STATUS QUOtes — 20150125

Jeff

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” — Pablo Picasso

“When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.” — John Ruskin

“You make me understand how wonderful it is for little lizards when they find that one special rock that’s perfect for sunning themselves on. You make me lizard-happy.” — Randy K. Milholland

“Dear Optimist, Pessimist, and Realist. While you guys were busy arguing over the glass of water, I drank it. Sincerely, the Opportunist.” — Unknown

Pickleballers – Why you should join the USAPA

Jeff

There are certain entities that people tend to love or hate with little middle ground. I think Pickleball may be one of those things. Whenever I speak to people about the sport for which I have become an enthusiastic supporter, they are either motivated to try it or pooh, pooh the idea. Once I overheard a passerby say to another: “It’s tennis for old people.” It may be true that many older people play Pickleball, but for those who make such comments, the real beauty of the sport has eluded them. Pickleball is a sport that can be enjoyed by players of all ages and all abilities as long as they are relatively evenly matched.

For those who have played tennis, racquetball or any other “paddle/racket” sport, I would encourage you to get involved with Pickleball players on your ability level to see how challenging the sport is physically. And of course don’t get me started about the scoring ; ) (wink)!

Oh, one other thing. Those with modest infirmities such as bad knees, CAN play this sport. Many of my Pickleball cohorts have had knee replacements, hip replacements, etc. and now enjoy a sport that gets them moving and challenges them.

This brings me to my next point. After playing Pickleball for a little less than a year, I decided to become a member of the USA Pickleball Association and I would like to encourage all players to join the USAPA because it is the main organization working to provide more courts and gain more acceptance for a sport that is quickly growing in popularity. They have training programs, marketing plans and assistance in a variety of areas for those who want to become Pickleball players and advocates.

Here are the benefits of becoming a member of the USAPA:

 
NEW $20 1-YEAR MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!

  • FREE e-mailed Copies of ‘Pickleball Magazine’ (6 per year)
  • 40% Discount (off cover price) of Mailed Subscription of ‘Pickleball Magazine’
  • $10 Discount on USAPA Net System
  • Seasonal Discounts on USAPA Merchandise
  • USAPA e-Newsletter (6 per year)
  • Expanded Member Rewards (hotels, rental cars, restaurants)
  • Member Upgrade Options (optional USAPA discount products members can select during the online registration process)
  • USAPA Rating for all Sanctioned Tournaments (coming in 2017)
  • Secondary Medical Insurance for USAPA-Sanctioned Tournaments
  • Printable USAPA Membership Card
  • Member Access to new ‘Look-Up’ on USAPA Website
  • Member Access to new ‘Partner Search’ on USAPA Website
  • Member Access to new ‘Referee Trainer Guide’ on USAPA Website
  • Member Access to new ‘Referee Handbook’ on USAPA Website

USAPA Pickleball T-Shirt Logo

You can begin the process of joining here: http://www.usapa.org/usapa-membership/

If you want to learn more about the USAPA before joining, visit the USAPA’s website and “click” on the various videos, links and tabs on the top of the page.

It just makes sense to support an organization that is supporting our sport! I hope you consider joining and becoming part of the movement. If you are already a member, I am glad to become your partner in promoting Pickleball. In any event, I think you will enjoy Pickleball if you haven’t started playing already. If you have any questions about Pickleball, please feel free to contact me via this website or by getting my email address from the last paragraph in the About section of this website (scroll down).

STATUS QUOtes — 20150124

Jeff

“It’s easier to build bridges than to run through walls.” — Billy Cox

“Scars…are markings of where the structure of my character was welded.” — Steve Maraboli

“Loving someone requires a leap of faith and a soft landing is never guaranteed.” — Sarah Dessen, “This Lullaby”

“If you’re going to cheat, it’s better if you don’t get caught.” — Yogi Berra (In response to the NE Patriots using under-inflated footballs)

STATUS QUOtes — 20150123

Jeff

“Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.” — Doug Larson

“There are no beautiful houses on easy street.[ed]” — John Paul Warren

“Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.” — Derek Walcott

“Abnormal is so common, it’s practically normal.” — Cory Doctorow

PL8ATUDES – January 21, 2015

Jeff


Plate-A-Tude

We continue our series of personalized (vanity) license plates in Arizona. To maintain individual privacy, we try to show as little information about particular cars as possible as long as we can reveal the license plate.

