ANIMAL CRACKERS

This is hilarious!

Superhumanoids: Hey Big Bang

Looking for a new jam?  Check out Hey Big Bang or any song by the Superhumanoids!  

Thoughts

Here are some thoughts I have been meaning to jot down for some time.  I don't really know who this will help and if anyone is really reading this.  Anyhow, here it goes.  Playing volleyball over sea's is full of positives and negatives...just like every thing in life I suppose.  I think the easiest way to get through the negatives is to focus on the positives and realized that the opportunity I have been given is incredible.  It really is an amazing experience to be able to live and soak up another country's culture.

Again these are just notes so this entry is probably going to be a bit scatter brained.  Another issue I think of often is how on earth do Kobe, Federer, Woods (although not lately), Jordan, Nadal, Ronaldo and the rest of the worlds best athletes bring it every single night?  These guys listed above are a special breed and have God given talents but more importantly are on some other crazy level in focus.  I have so much respect for every athlete that can preform with thousands of monkey's on their back....or millions of critics.

A lot of times when I get to the gym it is like the twilight zone.  It feels like I was just there not an hr ago.  When you play 6 days a week the one day you have off goes by so fast.  Its hard to motivate for training every day.  I have to be honest that there are a lot of days when we start jogging for warm up that I have to talk myself into wanting to practice and know that I am not in the gym for only myself.  If I don't play hard I am letting down the other 11 or so guys that are there also...And if another guy on our team is not training hard then they are letting me down.  I always tell myself "you are here already.  You have to be here so you might as well make the most out of it".  Of course there are days that it is difficult to go hard because of injuries and soreness.  This is the only exception in my opinion.  Getting on the court in training should all be about focus on improving or fine tuning.  If you go about it this way then all the worries that you have outside of the court will disappear until you get home.  At least this is the way I feel.

Hard work does pay off... And even if you are not playing your best,  work hard and show your teammates that you are trying.  They can't be mad at you.  If you are not spiking well then focus on blocking.  Not blocking well, focus on defense...etc.

My two cents.

Brook

Wkręt-Met Domex AZS Częstochowa - Skra Bełchatów Set 1 cz.2

During the finals of the 07/08 season in Poland.  One of my best friends Mason was out to visit me and got to see this match live.  This was the last match of the season as we lost 3-2 but over all the season was a success.  If you watch the end of the first set (shown below) you can see another one of my best friends Kasia Eatherton.  You can watch the full match one youtube if you search Wkret-Met Czestochowa - SkRA Belchatow.  Fun season

Radiohead - Lotus Flower

I know this may be old to most of you back home but this is a jam and a solid video.  

Enjoy

Greek Volley Update

My uncle David gave me a little crap about not keeping up with my posts on how our team is doing over here in Greece.  And I have to admit I haven't posted on the last 4 matches.  So here they are in brief.  

vs Olympicos - This was a derby match and there was a lot on the line for both teams.  Olympiacos has been playing well and have made some changes to their roster that have really improved their team.  Granted we beat them 3-1 in Athens in our last meeting we knew that it was not going to be an easy match.  They came into the game and played well as a team and we played like SH*T!  Not one person on our team played well and me in particular.  We lost the first two sets plain and simple.  In the third set we got in a groove and had a good lead throughout.  Leading 24-22 we made crucial mistakes and blew it.   We lost 0-3.  A lot of rumors through Greece stated that I lost the matches for us intentionally because I wasn't getting paid.  In response to those articles and journalists I can call BS.  I simply played at a lower level as did everyone else on our squad.  We had a team meeting after the match and cleared the air and reminded each other that even after the loss we as a team are still in first place and have to continue.

vs Kalamaria -   After our loss to Olympiacos we had to play Kalamaria who's gym is just around the corner.  Kalamaria has knocked off some decent teams this year even though they are currently in 7th place or so.  They have also made some changes to their line up and were coming off a good win...meaning they had confidence.  We traveled to the gym all together by bus and got off to a good start.  The team bounced back and we won the match 3-0 even though the 3rd set was a barn burner.  Its not an easy task to close out a team 3-0 in this league so I was very happy that we got out of there with a W and gained a little confidence back.

vs Aris (Quarter finals of the Greek Cup) -  This match was on a Wedn because it was for the Greek Cup.  Aris had beaten Patra to advance to the quarter finals as we had a bi the first round.  Each match of the cup is do or die...win or go home.  This match up is always heated due to some drama that happened last season with the opposite of Aris.  A Iralkis fan threw a bottle at him last season in the playoffs which hit him in the elbow.  He complained that it hurt so bad that he couldn't play and they stopped the match with a win for Aris which put Iralkis in 8th place to finish the season.  

