Don's Dwelling: The Goal-Scoring, Shot-Blocking, Power-Hitting Blog

I feel that I can connect well with Johnny Cade from The Outsiders. He is one of those guys who just acts to fit in. He's a great guy but acts badly so he fits in with the rest of the Greasers. He is one of those guys who runs toward the trouble when others run away. Unfortunately, when he ran into the fire he sustained injuries he died from. On the other hand, I live my life by a series 64 codes, Rule 60 is When others run away, you run the opposite direction. And Rule 61 is Go against the grain. I'm one of the helpful type. If I have an opportunity I will. Johnny was the same and the definition of Rules 60 and 61.

Today is Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers, as you know, lead the series 2-0. They took game 2 on the Justin Turner walk-off 3-run home run in the bottom of the 9th on Sunday in Los Angeles. Today, the series moves to Chicago for three games on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Carl Edwards, Jr, a reliever for the Cubs said, "It's always tough to lose. (But) we'll come back. Before you know it, the series is going to be tied." ~Courtesy of the Trib (Chicago Tribune)~ The Cubs are home tonight and they have a reputation this postseason of low scoring games at Wrigley. Tonight the Cubs will win from home-field advantage. My prediction Cubs 3, Dodgers 1. They'll cut the deficit in half tonight.

In 10 years, I'll obtain a Masters degree. I'm not sure what in but I know I will. I will be fluent in English, Spanish, French, German, and Romanian and be learning Norwegian, Russian, Arabic, Italian, and Portuguese. I'll have vacated my home in Illinois two years earlier opting for a colder destination in the Front Range of the Rockies in Colorado in Summit or Eagle Counties. I will attempt to finish high school in three years and graduate college at 21. I'll be driving an Aston Martin V8 Vantage like James Bond does. I'll be a semi-professional skier and I'll hopefully be 6'9" or taller, but likely at least 6'5". I'll likely make a living in accounting or as a linguist/translator and drive an hour and a half to work in Denver everyday. By 2027, I'll ski in the Alps and in the Andes and own a Rolex Day-Date Presidential with 18K gold and hundreds of diamonds (pictured in the background).

I am a skier. I ski the most prestigious of mountains. Most involve week-long treks to the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. The Volkl RTM 153 skis stay on my feet constantly working 8 hours each day I ski. My thighs burn from navigating the steepest of runs with my 10lb Salomon boots. My vision impaired from the ice on my goggles, my ears popping from the change in elevation from 13,000 feet to 9,500 feet each run and back again each lift ride up. The wind deafens me as I ski at 50+ mph and my knees are ready to fall off after moguls. I can't wait to ski the mountains of Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France, Chile, and Argentina. Come 2018, I'll have made it to Jackson Hole, WY, and Breckenridge, CO for the second time. I've been skiing for six years now and I've gone from Wisconsin hills to the Rocky Mountains. And from there I plan to take the Alps and the Andes. From there, Asia. And from there the bottom of the world, nowhere but Antarctica.

I played basketball as a small child. My dad wanted me to know how to play sports because he expected me to receive a scholarship to a college for sports, not knowing at the time how smart or not smart I'd be. Now, since all the dust has settled, I likely won't earn a scholarship and that's a story for another time. I feel like basketball taught some valuable life lessons. For example, it taught me how to somewhat defend myself. I'm 5 foot 10 so I play center, I may be tall but other eighth graders who I play against can be 6 foot and some as tall as 6 foot 3 and quite a bit stronger than I am. Out-rebounding these players is quite a task, but if I get a big jump and keep firm I can get the ball. Also it taught me sportsmanship which as we all know is a key lesson not just in sports but in life. It teaches you how to interact with others whether they like you or hate you. It also taught me team building skills.