MyTravels

Back to writing... looking forward to it

Hermosa Beach

Well, they say you may only get once chance at fame, and I certainly missed the boat while out in California on vacation.  I went to check out the AVP Huntington Beach Open and it was awesome!   I won a hitting contest called the "CRUSH" Contest sponsored by CROCS the offical sponsor of the AVP.   A bunch of girls and guys had to hit 3 balls with Pros judging holding up scores between 1-10 for the best 2 out of 3.  I won for the girls on Saturday.  The following day, they ran the contest again and the winner that day and myself would compete on CENTER COURT before the women's finals!   I was so pumped up, excited, text messaging my friends etc.   Well, it would seem that they changed the time of the contest to occur during the women's semi-finals and I was up in the stands in the VIP Section that AL-B got for the Volleyball Vacations crew.   I missed my chance for 5 minutes of fame.   The stands were full, and at this point of my life, I know that I will never have another chance to hit a volleyball on center court at an AVP Open event... A day late, a dollar short, story of my life...

Cheers~

California Dreamin'

On Friday I will be watching the preliminary rounds of the Huntington Beach, CA AVP Open Volleyball tournament.   Lots to do before I take off to the land of sun and sand!

Stay tuned...

Sometimes you can't make it on your own

U2
Sometimes you can't make it on your own

Tough, you think you`ve got the stuff
You`re telling me and anyone
You`re hard enough

You don`t have to put up a fight
You don`t have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don`t have to go it alone

And it`s you when I look in the mirror
And it`s you when I don`t pick up the phone
Sometimes you can`t make it on your own

We fight all the time
You and I... that`s alright
We`re the same soul
I don`t need... I don`t need to hear you say
That if we weren`t so alike
You`d like me a whole lot more

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don`t have to go it alone

And it`s you when I look in the mirror
And it`s you when I don`t pick up the phone
Sometimes you can`t make it on your own

I know that we don`t talk
I`m sick of it all
Can you hear me when I Sing,
you`re the reason I sing
You`re the reason why the opera is in me

Where are we now?
I`ve got to let you know
A house still doesn`t make a home
Don`t leave me here alone

And it`s you when I look in the mirror
And it`s you that makes it hard to let go
Sometimes you can`t make it on your own
Sometimes you can`t make it
The best you can do is to fake it
Sometimes you can`t make it on your own

//

Bono 'I sang 'Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own' at my father's funeral. He was a very tough, old boot of a guy, Irish, Dub, north side of Dublin, very cynical about the world and the people in it, you know, but very charming, and funny with it. 'His whole thing was, 'Don't dream - to dream is to be disappointed'. That was really what I think was his advice to me. He didn't speak it in those words, but that's what he meant, and of course that's really a recipe for megalomania isn't it? I mean I was only ever interested in big ideas, and not so much dreaming but putting dreams into action, doing the things that you have in your head has become an important thing for me. 'The song 'Sometimes You Cant Make it On Your Own', was dedicated to him, and, it's a portrait of him - he was a great singer, a tenor, a working class Dublin guy who listened to the opera and conducted the stereo with my mother's knitting needles. He just loved opera, so in the song, I hit one of those big tenor notes that he would have loved so much. I think he would have loved it, I hope so.'

My Mum

I hope that you are in heaven still reading my blog.   I know that you were my biggest fan and I miss you something awful.  I did not know when we took this photo last October for my b-day that you would be gone so soon.

No matter what kind of relationship you have with your parents, you will miss them when they are gone.   

I love you Mom, and I miss you a lot.   Thank you for giving me life and for all that I have learned from you.   You were an amazingly strong woman and you loved your children as best as you could.   I think about you all the time and I wish that you were still here.   I miss your laugh, I miss your flighty ways, I just miss you.   I know that you are listening to me and watching over me.   I will be okay, but I will never be the same.

Love you,

MLD

xoxo

In Memory of Pamela Lee:   1/8/46 - 3/26/2006

Happy Mother's Day

Boston Beach Volleyball

BBVB - Bringing the beach back in style...

Player rankings, news etc.

http://mldvolleyball.com

Tuesday, in the city

Quote of the Day

How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.
  - Benjamin Disraeli

If there were no God, there would be no Atheists.
  - GK Chesterton

Go Sox!

2006 Volleyball Vacation - Hermosa, Beach CA

California Beach Volleyball!

The next Volleyball Vacations trip will be at Hermosa Beach, CA from May 26th-June 2nd.   The trip includes VIP Seating at the AVP Huntington Beach Open (May 26-28) and clinics and tournaments with the Pros the week of May 29th-June 2nd at Hermosa Beach.

You can download the flyer here for more information:

Download hermosa_volleyball_2006.doc

And check out this "HOT" video of Mr. AL-B Hanneman of Volleyball Vacations:

AL-B

In Memory of Pamela Lee DiChiara

In Memory of Pamela Lee DiChiara

January 8th, 1946 - March 26th 2006

Love Michelle

xoxo

From Left to Right:

Tara, Mum, Melissa, MLD

He Loves Me...

HE LOVES me

Auntie MLD reads to the precious one, Mr. Zachary....

HE LOVES me NOT