We, Southern Californians, admittedly are rather notorious bad drivers in the rain and snow. We've all seen it, people spinning out of control on the freeway on-ramps and even in local traffic. The trouble isn't so much the rain or even the slick roads as it is the lack of caution on the part of our
stubborn Socal drivers. People just seem to drive "normally" on these abnormal road conditions. Clearly very stupid... It is kind of simple really, if you put it in perspective... The rains make our roads slick and rather treacherous, therefore, uhmm drive slower?
And if you think these roads are bad in the rain, its doubly treacherous on San Bernardino's canyon roads that lead up to Big Bear Mountain. Not only are drivers faced with slick roads in the rains but icy conditions once reaching the higher elevations. And in Southern California the four wheel and or all wheel drive automobile variants aren't really a necessity -for obvious reasons- (apart from their premium) and since California is also notorious for its steep petrol prices, the cars that travel through the canyons vary from the ideal, to the moderately non-ideal, to the slightly questionable, to the downright crazy (my all time favorite) lowered Honda Civics. You can't really fault these people for doing so because an avid skier is an avid skier, type of car notwithstanding... I myself have been guilty of driving Nissan Sentras, Toyota Corollas, and yes even the
venerable Honda Civics (though never lowered) through such conditions. Besides it only snows so many days throughout the
fleeting SoCal winter so avid skiers
from the bottom of the hill (as the locals like to colloquially say) needn't drive the ideal variety...
Treacherous... Yes I have seen my fair share of mishaps in these areas. Fortunately in all my years of skiing mine have been limited to the somewhat exciting fishtailing and the aggravating snapping snow chains. A far cry from what I have witnessed over the years.
Well until now but keep reading... People just aren't careful enough when they are suppose to and on my recent trip to Big Bear the day after a storm that left the canyon roads laden with snow, it was, unfortunately no different. There are too many folks driving a little too fast for their snow chains losing them in the process and leaving them precariously stuck on the side of the road. And most importantly why do people seem to ignore what should be the fundamental basis of driving in the snow anyway, like "keeping your distance" and "not slamming on your breaks"? Things that work well in the dry tend not too in the snow... Hello?!?! Yes accidents are often attributed to the harsh conditions but people aren't necessarily helping.
And so several miles past the
chain checkpoint (or the process of weeding out the bad drivers on snow chains), there was four of us that remained trudging through the fresh snow. All of whom on 4-wheel drive vehicles of course. All in a safe distance in between and traveling at a nice leisurely pace. Leisurely as one might traverse these slick roads however, the snow will ultimately claim its victims. Folks will lose their snow-chains, some will run into each other, many will lose traction and spin out, and others might lose their cars completely... Turning in perhaps a fraction too early, I lose rear traction. And though I didn't panic I may have (fractionally) made corrections a tad too abruptly. I think the surprising thing about the whole episode was how unexciting it was. I have lost traction in the snow many a times before (perhaps too many to recall) but never have I spun out in such a sluggish manner. Spinning out of control at 15 mph is pretty much like a beginner snowboarder taking an ungraceful spill on the bunny slopes. Spills that leave the beginner nothing more than just dispirited... Yup nothing spectacular about that. In fact it happened so slow that Mori and I had time to have a small conversation as we skid off. What about? Well about what was about to happen...
And luckily there was no opposing traffic because we spun right across the other lane into the snow embankment, unspectacular as it was. Of course that is what you'd want when traveling. Uneventful...
To add insult to injury, my 13 year old snowboard boots literally disintegrated before my eyes in the last few runs of the day. To compensate I had to tighten my bindings to keep the soles from completely falling off... And oh to cap off the somewhat eventful day I almost ran someone in a Toyota Corolla off the icy roads.
Though to no fault of my own (ask Mori)....................
Okay so a good friend of mine had just turned 30 the other day... Yes the often dreaded frequently discussed
sometimes innocuous Big Three O. She is quite popular amongst our many circle of friends because she comes with a poignant personality, is aesthetically pleasing, and best of all has a charm and wit to match... Naturally a popular figure like herself on a somewhat quasi-momentous occasion, demands not just a small shindig but rather an extravaganza of sorts...
