Daddy-ing Year One, A Review of the Ups

Recently, I got into reading dad blogs. For the first time ever, I'm currently subscribed to a good handful of blogs written by people I don't know. It's a little strange... reading about people I've never met. It feels a little stalker-ish, but at the same time there's a sense of familiarity. There's a feeling that we share some common set of experiences and often I laugh and feel comforted because of that.

And now, I feel inspired to write again. So here's a start to the resurrection of this blog!

It's June, mid-June to be exact. It's graduation season. And that means that Alinna's school year, her work year is wrapping up. This also means that my first school year as a stay-at-home dad is also coming to a close. Since I haven't been doing a great job keeping everybody up to date with the exploits of Sam-and-Dad on this blog, a top 10 list is probably in order.

So here it is. THE TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS OF BEING SAHD (that's Stay-At-Home Dad for those not in the SAHD loop) 2008-2009
10. Hearing him say "da-da" before he said "ma-ma". I know it's immature of me to feel this way and way more immature for me to publish it, but it is what it is.
9. Finding and screening kids' music CDs for free at the local library. Favorites that we both agree to so far include Jack Johnson's Curious George, the Fraggle Rock album, the Muppet Show album, the Sesame Street album (can you tell I'm a Jim Henson fan?). By the way, I'm currently looking for a library copy of an album from Schoolhouse Rock.
8. Daddy-duckling days. That's what we call days when Sam decides first thing in the morning that he wants to follow me and do whatever I'm doing.
7. Seeing Alinna light up when we discover that it's a mommy-duckling day.
6. Seeing Sam light up when he first sees Alinna come home from work.
5. Praying boldly with Sam right before he goes to bed. I'm finding that I pray more directly and with greater expectation when I pray with Sam... probably because I want him to pray that way and wish I prayed more that way.
4. Getting to meet interesting people because of Sam. Case in point, Sam and I visit the Peet's in Cupertino at least twice a week. Usually, we see a guy named Yosef there. He's an African American man, probably in his 50s, with a dyed, cropped mohawk, who's always studying Mandarin Chinese. You can't make this stuff up. We get to talk with him about all sorts of things because when Sam sees him, he walks up to him to smile and wave hello.
3. The rare occasion when he'll stop moving, come into my arms, hug me, and lay his head on my shoulder.
2. Finding ways to make him laugh. Playing wrestlemania is a current favorite.
1. Being able to teach him things and skills I value that I think are age appropriate: Frequenting the same businesses and locales, throwing away garbage we see even if it's not our garbage, having a healthy excitement about exploring, waving at nice people, hugging friends, and simply being friendly.

Olympic Fever

I've really been enjoying the Olympics this year. Scratch that. I almost always enjoy the Summer Olympics no matter what year it is. I particularly love it when the TV commentators add drama to the events by giving some back-story.

Case in point: The whole French trash talking the US mens 4x100 relay by saying that they're going to smash them. Sure it was sweet to see the US mens team beat the French team and not only beat them but beat the French world record holder who was quoted as saying that they're going to smash the US team... but that was just the icing. I just like the back-story.

Anyway, I just discovered the Yahoo Olympic blog called "Fourth-Place Medal." I love how it doesn't just report the results from the Olympics but it provides back-stories and little interesting tidbits. I particularly appreciated the entry on Cullen Jones. Enjoy!

Stay-at-home dad: Days 1 and 2

Today is my second day as a stay-at-home dad. Alinna went back to work yesterday (Wednesday) and so, it's been Sam and me.

sn Sam went in for his two month visit to the pediatrician on Tuesday. Apparently, the two month visit comes with an oral vaccine and a series of three shots.
Sam + Immunizations = Cranky pants

That equation was compounded by the recent weather:
Sam + Immunzations + 90/100 degree weather = Not a good time to start as a stay-at-home dad

Since our apartment traps heat and often feels hotter than it does outside, Sam and this stay-at-home dad haven't really been staying-at-home. We've been out and about, going from air conditioned place to air conditioned place.

