We Are the Champions!

Intramural Championship T-Shirts!

Congrats to SLD and N.D., who won the BYU Intramurals Co-ed Championship tonight!  Their team beat the Care Bears or the Polar Bears or something like that to pick up the coveted intramural championship t-shirst.  I appreciate that you blew out the other team so that I didn't have to worry too much about the outcome.  Thank you for that...I have enough stress in my life already!  :-)

It's been fun watching you play this season.  I'm not very good at watching other people play.  I'm more used to playing myself, but--given that I've only touched a basketball on three brief occasions since moving to Utah--I'm glad that you're giving me some good opportunities to practice how to be an energetic and enthusiastic fan.  

As much as I enjoyed watching you drain outside jumpers, I think it was even more fun to see your passing out there.  It made me jealous that I couldn't play too.  SLD, you had a particularly great bounce pass to finish off a fast break tonight.  You managed to thread the needle on that pass just under the outstretched arms of the defender to hit your teammate streaking down the court for a wide open layup.  N.D., you had a great pass as well where you drove the lane, got the defender to commit to you, and then dumped it off to a wide open teammate for the bucket!  Those types of plays show that you really understand how the game is supposed to be played.

Congrats also to the Crickmore twins who dominated the paint and yet maintained their grace and poise!  I loved cheering you on as well--particularly since you are basically family!

Is it too early to start planning a Three-Peat celebrations?  Maybe we better worry about you winning it all again next year!  ;-)  Good luck on your finals to Team "Los Banditos"!

The Coach

"The Coach and I"

I never met Will Rogers--who famously declared that he never met a man he didn't like--but I think I came pretty close today.  Coach Frank Layden came to speak to our office today and I think it's been a long time since I've enjoyed a speech as much as I've enjoyed his.

Coach Layden coached the Utah Jazz many years ago and has continued as a consultant for the Jazz for many years.  As a huge Jazz fan, I was excited to have Coach Layden come speak.  He is known for being funny, but I could not have imagined how great his presentation was.

He spoke about his life growing up, his career, and coaching the Jazz.  He talked about having having an impact on other people's lives and continuing to educate ourselves.  I can tell that he practices what he preaches.  Coach is nearly 82 years old, but I never would have guessed that if he had not told us what year he was born (1932).  He has a young spirit and an enthusiasm for life that is contagious.

Here are a couple of of my favorite quotes from his presentation:

• “Reputation is a perception of who you are.  Character is who you really are.” – Frank Layden

• “I’ve never been afraid of anything in my life and that includes the Los Angeles Lakers!” –Frank Layden

• "Freedom is expensive" (quoting Winston Churchill and the leadership that he showed during World War II)

• "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." (quoting Jackie Robinson)

He also said that we were free to quote him one time, and after that, we could do what he always does which is to say: "As I've always said...."  That line got quite a few chuckles from my colleagues.

But my favorite quote was the one that reminded me of Will Rogers (who was also funny like Coach Layden).  Coach said:

• “Everyone I meet, when I walk away, I hope they feel better.”

That is quite a thought and as you heard Coach say it and share a few examples of that philosophy, I knew that he meant it.  It's definitely something to shoot for.

Coach Layden, thanks for coming to speak to us today.  You encouraged us to have an impact on others, but I appreciate the impact you had on me.  Hope to see you at a Jazz game real soon!

Frozen

"I'm not in Kansas anymore..."

I woke up this morning to a scene that I'm not accustomed to seeing.  I had gone to bed last night thinking that the weather was unseasonably calm and warm for a December in the Rocky Mountains.  I knew that a storm was predicted, but it came quietly during the night.  Unsuspectingly, I opened my front door in the pre-dawn hours to see a fresh blanket of white.  It covered everything.

Should anyone really be up at this hour?

This was the view from my front door bright and early this morning.  It's not exactly a Thomas Kinkade ("Painter of Light") painting, but I really like how the light from the street lamp illuminates the neighborhood.  I'm a Southern California kid and this is something that we really aren't accustomed to seeing.

My commute today was extra long.  It was literally measured in hours rather than minutes.  I texted the picture below to a friend of mine in SoCal to give them an idea of what it was like.

Brake Lights--I saw plenty of those today

It snowed all day.  Persistent but fierce flurries of snow flakes that never really seemed to stick, but also refused to subside.  Even though I'm not used to the snow, I took comfort from watching the relentless flakes swirl around the windows of my office all day.  I love the whiteness and the beauty of the freshly fallen snow.  It blankets everything and, if you're lucky enough to find a quiet spot to enjoy the moment, fills the air with a heavy, reassuring silence.

As I neared my home, the temp dipped below 24 degrees--nearly 30 degrees colder than last night.  But I was glad that I had a comfortable house and warm, electric blanket to look forward to.  So long as I can safely navigate the icy, slushy streets on my daily commute, I'll continue to enjoy the newness (at least to me) of these wintry conditions.  Let it snow!

Imagine Dragons - Demons

Imagine Dragons