.

Anyway, I'm happy to have had the experience. So yesterday, I did my ritual prayer before the show and got ready for a wild ride that I knew would be fun but the excitement of the audience was so intense it took it to a higher level, and that was just during the opening notes. Next, cheers greeted each character entrance, racuous applause after each song, funny ad-libs thrown in for good measure, and dances that took you to another time. For me, there were tears at moments and several standing ovations after a few songs, but it ended the way it always has for me--with a smile!

Pics of the day and two short video clips are posted on my Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/room317/sets/72157612126582121/

Better photo shots of the curtain call by one of the theare news website is here:
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_HAIRSPRAY_Goodbye_To_Baltimore_20090105

Sincerely,
Keith

"White Christmas" (WHITE CHRISTMAS)

2008-12-20T23:00:00.003-05:00

As I walked out of my apartment building at 5:30 in the morning, I had just finished an all-nighter. It has become a tradition before each time I return home to Texas for a visit. It's just me cleaning up my room, going through things and reminiscing, disposing of excess, deciding what to keep and what to donate, and eventually packing for my trip. This particular morning was no different. My pace was hurried but I got out of my apartment at my scheduled time. Although the airline website said that my flight was on schedule, I kind of expected an upcoming delay because the day before the city had a major snowstorm and it crippled the airports. But I when I walked out of my building, there was a peace in the air with a beautiful setting. No sleet, rain or snow was falling. No cars, traffic, or pedestrians. Just a white covered neighborhood--my neighborhood in majestic white with a quiet serenity--for me, it represented one of the most beautiful moments in the city. I had been racing the past several weeks with my schedule, but in that one moment, I stopped, took a breath, thanked the Lord for the moment and the wintry wonderful landscape, and then continued wiht my large suitcase and carry-ons to the subway.

"Aquarius" (HAIR)

2008-08-15T11:42:00.003-04:00

Okay, I need to make a post during this month of August. So I'm going to go with some recent talks. Well, after a week and a half in Texas for a wedding and just some dead time at home, I got back to NY following a six-hour delay at the airport. Not a fun thing to go through but the characters sitting around me at the airport really made it bearable. So once I got back to NY, I went to work and did not have anything scheduled after work so I just took easy getting back into things here in the city. By Wednesday, I was ready to start doing things and enjoyed a night at the theatre. That is something that will just always be a part of me--theatre. Then last night I went with a few friends to a new gym that they had went to for the first time last week. It's a facility for the police athletic league in Harlem, reconstructed in an old armory. It had an amazingly high ceiling and a lot of tennis courts. It was a simple open gym held a couple of nights a week. I'm not sure how my friend found out about it but I went to get some practice in and touch a volleyball because I hadn't in about three weeks. Of course, I couldn't pass and serve but after a few more tries, it felt good to be back on the court. But my heavy weight is not letting get up that high because I don't want to do too much damage to my knee already. My days of jumping an inch or so may be numbered. I was glad to touch the ball again and return to open play at Brandeis tonight. It has been three weeks. I'm also ready to see all the people there. The scene there is really a social one and you can play at other places but this one really has a good social atmosphere. Let's see how I feel tomorrow after my body reacts to playing tonight, muscles will probably hurt if I really try tonight.

"Malaguena" (BLAST!)

2008-07-07T13:02:00.003-04:00

SERIOUSLY!!??!!

I looked up and almost two months have gone by since I last posted. Well, mainly because I haven't played a lot of volleyball. I've maybe played 4 times in the last 8 weeks. I'm not on any league teams and haven't been able to play at open nights at Brandeis because I was home for a little break to see cousins graduate and our annual pow-wow plus the holiday and other stuff. So my physical ability on the court even though it was slow to begin with is probably hindered even greater now. But I'm still getting assignments to ref so that's been great. I just feel so comfortable with it now, before I would be so nervous about certain divisions but now I'm just happy with any divisions. I may have calls questioned but my whistle rules and I verify after the match the rule I called, research it to be sure, and make mental note of it. It's all about refreshing yourself with rules in this officiating game.

I've tried to play a little tennis but that hasn't been a very successful goal. I know people who play but I just wish I could do it more after work. I'm finally getting back into hip-hop class tonight. Let's see how my body handles it. I'm totally excited to get back to class but I'm not sure if my body is. I'm not getting any kind of physical activity and I'm so afraid of what will happen if I don't do something soon. A report on that to come.

"I Did Something Wrong....Once" (CRY-BABY)

2008-05-19T15:48:00.003-04:00

Well, this post will be mostly a non-volleyball entry because I only had one occurrence this last week. I went to Friday Brandeis and it was a really good time, and I did not have any referee assignments last week so pretty slow in my volleyball world.

I spent most of last week, resting, which is such a rare thing for me. I usually have things lined up almost every night and sometimes spontaneous things will happen if I don't have something planned like taking in a show with last-minute comps. Anyway, I actually went home after work which sort of surprised my roommate. I'm so rarely in my apartment except to sleep that she was taken aback that I was arriving home so early, it was actually light outside. I used the nights to go through clothes and do a late spring clean-up with my clothes, what doesn't still fit, needs to go, I'm not kidding myself that I'll get back into them. And when I was in Kansas, I had pictures developed at Wal-Mart that I had taken since January, pretty much I keep the one-hour people busy when I place an order but they always do really good work. So with all those pics, I filled up 6 photo albums of various numbers (two 200s, one 100, two 80s, one 64). I alway say that I love being in pictures but also love taking pictures and especially enjoy looking and working with pictures. I'm always on the lookout for a different photo album. I just feel that pictures are the portal to a soul, revealing and distinguishing. I also caught up on a lot of shows on my DVR--Little People, Big World; Lost; Desperate Housewives; Grey's Anatomy's; Ugly Betty; Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; several Oprahs; Brothers & Sisters; Law & Order SVU; Aliens in America. I think I'm caught up which is great since it's all about season finales now!

I also caught the last musical I needed to see that was nominated for Best Musical Tony Award. They had just announced nominations on Tuesday but the one musical I thought would make it didn't and the one that surprised people I was to see on Thursday. CRY-BABY was an okay night but it definitely had some great moments in the show but lacked charisma. I still have my favorite and I'm sticking with that.

I also got to celebrate birthdays for two volleyball-related people, Julie and Susana. We had dim sum in Brooklyn which took two and a half hours to get to for me, damn trains. That was for Julie. For Susana, we celebrated with a small dinner at Mara's Homemade which is a really good Cajun place on the Lower East Side. Certain dishes were a hit, and others were just okay but I would definitely recommend this place.

Then yesterday, we had a reading benefit which had a full orchestra and guest appearances by theatre folks. It was a big success in ticket sales but the actual box office was a nightmare. I was selling our last remaining tickets and we had two staff members doing will call but the set up at this theatre was a logistic nightmare. We had a lot of disgruntled people in the line because they had to come into one part of the building to get their ticket and then go back outside to into the house for the show. It was a small space so the boiling pressure was rupturing a lot. But once we got everyone inside, things went well with the show. Then I had to take tickets for the after-party which was pretty low key and I didn't have to be my usual persona, "Nazi Door Guy."

It was a pretty tame weekend. I started this morning way too early, and went to sleep way too late, but I wanted to get to the office to try for Tina Turner tickets on Ticketmaster. I finally got a pair for her stop out at the Nassau Coliseum in December. This will be my third time to see her and she is so awesome in concert. But I hate the fees that Ticketmaster charges, such a rip-off. I had planned to go to dance class tonight but my leg is really bothering me and my headaches are back again (note: made an eye doctor appointment today for next week to get my prescription updated which I think is the reason for my headaches, it's been more than two years since I had them checked). So I just want to relax again tonight, been doing that more and more lately. But I also looked at my calendar and realized tonight is the only night I have free before I leave for Texas for a small break next week. Also found out today that the complete series of that 80s TV show "Square Pegs" will be out on DVD tomorrow, which I'm totally picking up.

"Amsterdam" (PASSING STRANGE)

2008-05-11T18:51:00.003-04:00

Yes, I know it has been a LLLOOOONNNNGGGG time since I've last updated. I don't think I've been really busy but looking back at my calendar, it seems like I had a bit more of my share of a busy schedule. During my last post which was for my birthday, we had just started the first week of fundraising at Broadway Cares. The spring season of six weeks of fundraising we call "The Easter Bonnet Competition." It's a friendly competition between shows to see who can raise the most money. In recent years, the national tours of the shows have stepped up in a major way and raised a great portion of our total. I get busy during this time because I help out at the show when volunteers are needed but during the day I also do the scheduling for those volunteers. At the end of the six weeks, there is a two day show where the shows are encouraged to do a skit and present "an Easter Bonnet" of their own creation. I have to say that this year has been one of the best presentations because all the shows were so amazing. So many favorites it was hard to pick just one for "Most Fabulous Bonnet Presentation" but it ended up being hands down the two girls from SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE who performed as characters from the show. They were amazing!! Anyway, when we unveiled the amount raised, it's always a moment that brings tears to my eyes. Even though I know the amount that morning because I am in the finance department, it still resonates greatly when I see the amount with the rest of the audience--this year $3.7 million.

So that was a busy six weeks but I also started to do a lot more referee assignments. I'm really liking this part a lot and decided to not play this season. I want to work more ref assignments with Urban and hopefully tournaments. My team, the Dinkin' Do-Nots, retired after three really good seasons. We finished first during the regular season but we lost in the playoffs during the last two seasons. Our first season had us winning the Quads in a great first season. After that team disbanded, it was a sign that I need to hang my shoes up and go more on the ref stand. I'm also realizing that I'm moving a lot slower so I know that my days are numbered in volleyball. Nothing is a major hurt and I've been very lucky to have no major injuries but that's probably because I'm not that hard of a player. But I also realize that I'm moving slower or my body doesn't do what it used to so I have to be mindful of that. I'm just happy that tennis season is upon us.

As for social things, I've had a great time celebrating a lot of wonderful volleyball moments like the marriage of two awesome people who met at Brandeis volleyball. Peter and Amy met during open play Sundays four years ago and they tied the knot in March. The wedding brought together a few of the old Sunday Brandeis crew and it was a great, hilarious time. We had our own table and that table was the most rowdy crowd but we had a blast. I was just happy to be able to celebrate with them. These volleyball weddings have been so much fun. It's such a great destiny to have met them along with some other great people there. I've been very blessed.

I've also been very lucky to catch a lot more theatre lately. I had put off a lot of theatre because of volleyball but I realize that I can incorporate both. I used to be such a big theatre geek and in some ways I still am (to date I've seen IN THE HEIGHTS 6 times) but age does temper your activities and I will always be a lover and fanatic but not to the extend that I used to be.

Also I'm finally getting back to dance class this week. I've also put that off since early March. Bev, my instructor, will notice my lack of workout but I'm happy to get back and "whine up." It's sad that I have a playlist of songs that I wish I could choreograph.

I'm back on the blogger now and will be posting more now.

"When You're Home" (IN THE HEIGHTS)

2008-03-18T23:55:00.000-04:00

Magical is how I would describe this year's birthday. There was nothing that I had not done before--dinner with friends, a little karaoke over the weekend, and I knew I would take in a show on my actual birthday but it was the show that made it so special. On my 30th birthday, I had asked 12 friends to help me with the ticket lottery for the musical WICKED which has been a sell-out show since it opened. The lottery for that show attracted hundreds of people so I thought I would increase my odds and have 12 friends put their name in the drawing. Well, we came up empty-handed and I ended up not seeing a show at all that birthday, I called it an early evening on my 30th birthday. Quite sad.

Fast forward four years and you have today, my 34th birthday. I enjoyed a wonderful dinner celebration with friends this past Saturday and received many messages sending best regards through websites, emails, phone calls, and voicemails. I was thinking of what show I should see, basically a favorite that brings me great joy, such as Hairspray, Altar Boyz, or Spring Awakening. Broadway is a lifeline that puts me in a special place where emotions run high and escapism can be achieved. But a new show has come from the horizon to take most of my attention--IN THE HEIGHTS. I saw it a few weeks back from the front row through the ticket lottery they held where everyone basically won a ticket because not that many people had shown up. I loved the show and returned a couple of weeks later after a couple of lost chances at the lottery by buying one of the cheap tickets which put me in the last row of the theatre in the rear mezzanine section, second seat from the wall. Again, I found new things to love about this show and appreciate it even more.

So today I was bouncing around ideas of which show to see but I really wanted to see ITH again even though I had just seen it last Thursday. That was how powerful the show had stayed with me from the music to the choreography to the design elements to the amazing performances. This well-received new musical was becoming a big word of mouth hit and tickets were getting harder and harder to come by. The ticket lottery is a cheap way to see it but you take that risk and hope for the best. My co-workers said they would help me with the lottery so I figured I would give it a shot and be prepared with a back-up plan if I didn't get a ticket. I got 10 friends AGAIN to put their name in the drawing where there were about 70 other people trying their luck in this ticket lottery and I must be cursed or something because AGAIN I did not get a ticket. I was a little disappointed but not surprised and I'm sure the look on my face was more of an indication of disappointment. So I thanked my friends for trying and I headed back to the office.

Since it was a Tuesday night, a lot of shows had early curtains (7pm) so I wasn't even able to find out if other possible shows had any tickets left. It looked like I was going to have a repeat performance of my 30th birthday. After sulking for a few minutes, I looked online to see if ITH even had any tickets available. They had full price tickets available but I thought that was out of the question. See I have only ever paid full price for a theatre ticket twice before and that was 7 years ago, they were momentous occasions in my theatre history--the final performance of Heather Headley in AIDA and the final performance of MISS SAIGON. After a few more minutes, I kept trying to rationalize paying the $110 ticket price (I see a lot of shows through comps and mostly do either SRO or rush to see my favorites). Then it finally hit--it was my birthday so why not just treat myself. So I went to the box office and said that if they had a decent ticket then I would pay the big price. They had a single seat on the sixth row in the middle of the row, it was a true heavenly sign. So I bought the ticket and was ready for the show.

When I got to the theatre, I took my seat and could not believe the amazing view I had of the stage, it couldn't get any better, eye-level with the stage. I kept admiring the simple set design and going through my pre-theatre ritual--prayer of thanks for an amazing opportunity to see my beloved Broadway. The show started and laughter, joy, and tears flowed throughout the show, reminding me of the transformative power of theatre. At the final scene, the leading man, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is also the composer and lyricist, had tears in his eyes and I was happy to have taken the last two hour journey with him. ITH is my new highly-recommended show.

It was a magical night on Broadway to celebrate my birthday.

"Show Off" (THE DROWSY CHAPERONE)

2008-02-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

On the evening of the Lunar New Year, I had a lot of friends celebrating with family and friends so I expected it to be a quiet evening for me. I had no leagues games scheduled to play and I was not scheduled to ref any games either. Instead, it turned out to be an enjoyable evening with friends watching volleyball. First, I started the evening with dinner with a friend down on Allen Street. She was wanting a specific dish so we went to a very busy restaurant and of course I was running late because I got on the wrong train and ended up way off the mark. Then I thought I knew where the restaurant was located so I just got off the train and started walking but I walked too far north and had to back track. I was a walking crazy fool. Anyway, I got to the restaurant finally and we had a long waiting period. It's funny that we had to share a table with two other couples and we ordered fast and got the food fast. We waited longer to get a table than we were actually sitting and eating at the table. We were glad we got there a little early because when we left the waiting area was a complete zoo. Happy Chinese New Year!!

We rode up to John Jay to catch our friends in their women's game and met Mary there to cheer with her. She's also on this team but hurt her ankle at Gotham power try-outs two weeks ago. She has a walking cast but she's waiting until Saturday before she gets back on the court. She will have her first power session at Gotham on Saturday and she's really excited about it. Anyway, we cheered her team on and also for another friend we had playing against them. In cases where you know people on opposing teams, I cheer for GOOD PLAYS. Hahaha. We also found out during the course of the game that another friend was playing up at LaGuardia HS against Sofa King, our old favorite men's division team. So we had a small crowd of 7 walk up to 65th Street and cheer for good plays by both teams and it was a very impressive game in Division 1 men's level.

So for the Lunar New Year, it was a good way to help ring it in. It was special in that it was a random reminder of the friendships brought out of volleyball and how much fun we can have just sitting around chatting and watching volleyball.

"Positive" (LEGALLY BLONDE)

2008-01-23T16:22:00.000-05:00

So last night was my first night as referee on my own. Actually there was another referee there if I needed to ask questions but this was my "official" debut as an Urban referee. It was at FIT which is a gym that I've played at many times but could not remember if it was an in-ground system or porter system. I got there real early so I could set up the nets and not get behind like I did last week but the gym keeper had already put up the net which was great. I just had to tie up the sides but about mid way through the first game I noticed that the net was a little looser than I had hoped. Just a note to myself in preparing the nets is to check the tightness of it at the middle. So I had a men's game first on my list and as I stepped up on the stand, I had to remember that I might not see every infraction but I will try to call the game as best as I can see it. I kept thinking that once I got through this game then everything else would fall into place and it did. I had a few missed calls during the first game and blew the whistle a little too quickly, being almost too hesitant that I had to replay some balls but the two teams were very cool about it. I was very thankful for that. The next two games were co-ed teams and I knew people on one of the teams, most were actually playing for both games. That made it relaxing and I had a lot more ease in calling the game, quicker on my calls instead of hesitating. In my end of the night evaluation, I was noticing that my games were ending just too close to the starting time for the next game and I was having too little time for change-overs. I think I need to be quicker with my calls for the service. I was more worried about both sides being ready, which I should be doing, but just having them move quicker into rotation during a service change. Little things to improve with each game and I'm already noticing the ease I feel in calling the games but still my eyes are not on every person for every infraction but I will try my best. Keep growing and learning.

"Johnny Can't Decide" (TICK, TICK....BOOM!!)

2008-01-18T14:13:00.000-05:00

Well Wednesday night started the winter season for the Dinkin' Do-Nots. We were all glad to start a new season after ending the playoffs on such a sour note. We had one replaced player but overall the rest of the team came back with a lot of positive attitude and great hopes. The other team had mostly girls with one guy as their captain and one guy as a sub. The sub guy was their strongest player with a consistent serve and a solid hitting approach. We knew to watch out for this guy, he would be our biggest problem. Of course, the first two games went by so fast because the play was fast-paced and we kept going back and forth in our scoring. They were both close games where we came from behind to win with the same 16-14 score. Then their sub guy had to leave before the third game so we thought we could relax but the girls provided a good defense, just going for anything and everything we threw at them. We had a few problems on our side with serves and dropped balls. We fell apart and they were strong on the other side so we lost that third game. We were all disappointed in ourselves because we should not have lost that game but it's the first game and we just have to be more prepared next time. I also noticed and another player told me that I hold back a lot when I play in a league game versus when I play at open play. I don't hit as hard or serve as tough like I'm holding back. I'm just more worried about making a play that goes in that can possibly score a point than when I'm at Brandeis where I'm comfortable hitting and serving. I know it's totally a mental case in point but that's a lot of this game--mental.

"Seasons of Love" (RENT)

2008-01-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

Last night was my first night as a referee for Urban. I thought I would be nervous but the situation had familiarity written all over it. First, I got assigned to Brandeis which I feel is like my home base for volleyball. Over the last few weeks, I've been watching them put up the nets during set-up for open play and never did it by myself. Well, I had to do it alone when I arrived to set-up for the games last night. They said it was easy and it was once I looked things over first, but I put the net on the poles upside down when I cranked it up, which takes a little time, so I had to re-do it which took about 20 minutes and backed up my games just a little. I had to make up some time so I had to make my calls quick and make the pace of the game move steadily. I had very different divisions to call which was really interesting, including my own division, D11 co-ed, where the Dinkin' Do-Nots hope to have another great season. I was a little nervous in the beginning but once I got going then everything felt so comfortable up on that stand. I had a couple of calls that could have been better, more firm in its execution but overall I did okay. My assignor agreed and I'll continue to get calls for matches which is awesome. I also did a self-evaluation and with each time you ref there are calls you think about and how you can do better in making those calls. I want to make sure that I'm the kind of referee that the players enjoy, may not always agree with the calls but respect the call. Now that I'm doing this, I'm also hoping to get some boys matches this spring season if my schedule permits. I didn't get a chance to work any girls games in the fall because we were in the midst of our fundraising drive but I'm hoping to get a few matches in for this spring season with the boys season. Anyway, I'm happy to be up on that stand and growing in this sport that I enjoy so much.

