A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

opinion

Will the blackout be enough to help stop SOPA and PIPA?

Wikipedia went dark for 24 hours to protest SOPA and PIPA.

As most regular readers know, I’m not a political person.

I don’t bring politics on this blog because I find that it’s one of the most explosive and one-sided topics out there. By one-sided, I mean this: The person making the argument is going to be right. His or her opponents are going to be right. Why is everyone right? Because the majority of the time, there’s not going to be any bending. People have their beliefs and usually they won’t be swayed.

So I avoid it.

But the blackout that happened with some Internet sites yesterday — Wikipedia had a full blackout of its English language site — to oppose legislation being considered in the U.S. Congress was an admirable gesture.

Did it work?

Google blacked out its logo and linked to a page so people could sign a petition to oppose the legislation.

Only time will tell. What is being opposed are two pieces of legislation that could censor parts of the Internet. It’s being backed by the entertainment industry, which is screaming for this as a way to stop online piracy.

Wikipedia did post some startling statistics and notes from the day of the blackout. It’s worth a read. Check it out here. (There’s a ton of interesting things there, but one thing that stood out to me? More than 162 million saw the Wikipedia blackout page, according to Wikipedia).

The two bills — and maybe you’ve heard of them or seen these being talked about online — are SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT IP Act). Wikipedia also gives you two links where you can track the progress of the bills through GovTrack — SOPA and PIPA.

I can’t even begin to say I could explain these whole acts. Click the links above and they will take you to the Wikipedia page explaining each act. I’ve read a lot and don’t know if I can grasp it all, but I know this much — we should try and see what’s going on here because the future of the Internet as we know it could be on the line.

Look, I don’t agree with online piracy. I realize it needs to stop. But to have these pieces of legislation pass through — with vague writing and everything else — could possibly give too much power to people in the government and elsewhere. The normal Joe — Joe Plumber — could go to jail or be sued for something extremely small.

It could, essentially, be crippling.

I’ve spent a lot of time looking at all of this. I’m not sure I even fully understand it. But there are some great things out there for people to read to try and get a grasp on what this legislation is actually about.

Do you realize that parts of these bills could mean if you sing an artist’s song, record it and put it on YouTube that you could go to jail?

Seriously.

I’m not a fan of Justin Bieber. But he got his start doing this very thing. Find out more info about the bills and hear Bieber’s response to all of this at the website freebieber.org.

One thing is for sure — I don’t need the people in Washington deciding how I use the Internet. Or how I get information. Or if  I want to put a family video up with a song playing in the background. I’m not trying to make money off it. Leave it be.

As a journalist, I am a firm believer in the constitution and what it stands for. It seems those in Washington who support this bill might not believe in it so much. This is the reality — there are a bunch of an older generation in Washington getting ready to vote on a bill that could hamper the growth of technology and the Internet for future generations. I don’t think that should happen, personally.

That small group will decide this.

One group.

Speak up, America.

Here’s a very good video about these bills and what it could mean to all of us, from fightforthefuture.org:

If you follow the link to their website, you can also write congress directly from there and voice your opinion about these bills.

All I ask is that you see what these bills are all about. Speak your mind. Tell your congress people what you think. This is our future. The future of the upcoming generations.

Remember that genius comes from the craziest places. There are some phenomenal internet-based companies that could be shut down or sued because of these bills. Blogs could come under fire for sharing content. Sites people love — YouTube, Facebook etc. — could all get into trouble for having things that are protected. Users could get in trouble.

The Internet as we know it could be done.

Please read some stuff about it. Get educated. Sign the petition if you are against it. But make sure your voice is heard.

The future of the Internet could be in danger, so get your say in while you have the chance.

Google has a lot of information about these bills. This could be a good place to start (and there’s even a place to sign a petition there): End Piracy, Not Liberty.

My final plea is to take a stand against censorship. Do your part. This goes beyond politics. This goes beyond partisan thinking. This is life. Life as we know it. Don’t let the future be dictated by the few people in Washington who are more worried about the bigwigs in the Entertainment industry and their lobbyists.

Speak up before it’s too late.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!

 

What is a Hall of Famer?

Two days ago, former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin was announced as the lone electee by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He’ll join the late Ron Santo as this year’s inductees in July. Santo was elected via a veteran’s committee.

I’ve read quite a bit on this in the past few days and chatted with a couple of people too. It’s a familiar conversation as it seems to happen each year. The main topic? What makes somebody a Hall of Famer?