Our recent travel itineraries:
Day 1: Wednedsay
10:30AM Meet with Mike at Cupertino Peets for Baylight Staff Mtg.
12:00PM Meet with Mike, Leslie, and Nathan for lunch at Royal Teppan Steakhouse in Cupertino Village
2:00PM Pick up frozen yogurt at Yogurtland
2:30PM Visit mom at Saratoga High School with frozen yogurt in hand
3:30PM Come home

Day 2: Thursday
10:30AM Go to Costco to buy tables for the upcoming computer lab (went through every aisle in Costco to burn time and soak up the awesome air conditioning)
12:30PM Eat at the Costco food court
1:30PM Chill out at Cupertino Peets and meet some nice De Anza College students
3:45PM Come home

Here's a recent photo. When one of the regular customers at the Peets I in which I work (Tom: small coffee with vanilla in a large cup filled to the top with hot water) heard that Sam was born, he quickly went to his car and gave me a fitted Giants hat... for Sam of course. Here's Sam posing with his new gear.

On Sam Being Smart

I got a phone call from my mom a few weeks ago. Apparently, she and my dad were talking about how because I'm smart and Alinna's smart, that Sam will be incredibly smart.

I've been thinking ever since about how important it is to me for Sam to be smart. I want to be able to say that it doesn't matter and that I'll support him and highlight whatever strengths he develops, but for some reason or another, I can't get myself to think it... at least when it comes to intelligence. Setting aside the debate as to what a reliable metric is for intelligence, I really hope that Sam is smart. And that makes me feel really bad.

I've been trying to figure out why it's so important to me, and the closest I've come is the fact that since as far back as I can remember, people told me that I was smart. So, I guess I want Sam to experience the same. The other possibility is that I'm more Asian than I think I am and that the Confucian values of intelligence and education runs strong through my veins.

Pieces of Normal

So, it's been six days now since the day our "lives changed forever." And in the middle of this transition into parenthood, Alinna and I have already been craving for normal things. I should explain.

There are a lot of changes going on. Nearly every room in our apartment has some reminder that there is a baby among us. There's a baby monitor, there's a bottle drying rack, there's a crib, there are blankets and clothes strewn here and there. Our sleep schedule is off. We have to feed baby every 2-3 hours which means that we also are awake every 2-3 hours. Feed him at 11PM, feed him at 230AM, feed him at 530AM and well whaddya know, it's morning (though it hasn't gotten light out til 7AM for all you engineers out there with flexible work hours). And then there's the time in-between each feeding. When I heard feed every 2-3 hours, at first, I was like "Sweet, I can do a lot of things in 2-3 hours." But then, I never took into account that the feedings not only include eating time but changing diaper time, calming down time, burping time, all of which well, takes time. About 45 minutes to an hour time. So that significantly cuts into the allotted 2-3 hours because the 2-3 hours is front the beginning of each feeding time. I can go into the changing of the way we think of ourselves, our new roles as parents too, but I think that's pretty self-explanatory.

All that to say, there are a lot of changes going on in a very short amount of time. And I think this is true for most people in saying that when I experience a lot of change, I want something that harkens back to the days of yore. I want something that is familiar to the time before all the change.

I remember when I was in Japan, I visited a career missionary family's home and saw that a lot of their furniture looked very American. I asked them about it and it turned out that they had bought most of it from Ikea when they were in America and had it shipped out to their address in Japan when they were assigned there. It cost a good chunk of money to ship, but for them it was worth it because it gave them something that was familiar.

I'm not saying that I want everything to go back to normal. Just little pieces of normal. Little things here and there that remind me that I'm still a person with likes and dislikes of my own. Last night, I had a pocket of time where I ate some bread and cheese (thanks Soph!) while listening to jazz. Alinna and I also had a pocket of time where we just sat on the couch relaxing (albeit while looking at the video monitor of Sam). Could we have used that time to put stuff away, clean baby things, organize baby things, etc.? Sure, but we just needed a few pieces of normal more than anything after a long day of focusing on a new life with Sam.

Oh and just for kicks...

Samuel Izumi Satake!

Yes, it's true. For those few remaining stragglers who still read this blog, our firstborn, our son, Samuel Izumi Satake was born on Wednesday afternoon at 3:49PM.

He was 8 lbs and 20.5 inches long. Pictures will follow as soon as well... I figure out this whole how to be a dad thing.

It's been exciting, scary, amazing, and awesome all at the same time. My totally unbiased opinion is that he's a good lookin' kid.

I Just Noticed...

I just noticed that I never blogged about the fact that Alinna and I are expecting. What a terrible thing to just notice especially when she's now almost 38 weeks pregnant. In case you're wondering, it is not an indication of denial. At least I don't think so.

In related news, I also just noticed that I haven't blogged in well, just about forever and a day. Also related is the fact that I simply haven't been all that self-aware. I've also just noticed this as well.