"Lonely Girl" (KAT AND THE KINGS)

2008-01-12T18:57:00.000-05:00

2008 is much more low-key so far and I kind of like it. I sort of scared people at work because I decided to get rid of the clutter on and around my desk. I had pretty much cleared off everything but my computer and a pen on my desk so when you walked in it looked like an empty workstation. I re-organized my desk which meant taking off all of my magnets from my desk and completely stripping my bulletin board of my "Edna's World" theme. It was pretty much a compilation of things that meant the world to me, it was my personality on a wall and everyone seemed to comment on it. Well, it was a new year and a new slate and I just needed to clear my mind. So I started with work and a clean desk and a somber attitude. That attitude has been freakin' people out at work and now they're pretty much worried about me. They don't need to worry, I'm just going through a change, a re-evaluation. It has been scary because we've had a shake up of personnel so everyone is a little scared.

I want to get back into my routine of volleyball games and dance class. I will be back in Bev's class on Monday and will be a regular again since I haven't been back since October. I miss the class and the stress release it provided but since we started into collections right in that time it was hard to get back over there. I was experiencing a large amount of tiredness and just couldn't make it through a class. That reminds me that I need to get back to the doctor to check up on my blood pressure. We start the new winter season of Urban on Wednesday with the Dinkin' Do-Nots. New season and new changes--should be interesting!!

"We Go Together" (GREASE)

2007-12-31T15:48:00.001-05:00

I want to make one more entry in 2007 since it was the year of this blog. I can't believe how fast it has gone but reading back on some previous entries, I'm very happy with where it has been and I look forward to what the future holds. December went by a lot faster than I thought. We had to deal with a Broadway stagehands strike which shut down most of Broadway for 19 days. It happened right in the middle of our fall fundraising period so we extended a couple of weeks of fundraising when the shows came back on after the strike. It pushed us into the holiday season which is especially hard for us because we have other events to produce and a lot more other end of the year logistics to go over and the busy holiday time did not help. We finished with an actual record-breaking amount of $3.9 million so the strike actually helped but none of us want to go through that again.

We also finished our Big City season and I'm totally excited that is over. Our Urban team ended the season by being on the top of the list and as we go into playoffs later this week, we hope to capture the division title again. We all just want to make it to the playoffs to get another sweatshirt. Then we start another season and I'll just make it one team for the winter but if another team asks I'll probably play with them. I have to contact Jim and try to get on some games as a referee which reminds me that I need to send him another email.

I spent 10 days down in Texas for the Christmas holiday and experienced a bad Christmas day with sickness and slept through most of it. I got to spend time with family but it was a lot more drama there than I wanted to deal with but I did and it did sadden me. It was a less than Happy Holiday for me. I was able to work on a photo album while I was home and got my pics organized for a mid-Oct to mid-Dec album which turned out to be 500 photos. And I actually found an album down there to hold that and decorated it with volleyball signs. I did a simple family one too. I was just happy to spend time with my parents and brother and all their pets (3 dogs and one cat). I'm going to spend a very low-key New Years with friends having dinner, watching a movie, and hanging out at a friend's apartment. I was at work earlier today and Times Square is a complete zoo. I just need a break from that for a year and I might return back there next year (at least in my office). I have one of the best views in the city for a Times Square New Year's celebration but tonight it will remain empty.

I toast a New Year filled with new starts, strong gains, and lots of laughs. Thanks 2007 for memories and here's to 2008, may it be fruitful and adventurous.

"So Much Better" (LEGALLY BLONDE)

2007-11-26T02:23:00.000-05:00

It has been a nice full week. Last Saturday, I went out to Long Island to be a guest at the wedding of an old volleyball friend, Anne Tam. She was mentioned in the first entry of this blog and now the time had come for her wedding to Harry Woo, whom she truly met at Brandeis open play. Her sister was matron of honor and during her toast talked about the story of how they first met and it really made me choke up, more than the tears I had during the ceremony. Fellow Team Rez teammate, Barbara, was my guest and we were so happy for our girl, and we had a blast because we both just love weddings especially wedding cake!!!

Then the stuff yourself holiday, Thanksgiving, came and went. It was filled with a lot of food and great times with friends. Normally I'm busy with collections for work but it was just mild this season since the strike is still going on and I probably could have gone home to Texas but I enjoy NY during the holidays. I'll be home for Christmas for like 10 days so I'll just wait. I also got back into my movie-going mode by catching four movies over the holiday break.

I capped off the weekend by playing at open play. I was walking back to the gym after we had signed up and just waiting around for the 1pm play time, I could see warm-up happening right on the sidewalk with about 6 volleyballs going up in the air. It was a beautiful sight. I am a simple player, nothing flashy about any part of my game, and I continue to want to improve my game, and I've gotten to a point where I can bounce back from a missed point. But I swear my passing is so atrocious that I just need to find a wall and work on that technique. Remember: continue to learn and improve, that's all I can offer.

"There's No Business Like Show Business" (ANNIE GET YOUR GUN)

2007-11-12T18:21:00.000-05:00

Are there not days when your game is so off, you wonder how on earth you ever learned to play the game? When basic skills seem gone and it just gets worse and worse. I felt like that Sunday when I was at open play at Brandeis. I was on a good team but my passing was atrocious. Passing has always been my weakness, and I keep trying to work on my passing but I have such a hard time bending into the pass on my knees that I can sometimes lose it. There are days when I'm totally okay with passing and getting it to the setter is fine, high and in his direction. Like Sunday, there are days when I'm so helpless in the passing department, and it's all about getting under the ball and I'm trying to pass with a bump. But a lot of times I feel more control with overhand passes but tend to overjudge those and make a screwy pass. It's a part of the game that I have to continue to work on more and more. Sunday was just so disappointing for me because I was letting the team down even though we all had our share of mistakes. There's always something to work on to continue to improve your game is how I spin it.

I do not have any games this week. Well my Big City team does not have a game this week because of the holiday and I have an Urban game on Wednesday but missing that to go to a concert. Normally that would not happen but it's for one of my favorite current groups, Sugarland.

On the work front, we are in the midst of a strike that has completed halted 27 Broadway shows and affected our fundraising collections for the fall season. Let's hope for a quick resolution.

"My Body" (THE LIFE)

2007-11-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

So it has been quite some time again since I've blogged. I've written notes on the subway, had pages drafted out but they never quite made it on the blog. There have been some really great developments with my teams this season. The Big City team is doing better yet we're still adjusting to one minor issue but as long as we isolate it and minimize it then we do okay. I won't go into details but let's just say that we're working on it and I'm feeling a lot better about it. My Urban team is still in first place. We had a rough game last week, Halloween to be exact, when the candy was flying and the costumes were worn, and we faced a decent team but we had a couple of players who got lost finding the gym. It was a little hard for people to find but we also knew the other team playing before us so we were there super early. Anyway, with some key players not there we kind of fell apart in the first game and lost a lot of our confidence. These players are good but they do not make the whole team but many other players just had a rough start and we had to get back on focus. We did by the second game and gave the other team a good fight, barely losing it 16-17. We totally decimated them in the third game once we got our bearings back in place with a score of 15-4. We knew we had the just stay focus and have fun. But there's always one game that just gets away from you and there's nothing you can really do about it but just let it go. This week we had another great game where the referee commented to us that we have a lot of fun on the court. It's never at the expense of the other team because we always keep it on our side with the laughter and "cutting-up" romp that goes on. So it is a bit of a mind game on the court and as long as we stay focus, talk to each other, and have fun then we're doing the best we can.

I'm also happy to say that next week I'll be attending the wedding of my old teammate Anne Tam to Harry. I wrote my first blog entry about Anne and how she was the first person I met in my "volleyball" career. Now I can't believe that she is getting married to Harry, another volleyball player. I can't wait and will take a lot of pictures.

Last week was the fourth anniversary of attending Brandeis Open Play. It was actually Sunday when I started but this time the date (Nov 2) fell on Friday night play. It's still a changing scene, six months of new faces and rotation but there have been some great people to walk through those doors along with a lot of good play.

So the crew I've been hanging around for the last year or so has come up with some really crazy stuff. But lately they've been doing something for pictures that began when a few of them took a trip to Canada. They "jump" in the pictures and they did it through a lot of Canada, a short four day trip produced about 750 pictures and mostly it was of them jumping. So we've been doing a few jumps in random places but one night over the weekend we decided to jumps in front of NYC famous places. We covered just a few places but we're trying to cover regions of the city. It's totally stupid and I was simply the photographer (it takes good timing to catch them in the air), but when they jumped people would smile and laugh, so we made people happy. That's the best part of it. Having fun and making fun. This is a photo of Belinda, Vanessa, and Rich jumping near Rockefeller Center in front of the GE Building.

"Written in the Stars" (AIDA)

2007-10-25T21:08:00.000-04:00

WE WON THE QUADS!!!!!! Give it up for the Dinkin' Do-Nots of Summer '07!!We had our quads last Friday night but it has been so busy with collections and things that I forgot to mention in my blog. How crazy is that, the one place I should announce it. Anyway, for the Urban divisions 13-16, our little team took the competition by the horns and had a lot of fun. They put up a good fight and the guys tried real hard but with the majority of our team being girls, they whooped on their ass so bad that the guys on the other side of the net were a little scared and big time intimidated after just a few points. Of course, they started off tough but when our girls started to block them and totally hit the ball solidly at the net, there was little cheering from the other side. Our side, on the other hand, kept the kind of attitude we've had all season, TO HAVE FUN!!! We had several of our regular guys who couldn't make it or completely forgot about it so we had our back-ups ready like Mary and Claire who came to cheer us on. They're on our roster anyway so they suited up and played the game. We laughed a lot and were happy to win the quads. We also throw out congratulations to our friends who took another quads at another gym, Go DFA for taking Divisions 5-8. We got a nice little plague but we also got these ugly-ass ORANGE sweatshirts but at least they say "Urban Volleyball Champions." I might wear it if I can fit into mine. Our fall season is going well and we remain in first place with one loss and a few different faces. But we're still having a lot of fun with just a few slight adjustments. My Big City team, on the other hand, is something that just needs a lot of work and I'm dealing with that. Anyway, here's to another great week and another week down of collections.

"Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" (EVITA)

2007-10-08T23:55:00.000-04:00

My goodness, another week has gone by so quickly. I didn't even have a game last week but I did manage to line up to watch a few friends play. Wednesday is our normal league game night but we had a bye last week so I was going to watch friends play at 7pm at John Jay then walk over to LaGuardia HS for a 9:00pm game. When I got to the first gym, I knew another team that was playing on the other court so watching two matches at the same time is always a good time. Then when I went over to LaGuardia, I walked in during the 8:00pm games and knew two teams playing, and by the third match there I knew someone the referees and three teams playing, all Brandeis-related. It was a community feeling (at least to me) and that's why I love about playing volleyball--the spirit, the camaraderie, and the warmth (well, not all the time).

Thursday night was my night to indulge in my other hobby--theatre. I ventured out to Milburn, NJ and the Papermill Playhouse to see a new musical, HAPPY DAYS: THE NEW MUSICAL. It was a nice fluff piece that I enjoyed. Felicia Finley, a good friend of Broadway Cares, is an extraordinary stand-out. There was several giggle moments that only if you grew up with the show you would get them like references to an not-seen-friend named Jenny Piccolo and the "Laverne & Shirley" entrance dance. Added bonus was seeing the writer Garry Marshall, director of "Pretty Woman," "Princess Diairies," and a slew of others, and also the other creator, Paul Williams, award-winning songwriter who I remember in a slew of TV shows from the 1970s (yes, I'm that old), at the theatre. I don't see it coming to Broadway anytime soon but there is a lot of potential.

I spent the weekend doing several things. After lounging most of Saturday around my apartment, I trekked over to Water Taxi Beach in Queens for the final weekend of its season. It has been a lot of fun there and I will miss the beautiful city view we got there. Then one of the guys, David, held a cook-out at a place nearby so that we could toast out the final weekend of WTB. I went back into the city for a friend's birthday party and then after that met back up with some of the WTB people for some billiards fun. It was another late night/early morning ending.

My Big City team needs more practice time as we prepare for our first game this Thurday so on Sunday we met up in Queens at a park with a free "foam" court. It was not concrete but it had a tough texture, not quite astro-turf but not really sand. Anyway, we did several drills thanks to our friend Rich and we got a lot accomplished so I'm looking forward to our first game this week. Then we cleaned up, picked up a few things, and headed over to the restaurant where our friend Mary Z. was having her birthday dinner. The place is near her apartment so, obviously, she picked it and Claire did all the invitations and reservations. The restaurant was so cute and they were ready for us even when we arrived early especially since we had a reservation for 22. We had a room all to ourselves and the wait staff was excellent and so was the food. We even did a mini-show of what we learned in class on Tuesday (side note: already planning to bring more people to class next Tuesday) with me, Mary, and Claire stepping up to the task with no music, just a lot of eyes watching. Mary enjoyed herself and all the people who came out to Brooklyn for her birthday on a late Sunday evening. Of course, I think only three of us had the day off on Monday. But it was a lot of laughter and a great way to start the week.

As for today, a day off, our policy is that if the post office close then we close. So I slept in really late and got up and did some photo edits from the weekend. I finally got them all up late this evening. I was also cleaning out my DVR queue, and I moved several things to DVD like a bunch of "Hairspray" clips, Reba appearances, and Drum Corps World Championships, and caught up on last week's episodes of "Ugly Betty," "Aliens in America," "Friday Night Lights," "Private Practice," "Grey's Anatomy," "Brothers & Sisters," "Desperate Housewives," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," and "Gossip Girl" (and I watched a lot last week, I thought). I also did the usual laundry and a bit of clean-up for my room as I'm going home for a quick visit this weekend before we start fall collections next weekend. Six weeks of theatre visits. Hooray for a four-day week!!!

"You Can't Stop The Beat" (HAIRSPRAY)

2007-10-02T23:57:00.000-04:00

Well, I got a few volleyball friends into hip-hop class with me tonight. And they had a lot of fun. I didn't tell them that I took the class with Bev last night. That means I knew the combination but doesn't mean I knew it well. I could help them with instruction but there were parts toward the end of the combination that I could not "pop." They stood in the back of the studio and I told them to follow the lead from the people she placed in the front during warm-up and the combination. Bev kept picking on them but she does it out of love because she wants them to dance the combination correctly. I always think of what Bev says at the end of each class--"Love yourself when you're learning." So true. Oh, well, they had a fun time and look to take more classes with me. I got some new converts. I've been with Broadway Dance Center since January and I remember my first class and I went by myself--it kicked my butt. So they did totally fine.

"Bitch of Living" (SPRING AWAKENING)

2007-10-01T23:50:00.000-04:00

Well, it was a great weekend. But let me go back a week or so to mention the somewhat packed weekend I had. Last Saturday was my friends' Zach and Anna's wedding in Upstate NY. It was a beautiful event and the two are just a joy to see together. A believer in love is what you would call me after that wedding. It was special and a lot of fun just like the two of them. The best man's (Zach's childhood friend) speech had me wanting to cry, his words were so moving. And his father had so much energy at the reception dancing all over the place that I was totally jealous. I drove up there by myself and for the four hour trek, I played full CDs of my favorite shows. The car stereo had an amazing sound so I just cranked up the volume and belted away. You would be amazed at how that makes the trip go faster. The drive up there had Hairspray, Rent, Dreamgirls, and on the way back it was Les Miz, Miss Saigon, and Legally Blonde. I got back really late and had to get up super early for our annual Flea Market and Grand Auction. I probably got about 3 hours of sleep so I was trying not to show my tiredness when I made my call time. This was my 9th time (8th year as an employee) working this event and I think we've done it enough times that it runs like a machine. Even being on my feet for 14 hours, I was trying to show no pain, well maybe a little. We are always ready to handle any problem or situation as it comes with level-heads and a lot of patience. We are a non-profit that prides itself on working with the theatre community to give back to it while assisting others because without their help we couldn't raise funds for those in need. From the photo booth with people like Frankie Valli and the acting clain, The Redgraves (Corin, Lynn, and Vanessa) to the live auction with walk-on roles to the tables where shows sold related items, we were able to raise $560,000. This was the last event of our fiscal year, and as we go over the figures we hope to make it another record-breaking year.

I wasn't able to rest the next day because the new Urban season started and our first game was that Monday at 9:15pm. I almost missed it because I took a nap at the office after work and overslept. I ran into the gym just as the team was warming up. We moved up a few divisions and we started off nervous but we adjusted fine to do a good first game showing (2-1). Then on Tuesday, I finally hit the wall and just wanted to go home and crawl into bed. I did exactly that and talked to different cousins all night. It was great.

Wednesday had me cheering on friends at their games and somehow by Thursday ended up on a Big City team. One of the guys on our Urban team is on a team in Big City and needed a few extra players. So three of us joined him and we joined him and some other guys from Water Taxi Beach to create this team. We played a ranking scrimmage on Thursday and let me just say and I've said this many times, that beach volleyball is different than indoor volleyball and adjustments have to be made. These guys play at Water Taxi Beach which has very lax rules and not really played indoors before but they are very raw with the basic skills. It is like a molding project where we have to sculpt them to a level of competitive play. First off, one of them got confused when doing a rotation with substitution. Second, they needed help in positioning. And third, they have to learn to talk, listen, and trust their teammates. At first, I was really concerned with what I had gotten myself into but the team is a lot of fun and there is a lot of potential. We met up on Saturday to practice at the Chinatown YMCA where one of the guys knew there was an open play session. We were able to demonstrate, walk through, and put into play things we had taught them. I tried not to get frustrated because I was in their place at one time. I learned by watching and wish someone had explained positioning early on to me.

The rest of Saturday was a mixture of friends and unexpected plans which is always great. We rejoiced in upcoming birthdays (Mary Z, the encourager behind this blog), the approaching fall chilliness, and a lot of gossiping. It's hard to find a fault in friendships, but even the best friendships has at some point, a rift. I don't want to go into details but it's nice to know that more openness is taking place and hopefully we can reach a resolution. At the end of the night when we hugged and said goodbye at 4:00am, I eventually found myself walking on the street to my apartment as the early morning light was breaking at 5:30am, I had thankfulness in my mind and heart to know great people.

Then on Sunday, after a nice sleeping in period I got up and tended to some errands for the apartment. My only agenda for the day was to meet Mary to go watch Claire's Zogsports soccer game on Roosevelt Island in the evening. With a little time to kill before meeting Mary, I got in some karaoke time. Yes, I'm crazy but it had been a few weeks and I was urging for a karaoke shout. Later on, Mary and I made it over to Roosevelt Island and I had never been there and it's a little scary. It's a creepy planned community where we felt encased in a bubble in that we could see the city but not be affected by it. It just gave us a weird feeling. Anyway, Claire played a great game while they were a man short, but her team lost. Mary did most of the cheering while I clapped loudly. And yes, Mary, "someday your prince will come--and be at least 6'3"." We ended up at Claire's apartment for some Sunday night ABC drama (better to see something other than our own) because we got some great conversation and cookies.

Well that was my previous week in a quasi-nutshell. We don't have any games this week so we're already scheduling to watch friends' games. Tonight I took hip-hop class with Bev to prepare for tomorrow because I finally talked some volleyball people to come take class with me. Get ready Broadway Dance Center for some volleyball crazies. Report to come next time.

