2009 USAV Nationals

I realize it's been on your mind since I teased a Nationals entry, hhu! Avid Reader, your wait is over! Nationals 2009 has come and gone. And with it, a collection of memories & stories, of wins & losses, and of renewed commitments to the game & thoughts of retirement.

You may be dying to hear how my team fared. What I will say to you, Avid Reader, is that we did not finish well per se, but had an interesting run...

Day One -- Pool Play
Started strong in the most nervous game of the tournament -- the first one! Literally shellacked the opposite team, then broke down and lost the next two games to start the tournament 0-1 and to chalk up a loss to a team we never should have lost to. Ouch. Game Two was more of the same as we came out strong in the first game, to quickly fall apart and lose the next two. 0-2. Trouble. Game three was our wake-up call, however! Against a solid team (called United Nations -- foreshadowing), we ended the first day with a strong three-game win to finish the day, 1-2. I am encouraged; I have visions of playing until I'm 80.

Day Two -- Pool Play
The morning did not start as the afternoon had left off. Instead, we came out flat and altogether off. We lost 0-2 to a team we not only should have competed better against, but should have beaten. However, we were terrible, both as a team and as a volleyball team. So, a loss to start the morning; now 1-3 overall. Next two matches against the top two teams in our pool... both of whom we smoked! Madman definitely turned it around to finish pool play (3-3) and with hopes of going to the Gold/Silver challenge bracket (for the top teams)!

Wah-WAAAAAAAAAH. Our Top 20 seeding was not meant to be. We finished in a three-way tie for 2nd in our pool of parity and based on tie-break rules, secured the #4 seed and were sent to the Bronze/Copper challenge bracket. Interestingly, had we tied with either one of the other two teams in our three-way tie, we would have secured the #2 seed outright. It just wasn't meant to be. Day 2 ends and I'm feeling mixed emotions. I'm thinking to myself, 'Self, is this roller coaster fun or is it the Matterhorn: looks fun from afar, but very uncomfortable while riding.'

Day Three -- Tournament
And our spirits weren't high enough to sustain us in the Bronze/Copper bracket as we dropped the challenge match to go to Bronze and ended up in Copper. And if they weren't low enough, we played United Nations again in a loser-out match in the Copper bracket... and instead of going 2-1 this time against them, they pulled out game #3 to send us packing. So, Avid Reader, we finished the tournament 3-5 overall (9-12 in games) to take 47th (out of 52). We were 1-2-BBQ in the tournament, but based on our record, we ultimately placed 9th in Copper.

Now, if that recap wasn't enough to whet your whistle, then this will -- check out my USAV Nationals photos. I took the majority, but my camera became communal and a number of Seattlites chipped in to take photos while my team was on the court or while my hands were full.

Overall, it was another great year at Nationals as I got to see and hang out with friends I oddly only get to do about once a year. As always, it was a hoot to cheer on other Seattle teams and bond with those I normally only compete with throughout the indoor season.

And so another season closes in my volleyball story. As promised above, Nationals gives me renewed hope in playing as I do experience joy on the court (for the most part) and past Nationals performances give me confidence to continue playing at a high level. However, given my infrequent court time, gearing up takes longer, I move a bit slower during, and hurt a bit more after. What I do know for sure: I will reevaluate like I always do come the next season!

Happy Birthday to Me!: A Report by Todd Moore

So, my birthday is May 22nd. Pleasingly, I was on vacation for it. Displeasingly, I was incredibly jet-lagged. What follows is a version of the story that would make for a good report. The fact that I collapsed in a physical and emotional heap in my hotel room in the middle of the day would not. Read on!

My birthday unoffically started on May 21st when I went on VACATION in Minnesota! Indeed, the birthday gift of all birthday gifts! After dinner with friends at The Local, we opted for 'dessert' next door at Barrio, a friendly tequila bar. Point being, Avid Reader, my birthday started off with a BANG!

As for my birthday itself, I treated myself to an iced venti non-fat caramel macchiato and a trapse around Minneapolis to take in the sights & sounds of the midwest. We enjoyed crossing the Mississippi River -- not quite at a place that you can walk across with five steps down -- but across stunning bridges that make Minneapolis the city that it is. We also enjoyed the famous Flour Museum and an air-conditioned lunch. (After a much-needed nap) We also enjoyed more time with friends back at The Local that night as all of the Seattle teams in town for the USAV National Tournament descended on Minneapolis and came out to celebrate my birthday (at least I'm going to say that's why).

My favorite memories of the day included actually ordering a venti beverage (a first for me, if you can believe it!), talking to my parents, enjoying that I knew so much about Betty Crocker, getting serious Jace Time (as well as with his parents), a moment of friendship with Jesse, seeing all of the Seattlites in MN and getting all of the birthday wishes, returning to a Facebook profile swamped with messages, and the Conformation card & gifts from J.C..

It was indeed a swell birthday.
I'm excited to be 30 next year!

No Reservations

"So, what do you classify as "local" cuisine," I asked Amy & Arthur today at lunch near the office. "Well, you know, dirty floors. The kind of place you wouldn't want to eat at." Amy replied. SOUNDS PERFECT!

And indeed, Avid Reader, it really was! We hit the North Point area of Hong Kong tonight and enjoyed Tung Po Restaurant. A Hong Kong favorite for years and years, Anthony Bourdain visited to film 'No Reservations' for the Travel Channel and now the secret's out. This place ROCKED!

We joined HUNDREDS of Hong Kongians on plastic stools around beat up wooden tables to enjoy some of the best cuisine I've had on any travel. The squid ink spaghetti and squid balls was a teeth-blackening favorite, as was the chicken which didn't stand a chance. Owner Robbie was the consummate host and ushered us from a back table to one with a full view of the action as well as told us what we would be enjoying. Here's a guy who loves people and his job altogether.

Other fun highlights including drinking beer from frosted BOWLS and watching part of the meal process include santizing one's tea cups, spoons, chopsticks and glassware in hot tea before usage. To top it all off, it was quite a hoot to see good old fashioned commercialism make its way to the servers' uniforms via our beverage of choice tonight: San Miguel.

So, this experience ranks right up there in all of my global travels as one of the best "local" experiences I've ever had. Which made it fun to remember all of the amazing meals I've gotten to experience in my lifetime from dining on ruins in Rome to enjoying a basket of fresh vegetable crudite where Matisse once painted in southern France. This one definitely counts. Amazing. Authentic. Awesome.

And yes, the floors were dirty.

Now I get it.

Took me a bit, but now I get it. Based on my first visit, I sure thought Hong Kong was awfully vertical and both architecturally impressive and decrepit at the same time. But I never understood comments about how this place was STUNNINGLY beautiful; I just didn't see it. But that altogether changed for me tonight.

I decided to (melt) head out into the day to catch some sights -- with my sights set on Kowloon such as to see this allegedly amazing skyline. I had read up on Kowloon in that it was a shopping and touristy area; the former slapped me upside the head as it was all of the high-end shops you could imagine (Gucci, Tod's, Prada, Dior, Fendi, Miu Miu, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and more. Oh, and smack in the middle was the best store on the planet: H&M (I so got a killer hat and linen pants); the latter wasn't as pervasive in the form of tchotchke shops, but I was offered "copy watch" and other adult services we dare not mention (this is a PG crowd afterall, come on!).

I made my way to the waterfront and was impressed from the first glimpse. The Avenue of the Stars -- an ode to Hollywood's Sunset Strip -- was a bit over the top, but I parked for a while and simply stared across the water. I also hung around long enough to catch the nightly light show with laser beams flying all over Victoria Harbour. The city was the star tonight (even if this guy tried to steal the spot), as she is every night. I just hadn't yet seen her all done up.

Avid Reader, she impressed. I now have a whole new appreciation for what Hong Kong brings to the table. I feel like Keith from Some Kind of Wonderful -- I never knew the treasure right under my nose until I looked through different eyes. And Hong Kong was all Watts -- pun intended. And she's so nice, I leave you with her twice:

Seoul Friday

I spent the day in the field with my Korea colleagues visiting clients -- Citibank and LG Electronics -- talking about online advertising and behavioral targeting (WOW -- I think I actually just mentioned my job after a year of posting international adventures because of it. Good times!).

It was great to spend the day with TeQ and I'm reminded that inasmuch as Seoul is "western", it's a unique city in that it's filled with art (look familiar?). I honestly can't get enough. And simply don't.