People have and will debate about Larkin. This year, the ballot was a down year, which gave someone like Larkin the opportunity to get in. There’s likely enough ammo on each side of the coin to make a compelling argument either way. Players like Tim Raines, Jack Morris, Fred McGriff and Jeff Bagwell remained on the outside looking in — and on a down year. For them, it could become an event longer uphill climb.

The fun starts next year, when players from the “Steroid Era” will start appearing on the ballot on a regular basis. Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro are already on the ballot. Players linked to the use of performance enhancing drugs, such as Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are soon to be on that ballot.

What happens with them?

This is where it will get interesting for the voters because it comes down to personal opinion. And that’s where the issue is and will be. Some voters have already said that they will not vote for anyone suspected of or involved in the use of PEDs. So if someone’s name has been mentioned, but no proof, still no vote. As far as I know and as I’ve researched, the BBWAA hasn’t set a criteria for voting on players in the Steroid Era. So, it’s up to individual writers to voice how they feel via the vote.

That’s a problem.

One main issue is the National Baseball Hall of Fame has not taken a stand when it comes to the steroid issue. And, being that the Hall is independent of Major League Baseball, I think it’s time they make the stand. What does the Hall officially think? Should Bonds be in the Hall? McGwire? Clemens?

I say yes, but I’m not the Hall.

Let me tell you why I think these players should be in the Hall and why I also think the Hall should make the stand about these players, too.

First, the Steroid Era is part of baseball history. That block of years happened and there’s nothing that can be done to erase it. It can also be argued that steroids helped save the game.

After the strike in 1994, which wiped out the World Series (and, I think, may have doomed Montreal as a baseball city), baseball lost a lot of popularity. But that magical season of McGwire and Sammy Sosa going for the home run record, oh did that do wonders. People flocked to games. It was something to grasp. And baseball was back. People loved seeing the long ball. Sosa, who hit more than 600 homers during his career, will appear on the ballot starting next year.

I also don’t buy that baseball bigwigs had no idea what was going on. Come on.

Money poured in and the game was back.

Then it all came crashing down. Just like that. A house of cards that got bumped into. Done.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like that the game is cleaning up. I think it should be. I love a well-pitched game just as much as a homer. But I like seeing people crush an 0-2 hanging curve ball naturally, not because they are juiced up.

That still doesn’t take away from why I think the steroid users or suspects should be in the Hall. The reality is, they were the greatest players of that generation, with or without the PEDs. You can’t just not vote for people because you suspected them. And that’s the problem. We don’t know everyone who has done steroids. Or tried them.

Let me explain that one.

Years ago, while still at the one paper I worked for, I was doing a local reaction piece on Alex Rodriguez admitting he used steroids. At that point, there was still a minor league team in town and it was my beat. So I called the manager, Andy Barkett, whose professional career spanned 11 minor league seasons and a cup of coffee with 17 games in the majors in 2001 with Pittsburgh. He was always great to deal with and up front.

It still gave me a shock when he noted he used steroids.

Go back to my original point — it was the era. Barkett basically said the same thing to me at the time.

“It was the era and a lot of people made a lot of money during that era and not all of them were players,” Barkett said. “It benefited a lot of people at the time. … It got out of control and people looked the other way. It’s the only way it became that bad. Nobody said anything. It was obvious and everybody knew.”

Back to the voting…

So where does it stop? There has to be a way to decide the criteria for the Hall of Fame. Once personal feelings get involved with sports writers, it becomes deeper than looking at numbers or steroids. Look at Jim Rice. How did it take him 15 years to get in? He was one of the most feared hitters of his generation.

I realize that as people stay on the ballot, writers will look at things differently. Toss aside feelings and look deeper into a career. Not everyone is first-ballot, I get that.

But McGwire has more than 500 homers.

Palmeiro has more than 3,000 hits and more than 500 homers.

Those are numbers that used to mean you were a lock for the Hall of Fame. These two haven’t sniffed the door since getting on the ballot.

That’s why the Hall of Fame has to make a stand. They are a museum that tells the history of baseball. The top of its website — and something the Hall often touts — is that it preserves history, honors excellence, and connects generations.

While it could be argued that honoring some of these people isn’t honoring excellence, it is preserving history and connecting generations. And it tells the story of the game. Something that the Hall of Fame does better than anyone or anything out there.

So it needs to make an official stand.

My stand is this — if I was a voter, I’d have voted each year for McGwire and Palmeiro. And I’d vote for Bonds. And Clemens. And A-Rod. Are they pieces of crap for what they used or are suspected of using? Sure. But not everyone in the game is clean. Look at Hall of Famers that are considered among the best to ever play. There are boozers, gamblers, cheats, racists, and who knows what else in there. But they are the greatest to play the game. Ty Cobb was by far not a saint — on or off the field. But he’s a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest to play the game.

Now, I do this with a caveat. I truly believe, however, that if someone was suspected of, admitted or convicted of steroid or PED use, it should be noted on their plaque. It has to be. That’s part of the era, too. And if, in the future, one is found guilty of it, it should be added to the plaque.

Great players of the 70s weren’t held out of the Hall for being addicted to greenies, were they?

This brings me to my final thought on all of this — the voting process. Currently, the only two ways of being elected to the Hall are by the BBWAA (you can remain on the ballot for up to 15 years) or via a veteran’s committee. To be able to vote in the main election, one must have be an acrive member of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years, according to the association’s website. Once a writer receives a Hall vote, he is eligible to keep doing it even after he no longer an active member of the organization. As for being a member of the BBWAA? It’s website says “Essentially, you must be a beat writer, backup writer, columnist or sports editor from a newspaper or wire service that covers Major League Baseball on a regular basis. Membership has been expanded to include web sites on a case-by-case basis.”

But a player’s Hall of Fame worthiness is decided by a bunch of writers. Many of these writers are highly educated on the game, but it’s all up to them.

Now, as a sports writer, I have no issues with the BBWAA having part in the voting process. These people cover the players day in and day out. They have a good feel of things. But they don’t see everything. They don’t know everything. But I wouldn’t want the voting to be in the hands of just former players/managers or a committee, either. I think some of them might put people in that just don’t belong.

So how to fix the process?

I don’t know — but I think it needs to be numbers based. Baseball is a game of statistics. There needs to be certain levels where people say — he’s a Hall of Famer.

Right now, it’s too personal. I’ve read columns and stories about how somebody doesn’t vote for a player because they were a prick. Sorry, but this is a Baseball Hall of Fame. While I won’t disagree that character should play a role, it shouldn’t be a deciding factor. It’s about what they did on the field. And if the era is that of steroids, then you must consider it as a whole.

It’s a tough call on which direction to go.

But that doesn’t take away from this year. I’ve always thought Barry Larkin was a Hall of Famer. His numbers are strong. He was a dominant player at a very skilled position. He’s someone I would have voted for in the beginning.

At the same time, he wouldn’t have been the only one I voted for. I don’t have a vote, however.

It’s time for those who do have a vote to realize that the game’s history needs to be told, which means those who used steroids during this era are part of the history. They were the greats of the generation, no matter how it was achieved. Their names stand in record books, so they should stand in eternity in the Hall.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!

How much is too much?

Will Jimmy Rollins still be running out of here as a member of the Phillies ... or coming back as a hated member of another team?

Let me preface this post by noting that I am happy that Albert Pujols is out of the National League. But that comes from me as a Phillies fan, not me as a baseball fan.

As a Phillies fan — or as a baseball cynic at times — I would have laughed if players like Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter had left the Yankees over the past few years.

But then there’s the baseball fan in me, which always wins out.

See, this morning, Albert Pujols signed to play with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, leaving behind the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s no secret that I don’t like the Cardinals. I never have.

But the reality is, Albert Pujols has been the face of that franchise. For his 11-year MLB career, it’s the only team he’s ever known. He’s hit 445 homer for that franchise. He’s been a cornerstone. And he’s been one of the best of this generation.

This year was his first true test of the free agent waters.

Over his 11 years with St. Louis, he’s made $104,040,436 (according to Baseball-Reference.com). Pujols was lured by many teams this off-season. The Miami (formerly Florida) Marlins and their hideous new uniforms offered a deal that reportedly could have been worth upwards of $300M over 10 years. The Cardinals were somewhere north of $200M, with a deal ranging from 9-10 years, depending where you read. Apparently the rival Cubs were also sniffing around.

Then came the Angels.

They floated around before spreading their wings and winning the battle with an offer of 10 years and somewhere around $250 or $260 million.

Pujols is going to be 32 years old when the season starts. He’s one of the greatest of this generation. He can hit, he can field and he does a lot of things. And it’s not like he’s not made money.

