Tennis League Night: 1/30/07

Results: I won 6-4, 6-3

The match went on for 1.5 hours and it should have only been a 50 minute match. I had to dig myself out of 0-40 score on several occasions and that is never good.

The Good:

• My second serve has gotten a lot better since I practiced it this past weekend. I am now able get different spins in addition to power.
• My backhand has become really consistent.

The Bad:

• My movement has not improved due to all of the doubles matches I've been playing. I really need to play more singles matches to improve my mobility.

The Ugly:

• My forehand SUCKED!! This used to be my weapon but now it is very unreliable. I think it mostly has to do with me switching from a Western grip to a Semi-Western grip late last year. I am going to use a ball machine 2x a week in order to work out the kinks in my forehand. I think all have to do is hit a lot of balls to fix the problem.
  

I have 5 weeks until my tournament in Austin, so I have a lot of work to do.

Killervirgo vs. The State of Texas, Part 2

My rant to my sister:

I didn't win. The judge refused to look at my documentation because it wasn't a witness statement, but just my account on how things went. To make things worst, the trooper didn't even know who I was, my case, or the details of the accident. I gave him a copy of my police report because he didn't know why I he was there. I asked him questions and all he can say that he didn't recall the information. I asked him about the traffic and he said it was heavy, and I asked how did he know how the traffic was if he wasn't there ... he said because it is always is. The traffic was light to moderate at best and you could go 55 and be at least 4 car lengths from another car. But since I am not an officer, my word means nothing. The same officer was there for 4 other issues similar to mine but the judge just found us guilty. I think there should at least been some reasonable doubt in my case considering the conflicting information and the fact the officer couldn't accurately recall the information. I am not sure if I should appeal or just pay the $250 and be done with it.

Needless to say, I am not happy. I am taking a half day from work because I am not happy. I was at the court house at 1pm for a 1:30pm start. The judge didn't come out until 2:50. My officer didn't arrive until 2pm. So if we would have started on time, my case could have been dismissed or rescheduled.

So I have 9 days left to figure out if I want to appeal the judges ruling. I wasn't really mad after the judge found me guilty; I was more upset that judicial system let me down. The trooper was clearly confused about what happened but since he is a figure of authority his fallacies are overlooked. The money isn't the issue, it is the principle and the fact the trooper basically lied to the judge about what happened.

My ticket says warning, which I believed because that was told to me by the trooper. His copy says citation and my erroneous copy was deemed a clerical error. If this has been a murder case, I am pretty sure that a clerical error would have meant much more than it does in a traffic violation. It is clearly conflicting information.

I am going to do a bit of research and see if there is any precedent regarding my case. Even if I don't appeal I do plan on filing an official complaint against the trooper.

updates to follow ...

Australian Open 2007 - Women's Final

Edited:

WOOOHOOO!
Serena spanked Maria in the finals 6-1, 6-2. This was the best match I have seen Serena play, ever. Even in her prime she didn't dominate like this. I hope that she stays healthy, get more fit, and win at least one more Grand Slam this year. Her game is best suited for hard court so she can get far at the US Open. Wimbledon is also a possibility, but Venus' game is best suited for that surface.

CONGRATS SERENA!!!

--------------------
Tonight (or tomorrow because of the 14 hour time change) is the Australian Open Women's Final.


Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova (aka Shrieky McShouty)
Let me just say that I love Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters made me enjoy tennis on television and real life. Even with all their health issues, I think are still the best players in the WTA.

Serena, who is clearly not as fit as she once was, is in the finals of a Grand Slam and could possibly pull off a major upset against Maria Sharapova.

This should be a great match. It is hard for me to watch Serena match because I have mini-panic attacks when she misses shots. But I will sit through the entire match live and not use my TiVo to fast-forward through coverage.

COME ON, SERENA!!

Tennis League Night: 1/23/07

Match Results: I won 6-3, 6-1

I played like crap but still managed to get the win due to all the errors by my opponent. I have realized that either I am in the wrong division, or my opponents are. It is a 3.0 league, but I really think I should be in 3.5. My match yesterday took 50 minutes without providing me with any real challenge. This is not going to help me for my tournament in 6 weeks. I can't move up because the schedule has been made so I am basically stuck in a group that can offer any real opposition. I know after I write this I will end up losing next week.

