Well, I've done it again. I've waited far too long to make a post, and now I have a ton of stuff to cover. I'm gonna break up sections over the last couple months and summarize each one individually.

January

I last posted about my disappointing play in the tournament in January. What I failed to mention is that I actually played in a sand tournament several weeks before that indoor tournament (Jan 3rd). While playing in that tournament, I sprained my wrist attempting to dig a ball that was crushed at my face. This injury made it very difficult for me to play volleyball, and actually stopped me from lifting weights for months. This partially contributed to my poor play in that first indoor tournament. After almost 3 months, I'm finally able to lift weights again, although not quite at 100%. Wrist injuries truly suck!

A couple of interesting things also happened this month. I came home from work one day, stepped out of my car, and immediately smelled something very odd. After verifying that I didn't have some strange B.O., I realized that there was a gas leak, and that I had a serious problem on my hands. Over the next couple days, I learned a lot about water heaters, and proper maintenance. Even though my water heater was only a year old, and never should have had an issue, the water here is so corrosive that it ate through the metal over time. I managed to get a free replacement with my warranty (still had to pay for the service, ugh), and the guy showed me how much sediment build up was present. The milky fluid that was left in the bottom of the tank really opened my eyes. Looks like I will be draining my water heater every 6 months! At least my house didn't explode...

I also had a chance to spend time with my cousin, Steve, who stayed at my house for several days. He is my best friend, and one hell of a guy. We had a blast jamming out to "Don't Stop Believin'" and trying to get the harmonies down. We also managed to beat all of Resident Evil 5 in his short stay (hardcore determination!). I only wish he lived closer...

February

February started out with an interesting experience for me. I got a new dentist, and he was doing a thorough inspection of my teeth and found a few cavities. When I went in to get the bottom one filled, they could not seem to properly numb my jaw. Every time they started to drill, I could feel the pain and pressure very clearly. After about 4 attempts at numbing the area, I decided that I just needed to be a man and suck it up. So I told them that I was properly numbed, and just let them drill. Now, I've never felt a cavity being drilled without being fully numbed, but let me tell you, that is a WHOLE new experience. I was gripping the chair very tightly and trying not to show my grimace. And to make matters worse, my tooth still hurts at times, so I don't think the cavity was properly filled. Looks like I get to go back again...joy...

I started playing volleyball a TON in February/March. I managed to play in a couple tournaments in February, and they all went fairly well. I played in a co-ed sand tournament with Emy that went especially well. I don't think the two of us have had so much fun at a tournament since the ASU grass tournament we played in years back. As my wrist got better and better, and my legs got stronger, I was really becoming a force on the court again. I always seem to forgot how nice it is to feel respected for your skill - it makes the early morning tournaments and going all-out worth it.

I also had a fun experience where all of the warning lights in my car suddenly lit up on the dashboard. I thought my engine was going to explode! I quickly looked through the manual, and called Toyota, and found out that the behavior I experienced was "normal" behavior if the gas cap isn't fully tightened. The car goes into manual mode, and you get worse gas mileage and handling. I wonder why they couldn't just have a little indicator for a loose gas cap...I guess that would be more difficult than lighting up like 5 things at once and scaring the crap out of the driver...

March

During the last 6-8 months, I've worked extremely hard and put in a lot of OT. Well my hard work is finally coming to fruition, and I'm seeing the result not only in a soon-to-be finished product, but (hopefully) a promotion! It's an exciting time for me. Unfortunately, at the same time, Lockheed is trying to find ways to raise more money so that employees aren't fired in the short term (due to the sucky economy), so they are (for all intents and purposes) no longer paying any overtime. This may, ironically, stop employees from feeling motivated to work as much overtime, resulting in less money overall. I'm very curious to see the outcome. Either way, it looks like my days of working extreme OT are now over. I guess that means I'll finally get back to making music, which is my most rewarding and fulfilling hobby!

I had some of the best volleyball tournaments so far this year in March. I was able to set pretty well for my indoor team, which renewed my confidence in my setting abilities, and helped lead a team of four to third place in the Grand Canyon State Games by being the primary go-to hitter. The only bad part about the GCSG tourney was that it was played at Indian School Park, which has some of the worst sand courts around. The sand is so compacted that, by the end of the day, my right knee was completely screwed up from all the jumping. I guess the courts used to be really nice, but the people in charge stopped players from using a roto-tiller to soften the sand, as it was an "inconvenience" to other people at the park. If that's the case, they should do it themselves...

This month, I also registered to go on a trip to the Caribbean in November. I'm participating in the Volleyball Vacations/GoBeachFest week-long trip to Turks and Caicos. The trip is somewhat expensive ($1450), but it is all-inclusive, and the location looks AMAZING. I've never done anything like this before, so I'm hoping I have an incredible time, and make some great memories. In past years, volleyball pros like Kerri Walsh have attended the Turks and Caicos trip, so I'm hoping I get to meet some incredible people!

On a side note, I saw Alice in Wonderland this month. Personally, I love Tim Burton films, as they are always unique and different. I heard a lot of people had mixed feelings about the movie, but I for one really enjoyed it. I saw it in IMAX-3D, and while it was cool, it was nowhere near as good as Avatar visually. This is one movie that you don't really need to see in 3D to enjoy it.

Another big thing that happened this month is the release of Final Fantasy 13. I've been waiting for this game for awhile now, and it looks incredible. Square Enix is pretty much my favorite game company (other than Blizzard), and almost everything they produce is gold. The only problem is that I'm currently playing Kingdom Hearts 2, another Square Enix game, and I refuse to start another game until I finish this one! I guess it will be a true test of my patience and resolve

At the end of this month, I'm taking a trip to San Padre with my whole family for about a week. It should be a fantastic trip, and I couldn't imagine spending it with better people. I probably won't post again until after that, so for the very few (if any) people that read this, until then!