Even more — he’s a virtual God in St. Louis. So much so, that there’s a statue of him!

Now, he’s gone. He’s flying to a new league. A new team. And leaving behind what could have been one heck of a stories career with one franchise. Unfortunately, that’s the sports business. Take more and move on.

Hunter Pence, who I had the chance to cover in Oneonta when he played the Tigers when he was with the Astros farm club, posted on Twitter this afternoon:

If I’ve already made more than $100M in my career. And, the difference of $60M is the difference between $200M and $260M? AND if I choose the statue and team I’ve known for my entire career?

I choose loyalty.

But I’m also not Albert Pujols. One reason this is good for him is so when he gets to the back end of this contract, he can DH in the American League. It might keep him fresher and good for longer.

But loyalty speaks a ton in my mind. To know I could look at my career and see but one team on that list — I would be more than willing to keep the statue and leave the $60M on the table.

After all, that would still mean I’ve made more than $300M in my career.

How much is too much?

That brings me to the point of this post. Jimmy Rollins.

Rollins, as many of you know, is the long-time shortstop for the Phillies. His face has been the centerpiece of this franchise for many years. Drafted in 1996 by the Phils, his entire 12-year MLB career has been spent manning shortstop for the Phils. He won the MVP in 2007 and help the Phillies win their second World Series in franchise history in 2008.

And through it all, he’s been a Phillie.

His last contract was extremely team-friendly. He showed some loyalty. And he wants it in return now that he’s a free agent at age 33 (which he just turned).

To be fair, the past few years he hasn’t been Jimmy of old. He’s had some injuries. His numbers aren’t where they used to be. But he’s still one of the top defensive shortstops in the game and when he’s on, the team goes as he goes. He is a Philadelphia Phillie.

Rollins wants a 5-year deal. Even I realize that a deal like that might be hard to stomach. Not getting it doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t still be here in five years. But, it locks them into a high-range of pay for that time period. The Phillies seem to want to offer him three years at a pretty decent pay raise.

According to Baseball-Reference, Rollins has made $53,780,000 during his career. No matter what, for the next 3-4 years, he’ll be looking at a good chunk of change. Probably upward of $11-14M per year, if the contract works well enough.

But he wants five years.

That has made it difficult for the Phillies to get him signed quickly. Although the front office brass has said over and over that signing Rollins is a priority, it’s been slow going.

This week at the winter meetings, several things came out. The Brewers were in on him. It sounded like a two-team race. Then it was reported Rollins and the Phillies had agreed to terms of a contract.

But hold that thought…

No terms were agreed to, but it was getting close. Or, maybe not.

This morning on Twitter, Shane Victorino sent out a congrats to Pujols and offered something else:

Soon after, Rollins replied:

Rollins and Pujols share the same agent, so it makes sense that Rollins was kind of waiting while the agent worked on Pujols, who is, by far, the catch of the off-season.

But now that Pujols is signed…

See, the Cardinals have some money they can spend. And they need a shortstop. Does Jimmy Rollins go? Do the Cardinals offer him what he seeks? Earlier in the off-season, some reports showed Cardinals people saying there isn’t a match there.

And, in the end, what does Rollins want?

I know, personally, if he shows up in another uniform next year, it will make me ill. It’s my hope that somehow, the Phillies and Rollins come to an agreement and find middle ground to agree upon. The reality is, Rollins means more to this franchise than he could to another — and vice versa. Rollins is the Jeter of Philly. The Yanks and Jeter finally found a way to get it done last year.

Hopefully the same can be done here.

Because in this day and age, it really is refreshing to see someone stay with a team for their career. In this economy, too, it’s hard for us common Joes to realize fighting over a few extra million. With so many people unemployed in this economy, it’s even harder to cheer for someone who makes a ton of money if they can’t show loyalty as well.

Truthfully, in the end, how much money really is too much?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!

If you hide it… tell me why I’m there

A Revolutionary War veteran buried in Prentiss Cemetery (New York)

There always seems to be a hot debate among geocachers about cemetery caches.

Some love ’em.

Some hate ’em.

Some are in the middle.

I’m one of those middle guys. I love the old, out-of-the-way cemeteries. You know, the ones that aren’t active (or not very active), on an old country road and have a boatload of history in them.

The active cemeteries, not so much as you never know when you’ll encounter a funeral, people pay respect etc. I’d rather avoid those.

