Thursday, April 1, 2004

THIS INTERNET THING JUST MIGHT CATCH ON

I have not been avoiding the act of writing.  One might think that I was experiencing some kind of personal torment that had ripped the "pen" from my hand.  Maybe I was caught up in some sort of dirty little public scandal.  Perhaps I had run off to Maui with a blond and the money I stole from the bowling league when I was Treasurer. Alas, none of that happened.  I have simply been swimming in a sea of Rock-it Pocket stuff.  The last three days have consisted of running invoices, running practices, and just plain running around.  It would seem that I still do actually work, and doing some of the most menial things, too.

We redid the Rock-it Pocket internet web site recently to include all these ridiculous and colorful ways to make your lacrosse stick "personalized", and let's just say the response has been overwhelming to the point where there is no way to keep up with demand. We also offer a bunch of different pocket styles now.  We need to jump out of our skin and double our size, like yesterday.  Oh well 

So here I sit in Detroit, knowing the orders are coming into my e-box at like 3-5 per hour, and all of them will be unseen and unacted upon until sometime Monday.  No big deal, since we are almost two weeks behind back there in the old "sweat shop" anyway.  This is probably no way to run a business, but I've been doing all this "my" way for 18 years (seat of pants style), so why stop now?  At least I know the boys are back home at the Fort stringing pockets at this very moment.

ROCK AND ROLL ON

I think I have finally arrived to the Rock-it Pocket place where I need more "people" that can take care of things when I am not there, and my urge for not always "being there" grows with each passing day.  Just as I have always enjoyed my place in the world (semi-employed), I am beginning to like the thought of a new concept for me, semi-retired.  I just want to be Chief Operating Officer of my own little fantasy conglomerate, which basically includes lacrosse things and my personal family circus up there on Big Horn Crossing. 

This version of My World would consist of many other competent and trustworthy "family" members to help all my little visions to become largely visual.  Boy's gotta have a dream.

THE MICHIGAN INVITATIONAL

This is our third trip here for this Michigan Invitational in the last four years. Actually, they invited us the first time in 2001, and the last two times (2002, 2004) I have volunteered to be "invited", and the Michigans (John Paul) were gracious enough to have us back.  Last year the Wolverines came to Fort Collins.  We won, maybe 10-6 or so, and it was one of our best games of the season. 

Why do I want to keep coming back to Detroit?  It ain't for the weather I can tell you that.  Where else can you get competition like this rapid fire?  I can only think of one other place off the top of my head…..

I know I go on and I write on, and I rant about challenges and extreme opportunities that we face as a team, but darned it if this isn't another one.  We are playing three times in three days against three different teams who will not only be in St. Louis next month, but at least two of the three are true contenders for the title.  Any road to the MDIA Championship must either go through UCSB or Michigan, maybe even both. 

Tomorrow we will first test the waters here by playing Michigan at 7:00 p.m.  We will work out somewhere nearby, but yet to be determined, at 11:00 a.m.  They (Michigan) want to play us in the first game of the Invitational. It worked for them in 2002.

John Paul admits that he feels it is his best chance to beat us.  Then I say that's when I want to play them, too.

NEVER LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER – OR IS THAT ALWAYS LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER?

I was feeling calm and confident earlier this week.  I was almost surprising myself.  I love the team, and its progress, a pretty good combo it would seem.  What was this whole no fretting thing, though?  I was lost without lots of things to worry on and about.   Every practice was going pretty much the way I wanted.  What the hell was going on?

Then came yesterday….  We have accumulated a few bumps and bruises (injuries) from the prior "firey" practices of Monday and Tuesday, and then we looked horrible Wednesday.  The practice had no emotion, no passion, no energy.  It looked (dare I say it?) ordinary.  I had not seen this all year.  It frightened me no end

We arrived safe and sound in Detroit, a smallish group compared to our usual entourage.  As I sit here fretting about tomorrow all seems right the world again.  We shall see what will be.  Isn't this fun?

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