But back to the baby thing, in preparation, I've rediscovered the concept of borrowing books (instead of buying them) from the library and found a few helpful books specifically geared toward dads. One of them pointed out how with a baby, your attitude toward driving will inevitably change. While pre-baby, you'd speed around from place to place, getting mad at people who were driving at or below the speed limit on the road. Post-baby, you become that guy who drives at or below speed limit wondering what the rush is with all the people around you. I'm starting to notice that change in me already.

Doctor's Visit

Went to see the doctor today. Yep, I'm still sick. But now, I'm armed with $50 worth of drugs.

Febreeze and Insect Repellent

Since summer camp one year back in high school, I knew that I couldn't use insect repellent. My first try was a bit traumatic. It started getting dark, the place was known to have mosquitos, so I pulled out my insect repellent that I got at the drug store.

I sprayed it on my right forearm and there was a burning like nothing I've ever felt. I panicked, ran around in circles for a couple of revolutions, realized that there was a bathroom just five feet away, and washed my arm under the sink with the cool, refreshing water. I deduced from the experience, that I'm an insect.

Just the other night, Alinna got her first bottle of Febreeze and went Febreeze-crazy. Now, though I've been sick, after she was done, I started coughing to no end. Yes, I'm an odor. It tried to eliminate me.

Feels Like Home

After nearly two years of living in our apartment, we now have wireless internet (courtesy of Dong's wifi hub) and a sofa (many thanks to John and Eddie for helping me move it in).

Slowly, our place is looking less like a college apartment. I had to grow up eventually I guess.

Summer School Update and My Transportation Adventures in LA

So, I'm in the fourth week of my five week intensive at the Pasadena campus of Fuller. I didn't have to use any strong arm tactics to force first or second year students out of the class. I just needed some good ol' flaky seminary students to not show up for the first few classes to make it in. Yahoo!

I've been flying into Burbank on Mondays and coming back home on Thursdays. The last few weeks have been pretty hectic so sorry to all in Southern California whom I haven't seen. This last week, I came back home on Thursday, spoke at a retreat from Friday to Sunday, drove back home late Sunday night, and flew out of San Jose on Monday to go back to Pasadena and take my midterm. Alinna's been great.

I thought that was it, but there was plenty more adventure left. I had a later than usual flight out of San Jose. 2:15PM. I knew it was going to be a little tight, but I figured, "An hour flight, get into Burbank at around 3:15PM, class doesn't start til 5PM so that gives me an hour and 45 minutes to get to Pasadena from Burbank using Metro. Yes, I may be the only Asian-American to have ever used public transportation in LA.

The flight was a little more than 45 minutes late. We take off a little past 3PM and I know I'm in trouble now. We arrive in the airport at 4PM. I run out to the bus stop which is a healthy distance away from the drop off station and wait there for maybe ten minutes. I'm really glad that the first bus that shows up is not only the bus I want to take but is also the rapid version of it (it skips over a number of stops). I make my one and only transfer in Los Feliz. It's 4:30PM. A bus is right there waiting, but I don't know if it's the bus I want to take. It's not time to go on an LA Metro expedition. I wait... for another 15 minutes. Again a rapid bus comes by but I'm looking at the clock and it's 4:45. At this point I know I'm going to be late, it's just a matter of how late I'm going to be.

The bus drops me off at Colorado and Los Robles about two and a half blocks from the Fuller campus at 5:20PM and I run for it. As I'm running, out of the corner of my eye I see something white. I think nothing of it until I notice that my backpack feels funny. The big zipper, the one keeping my clothes in was wide open. I look in and notice that my socks are missing. "I guess that was the white thing. Oh well." I zip it up, keep on going, and get into the classroom at 5:27PM out of breath. I hunch over, put my hands on my knees as my professor sorts through his papers to find the midterm prompt, and I work at getting back my breath.

The midterm is an hour long. Class started at 5PM. And it was 5:27PM. I seriously had flashbacks to my Bio 1A midterm at Cal. Except this time, I was in grad school and eight years older. Well, that and the fact that I didn't oversleep this time around, didn't almost get hit by a car on my way to class, and got a time extension on my midterm. The professor was really nice told me to catch my breath, wait until 5:30 to take the midterm, and that he'd give me the full hour from there to take the exam while the others would go on their hour long dinner break.

The midterm went fine and I capped off the day with some good comfort food... $1.20 tacos from the taco truck on Fair Oaks and California.