But the old cemeteries… with all the history and everything else, they can be quite the interesting places to take people.

That being said, what seems to be a more recurring theme with cemetery hides is not telling me why I’m here. In my area and other areas I’ve traveled to and found these caches, I’ve noticed this theme. Though people seem to look around before hiding the cache, I’m left to wonder if it’s more than a cache hide.

I recently went on a cache outing with Peter and Judy — the Devil Duckies. We had a fun-filled afternoon of caching and we hit several cemetery caches. In each one, we spent a lot of time peeking around, looking at headstones and checking the historic significance of each place. In reality, the geocache was just an added bonus to the day.

However, the cache page didn’t mention the amazing things we found at two of the cemeteries — the burials of nearly 20 people who fought in the Revolutionary War. One of the cemeteries had more than a dozen buried in its hallowed grounds alone. This cemetery also had two World War I vets buried here and one from the Korean War.

In the other cemetery, there were six Revolutionary War vets buried there. They were spread out over the cemetery and it wasn’t easy to find them all. But they were there and I’m glad we walked around and looked at all the headstones. It really gave me an historic feel to the area.

This post, however, isn’t meant to call anyone out, so please don’t look at it that way. It’s not directed at anyone in particular, rather the who geocaching community when it comes to placing cemetery caches.

This is a trend I’ve seen throughout geocaching with cemetery caches I’ve visited. Often, the cache listing will note that the cache is near an old cemetery, it might point out something (such as old headstones) and will also stress that the cache is outside the boundaries of the cemetery (after all, caches aren’t supposed to be hidden in cemeteries).

Some people point out a few small things. Some people go in depth. Some people just mention the cache.

Old cemeteries usually house a lot of history. I don’t expect someone to look up details on the whole cemetery. But if you walk around the cemetery (as I hope most cache hiders would do), check things out. Find the relevant information. I would personally note if veterans from a war, such as the Revolutionary War, are buried in those grounds.

The Revolutionary War is a significant war in our history, seeing as, ya know, our country gained its freedom from it and all. So to know that these patriots are buried in these old, forgotten cemeteries is a great way to make sure people come not just to geocache, but to pay respects to our forefathers.

So this is a shout out to those who place and those who visit cemetery caches. Take the time to check everything out. And if there’s something significant, place it in the description or the log. Make those who come find the place realize where they are going. Remember, the game isn’t just about the numbers (though they are cool to have!), but about where the hider takes the finder. I appreciate places like this because it’s a walk through history. I just hope others take the same time to look around and realize where they are before zipping away for the next find.

You can see more of my photos from this day’s adventure at this Flickr set.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.

It got too serious, too fast

This disc is for... and this one is for....

This past weekend made me open my eyes to disc golf a little bit.

It got too serious in a hurry.

At least for me.

I played in a 36-hole tournament at Hyzer Creek, which is a wonderful course at the base of the Adirondack Mountains. There were 88 players who competed in this tournament, a tourney that was filled with fivesomes.

On my phone, I have an app that is a scorecard. It’s a wonderful thing because I keep my own score on there, so at the end of the round when I have to check my score, I can do so quickly and easily. The app also keeps track of a lot of things, including the time of the rounds.

But let me back track for one moment. Remember, this past weekend was the Relay For Life. So I got about 1 1/2 hours of sleep before a two-hour ride to Hyzer Creek on a warm spring day.

Now to that timer…

The first round of 18 holes took 3 hours, 27 minutes.

The second took 3 hours, 18 minutes.

I like to think, even though I usually get my money’s worth of shots in a round, that I’m a pretty quick player. I’ve played 18-hole rounds in an hour and a half. And that’s cool. I enjoy going out and playing disc golf. Learning new things. Trying new discs. Experimenting in ways to throw.

But it got too serious for me.

Bags. Discs. More discs. Chairs. Tournaments. Leagues.

I got reading an older blog (circa 2005) about the growth of the sport and people carrying chairs around and having backback-type bags and dozens and dozens of discs.

Personally, I don’t think that’s bad for the sport. It’s a fast-growing sport and one that can use a spurt like that. If people want to carry around that many discs and huge bags, have at it.

A friend recently gave me a larger bag. It has backpack straps and, truthfully, it’s probably too big for what I do. That being said, I used it at the tournament this past weekend and loved it. Why? Because it’s multi-functional for me. I still only carried like 7 or 8 discs (two drivers, three mid-range, and two putters), but had room for bigger bottles of water and my digital SLR camera. Therefore, the bag is useful to me during a tournament round or a casual round.

