Viura

As I arrived home for work, my day ended, I was tired, a little hungry, but mostly excited about a night of sports on the couch.

I have watched so many Lakers finals  over the years.  Some of my most fun memories are easily from watching Laker games.  I remember in 2000, I was up at a church summer camp, Fr. Mike brought a small little 10 inch black and white tv and we watched a static filled game and saw Kobe and Shaq bring the first title to LA.  Years later, a young adult, in my apartment with friends beer, video games and a good time.  Our apartment was a mess, but the game was great, a true vision of a bachelor enjoying basketball.  

Here I am 10 years from me being a young man, a counselor for a youth camp that meant so much to me, sitting with my wife having a nice glass of vino.  The fact that I was drinking wine actually says a lot.  As I was driving home I remembered I didn't have any beer, I figured I could stop at Ralphs and buy a six pack, after all Game 7 of a Basketball finals with a few bottles of Fat Tire sounded like a good time.  But I knew my kids were dying to see me and I was dying to see them.

When I got home, drew was in the kitchen listening to Lion King.  His new favorite CD.  Sean was playing in the play room, and they both gave me big hugs.  I sat on the couch and smiled, while I held Sean in my arms and the Lakers played.  Sean would yell "Go POW, Go POW, Go POW!"  Drew cheered for Kobe, Cristina rested on the love seat and Eva in her papasan.  I had to laugh inside, what a great "Daddy moment."  Ten years ago I watched a championship game in the hills of Santa Barbara on a 7" or 10" black and white TV, years later I watched the Lakers in the finals lose to the Pistons with empty beer bottles and pizza boxes with a healthy dose of Xbox.

Today, a mere 10 years later, I ate a blue cheese meat loaf with garlic mash, fresh squash and zucchini from my garden, and a nice glass of wine, talk about metamorphosis.  All the while, each memory of watching those games was ideal in my mind.

My garden take

As the NBA ads said this year, "this is where amazing happens."  That just seems on point, I am constantly amazed at where life leads you, the gifts I have been given, but more over how seamless the transition is. The ways I have changed as a person in that time seem huge in hindsight, but almost a perfect shift when I look closely at it.  From a camp counselor, to a college student, to a college graduate, to meeting my wife, getting married, and having kids.  All the while feeling great about each shift, but unable to predict when or where the next shift takes me.  

I wonder where life will be the next time I watch the Lakers win the championship.

Life over a glass of Viura (Condesa De Sarabella 2009 from Spain)