This is me when I was 17 years old. It looks like I was dunking the ball with ease back then. It got a lot easier the next year. I put on a few more pounds of muscle and had a lot more practice. The last time I dunked it with any authority it was the first week or second week of February the year I was 19. I can remember the exact spot, it was in a gym that has a no dunking rule but they had break away rims and the temptation to show off is pretty high. I did it again a few weeks later at an outdoor court just south of Buenos Aires. The 20 months that followed I was really hard on my body. I estimate that I walked close to 9,900 km in that time. It was really hard on my knees. I've never really been the same since, as far as jumping ability is concerned. After a long rest, I had just put on too much weight to be able to do it very well.
I was a lot thinner. I had more hair on my head and less on my chest and in my nose. I've put on 50 lbs in the 13 years since this video was shot. I have dunked it a handful of times, but no more than 9 or 10 and it was close every time, and the actual height of the nets has be questionable.
What brings it up is that I did it last night for the first time in about 2 years, but just barely.
-Gary
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
I'm Dead Tired From Working
I just finished the busiest week of my studio's busiest season. My boss said that between us, we photographed over 10,000 kids. That's not including the college sports teams; 2 volleyball, 2 basketball, 2 soccer, golf and the administrators. It also doesn't include 25 volleyball teams at a local tournament or the three families that we did today.
I don't think that I've had so many 13 hour days in one week before. I'm tired, I've had a headache for 2 days. I just want to sleep.
Beyond the pain, I do have to admit that it was pretty fun.
One kid at a junior high.
Me, "Sit down and point your knees at my computer." I point at my computer.
Kid, remains in a fog.
Me, "POINT YOUR KNEES AT MY COMPUTER." I shake my hand as I point at my computer.
Kid, "What? Where?" more fog around this kids head.
Me, I point at my computer.
Kid, Walks over to me, "What?"
Me, I point at my computer and say, "Point your knees at my computer."
Kid, Lifts knee and touches it to the computer.
Me, "NO! SIT DOWN AND POINT YOUR KNEES AT MY COMPUTER!"
Kid, "Right here?" points to the ground at my feet.
Me, "NO! ON YOUR CHAIR. SIT ON YOUR CHAIR AND TURN YOUR KNEES SO THEY POINT AT THE LAPTOP COMPUTER ON MY TABLE!" I think to myself this kid is dumber than a bag of pucks.
At the Volleyball tournament.
Me, "Smile, one, two," Click.
Kid, Smiles
Teammates to kid, "HA HA! YOU'RE GAY BECAUSE YOU SMILED!"
Setting up for one of the high schools on Tuesday.
Female Coworker, "I was going to make those business cards for you, Gary, but I got distracted."
Me jokingly, "Saw something shiny, eh?"
My Boss, loud laughter.
Earlier today.
Female Coworker, "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, HEY DID YOU SEE THAT KIDS SHIRT!?!?! IT WAS REALLY SHINY!!! IT WAS xxxxx BRAND OF SHIRT........" Voice trails off.
Me, "Don't worry, I won't tell the boss."
-Gary
I don't think that I've had so many 13 hour days in one week before. I'm tired, I've had a headache for 2 days. I just want to sleep.
Beyond the pain, I do have to admit that it was pretty fun.
One kid at a junior high.
Me, "Sit down and point your knees at my computer." I point at my computer.
Kid, remains in a fog.
Me, "POINT YOUR KNEES AT MY COMPUTER." I shake my hand as I point at my computer.
Kid, "What? Where?" more fog around this kids head.
Me, I point at my computer.
Kid, Walks over to me, "What?"
Me, I point at my computer and say, "Point your knees at my computer."
Kid, Lifts knee and touches it to the computer.
Me, "NO! SIT DOWN AND POINT YOUR KNEES AT MY COMPUTER!"
Kid, "Right here?" points to the ground at my feet.
Me, "NO! ON YOUR CHAIR. SIT ON YOUR CHAIR AND TURN YOUR KNEES SO THEY POINT AT THE LAPTOP COMPUTER ON MY TABLE!" I think to myself this kid is dumber than a bag of pucks.
At the Volleyball tournament.
Me, "Smile, one, two," Click.
Kid, Smiles
Teammates to kid, "HA HA! YOU'RE GAY BECAUSE YOU SMILED!"
Setting up for one of the high schools on Tuesday.
Female Coworker, "I was going to make those business cards for you, Gary, but I got distracted."
Me jokingly, "Saw something shiny, eh?"
My Boss, loud laughter.
Earlier today.
Female Coworker, "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, HEY DID YOU SEE THAT KIDS SHIRT!?!?! IT WAS REALLY SHINY!!! IT WAS xxxxx BRAND OF SHIRT........" Voice trails off.
Me, "Don't worry, I won't tell the boss."
-Gary
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Photographing Stuff
Well, we finished the first high school last week and I did a junior high school today and tomorrow we are on to our first elementary school. Time is just flying by. It seems like the day of shooting head shots is going by much faster than it did last year. Maybe we've removed a lot of the kinks from our system or something. I'm pretty happy with how things are going.
On the long weekend I went to see my sister and shoot a wedding with her. It went very well. I think that shooting with me gives Jackie a little stress because I point out things that she would have missed. But she's pretty happy with my photos and likes getting help posing the bigger groups.
In fact she asked me to stay for a shoot she had planned for the next day with a group of 11 people Grandparents, kids, and grand kids. It seemed pretty straightforward to me, but that's basically what I do, families of various sizes. Jackie just wants to shoot toddlers and basically nothing else. She's making such a name for herself that she just keeps getting all sorts of bookings and she has a hard time saying no, at least a little.
I told her to just make her prices so high for the things she doesn't like doing that she can't refuse. I don't know how she liked that idea or if she took me seriously.
Anyway I had a really good time shooting with her. I think we learn a lot from each other every time we shoot together. At least I hope she's learning stuff from me because I'm learning from her a lot. Especially how to act around the kids. New schtick always helps.
-Gary
On the long weekend I went to see my sister and shoot a wedding with her. It went very well. I think that shooting with me gives Jackie a little stress because I point out things that she would have missed. But she's pretty happy with my photos and likes getting help posing the bigger groups.
In fact she asked me to stay for a shoot she had planned for the next day with a group of 11 people Grandparents, kids, and grand kids. It seemed pretty straightforward to me, but that's basically what I do, families of various sizes. Jackie just wants to shoot toddlers and basically nothing else. She's making such a name for herself that she just keeps getting all sorts of bookings and she has a hard time saying no, at least a little.
I told her to just make her prices so high for the things she doesn't like doing that she can't refuse. I don't know how she liked that idea or if she took me seriously.
Anyway I had a really good time shooting with her. I think we learn a lot from each other every time we shoot together. At least I hope she's learning stuff from me because I'm learning from her a lot. Especially how to act around the kids. New schtick always helps.
-Gary
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