Seaside, OR

After a long journey to the West Coast, I made it to the 25th annual Seaside Open Volleyball tournament! Jesse picked me up from the airport and we road tripped to the Oregon Coast -- one of the many wonders of the world.

I played men's doubles with Tony Little. Unfortunately, my aged, wounded self couldn't compete at the level I was hoping, but we still did pretty well and made it to Day Two of the tournament -- always a goal.

Day One
Beat Carl & Mike in three games
Knocked down Alex & Vlad in two games
Lost in three games to the eventual finalists, Dennis & Ryan
Started our match against RockStar RyanGNickols and his partner, Kuah

Day Two
Finished our match against Ryan and Kuah -- won in two games
Were eliminated in two games vs. Bart & Little Ray

It was awesome to play with Tony; he's a SuperStar. We finished tied for 7th overall, out of 40-some teams, so that's not so bad. It was great to see so many friends yet again. It was amazing to be on the Oregon Coast and to again experience something much more big and powerful and impressive than man: the ocean.

As with so many adventures, there are too many stories to tell, but many that stick out, even in retrospect:

Laughing off set-backs
Road Trips!
Backup contacts
The Budweiser Clydesdales
Seaside sand between my toes
Watching Jesse and Brian rip up the AA division
Playing with Tony Little
Getting some sun!
The Mayor and First Lady
Tillamook Cheese slices
Scott Colby: Hotter Than Your Girlfriend
Not knowing or caring who won the Men's Open Final because just being there and being with my friends was the whole point.
Crowd shots
Jell-O shots
Time with dear friends: Jesse, Steph, Danelle, Robert, Jeff, Stacey, Staci, Megan, Patrick, the Causeys, the Littles, and so many more.

I'm in Boise, Idaho now, in the supreme silence of my parents' home. It may be too quiet to sleep! I was able to secure the doctor's appointment to have my shoulder checked out and am looking forward to solving this pain and moving forward with a plan to fix what's broken. I'm also looking forward to limited stimulation, a slow pace, and family.