"Out Tonight" (RENT)

2007-09-21T00:37:00.001-04:00

Well, I just got in from a very long night of playing. I just popped an Aleve and waiting for it to kick in. It has been busy at work as we prepare for an event this Sunday and I've just been making sure that people need the supplies they will need and also setting up all the items the finance department will need to process all the money that will be coming in that day. Last year we just reached over $505,000 for the one day flea market and auction we have in the heart of the theatre district. Also I've been trying to plan things I need in preparation for my drive up to Cooperstown for my friends' wedding on Saturday. Zach is part of the far backcourt Brandeis crew of three years ago and over the past couple of years I've gotten to know his fiancee, Anna. I remember how smitten Zach was about her when he brought her to a birthday party for one of the girls from the Brandeis backcourt group. Then just last December, I remember Zach telling me his plans for a special date with her after she got back from a trip and just a few days later I got a message saying that they got engaged. So today when Vanessa was hitting me up on gchat asking about rotations and stuff my mind had not gotten around to the fact that we had a playoff game.

See tonight we made it to the playoffs after finishing the regular season at the top of the list of the Rock & Roll Division. So we met up against Vandalay Industries, our first opponent of the season, in the semi-finals of the night. We were happy to have two great cheerleaders, Trisha and Claire, who somehow managed to irritate her bum ankle while sitting on the sidelines and not even moving. We had a few subs as a couple of our regular players couldn't make it, so we welcomed John, Lisa, and Mary. Our first game was relatively okay and we took that one but we had a few problems with our second game. We were literally serving for the game in six rotations without closing out the game at game point, and the other team came back to take the game. I was not a happy camper since we got forced into a third deciding game. This game went a little smoother but people were more cautious with their plays, trying to play smart rather than with power. We were able to settle down and take this game to advance to the finals. Well, the other team had a good amount of time to rest while we had to start the finals game immediately because we were running behind schedule. We were trying to fix the rotation problems we had in the semi-finals and we thought we did until we realized that we had our shortest line on the front and all three of our guys on the backline. Our competitors for the finals were the Rejects and even though we played them in the regular season just a couple of weeks ago, I could not remember playing this team. They came out pretty fast in the beginning with their consistent passing and solid hits that left us a little disoriented. We were trying to adjust to the new team while trying to catch our breath from the last three-game match. They ended up taking the first game from us with a score of 15-8. It was like we were scared of this team. We needed to approach them differently than the last team but I know that fatigue played a bit of a factor. So we got into the second game and I was getting a little frustrated and my boiling point was at its highest when the score got to be 7-14. They needed just one more point to win the finals. I had pretty much written off our team as losing this match and even if we were not going to win we needed to at least play tough on the last points. I was watching from the sidelines and I somehow witnessed our team with John serving go from being down 7-14 to taking the lead at 15-14. When the other team took a time-out, the Dinkin' Do-Nots had a lot of reasons to have huge grins on their faces. No matter how the game turned out, we had put up a great fight and the large guys on the other side were all of a sudden scared. I still couldn't believe it but it was a new game. I rotated in at the next serve and it soon became 15-15. The tension was so high on that court. It didn't help that the gym was completely empty and the gym was so still in silence. Both teams fought for each point and we finally reached 16-16 with us serving for the point cap. And the unimaginable happened, we won THAT second game from sure defeat (at least to me). The Do-Nots had arrived and the emotion that had propelled us all season had returned--TO HAVE FUN. We laughed, cheered, and stayed positive for the third game and we were able to jump into the lead and never lost it. Our errors were brushed aside and some of them became hilarious moments like Dee taking a pass with her "chicken wings" and Vanessa losing her shoe when she went for a dink. We were playing in top form in our 6th game of the evening and came out victorious. This team was created to have fun, sort of a good way to spend a weeknight where we could hang out with friends. For myself there were moments when I did lose it but I was always reminded that it was ALL FOR FUN. Congratulations to the Dinkin' Do-Nots, now onto the Quads.

"Hell No!" (THE COLOR PURPLE)

2007-09-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

Well, the Dinkin' Do-Nots were in top form last night. We had a small cheering section, well three people still counts as a section. It was down at the Chelsea School which has no space behind the end line and the ceiling is kind of low but they just had the floors redone and it was pretty slick. We kept sliding but it was nice that they finally got the floors done. We took all three games against the team that we had been waiting for the last half of the season, ever since they called our team names (in Spanish). They were good competitors last night and they were very calm and nice to us. We even came back in game two to beat them and they had a complete self-destruct moment. One of their teammates proceeded to holler at another one and it was not a pretty situation. We kept our usual demeanor throughout the entire match and that was to HAVE FUN. That was what this team was formed for, to have fun and play a good game of volleyball. We've had a game or two where we stopped laughing and let the other team get to us and we start going at each other which is not a good thing. We've learned how to deal with that and hopefully we'll continue to improve and still keep our sense of humor on the court. So now we finished the season in the Number 1 spot. The playoffs are on Thursday night so we might see this team again and we will be ready. Also a new season starts next week and we have a scrimmage on Wednesday night for that one. We're losing a few people and gaining some really great people so I'm looking forward to the new season. Also I'm still waiting to hear about any possible games to referee. Actually our referee last night is the assignor for the Urban league and he knows who I am and has my application but I haven't received any calls. He said he would let me know if anything opens up. He knows I'm ready.

"Popular" (WICKED)

2007-09-17T19:02:00.000-04:00

Oh my, my, my, my!!! I have truly been neglectful. Accuse me and abuse me for totally being neglectful of this blog. I can't believe so much time has slipped away from me. I was also reminded of how quickly time can get away from you when we ended the summer of beach volleyball just a couple of weeks ago and yet it seemed like months ago. But there have been a lot of going-ons and I've just been trying to keep up. I tell people that if I don't stay active then I feel like I'm not doing something right. I need to be out there and it doesn't have to be anything large in scope but at least something that I support or believe in. I'm afraid that if I slow down too much it will be that much harder to get back on track.

So let me back up a few weeks. I just finished a summer season with my friend Mel's team in the Big City league. Now this is the league that started it all for me so it was a little strange to get back, it was 4 years ago that I walked into that open scrimmage and met a few people such as Veronica and my good friend, Anne Tam. Anyway, Mel called me one day and asked me to sub on her team so I agreed. I went and played with her team and they were such a good group of people. They asked if I could be a permanent sub so I played with them for the rest of the season. It was a lot of fun and it was great to just hang out with Mel. She is busy starting her own company and don't get a chance to see her at all but she kept such a positive attitude on the court even in the face of glooming defeat that it was a lesson to always keep hold of.

I also spent a lot of Saturdays in Queens at the Water Taxi Beach. We had met some people out at Long Beach who mentioned the place so we checked it out one Saturday and continued to hang out over there. It has one court for sand volleyball but the sand is so coarse and just about a foot above concrete so it is really tough on the body especially if you dive into the sand. I didn't play on that court, I choose to just sit and watch, relaxing mostly. It's still open until Columbus Day weekend but I don't know if I'll get a chance to get out there. Also it has an amazing view of the skyline and at dusk it is just breathtaking.

Well spent the last weekend of summer out at Long Beach. It was beautiful weather and it was spent playing ball, hanging out with friends, and just enjoying the beach. And of course the Friday nights at Brandeis are still going on and we've had updates on that front. We've had weddings and also break-ups but we finally had our first baby from the Brandeis crowd. Jon and Mae met at Brandeis open play and just had a little girl last week and I've yet to meet her but the pictures I've received have been absolutely adorable. I love babies and just the smell of them makes me want one but that feeling goes away real quickly once they start crying or make a stink.

Tonight is a rescheduled match from the summer season. We are tied for first place with this team and the playoffs are this Thursday. We really want to beat them because in our last meeting things were not very pleasant. Our referee was in an accident and didn't make it to the gym so the teams on that court were just left to play around during the scheduled times. So we started playing around with this team and I acted as a referee by doing calls from the stand. It was all done in fun but the other team had a few members who were talking about our team in Spanish. One of our team members was doing the translations and they were not very nice things, pretty derogatory. We ended up beating them in a little three game match just as a practice and we look forward to this re-match. So I'm on my way to that game now. If we play like we have been and working together as a team and remember to HAVE FUN. We'll be fine.

"And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" (DREAMGIRLS)

2007-08-24T12:25:00.001-04:00

Okay, I've been pretty bad about not updating. I've got no excuse because it's not like I got busy schedule or anything.

For work it is a slow period for us. In fact, this is the month where so many people take vacation time that the office seems so empty. We have more people out of the office than we do in the office. With a staff of just about 40, we have more than 20 people out of the office. It's been very relaxing being in the office, but this is the month where we can take a breath the whole year because every other month is crazy with some type of event or planning. Next month, we have our annual Flea Market and Grand Auction and also my office has to prep for end of the fiscal year. Then everything steamrolls after that until next July. So for now, I'm just enjoying playing my iPod in the office and singing along. Nothing beats a little Gretchen Wilson, Linda Eder, and Stevie Wonder on a nice day like today.

Well, I've certainly been playing this summer season, just not that great. I've got to remember basic skills and continue to develop those. My passing is the most inconsistent thing with me. Hitting, not always going to be a power one, but I attempt to play the hit against the blocker. As for blocking, still working on timing with that, sometimes I get it, other times I don't. My serves are decent, just need to be a little more consistent with it.

A friend of mine from the old Brandeis backcourt days, Mel, asked me to sub for her Big City league team. I said sure. They are a good fun group and their team name says it, "Just For Fun." They asked me to continue with them for the rest of the season so I said sure. It is great to hang around with Mel because it reminds me of a time of new adventures in a new place. It was Sunday at Brandeis on the far backcourt when a few people would show up to play a little volleyball for four hours. That was a new adventure because there were these people starting out playing volleyball and by the end of that spring season we had become friends. Not too many from that backcourt crew still play volleyball, many have moved onto different things and that is so great. I don't get to see them anymore but they remain in my hearts because it was a special time for all of us. We were brought together at that point in our lives to fulfill something, simple and complete, that is all. Now Mel is running her own company, Zach is getting married, among other things. But I"M STILL THERE.

This next month will mark my fourth anniversary of playing volleyball. I started with a team in Big City in September 2003. Don't know where those original folks are but it has been such a crazy ride since then. I'm still trying to get assigned some games through NYUrban but haven't heard anything from the assignor yet. I do have a NYC board of officials meeting next week for the new school year so maybe I'll start doing some games as a replacement. They do their scheduling months in advance and I wasn't sure how my schedule would be especially leaving work early and stuff during busy event time. So I'll just go and see how it is and trying to figure something out. I did have a chance to try my skills out when one of our league games had no referee show up. We later found out that the referee had been in a car accident. He's okay but it was on his way to the game and there was no one to replace him. So teams scheduled to play used the court during their time to practice and scrimmage. So when it was time for us to play, I asked the other team if I could act as a referee and do a scrimmage match. They agreed and I got up on the stand. My own team was doing a lot of laughing but they stopped when I called them on their first fault. But I was fair to both sides and I may have missed a call and should have re-played it but it was nice to do. The other team we scrimmaged was not very kind to my team and they kept speaking in Spanish so I had no clue on what they were saying. But they were calling my teammates names and they weren't very pleasant, luckily one of our subs knew Spanish and surprised them when he started speaking. So when we get the rescheduled match, we're going to have a whole crew there to support us and make sure we give them a really good match with translators.

We also heard about this other place for beach volleyball, Water Taxi Beach over in Queens. It's been open a couple of years and we heard about it last year but just didn't ever get over there. So we ventured over there on Saturday and found it to be a nice place. They only have one court and you get on the court by putting your shirt on the pole marking your spot in the line-up. When I got there, my friends had been playing around and we ended up just sitting on the sand enjoying the evening. It was a gorgeous evening with perfect temperatures and a wonderful view on the Manhattan skyline. But they had okay music (house music, not so much of a fan) and after it got dark it turned into somewhat of a bar just in the open air. A nice venue for a change of pace.

And so excited because this weekend we are heading out to Brooklyn for the AVP Tour stop there. We have tickets for Saturday and can't wait to watch the men's finals.

"You Can't Stop The Beat" (HAIRSPRAY)

2007-08-15T17:01:00.001-04:00

I have been completely terrrible because I've neglected the blog for almost a month. I can't believe time slipped by so fast. It seems like summer is almost over and yet it feels like it just started. Well, I've been doing a few things since my last entry. I had friends who made it to the spring quads which is basically playoffs for the winners of different division levels and they play a division below or above them. I knew two teams that made it to the quads and hoped that they would make it to that final but both failed in the semi-finals. They both gave a hard fight. My Urban team is still having a fun team even if we suffered our first loss, we still won the other two games but it was such an effort with this one loss. We basically lost the game from our own errors because we were lacking in the service department. We went through five rotations where we could not get the serve in and the other team took advantage of that which is how it should be. But we were able to bounce back and take the next game. The other team also had an undefeated record before that game and we gave them the spot below us after this game. We are still having fun except for that tense game. We've started plans to make shirts for our team and since we are called the Dinkin' Do-Nots we are playing around with the Dunkin' Donuts logo. Our teammate Ty has come up with a team logo using that corporate logo and we've come up with donut names for all of the players including the subs on our roster because we wanted to included everyone on this idea. It has been hilarious trying to come up with names for everyone. We looked at the list of products from the Dunkin' Donuts website and played around with the various donuts to make a name that sort of fits our personality. I came up with "Cackle 'n Spice Donut" after the Apple 'n Spice Donut because if you have ever played with me you know that I cackle, not laugh, a lot. I tried another place for dance classes, Alvin Ailey Dance Center. I took a jazz class as a part of their extension program and it was so cool. They have great studios but they sort of look out over the street so people can watch you which is a little weird but you tend to block them out. It's great to have an option for classes now. Still hitting Long Beach every Sunday and just enjoying resting out there. They laugh at me because I spend money to go out there and just nap all day. Hey, it's my time to just rest and take it easy but still be around my friends. We also heard about a seafood place that we tried out and have been going back again for the awesome food there. It's called Jordan's Lobster Farms and it has some really good fried shrimp, from what I heard amazing lobster, great corn chowder in a cool, casual setting.

P.S. Today is the fifth anniversary of the musical HAIRSPRAY opening on Broadway. I can't believe so much time has passed but it is such a favorite of mine. Seen the show 33 times to date and that number will increase. It just puts me in such a great mood that you certainly can't deny its infectious score and message.

"Mama Who Bore Me" (SPRING AWAKENING)

2007-07-24T23:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of when I saw the musical MISS SAIGON. Yet I would not have discovered it had it not been for the Santa Clara Vanguard. They are a competing drum and bugle corps from California. Their 1991 program was titled "Selections from MISS SAIGON." I saw it on the PBS taped broadcast of the Drum Corps International's World Championships held in Dallas that summer. I was captivated by the music in their program and I watched that videotape over and over again. I was in love with the music of that show.

What is a drum and bugle corps? Well, it's another one of those hobbies that I absolutely adore but I would mostly call it a viewing hobby of mine for years, just something that I never really actually participated it. Drum and bugle corps, according to Wikipedia, "is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard..typically operating as non-profit organizations they perform on-field competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions. The prime age for participation is 14-22." I went to see my first drum corps show in Houston in the summer 1990 at Rice University Stadium, and I was amazed at the pageantry and talent on a football, telling a story through music while displaying designs moving at a fast-pace at the same time. I was in high school at the time and I was also in the marching band but it was nothing like this or even close to it. Over the years it would become a summer activitiy to follow and there are a few favorite corps that I like to watch out for. But it was that one show in 1991 that lead me to Broadway (and I have that show on my video iPod to this day) and for that I've always believed that things do come into our lives for a reason--to bridge us to the next piece.

"I Still Believe" (MISS SAIGON)

2007-07-23T23:44:00.000-04:00

Well today marked an anniversary for me. It's a silly marker but I do recognize it because it was a very emotional and momentous day. On Sunday, July 23, 1995, I saw MISS SAIGON for the first time. It was the 2nd national tour playing in Houston, starring people that I would come to know years later, Deedee Lynn Magno and Matt Bogart. For over two years I had listened to the audio tapes of the cast recording from London and tried to learn as much as I could about the show. So that day I went with my college best friends, Anne and Bing. From the moment the theatre went dark and the sounds of a helicopter started, I literally jumped out of my seat and they held my hands as they knew it was the start of dreams to come true for me. As I've said before, this is the show that changed my life, its direction and definition. Since there is no production for me to actually see of MISS SAIGON, I went for a pick-me-up because of the nasty rain outside and saw the HAIRSPRAY movie (yes, again!). It's something that just puts me in a happy mood, some people have alcohol and I have this.

"Written In The Stars" (AIDA)

2007-07-23T03:09:00.000-04:00

What a beautiful weekend. I spent it doing a lot of time on subways, trains, shuttles, ferries, and a couple of cars. Saturday morning I met up with my co-worker Rose to travel to Fire Island Pines. We were going there for the first time to DRA's 13th Annual Fire Island Dance Festival. It took about three hours to get out there and the experience was wonderful and the weather could not have been better. The stage was set against the bay where different dance companies presented pieces, some commissioned especially for the festival, and hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. A lot of the co-workers call this event the closest thing to a staff retreat we have. I simply went out there for the afternoon to enjoy the performance and get back for a friend's birthday party in the city. Belinda is a dear friend from open play, obviously. She had her birthday on Friday and had prior commitments so she was not able to play with us at open play. So we had a gathering for her on Saturday evenin and it is times like these, surrounded by friends and laughter, that I feel blessed. Blessed that people in my life care about me when sometimes I feel like there is no one. Belinda has a beautiful soul and an infectious laugh. She has a quiet appearance when you first meet her but she can be a rambunctious voice if given the chance.

Then today was another day of relaxing on Long Beach. I have been extremely tired lately and just want to sleep and sleep some more. So I laid out my blanket and pillow and slept a great deal today. It was a special day because our friend Jordi was leaving us and it was his last day at the beach. Jordi is a gifted player and I called him a few times to sub for me when I was captain of a men's team. He really shines on the beach with his agility, good humor, and exemplary sportsmanship. He's going to be traveling and spending time in India so we hope to see him back on these shores.

"Good Morning Baltimore" (HAIRSPRAY)

2007-07-20T03:49:00.000-04:00

A melding of two loves--Broadway and movies--done right. I saw the midnight screening on opening day of HAIRSPRAY. It was a last minute decision. I had planned on seeing it Friday morning before work, but our boss gave us the day off at the last minute today so my plans changed. So I ran up to the Ziegfeld Theatre (where I saw CHICAGO, RENT, and DREAMGIRLS and really the only place in the city to see a movie musical) to grab tickets for me and Trisha.

So to kill time before the movie, I met up with Vanessa and Dee to cheer our friends on two teams playing each other. I had intended to just watch but one team was short a player so they asked me to play in my loose pants and sneakers. Not my normal play attire but I moved around well enough. It's always fun to play friends because we know each other's playing style and tend to play tougher because of that. We lost the first game but took the next two and had a good time. The sad part was in the second game was when I ripped my pants in between my legs, luckily I had a long shirt. We sat around in the gym to watch the next game and I basically cooled down.

So I met up with Trisha and we waited in line to go in for the movie. Thankfully it was not raining because we were standing outside. They were selling Tracy foam wigs for charity and Trisha bought one for me so it would go with the hardcover movie companion book I picked up earlier. We got into our seats in a very spread out crowd in the theater which was great. From the first beats of the score, I had a smile on my face from ear to ear for the entire movie. I LOVED IT!!!! I've seen the musical on Broadway 33 times so far and fall in love with it every time. The movie captured the musical's enthusiasm and innocence and every actor was cast so well. John Travolta made the character of Edna Turnblad his own interpretation because to follow in the lines of the original's Divine and Broadway's Harvey Fierstein was a big task and surprisingly he shined in the movie. Truly he's a musicals man. I loved the homage to the original--John Waters, Jerry Stiller, and Ricki Lake--appearing in cameos. The breakout star is Tracy Turnblad herself, Nikki Blonsky, who captures the essence of Tracy as an eager teenager ready to change the world and dance along the way. The movie changed a few plot points and dropped/added songs, but it still remained a solid replica of the Broadway version. Much like the Broadway version, it brings joy to my life--dancing, singing, and a message about equality--things I wish I had more of in my life. I'll be returning to see the movie just a few more times, I think, Duh!!