We came out in the first set very strong and won fairly easy.  The second set we relaxed and they built up a 12-17 lead.  After some great plays by our team we came back and tied it up.  Only to take the set 25-23 with two huge blocks on the left side.  The 3rd set was another barn burner.  I don't remember everything that happened but we won the set 25-23 on a transition swing by Rodrigo.  (THE VIDEO BELOW IS OF THIS MATCH)

vs Patra - Last night we played Patra at home.  Remind you we lost 2-3 in Patra the last round but had a good chance to win 3-0.  Lost the second set after leading 24-22.  Last night as a different story.  We came out on fire with a 8-1 lead and even 16-9 at the second break.  After the second break our team relaxed once again and made a game out of it.  We ended up taking the set 25-22 but it was too close for comfort.  Again relaxed in the second set they took it to us even though we fought back to 17-19.  I think I served an ace cross court but the up ref over ruled and called it out from across the gym.  After this we played point for point but they had us by a big enough margin.  3rd set we smacked em down 25-18.  And in the fourth set we had to again fight back from a deficit of 4 or 5 points but we ended up taking the lead at 22-20 only to lose back to back points.  Then again 23-22 but we didn't close and lost the set 23-25.  In the 5th it was anybody's game.  Going into the 5th set we know it is 10 minutes of all you got.  We took a 3-1 lead but ended up switching sides at 8-7 on a big block to save us the point.  Then we jumped all over them to 10-7 and never really looked back.  Took the set 15-12...we won 3-2 and two points.  

With all these matches we are now tied for 1st place with Panathanikos.  Here are some pictures and a video of the past couple weeks as well as the current standings.  

Brett took some pic's from the match as well.  We had our friends Jonathan and Jaime-Rose as well as JR's mom Rose in attendance.  To see some Brett's pics of the match click HERE! 

Brook

Pic of the day

The key only goes in the door one way so Brett drew a heart on one side of it so I would stop getting frustrated every time I got it wrong.  

Aristotelous Square - Thessaloniki Greece

Pigeon

The White Tower

Purple Dreads

My brother's name in Thessaloniki - James

Click on the images to enlarge

Pic of the day

Space Management - Local Kiosk 

Walking the Neighborhood

Kalamaria Greece...Walking Herc

Mason Jennings - Nothing

Another Old Jam from college.  I've seen Mason play a few times back in the day as he used to open for Jack Johnson.  

Your Highness - Official Trailer

Probably going to be the movie of the year...just saying.  Who's coming with me?  Anyone?  

Photography - Brook B

Brett and I bought a Cannon EOS 450D while living in Dubai last year but while here in Greece the auto focus broke and we had to take it in to get fixed.  We finally got it back yesterday and Brett and I are excited to learn and shoot.  There are some projects to make you a better photographer that we are going to work on.  Here is a pic I took yesterday.  Lemme know what you think!?!?  

Add caption

If you click on the picture it will blow it up for more detail.

Vladimir Grbic

My good friend Vladimir "Vanja" Grbic makes the play of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.  I told him I would make a blog about him so here is a little glimpse.  One of the best players I have had the chance to play with (2009 Fenerbahce in Istanbul Turkey).  One day he will be in the Hall of Fame and very deserving.  

Check this out!

Dawid Murek - dig and attack

This was also against us in the finals of the Polish Cup.  Murek is a stud...but not sure why we didn't block!?  We won the match as well as the Cup this year.  

Wkręt-Met AZS Częstochowa - Jastrzębski Węgiel

Here is the first clip of prob 7 or 8 from the semi's my last year in Poland.  I was just browsing youtube and came upon it.  The atmosphere in Hala Polonia (our gym) was electric.  A lot of good memories in Czestochowa.  

John Mayer - Free Fallin'

Remembering the days when a group of my friends and I would try to find anything new from Jack, Dave and John Mayer and throw it on a CD.  We had to have anything new.  Now its everywhere and still good as ever.  

JAM

Flake - jack jonhson

Love turning up the volume in the car to this song...Lots of good memories with this song

jack johnson - better together (live)

I can't wait for the summer time to get to a show.  My favorite artist hands down...

Jack Johnson

Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

From www.mumfordandsons.com/biography

"Since they formed in December 2007, the members of Mumford & Sons have shared a common purpose: to make music that matters, without taking themselves too seriously. Four young men from West London in their early twenties, they have fire in their bellies, romance in their hearts, and rapture in their masterful, melancholy voices. They are staunch friends - Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane - who bring their music to us with the passion and pride of an old-fashioned, much-cherished, family business. They create a gutsy, old-time sound that marries the magic of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with the might of Kings Of Leon, and their incredible energy draws us in quickly to their circle of songs, to the warmth of their stories, and to their magical community of misty-eyed men."

My Jam of the Day

Coach Jon Lee

My favorite part of Coach Lee's Blog

"A strong armed Bakiga man trimmed two eucalyptus poles, selected for their straight strength, to proper length while we layed out the court dimensions. Another man dug out the three foot deep holes with a spear. The poles rose and the net I brought from Big 5 was unfurled like that flag on Iwo Jima. Children played with the balls that Dillan Bennet had sent with me from Laguna Blanca -- crudely at first, then with more and more control."

Brook, Jon and Todd

To read more and follow Jon's adventures through Africa please click HERE!

A look back to a little day in Dubai

Brett and I went on a Desert Safari while living in Dubai last year.  Many of you have seen some of these pic's on Brett's facebook page but I thought I would reminisce a little.  Such an AMAZING day!

Updated Greek League Standings

Holding on to first place with a small margin of 3 points.  We face Olympiakos this upcoming Monday who is in 3rd place with 28 points.  Keep your fingers crossed!

A day to remember

This is for a group of friends on a special day in the summer of 2010 (you all know who you are).  I wish we could be on the boat right now!

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead