By Daron
My breakfast typically consists of a bowl of multi-grain cereal and skim milk. It’s quick, easy, and…semi satisfying. My typical breakfast doesn’t have much staying power either as I am hungry a couple of hours later. Kels turned me on to a new idea for my breakfast…here’s what I ate today:
1/3 Cup Whole Grain Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup Whole Fresh Blueberries
1/2 Cup Oikos Greek Yogurt
1 T Honey
Put everything in a bowl…stir…nom!
You can of course sub the berries or whatever, but this 400 calorie breakfast has good staying power and is surprisingly satisfying. A word about Greek yogurt…it IS different than regular yogurt, but different in a good way. Once I tried Greek yogurt, I knew that regular yogurt leaves something to be desired.
Give it a try!
By Daron
Play testing tennis rackets before buying is a must, and with that in mind I’ll talk about my most recent tests. Tennis Warehouse has a great demo program for those interested. You can order up to 4 different rackets for $20. The rackets arrive in a couple of days, you can keep them for a week, and return shipping is included…not bad! So here is one of the four rackets I tested last week…
Wilson BLX Pro Open (image courtesy of tenniswarehouse.com) –
Wilson tennis rackets are pretty popular and they have introduced a new line of rackets using their new BLX technology. I will spare the tech details and talk about how I liked it. The weight, size, balance, and flex are all in my range, but despite it being a racket I ‘should’ like…I didn’t really like it. It seemed to be less maneuverable than I thought it would be and had a very muted feel. It was difficult for me to generate power on my serve and the racket head speed I typically generate on my groundies took extra effort. Volleys were ok, but the muted feel made it hard to really…’feel’ my shots. Racket preferences are very specific to each player and this one just didn’t do it for me. I will post reviews of the others this week.
The good thing about living in Texas is that it’s possible, although sometimes uncomfortable, to play tennis year round. I am currently playing in a winter doubles league and my match last week was the coldest I think I’ve played in. It was 34 degrees when we got off the court and frost had begun to form on my racket bag…crazy! I mean, it’s nice to be playing in the ‘off season’, but mobility becomes an issue when it’s that cold. All the guys on the court were tight and it really showed in the way we moved…or didn’t move for that matter. Another thing that was interesting was trying to focus on a ball coming at you while your breath is frosting in front of you, no so easy. Still…it’s great to play.
Some music news…I was in the studio this past weekend tweaking a tune called ‘Over My Head’. When you record vocals for a song over several days, the tone of your voice can change…mine did. I recorded the first part of the song, my voice got tired, so I decided to record the last few lines at a later date. After listening to the song this past weekend, I kinda freaked out cuz I thought the parts sounded too different. After conferring with Kels The Producer, she assured me that while the parts do sound different, it’s not so bad since the range is higher…so it’s all good! I will start mixing it this weekend and hope to have it posted soon.
Site re-design…I am still working on a custom header from the very talented Lola. If I can convey to her exactly what it is I want, no small task, I should have it soon.
More later…
By Daron
Been away for a while, but I’ve got some new blog ideas for 2010. I hope to get everything up and running within the next couple of weeks so stay tuned…
Anyone do New Year’s resolutions? I don’t…kinda puts pressure on you, which can be a good thing, but IF you don’t follow through, you have “failed”. I’m really not a fan of that word. So…I set goals. No harm, no foul if they don’t happen, but it’s healthy for me to keep some things on my radar.
Things on my radar for 2010 in no particular order: Tennis, Music, Fitness, Happiness…actually they are all related…funny how that worked out. 
By Daron
Looks like victory has its price. I sprained my foot during my singles match last weekend. I was running down a short ball and rolled the outside edge of my left foot. It hurt, but definitely not bad enough to stop playing. After the match I went home and took some Tylenol and took it easy. Come Monday, it was really sore so I went to the doctor and had my foot x-rayed (no fractures!). The doc diagnosed it as a sprain and told me to stay off it and gave me a sweet ortho shoe to wear. It’s feeling better now, but I’m definitely not 100% just yet. A few more days and I will start working out again…slowly.
My mom came to visit for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was great to spend time with her. Kels, Mom, and I headed over to the inlaws for Thanksgiving dinner. Good food, good times, and the obligatory family pix. I made cornbread stuffing which was a big hit…we were hoping to take some leftovers home but it was all gone. Oh well, at least everyone enjoyed it.
Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. Below is a pic of my ortho shoe…sexy!
By Daron
I took first place in my singles tennis league!!! It was more important to me than what I let on. Not only was it a cool thing to win, but it was also a sort of justification for me. When I first moved to Texas, I was too shy/scared to play football. In Kansas City, I was quarterback of the All-Star team two years in a row, but when I moved to Texas I clammed up. I was an athlete, but football was such a big thing in Texas that I don’t know how well I would have done. I started playing tennis (much to my father’s dismay) in my sophomore year of high school and picked it up pretty quick. I wound up taking 3rd in my district, but let that go in order to pursue music.
I recently decided to get back into tennis and have slowly, but surely been developing the aptitude I used to possess. I was overweight and slow on the court, but I decided that I would do my best and see what happens. I took my fitness seriously and realized that in order to play any where near the level that I used to, I would need to start eating right and doing what it takes to get my body ready to play tennis.
Today was the payoff. My record for the season was 6-1, and I won two matches in the playoffs to take first place. Yes, it is a city rec league, but to me it was close to the US Open. Winning today makes me realize that my skill as a youth was not a fantasy, but is a realization that I was/am an accomplished player and I will continue to be just that.