"Positive" (LEGALLY BLONDE)

2007-07-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

Well, last night's first league match of the summer season ended on a good note--we took all three games. Like I said before, we all wanted wanted a lower division because of the varied skills on the team and also to have fun. Again, we had a lot of fun and I did my usual crazy stuff on the court--cheers on the aces, a little dance step and turn on a good play, and basically a lot of giggles. Even when we were behind in score in all three games, we continued to play with zany comfort. But we know it's the first match and they may not always be like that yet it's a nice way to start the season.

After I went to the LEGALLY BLONDE CD signing at Virgin Megastore a little earli, tonight was a chance to chat over some amazing banana pudding at my friend Judy's restaurant on the Lower East Side called Tides, also the calamari awesome. There I met up with Dee, who has been a Brandeis regular for just about as long as I have been. I knew her on the court but did not get to know her as a friend until about a year and a half back. We've definitely seen our fair share of friends leave us and go to California, the most popular place. She's a New York native raised in Chinatown and still lives there. She has been my teacher in the world of Chinese cuisine because I'm still hesitant with most Asian foods but I'm steadily trying. We've been through a lot in the past but we still share a connection of slight bitchiness. She knows I'm one and I know she can be one if pushed. She is the same age as I am and she has realized through life lessons what she wants and what she can't stand. And believe me, she'll let you know too. We joke with each other about how old we are getting and yet we still remain active and try to keep up. Hey, we have to keep trying until we totally get wiped out.

Tomorrow a few of the volleyball crew will be venturing into New Jersey to go to Six Flags Great Adventure. My love for rollercoasters will be very evident and I can't wait.

"Any Dream Will Do" (JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT)

2007-07-16T02:19:00.000-04:00

Well last week was NY Urban League's playoff week. I knew a couple of teams that made into those slots so I checked out the action. On Wednesday, I knew two teams in the same co-ed division that competed in the semi-finals on adjacent courts. So I stood in between both courts as I looked funny as my head would go back and forth to both games like I was watching a tennis match. I get nervous in any close game situation, and I was a complete basketcase for both of those games but they made it into the finals. That meant that they would be playing each other and it was time to watch my friends compete. This definitely made it a more interesting match and they each took a game, fight for each point to the end. In the third deciding game, one team jumped ahead and it was hard for the other team to catch up. It was a well-played match.

Then on Thursday, a few of us cheered on our boys in the D2 men's playoffs. They took the first game with little problem, and by the second game, the other team took it a step up and captured that one. As they went into the third game, we knew they could take it if they just took it one point at a time. They bounced back from a small deficit and made it to match point (24-22). But in rally scoring each point matters and they weren't able to put the ball down for that one point and the other team scored 4 points in a row to take the match and advance to the finals. It was the end of their season and a damn good one.

Tonight I return to league play with a group of friends who wanted to have a "fun" team. I said okay and judging by the scrimmage we had the other night it's going to be a hilarious season. We have varied skills on the team so we wanted a lower division which we got. From a serve to a pass to a set, we will be the giggling hitting team.

"I Could Have Danced All Night" (MY FAIR LADY)

2007-07-12T23:55:00.000-04:00

Well, on Monday night I did something else that I love to do--take dance class. I've always loved to dance at large gatherings like weddings and parties. It's a hidden hobby until this year. I used to be scared to dance in public, I cared too much about what other people thought that I inhibited myself. I could only blame myself for that. I retreated into my own world known as my room to try and learn dance steps where I felt free. The beat and rhythm moved the body, the body becoming an expressive form, uniquely your own. Over the years, I grew to be comfortable with dancing in public, no matter how weird I looked but still never fully realizing the true release. As a heavy person, I knew I would never be considered a dancer but I finally stopped saying that to myself and started taking dance classes back in January. Here is excerpts of my experience from that first night:
"OH MY GOSH!!!!! I have rekindled an old love just in a new form--hip-hop dance. Okay I've never had extensive dance training, just a few classes here and there in jazz and ballet. And those were really minor including a little incident with splitting pants. Don't ask, well let me just say that doing a ballet position and bending doesn't go well with me in pants. And, of course, dancing in clubs here in the city is so crowded, people totally up in my business.
But tonight, after knocking the idea around for months and a lot of ribbing from my co-worker Dennis, an experienced hip-hop dancer/instructor, I finally took a hip-hop dance class at Broadway Dance Center. Let me tell you how much fun I had. I took the basics class, and we started off with what I thought would be a nice, slow warm-up. I mean it's been years since I've taken a dance class and I didn't remember it being like that. What it was--was a lot of pushing that my body hadn't felt in a long time. And I'm sure I will feel it tomorrow, all the muscles in my body will ache.
Then we started learning steps and to feel that structure and teaching of choreography is something I so love, embracing the steps as they move your body, each a personal expression of yourself. To feel that emotion, sense of releasing and freeing of yourself in dance is exhilarating. I sweated more in that class than in any game of volleyball. I may not remember all the steps, but in those movements when the music's beats pound in the air, my muscles lead my body and I went on an amazing ride. I forgot how releasing it felt to just dance. I've always loved to dance but nothing was ever structured about it, no training or anything. I was trying to follow their steps as they did it being the perfection I am. But in hip-hop it is not simply about the steps but it's also about the attitude. And you all know I have plenty of that. I'm already thinking about when to go again. But the love has returned that has been gone far too long."

These last few months in dance classes have been amazing. I might not always get the steps right but at least I'm trying. I also love the saying that one of the instructors says that I have to keep reminding myself--"love yourself when you're learning." I forget that too many times. I also got to experience my first dance convention. One of our programs at Broadway Cares is Dancers Responding to AIDS. They were having a benefit at Broadway Dance Center's Summer Fest where kids from around the country come and take dance classes with professionals in all disciplines. That was an eye-opener because it is a world of types--the prima donna dancer, the pushy parent, the kid pushing around their parent, the naive dancer, and the ones who will not make it past their teens in dance. I'll be helping out more at these conventions to experience more of the dance world.

"Children Will Listen" (INTO THE WOODS)

2007-07-09T02:15:00.000-04:00

Oh my, the day was a HOT one!! And since it was the end of a holiday week the train out to Long Beach was completely crowded for the first time this season. I thought that it was okay and that it would all kind of be spread out once we got to the beach. Well, when we arrived at the boardwalk it was completely covered with vendors for their annual bazaar. It was a trek just to get to the beach because we had to squirm through the crowd on the boardwalk, not a good sign. Anyway, with the blazing sun coming down, we parked it under the boardwalk where we had shade and relief. I was particularly happy about that because I had planned to park my big booty under shade and just relax. I did not sleep well the night before so I was already drained and knew I could just take it easy. They were going to try a doubles tournament like last week but a little more organized. It was not entirely the same group of people playing and we were spread out so it was going to be a problem to get it going, I could see that from the onset. They started sort of late because they needed to wait for a certain number of people to play and also the lines for the court. Once they got started, they ran into problems with people not being ready to play or not around the area so it got a little frustrating for Dee and Jay. Finally they just gave up on it and everyone just played in fours or doubles. People got tired a lot faster because of the sun and the really burning sand. For me, I just took a few pictures and sat my big booty on my neat sheet and slept. It was a good day. I'm such a loser because I did not even exert an ounce of energy doing any physical activity. Maybe I just needed a little break.

I'm passionate about volleyball and with the recent playing of softball and tennis which have been passionate past-times, I thought I would explore some of the other hobbies that make me happy and examine their origins. This entry I'll discuss the fascination I have with pictures. I discussed this a couple of entries back in a small paragraph but I'll elaborate a little bit more on it. Just simple photographs of loved ones and places of significance. I actually started a sort of semi-biography in pictures on my flickr page. I'm not exactly sure where my love for taking pictures, very amateurish as they are, but more importantly being in the actual pictures. I've always loved having photos around me whether in frames or albums. I even love looking at other people's frames and albums. This was before the digital age where film processing took days and yet I would sort through photos and put them in albums and/or display them. This is certainly not a family trait or hobby that was passed down. I absolutely love "posing" for a photo and have been doing that since I was a toddler as evidenced by some of the pictures in that pictorial biography. As a person who is not comfortable with their looks, I somehow found a way to feel a little special in pictures because it was your own individual mark captured in time. How could I not take advantage of that? I may not be a stand-out in the picture but at least I'm in the picture. As I got into high school, I started to take more pictures and realized how much I liked doing that, capturing people like I would want to captured. I take a picture with a little candidness but also with an idea of how it could be framed if I wanted it to. When I moved to New York, I kept a lot of pictures of my family around my apartment so I could feel like they were with me even though we were thousands of miles apart. I eventually got more frames and more photo albums as the years went by. I LOVE frames and buy them just to have them in stock in my apartment so that when I do have a photo I want to use, I will have a frame ready. I'm running out of shelf and wall space so I will need to figure out something. But with the digital age, I'm loving the fact that I can experiment with picture-taking and capture a little something special. Nowadays, I will snap about 120 pictures in a day of activities and go through them, edit, and then post them with some cropping and captions on my flickr page by the end of the evening. I have a quick turn-around with my pictures as far as getting them posted because I love working with the photos. Again, I love capturing that moment. I would not have considered it a hobby, it's just something that I do, second-nature and I love doing it. It makes me happy.

"You Could Drive A Person Crazy" (COMPANY)

2007-07-08T03:56:00.000-04:00

Today I trekked out to Brooklyn to play softball. We'll call it Brandeis volleyball invades Brooklyn for Softball. Vanessa, the ultimate organizer, had put together a day for us to play softball complete with rules, schedule, team names and captains, scorebook, and refreshments. She is the best at this kind of thing. It was a nice WARM day for this and it filled up our afternoon with good times. For me it was a little trip down memory lane.

Softball, I say, would be my family's choice of sport. I grew up with the sport every summer as it was a family affair. Cousins, uncles, and aunts filled teams, sometimes traveling to tournaments around Texas and in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana. We would even go to the Softball Hall of Fame in OKC as a huge family. Fastpitch softball was our fanatical way of life during the summers, and though it was a family pasttime and I gave it a try on the field, it was not a strong passion like I have felt with tennis, dance, and volleyball. Don't get me wrong, I love a good game and watch softball games on TV especially the Women's College World Series but it's not a sport that I actively play. Today being the exception. Hopefully we'll get to do a few more dates before the summer ends. Touching and throwing a softball brought back so many memories.

Following afternoon play, a few of us moved over to Queens to celebrate our friend Claire's birthday. She was away at a wedding during her actual birthday so we were celebrating it a week later. Claire is a known carnivore and just does not do well with vegetables, so we took her to a Brazilian BBQ restaurant. This was like heaven for her because they brought out all kinds of meat to the table and she got to pick and choose. The selections were delicious and the entire table of 13 was completely in a food coma in less than an hour including me. Claire is a no-nonsense gale who cracks me up with her appropriate subtleness yet her straightforward manner when the matters calls for it. She's a force to be reckoned with on the volleyball court even if it's all guys, she's still not scared. She's one person who always comments about how she loves the diversity of our group and I would have to agree.

People are brought into our lives for a purpose that I truly trust God does. I might not always know their purpose right away but they may help me through a struggling time or just provide a laugh at the proper moment. Either way that person is in my life for a reason. I'm better for knowing them and I hope that I enrich their lives in return. I must include lyrics to two songs that put it best.

"FOR GOOD" (musical WICKED)
ELPHABA
I'm limited:
(Spoken)Just look at me –
I'm limited
And just look at you -
You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda
So now it's up to you
(spoken) For both of us
(sung) Now it's up to you:

GLINDA
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you:

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

ELPHABA
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend:
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you:

GLINDA
Because I knew you:

BOTH
I have been changed for good

ELPHABA
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for

GLINDA
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

BOTH
And none of it seems to matter anymore

GLINDA (overlapping Elphaba)
Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun.
Like a stream the meets a boulder halfway through the wood.

ELPHABA (overlapping Glinda)
Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea.
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood.

BOTH
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better?

GLINDA
And because I knew you:

ELPHABA
Because I knew you:

BOTH
Because I knew you:
I have been changed for good.
**************************************
"I BELIEVE" (musical ALTAR BOYZ)
[Abe]
One beam of light, is enough to see where you're going
One wrong turn, is enough to loose your way
One choice, is all you have to make
One ounce of faith could save the day
I believe, that I came to know you for a reason
I believe, that the things that you say will come true
I believe that with you in my life I'll make it
I believe in you .stlyrics

[Juan]
One Mistake, doesn't have to mean that it's over

[Luke]
One bad day, only means there's work to do

[Mark]
One night, is sometimes all it takes

[All]
To realize one thing is true
I believe, that I came to know you for a reason
I believe, that the things that you say will come true
I believe that with you in my life I'll make it
I believe in you

[Matthew]
Take a picture of me now, take a look at who I am
Yesterday I wasn't half as strong

[Abe, Juan, Luke, and Mark]
Take a picture of us all, what we've been and what we are
Look at that, and tell me I'm wrong

[Matthew]
I BELIEVE!

[Abe, Juan, Luke, Mark]
That I came to know you for a reason

[All]
I believe, that the things that you say will come true

[Matthew}
Oooohhh

[All]
I believe that with you in my life I'll make it
I believe in you
I believe in

[Matthew]
You

[Abe, Juan, Luke, Mark]
I believe in

[All]
You-ooh-hoo

"As Long As He Needs Me" (OLIVER)

2007-07-03T15:09:00.000-04:00

A beautiful weekend was fast and slow at the same time. It was definitely packed with a lot of activities but there was also time for relaxation in a cool atmosphere. I enjoyed time playing tennis and maybe played just a little too much on Saturday and did a little pampering later that day. Then on Sunday I ventured out to our usual locale where there was plenty of people to do a mini-tournament. I did not participate or even touch a volleyball. They had about 40 people from the Brandeis pool that had come out to the beach so it was an entertaining thing to watch. Jay, our beach coordinator as we will call him, did an impromptu tournament of doubles, taking records of each wins and losses and was going to give the title of "King of the Beach" to the person with the most wins. Well, some people didn't get to play as many times and we only had two courts to work with so there was no clear title winner. But we will be continuing to do this type of tournament through the summer although I might have to run it and let Jay just play. He was pretty wiped out from trying to keep track of everything and try to play. I wanted to relax so I just sat in a beach chair and watched some games, chatted with other people, and basically enjoyed the cool air blowing over the beach (although I could have done without the sand blowing all over the place). Anyway, I just watched people play and I was very content. I took a bunch of pictures and actually posted them on my flickr page. I'm not a photographer but I do love taking pictures. It's like a hobby of mine, not only taking pictures but also being in pictures and then framing and hanging pictures or putting them in albums. I go crazy for pictures because they are a captured essence of your history. The picture can tell a story, help you keep track of your memory. Remind you of good times. Pictures are a great storyteller. So tomorrow another day at the beach to celebrate the 4th of July. I hope everyone has a great holiday and that you remember the freedom in your life and your freedom to think and love.

"Masquerade" (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA)

2007-06-26T00:58:00.000-04:00

I'm not an athletic person by any stretch of the imagination, just look at me and you can tell that. But I do love being active. I do a few other things besides volleyball even though it may not seem like it by reading these entries. Besides volleyball and tennis and I wish softball, I love taking dance classes. I took a leap about six months ago in taking classes at Broadway Dance Center. And from the first class, basic hip-hop, it was like finding a glove that fit my hand perfectly, it was just something so fitting for me, a re-awakening of an old love. I've taken hip-hop, jazz, jazz funk, and with each one I'm aware of how athletic dancers have to be, their bodies fit for beauty in lines and form. Again, what am I doing dancing with my body type? But I was happy to take classes in the new facilities of BDC because it was so spacious and close to work. They've been holding classes in various studios around midtown while they renovated their new location, and they did such a great job. I might have to take some classes on my lunch break. I usually stand in the back of the class and go through the routine but the instructor likes to pick on someone and move them to the front, and that's what she did to me tonight. I had to move up right behind her and in front of the class so I had to really execute the moves well. The funny part of this evening was that the Divine Miss M, Bette Midler, was also taking the class, standing at the back. Only in New York could something like that happen.

At one point, we had brought in some speakers to open play at Brandeis to give the gym a little more atmosphere. It was so great to play with music, just as a background. I feel so comfortable playing with music, but that's not exactly how you play the game of volleyball. But it was a nice experiment we tried for a few weeks last year when our friend, Brian "Go-Go," had his iPod and speakers blaring out. On my daily commute, I enjoy my music through headphones like most New Yorkers, but my taste in music is probably not what you would think just by looking at me. Obviously my love of Broadway would be present but I'm heavily influenced by country music. I'm noticing that more and more as I realize how much I connect with older country songs and the era of Motown mainly because that is what my parents listened to while I was growing up. Loretta Lynn and The Four Tops are artists I love to listen to, and as I watched CMT's "Crossroads" tonight with Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson, I'm more aware of how much of an influence country music has in my life. I know this is such a random entry but I was thinking more about that after having just finished watching that CMT special.

"Some Fun Now" (LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS)

2007-06-25T19:40:00.000-04:00

Group dynamics are intriguing, and I continue to witness their actions in various volleyball groups. There are cliques within the larger volleyball group and that is to be expected, but what is so fascinating to me is that the cohesiveness of those cliques grow stronger through experiences and stories. Those experiences may be travels, games, or dinners, and during those times, stories are told, repeated, and become a fixture of their history. Stories may be about people they've encountered--the outliers, so to speak, individuals who play the game and circle the group but remain on the "outside." Though they provide a minimal function to the group, it's the stories that somehow bring the group closer together simply by some storytelling. Stories can also tell personal experiences which may be humorous and get repeated because of their content. That content can sometimes become part of the language of the group. One example is the pop-culture influenced saying "that's what she said..." after some sexually-inclined comment. Another example are stories that provide so much laughter, some of which can be attributed to the storyteller and their re-enactment, that they become a defining factor of the group. This past Friday night after open play, a story was told that has circulated for weeks but it's best heard from the source. Here is that story being told. Since this story was first told the group has made this expression, complete with exaggeration, part of their vernacular.

The rest of the weekend had a sort of "me time" theme to it. Well, actually that was Saturday. There should always be a day where you just do things for yourself that make you happy, no questions asked, just a good feeling kind of day. I started my day off playing tennis and I swear if I could play tennis everyday I would be so happy. I started playing again last year and I forgot how much I love playing it. I've been an avid follower for years but watching it and playing it are two different things. Later I took in a movie which was a family/teen-focused kind of film but that was what I wanted to watch and so far of the summer movies I've seen it was actually pretty good. There have been some real stinkers in the summer blockbusters so far this year. But I still have three more movies on my list to catch up on the current line-up about to it with "Transformer" coming up soon and I totally cannot wait for that one. After I saw the movie, I jotted down to my favorite karaoke place and proceeded to belt out a few songs, some new stuff that I wanted to try out. Then I whisked back uptown to catch HAIRSPRAY (yes, I know, again) but there was a recent cast change and I wanted to check out that and also the "Edna" understudy was on. I have to admit that sometimes I love watching understudies because they add a different take on the characters. I also wanted to check the show out once more because I probably won't get a chance to see it again before the movie comes out in mid-July. Now that is another one I cannot wait to see. A multiple viewing kind of movie if you get my drift. HAIRSPRAY always puts me in a great mood and Saturday was no exception.

Sunday was the most gorgeous day for the beach. So loads of people showed up at Long Beach and we had a lot of playing time for beach volleyball. I played for about an hour and then just took pictures and watched. I just enjoyed soaking up a little sun and feeling the breeze go through my hair. It was just nice to be around people and enjoy the beach. I'm not really a beach person but it's all in how you spend your time at the beach.

"Use What You Got" (THE LIFE)

2007-06-22T00:58:00.000-04:00

Well the last three nights have been spent watching volleyball games (what else is new?). Last night I finally got to see some friends from my early teams play. Two of them, Carlos and Barbara, were on my team the second season when I started playing with the Big City league. Now the memories from those days really take me back. Barbara and I had a long history after having known each other since freshman year in college (Spring 1993), and she was interested in joining a team after my first season playing. We picked up Carlos at the league open scrimmage and the rest is history as they say. They became part of the backcourt Brandeis crew. Now that is a crew I truly miss, I'm still there, it's just they have moved on. I want to try and arrange a dinner with some of that old crew, but that might be a huge task.