Sounds very, uhmm, Hollywood, doesn't it? Well, yeah... She does work in the movie business (editing...) and so does many of her close friends
and peers. In fact, many of them not only work in the glamorous Movie Business, but live and mingle within and around the genial town of Hollywood itself. So, I think it is only fitting that a popular girl like herself have a grandiose celebration much like the Hollywood celebs do...
It is a little bit of a surprise that someone who is a bit of a recluse like myself, someone who might prefer a Cabin in the mountains over a Castle perched atop the Hollywood Hills, an old rustic Ford Bronco over an innovative Lexus, to be associated with such a trendy people, let alone mingle. That is why I chuckled upon receipt of her Birthday Evite. I like them people, but only for a few minutes at a time (I can be crass I know...). Of course the
somewhat exciting and terrifying concept of possibly meeting interesting and half-intelligent women shall always entice me, so I did did think about possibly going for a minute. That plus we all know that parties are always more fun than going to Church on Saturday evenings anyway right? Right...
Now, let us Tarrantino this story a little...
I was labeled self-centered for not wanting to go because of the lack of "prospects", or single women in attendance (I suppose I brought that upon myself). Though, admittedly, some of my friends that attended the extravaganza, the same people who accused me of being self-centered by the way, did observe the lack single people in attendance (Not that it mattered to most of them Married folks). In fact, my main accuser, a very very good friend of mine said she didn't bother asking her boyfriend to go because she just couldn't foresee any interest in attending such a party, one although fraught with interesting and potentially beautiful trendy interesting people - though mostly married or soon to be anyway - from the movie industry, hosted by a gay Filipino couple in their fine home in
Westwood (In Westwoood. Surprise surprise...). Who could blame him? Sure he loves her to death but to subject himself to such pretentious notions that he might enjoy himself at the party would be preposterous...
Yup as preposterous as if I had pretended that I longed to go. Okay okay I am not denying my self-centeredness in this case because there really isn't any way around that. But in my defense (and most guys would agree) we do have to allow ourselves some level of self-centeredness, otherwise we could be doing favors for people for the rest of our lives... Besides one less straight guy couldn't have hurt the party. And it was confirmed two days after the party that all in attendance were married couples and or gay couples.
And i'm sure there is only so many married and gay couples a straight guy could take in one night....Furthermore, and in the interest of expounding on the principles of selflessness and the idealism of subjecting ones self to such a party, I would argue that a single guy would & could only be so chivalrous to a woman friend before drawing the line. And I gotta tell ya, there need not be any chivalry nor is there any romance in attending her party... I do believe there is such a thing as a "level of friendship" and for as long as we have known each other we
still couldn't be considered really close friends. At least not close enough to be willing to subject myself to such an evening to celebrate a birthday even as momentous as a 30th... Sure we do stuff here and there but that's not really saying much because we just happen to share a hobby. And we disagree philosophically at that, which seems to be what her and I are really good at...
I got nothing against gays and married couples mind you, I just would rather go to Church and order Chinese on any Saturday Night than to mingle with them... That, is, at least from the single mans perspective. One I share with my friend Sarah's bf whom I have never met...
Besides between the morning Studio Lighting Class I took, the early afternoon Mountain Bike ride, and Church early evening, I was possibly too tired to do anything else...........
A rather
dry December Ski Trip to Mammoth Mountain back in 1998 has dissuaded me from going back there that early in the winter season
ever since (after the fantastic El Nino 1997 Season... my first year). And I can still hear the mocking murmurs from Stan and Alfred "Man what is this Marc. Who the hell goes to Mammoth in these conditions?". Of course in my defense, none of them so-called avid snowboarders had bothered to check the forecast neither. Of course that was over a decade ago, or, a forgotten era in which we needn't good conditions to have a reason to ski. In fact I remember saying I preferred the hard-packed man made snow over the soft powder, but of course that was only because I didn't know how to...
In this day and age, and after a decade of practice, you couldn't pay me to ski the rather cramped Mt. High (tall sure but who cares?), and I wouldn't bother with Big Bear Mountain at least until the snow accumulation went north of 12 inches... Sure sure call me an elitist, but I would rather ski three select perfect days throughout a winter season than to wade through slush every weekend...