By Daron
I play on a USTA Team and our season came to an end this past weekend as we lost in the semi-finals. I have mixed emotions on the loss as it’s the suck to lose, but as I have been blogging, Twittering, and Facebooking…I’m looking forward to a much needed rest. That is just right around the corner now, but I have two more singles matches to play in a different league. Once those matches are played, I will happily welcome the offseason and get to resting up…well, that is unless Kels cons me into training for a half marathon…yikes!
Anywho…onto my opine. I want to offer a perspective about winning and losing. Now, sports is competition and competition yields excellence. I truly believe that is how you test yourself, your skills, and become a better player. And yes, a win is a win, but is winning without integrity worth it? Is losing without integrity worth it? To me…no it is not. I recently played a guy in an awesome three set match which I won. I offered my hand to my opponent after the match and received one of the weakest attempts at sportsmanship I have seen. He stomped off the court in a huff showing his true colors. In another recent match, I lost a three setter. Was I angry/disappointed…absolutely, but I approached the net, offered my hand and congratulated my opponent on a great match. After the hand shake, I started a conversation with the guy talking about the strategy he used in beating me and thirty minutes later we were still talking not only about tennis, but life.
Being a good winner is just as important as being a good loser. Playing sports can be an amazing thing. Not only is it good for the body and mind, but maybe more importantly, it can be good for the spirit. What kind of person are you? How do you wish to define yourself moment to moment? Think about your words and actions before they are delivered especially when emotions are involved and you won’t need to worry about losing your integrity.
By Daron
Yeah…so I’ve talked about my elbow being pretty tired lately. Well, I played some doubles on Saturday morning, kinda. I didn’t play very well at all and it’s because my elbow is jacked up! I think it’s just been overworked and needs a break. I have a USTA match this coming Saturday that I will play in, but I don’t think I will be playing this week. Probably a good thing. I play with the Wilson K Factor KBlade Tour rackets. They are kinda heavy and have more of an old school feel to them. I really like them, but I am wondering if they are too heavy for me. I might try to demo a new racket to see if something new might be easier on my arm. Oh and a cool thought came to my head after losing a singles match the other day. I was beating myself up pretty bad, then this thought popped into my head:
“In order to achieve greatness, it is not necessary to be infallible.” Hmm…something to think about.
On the musical side of things, I started mixing a tune called ‘Over My Head’. I think it’s gonna be a little bit of a challenge cuz my voice sounds really different throughout the song. That happens sometimes when you sing a song over a series of days. The task will be to find the right combination of effects and equalization to make it sound like a cohesive piece. Another tune, ‘Terra’, is closer to completion. Turns out it is missing an outro guitar solo…better get to work on that.
By Daron
So last night, I went to bed…a little later than usual, but not too bad. Tried to go to sleep and I guess I kinda nodded off for a couple of hours. I woke up at 2 in the morning and knew I wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon. Well, I got up and kinda kept myself busy for a while hoping that eventually I would get back to sleep…that didn’t happen. 
I finally got sleepy around 7 am…problem with that is that I’ve got to go to work in a while…looks like it’s gonna be a rough Friday. Now, not only was I really sleepy but I’ve got the chills and I can’t shake em. I am ridiculously hungry and I have zero energy.
It actually lasted pretty much the whole day…the chills subsided a little after noon and even as I type this, and after a big dinner…I still feel really hungry. Weird!
I feel better now…not 100%, but better. Our USTA match got cancelled, but I am subbing in another league for some doubles. Hope I straighten out by then.
I had a cool thought come to my head after a singles loss the other night…I was pretty bummed and on the way home this little thought popped into my head…”In order to achieve greatness, it is not necessary to be infallible.”
Good words…especially for someone who puts too much pressure on themselves…
By Daron
I logged some studio time on Sunday this past weekend. I finished up the vocals for a new tune called ‘Over My Head’. Actually the majority of the vocals for this particular song have been finished for a while now, but the end of the song required me to on my game vocally. After a big breakfast complete with with a syrupy multi-grain pancake, Kels was none too convinced that a syrupy voice could cut it. I wanted to knock out the vocals on Saturday night, but the voice just wasn’t up for it. So really pushed to give it a try on Sunday morning…and guess what…my sugary, syrupy voice showed up and we were able to finish the tune…finally.
Once I get it mixed, I will be sure to post it.
My website will take on a new look over the next few weeks, and I will have two new songs to go along with the new look…stay tuned…
On the tennis side of my life, I have mentioned that I am looking forward to the offseason. Well, my arm is starting to get tired and is in need of some rest. After an ugly doubles win on Saturday, my arm was like jello. My elbow and bicep are really sore and it showed on my serve and ground strokes. I hope to have at least a three day rest before I have to play again…then just a couple more matches and I can take some time off.
By Daron
So, I’m in a weird spot. I am really looking forward to the tennis offseason. I usually play twice, maybe three times a week…certainly not anything over the top, but I’ve had a couple of nagging muscle pulls that need some time to heal. Our last USTA League match is this coming Saturday, but I’ve got probably another 3-4 weeks of singles to knock out. Then, I will rest. The weird spot I mentioned…well, I’ve never really wanted an offseason. I guess it’s just weird for me.
It will allow me more time to focus on music…yes…music…remember that other thing I do? Well, I will be posting a new tune over the next couple of weeks. All the parts are recorded, it just needs a good mix. Once that’s done I will get it uploaded.
Oh…I forgot to mention, I wore my ‘Rafa’ shorts for the doubles match we won on Saturday…they were a gift from my Spanish brother Edu…thanks again man!