Tonight I went to watch a D10 co-ed match. I was talking to the referee and observing how to set up the net system and stuff. I need to learn how to do that because it is the one thing I have yet to really look at and observe. My friends' team had a full line-up but their opponents only had two people show up so they had to forfeit. So I got to play around like it was open gym. I stayed and watched another match that my friends had after that one and saw them take the match 2-1. These two teams in the same division have their spot in the playoffs so now it's just a matter of getting practice in before the playoff date. Then to cap off the evening, I got to fill my stomach with some awesome "soupy buns" down in Chinatown. A very calm night with small observations.

"Wild Time" (KAT AND THE KINGS)

2007-06-20T00:30:00.000-04:00

So tonight I witnessed the type of referee I do NOT want to be. I've seen referees who are a little weak in their calls and they might irritate you with a call or two but tonight that was not the case. There was 8 of us catching a D2 men's team, Sofa King, play the No. 3 team and we sat on the pads on the sidelines doing our usual cheering. My referee clinic instructor was also refereeing but he was on the other court. I spoke to him briefly and he told me about getting a call from the assignor of NY Urban about me and giving a recommendation. I guess when I had called the assignor my phone number and email were cut off in the message and he could not get in touch with me. Well, now I have the forms and are being sent in. We'll see what happens next.

Anyway, we were cheering on our team as they were playing against the team who was in one spot below them in the rankings. In order for them to stay in first place, they could not lose anymore games until the playoffs. They eventually pulled it together and won the first game, but they really needed to adjust things if they were expected to dominate in the next two games. They had problems with poorly received serves and a little bit of a lack of communication. The team started to fall apart little by little and sometimes when the team starts to make mistakes they get down on themselves and it's hard to get them back on track. The team knew they were not playing at the level they should be, but it was aggravated even further by the referee. We were sitting behind the referee who started recanting some of his calls. He would call something out or in and then the team would question the call and he would change his mind on the call. One time I could see for certain reasons but when he did it more than 5 times then I started to get pissed. And it was just favored for one team, he did it to both teams. He would call something out and then the team would come up to him and ask about the call and he would change his mind. We were in an uproar and the team, on top of their already weakened attitude, just could not come back and lost both games. This game is such a mental activity that when angered feelings are mixed in, it's not a pretty site. I had never seen such a poorly refereed game. I am well aware of the fact that referees are a figure of authority in the game and you must be fair as best to your ability in calling games, but when you start to doubt your own calls then you must really learn "to get a backbone." It was also an example of how a team and spectators will react to your calls as a referee if they think it is not called properly, but as we learned a referee's decision is FINAL. There is no room to keep changing your mind. Our team knew they played a weak game and lost because they were not playing their best, but they did not deserve the referee they got. Okay, let me stop because I know how irritated I already am about the situation but also how much I do not want to be a referee like that.

"You've Gotta Get A Gimmick" (GYPSY)

2007-06-19T00:33:00.000-04:00

So in the latest issue of VOLLEYBALL magazine, they have a profile of Long Beach. It talks about the beach volleyball scene out there on Long Island and this is the one location where we go almost every Sunday during the summer. So far we've been out there a couple of times this year but we haven't really played much volleyball. This past weekend that changed. I had about 20 friends out there playing in the beautiful weather and I was sad to miss it.

I was not able to make it out to Long Beach this past weekend because we had an annual event to work on--Broadway Bares 17. It's our burlesque show where we have Broadway's dancers strutting their stuff all for the cause. It was my 8th year and pretty much for most of the staff it's all about going on auto-pilot with what we need to do. For the producers, choreographers, and creative team, they put so much work into this show and it certainly shows. Then to see over 800 people volunteer their time to pull this all together makes this such a huge success. After many hours at Roseland, we finished the two-show night with a total amount raised of $743,000. Another new record.

Even though I did not leave Roseland until 3:30am this morning after being there for 19 hours, we still needed to be back in the office at 10am to pull apart and unfold sweaty dollar bills that was collected when the dancers did "rotation" on the stage. It took us over six hours to unfold and count over $32,000 that was made on the "rotation." Definitely wore gloves to do this sort of thing.

I had a re-scheduled Mets game ticket for tonight and was thinking I was crazy for going to it after the crazy schedule we had over the weekend. But I wanted to go because I had not ever been to a Mets game, the last time we tried we got a lot of rain. I was glad that I did because it was just a nice, relaxing evening with a cool breeze and funny friends. It was a good way to wind down the day. And the Mets won the game.

"Being Alive" (COMPANY)

2007-06-15T00:50:00.000-04:00

Bubba is back. I'm back from my family visit to Texas. And, yes, that is my family nickname, typical, right? In our house, that name is all me and my brother has always called me "Nerdo." The visit was slow-paced (at least for me) but there was definitely a lot of things to do (at least before 10pm). There were nights where I would be sitting at my parent's almost completed house which happens to be in the middle of nowhere and all I would here was nothing (except the crickets and nothing but pitch blackness). Maybe at some point I will enjoy that and I did for just a few moments but it was just too quiet.

Now I'm back at work and joining in with the hectic schedule of June that is ruling our office. We had a bowling event on Monday which in its ninth year runs like a machine and continues to outgross the numbers each year. Let's hope that continues. And this weekend is our largest event, Broadway Bares, which encompasses over 200 dancers, hundreds of volunteers in stage production, wardrobe, hair, make-up, and about 3,600 spectators at each of two shows on Sunday evening. So no beach volleyball for me this weekend so hopefully the gang will have good weather, it was totally awesome weather last weekend for play.

Tonight the cheerleaders were called to witness our guys, the No. 2 team--Sofa King, take on the No. 1 team in men's D2 as they near the end of the season. Our lead in this cheering section is either Claire or Dee and they find out the weekly game and decide on location for dinner beforehand. We're not exactly sure how it became a weekly event for us because we started watching these guys after we played with them at Brandeis. They play a tough game and we just show up to show some support. This evening they started off rough with their first game not being their best played one but they came back with a lot more grit and determination in the next two games to win. The action on the court is really a lot of fun to cheer on. The spectator action on the sidelines is completely hilarious at times, not only are we cheering and clapping for the team but the comments are random and quite amusing. Here is an example in this video clip at one of their games earlier this season.

"I Dreamed A Dream" (LES MISERABLES)

2007-05-29T00:45:00.000-04:00

Well, Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. I started the weekend as I do most of the time with Friday open play. Hello--have you met me?

It had been over two weeks since I had played because I was in Louisiana last weekend for my former roommate's little sister's wedding. Her little sisters are like my own, would do anything for them. My former roommate, Ngoc, has experienced the last seven years of this city right along with me. We struggled together as roommates the first three years in New York and still work together. We actually met each other on an email list for the musical production of MISS SAIGON. Strange as that sounds, it's true. We actually started corresponding because of a former MISS SAIGON actor, Matt Bogart, who was in a premiere production of THE CIVIL WAR in Houston (this is 1998). We had both seen the production and loved his character and offered the email list our input about him and the show. After a few weeks of emails, we were going to meet at the closing of THE CIVIL WAR in Houston which we just both happened to be attending. We met for lunch before seeing the show twice that closing day, and a friendship developed. We had met other fans of the show that day and they thought that we were longtime friends. They were shocked to learn we had just met that day. Special friendships like that are life's treasures.

Okay let me get back on track. I tend not to play volleyball too much these days, just at Brandeis open play. I need to work on becoming an actual referee instead of just being a certified one, but I'm looking at my schedule and the high school games are going to be a problem. The scheduler doesn't pick you too much if you are limited with days availability. NYUrban is pretty limited with their options this and next season. I could possibly get on the schedule for fall but no guarantees. I might need to call Big City.

As for the weekend, I might have stayed in the city and not played anymore volleyball, but it was spent with the volleyball group in an array of activities. From volunteering with the USO mobile unit for Fleet Week (that was a lot of fun on the big ship), karaoking and completely pushing my voice to its scratchy sound now (I knew I shouldn't have done my signature song, "And I'm Telling You I Ain't Going," on a weak body), a little shopping, catching the latest movies (Shrek 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3--don't ask opinion), laying in the sun at Long Beach, trying Korean BBQ for the first time (like my friends know--if I can't say it then I ain't eatin' it), and finally getting back on the tennis court with Ngoc. I also tried to clean up my room and prepare stuff for going home this week for a little break and family time. We have our annual pow-wow this weekend and I always go home for that but I also have cousins in state playoff games in baseball that I hope to catch, a high school graduation, parents moving into a new house, catching up with high school friends, and just helping take care of my grandmothers. So basically I'll have two more weeks of no volleyball, maybe, big maybe I'll get a chance to at least play tennis.

"Around The World" (GREY GARDENS)

2007-05-24T11:21:00.000-04:00

Birthdays are a time to appreciate all that one has experienced up to that point--the good, the bad, the laughter, and the sad. And for a few of us, birthdays are also a celebration. For friends, you just confirm what they want to do and try to respect their wishes but sometimes you have to do a little coercing and persuading to actually celebrate a birthday. We had someone in the volleyball group who we knew had a birthday coming up, but he said he didn't really make plans or do too much for his birthday. He had just gotten back from a business trip abroad right the day before so plans were very delayed in getting something together. Well, someone organized a birthday dinner yesterday afternoon for that night. She got together 11 people along with having a home-baked cake there to celebrate--not bad for just a few hours notice. The dinner was filled with stories and a lot of laughter. Happy Birthday Nestor!
I'm pretty good about remembering the first time I meet my friends but sometimes the timing is a little different. With Nestor, there was a bit of a progression as with many others before getting involved with the group. He had made appearances at Brandeis open play with friends from his team in the Zogsports league. At Brandeis he met a few more people and as the months progressed he became more of a regular at sign-up. As I've mentioned before, there is a bit of time from when you get a number to the actual sign-up for a court, so you get to know people a little more--gossip, laugh, warm-up, or grab food. Good times!! Nestor became part of this group that developed out of that whole season of sign-up. And the rest as they say is history.

"I'm Still Here" (FOLLIES)

2007-05-13T23:19:00.000-04:00

Oh my gosh, I actually went through the weekend with no kind of volleyball--no association or play, which has not happened in a LONG time. I mean my Saturday and Sunday had no volleyball, period. I didn't even see anyone that is associated with that part of my life, it was weird. But I did have a great weekend. I started my Saturday off by doing the start of some serious cleaning on my bathroom and kitchen. I didn't really mention too much about the situation of my apartment. For the past five months there have been leaks in my bathroom and kitchen that has caused part of the ceiling to fall. Every time it looked like it had dried up, there would be more leaks coming from some other source. There were problems with my neighbors upstairs at least three floors up that was checked and corrected, but every time one problem got fixed, another one would pop up. It was a little irritating yet I was pretty calm but it was my roommate who was really understanding. Anyway, they finally were able to get into the last apartment where a problem could be after many, many attempts to get access (don't even get me started on that one), and they got it fixed so after a week or so with no more leaks they were able to start repair on my ceilings. So at the end of the week, the paint had finally dried and I could start the process of putting my bathroom and kitchen back together again. Five months of ceiling disaster, ugh.

After I did my morning beginnings with the bathroom, I met up with Trisha and DMT. DMT, also known as Michelle, is an old friend that Ngoc and I met on the rush line for CHICAGO back in the spring of 2000. She eventually introduced us to Trisha and the start of crazy theatre adventures began. She is visiting from Alabama and we decided to do some karaoke. We had not been with DMT for some karaoke in a long time, and for three musical theatre crazies it was a perfect time to seriously belt out so many great theatre songs. And it was a blast. No one can understand my "Good Morning Baltimore" like they could. DMT had other plans for the evening so after a quick bite, she left us and we decided to catch a movie, "Waitress." It was a cute movie with Keri Russell and just made you appreciate the power of change in your own life and how not to take that for granted because not a lot of people have that chance. At least that is what I got from it. Then it was totally raining when we came out of the movie theatre which was so not supposed to happen.

Sunday was supposed to be about some tennis play but because the rain the courts were not available for play. So I did some shopping and continued on my cleaning project (scraping and painting leaves a lot of dust and chips). I met up with DMT for a matinee of GREY GARDENS. This is one of the new musicals this season that I've been wanting to catch and so glad that we did. She got the student rush tickets pretty easy and we were sitting on the front row center, totally awesome seats. It was such an interesting play and I wanted to see it for Christine Ebersole's portrayal of characters, Edith and Edie. By the end of the show during her passionate number I was completely drawn into her crazed world and I was pushed to such emotion that it was heartbreaking. Very few performances truly move you and this is one for the books, and next month she'll get to put another Tony Award into her collection that she's already received for this role.

"Big Girls Don't Cry" (JERSEY BOYS)

2007-05-10T00:16:00.000-04:00

I kind of like the saying "what you do to my friend, you do to all of us." Not much more I can say about that, but the bond of friendship is tested and challenged, of course, but to survive and succeed you always support and "watch their back." That is what friends do. You don't offer criticism or "I told you so," you lend comfort and there for whatever that friend needs. I would want the same. Life is a bumpy road but it's good to know that you've got friends to catch you if you fall and fix your disheveled clothes to get back on that road.

"Not For The Life Of Me" (THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE)

2007-05-06T04:23:00.000-04:00

Today was the first official day of spending time out at the courts in Central Park (played around there briefly after last Sunday's final open play of the season). I was out there about six hours and the weather was gorgeous. I started playing but I was just utterly awful on the court so instead of adding my "badness" to any team I just stood on the side and became scorekeeper for the second court. I was not acting as a referee or anything because on those courts people expect you to call your own team's faults. There was a lot of good plays to watch and the competition for the most part evenly matched.

As the sun moved away and the air got a little briskier, we walked out of the park. But I started to get dizzy so I took some time on a park bench to rest. As I sat on that bench, it felt as if I was alone in the park with the beauty of a nearby tree with white flowers, no idea what kind they were, but it was such an eerie moment. Totally scared me, was I losing it? After a few minutes more rest, I felt a little better and continued out of the park. I was haunted by the beauty of a tree in a naturalistic setting of peace and simplicity. I was reminded, for some strange reason, of my dreams--the dream of Broadway shows I had when I was in Texas, how I just wanted to go to them at anytime when I felt down. From the first listen to the heavy percussive beats imitating a helicopter on MISS SAIGON's cast recording in March 1992 in my parent's suburban (I can tell you what store and street we were on when that happened). The music's power was gripping and still gets me choked up to this day. I dreamed about seeing that show on Broadway some day and that dream came true in April 1997 when I was sitting in a front row center orchestra seat to see the original star, Lea Salonga, another dream. Since that time, I've always prayed to God to thank Him for making these dreams come true and for also the opportunities. I work in the Broadway industry and yet some days I still feel like that is not true, a reality unknown to me, things like this don't happen to people like me. Many obstacles were overcome and the struggle still continues. But I'm thankful for what He has given me and as I sit in a theatre, the light dim and quiet, I say a prayer to offer my thanks and sometimes a tear falls because I can't believe it's happening sometimes. The day was so beautiful that after my time in the park I ventured back downtown to the Theatre District and grabbed a ticket to a show--these are the kinds of opportunites that I'm thankful for, being able to see a show (funds willing) if I feel like it. And again in the theatre, I did my ritual and cried.

I got home after the show and caught the NCAA men's volleyball national championship and watch UC-Irvine take the crown for the first time. Awesome!

"Shadowland" (THE LION KING)

2007-05-02T00:50:00.000-04:00

Well, another season of play has started and my calendar tries to work in as many games as I can. It's only week three and luckily I've been able to catch several games taking place at the same gym. I've also been talking to the referees at the Urban matches and asking questions like where one had gotten this particular whistle because it gave off such a distinctive sound. I made the call to the assigner for Urban but haven't heard anything. They might be full for the season so it might take some time to get me on the schedule.

As spring winds down and summer begins, plans start to take shape and excitement is in the air for anyone to catch. As I look at some of the volleyball group, there's this amalgamation of colors, backgrounds, careers, and personalities that I'm very blessed to have--this volleyball family. We call the group our own United Colors of Bennetton ad, and the group has a depth and emotional connection for each person to help them in some sort of way whether it's a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, a face to complain to, or just to laugh.

Sometimes a stranger or someone we just met will ask how we know each other and we just simply put it--"volleyball." Over the years, I've heard that question many times and though the faces may differ, each one has contributed a little to my life, my existence. My existence is still learning to let go and be more open, but I've conditioned myself to distance and darken my pain. My goal always is to not interfere with the happiness and laughter of people around me. Laughter is my medicine and the more I receive, the better. That is how I deal with life in general. Also I pour myself into some hobby and I'm so excited about the idea of playing tennis this summer. It goes along with that other hobby, theatre, well sort of. Theatre is an excitement completely unmatched in my life and some may call it obsessive but I call it love. And tennis involves another form of joy because it allows me to compete against myself on the court because it's an individual's sport, it's only you against the competition.

"Too Darn Hot" (KISS ME, KATE)

2007-04-30T14:50:00.000-04:00

One of the most inspirational people I've encountered in my volleyball meetings is a vibrant, young lady named Ruth. She has been a regular at Brandeis for about as long as I've been there. She has always been a powerhouse on the court with an amazing attitude to go along with it. She's an encourager on the court and off and always there when you need a hug. We're probably around the same age bracket yet the energy this woman gives off while keeping her hectic schedule is amazing, something for me to aspire to. In addition to her career as a nurse, she has two cute daughters that sometimes play around on the side of the volleyball court and has a supportive husband especially when she started competing on the Masters level of track and field. The last time she competed was on the college level at Penn State. She started training and competing just in the last few months and it has pulled her away from volleyball but we are so proud of her accomplishments. She went to the USA Track and Field 2007 National Indoor Masters Championships last month and won a gold medal, successfully becoming the 2007 National Champion in the Women's Triple Jump. She also won a silver medal in the Long Jump. She's currently ranked #1 in the US in the Women's Triple Jump and earned All-American status in both the Triple Jump and the Long Jump.

"A Change In Me" (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST)

2007-04-23T19:20:00.000-04:00

Well the last week has definitely been a little stress filled. I don't take to stress too well and I try to alleviate it as quickly as I can. I get out of the situation or find some soothing way to help me get through the situation. I have to say that my anthem "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" has brought me through a lot of stuff and it helped me through this one also--it's really silly but it was my referee clinic exams. Last Wednesday I had my written exams, one for the girls and one for the boys. Let me just say that I passed the girls exam, but I failed the boys exam. Yes there are different rules and sanctions for boys and girls in NYC public school volleyball. I had been prepping for the exam for days including on the plane coming back from Texas. We had about 10 clinic sessions where we had gone over the rules, taken some quizzes, and even went over last year's exam. I had done terrible on those practice ones which made me even more nervous. How could I pass this exam? I doubted myself, and I hate when I do that. I knew numbers and measurements about the court but it was the application of the rules was how the test was set-up. The answer was either (I)ncorrect or (C)orrect and it's one of those exams where one word could make a statement untrue. I was ready for that, look at the question carefully and don't second guess myself. But I did anyway. When I went in there to take the exam, I took a deep breath and started reading. And this is when the nervousness kicked in because I was hesitant about answering any questions. Even our instructor asked me if I was okay because I'm sure I had a look of confusion on my face. I finally got through the questions and moved onto the scorekeeping portion. I felt comfortable with this section when I was studying, or so I thought.

I turned both exams in and they graded them while you stood there and watched. The red pen flying through the air, hoping that it doesn't fly down on your paper. Each red mark like a slash on your arm. My boys exam was graded first and I really screwed up on the scorekeeping section. I failed that one. My instructor had graded that and he told me to wait and we would see how I did on the girls exam. The grading on my girls exam went a lot better because where I screwed up on the boys scorekeeping section I actually did correct on the girls exam but it had to do with penalty points for expulsion where all the questions after it are affected by one wrong answered question. I had a talk with the instructor and he said that I would get to do the rating session on Saturday, but I would need to pass my rating to be able to be considred for invitation to the board (that board being of NYC volleyball officials). By being on the board, I would get to referee high school matches. The written exam part was over but now it was time to put all the rules and words into action on the stand.

