You tube

YouTube is just awesome. You can watch just about anything you want to, from full Olympic basketball games from Barcelona in 1992, news, how to's, to your favourite TV shows. Then there is Vimeo. A more artsy take on short films, but none the less a great way to see things you wouldnt usually get to see.

If you have a spare 10 minutes and like Michael Jordan, then watch the best and be amazed. He may have been physically gifted, but it was by far and away his unbelievable competitive drive that made him the greatest ever, not only in basketball but possibly the greatest athlete the world has ever seen.

Chris Akrigg doing what he does best here, turning scenery into a mountain bike trail. Awesome.

These video's and many others I find on YouTube are inspiring. An endless library of things to see, brilliant.

Graded

One of the hardest things to come to terms with being a father and primary carer of our 4 wonderful boys is that you are never given feedback on how you have gone on any particular day.

In your average work environment or professional sport for that matter, your always being graded. Being a parent its one of the toughest jobs you will ever do, but no one will be there every day to tell you how you went 'today'.

You'll have a great day with them where you feel like the father of the year and everything runs smoothly, but no one truely knows but you. Then there are the days where your up at the crack of dawn, the boys are bickering and arguing from the get go and the day just seems to be swamped by a bad vibe, still no one knows but you.

Its not like the boys will sit down with you at the end of a day and say "Well dad, I really didn't think you tried your hardest today, I give you a 3 out of 10" or "Dad you did a great job at playing cars and lego and then made me a yummy lunch today, 8 out of 10"

I had one of those rough days yesterday, one that any parent will tell you every now and again you'll have. By the end of it I was mentally just totally exhausted. I think I was asleep at around 8.30pm!

This morning I woke up at 6.30am (which compared to normal is a sleep in!) so together with my early night last night, I was feeling refreshed and ready to go. Today the school held its annual fathers day BBQ breaky so we all got a sausage and I got to go into the boys classes for some rare classroom time, for them to show me what they have been doing. William tried to teach me how to play chess (I need more teaching!!) and Jacob showed me his United Kingdom assignment and gave me a lovely cupcake and card.

Its days like today that you realise we are doing a pretty good job with our boys. I'm learning that being graded  as a parent doesnt always happen 'today' it comes from how your children will cope with life and how you prepare them for this great big world we live in. The results will speak for themselves.

Jacobs fathers day card to me. Inside it he wrote "Owl love you forever XOXOXOXOXO" Being a father is awesome!!

Camberific

I have been on a couple of rides now since getting the Camber back and its heaven to get back on the beast. Jem took today off so it gave us an opportunity to get out for a day ride which I personally havent done for a while. I went up Stromlo the quick but hard way, up the quite aptly named Heartbreaker trail. Steep, turning, rocky and technical, some of which will be in the Scott 24. It will be interesting at 2am!

Pedal power Sam and balancing Lucas

Sam has progressed from riding his balance bike to riding on a pedal bike in the space of a few days. He was so determined to get it right and didnt want my help, basically teaching himself how to ride. Great job Sammy Tyler!

Lucas has also taken huge strides, going from his little scuttle bug and jumping onto Sams old balance bike with ease. Awesome Lucas!

Perisher 2012

We just spent a fantastic weekend at the snow in Perisher. The Lanes and us shared an apartment in Jindabyne for 2 nights where we drove the half hour trip each day to the snow. We all had such a great time although there are some tired little bodies in bed for an early night tonight.

As Jem had taken the Friday off and the boys out of school, we took off in the morning and got to Jindabyne around lunch time. It was extremely windy on the drive there but we decided to go and check out the snow anyway as we were all very excited. We hired snow chains that were 'interesting' to put on as we have never done it before. After many, many failed attempts we finally got them on and bumped along the road at about 20km/h. The further we climbed the more snow and wind there was making it almost a white-out at times.