Summer School Issues

Though I've graduated, I'm still a couple of classes shy. Literally, two classes shy. I'll take one during the fall, but I still need to take one in the summer... in Pasadena. I registered for the class but I got put on the waiting list. "Not a big deal," I thought, coming from my Cal experience. It's for my major, I'm a third year student, and I need it to graduate. Somebody else will get bumped out. Or so I thought. Apparently, it doesn't work that way in seminary. I got a notice a week ago saying that I got dropped out of the class... two weeks before the first day of class.

I've already bought 5 round-trip tickets to Burbank (because the class is on Monday and Wednesday nights, I'm flying in on Monday and flying back on Thursday so that I can be home on the weekends). I bought the books for the class. Yes, I was freaking out.

Now, one week later, I'm back on the waiting list, #1 on the waiting list to be precise and I've been told to just show up on the first day (this coming Monday) with no guarantee that I'll be admitted into the class. Yes, I'm officially in enrollment limbo.

I'm wondering if I should use some un-Christ-like strong arm tactics like staring one of the students down at the beginning of class saying, "I believe you're in my seat" or erasing one of the student's names from the enrollment confirmation sheet that gets passed around during the first class session.

Pet Peeve at Peet's

Just a random pet peeve I have while working at Peet's.

I hate it when people don't look at me when they make their order.

Example #1: The classic cell phone case. Person comes into the store talking on their cell phone and intersperse their order while talking on the phone. "Yeah, I know... that's what I said... and I can't believe that blah blah blah... medium latte non-fat milk... and so went over to him and said... blahblahblah." What makes me especially angry is when their order is really really long and finicky, say their order really quickly, and they do this. What makes me even more angry is when their order is really really long and finicky, say their order really quickly, do this, and make a big stink when their order isn't completely perfect. What's especially egregious is when they do this with a bluetooth headset on, I try to ask them for their order, and they shush me/glare at me/put their index finger up in front of my face to silence me.

Example #2: The talking to their friend in line case. Person comes into the store with a friend and they're talking... this is fine. It's their turn to order and they're still talking to their friend. Their shoulder is facing the register while they're talking to their friend. Person again, intersperses their order while talking to their friend. All additions to the cell phone person apply here as well.

Example #3: The ADD guy. Person is ready to place his order but moves his head around the room like R2D2 while making his order.

All this to say, I still really enjoy working there and I like the people I'm around.

Graduation... the Aftermath

Yes, I am now a Divine Master*.

Many thanks to all who came to celebrate this momentous occasion with me. Much love and thanks to Alinna for setting everything up on Saturday and hanging with me the whole time.

In Berkeley-like fashion, I've now walked but still have assignments due this week. A friend of mine, Jeff, who also walked was smart and turned in all his assignments early so that he'd have no clouds over his head during graduation day and the subsequent days thereafter. I now wish I was smart.

Thanks to Mark and his large mug, I think I must have drank five or six pints of the beer on Saturday. The result? Nothing. Fast-forward to today, at Peets, I kept sipping 1/8 cups of coffee throughout the day. The result? Feeling swirly and disoriented while stumbling out the door to go home.

* Pending passing grades in summer courses.

Kenya, the Supermarket, and Grace

This last week, I've had the privilege of having a guest over from Kenya. Just a quick run-down, we met in a Jesus-conference in Malaysia because he lost his small group. Our small group adopted him for an afternoon, we exchanged email addresses, I got his regular updates, he came to the United States (in Washington state), and he ended up coming here to the Bay Area for a week. If he didn't lose his small group back in September, we probably wouldn't have met and he probably wouldn't have come here to the Bay Area. Crazy how God works sometimes.

Anyway, it's been a real blast having him over, hearing his story, hearing about what he does back home, and just hanging out. For the first couple of days, he just kind of tagged along wherever I went including the supermarket.

I never thought that I'd feel embarassed in a supermarket. We didn't even go into a Costco (because Alinna and I don't have a membership). He and I went to Safeway. I was all fine. Parked the car in the lot. Got out. Walked in through the automatic door. Then, as I walked into the store and saw the wide selection of food available, I suddenly felt embarassed of the excess in America.