So the instructor emails me the location of my rating for Saturday--Aviation High School in Queens at a boys tournament. So I arrived an hour before my scheduled match, and I watched the person being rated before me. I stood behind the rater as she was doing the evaluation and I could hear how critical she was. I knew what to expect. Then I spoke to one of the ladies (a 16-year-old sophomore who showed no fear) from the clinic who had her rating earlier in the day and she gave me a simple suggestion, "Be a bitch!" I took her advice and prepped myself to take the stand. Finally, it was my turn to take the referee stand. I went through the motion of a captain's meeting, going over the ground rules, doing measurement of the net and other duties a referee does when he arrives at a gym.

I stepped onto the stand, and I tried to show no fear as all the players (high school boys) are looking at me, waiting for me to blow the whistle. I push the air and a loud sound begins this test. I'm not as nervous on the stand as I thought I would be probably because we had a couple of chances to practice at high school scrimmages and the Gotham league. I made my calls and got a few of my signals backwards. I did hesitate with a few calls but the game was pretty straightforward. I stood on the stand for two games and man did my legs hurt. I think because I locked them, apparently my legs were tensing up. Anyway, I couldn't worry about that.

After those two games, I was ready to meet with my rater and find out whether I passed or failed. I felt good with what I did. She went over it all very bluntly, my mistakes and I had to agree with her on a lot of it. She said I had "no presence"--no one would know I was a referee unless I was on the stand. I needed to be known and recognized (okay, I am mild mannered and obviously I showed it instead of being stern and authoritative). I was my normal self and not a hard-ass as I should have been. Also she said I did not communicate with the scorekeepers or line judges. I agreed. I also mentioned my lack of calls on doubles but they all looked like doubles but I was hesitant. She said CALL IT. The coaches would rather have you call it than let the player get away with a bad set. I agreed. Then she told me I passed with strong encouragement to practice at other games. She's also the assigner for the high school matches and said I could start with girls matches in the fall. They plan months ahead. So I can officially start being a volleyball referee, where to go next is up in the air?

Also last night started a new season for one of the teams we watch, so the fans met up to cheer them on. Last season's Hit It And Quit It is now this season's SofaKing. When we saw their opponents we thought they didn't have a prayer because we were basing it all on last season's performance. They had one new addition and one player who was out with injury for the season so they had a six-man team that we had seen before. Even their team knew they had a tough battle ahead of them because their weakest element with last season's team was their passing. I even asked the captain on Sunday how he thinks they will do, he said okay except for their passing. Well, they put on their lime-green league shirts and got ready to play. We six cheerleaders on the side just kept giving a lot of support, hollers, cheers, and claps. And surprisingly things were working out for them. They had won all three games in one of the most awesome matches we had watched, totally exciting and never disappointing. Ah, time for another good season!!!

"Memory" (CATS)

2007-04-21T15:19:00.000-04:00

Oh my god you guys, it has been just too long since I've done a post. It has been the last few weeks of craziness with my work schedule. We are in heavy fundraising time and it has just put me in a huge crunch. But this is the last weekend and we're posting good numbers so that's all good. I also went home to TX last week to celebrate my father's birthday. It was just a nice gathering with family but it was marred by cold winds, wet weather, and delayed flights. Not a happy camper on that issue but we will move on.

Last night we had a return to Friday open play by a member who has since moved to CA and was in town for a short visit. Tracy is an remarkable girl and we are really sad that she's in CA, but she made a good decision and what is best for her career. But we do miss her on the court and also in the afterhours. We enjoyed a rather leisure time at Brandeis last night and then we moved to the place where she and I have a fun time--karaoke. We got a little group together and headed down to our favorite place, Karaoke 17. Much to the chagrin of some of our twentysomething pals, we did a lot of 80s tunes because it just felt right and a little nostalgic. We eventually closed the place down around 4am, just like old times. I'm always happy for the people around me, the friends and players, but I'm also thankful for those of the past who remind us that life goes on and embracing the moment is always right.

"What's The Buzz" (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR)

2007-04-08T00:09:00.000-04:00

Well, this weekend marked a holiday one which meant no open play so what is one to do with no volleyball on a Friday night in NY? You hang out with your Brandeis regulars in NJ. George displayed great hospitality by having the Friday night open play crew over at his place in NJ where we had a potluck dinner, played tennis Wii, some tried their luck with poker, a lot of dancing with George spinning, and crazy antics all captured on my camera. On holidays like this, I miss my family but I'm always grateful to friends for filling in that gap of loneliness as only they know how.Side note: I love having FoxSportsNetwork on this sports tier package because I get those college volleyball games that rarely make it onto the mainstream networks. Right now I'm watching UCLA play USC and the match can turn around so easily. Also the Tennis Channel is in the package which is the main reason I got it.

"Omigod U Guys" (LEGALLY BLONDE)

2007-04-05T00:12:00.000-04:00

Before I started playing on that first league team in 2003, my main hobby was theatre--watching, enjoying, and loving theatre. That love is still there but there are more hobbies that I've had to work into my schedule but that love will never disappear. Well that summer I had witnessed a show that I fell in love with. It was a show that I heard good buzz about before it even arrived in New York and I got a ticket to its very first preview performance--the show was HAIRSPRAY. I sat on that first row and had so much fun. The energy of the cast, the infectious music, the fantastic direction, the dynamic set design, and the overall story knew that I was witnessing a new HIT. Well, last night that same feeling was felt again. The same parts might not be quite as developed but the overall effect I felt was definitely FUN and enjoyable. I had sat on the first row of the first preview for LEGALLY BLONDE. I hope it enjoys the same success.

I have definitely realized that one hobby does not have to suffer for another one. I tend to be a little intense with my hobbies and may go a little overboard, but as I get older I'm hoping to find a nice balance between being totally insane and somewhat tempered. Let's hope I can make it there.

"With One Look" (SUNSET BOULEVARD)

2007-03-30T00:29:00.000-04:00

Tonight I saw a NYU men's volleyball match, and the energy in that gym was great. I thought I was in for a good match. My main goal was to pay attention to the referees' calls and hand signals. Last week when I saw Baruch College vs. Hunter College match, I got caught up in the excitement of the game and I wasn't paying attention to the referees, and my instructor was even there. That crowd, both schools, showed pride in their teams with yells and cheers but did not show any disrespect for their opponent at anytime. That was not the case with the teams tonight. The stands were larger than normal, and they were packed. I was surrounded by NYU students with a small patch of the crowd to the lower left of me from NJ Institute of Technology, the opponents. The first game was okay. NYU lost. But it was the second game where a few students went a little too far. The students were there to heckle, almost like it was a class extra credit. Cheering at a game and supporting your team is one thing, but when you start getting personal and using foul language then you've crossed the line, at least in my volleyball eyes. One guy exchanged words with a girl from NJIT, and it got pretty heated. I just knew I was going to see a fight. Another guy was persistent with his derogatory comments and the gym staff tried to quiet him down. Then that same guy got a little too close to the court and both referees ordered him to be removed from the gym. Okay, we just read about that ruling this week where a referee has the authority to have a spectator removed from the gym if they are disruptive to the game and possibly a team sanction. How strange to read about a situation and then to witness was actually cool and a little nervous. Would I be a referee who could do that? Yes I think I would. Sadly NYU lost 3-1.

"As We Stumble Along" (THE DROWSY CHAPERONE)

2007-03-29T11:57:00.000-04:00

So at last night's clinic, we got the dates for our scrimmage night, written exam, and practical exam. Now we only take the practical exam if we pass the written exam so there's a lot of pressure. I'm totally nervous about this but I know that I shouldn't be as long as I just keep studying. Anyway the instructor told us about the scrimmage night and it just happened to be the same night that I was flying back home for my father's birthday weekend. I already had planned to miss that class. I knew I was getting a chance to scrimmage another high school game next week but this scrimmage night was going be a chance to referee for one of the city leagues. I know it would be really good experience for the practical exam. So I got back to my office and did some checking on flights and decided to re-book my flight for the next morning. Of course, I talked with my father first and made sure it was okay with him because it is his birthday. Anyway, now I'm arriving on his birthday so I still get to celebrate with him. So I'm glad that I get in a little more practice on the platform and more confidence. Now I need to study up on scorekeeping because when you look at the scoresheet it looks like one big mess but it's going to be on the exam. Also I need work on my hand signals in the mirror, silly things but certainly points can be deducted for sloppy arms.

"Like An Eagle" (BOMBAY DREAMS)

2007-03-28T00:35:00.000-04:00

The view from the top of that referee platform is completely different. As was commented by another student, it's a different view than being on the court level, your whole perspective changes just by those few feet of height. I'm still reeling from the effects of that scrimmage. How could I let something I've seen dozens of people do get to me so much? Why did it bother me, it was a scrimmage, a learning process? It's because what I thought would be an easy thing was not so easy after all. Plain and simple. Now I need to get tougher in my studies because they'll have no sympathy at my evaluation. There is a written exam which means there's a lot of numbers to memorize but also the rules may differ between the girls and boys division and you must differentiate. Then at a tournament we will be evaluated on our practical exam. Now this is for certification for the NYC public school games but I'm hoping to one day be able to referee a college level game. Determination is my passenger right now and I can't let any nerves deter me.

"Let Me Walk Among You" (BAT BOY THE MUSICAL)

2007-03-27T00:55:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a crazy day. First, work was filled with scheduling, emails, and phone calls that made me completely lose track of time. It has to do with our six weeks of fundraising so I'm lucky if I remember what day it is. But on my agenda today was a scrimmage--as a referee. Our instructor had arranged for us to act as referees in a scrimmage with help from a certified referee who would guide and inform us on what to work on. So I'm not sure what I expectd walking into the gym today but I arrived and watched a couple of teams warm up. The other students in the clinic watched and waited also and it must have been thirty minutes and still no "actual" referee. And who shows up to do it but our instructor which I was relieved at but also completely terrified. Oh, and the teams were high school boys teams who would be playing for the city championship in a few weeks. So when the instructor blew the whistle, the nerves started. I offered to go first on the platform, and my heart was racing. I had seen referees at the college level many times and thought nothing about what they do but now I have a whole new respect. There are so many things to keep track of from the ball handling to substitutions to rotation order to the libero. These kids are looking at me with each point, waiting for the whistle sound. Now that was when I was so nervous. After I stood on the platform, the next student got up there and continued the game. I got "notes" from the instructor, and his words were simple, they will rate you tough at the evaluation so make every call firm and loud. Okay, I got no problem with that, but this was experience was interesting and actually fun (once the nerves calmed down). So now I know what I have to work on before the next scrimmage I have next week. I've got a lot of things to work on because I was not prepared, mentally at least.

Viewed Matches:
Ray and Mike's Team (Five Old, One Young): 2-1
Claire and Stefan's Team (One Hit Wonders): 1-2

"Wings Like A Dove" (MAKING TRACKS)

2007-03-23T00:59:00.000-04:00

So today was one of those days where you wanted to get so much done but something else kept coming up and you had to take care of it. At work, we are at a particularly busy time and the days start to mesh together. I couldn't even tell you what day it is and I even forgot that I had a meeting to prepare for in the late afternoon. But as I looked at my schedule for the day, I realized that I had time to work in a little volleyball viewing. I was able to watch the CUNY Athletic Conference Volleyball Championships over at Baruch College. I had to finish up my meeting and run down there for a 8pm game, but they had a long first game so they ran behind almost an hour. The two teams to make it to the championship game were Baruch (#2) and Hunter (#1) Colleges. One of the guys on the Hunter team is someone taking the referee clinic and the guy who runs the clinic was also in attendance. I have to say that for a college volleyball game it was unlike anything I've ever seen. It was completely awesome and almost like a crazy playoff basketball game on a large scale. The audience was boisterous and the staff was completely supportive. The warm-up had so much energy not just among the players but also the audience. I think the music was responsible for that because it blared hip-hop, rap, and merengue which I wanted to get up and dance. It was like a party. When the game finally started, Baruch showed their weak points and fell in their first game, but by the time the second game came around they had made a complete turnaround and dominated to take it. Each play came with comments and loud applause, such pressure under those conditions because it can be silent a lot of times around volleyball, but not this game. I had to leave in order to make it back to the theatre district for work, but I did learn that Baruch retained their crown as the champions by winning the third game. It must have been an amazing third game.

"Somewhere" (WEST SIDE STORY)

2007-03-21T12:55:00.000-04:00

The first day of referee clinic I was completely excited and a little nervous as with any new class situation. I got down to the area early so that I could give myself some "lost" time because I don't know Chinatown too well. And, of course, I got lost and could not find the school mostly because I left the directions on my desk at work and could only remember the school name. Luckily, I called Dee, a Chinatown native, and she put me on the right street.

So I'm completely terrified with new situations and even new faces. I didn't recognize anyone--some older, some a lot younger than me, but all just a bit silent, but only in the beginning. As I took a seat in the classroom, I glanced around at the atmosphere and began to feel the world close in on me, another step into something I thought I knew but maybe I really didn't. Those feelings were sort of reinforced after the instructor began. Being a player and an official are two different things, different eyes and attitude. I've been a player for a few years, only recently paying more attention to rules and regulations. There is so much to know and to learn so much about it in that first class was overwhelming, but the knowledge was so amazing. Only I would think something like that. I mean to know how many inches think the line has to be around the court may sound weird, but I didn't know it and now I do. It's just one of the new things I learned about this game and more to come.

"I'm Not That Smart" (THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE)

2007-03-21T00:25:00.000-04:00

My birthday was really amazing. I was able to spend it doing two of my favorite things--volleyball and karaoke. I just wish I had a couple of more hours so I could sneak a show in theatre for my other passion--theatre. Brandeis open play was free of any previous drama, and the play was fun and, better still, among friends. The fun continued into the party later at the karaoke bar. The bar was completely empty the whole night so it was like I had a free, large party space all night. Everyone doing karaoke was a friend, and that is when karaoke is the best. It was a wonderful day, and I feel truly blessed.

So last week I began taking a referee clinic held by the city's board of volleyball officials. It's a clinic going over the rules governing women's college volleyball and applying them to the NYC school level, both girls and boys. I had ideas of wanting to be a referee after watching so many games so I asked one of the referees at an Urban league game one night. I knew the referee through a friend and this was back in November. She told me that I was in luck because one of the best referees happened to be officiating on the next court. So I introduced myself and told him of my interest in learning to officiate properly. He told me when the next clinic would begin and he would let me know. So months went by and it was finally time to sign-up for the clinic. I was so hesitant even though I had looked forward to it for months. In the days leading up to the first day of the clinic, I was actually really nervous about it and just questioning if I could actually 'cut it' as a referee. To step beyond the court and up on that ladder, rising above the court, could I ever be able to stand that high? I, of course, was having doubts and still a little nervous telling people I was actually going to take the clinic. The day finally came, took a deep breath, and I walked into the classroom......

"C'mon Everybody" (ALL SHOOK UP)

2007-03-18T01:54:00.000-04:00

Well, another "milestone" has come upon me, it's another birthday, 33 to be exact. And I'm always grateful for another day, and anytime I can get out of bed and move I feel blessed. There are a lot of other worst positions I could be in in this world so I have no reason to complain about life. God has given me chances and opportunities and what I do with them has put me in my current situation, and I feel great. So today it will be spent doing two of my favorite things, volleyball and karaoke. Cheers!!!

"Home" (THE WIZ)

2007-03-17T10:28:00.000-04:00

In terms of my playing volleyball in any organized way, I started back in September 2003. But the impetus of volleyball has always been my family. It was around me during family gatherings at my grandparents house on Sundays. We would gather, chat sitting on the porch, make some food, and do those family sports activities like baseball, basketball, and even volleyball. And you know how family sports activities, they are just crazy and wild but they were always fun. I come from a very large extended family so we would have about three teams of six easily, sometimes even enough to draw numbers to be put on a team and have a mini-tournament. It was a lot of fun having so many aunts, uncles, and cousins to do a lot of these activities with. I've always said I'm not an athletic person and it was even worse growing up. I was not a coordinated person and did not have a lot of confidence with sports even though I was always around it with my family. I loved playing volleyball with my family because it was all about FUN. I just wish it was something more I could do when I'm home in Texas but it's a little different now because I've learned so much about the game that I don't know if I could play it recreationally. My grandparents had a designated area for volleyball play and even had metal poles cemented in the ground to hold the net. The family took a collection to even get a net and ball which I'm not sure if we still have. So many memories about those days. I would stand on the side while I was not playing and holler out the score. Good times!!

"How Many Tears" (MARTIN GUERRE)

2007-03-16T03:55:00.000-04:00

Laughter is a comforting sound, especially when it comes from friends and family. It generates a feeling of happiness and a sense of belonging. Laughter heals inner wounds, if only temporary, but it is a moment that can transform a weak moment to a profound one.

In the last week, I've noticed how laughter can bring people closer together, not necessarily one specific example can be noted because there are so many, but it just tells me the power of laughter. It can happen while waiting to sign-up, hanging out after open play, or on the court.

At open play, I will be the first person to bust out in giggles over my own mistake or a bad play. Those giggles can be loud and, on occasion, be heard when someone makes a silly play by mistake, of course. Laughter in any form is great for the soul. It can take even the most tense moment and turn it around.

And like one of my favorite movie line states "laughter through tears is my favorite emotion." What an even better emotion. Without going into specifics, lately volleyballers have provided this and for that I'm very thankful.

"Say It Somehow" (THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA)

2007-03-16T00:55:00.000-04:00

In previous posts, I have mentioned the importance of friendship in my life--they represent a life line for me because my family is back in TX. I may not be open and revealing as others but I'm always an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on, and, if needed, a protector. In return, a lot of volleyball friends, in addition to non-volleyball friends, put up with my zaniness and obsessions. One of those obsessions is the musical DREAMGIRLS. In the last few months, there are been many DREAMGIRLS moments that I've shared, and the volleyball circle has endured it and completely humored me, but today was a moment in that obsession that was special. I shared this story with that select group of 20 or so volleyballers who saw the movie with me, and now I will mention it here. It is that special. A lot of volleyballers refer to me as Effie White, one of the characters in DREAMGIRLS, and in my office they also call me that (for obvious reasons).

So this day was quite a surprise because the original Effie, Jennnifer Holliday, came into the office. On Monday, we have a benefit called "Nothing Like A Dame," and it's a celebration of women being held at the Shubert Theatre. She is performing a number (in addition to my other idol, Lea Salonga), and she stopped by to drop off her music and go over production details. Anyway, Miss Holliday came over to say hi to me as she left, and we thanked her for doing the show. I told her that I wanted an "updated" picture because the last one we took was in 2001. I'll always be a fan of hers. Here is the picture.Anyway, we were talking about her past year and all the publicity she received because of the movie DREAMGIRLS, and she mentioned the youtube.com clip that is up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC_u_q-iND0). I told her that I put that clip up (1982 Tony Awards where a then-21-year-old tore it up on that signature song), and she said "you're 317" (my username is room317). She wondered how to contact the person who put that clip up. Then she just kept gushing how grateful she was that the clip was put up because as she said it "helped save her career" in her fight regarding the movie. Like the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity, and she used that clip in all her interviews regarding the movie and how she was not asked to be a part of the movie. Then she almost made me cry as she was telling the story about how you don't know how you impact a person's life by doing something so simple (I wouldn't have known how putting up that video would do so much for her), and she's saying this while trying not to cry also. Truly moving and I was at a loss for words. One of the great quiet moments of my life.

In my world, today two Effie Whites met and things were great.

"Oh What A Circus" (EVITA)

2007-02-20T01:39:00.000-05:00

Well, Sunday's open play had a bit of a problem. It seems a few people had a problem with the line-up system we have had in place all season long. These few people only recently started coming to Brandeis, and they are excellent players even if their attitude is a little less than pleasant. I can accept losing to good competition (I'm all about playing a good game), but if they can't even display good sportsmanship then their character is clearly flawed.