Where does it stop?

For me, it stops now. I need to take a breath. I need to play for the reason I started — because it was fun. And I need to stop playing in tournaments for the most part because, well, it’s too competitive.

Don’t get me wrong, I still like to compete. So I won’t shy away from tournaments fully. But I am going to be selective.

I have a few tournaments — three or so in my area and one in New Jersey — that I am going to play in for sure. They are ones I know I’ll enjoy and I’ll just do my thing and know people etc.

But outside of that? I want to start investigating other courses. Trying to actively plan a day where I play a course or two and find five or six geocaches. And take some photos.

See, now that would be fun!

And I have to get better. I think the “too serious” part is because I’m frustrated over things I can’t do. But I can’t do them if all I am doing is playing a league round here and there and in tournaments. I need to go out and play. Set up a basket and putt. Learn the discs and the different things.

Mostly, I have to keep it fun.

I have to be honest that part of me was willing to pull out of the tournament this weekend. Darren was, too. I think we were both spent from the Relay the night before and just were running out of gas. My second round was worse than my first for more reasons than my play, but I’ll not go into them here. Let’s just say, again, it’s too competitive — even if it’s not me being the one who is competitive. But that’s neither here nor there.

I’m glad we stuck it out — for two reasons. One, it cost me 20 bucks to play in the tournament. And two, Darren placed. So that was cool.

So, I want to tackle a few things in this post.

The first is discs. I realized this weekend how many discs I have. Thankfully, I haven’t had to pay for most of them as many are hand-me-downs from others who have helped me build my collection.

But the reality is that I don’t need more than a handful of discs. Why? Because I’m not good enough to control each of these discs. And by getting the bigger and badder discs, it just frustrates me more.

I’m going back to square one.

I have the seven or eight discs I like in my bag. I’m going to keep those there. I have a few others that have been given to me to try and told what to do with them (one specifically for overhand shots, which I plan on utilizing more) and will insert them into the bag when needed. Alas, I still don’t want to carry more than 8-10 discs total as this bag is awesome for carrying my camera and I want to be able to take more photos. All I need to do is to figure out how to rig up a way to carry my tripod (for non-tournament rounds) so I can do some video and such.

Because, honestly, disc golf videos rock.

Now, how about ways to carry discs.

I was steadfast in thinking I only need the small Fade bag I purchased with my first discs. It holds 8-10 discs  and has a spot for a water bottle. It’s the bag in the photo at the top of this post.

For months, Darren has been offering me this bigger bag and I kept turning him down. Why, said I, would I need such a thing?

Then, before the Relay For Life, he brought it out, I tried it on, realized that it could be multi-purpose and I succumbed to the pressure of taking the bigger bag.

I don’t regret it.

If I was just going to carry discs and nothing else, I wouldn’t have done it. But to be able to bring a bigger bottle of water (two, if I want to carry that much), my DSLR camera and other things? It’s way worth it. And I won’t be not using this anytime soon, especially for casual rounds. I found that even though I can carry the DSLR on the tournament rounds, I don’t take as many photos. I was more happy with being able to just have the bag as a backpack and have it easy to grab my water when needed.

The bag is definitely a keeper.

This whole situation follows my normal pattern for things. I find something, I enjoy it, I get too serious, and then I dial it down a notch. Geocaching was the same way with me for a while. I cared about numbers. I wanted to get as many first to finds as I could. I wanted to find everything.

Now?

Not so much. I still really enjoy geocaching, but I do it different now. I don’t care about being first anymore. I take my time. Numbers days are few and far between. I like the hikes, the rides, the views and the find.

I feel I can be a geocaching curmudgeon at times about too many park-and-grabs, but overall, I know anymore I like the quality hides. The clever containers. The make me scratch-my-head hides.

Truthfully, however, it took me a little while to get to that point. Probably early last year — which meant about two years after I started geocaching.

It didn’t take that long for me with disc golf, and I’m glad.

Because now I can get back to the fun of it. Practicing on my own time (I bought an excellent portable basket, so I can set up and putt or whatever wherever I want!) and finding courses to play will make it fun again.

And hopefully, soon enough, we’ll have at least nine holes in the ground at the Oneonta course. Then it will be even closer to play, which is nice.

And it won’t be so serious.

For now, anyway.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.