He didn't do or say anything to make me feel embarassed at all. He just kept on smiling, talking with me about his family and what he's been doing since he came into the United States 4 weeks ago. But still I wanted to go through as few aisles as possible in the shortest amount of time (for this reason I decided not to get Doritos even though I had a coupon that would get me two bags for $3). I power-walked through the aisles, went through the checkout counter, got even more embarassed when the person at the register announced my total at a decibel level that seemed like it would rival a Rolling Stones concert, pushed the cart out the store, and finally I picked up my eyes and looked at him again.

The whole experience (which I repeated again with him at Albertsons and Smart & Final later in the week) really reminded me of the privilege I have as an American and brought new life to the times I've prayed before a meal thanking God for the food He provided.

A Couple of Quick Stories from Peet's

The afternoon rush (somewhere around 3PM) isn't very pleasant. Every other person is on their cell phone, nobody really looks at anybody else, the optimism of a new day is gone, and rudeness abounds everywhere, probably including Peet's workers like yours truly.

I ring this lady up. "Iced coffee, butter croissant, iced vanilla latte." Thirty seconds later, I give her her iced coffee and croissant. She looks at the iced coffee (which is what it sounds like, ice plus coffee) and says, "I can't drink that! Take that away! I didn't want that. I want an iced coffee, you know like a frappucino or something. Throw that away because I won't drink that."

I point out that we serve those too, but that they're different from iced coffees. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I think what you're talking about is our freddos. As you can see, it's different from our iced coff..."

She cuts me off. "I don't want that. You can't make me buy that. I don't want it."

By this time, there's a queue of people waiting to order something. This lady has already paid for everything. I do some quick thinking, I figure out a way on the register to make it so that she pays the difference between a freddo and an iced coffee on a clean order. And she's finally on her way.


Another story from the other day. A couple of South Asian ladies are roaming the middle part of the store. There's nothing in the middle of the store. On one far end are the drinks. On the other far end are the coffee beans. The middle of the store might as well be the DMZ, there's usually nothing there, at least for customers.

I'm crossing this DMZ to go and help somebody with a coffee bean order but I notice the two South Asian ladies. I don't stop but keep on going by.

"I want some of these samples." One of the South Asian ladies flags me down and points to a sample snack tray with empty sample cups and a few crumbs strewn here and there. Apparently, there had been chocolate covered toffee things out for sampling earlier that day.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any more of those for sampling today." I look around the area and find some biscotti that were labeled for sampling. I also notice one of my co-workers walking toward the coffee bean customer I was originally going to serve. "But we do have these biscotti to sample."

"Fine, we'll have some of those." I cut up the biscotti, put the bite-sized pieces into new cups, and the take one of the cups each.

With bite-sized biscotti in hand, one chimes in, "Do you have anything else?"

I see that there are also some chocolate eggs (probably from Easter) set aside for sampling too. "We have these as well."

"Fine, we'll have some of those too."

I ask, "Can I help you with anything else?" while glancing over to drinks section to make a hint.

"No. Our husbands come here every morning for coffee (which is likely a lie because I work most mornings and I there aren't any age appropriate South Asian men ordering coffee on a consistent basis). I, we, don't like Peets. I like Starbucks much better. Your coffee here is too strong."

And both women with both hands having a sample, walk out the door.

What's Next?

Today, while I was working, I started talking to one of my co-workers, Gisele. Among other things, we got talking about how I'm graduating this June (I don't remember if I've posted this yet, but I'm walking this early June... though I still have 3 classes to go).

She asked the natural question, "So what's next?"

My answer to everybody who's asked me this question over the last month has been the same, "Keep doing what I'm doing right now."

Seems kinda anticlimactic I know, but it's the truth. The three classes left aren't really all that relevant. They're more an addendum to my seminary career than anything else... an expensive, time-consuming, fly back and forth from San Jose to Burbank 5 times during the month of August addendum, but an addendum nevertheless.

I'm planning on continuing to work at Baylight part-time and Peet's part-time. I know that underlying the what's next question is the assumption and the expectation that with the piece of paper in my hand known as the Masters of Divinity, something would change, I would be upgraded somehow. It's the primary reason why most people get more schooling... to initiate a change, to move on up like the Jeffersons.

And thinking back on the last three years, I guess that's happened to me albeit in less dramatic fashion. For one, I'm working in a church I like. Yes, that started a year ago, a year before I graduate and have documentation that I'm qualified in some way or another to work in a church. Two, I'm enjoying the pace of my life right now and the purposefulness I feel on an almost daily basis. Working at Peet's doesn't require an M.Div but it does give me a forum to put the things I've learned in school into practice. And for that, I'm grateful and lucky. And three, well, I can't think of a three right now. Rather, I had one but it just fluttered away. Besides, this post is getting long even for my tastes.