Anyway, let me get back to the story. So we have had people show up earlier and earlier, and we had the line fill up faster. Remember people get a number which is their spot in the line for when we officially sign-up. So people go and "warm up" during these winter months or eat breakfast or do errands. Point is they are given a chance to do other things. So this new group is training for a tournament in April, and they wanted to play as a team. A few of them live in the city and a few in NJ. They arrive early to be able to get on the first court. They learned about the line system and followed the rules the first couple of weeks they came. I will admit that I've saved a couple of spots for people, it's not like I would fill the whole list. I mean I do this voluntarily and no one has complained in 5 months. So this new group always begs for extra numbers for their friends who haven't arrived yet but are on their way. And yes I have given them extra numbers--just a couple. They've always gotten on the first court. Well, on Sunday they questioned my running of the line list, and I got into an argument with a few of them. I told them that if they didn't like it, they could play somewhere else. They retorted that it was not my court and they would be talking to the NY Urban people. They talked to Gerald, the security guy who puts out the official list to sign-up, when he arrived and he didn't want to hear it. They didn't talk to Liam, the official NY Urban rep.

Well, when we signed up it became a little chaotic because those people rushed the line and got out of order. I tried to get the people who got there early to sign up but that group was pushing them out of the way to sign up on that first court. Then words started to fly between a few people about the line sign-up, and I knew it was going to be an ugly day. I hate when things get out of my control, but it is all the result of this new group. We had a little breathing time before we played, and Gerald wanted to be neutral and wanted no part of the situation. This is when I got the most support from the "regulars" of Brandeis. They stood up for me and backed me up.

No system is ever going to be perfect, but this seemed to be working until these people decided to mess it up. Okay enough of my venting.

"What About Love" (THE COLOR PURPLE)

2007-02-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

Well, a few days have passed since my last entry. I simply took a break but not from volleyball. I played a little and watched a lot more.

I often wonder how I could contribute to the teams that I watch as far as advice. I watch them and get caught up in the match that I'm not always aware of strategy or positioning of the other team, looking for their weaknesses or what to watch out from their strong points. But I'm trying to do that a little bit more, be aware of an opponent's weak spots.

This night was a holiday and it was not one that I particularly observe. It's just another day, we called it "Wednesday, Happy Wednesday" all day. I believe in romance and have nothing against it but this is a day where it's kind of in your face everywhere you turn. I was going to spend the evening with Claire and cheer on "Hit It and Quit It" men's team at their league game. We got a few more people to show up with us and made it a night of celebrating friendships. I could have sulked in the idea of being "single" but it was a time of celebrating in numbers. And "Hit It and Quit It" gave us a really good game to watch. We cheered and clapped as much as we could, hoping that maybe the sound would affect the opponent but it wasn't too successful. I mean how much harm could we do as a cheering section. Their opponent had an amazing setter that we were all impressed by, this woman proved that she could hang with the big boys. At this level of competition, it's not about the height or power of your players but how well you execute your plays and even the most basic skills can separate the winners from the losers.

SCORECARD
Viewed Matches
Knut and Kevin's Team (Hit It And Quit It): 1-2

"She Loves To Hear The Music" (THE BOY FROM OZ)

2007-02-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

Beyond the volleyball court, we've done activities such as bowling, ping pong, poker, but a few things I love to do are going to the theatre and, oddly enough, karaoke. Over the last year, I have done more karaoke than I really want to admit, but it is all done in fun.

As a life plan, I feel that you should do things that make you happy. And I feel happy when we do karaoke. And I heavily stress that I am a "karaok-er" (is that a word?), not a singer. There is a difference. Karaoke is all about fun, and you can be as carefree as you want to be. I used to worry what people thought about me when I did karaoke in the bars. I steadily got over that silliness when some volleyballers and I started hitting a few karaoke bars around the city. I must mention three volleyballers--Dee, Peter P., Tracy--and just about every week we did a little bit of karaoke. People may have been different and the locations varied, but those three really made it all the more fun. We had a regular spot in the midtown area, but in March of last year Tracy and I checked out another place we had heard about--Karaoke 17, which has remained my favorite place. It's a small place, but it has the best song selection in the city (I just wish it had a bigger bar area because it gets crowded with like 20 people). We would find any excuse to go to karaoke whether it be during happy hour on the weekends or after a league game or open play until the early hours of the morning. More than a few times I walked up as the sun was coming up, no lie. It's just a social outlet which may not be for everyone's taste, but DAMN I have a lot of FUN!

"Ya Got Trouble" (THE MUSIC MAN)

2007-02-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

Disappointment and frustration come with any sport, and volleyball is no different. In the field of competition, there are winners and losers, and it's the reaction to the outcome that shows a player's true character. Of course, everybody wants to win, but, hey, it's not always going to happen. I used to get so mad at myself when I made errors especially if it lead to the team's loss in the game. I would completely shut my team members out, I would retreat into my own world. That got old really fast, and that's when I learned about the mental aspect of the game. Picture it--once a point is over, it's over-get over it-move on and get ready for the next point. There's no point in looking back at a point you've already lost (or won). It's good to go back and review that point, but only after the game is over. But during a game, you must be ready for the point happening at the present time. Your team is depending on you. You can't let a mistake on a previous point affect you. I know it's easier said than done for some people, but it's part of the psychological realm of a game.

I'm always amazed at some players who have mastered this psychological aspect of the game. They are the ones who lead the team and set an example. Even after an error, they are able to make the team feel assured and ready for the next point. One of those players that I hope to be more like is Brian "Go-Go." He moved away back in September but he was not only a great player on the court but also a wonderful friend. His skills on the court were amazing but he was also a teacher and supporter, completely cheering on the team even when the score was bleak. A few friends were discussing the other day how much we miss his presence in New York and that his visit in December was way too short. But he is building a new life somewhere out West and we wish him all the best. He represented so much of how a volleyball player should be, not arrogant about his skills but not afraid to show them, but also to be a team player who builds the morale of the team even in the face of looming defeat or joyous win. Here's to you Go-Go!!!!

SCORECARD
Brandeis Open Play

"Judgment Day" (THE CIVIL WAR)

2007-02-08T20:06:00.000-05:00

Gossip is an essential part of any social interaction group. It was discussed heavily in the book I mentioned a few entries back, "Urban Tribes" by Ethan Watters, as a way to keep group members informed about others who are not able to spend one-on-one time with each other. In the world of volleyball, it's gossip that propels not only among team members but also between teams. In open play, from week to week the teams can comprise different personalities and eventually produce a lot of "talk" when they are off the court. At open play, the rule is to play two games and then sit out one game during the night so it leaves a bit of time to sit around snack and "talk." It is during these times where people are updated on their life situations, work opportunities, relationships, or just funny stories. Gossip is spread during this time and it may be good or really bad. It's just part of social situations, and how the group reacts to the gossip makes for some wonderful or uncomfortable situations. I'm completely guilty of adding to the "talk" and may mention a few things about people, but I would never say anything to damage anyone personally. Or do I? No, really I don't. I just hope that someone would stop me before anything went too far in damaging someone's reputation. This is such a random post but it's a thought I've had before around the volleyball court.

Oh, also I went to watch NYU men's team last night and it was an interesting game. They did not play up to the level that I've seen them play before and I really thought they were going to lose the match. I had to leave during the third game and they were down 1-2 when I left. So I really expected them to not win because their play was not their best. But surprisingly when I checked their score today they made a big comeback and beat the opponent. Never say never in volleyball, there's always a chance for a comeback. God, I love this game, too bad I missed watching that comeback because what I saw before I left was not very watchable.

"Born To Hand Jive" (GREASE)

2007-02-07T17:51:00.000-05:00

In recent weeks, I've experienced a health change. After passing my routine physical exam in November with excellent results, I experienced a lot of discomfort with dizziness and loss of balance in late December through early January. It happened after a brief illness that caused me more mental anguish than actual physical. I went back to the doctor and there was a surprise when my blood pressure had risen. It was at a very severe level, and I started on medication to lower it. I've had family history of blood pressure and diabetes but I was always more concerned about getting diabetes than actually having high blood pressure. I mean I was not stressed or totally physically worthless, but I kept experiencing dizziness that interrupted a normal day and it went on for weeks before we got it under control. So far, the medication has been working and I haven't had any recurrence of those dizziness days. But it was also a realization that I'm getting older and I needed to start monitoring my health a little bit more. Not a drastic change but minor adjustments that would help me out in the long run. I really only had volleyball as my major sport, what other sport could I try. In the diet area, I started slowly and just cut back in my portions and being mindful of what I actually eat. I have terrible eating habits especially for someone who usually gets home at 11:30pm and has dinner, it was definitely a time to change. But a friend told me that it must be proceeded with caution, not too fast. So besides watching my diet, I found another sport (well, sort of)--taking dance classes which I totally love. I've only taken a few hip-hop and jazz dance classes but it reminded me how much I loved to dance. It's another way to help me out as I try to figure out this blood pressure situation. Volleyball may let me get out the stress by hitting on that ball, but it's the dance class that allows me to be expressive and free.

SCORECARD
Viewed Matches
NYU vs. Stevens Institute of Technology: 3-2

"Once Upon A Time" (BROOKLYN)

2007-02-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

How crazy are people willing to be to play a little volleyball? I can provide one answer--arrive early in the freezing cold at Brandeis HS. They may do the same thing for other sports like baseball or football, but those are usually the spectators, not the players. In our own little place in the world located on 84th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenue in NYC lies Brandeis HS. And on Sundays in the winter months, we gather to "line-up" for sign-up. The front two courts are labeled advanced and intermediate, and they're just labels because I play on the one called advanced and I'm far from it. But it's these two courts (48 people, 3 teams of 8 on each court) that people are wanting to make it onto, and over the years they have been arriving earlier and earlier to get in line. As I've said before, over three years ago when I first started going to Sunday open plays, I showed up at 1:00pm (the official start time) and there was not even enough people there to fill up the first court. Fast forward a couple of years and I would show up and be one of the first people to arrive. At that time, we would simply put our bag down after the person in front of you and just wait until noon when we would sign up at noon and then come back at 1:00pm when the gym opened. That bag held your position in line. But there were times when people at some point in the line would say they had more than a few bags and that represented their friends who would join them later in the line. As long as the people behind you were aware of that then it was perfectly fine. But we did have some folks who showed up and saw their friends who were at the front of the line somewhere and go join them and cut in front of everyone else. That was totally not cool. We would complain but it was kind of pointless after they signed in. So when the new season started back in October, I would still be one of the first ones to show up. We had a lot of repeat "jumpers" last season, and I did not want that to happen to friends who got shafted by those individuals this season. So I just sort of took charge and explained that I would start a list of those who arrived and they would receive a number. That number was just their spot in the line and as we signed up I would make sure that each person was present and accounted for and there would be no room for "jumpers." We've had a few instances where "friends" have shown up and expected to get in line with their friends at the front of the line. That was not going to happen this season, not as long as I'm there. When people arrive too late to make it to the front court, I simply tell them that they must arrive earlier, no exceptions. Most of the time, those people got there earlier the next time and made it. This new system has worked out and there have not been any complaints, except from the ones who "felt they deserved to be on the first court" because of their "skills." People arrive as early as 9:30am, no lie. During these past few weeks, when the weather has been bitterly cold, people are able to get a number and go find a place to warm up. I don't mind being out there because I prepare and bundle up heavily. It's just a way to keep it fair. Even the organizers of the league can't believe how crazy it has gotten--to line-up to sign-in for volleyball hours before they actually start playing. Talk about crazy, and I'm completely at the front of that line.

"Come To Your Senses" (TICK, TICK...BOOM!)

2007-02-05T16:38:00.000-05:00

In one's eyes, volleyball may be considered a sport ruled by strength and power, but in another's eyes it may depend on strategy and mental challenges. In all respects, it's both, and the resulting combination is a certain attitude carried among a player. An attitude represents the persona by which others are going to perceive about you. I talk about attitude because I've actually encounter many people's attitude and how it affects others on the court. I don't mind if players walk onto a court and starts spouting a lot of talk about their skills or how good they are as long as they have the ability to back it up. I'm not intimidated by it. If they are that good, then playing against them is going to help me improve in my gamek. But if they can't backup what they're saying, then it can turn into a joke. I recently had this happen where I had someone come up to me at sign-up at Brandeis throwing around a lot of titles and such. And my response, "yeah, so." He had to get in line and wait around just like everyone else. Then as we were watching him play, people all around were shocked to find out his skills were less than spectacular after he was talking big and throwing it out there that his was a "semi-pro." It's usually the people who do too much talking usually aren't the ones with all the skills. But then there is positive attitude. These people are the gems of the court because they lend their postive energy to the team, helping them to improve, boosting others confidence and basically being a cheerleader of a team. Their attitude is ruled as unselfish. Give me that kind of attitude any time, and the other kind can just continue to hit their ball in the net.

SCORECARD
Viewed Matches
Claire and Stefan's Team (One Hit Wonders): 2-1

"Big-Ass Rock" (THE FULL MONTY)

2007-02-04T00:38:00.000-05:00

Injuries are a normal part of sporting activities. They happen and everyone experiences them at one point or another, each with its own severity and extent. In volleyball, it's normally the ankle and the fingers that are severely taped or wrapped up. It's one of those fears you have from playing any sport, but I was especially scared to experience any pain. Nobody likes to go through that but I've seen too many people go down with the pain and it's not pretty. One summer day a few of us went out to a friend's house out on Long Island and played some volleyball in her yard. The ground was pretty level with a few small holes here and there. Well, in one of the final plays of the day, Rebecca fell in one of those holes and then got rolled on by another player, all of which did damage to her ankle. She was in so much pain that her ride back to the city was filled with anguish with any bump in the road. As a runner this injury really affected her livelihood. Her recovery took more than a year yet she continued to have problems with that foot. It is this type of injury that completely scares me.

When I see someone with an ankle brace or knee wrapped, I can only imagine what kind of pain they went through. But they're still playing the game. I often wondered if I don't play the game hard enough because I'm so preoccupied by my fear of injury. I've only had one bad ankle problem on the court. I went up for a hit, and a guy on the other side went under the net so when I landed it was on his foot. I went down and hurt my ankle. I got carried to the side and they continued playing. I rested for a few minutes and quickly taped up my ankle. I was able to walk soon enough and got back into the game. It wasn't too painful and no immediate swelling. It was mostly the bone of the ankle that hurt. I slept with my foot elevated that night just in case. It didn't matter because when I woke up my ankle was swollen and I could barely move. I spent the entire day in bed with my ankle iced and elevated, and I hate being knocked down like that. It was a simple sprain and I'm lucky that it was nothing more serious like others I have witnessed over the years. Knock on wood and keep saying a little prayer.

SCORECARD
Brandeis Open Play

"Any Time (I Am There)" (ELEGIES: A SONG CYCLE)

2007-02-03T12:18:00.000-05:00

I ventured into spring season 2005 with a new team and a new league. I had finally moved over to New York Urban. Now they are the ones who run the open play that I had gone to, but I also stuck with my first league, Big City, and my old team. We had stayed in Big City because it worked out for everyone else's schedule. BC schedules your games on the same night every week so you have a set schedule, but they also have a few rules such as not receiving a hard hit with an open hands and one toss on a serve. These seem like really simple things when you start playing the game, but after a few seasons they start to get on your nerves. NYUrban doesn't guarantee you a specific night every week but they give you a league schedule in ample time to coordinate your schedule with. I've noticed over the years that more people start with Big City but end up moving over to NYUrban. Just an observation.

I think there was only one time when I was not able to make one of the games because they were scheduled at the same time. There were times when they were scheduled back to back at different gyms, but somehow I would make those games. It was during this season I took a few weeks off to go home for personal reasons. My grandfather had been diagnosed with cancer, and I wanted to assist in staying with him in the hospital. That is the drawback with being so far away from your family, you aren't able to help out as quickly as you would like to. My extended family had fixed schedules spread among the children and household tasks taken care of by the grandchildren during my grandfather's illness which had been about four months. When I arrived, I spent almost every night with him in the hospital, sitting with him, reading stories and just talking yet he was not responsive at this point. I got ready to go back to New York after a couple of weeks with plans to return in another month. I was arriving back in NY in time to play two games that very night. On my way to the airport, I visited my grandfather and told them that I would be back in a few weeks, a "see ya later." His eyes blinking to give me a response. I don't believe in "goodbyes." I got on the boarding line at the airport, and my dad called me at that moment on my cell and said that my grandfather had passed. I rushed out of that airport, emotions guiding me when my mind was failing. It was not supposed to happen this way, I was supposed to "see ya later." Yet he was telling me "goodbye." Sometimes we are reminded about embracing the ones around you, who make a difference in your life, to keep living for today because tomorrow is never guaranteed.

"What I Did For Love" (A CHORUS LINE)

2007-02-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

I've always believed in the idea of romanticism--the emotions and depth of two souls connecting. But I've also been told that I usually can't tell when relationships take shape. Maybe my idea of it is too fantasized and the obvious is lost on me. But I'm not aware, more or less, which is actually true when I think about it. In the course of three years, I may not have seen relationships develop, but I certainly heard about them as soon as they become "visible" or "public." Sometimes I find out in the most unexpected ways. Yet I'm always happy for those that find someone special, and surprisingly I've known many from the volleyball court go from dating to engagement to marriage. Also there have been break-ups that can shake up the core of any volleyball group, and like other life situations, support is provided, given without question.

I bring this up because I found out recently of a volleyball friend who told me that she got engaged. Her fiancee also plays volleyball and I knew him from open play. They initially met through a friend at lunch one day. Then a few days later, they bumped into each other at Sunday open play, not knowing that the other played there. I can't believe how time has flown by so fast. And yet my romanticism is renewed.

"I Can't Do It Alone" (CHICAGO)

2007-02-01T01:34:00.000-05:00

By the winter season 2005, I had been captain of 100% Spike Proof (Big City league) for a couple of seasons, but it was also one of the most stressful experiences to date. As a team, we had to adjust to some changes in our roster. With any new addition, the team chemistry is ultimately put to the test. From an external viewpoint, we looked like a content team, yet underneath we were clashing individuals. As a captain, one must remain the emotional center of the team, but the stress from adding new players onto the team who didn't adjust well caused a lot of dissension from the other members. I was fighting with friends, trying to make it work. I realized that maybe I bit off more than I could chew with the captain role because it was hard to try and please everyone about the situation. I find fault in myself in that aspect because I just could not pull the team together during this difficult adjustment. It seems like a simple thing but it blew up more than I ever expected. But like I am with most things in my life, I was hopeful and optimistic that the team would step up and become a more uniformed team with better goals and hopefully a better attitude. Otherwise, it was going to be a long season.

I would always coordinate get-togethers for the team outside of the league games. I don't know why I enjoy doing that but I do. Anyway, about four weeks into our season, I get a vague email saying that the team would meet up at Bowlmor Lanes for a relaxing night of bowling. They just told me to show up at 7:00pm on a Monday night during a week we had no game. I'm not used to just showing up and waiting, at least not knowing the status of when everyone would be arriving. So the team gets there, they escort me into the bowling alley, and won't allow me to pay for anything. I'm thinking that's weird. We start to bowl and having fun, cheering each other on. Everyone got a drink and they wanted to make a toast. I'm like "okay." So we grab our drinks and we make a toast to a great season and great friends. Aspiring and fitting. Then they pull me in the middle and Mark S. starts talking about me being a captain. My eyes start circling the team around me, "what is going on here?" He's saying a speech about me being captain, ME, and I'm totally getting teary-eyed. I'm so shocked, and they say so many things that truly touched me, I'm so honored. But then they pull out a plague and present it to me, and by this time I'm completely bawling in the middle of Bowlmor Lanes. I'm completely surprised by this gift of respect, and the stress of being captain fades away and things start to look up for the team. TEAM had a whole new meaning, it filled my heart. We might not have been the best team in our division but we had a respectable record that season when it was all said and done. Also it represented a time where my optimism, being test and pushed to limits, remained intact.