This upcoming Winter is going to be another El Nino year, and we've already seen early signs of it throughout the Sierras and the Rockies, to name a few. Mammoth Mountain was even so bold as to open the gates an ambitious one month ahead of schedule... Only to walk away three days later with their tails between their legs, but hey that's not necessarily bad because we think it was a sign of good things to come! And right now as you read this, the Southern California Ski Resorts are already open and Ski Dazzle kicked off last night.... Wohoo!
Be that as it may, some of the El Nino years of recent past did show spottiness. Some started far too early and tapered off, while some had slow starts and finished very strong. Case in point? Yes the El Nino winter of 2004-2005... It finished off the year with 8 straight weeks of amazing conditions, yielding sometimes 2 or more impressive storms per week. And of course I was there along for the ride in each and every week! It was capped off by a nice 1 footer on the same week in which the Long Beach Gran Prix ran its annual course, and the MLB Spring Training. Yep in ran that long... It certainly was a wonderful wonderful winter. Late start notwithstanding...
I, along with a very many great faithfuls, are hoping and praying that this years El Nino, to be quite good. In fact I am banking on it because I wanna go for an early Mammoth Mountain visit this winter. Yes back to December... And for what after all these years of fantastic Jan and Feb trips? Well there is an inkling that is too difficult for me to ignore...
And for whatever reason my feelings differ this year about December than years past. I am positive it is largely because of El Nino and perhaps partly because I am hopeful. I am hopeful that whether or not El Nino precedes its spotty reputation, that December will be something to remember (as corny as that might sound...). And maybe in part because of the mocking murmurs from the 1998 December trip... And as stated in my email proposal for this possible trip "
I remember dying last year waiting for the January Trip to come as I watched December pass on by yielding enormous amounts of snow onto our beloved Mammoth Mountain, and all I could do was watch in agony". And perhaps this year could be a better
soliloquy?
As a child I dreamt of someday becoming a sports superstar. Like a Larry Bird or something. First it was tennis but I couldn't quite excel at that and not until my father entered me in a Basketball league at the tender age of 8 did I start to dream. And that was not for the lack of confidence in my backhand (my weakness in Tennis). I think he was just trying to be pro-active in sports for me, and luckily my family pedigree is somewhat athletic (and a full head of hair to boot hehe). I will never forget that Basketball Tournament because in all 12 games that I played in I attempted all but one shot, which I missed horribly btw... A rather inauspicious beginning but a beginning nonetheless...
And although I didn't quite make it to Pro Ball (not even close in fact... but hey we can dream right?) the dream endured (albeit low level) because I love the game. I did play Varsity Ball throughout my decadent High School years and played quite well I might add. I remember it like it was just yesterday, we went undefeated in my senior year. Only we couldn't participate in TAPSA (the equivalent of the State Championships here in the U.S.) because we were the host School. I know it stinks but because of previous years controversies, the host team couldn't play...
Anyway, now at 34 years of age I am still at it! And almost in the same manner like back in my teens (except of course recovery now takes days instead of hours). And like anyone who has played the game as long and as frequently as I have, I can probably say "I seen them all!". You know, buzzer beaters, miracle shots, the heartbreaking losses etc etc etc. And I have been a part of many of these games. Perhaps too many. Do you remember the scene in the Oliver Stone Football movie "Any given Sunday" with Al Pacino and Jaime Foxx? With just seconds remaining and still trailing. Tony (Al Pacino) looks over at his assistant coach, shakes his head and cries "We've been to too many of these...". Yep sometimes I feel that way. My team once lost a Championship Game on a miraculous last second halfcourt shot which pretty much petrified all of us for a good hour, at least. And I once missed a wide open layup which would have sent the game into Overtime in a do or die playoff game. Ya know the kind of stuff you replay in your head over and over again. But there is really nothing you can do but hope to get another chance. And that is why we play ball...
