Yesterday was a good day

Yesterday was a good day.  We've been looking for a house in East Oakland for some months now, but it's beginning to seem like years.  I've been frustrated and impatient with the process.  We've been waiting to hear back on a house that is a short-sale for a month.  It has seemed like the perfect neighborhood and a great place.  Then, on Saturday, we found a house just a couple blocks away with more space and for fewer dollars ($65,000 actually).  We made an offer and it was accepted yesterday morning.  East Oakland here we come.  Our prayers have been answered.  We'll be moving in 30 days.

Then, to top the day off I downloaded the new Roots album, Rising Down, with an iTunes gift certificate my friend gave me on my birthday.  It's amazing.  Thanks Craig.

Be careful what you wish for

Since I moved to "The City" (our term of endearment for San Francisco which I may stop using out of respect for our beloved city of Oakland), I've been whining about a lack of people to play basketball with and lift weights with.  Since I turned 30 a few weeks back (February 23 for those of you who forgot to send me a card), I've been looking at myself and who I am and who I want to become.  I decided to recommit myself to being a competitive basketball player for a number of reasons.  I truly enjoy playing.  It keeps me in great shape.  I will meet people in Oakland while playing who may never talk to me otherwise, etc. etc.

So I emailed one of my favorite people in the world, Paul Davis, and asked him for a workout plan.  When he asked me what my fitness goals were, I just told him to imagine I was trying to make the NBA.  He didn't just email me a workout program, but he mailed a DVD that outlines a strength/plyometric/jumping program for basketball players.  So on Monday I got up early in the morning, went to the weightroom in our garage and got after it.  

Later in the early evening I went to shoot a few baskets over at the Potrero Hill Rec Center.  A couple guys over at the other end of the court invited me to do a basketball workout with them. Turns out one guy played for Pepperdine a while back and the other guy was the leading scorer for USF and the entire West Coast Conference, including Gonzaga, St. Mary's, etc.  I know only like two people reading this care about those couple details, but I hope you two people enjoy them.  So we did this strenuous workout of shooting, dribbling, and sprinting, and after my morning workout I felt like my legs were going to fall off, but wow, it was so fun.  The guys invited me to workout with them three days a week.  Suddenly I've got a plan and seriously talented guys to practice with.  By the time I get to Oakland (mid-May?) I'll be ready to play some basketball.