Breaking Leeuwarden's Win Streak and Thanksgiving with the Pink's - Blog #8 (Nov. 25 - Dec. 1)

Basketball Update:

What a weekend for hoops. We had two huge games this weekend against Dutch teams. On Friday, we dropped one to the Del Helder Suns, 74-65, at home. Den Helder is a good team, but I believe we are better. We played pretty awful with bad energy. We were unable to inspire what was a pretty big home crowd. It was a bad loss, and the vibes were pretty bad which is not what we needed going to Leeuwarden Saturday to face the hottest team in the league with an 8-game win streak. It was fun to have the Pink's here for the game along with two of Nikki's work friends, Hagen and Jenny. Highlights below.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/av_-JRwPL6s?feature=share

The Leeuwarden game started off very weird. The clock had several malfunctions; fifteen seconds into the game we had to stop play, go to our benches, and then re-warm up. We were down the whole first half by a decent margin and cut their lead down to six at half. Then, the second half started, and they went on a run going up by fifteen at one point. After that, we scratched and clawed our way back into the game. Dimma (#2, who played for Leeuwarden last season) hit two huge threes, and TJ (#8) had a couple of dunks and big shots as well. We had amazing energy and played as a team. TJ and Dimma both fouled out, so the bench got thin. We needed OT to get it done, but we won, 95-92. I played all 45 minutes in this game and all 40 in Friday's game. My body feels pretty good though to be honest, and I will never complain about getting too many minutes. It was a ton of fun. Games like this one are why basketball is amazing. Everything going into that game made it seem like we were going to get blown out, but we came together and got it done. I think this will be the turning point in our season. Highlights below.

https://youtube.com/shorts/oiVPOj_z-xU?si=Vmgbk4_XYp41tszz

Leadership Lesson:

Another lesson learned from Hillsdale for this week's leadership lesson. It is something that one of my assistant coaches, Eric Weiss, said and that Coach Tharp used several times throughout my last season at Hillsdale when we went on our run to the Elite 8. Coach Weiss said in one of his pregame messages to us, "It's not about the destination or the journey. It's about the relationships you make along the way." I absolutely love this because it gives you a certain perspective about life and what matters. People always say that it's about the journey and not the destination. There is truth to this when you are prioritizing your motivation and improvement. I think as a more general life philosophy that this quote has rung true for me. You can get so caught up in what you are doing and not the people you are sharing it with.

When I look back on my life, I do not think I will look at accomplishments or things I did or how much money I made. I will think about the laughs, memories, and good times shared with people I love that occurred because of close relationships that have been formed. I realize that this sounds incredibly cheesy, but I think it is true. Sharing an accomplishment with other people is what is special. Doing something on your own is not nearly as fun or rewarding if you ask me.

Top 5 of the Week:

Movies

1. Good Will Hunting - You can't criticize me for having any of these movies over the others because the margins for them are so razor-thin. Something about this movie and in particular the relationship between the Robin Williams character and the Matt Damon character is so captivating to me. A great movie with a perfect ending.

2. Remember the Titans - My favorite sports movie ever and an all-around fun watch. So many memorable scenes and moments in this movie. Inspiring and also depicts the crazy racial tension that existed during the Civil Rights Movement. Must watch.

3. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - The best comedy in my opinion. So many quotable lines in this movie. I had forgotten how amazing it was until I rewatched it last year at CSU with my roommate, Joe Palmer. We were dying laughing pretty much the whole time.

4. Goodfellas - A great gangster movie with some great actors and an awesome story. My favorite character in this one is Joe Pesci. His voice/accent is pretty funny, and he has some captivating scenes. Great watch.

5. Dark Knight - Joker is one of the best roles in movie history. A great film that has an enormous amount of suspense and keeps you on your toes the whole time. So quotable as well. Dark Knight Rises is almost as good which is crazy.

HM: Despicable Me, Incredibles, Night at the Museum 2, Shawshank Redemption, Interstellar, Moneyball, The Greatest Showman, and Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

What Else Did I Do This Week:

The Pinks stayed in Amsterdam Monday-Wednesday and were in Leiden the rest of the week. I went to Amsterdam to have dinner with them Monday and Tuesday, and we had a couple of great meals. We went to an authentic Dutch restaurant on Monday which was incredible and went to a food hall to try a bunch of different kinds of food on Tuesday. In Leiden, we walked around and showed them around the city for the first time. Everyone that has come to Leiden thus far has said that it is bigger than they thought. I have said this before, but it is such a great city with lots to do and see.

We had a nice Thanksgiving celebration. We went to Nikki and I's favorite restaurant in Leiden, Siri Thai, and got takeout for our dinner. I also grabbed some apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We played some card games after dinner, FaceTimed some family, and had a great night. Thanksgiving plate below.

We also were able to show them the town that we live in, Warmond, on Friday. It is the season for Olliebollen in the Netherlands, and if you are not familiar, it is basically the Dutch version of a beignet. They are so good, and there are stands all over the place. We grabbed some on our walk to Warmond, and we all loved them.

On Saturday, I had practice in the morning while the Pinks went to Cologne, Germany, for a Christmas market. I had a pretty relaxing afternoon/evening and watched Interstellar for the first time. Great movie, no doubt about it. I have tried to watch it a few times before but have fallen asleep every time. Happy I watched it and would definitely recommend it if you have not seen it. After I got back from the game on Sunday, the Pinks ordered some pizza which was really good. We chatted for a bit, then went to bed because they had an early flight the next morning. So glad they came, we welcome visitors anytime! Apologies for the lack of pictures this week, I didn't do a great job with that.

Meal of the Week:

The Thanksgiving meal might have been the best, but because I already have talked about Siri Thai, I am going to go with Paco Ciao, a new place we went to in Leiden on Wednesday. I have gotten in recommended to me by several people, so I was excited to check it out. It has a very unique vibe which is hard to explain but the restaurant is really cool. Their menu is different in that they do not stick to one cuisine. They have about eight or nine different dishes that are all different. All of it was amazing. I got this Flank Steak dish which was good. Ellie got the best item IMO. She got a Korean-style sandwich that was delicious. Stacy got butter chicken. Nikki and Joe got tuna steak. They also had Mediterranean and a few other styles of food. I will definitely be back.

One Thing I Prefer About the Netherlands:

That time of the month when I do the opposite segment I normally do and pick something that is done better here than in the States. Access to other places and cultures is better in Europe than in the US. This isn't really the US's fault, but because of the size and newness of America, it lacks the deeply rooted history that exists in Europe. The Netherlands is a quarter of the size of Wisconsin which is insane. My Dutch teammates say that when we travel south or north a couple of hours from here in the Netherlands, they cannot understand the Dutch that the locals speak because of their thick accents. You can travel three hours by train into France and not a single person you meet will speak Dutch. The cultural differences in Europe are hard to believe when you take into consideration the size of the continent. However, it makes sense when you think about how old these civilizations are. It is cool to be located in a place with easy access to these different cultures which is something Nikki and I have and will continue to take advantage of. Thanks for reading!