The Wolf's Den

Il Quarantotto

24 Genniao 2007

So today I tried to do some pushups. After all, my body is still in somewhat good shape and I'd like to keep it that way. I've been working out at HQ, riding the bike, lifting, all that in an effort to do so. Today, I couldn't go in, so I thought I'd do some quick pushups and situps before I hopped in the shower. I got through 15 pushups before my shoulders started to ache like a mofo. Actually, I got through about 7 before they started to hurt, yet somehow I got to 15. That's it. I thought I'd at least be a little better. Guess not.

You run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath, and one day closer to death

Il Quarantesette

9 Genniao 2007

"Stomp the Yard" and "Epic Movie"

Who keeps authorizing these movies and why?

Il Quarantesei

7 Genniao 2007

I retired from swimming today.

I didn't want to remember myself as a 52 100 freestyler, or a 23-high 50 freestyler. I'd rather look back at my swimming career and see that I went 21.79, 46.73, and 1:47.03 in my events. I'd rather not embarass myself like that again.

I want to be able to move my shoulders as I get older. I want to regain the feeling in the entire left side of my left quad. I want to be healthy.

And today, in what seemed to be a slightly symbolic moment, I tore down the note that rested on the inside flap of my locker; the same note I would see every day when I opened it for the past 3 months; the note that said "Goals: 20 point, 45 point, 1:42, and to graduate. Rivals: You" And as it turned out, my only rival was me. It was my shoulders, my hip, and my heart.

I'll miss it. That team was the best thing that happened to me in college. I'll remember the friends and the good times I had. You guys and girls might miss me a bit, but I'll miss you 100 times more.

See ya round, kids.

Il Quarantecinque

7 Novembre

So yesterday, I had finally had enough not swimming and thought I'd get in and see if I could kick, or at least pull. So, after our hour-and-a-half long meeting, I got in, and sure as shit, my hip blew up on me, and I couldn't kick for more than 200 yards. On top of that, I felt as if I'd never swam before in my life. No rhythm, totally disjointed, no legs, no nothing. It's just shit. Absolute shit. It's been a month. I haven't kicked in a month and I'm still not better. What do I have to do? I already don't kick. Is the next step that I stop walking?

No, the next step is I realize I can no longer swim and I quit the team. Yes, it's crossed my mind. If I can't swim, then I can't swim. And that makes me sad cuz this team is one of the best things in my life right now. I have friends who I can just hang out with and have a good time. If I quit the team, all of that goes away. I'd go back to what I was doing before I was on the team. Driving to school, going to class, not talking to anyone, driving home. That's it. I don't want that. I want to be young and have some fucking fun. And I want to swim. But can I? The percentages are dwindling...

Il Quarantequattro

4 Novembre

Why oh why is my coach such a raging dickhead?! Jesus christ man, pull that broom out of your ass and lighten up. First you say we can't party, so we don't, then you say we can't drink, and have to delete all of our facebook and myspace accounts. No way. That's too much of an invasion into my personal life, and I won't allow it. I'm keeping the accounts. I'm going to drink. I'm 22. It's legal for me to do so. You are not the police, and you are not allowed to impress your morals upon me. Just because you don't drink doesn't mean that I can't either. I'm a grown ass man in my own damn house, and you're not allowed. Now if you'll excuse me, I got a party to attend, and yes, I will be drinking rum & pepsi all night long. Suck me.

Il Quarantatre

28 Ottobre

I not longer am beginning to wonder if my body can take swimming, because I know that it can't. When 3/4 of your body just doesn't work, it may be time to call it. The hip, the leg, the shoulder...oye. And worst of all, I'm actually in great swimming shape. If I were to taper right now, I'm certain I'd set PR's in the 50 and 100. In practice, I pull like a mmother fucker, but that's half the problem. I pull so much now, that my left arm constantly feels like it's going to cut the arm loose. I just wonder if thish old man's body is going to be able to make it through the year. At this rate, the answer is no, but we'll see...

Il Quarantadue

29 Agosto

So it was a great weekend down in Mexico with my peoples. We drove on down there Thursday night with Dougie and his gal Sarah. When we got there, we all knocked out until the next morning. We woke up, got some breakfast, and then started bronzin'. Pretty much, that sums up the whole weekend. Eat, drink, bronze, drink, bronze, eat, bronze, drink, etc. There's this little place up the road, probably a five minute walk, where they serve the absolutely best sandwiches ever. Just watch out for the salsa, it can be quite spicy, although I liked it. On Saturday night, we drove up to this bar called "Ricky's Place" and proceeded to get absolutely trashed with the locals, who loved us and all our drunken gringo antics. It truly was a great weekend.

And then we got deported. From America!!!!!!!

So we were driving back on Sunday and followed the signs that said "San Diego". Somehow, we ended up in a bad lane, and when we got to the border after only about 15 minutes, a guard told us we were in the wrong lane, and that using this lane was a violation punishable by a $5000 fine. He took our ID's, and sent us to secondary search. There, they ignored us for 5 minutes, and made us drive over to the lanes on the highway that were heading south. Damn straight. They were sending us back to Mexico. They would only give us our ID's until we were on our way, just to ensure we didn't pull any tricky shit. Thanks a lot, assholes. So, we drove back into Mexico to wait in line for another 1.5 hours, instead of just breezing through the border. Would it have been so bloody hard for the guard to just look at us, and after telling us we were in the wrong lane (although all the signs on the way hadn't warned us properly) and then let us go through? Obviously so. No wonder nobody likes the police, they never give you a fucking break. Kinda like the guy who gave me a ticket for having a broken tail light last week on PCH. And this was after I told him I was a city lifeguard. Dickhead.

Anyways, we still had a great time, and I can't wait to go back. Too bad I'm going to Vegas first. That'll still be a great time, though. Less than 2 weeks, bitches!

Il Quarantuno

18 Agosto

And for the, I dunno, fifth time in a row, I woke up at 5 am to get to swim practice at UCI by 5:30, only to find out there was a) no practice; b) no water in the pool; c) no fucky fuckity fuck fuck fuckers!!!! EAT A DICK!!!!!!

Contact me on AIM at