Knowing your limits

Last night, my friend Mark and I played 50+ World of Warcraft arena matches in the period of about 2.5 hours. We did very well for the first 30 or so, winning most of our matches. However, toward the end of the night, we were getting tired and hungry, and we ended on something of a 5+ losing streak. Not only was this disheartening for the night's morale, but it also detracted our attention from the overall night. We gained nearly 250 rating (on ideally bell-curved scale where 1500 mean) throughout the night, but we lost nearly 50 of that in the last 30 minutes.

Now, it could be that we were starting to hit a wall, as it were, and the teams we were playing were simply better than us. More likely that that, though, we started making stupid mistakes. Mark would run one direction around a corner and I'd head the other direction. We'd both be playing offensively when at least one of us needed to play some defense. WoW's arena, especially as you start climbing the ranks (we're sitting at about 1230 now, nowhere near the top teams that are 2800+), is a game that can often be decided by a few key events; one simple mistake can cause a loss.

The lesson, at least that I'm taking from this, is to know when to rest. As much fun as winning a lot in a row can be, it's equally frustrating to lose a ton in a row, so know your limits and try to nip bad performance in the bud by getting up and taking a walk, or getting something to eat. Hopefully when we play next, we can break 1300 =)

Experience your food

I've been watching HIMYM lately. I'm in season three, and episode 2, "We're Not From Here", really jumped out at me. Gael repeats the phrase "experience your food" throughout the episode.

That's just it: too often we take for granted the little pleasures in life. Of course I mean to say that I often take things for granted, but hope a larger audience can agree.

I eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches almost every day for lunch. Today, "experiencing my food", slowing down to savor each bite of this mundane dish I taste new subtleties and experience a joy in something so simple as eating my lunch.

As my family and friends know, I love food. Food is something essential in my life that I do my best not to take for granted, and yet I still do. When eating even fine cuisine, such as sushi, far too often I find myself ordering to fill myself instead of ordering what sounds the my thrilling. How much better can your life be if you love every moment of your day? To get to a point like that, I like most people need to take baby steps. My baby step today, and for at least the next week, is to consciously savor each bite of food and each drop of drink.

Why my family is incontrovertably more awesome than yours

My sister, Nicci, was recently married to one of the greatest guys I can imagine. This got me thinking about how much my family means to me. My family is awesome. "How awesome?" you might ask. "More awesome than zombie raptor Jesus's flying saucer style of martial arts" I would kindly and quickly reply.

I think most people dislike their parents to some extent. I do not. My parents have been there for me in every disaster I've encountered, and they've helped me through it to boot. I flip my Altima; my dad picks me up on his way to work, buys me a new car and warns me that I only get 1 free screw-up like that. I almost commit suicide, my parents open their arms and their home to me in support, then lovingly make me get back into the real world so not to stunt my growth and over nurture me. These last few months when my finances hit dire straits, my parents bailed me out.

My sister and brother-in-law are two more fine examples of how amazing my family is. They are simultaneously two of the goofiest, coolest, and for lack of less academic word exemplary. I've been following more or less in my sister's footsteps for as long as I can remember. We've been through the same schools (so far), the same gifted education, the same sarcastically loving upbringing. In a way, we're like battle-hardened comrades, only she has 7 years prior experience in life than I do. Despite the "foot-on-chest" incident, I know she's always cared for me and she has helped me become the person I am today.

Eddie, my brother-in-law, is something else. He's personable, intelligent, and generally passionate throughout his daily life. I don't feel I know him well enough to say much more, but in the small amount of time we've spent together he's already become a welcome addition to our family.

These examples befuddle the true nature of our bond, however. My parents are two of my best friends. They're both approachable, and react to me as an adult as I feel they have most of my life. When one of us has a moment of triumph, we can all relish in it; when something depressing happens, we can all laugh about it. We don't talk every day, but we still manage to remain close, to remain a family. In everything I do, I find myself trying to live up to my amazing family, to be more like they are.


My extended family? They're far more eccentric than I can begin to describe, and worthy of at least a post of their own.