And what I have learned over the years isn't so much how to mold myself into possibly becoming a clutch basketball player or how to make myself more durable over a season, but rather to make less mistakes and the ability to forget stuff. I no longer allow myself to dwell on losing efforts and or heartbreaking games. For instance in the beginning of last season we played and lost a Triple O.T. game. Not only was it heartbreaking but downright disheartening. But, what it comes down to is that it is only a game as dramatic as they could tend to get sometimes. Besides if it ain't dramatic then it ain't that good of a game, is it?. In the end when all was said and done we wound up seeded 2nd in the playoffs. Not too shabby I'd say (would have been tied for first had we won that particular game though). In contrast, we started this current season a dismal 0-5, but right now we are currently in the fight for a playoff berth (1 win from it in fact).
On Thursday night on the other hand for the Copper Division with a record of 5-4, we had to win to secure a spot in the playoffs (a lower level tournament that we also participate in). But not before some requisite dramatics of course... In fact this particular season has been nothing but drama. It all started after a nice 2-1 start. After that the sky seemed to fall over us. We went through (a better word would be "suffered") a rather hellish & controversial league fee snafu and a losing streak to boot. I'm not going to divulge too many details but allegedly the funds were either misappropriated and or embezzled or something I'm really not sure. All i know is that I had to get involved and play the role of an arbitrator between two parties who didn't seem to want to concede nor come up with some kind of a feasible solution. A role I didn't particularly revel in because I had to be impartial without being completely unbiased at the same time for my team...
Anyway 7 tough games later were faced with a must win situation to secure a playoff berth (a lost would mean a 5-5 record and a tie with a team that we lost to. Which would mean NO Playoff!). Some of our teammates would argue that we are a much better team than our record would suggest, but I think the record is quite accurate if you consider our inability to make adjustments during the game (Especially offensively... I think that is out weakness). We can't seem to recognize the opponents weakness and try to exploit it, at least not without having to call a timeout. And a lot of times by the time we'd adjusted it's basically too late...
The game wound up a tough one. And when it seemed like we were in a good position to snatch a win away from an otherwise ugly game that we probably should have won comfortably, we have a mental lapse. In dramatic fashion we tied the game with an and-1 play with 7 seconds remaining in regulation. Darwin, perhaps over thinking the situation missed the free-throw shot but it had luckily bounced high off the rim. Marco fought for the rebound and appeared to be aware that we had a good 7 seconds remaining to set up a play. He held on to the ball momentarily waiting for a play to develop (very smart and poised I might add). And when something did develop (2 seconds later) it was Darwin on top of the key, wide open! Marco smartly passes him the ball, but what happened next stunned us all. In fact it stunned everyone in the gymnasium. He held the basketball on his hip (looking rather comfortable btw) seemingly to shave some time off the clock. Only there was 4 seconds remaining. Naturally we scream obscenities at him which he seemed to ignore at first and when he finally realized what was happening he did something even more weird; he passed the ball. But it was too late the buzzer had rung. Seemingly to mock us. Oh he claimed he'd thought there was 26 seconds left............
And as if we hadn't learned out lessons we had yet another mental lapse in the waning seconds of Over Time. In a tied ball game with 30 seconds remaining with the lack of a shot clock, we felt we were in great shape to win the ball game. The plan was to kill some time before setting a play to try to eliminate the possibility of a good look at the game for the opposing team whether we score or not on the possession. At 10 seconds remaining some of our players somehow decided to discuss whether we should call a timeout or not. While that wasn't necessarily such a bad idea at that point, it was the amount of time that it took that was the problem... Because right around the end of the discussion time dwindled to 3 seconds at which point we had no choice but to call a timeout. So, let's just recap what happened. "In a tied ballgame in overtime with 30 seconds remaining, it took us 27 seconds to decide we want to call a timeout. Brilliant"....
But as they say "all is well that ends well". I got fouled shooting a jumper right at the buzzer... And almost in anti-climactic fashion I swooshed the first free throw to end the game guaranteeing us a playoff berth.
So in the first round of the playoffs what do you think we did as an encore? Only the greatest comeback we ever mounted. Down by a dispirited 17 points in the 1st half, we came roaring back to send the game into two dramatic overtime periods and win it by a basket. We have a flair for the dramatic...
