2002-05-07 -

Paintball!

Mmmm. Paintball last weekend. Paintball GOOD.

What wasn't good was the horde of scared newbies on our team. I have nothing against new players. I love it when people try the sport out for the first time. It just gets on my nerves when they get scared. I've always felt that getting hit is part of the game, and while you should try to avoid it, you shouldn't base your game on avoiding it, any more than a pro football player should focus on not getting nailed by the linebacker. Sure, you don't run *at* the linebacker, but if you need to take a hit in order to get the first down, you take the hit. Most of these newbies seemed to think it was better to live through the end of a losing game than die trying to win it. Argh. At least I practiced what I preached; I died trying to bring the aggression in four of the five games I played.

Me: "OK, new tactical maxim: Never live through a draw. If you don't die trying to win, you aren't trying hard enough. Victory or death!"

Riff: "You are the wind beneath my wings."

On the down side, by the day after paintball I was sore as all get out. I'm talking about hurts-to-walk sore. Obviously the work I've been doing on the Bowflex doesn't hit the right muscles. I've decided to focus on running instead of resistance training on days when it isn't raining, so I ran (mostly walked, alas) about three miles tonight.

Other than that, I've been social as all get out lately. Sat night at the Sac we had an amp and PA testing party. I ended up bailing on the jam session b/c I was too tired to follow even four chord blues, but it was pretty cool to have the chance to listen to a new PA system and two high end bass amps through a high-end cabinet and hear all the variations in tone that go with them. Made me want to open a music store.

After that I saw the Shauvers, and then on Sunday I rested, and on Monday I saw Jill and watched a lot of Angel, and much fun was had by all.

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