"I Can't Stand Still" (FOOTLOOSE)

2007-01-31T02:13:00.000-05:00

Last night was a return to watching a little bit of college volleyball action. It's early in the season for the AVCA-ranked Division III NYU Violets. I started watching the NYU teams back in April 2004 after Peter S., my info guru on all things volleyball, mentioned something about their matches, so I decided to check them out. That season would be followed by the women's matches in the fall, and at just about any home match since then you would find me there. It's hard to describe the draw to those matches besides the obvious factor, but it was a chance to learn more about the game.

I realized that in order to improve, one must observe then adjust. I needed to do exactly that because I was still a beginner. I needed to correctly learn the basic skills. Since I didn't have any coaching in the sport and playing in the league matches left little room for instruction, I had to find some way to learn the basics. I was teaching myself which sometimes is not the best way. Since I was new to the sport, I did not have a clue about clinics and such from leagues like Gotham to train wit. So watching the college matches was my display and I learned from it. Obviously, I was not doing things like the men and women on those teams, but I was able to witness body position and movement that helped me greatly. So last night I continued my support of the Violets for another season and who was there with me to cheer/heckle Peter S. and Amy.

I actually had a full night of volleyball. I got through two games of the NYU match, and then I went from the Coles Center down on Mercer and Bleecker up to Brearly HS on 87th St and 1st Ave to catch another match at 8pm. Now this was a men's match that had several supporters there, and I made it just in time. Now I completely shout a cheer, clap my hands, and make a lot of noise for a game, especially a good one, but when it comes to being a close game, the points tied up as it reaches the cap in a rally game, I totally freak out and get nervous. This happened in the second game of this one match I watched, and I was completely gasping for air with each point. Not a good thing to be around me when that happens because sometimes I can't look but the suspense is killing me and I look anyway. That is what sucks about being a spectator because the team keeps their cool as they play each point yet I'm pacing and screeching with each point. Thankfully, they pulled it out and came from being down 16-23 to winning 27-26. Way to go team Five Old, One Young. Then I jumped on the bus and made it crosstown to Brandeis on the westside to watch DFA, a late-starter match which worked out for me. They had a rough start but provided better results in the latter part of the match.

So someone asked me why I would go to all of these games, jumping all over town in a single night. And I just said to them, "Why not?"

SCORECARD:
Kevin and Knut's Team (Hit It and Quit It): 1-2

"For Good" (WICKED)

2007-01-30T03:05:00.000-05:00

So last night I cheered on a team at their regular league match, and I couldn't help notice the camaraderie on the opponent's team. It was a team you could tell had played together for several seasons. It was commented by more than myself, and I was impressed with the opponent's willingness to trust each other on the court, playing their positions well and communicating when they needed a little help. It was not a strong team, but it operated like a well-oiled machine, clearly executed plays and solid defense.

I've witness many teams that have played season after season together, building upon the skills and personality of each player to create their own identity. It has been some time since I was with a team that stayed together more than one season since my first team. Move ahead a couple of seasons down the road, I was lucky enough to team up with some friends and I felt we had reached a close knit team after a few seasons together (summer 2004 through spring 2005). Watching that opponent team last night reminded me of that team. We were called different names--"100% Spike Proof" and "What's Old's, New Again." Cheesy names, yes, but I tried to be clever with the team names and obviously failed miserably. We played in the Big City league, and it was my college friend Barbara, her then-boyfriend-and-future husband Mark, their family friend Mark, in addition to Jerome, Bob, and Sue from that Sunday backcourt crew. This team actually came about when Sue and I were talking about forming a team when we saw a performance of WICKED that June. We realized we only had a few days to put the team together and luckily those we had asked came aboard, and I served as captain (again). I do like having the organizational cap, but I forgot how much emotional baggage comes along with that cap.

We won a few, lost more than our share, had a few arguments, and even an injury but we always stood together as a team. That injury involved Sue. It happened simple enough, we were playing at this crappy gym up on 88th just off Park Avenue, and she went up to tap the ball over the net, reaching high with her hand. When she came down, she immediately walked off the court and kept circling with her hand clasped to her stomach. We kept asking if she was alright but she wouldn't let us look at the hand. She just kept repeating "give me a minute, leave me alone" so we called a time-out. We thought she just jammed her finger, but we were wrong. She finally stopped circling and let us look at her finger, she held it up for all of us to see--it was bent at a 45 degree angle. Not a pretty sight and I'm sure it hurt like hell, but she did not cry or scream, she just said "I need to get to a hospital." The refereee let us have an extended time-out and we grabbed her stuff and Barbara, Anne, and I took her to get a cab. For some reason, it was the hardest thing to find a cab at that moment. We were running up Park Avenue at three different points while Sue just stood at the corner, completely in pain but again showing little discomfort. She handled it beautifully. We finally got her into a cab and we went back into the gym. We won the next two games for Sue, and after the game, the team went to the hospital to wait with her. Her finger was broken and they just popped it back into place. As we sat in the waiting area, I felt grateful for that team at that moment because it was moments like that where the team took care of each other, and if it had been me with the injury they would have done the same thing. Support on the court and off the court.

I miss those guys and we don't see each other enough. Most of them don't play with a league team anymore and some haven't touched a volleyball in almost two years. With busy schedules, it is hard to even see one person just for a get together, sometimes it just doesn't work out. Sue and I have been trying to get together for dinner, coffee, a movie or anything for over a year now, but it's just how things are. Still I have the memories.

SCORECARD
Viewed Matches
NYU Men's vs. Vassar College: 3-0
Ray and Mike's Team (Five Old, One Young): 3-0
Dave and Hui's Team (DFA): 2-1

"The Past Is Another Land" (AIDA)

2007-01-29T01:16:00.000-05:00

I'll admit that I love the game of volleyball, and I'm definitely a better cheerleader/supporter than actual player. I got a loud voice that works better than my passing skills. So this season I've been attending friends' games to show my support. Right now I've caught 7 teams' matches in the first couple of weeks of play. They've been working out schedule wise but I haven't look at this week to see how the schedule will work, it worked out so great last week.

So where did I leave off? Oh, yeah, so by the summer of 2004, I was starting to feel the comfortness of playing with the group, but I also knew that what we once had on Sundays at Brandeis may not be reached again. Since Brandeis Sundays closed for the summer, we would try to get together for some outdoor play but somehow the less structured option did not bring out the same numbers. Pretty soon, we were only hearing from people through email and at occasional parties for birthdays and the such. I continued going to open play on Fridays at Brandeis, and it was a different atmosphere and crowd. The same comfortness was not there, and I had fallen back into a rut. I showed up at 7pm, played around on the backcourt, not much social interaction, and then left. I had only shown up to play and that was it.

But when I would walk out at the end of the evening on those Friday nights, I would see all these cliques go in their own directions. I swear you could have written this scene in a movie where the camera would pull upward as the cliques left and standing under a lone streetlamp would be my large figure in the center. I couldn't help feel a little sad that I didn't have a "clique," but I accepted that that was how things were, content with life's played-out destiny, so far. These "cliques" may have been teams or just friends hanging out after the open play. Yes, they do exist even today. And I may be viewed as being part of one today, but I hope that people think that I don't fit into that categorization. I remember how a few cliques made me feel when I played on those backcourts. They were not the most friendly cliques, and I would get stuck playing with their team. It was a little uncomfortable, and cold is the best way to describe their reception. I remember one night leaving that gym feeling a bit down because of the treatment I received. How could I let people affect me that way, we were grown-ups, not in middle school. But life is still made up of those kinds of people. I hope to never make people feel like that. It didn't stop me from going and I just struggled on. I still see one particular clique sometimes as they still play as a team in one of the leagues, but they don't come to Brandeis anymore. I actually encountered them a few times (about a year later) as we were opponents in our league play, and I remember the first time we played them. Most of that team didn't even remember me, not that I would expect them to, but they're only redeeming quality was their captain who turned out to be a nice person NOW. My team completely dominated, a little sweet revenge. I have to tell you that those days seem so long ago, and hopefully I have grown and learned from that.

Fast forward to present: I have to say that my friends from open play (Sunday and Friday completely mesh together nowadays) completely get my crazy self. I have been just enthusiastically supporting the movie, DREAMGIRLS, my 7th time. Going with friends to make sure they see it and I'm enjoying it every single time. After open play, I took a couple of friends to see it, and a couple of other friends who I had already taken to see it came along to see it again. We saw it at the Ziegfeld Theatre which is the only place in the city to see a movie musical. Of course, I cried at totally different times but the show still gets to me. Afterwards, I named my friends based on the number I saw the movie with them, Lisa and Ray--No. 7s, Dee--No. 5, and Mary Z.--No. 4. And in return, they were calling me--it was a toss-up--Broadway or Effie White. It is something random that I appreciate even more because of where I've been.

SCOREBOARD
Stefan & Claire's Team (One Hit Wonders):

"Family" (DREAMGIRLS)

2007-01-28T02:53:00.000-05:00

So let me look at the social network that seemed to be developing on that backcourt. Seems that everybody there had some sort of story that lead them to volleyball and our little group. We were mostly transplants, living in the city because of a job or new challenges, and our home and/or family were distant. Everybody was so supportive and friendly and that spilled over into an email list that was started by Peter Sell. Those emails contained game recaps, announcements, party invites, and comments. The group had turned into something special very similar to my theatre group--they had become my support.

About a year before I had read a book that described my theatre group and the same results were happening with the volleyball group. The book was by Ethan Watters called Urban Tribes: A generation redefines friendship, family, and commitment (Bloomsbury 2003). In the book Watters describes the urban tribe as "an intricate community of young people who live and work together in various combinations, form regular rituals, and provide the same kind of support as an extended family."

Here we were taking part in a social trend in our generation where the commonality of our group has always been volleyball. Below are a few excerpts from the book regarding my perspective as to how we fit into this social trend:
"Not long ago, the course of one's life would, in all likelihood, be an expression of one's class and group membership. How exciting that we had the freedom to shape our lives to be an expression of personal character" (9).
"We were a curious new breed, those of us treading water in the cities--outside of our families of origin and seemingly unwilling to begin famlies for ourselves. We were interested in (often devoted to) our careers and avocations, but we stayed strangely off the social map in other ways. Devotion to blood ties didn't seem to interest us enough to stay in our hometowns, and the idea of finding community among our neighbors was a quaint anachronism" (19).
"Gossip was more efficient in another way. When three or four members of a social group get together and share information about other group members' personal relationships, they are passing along important information that allows us to know other members of the group better. Without the information transmitted through gossip our group size would likely be limited, because each group member would have to spend more time personally observing the behavior of every other group member" (67).

That backcourt was limited to 24 players, all smiling faces and infectious laughter, but we would leave over the next few months and years, and the encounters would be few and far between (chances to play volleyball had been difficult after Brandeis closes for the summer), but that support would always be there. I continued going to Brandeis regularly over the next few years, but the people from that backcourt group moved on. Still I count some of those people as the best there is, amazing beyond words and special in my heart. The term "urban tribe" still applies to my life. It's just that the faces have changed and for that I'm truly grateful.

SCORECARD
Brandeis Open Play

"Those You've Known" (SPRING AWAKENING)

2007-01-27T12:45:00.000-05:00

As we moved into the spring of 2004, I was consistently going to the Friday and Sunday open plays. I have to explain the set up for Brandeis open plays. You have two courts in the front of the gym which are regulation size courts, these are considered Court 1 and Court 2 and labeled advanced and intermediate. Then in the back of the gym are much smaller courts with lower nets, these are considered beginner courts. So when I started going obviously I went to the back courts since I was a beginner. Fridays were my quiet time in the backcourts because I really didn't associate with too many people, I just came there to play and then leave. But something different took place on Sundays where I played on the far backcourt. The same people came on Sundays and played on the same court, we showed up at 1pm and walked to that backcourt. This also included my college friend Barbara which helped me out socially. This is where I met Amy S., Peter S., Teri, Andy S., Christina Y., Sue, Rebecca, Cira, Zach, Bob S., Laura G., Paul, Mel, and many others. It turned out that that backcourt was 'our' court. It was our space and our own special time. It became a world where I met people I probably never would have met in my own job, personal world. It was the world of volleyball that had brought us together. Years later, I would talk with my friend Sue about how special that time was because we all were going through things and these people were brought into our lives at that time for a reason, to fill something we needed. It would eventually blossom into a social network that I would carry with me today.

Jump forward to last night at Brandeis, it would be the first Friday after the passing of our good friend, Cosmo. Things went as normal including me waiting in the below freezing temperatures outside handing out numbers, but I had prepared myself and completely layered so much that I was handling it okay. Ruth, Donald, and I had discussed what to do this night to honor Cosmo, so we settled on buying a volleyball that everyone could sign and then accept donations to send to Cosmo's family in his memory. Dave had reduced the rate for the evening too. So I walked to each of the courts and explained what we would be doing that evening. So after we had our warm-up time, we called all the courts on the front court and had a moment of silence and prayer by Donald. Donald's words were so perfect about Cosmo and his advice to embrace the day because tomorrow is never promised. We'll miss you Cosmo, rest in peace!

"I Still Believe" (MISS SAIGON)

2007-01-26T03:42:00.000-05:00

The title of "volleyball junkie" was actually thought of by the volleyball slut herself, Haruna. When I met Haruna, she would play on her own teams and then "sub" on other teams when she could. She was play almost every night, and she was an awesome player who towered over most. We called her the volleyball slut strictly as a term of endearment and respect. She was another open play creature that I had seen and played against but did not really know. That changed when I played on her team for a charity tournament. She was a great captain who made us wear pink shirts as a team. Her enthusiasm, potty mouth, and creativity really made her standout. I loved going to cheer her and others on if I didn't have a game so it became more like an addiction. So she called me a volleyball junkie. She moved to California last year for her job, and in true Haruna fashion, she already had a tournament lined up to play the first weekend after she arrived driving cross country. Like I said--volleyball slut.

As I entered the winter season of 2004, a few team members wanted to continue in the new season. But we still needed to fill some spots so we had to do some recruiting at an open scrimmage. Now the tables were turned and it was our turn to ask people to join our team. We already had one interested person, my college friend Barbara, ready to join us. So Anne, Julie, Gaby, Norm, and myself showed up at open scrimmage to pick up a few new people--Mark C., Irene, and Carlos G. This would comprise the group known as Team REZ. Again, we kept playing with a lot of promise, just not the results we wanted. I became so critical of myself which is not an unusual thing, but I was realizing the areas that needed help--ME--because I was captain for the first time. Being captain means being the emotional stronghold of a team, they provide substance to build upon for a team. Each week before the game, I would send encouraging team messages and then recap the match asking for input and opinions. I didn't know if I was failing or just barely making it because I was dealing with my own errors on the court. I wish someone had instructed me on how to be a captain, but I didn't know too many others playing volleyball besides my team to ask questions. Not only do you have to make sure your team makes it to the match, you have to give the line-up, provide cheerful support, and basically become an emotional center. Your own mental state has to be put on the backburner because the team as a whole has to come first in the match. If you make an error, get over it and get ready for the next point whether it be yourself or someone else (I know that now but then?). I was a complete mess. My teammates kept believing in the best, I just wish I had gotten over my own personal demons to actually help me believe in ourselves. I was a bit of a disappoint that first time out as a captain. We didn't finish on top but we weren't at the bottom either so that was something to be proud of.

SCORECARD
Brandeis Open Play

"I Know Where I've Been" (HAIRSPRAY)

2007-01-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

That first team seemed so long ago, and it was because the adventure since then has been filled with laughter, drama, and few tears. And that was just on the court.

I started with a team of beginners that knew the basics of the game, much like myself, all being a little timid but completely enthusiastic. The ten of us were ready to face the season together. We showed up once a week to play our match, and the results were not pleasant. We were discouraged but a few of us realized that we needed practice outside of our league match. A team member, Rochelle, had mentioned an open play that another league had on Friday nights. I was thinking, "Crap, another social situation where you play with people you don't even know." Again, what was I so afraid of?

A few weeks went by and I really needed some practice. Another team member, Norm, suggested Sunday open play that the other league would be beginning soon. A few others said they would go so we could all practice together. Okay, there was no more excuses. So that November 2, I walked into Brandeis at 1pm and there was only one court of players, the first one with about 12 players, and they were a pretty serious bunch. I couldn’t believe I had to jump on the court with them but I did and talk about scary. I mean I just started playing volleyball a few weeks before. My teammates eventually trickled in and we moved onto the empty court. Thus began my fall-winter routine--Sunday open play. So I continued going to Brandeis on Sundays and Fridays and would just show up, play, not talk to many people, and then leave. Not a social bug, just a fly on the wall feeling the place out.

Those Friday nights at Brandeis introduced me to a gentleman who played the part of heckler (and league rep/moneytaker), Cosmo Miranda. With the exception of being out of town, I pretty much spent almost every Friday at Brandeis open play and he was always there. I saw him more than I did most of my friends. Once a week, he would take our money, check us off the list, and always offered a peaceful send-off at the end of the night, “God bless and get home safe. See you next week God willing.” Sitting in his chair, he offered his scathing commentary about a certain play and made his usual Sherman remarks. He didn’t pay too many compliments when it came to plays on the court, and to ever get one from him you were lucky because they weren’t given out easily. I was surprised and a bit humbled when he gave me a small compliment recently after a play. Sadly, he passed away on Tuesday from a heart attack. That compliment he gave me I appreciated even more now, somehow a little bit of validation after three years. He was a good man and he will be missed on Friday nights.

SCORECARD
Stefan and Claire's team (One Hit Wonders): 2-1

"Forget Regret Or Life Is Yours To Miss" (RENT)

2007-01-24T11:35:00.000-05:00

Tonight I sat in a gym along with four friends watching a few matches. I did the same thing last night and I will do it again tomorrow night. Then the following night I will gather and play some friendly games at a league open play. What is this something that inhabits so much of my life, not just on the court but also beyond the doors of the gym? The sport in question is volleyball. This sport has taken me on quite a ride, not so much by playing it but from what I learned from the experiences--a little self-discovery.

Since September 1999, I've been enjoying my life in New York--just an avid theatergoer. Some may even call it bordering on fanatic enthusiasm, especially when it came to my then-favorite show, HAIRSPRAY. My social life was the theatre. That was why I moved to New York--to be near Broadway and all its glories (as an audience member, not actor). My job and life beyond that revolved around that performance space called theatre and a fascination with all who inhabit it. You could find me at some show just about every night of the week.

But in September 2003, I began an adventure that I've been on ever since--this thing called volleyball. For a few years, I would see an ad in the Village Voice for the Big City volleyball league. "Join a volleyball team" sounded so interesting. There was a problem--sports and my body did not go together. It had been years since I had tried any physical activity. So I would take that ad and just put it off until the next time. A chance to react completely ignored. I think I lost about two years because I did not take that chance. But things happen in their own time is my belief. But what was I so afraid of in joining a new sport for fun. I remember playing volleyball with my extended family in my grandparents' yard for years. They had a small court set up on grass with metal poles cemented into the ground. It was all fun. That was what I associated with that sport--family and fun. But an organized league meant new challenges on a social and physical level, both aspects I felt completely weak in. I liked my comfort zone that I had built around me. Theatre was everything to me, and the theatre district was my playground. I mean I could tell you the character names and who portrayed them in almost every Broadway show running at that time (and I think I can still do that). I just thought finding another hobby would be cool, but a team sport was a long ago territory forgotten since middle school.

I finally got up enough nerve to go that fall open scrimmage for Big City. I remember walking through the little alley and up the stairs at High School of Environmental Studies with such nervousness and then to see so many people on and around the court, I felt maybe I was not ready for this. No. I was not going to keep thinking like that. I kept putting it in my mind that there were other people like me--beginners. That was not so bad. I got on the court, rotating, bumping, and serving like others, and made mistakes. I needed to make the mistakes to let others know how flawed I was just so they knew what they were getting if I got on their team. I waited in line to get back on a court when Anne T. came up to ask if I had a team yet. She asked me to join her team and thus the adventure began.

SCORECARD
Viewed matches:
Kevin and Jon's team (Hit It and Quit It): 2-1
Tomoko and Yumi's team (High Q Honey): 2-1
Deb and Leah's team (NY Chix): 2-1