Relative to the migraine, call me tender-headed, but tough-spirited, I braved through today like Babe off the farm. Yeah, that awesome.

Migraine

I was fully planning to post two (2) new entries tonight -- one including the Best Post in the Universe. However, due to a bloody migraine headache, both posts have been cancelled until I can actually move my head again. More to come, I promise! For now, however, I am back to burying my head in a pillow!

Side note, the classic Todd Moore Migraine Symptoms (TMMS) hit today, including loss of vision, then language & memory skills. In short, I had the Koreans completely confused with my attempts at English!

Sayonara, Japan!

This is what I am saying to Tokyo just now as I type on the train to the airport – I’m on my way to Korea! However short my stay here this trip (3 nights), it was wonderfully full of my team and even more feelings of momentum for the business than I’ve ever before felt (who knew that a 0.9% Strip Rate could feel so good?!).

Most of the legacy DRIVE Japan team and I hit Roppongi and a delicious Okinawan restaurant called Churari where I completely enjoyed the very dark purple sweet yam hash browns (among other regional favorites) as well as the all-you-can-drink package and its affects on “The Enzyme”-free Japanese.

Never too many weak Gin Tonics later, I met Doug back at the hotel where we trapsed around Shinjuku in hunt of a place to catch up and grab an adult beverage. Sadly, we found no open nor cover charge-free watering holes, but I was able to introduce him to PRINT CLUB! He was a natural.

More adventures to come from Seoul!

2009 Miss Universe Japan

First, let me say that if I have earned ANY of your trust over the course of our relationship, believe me now because what I’m about to tell you may very likely seem unbelievable. But it is 100% true…

I was VIP @ the 2009 Miss Universe Japan Pageant!

See? Seemingly unbelievable, but oh so true! Avid Reader, I got to attend the most amazing event of a lifetime when I was offered an MSN Sponsor VIP Pass to the pageant… and it did not disappoint! In an effort to synthesize my thoughts and not to ramble on with words like “AWESOME!”, “AMAZING!”, and “CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!”, I hereby provide my analysis in three buckets:

1. Pageants are OH.MY.GOD.AWESOME!
The gowns! The lights! The music! The heels! The production! The swimsuits! … and lingerie! … and bikinis! It was non-stop glam and seriously amazing. I was in cultural heaven – not only being at a significant event for the country of Japan and for the Japanese, but also by being immersed (in the 14th row!) in the world of pageantry. I nearly want to get more involved now!

What also made it amazing was also the fact that it was a serious trannymess. While the production value was extremely high, the logistics were a nightmare. Case in point, for the bikini portion of the event, the Top 5 were required to walk in 5” heels (seriously, check out the heels, particularly on the uber skinny contestant as an example) down a set of stairs toward the audience, strike poses, then get out of the way… all during an incredible aria by a famous Japanese opera singer. Her song started, she amazed us for ~2 minutes, then the contestants paraded out one at a time. Unfortunately, the song was over before the 5th woman had her turn, so she had to do her entire – and near impossible – stair descent and pose routine to DEAD SILENCE in front of 5,000 people. No joke. Which brings me to…

2. It takes a Special Someone.
Is as much as I believe I could rock a pageant… with a full head of hair… um… and with some grace… oh, yeah,… and if I were a woman… I’m now convinved that it takes someone much more special than I even think I am. The gowns! The posing! The three skimpy outfit numbers! The lip-syncing to English songs I have never heard before! The confidence to go about it regardless of how silly it seems! Friends, the next time you run across someone who says they’ve participated in pageants – no matter how young or old – hug this contestant. You are in the presence of someone completely different than you or me. And quite frankly, they may just be better people than us for they’ve done the impossible -- and impossibly ridiculous -- completely on purpose.

