Ezra's Birthday Party, 2-0 Week, and Rematch Vs. James - Blog #24 (Apr. 7 - 13)

Basketball Update:

We played QSTA and Mons this week which were huge games for us as the regular season winds down, and we look to lock up a first-round playoff bye. Our QSTA game was more or less the same as our game the week before against BAL. We played bad for the first three quarters and made a great comeback in the 4th quarter, got the crowd into the game, and came out with the win. Here are some of my highlights from the game.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Y3JlF90mJrw?si=T7iD-bzPzcNALt-8

The game at Mons was on Saturday, and we were looking for our first win in Belgium. We had already beaten Mons at home this year, so we knew we had a good shot to beat them at their place. The rematch went well for us. Our 2-3 zone worked well again against them again. We were in control for most of the game and ended up winning 71-77 after a last-second garbage bucket cut it to six points for them. It was a really big win for us for standings and for our confidence. We played a good, complete game for the first time in a while. Need to be playing our best ball at the right time, so I hope we continue to build and improve.

Leadership Lesson:

I was listening to a podcast this week, and something that one of the guests said really resonated with me. She talked about how when most people have performance reviews and receive feedback, they may hear three or four positive things and one negative thing. They tend to focus on the one negative thing rather than the postiive feedback they received. Unfortunately, it is how a lot of our brains work. We are perfectionists who only want positive remarks that affirm what we want others to think about us. However, we know that this isn't reality. It is important to take constructive criticism in order to improve, but we should also focus on our strengths and leverage those things in whatever work we do. Coach Medved did an exercise with our team last year, going down the line naming each individual, and everyone would blurt out what that person's strengths were. It was extremely empowering and effective for our team and role clarity. It felt good to hear compliments from everyone, but it also helped to understand what you should be taking advantage of on the court versus the opponent. Focusing on your strengths as a worker and individual can go a long way in boosting confidence and improving your performance.

Top 5 of the Week:

Golfers

1. Scottie Scheffler - Full disclosure here, I am not the biggest golf fan. However, the Masters being this past week, I thought it was fitting. I have grown to like Scottie a lot. He is very low-key. Some may say he's boring, but I like how he goes about his business. He's a good family man, a strong Christian, and a stud golfer.

2. Tiger Woods - Really wish I would have got to watch Tiger in his prime. His Masters win in 2019 was pretty awesome. Crazy comeback. He is an icon that transcends golf. Intense competitor with an admirable toughness and grit.

3. Steve Stricker - Don't know much about him, but one of the only pro golfers to come out of Wisconsin. I know he was a Ryder Cup captain a few years back when they played in Wisconsin which is pretty sweet.

4. Jack Nicklaus - Many consider him the GOAT. He makes my list because Nikki is named after him. Weird to think that I could be dating "Tiger" Pink if Joe felt differently.

5. Max Homa - He goes on a podcast I listen to a decent amount, and he is a good, ascending golfer who has a good sense of humor and doesn't take himself too seriously. Hopefully, he is next up.

What Else Did I Do This Week?

Nikki is in the middle of her busy season right now. She has been traveling down to Arnhem which is a couple of hours away at her client site because they are in the process of filing in the next couple of weeks. She was gone from Monday to Thursday, so I was fairly lonely most of the week. Monday, we had a team dinner at this restaurant in Leiden, Rembrandt Roast. It has been hyped up to me the whole year because of the quality of their spare ribs. They did not disappoint. It was great team bonding, great food, and a great night's sleep afterward.

On Friday, Nikki and I had a date night out in Leiden. We went to Bar Lokaal. I had been there for breakfast before and really enjoyed it. We gave it a try for dinner, and it was really good. We got four small dishes to share, along with a couple of dips with pita bread. It was the best tzatziki and hummus I have ever had. We had beef tartar, shakshuka, burrata, and cauliflower. Lekker!

Before my game Saturday, Nikki and I went on a nice walk in Warmond and had lunch at a cafe close by. It was very solid. I got back late Saturday, but we were up relatively early Sunday morning so I could take Nikki down to Arnhem for the week. Nikki had to go into the office on Sunday, so I had a few hours to kill. Lucky me, my man, Pete, had his mom and sister in town, along with Bella and Ezra, for Ezra's 1st birthday party. I drove into Deutschland and headed to Bochum. It was my first time in Germany. It took a little over an hour to get there. We went to another zoo in Bochum. My second zoo experience with this squad. Then, we went to a nice lunch and walked in a park right by Pete's apartment. The park was great with a lot of walking paths, a pond, and cool foliage. We got caught in a little bit of rain before having some ice cream at Pete's place. I headed back, but it was a really nice, short trip. I made great progress with Ezra. I think I am his favorite uncle. I think he felt more comfortable on his home turf because he was much more comfortable with me.

Nikki and I explored Arnhem a bit and had some good ramen for dinner. The city center was really cool. We went back to Nikki's hotel room to hang out and watch a bit of the Masters. Happy for Rory. I don't love him as much as some because of when he took that fan's phone and some other weird stuff over the years. Great sports story though. Monday morning, I had a great hotel breakfast and headed back home. Great weekend!

Top Meal of the Week:

Best meal Nikki and I had this week was Friday night at Bar Lokaal. I mentioned what we got earlier, but seriously, the best couple of dips I have ever had. They also have great pancakes in the morning.

One Thing I Miss About the States:

I miss US cooking measurements (cups & ounces vs. grams & mLs). I think the way that the rest of the world does it is actually better and makes more sense. However, all of the recipes that Nikki and I make are from US social media accounts or US cooking websites. I just made some banana bread that is in the oven as I am typing this and have no idea how it will turn out because I was eyeballing everything. Thanks for reading!