Problems in my game:

• Not keeping eyes on the ball.
• Not following through on my ground strokes.
• The timing of my serve is off. Will need (recorded?) practice session to iron out the kinks.
• Mobility: I have been playing so much doubles that I don't know how to move when playing singles matches.
• Focus: mentally when I am in a match I can't be aggressive as a result I become tentative and miss shots.

I will be doing to some drill sessions as well as using the ball machine to work on my ground strokes. I need to hit a lot of balls to regain my form.

2007 Oscar Nominations

No surprise to me that Dreamgirls was not nominated for Best Actor (sorry Beyonce, but it wasn't going to happen), Best Picture or Best Director. Even though the movie was very enjoyable, it was far from the best picture. Jennifer Hudson got her nomination for Best Supporting Actress and should take home the award barring any kind of upset from Cate Blanchett. I am very happy that Eddie Murphy got his Best Supporting Actor nomination ... to bad Norbit will probably hurt his chance of winning. Three songs from the movie got nominated for Best Song but will probably not win because they are up against Randy Newman (for Cars) and Melissa Etheridge (for The Inconvenient Truth).

I am so glad that Little Miss Sunshine got recognized because it was in my top 5 best movies of the year. Abigail Bresil was a surprise for Best Supporting Actress, but she deserved the nomination. You know Dakota Fanning is pissed she didn't get nominated. Watch you back, Abigail.

And the biggest surprise to me is the Borat got nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Seriously!?!?! That's all I am going say about that.

I watched the nominations live this morning, and Selma Hayek was moved to tears that her friend Alejandro González Iñárritu got a Best Picture nomination. AWW! She cheered loudly when her lover friend Penelope Cruz was nominated for Best Actress. Homegirl better wear some waterproof mascara at the live show in case they win.

I still have to see four movies (The Departed, Notes on a Scandal, The Queen, and Babel) before making my predictions before the awards are handed out.

For all the nominations, click here.

Amazon.com, I Am A Man.

Thanks Amazon.com, but I already own these.


Do you believe this? Can't a guy buy the entire collection of Sex and the City and cookware/appliances without being offered perfume? It is really bad when your favorite online retailer begins judging you.

Blogger is messed up

I tried to use all of the new features on blogger, and it my site is now dead. Hopefully it will be back up tomorrow.

Vegetable Soup for the Soul

The weather in Dallas was horrible yesterday. I was engrossed in watching the Australian Open matches on my TiVo that I neglected to check the local news for a weather and road report. I peered out of the window before leaving when I saw ... snow.

I turned on the news and saw that people were having a heck of a time driving on the roads. I called work to notify my supervisor that I will be coming a couple hours late to avoid the delays. But it mostly due to the crazy people on the road who choice to drive 60 mph on sheets of ice. So I curled up on my couched, and continued to watch tennis until about 10am before heading to work.

It took me 45 minutes to get to work instead of the normal 20. I got in the parking lot and it was deserted. About half of my department was not here, and during lunch the company decided to shutdown at 3pm. I went to the gym (which is in the lobby of our building), then to the grocery store to pickup a items, and back home to start my soup.

I like to make soup on cold days. I decided to make a Vegetable Soup from a recipe I saw on Good Eats a couple of years ago. An hour of chopping, mincing, and simmering ... I had some hot soup to enjoy. I enjoyed my soup and sandwich on the couch watching even more tennis. For dessert, I made Apple Crisp.

My Apple Crisp recipe:

• 3 medium to large apples (any kind)
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of AP flour
• 1/4 cup of butter
• Cinnamon (as much as you like)
• lemon juice (half a lemon)
  
• Peel and core you apples then slice them . Add lemon juice, cinnamon and white sugar to the apples and toss them. Place the coated apples in a greased baking dish. In separate bowl combine brown sugar, AP flour, and butter and blend with a fork. When combined fully sprinkle the mixture on the apples. Bake in a 400 degree for approx. 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I remember this recipe from like 7 year ago when a friend made it for me. It is very easy and it is very good. I will be eating this soup for a least a week because there is so much of eat, but I am not complaining. I only make it twice a year because it never gets cold enough in Dallas to warrant making soup. So until the temperature rises, I will be making soup.

Next week, I think will be making Bacon Lentil Soup.