Warriors and KG

Since the Warriors came home from Utah, Bay Area sports talk radio has been talking about the need to pick up KG (that's Kevin Garnett, 7'0" forward for the Timberwolves for those who aren't sure) to get over the hump.

I think Don Nelson said it best in stating that right now, the Warriors already got over the hump... that hump was getting into the playoffs. After 13 years of ineptitude and wallowing over the draft... nay, having the high point of the basketball season be wondering about who the Warriors are going to pick in the draft lottery, the Warriors have gotten over a huge hump. I've said it once, but it cannot be overstated, these guys should be applauded and celebrated for the great year.

And if we must start talking about the "future" of the Warriors (Kelly wrote an interesting post by the way, about Asian kids and our obsession with the future), I don't think a blockbuster trade involving KG is the "key" to getting over the proverbial hump. Callers have talked incessantly about the Warriors' need for easy points down in the paint during the closing minutes of the 4th quarter.

This line of thought is wayyyyyy over-rated. The great teams of the recent past left the few minutes of the 4th on the shoulders of its star guard and his ability to drive to the bucket or take the 10-15 foot jumper (see Jordan, Wade, and Hamilton).

I'm not saying that the Warriors don't need somebody with a bigger body. My contention is that the Warriors don't need a low post scorer. They just need somebody who can rebound, block a few shots, and run like the dickens to keep up with the rest of the team (after all, Biedrins can't play 48 minutes/game). And they won't have to break the bank to get somebody like that.

This recent obsession with getting an established low post scorer sounds eerily reminiscent of the 93-94 offseason when the Warriors tried desperately to get an established low post presence after getting knocked around in the 1st round of the playoffs by one Charles Barkley. The Warriors' solution? Rony Seikaly. Yes, I'll admit that I thought that Seikaly would be the answer to getting the Warriors over the hump. Hey, Rony Seikaly averaged something like 15 pts and 10 rebounds a game while playing with Miami the year before (he's no Kevin Garnett but he was established). Yes, my hopes rested on Rony Seikaly. And what happened? The subsequent 94-95 season was the first of 12 "rebuilding years." Caltrans rebuilds faster than the Warriors did.

Early Morning Person?

The last two weeks I haven't been slotted to work the opening 4:30AM shift at Peet everyday. The opening assignment has been staggered between a handful of people recently. When I'm not opening, I'm starting anywhere from 6AM to 9AM. While a 6AM beginning might have sounded daunting a month ago, it feels like "sleeping in" now.

This isn't to say that I'm completely used to my new daily schedule. As evidenced by Alinna and my visit to John and Alissa's place last night to watch Heroes, I quickly melt down at about 9:30 or 10PM. Maybe melt down's not the term I'm looking for since it evokes images of Chernobyl and nuclear disasters. A guess a simple "melt" will suffice in this case. I was a puddle on their sectional couch while I watched Hiro Nakamura (my kinsman) swing from his perky ups to his disappointed downs with ease.

KNBR, the Warriors, and Perspective

I listen to sports talk radio quite a bit and today hasn't been an exception.

One thing that's struck me about today's KNBR shows is that a lot of "Warriors fans" have been complaining and scratching their heads over what's "wrong with the Warriors." I guess ever since they lost last night to the Jazz, the Warriors suddenly have something wrong with them. Just goes to show how greedy "Warrior fans" are.

Alinna doesn't understand this about me, but I'm elated that the Warriors got this far. In fact, it's mind boggling. To me, it doesn't matter if the Warriors lose the series to the Jazz... at the beginning of the series, I was saying that it didn't matter if the Warriors got swept (though I will still root for them to win). Everything past game 6 of the first round Mavericks series is, to me, a bonus. This team has come a long long way this year. The way they finished the season, getting rid of Dunleavy and Murphy and getting something good in return, avoiding the lottery since I was a freshman in high school... the list goes on.

There's nothing wrong with the Warriors. They're an 8th seed in the 2nd round of the playoffs. They're undersized, don't rebound the basketball well, and depend on playing a style of basketball that yes, will surprise some teams but is not likely sustainable over the course of a long series of games... at least with the players they have now.

This Warriors team has done so much this season. Be happy with the ride they've given you Bay Area. Significant strides have been taken. Lest you forget, Adonal Foyle started a good number of games for the Warriors just last season.