Have to admit waking up on sligtly less positive note this morning. It’s Day 3 of setting cell alarm for 7 am, and training habits take 30 days. It’s clearly a habit that needs relearning should a getting-a-little-momentum economy present better job possibilities, so I’ll get used to it. Shooting hoops in warm sunshine, thats an old school technique for relaxing body and brain.
Normally I’d be keeping one eye on ESPN for results, snippets of info about individual players or any lingering facts about these teams as they push to the Final Four, but its a crap shoot at this point if I get a piece of my ‘investments’ back in picking prowess (thanks New Mexico and St. Louis). I’ve knocked out a quantity of ‘fable’ material for a childrens book project with SC HOBY this week, but having something concrete to stake personal triumph on is lacking–picking a ton of winners in first rounds gets at least part of that back.
I *do* believe this country is about to throw off certain restraints and negatives though, so maybe I’ll try that ‘fake it till ya make it’ stuff. I considered this while shooting hoops in Tampa last week, when a real focus came through about it being 30 years since I left Tampa. My folks retired to Florida in 1988 when Dad, 83 when died at the end of January, was 59. THAT is kind of the crux of things for many Americans, because this is going to be a time for a sea change of major proportions.
We need to determine a new way to ‘Better’ because what we’ve been doing isn’t feeling right. Saying “what WE’VE been doing” might be inaccurate, but I’ve been hunkered down in retail and wondering what combination of push and some kind of break might move my cause back onto a more remunerative path. If Mom is a little confused about what comes next without Dad, she has a paid for home and money in the bank. Its not going to be easy, but thats what ‘us guys’ have been taking turns with visiting her, trying to keep things moving in right direction.
Believe it or not, thats where shooting comes in.
At the local court, I started using ‘the other basket’, and instead of chipping paint on my free throws I was making them easy–17 in a row, a streak I haven’t seen in a decade, and on my (un)patented turn-to-the-baseline-from-14′-out I could *feel* the gazeeet! stop action split second where you understand where the basket is and, allowing for physical drift and annnny other factor in the world, exactly how quick you release the shot–NOW!– to miss the edge of the backboard.
One, both FTs and long shot have been missing lately–30 years since Tampa have not been kind to my left knee–and when you lose confidence in something thats been so good so long, it does cause concern. Like when the prettiest girl in high school hits 46 or realizes the white jeans make her hips look wide. Charlotte no longer thinks its bullet-proof to stormy economics because “we’ve got two of the biggest banks headquartered here,” and BofA shareholders are grateful to see stock isn’t ‘under water’ any more. The unemployment numbers are down, and companies have finally decided to put people back to work, since all utility has been wrung from skeleton staffing, even if MiniMe thinks cutting hours is solution to all.
If its going to come down to attitude, I’ve got that, and it only took some time in the sun, an unexpected couple 100 payoff in commission and a new target to get it righter. I don’t expect a hearty dose of respect for my efforts or a raise (reports are even a 74- Very Good doesn’t get a raise), but Jack and I can see Nautica $$ if we crunch it the last week, so thats afoot.
Extra note of pride: my nephew Paul “put the capstone on his collegiate golf career” by halving his match for Oxford vs. arch-rival Cambridge. Brother Steve couldn’t be ‘on the bag’ because of back injury, but played in brutal cold and wind, it must’ve been epic. Steve says they were forced to only 18 holes both days, delayed start allowed high winds to remove 2″ of snow and actually dry the course somewhat. Winter rules for lifting/cleaning were in effect. Incredible!
Glenn S.
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