THANKFUL

By Your Athletic Supporter, Jack Strap

I was THANKFUL to return to action on the HHI court today, THANKFUL to be playing hoops amongst friends, THANKFUL that they haven't gotten any better while I was gone, THANKFUL for the laughs we shared, THANKFUL to win the Daily Championship & Iron Man Finale Title with DJ Jazzy Jones, Mighty Kerr, Gary US Bonds, Alan "The Question" I-Vath-son & Pistol Pete, and THANKFUL for the Stink'in Losers: Swoop, Quick, Iron, X-Smoker & Radon Rader.

So now you too (as well as Bono, get it?) can be THANKFUL with this 4 Steps Plan (one more than the Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gimme 3 Steps Plan, got it?) that I plagiarized (is it plagiarizing if you admit it?) from wikiHow:
Do you take many things in your life for granted? By looking at the world a little differently, you just might realize how much you have to be THANKFUL for. Here's how to stop and smell the roses.

Steps

1. Pay attention to the people around you. You will find that everybody has something to worry or complain about, not just you. It's easy to focus on those who seem to have it, what could've been, and what you don't have. Recognize what you do have--whether you like it or not, it's yours to keep or to change. Accepting your lot in life is not about resigning yourself to unhappiness. It's about not wasting time wishing for what you don't have. You could try writing a list of things you want, and things you have. Consider the thought that many less fortunate people will want some of the basic things that you have.
2. Become a problem solver. Use your lemons to make lemonade. Get in the habit of asking yourself how you can turn the negative into a positive. The most successful people in life, and those who have the most to be grateful for, are also those who've endured tremendous trials and managed to persevere and turn it all around.
3. Learn to see hardship as a chance to develop character. Imagine yourself looking back ten years from now and recounting your difficult circumstances, and being proud of how you handled it and worked through it.
4. Develop a gratitude journal. It's pretty simple. At the end of every day, write down five things that have made you happy or appreciative that day; not necessarily big things, even small ones count.
   • For example: 1) nice weather, 2) being thanked by a customer at work, 3) my pet, 4) having people who love me, 5) or a funny joke to tell everyone.

And if the above isn't enough for you, how about these THANKFUL Tips & Warnings:

Tips

• Avoid negative people whose social interaction consists of comparing their lives and competing for who has it worse.
• Volunteering to help those in need will help put things in perspective.

Warnings

• Variation is a part of life; seasons, day and night, hilltops and valleys, light and darkness.
• No matter how positive and THANKFUL you are, remember that life will always have its ups and downs. You are going to have to take the good with the bad.

So now it's up to you to be THANKFUL & you can start by being THANKFUL that this Jack Strap lesson is over.

TOP 10 & LUCKY 13 & HAPPY 11/21

By Your Athletic Supporter, Jack Strap

Needed to get in our HHI BLOG, Lipper's TOP 10 Chemo Advertising Slogans:

10. It gives a licking so you keep ticking (Timex - It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.)

9. I want my CAT (MTV - I want my MTV)

8. Chemo - 99 44/100% toxic (Ivory Soap - 99 44/100 % pure)

7. Chemo - Good to the last drop (Maxwell House coffee)

6. I'd walk a mile for chemo, if I could (Camel - I'd walk a mile for a Camel)

5. Run for the bathroom (Taco Bell - run for the border)

4. The King of Drugs (Budweiser - the King of beers)

3. 90ml will do ya (Brylcream - A little dab'll do ya)

2. Better things for better living through chemistry. - no change needed - DuPont

1. It keeps you going, and going, and going.... (energizer batteries - It keeps going, and going, and going....)

HHI also keeps going and going and going for over 17 years now & this Saturday AM was no exception with these LUCKY 13 Hoopsters in action:
13. Swoop had his day made with a Daily Championship (DC) & Iron Man Finale (IMF) Title
12. Iron Mike tried unsuccessfully to stop Swoop with a "horse collar tackle" & then to add insult to non-injury, as he served his "Commissioner's suspension" his team blew a 13-7 lead & the IMF Title
11. Gary US Bonds won Game #2 with a deuce setting up the DC victory
10. X-Smoker Bob was poised to win that IMF Title with a deuce, but a pass wasn't forthcoming from the hog-balling "Question" I-Vath-son
9. Bob's bro-in-law DJ Jazzy Jones found it more interesting to read Sports Illustrated than to watch the HHI action while subbing out
8. If DJ wants to know about Sports, he could just ask the Mighty Kerr who amongst many other things, could tell him that Brett Favre will go into the Hall of Fame as a Packer
7. Radon Rader's teammates told me he was doing all the hustling dirty work to key their only victory in Game 1, but "patiently" waited until the IMF to score
6. Diggetty Doug Bales was the dirty (work) white boy for his DC & IMF-winning squad
5. Vath's shove "flapped" the normally unflappable Bales
4. Ian Rocks & Pistol Pete run the pick-and-roll like Stockton & Malone--sometimes like John & Karl and others like Dick & Sam "Mayday"
3. Noticed that Pistol Pete doesn't let the deuce line distract his shooting concentration as his feet were on that line a number of times
2. Quick Mike evidently knew where the deuce line was as he was firing from behind it with some pretty good success
1. The "Hacker Factor" started 0-2, but the Roving Sheriff finished strong with 2 straight wins

HHI returns to action next Saturday 11/21 @ 8am @ Grace, which is also the HAPPY 49th Birthday of the Giant Lipper.

IMAGINE

By Your Athletic Supporter, Jack Strap

IMAGINE you showed up at Grace around 8AM and found the nine (9) greatest players to ever show up @ that venue @ that time on that day, and IMAGINE they let you watch for free, keep score, and make up the IMAGINE Teams:
* Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band = X-Smoker Bob, Mighty Kerr, Iron Mike, Radon Rader, and DJ Jazzy Jones
* Semi-Fab Four = Swoop, Quick, D.D. Bales, and Marsh-mellow

As you can IMAGINE in Game#1, I was really enjoying the show as it was wonderful to be there, it was certainly a thrill to see Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band win 15-12 led by Brothers-in-law X-Smoker's 5 points & DJ's (2) well-timed deuces, as well as Iron Mike's 1111 baskets including the game-winner.

IMAGINE in Game #2 that the score was tied at 4-4 with all players except for DJ Jazzy having scored. So IMAGINE then not wanting to be the "baa-baa black sheep of the family", DJ nailed a deuce & went on to score 6 points as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band won the IMAGINE Daily Championship.

IMAGINE before the Pride Game that the Semi-Fab Four were strategizing as "Hey Swoop don't be afraid, take a sad team & make it better, better, better, better, better" by telling Marsh to take almost all the shots, which he did & scored 11 in their 15-11 win.

So then IMAGINE that you look at your score-book for the Iron Man Finale (IMF) game & see nothing, so you have to write your own script as you might say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. Next IMAGINE that the Semi-Fab Four with Pete Best called you a Ringo Star and asked you to join the band/team. From there IMAGINE both teams gave you hugs all the way around, oddly including DJ from the rear. Then IMAGINE Quick didn't say "OK, now pay your $6" nor did X-Smoker threaten to call your wife and/or take a picture of you on the court when you haven't officially been cleared to play. Finally IMAGINE that you nail your 1st shot in months from deuce-land and Your Fab 5 wins the IMF Title. Oh well, a guy can IMAGINE & hope someday you will join me and keep HHI as #1.