I love Islam and cream soda

This past February, our Community hosted Imam Siraj Wahaj, a prolific Muslim activist and Imam from New York. It was a good time for me personally, because I know Siraj and have been able to hang out with him a bit whenever he comes to town. Whenever I go to New York I visit his masjid and always catch him in town for Jumuah Salat and or to be kidnapped by him for a few hours to chew the fat, trash talk about hoops or to be treated for lunch. He came this time to CO in order to host a fundraiser for the Fort Collins New Masjid project - a worthy cause and a successful event that raised about $100k. During his keynote speech, Siraj asked, "Does anyone know what month this is?" It was a question that made me both smile at where Siraj was going in his speech and cringe at knowing what the answers would - and would not - be. On cue, Muslims shouted, "February!" "No!", was Siraj's reply. "Ashura!", came another reply. It was wrong since the day...

On Saturday (3/15) I competed in the Pancrase World Submission Wrestling Championship held in lovely Broomfield Colorado. I have been training pretty steady since my last tourney (where I gold medaled in the Masters beginners division) and really wanted to do good since I was moving up a division and in a big time tourney. I went in feeling great and even better knowing that one of my jiu-jitsu idols was actually joining our team: Ricky Lundell . Dude is an amazing practioner and the youngest American black belt. It was very cool to meet him and right off the bat we hit it off - Ricky’s personality is great, very humble but very personable - he’s a world champion for Team USA, of which a couple of our guys/gal from the Edge are too... In my first match, I got a great take down - at 6’4 people hardly think I am going to drop level and shoot but I been training at Grapplers Edge homie!!! hahahahaha The coaches and fellas there know a little bit of everything, and I am like a sponge... ...

Wow...time really flies don't it? I have been busy with work - working as a polling director for the Obama campaign (read: busy as heck)...training for a submission grappling/jiu jitsu and boxing tournament in March...taking over operations of my company after a promotion... so... not a lotta time for writing (ugh)