NOTE – License plate photos may have been archived for quite some time. The years indicated on the registration stickers DO NOT necessarily reflect the current status of any given plate!

We hope you enjoy these PL8ATUDES!

****************************************

When I

Decafinate

Things

Go Wrong; Very Wrong!

STATUS QUOtes — 20150122

Jeff

“Those who can’t think outside the box are easily contained.[ed]” — Nicolas Manetta

“Flowers don’t compare themselves to other flowers, they just bloom.” — Emily Thomas

“There is so much you can let go of without missing a thing.” — Ralph Marston

“A fine wine may be judged with only one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure.[ed]” — Czech proverb

Taming the desert rain!

Jeff

After our 2007 relocation from the east coast to the Phoenix Valley, we were surprised to learn that we were in a flood plain! This was soon apparent within a few months when a monsoon storm hit, and a large portion of our “top soil” (aka “sand”) ended up in the adjacent property. We decided to construct a “wadi” (a gully or streambed in northern Africa and southwest Asia that remains dry except during the rainy season) and ordered approximately six tons of “rip rap” (fist sized stone) from a local rock yard. Landscape cloth and pins were used as a weed barrier, and then each rock was carefully laid over a period of several weeks. The wadi is approximately 70 feet by 10 feet (average) and runs diagonally across the southeast corner of our 1.5 acre parcel. It has dramatically decreased soil (sand!) loss. A year after installation, we opted to construct a wall at the wadi’s headwaters comprised of eight large boulders that have served to further diminish the rapid flow of monsoon rains. Occasionally, debris must be removed from the rocks, and it is interesting to speculate on the origin of plastic wrappers and plush pet toys that meander downstream with the rains!


Building a Wadi in the Sonoran Desert
This is the corner that was washed out after the first heavy rain

Building a Wadi in the Sonoran Desert

We started constructing the wadi by the base of the trees where the water first enters our property.

Building a Wadi in the Sonoran Desert
On the right-hand side are several boulders we purchased to add interest and further slow the flow of water.

Building a Wadi in the Sonoran Desert
The project moved along as we developed the protocol for laying the weed barrier, sandy gravel and the rocks.
Building a Wadi in the Sonoran Desert
Here is an approximately east-west view near completion of the project.

STATUS QUOtes — 20150121

Jeff

“Make connections for important things: Ten by ten by ten is a thousand. Do it twice and you’re at a million.” — Seth Godin

“When you truly care about someone, make an effort not an excuse.[ed]” — Unknown

“It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” — Ursula Le Guin, American writer

“There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about.” — Oscar Wilde

Learn the Rules so You Can Break Them

Jeff

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” — Pablo Picasso

One of the photography blogs I follow on a regular basis is PictureCorrect – Photography Tips & Techniques

Recently PictureCorrect published an article by Rajib Mukherjee titled 5 Composition Techniques That Go Beyond the Rule of Thirds. Most advanced beginning photographers understand the concept that the subject should not, as a rule, be centered in the exact middle of the frame of a photograph. This generally does not create a good composition. Of course there are exceptions to every rule including this one.

The article addresses several other factors to consider when composing a photograph:

  • The Rule of Odds
  • The Rule of Space
  • Simplification
  • Symmetry
  • Curved Lines

As part of the article there is a link to the YouTube video of Wayne Moran (below) who demonstrates some of the concepts. The video is less than 3:30 and provides inspiration for those who want to sharpen their photographic eye and elevate their photography skill set.

Happy snapping!