Once we got to the car park it was unrecognisable as a ski field because we couldn't see more than a few metres in front of us. We got out and tried our luck but it was blizzard like conditions and the kids were all over it within minutes. We carried and dragged them all but Will back to the car screaming from the icy winds. An amazing spectacle really, of bucket loads of snow and wind. I have never witnessed snow like we experienced on Friday along with those 75km/h winds made for a brief first day on the slopes. Driving back down you could barely see the road or cars coming the other way. A slow, but warm and happy decent.

 Jems triumphant snow chain assembly in heavy snow

 Jacob trying to stay composed in the blizzard

 Amazing conditions on our drive back down

 Lake Jindabyne the next morning, lovely

We didn't want the kids only snow experience being that of the previous day, so we, together with the Lanes who arrived late Friday night, drove back up there early Saturday morning. We were thankfully greeted with fresh powder snow, blue skies and little wind. Perfect conditions for a some tobogganing, snow man building and snow ball fights.

 The boys were pumped for another try, a little warmer this time

 Jacob flying down the hill on his first run

 William not far behind

Lucas was happy to be there, although this face says otherwise

 Sam and Jem loving the warmer conditions at the top of the toboggan run

Josie giving mummy and daddy a push

 Jem and a bunch of cute little colourful and cuddly snow people

 William and Jacob lovin it

 Snow angels by Will, Jacob and Jack

 Em in front of the packed Perisher carpark

Jack, Sam, Will and Jacob ready for another race

Rich building a snow man for Lucas and Josie. He did well to finish it as Lucas thought the game was to smash it down!

 Lucas, Josie and Mr Snow man

Thats one cool snow man (pun intended)

I think the Friday's unbearable weather conditions made us appreciate and enjoy what we had on Saturday and Sunday that much more! A holiday to remember in more ways than one.

Remember that song

My first ever job was at a movie cinemas in Perth. I worked in the Candy bar selling popcorn, icecreams, drinks and lollies. 

Around the time I started, Batman Forever had just been released and the main song on its soundtrack was Seal's classic hit 'Kiss from a rose', still one of my favourites. Every time I hear it, even now some 18 years later, it reminds me of that wonderful popcorny smell. I used to come home wreaking of the stuff!

Old and New

Took a lovely ride last night down to Parliament house new and Parliament house old, then around a section of the lake to the National Carillon. No wind, stars out, ipod on, pedals revolving. A Beautiful evening.

Just another day

I had to drop the car in to get new tyres yesterday. We had a couple of hours to burn so we walked over to the shops and had a nice morning together. Just me and my 2 little boys, on just another day.

Walked past the Library and the 'Dragon Kangaroo'

Had a play at the park in the shops

Stopped for a quick apple juice and heart biscuit

Got some groceries and then had some chips for lunch on the way back 

Spotted some diggers and watched them for some time.

Remember that song

Justin Timberlake bought out his song "What goes around" about the time when we were in New Zealand in 2007. I loved the song at the time and its one of those songs that really stuck in my head. It reminds me of just an average day driving to training with one of my mates.

Here is the extended live version with Timberlake doing what he does best, performing.

Gungahlin Jets

I played my first ever game of Aussie rules on Sunday!

Ben texted me on Wednesday last week saying they were short on players for his footy team the Jets and needed a ruck man. I thought he must be desperate if he was asking someone that has never played before (apart from kick to kick) and doesn't even know all the rules! So I decided to help him out. After training once on Thursday to get a feel, I was thrust into the game on Sunday with little clue as to what I was doing! After a half of seemingly running around in circles I was able to understand my role a little more and started to get a bit more involved. I got a few touches, won a few centre bounces and boundary throw ins and got one big kick!

They all seemed happy to have me there as there aren't many players around as tall as me, so centre bounces and boundary throw ins I had the advantage (you cant teach height!). Although feeling way out of my depth, they seemed to think I did a good job. I'm still unsure whether they were just being polite because I was new. We lost to the top team by 40 something.

It was strange playing a sport at a decent level but feeling so out of place. I'm used to basketball where although I might not be the best player on the court, I always had control over what I did and understood what I was capable of and how to contribute. But with footy it was learning to walk again. I felt like I should have been better (I know that sounds silly, its hard to explain) than I was even though I hadn't really touched the strangely shaped ball before.