FYI: Upgrades

I am upgrading my site with all of the new Blogger feature. There may be some downtime. Thanks!

Tennis League Night: 1/16/07

With below freezing temperatures, I was sure that the first night of my tennis league would be canceled. I was so sure I didn't bring my my gear. I called the tennis center just to confirm the cancellation only to be told that we were going to play despite the weather. That sucked. I had to drive all the way home, luckily it was against traffic. I got home and proceed to layer up:

• 2 pairs of socks, thermal top and bottom, stripper pants (breakaway gym pants with snaps), tennis shirt, 7 year-old Old Navy polar fleece (the warmest sweater I have that doesn't restrict my movement).

The tennis center 30 minutes north of where I live. I usually go directly from work and it only takes me 5 minutes. While stopped at a traffic light, I reached in my tennis bag to retrieve my first aid kit containing my lip balm ... and I sliced my knuckle on my middle finger. Ironic, huh? Blood is pouring out and there is nothing I can do because the light just turned green. I finally arrived at the tennis center with blood covering my finger, and I dashed inside to use the restroom to attend to my wound. I washed off the blood, used some disinfectant and applied a bandage. I met my opponent and we began warming up.

Match Results: I won (6-3, 6-2)

We should have postponed the matches because the cold air affected the bounce of the ball and my strings. My left hand was the coldest part after the match since I used that part of my body the least. I was trying to end the match as soon as possible, and it took about 50 minutes to get the win.

Next week it will be much warmer (forcasted to be around 60 degrees) and I will be able to play without all the layers.

My Golden Globe Picks

Edited:I was 11/18 in my Golden Globe choices. I went against my gut regarding Ugly Betty winning Best Comedy, and America Ferrera for winning Best Actress (comedy).

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

1. THE DEPARTED
   Warner Bros. Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

1. HELEN MIRREN — THE QUEEN

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

1. FOREST WHITAKER — THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
   Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox
2. DREAMGIRLS
   DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures; DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures

I am torn on this category because I really liked both movies. But I will give the edge to Dreamgirls because the movie came out recently.

5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. MERYL STREEP — THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. SACHA BARON COHEN — BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

1. CARS
   Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studio; Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (USA/JAPAN)
   Warner Bros. Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures

9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

1. JENNIFER HUDSON — DREAMGIRLS (SHE BETTER WIN!!)
   

10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

1. EDDIE MURPHY — DREAMGIRLS

11. BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE

1. CLINT EASTWOOD — FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

12. BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE

1. GUILLERMO ARRIAGA — BABEL

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE

1. "A FATHER'S WAY" - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
   Music by: Seal and Christopher Bruce
   Lyrics by: Seal

15. BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

1. GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC) - Will win
   Touchstone Television
2. HEROES (NBC) - Should win
   NBC Universal Television Studios i.a.w. Tailwind Prods.

17. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

1. MICHAEL C. HALL — DEXTER (This was a surprisingly good show and Michael C. Hall deserves the win because he was overlooked when he was on Six Feet Under)
   

18. BEST TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. THE OFFICE (NBC)
   Deedle Dee Prods. with Reveille i.a.w. NBC Universal Television Studio

19. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES -COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. FELICITY HUFFMAN — DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

20. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

1. ALEC BALDWIN — 30 ROCK

Gadgetry: The Apple iPhone

The Apple iPhone has made its debut at the MacWorld Conference and I must have it. Okay, I don't really have to have it, but I would love to have it. The only bad thing is that it will only be available for Cingular customers in June. I don't like my current provider Sprint, but I like them more than Cingular. I wouldn't wish Cingular service on my worst enemy. The new iPhone will cost $499 for the 4Gb model, and $599 for the 8Gb model.

I will wait until the 2nd or 3rd generation before I buy an iPhone. Hopefully buy then there will be a Sprint version. In September I have a feeling that a new touch screen iPod will debut, so I will save my money for that.

iPhone may not be its official name since Apple is now being sued by Cisco because they own the name "iphone." They just could call it the [apple logo]phone and be done with it. But I guess they like iPhone better.

DVD: Martin - The Complete First Season

[source: Amazon.com]
I got my copy of Martin - The Complete First Season from Amazon.com in the mail yesterday. I watched 3 episode during my lunch break on my iBook and I forgot how funny this show was. I haven't seen these episodes in the longest time. Martin Lawrence's Momma Payne, Sheneneh, and Jerome characters were just icing on the comedic cake.