3. Ode to the Impossible
And speaking of the improbable, I would also say that, for some of the contestants, dancing is 100% impossible. It nearly pained me to have to watch some of these women prance around pretending to have any sense of the skill. And for a stunningly graceful culture, I’ve never seen so many man hands. My own personal hell – and keep in mind that I am a song-on-repeat kind of guy – was when we had to watch each of the 10 finalists do a 3-4 minute routine with a band of silly sailors. TO THE SAME DAMN SONG! 10 finalists x 3.5 minutes = > ½ hour of pinching myself HARD. To something about ‘being a daddy’s girl… who makes her feel so…’ Two words: night mare. That said, I was nothing short of impressed with the Chicago number by all 20 contestants in their slinky lingerie, but the individual routines would have had my friend Charles Newton demanding his VIP money back! That said, I still must refer to principle #2 above.

But, you can see for yourself! Check out highlights from the pageant itself -- and meet the winner, Emiri Miyasaka, 2009 Miss Universe Japan:


Bottomline, Avid Reader, I got to see Miss Universe Japan crowned and will oddly now feel I have some skin in the game when it comes to the Miss Universe Pageant as she competes with our own Miss Universe USA (Miss North Carolina for those keeping track at home) for the ultimate crown this summer. And I believe Miss Universe Japan is definitely counting on me. She told me so with her eyes. Oh yeah. She saw the lens. She knew who her daddy was.

No, really I could be her daddy. And, as any proud papa would do, I offer this fatherly advice: find a dance instructor. STAT. Just sayin’.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now that I think about it (a near-week later!), she didn't actually get a crown! Granted, she won a car and a lot of large pieces of cardboard with Japanese characters on them and a body-size bouquet of flowers, but no crown! God, I'd be so pissed.

And, should you wish to enjoy my entire 2009 Miss Universe Japan photo collection, click here. Crazy, no?! Seriously... CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!

Playin' the (very small, canine-like) Ponies!

Saturday night has come and gone in Sydney; my final night is well beyond twilight. I literally leave Australia, Avid Reader, in eight (8) hours. Yes, that means between now and then I must try to find sleep, cab to the airport, do the whole international check-in 'thing', and take off for Tokyo. Instead, I've decided to prolong the evening and provide an update here. I'm just that kinda guy.

Sarah, Liam and I met up at the the Australian Youth Hotel where we quickly began to imbibe in ice cold (well done, Australian!) adult beverages and Screw Your Neighbor. Sarah finished the evening as Supreme Ruler; Liam was the best card collector ever. And yes, have you played SYN before, you know what title that means!

The highlight of the night, of course, was hitting up the Sydney Dog Raceway! Never having seen greyhounds race, I was blown away by the sheer speed. I thought horse racing was something; boy, does dog racing take the cake! Friends, our canine friends take 520m in ~30 seconds. No joke. I was all about the fast speed camera and all I could catch was a blur.

Being awesome, however, I also picked a pair of big winners of the evening... dogs #1 and #2 in the sixth race. I chose a quinella for both to finish top two (no specific order) and turned my $5 "investment" into $41 at the end of the race! Brilliant! It's something to experience altogether -- though, not going to lie -- it was also a bit unnerving having some knowledge of the sport's perception (in my mind) back home.

THAT SAID, the night was a hoot and I'm wonderfully pleased to have optimized for tons of time with Liam & Sarah. You're wonderful!

Ode to Laura

Having had the amazing opportunity to see Laura Totten at work a few weeks ago @ the Weaver's wedding, I tried to pick up on a few tricks of her trade. The really really is that I was only able to catch her right finger on the camera and continue to understand that I may never get the trade, much less its tricks.

That said, I picked her brain later at the Copper Pig and tried to work on aperture settings today. Underwater photography provided the perfect vehicle to let less or more light in, depending, and I was able to capture this series as a mini-workshop. I stood in one place, reset the aperture, then took a shot. Check out the contrast of light:

I think I may be getting it... at least a little bit. Thanks Laura!

Sydney Sights

G'day, Avid Reader! And happy weekend! It seems it was a tough week the world over; I, too, am pleased to welcome the weekend. And did I ever! I opted out of a trip out of Sydney to the Blue Mountains (an ode to my own Blue Mountain heritage) and the Jenolan Caves, and opted instead of a leisurely morning and trapse around my immediate neck of the woods.

Specifically, I enjoyed a quiet cappuccino and toasted, buttered banana bread (this is so popular!) and the morning paper at Lime Restaurant, then delivered on a promise to myself to check out Wildlife World and the Sydney Aquarium right in Darling Harbour.