It was fun learning and experiencing a new game although just for a short time. It was also interesting to see how another sport is played and coached. What I really noticed was the amount of camaraderie and communication out on the field. In basketball you primarily follow the direction of the coach on the sidelines. Communication is important within the group on court but you always have regular time outs, stoppages or subs to discuss tactics. Where in footy you are basically on your own for the entire quarter having to sort out things on the fly. Talk and encouragement being imperative and something I was really impressed with during the game concidering the boys  have yet to notch a win with only 1 game to play this season.

Even though I have excelled at one sport, doing a completely different one, being out of my comfort zone and feeling like just an average joe at best, was a good, interesting but strangely frustrating experience for me.

Makes me want to be better if there is a next time.

Water slide

I took William and Jacob to CISAC swimming pool on the weekend where they have a water slide. The 2 boys did loops for an hour, up and down. They loved it and it was also a nice break from the freezing winter air outside! 

Snow in the ACT!

We had a freezing morning this morning! So much so that it began to snow! It was fairly heavy at one point but not for long enough to settle. We are off to the Mountains next weekend for some tobogganing but we almost didnt have to go.

Snow in Canberra! Crazy.

I got a short video of it but its quite hard to see.

Backyard dreams

When I take the boys out to places like the nature reserves for walks, single tracks on their bikes or here at the BMX track, I get so hungry for space for them to play at home. Enough space for them to explore outside, get into safe mischief and just be kids whilst not having to go anywhere. Vege patches, pizza ovens, long dirt driveways, mini single tracks, pump track, a basketball ring and enough space where you can kick a ball and it cant get lost over your neighbours fence!

We have talked about buying an acreage and setting our own little patch of heaven up for quite some time now. Turning that talk into reality, that will be a big big day.

Cousins

We caught up with Ben, Kate and James last night for dinner. Just a few photos here of the cousins hangin out. James gets so cutely excited when our boys are around, its lovely to see. Lucas and James spent a while running around together and having little conversations, but Lucas wouldnt stay still for a photo!

Big cousin Will, reading a book to his littlest cousin James. Very sweet.

Stats

Stats in sport are interesting, but they are just that, stats. They often give a good indication of performance and areas of strengths and weaknesses, but they can never really give a true reading of how a player actually played in his/her role on a team or what their contribution was in the areas that dont show up on paper. 

My best year statistically in the SEABL was in 2008 and in the NBL 2003 and they are 2 of my most enjoyable years not just because I played well, but because the guys on those teams were all great guys and we played as one unit.

I was just looking at these the other day because I was interested to find out how many games I actually played in my Australian Career. I have these days where I like to look back at basketball. I have only started doing that recently as I when I played it wasnt something I worried about. What was interesting and completely coincidental is the fact that I played 194 games in both the SEABL and NBL, for a total of 388 professional Australian games. Pretty random I thought.

With a full season in New Zealand of about 22 games, 2 full seasons and one 2 game stint in Italy's first division for a total of about 60 games, I played about 450 professional basketball games all up. Those 450 seemed to fly by without a chance to take it all in. Its all a big blur to me when I think back at each team I played for. A wonderful time in my life that now strangely feels like it happened in a completely different life time! 4 lovely boys and their busy busy lives seem to overwhelm those memories of life before we had them. 