[source: Amazon.com]
I got this because last year I got the Living Single - The Complete First Season and I remember watching these shows Sunday, then on Thursday nights when they were moved. I still firmly believe that Sex and the City was patterned after Living Single. Or, maybe bother shows were both patterned after Golden Girls?

Anyway ... if you haven't seen either show, they are worth checking out.

2007 Goals

It seems like forever since I posted a message on my blog. I have been so busy working on my tennis groups website that I have been neglecting my own. The tennis site is up and running and I now I can devote more time to my blog. Let me start off by listing some goals I want to accomplish in 2007.

Goals:

• Be more healthy
• it seems like I am always obsessing about my weight, but I really to do something because I am close to regaining all the lbs I lost 6 years ago. I am back in the gym and changed my diet dramatically to clean out all the crap I have been eating. Really. I remember a couple of weeks ago I ate a gallon of ice cream in 3 days. No more of that!
  
• 2008 Edit: I started off the year pretty well and lost about 15 lbs. but I slowly got back into my old habits and put 10 of those lbs back on. Also, once the tennis season kicks into high gear, I don't go to the gym. I need to get into the gym and put on some lean muscle.
  
• Win another tennis tournament
• I am trying to be more healthy for tennis because I plan on playing a lot this year. I have a tennis league starting next week and that is to help retool my game for a tennis tournament in March. I have four major tournament this year, including a tournament in San Diego, CA ... maybe. I have issues with flying, but I really should go.
• 2008 Edit: I didn't make it to the San Deigo for tennis, but I did go there for vacation. The city is amazing and I would move the if it wasn't so darn expensive. I've won 3 USTA tournaments, and won a Doubles title.
  
• Learn ORACLE
• I have decided to take my IT career in the Database Administration path. Hopefully, this year I will be learning how to program to ORACLE and get my certification for a possible promotion.
• 2008 Edit: Not sure I want to do this a career. Still weighing my options.
  

I am going to limit myself to 3 goals this year because they all will be time consuming. Hopefully I can meet my goals by the end of the year. I will post an update at the end of the year.

2006 New Year Resolution Wrap-up

• Blog more - I have a lot of thoughts but I never seem to manage to type them up. I will try to make more of an effort to blog more.
• I think I did a lot of blogging in 2006 so I think I fulfilled the resolution.
  
• Get tattoo - I am still designing it, and I am not sure where to put it.
• I decided to change the design and the location of the tattoo, so I will get it sometime this year.
  
• Make it past the first round in a (singles) tennis tournament.
• completed - I won my first tournament
  
• Get in shape by actually going to the gym and cut down eating (delicious) fatty food from McDonalds and other fast food place.
• Yeah ... this didn't happened.
  
• Find an apartment that is close to work when my roommate moves back to Canada.
• completed - I decided to stay in the same apartment.
  
• "Come out" to mom and dad - I think it is about time.
• Watch every Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode - With over 120 episodes at 85 minutes each, it will take me the entire year to get through them all. I own all the episodes but only watched 40 of them.
• watch seasons 4, 5, 8-10. still need to see the other episodes.
  
• Watch all three seasons of Nip/Tuck - I heard a lot of good things about the show but I didn't have the FX Network at the time.
• I made it halfway through season 1, but I didn't like any of the characters so I lost interest.

I am deciding my list for 2007 and I will post it sometime this week.

Happy New Year!

NYE Party 2006/2007

Tonight is the NYE party at my friends condo, and it should be fun. There will be about 20 people in attendance that I know and about 3 that I don't. There will be food and drink and I plan on getting my fill of Sprite throughout the course of the evening.

Up until today I was determined to get a kiss at midnight from Rx, but now I am think I am over my crush. I decided that it is waste of time chasing after someone who knows how you feel, and who feels the same, but decides not to forge a relationship. It is too exhausting.

Tonight is about fun.

update:

I dragged myself home around 1:30am at this morning after having fun at the party. No drama ... just fun. Youngin' was invited to the party and he proceeded to get drunk and threw himself at Rx, as well as another guy. It was a sight to see.

Happy New Year!