I was one of the first three folks in the door @ WW, so thankfully I was a able to rush through the arachnids and reptiles without tripping over unsuspecting patrons or small children (likely held against their will). I was literally one of the only people around to take part in the morning bird feeding. I honestly wasn't sure who got the best of the porridge as I left with it all over my shirt. Good times!

The big draw of course was being able to see kangaroos and koalas, even though I quickly realized I had the same adventure @ Taronga Zoo the last time I was here. Having bonded with the RooKeep, I was the only adult who he let pet the red kangaroos while they were feeding! Of course, once the Japanese tourists saw me past the barrier, all hell nearly broke loose as they tried to desend on the marsupials, too. Let's just say I quickly bolted for the Koala Zone from there.

Not wanting to push my luck after the bird assualt and pat-a-kanga, I didn't stay for the Koala feeding, but instead enjoyed the little ones from afar, as well as the cassowary -- the most dangerous bird in the world! (if not the most ugly) -- and some inanimate or otherwise dormant wombats. All in all, it was quite the adventurous World of Wildlife for sure!

As leaked above, I also enjoyed the Sydney Aquarium and was quickly reminded of 'Finding Nemo' as cries of "Nemo!", "Dory!", & "Gil!" were the norm. I was secretly pleased. Highlights, of course, were the two playful platypus (that I confirmed were no bigger than an anemic pineapple, Jesse! Seriously, probably only twice the size of HodgePodge. The size of a beaver... puh-SHAW!), the freakishly close and watchful crocodile (along with a memorable warning), um... SHARKS!, and the featured attraction: dungongs, the mermaids of the sea! Two of only six "sea cows" in captivity are at the Sydney Aquarium and are therefore captured in my photos and in the memory of my trip.

I ended the first half of the day with lunch in the sun in The Rocks, a walk along Circular Quay to take in the beautiful Sydney Harbor and to capture a fun shot in my Sounders jersey (see previous post). Good times altogether -- and now I gear up for Saturday night adventures with friends! More to come, Avid Reader. Thanks for enjoying my Saturday with me!

p.s. sadly, Tia, no meerkats, but this little rock wallaby got a huge hello in your honor instead!

I know I am, I'm sure I am!

Shout out to
the SoundersFC
from the land
Down Under!

Sydney '09!

Good Day from Down Under!

It's been quite the week so far -- one in which bedtime means 2AM and mornings start shortly after. Sadly, this has meant little time to connect with you, Avid Reader. Me, I blame the silly concept of time zones.

I did want to share a few highlights however, but mostly around sweet locales I've been able to enjoy since arriving (excluding both the Microsoft offices in town, of course!). And yes, I have to report that each evening has wonderfully included adult beverages, but in the likes of a local Pyrmont pub, at an official Aussie BBQ hosted by Stephen Dolan, dinner with partners @ Sugarcane, drinks later at The Establishment and its accompanying Gin Garden, and dinner tonight at Pony in The Rocks.

Bottomline, work has been a constant... with amazing meals at amazing locations after in this amazing city. I'm telling you, Avid Reader. I love Sydney.

SWINE FLU! HAI!

Good day, Avid Reader! I write from Australia, but wanted to share a bit of a travel adventure: with a layover in Tokyo on my way to Sydney, we were told to stay in our seats such that the Tokyo Quarantine Team could enter to check for swine flu. I thought to myself, "self, aren't we already in Tokyo? If one person had it for the past 10 hours, wouldn't the majority of us have been exposed?". But that's just me.

On to the plane came a swat team of what would have looked like ER surgeons, if not for their belts of disposable thermometors, clipboards, and high-tech-looking LASER BEAMS! OK, OK, I exaggerate, but we did get an aisle wanderer with a heat-sensing gun finding out who "had the temperature" and ultimately who would be subject to further swine flu tests. I was pretty ticked off that the woman who coughed (mouth open, mind you) all the way across the Atlantic told the interviewing surgeon that she hadn't had a cold or cough in the past 10 days. Given the heat gun didn't bust her, I had to let technology win and admit that she was just rude, not swine flu-ridden.

After removing two people from the plane for quarantine, I suppose they felt the rest of us would be acceptable into Japan -- at least the airport -- to pass what germs we got on to the rest of the travelling world!