Career SEABL stats -

Previous Seasons

Competition	Season	M	FGM-A	FG%	3PM-A	3P%	FTM-A	FT%	TOT	AST	PTS
SEABL MEN (2011)	2011	15	46 - 140	32.9	10 - 53	18.9	41 - 58	70.7	5.7	1.1	9.5
SEABL MEN (2010)	2010	27	164 - 370	44.3	26 - 74	35.1	80 - 99	80.8	9.9	1.0	16.1
SEABL MEN (2009)	2009	26	181 - 395	45.8	26 - 78	33.3	120 - 183	65.6	10.4	2.2	19.5
SEABL MEN (2008)	2008	22	187 - 434	43.1	32 - 84	38.1	138 - 195	70.8	13.0	2.1	24.7
SEABL MEN (2006)	2006	27	188 - 406	46.3	33 - 100	33.0	147 - 201	73.1	9.7	1.3	20.6
ABA - SOUTH/EAST MEN (2000)	Regular	15	74 - 182	40.7	10 - 40	25.0	40 - 60	66.7	3.7	0.5	13.2
CBA - SOUTH/EAST MEN (1998)	Regular	30	105 - 249	42.2	5 - 20	25.0	75 - 94	79.8	4.0	0.7	9.7
ABA - SOUTH/EAST MEN (1999)	Regular	30	200 - 412	48.5	44 - 98	44.9	109 - 157	69.4	6.6	1.7	18.4
ABA - NATIONAL FINALS MEN (1999)	National	2	15 - 32	46.9	3 - 9	33.3	4 - 5	80.0	8.0	2.5	18.5

Career NBL stats -

Competition	Season	M	MIN	FGM-A	FG%	3PM-A	3P%	FTM-A	FT%	OFF	DEF	TOT	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
NBL 2007	2007	35	563:47	49 - 124	39.5	11 - 40	27.5	39 - 71	54.9	1.3	1.5	2.7	0.4	0.1	0.3	0.9	2.9	4.2
NBL 2006	2006	23	253:36	26 - 71	36.6	8 - 31	25.8	15 - 36	41.7	1.0	1.9	2.9	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.4	1.8	3.3
NBL 2005	2005	36	817:34	107 - 268	39.9	24 - 81	29.6	73 - 101	72.3	1.8	3.0	4.8	0.8	0.3	0.6	1.6	3.6	8.6
NBL 2004	2004	7	55:44	6 - 16	37.5	2 - 3	66.7	4 - 4	100.0	0.6	1.0	1.6	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.9	1.7	2.6
NBL 2003	Summer	35	760:28	113 - 257	44.0	17 - 47	36.2	100 - 133	75.2	1.9	2.9	4.8	0.7	0.3	0.4	1.9	3.0	9.8
NBL 2002		30	597:55	103 - 243	42.4	17 - 53	32.1	68 - 91	74.7	1.5	2.2	3.8	0.8	0.2	0.7	2.4	3.6	9.7
NBL 2000		28	434:34	50 - 131	38.2	8 - 38	21.1	21 - 33	63.6	1.0	1.8	2.8	0.4	0.1	0.2	0.7	2.4	4.6

The one game that I wish that I could have again is the Nike Hoop Summit in 2000. A prestigious tournament held in the USA for the best under 20 players from around the world versing the best of Americas high school players going onto to College. I was fortunate enough to have a great Junior World Champs for Australia the year before in Portugal and was selected from that.

I was there for about 10 days and in that time I trained and played with some of the best players in my age group in the world. Some of those guys are now playing in the London Olympics for their respective countries. An amazing experience and one Ill never forget but also one that I have forgotten a lot about. If only digital cameras were more prominent then!

I actually played well in that game for the limited minutes I got, found those stats too.

Nike Hoop Summit -

High School Special Event Stats
Year	Event	Min	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	Pts
2000	Nike Hoop Summit	14:00	5-7	1-2	1-3	3	2	1	0	12

We as humans always seem to be graded in our lives, whether its at school, work or in my experience with basketball. I think the best grade we could give ourselves as people would be the way the ones we love - our friends and family, look at us and perceive us to be. 

Loving, dedicated, committed and loyal.  Thats what I want my life 'stat' sheet to have on it and I like to think right now I would rate pretty highly in all these. Although as is with any stats, there are always things to improve!

Stats are just numbers if they havent got a true meaning.

Questacon again!

It was surprisingly quiet there today and the boys had a great time as they had run of pretty much most of the 0 - 6 years old area.

Lucas the builder, can he fix it? Yes he can! 

 

So many Sammy's! Thats a cute bunch of boys.