Summer break on this side of the world is just around the bend. I can see a lot of basketball courts on the roads being put up already. For sure, team managers are also preparing for this year’s season. My brother is usually invited to manage a team, I am just not sure if he will do it again this year because he has not started talking to his team uniform supplier (the same guys we order nursing scrubs from). I will definitely hear about it should he decide because he would ask my opinion about uniform designs.

Middle of last year, I read about the sale of Popcap to EA but shrugged and forgot about it. This afternoon, when I opened my Bejeweled Blitz account via Facebook, I got a prompt to accept the new terms and conditions. That’s when it sunk in that the sale really got through. I went back to last year’s news, the acquisition price was $650 million plus $100 million stock and a multi-year earn-out. The total acquisition price was as much as $1.3 billion.

The Grand Slam series has officially kicked-off as the Australian Open started this weekend. Round One is currently happening in Melbourne with Sam Stosur bowing out early after her first round game and Maria Sharapova moving on the Round 2. Gael Monfils and Andy Murray are through also.

I look forward to the grand slam matches each year. Not only I am interested in the matches, I am also looking forward to the ladies’ outfits and accessories. I saw these stainless steel earrings online and I am wondering if any of the girls will wear a similar one this time.

I know this is not sports related but yes, I am thinking of another vacation even if we just got back from one! A friend just got back from a 7-day vacation herself and she spent those days in a cruise! I am so green with envy because it is something I want to do also. How about a caribbean all inclusive packages? Sounds fun right? Even just one that tours around Asia would be cool. Got to ask the husband when we can go (probably in five years or so, LOL!)

Pardon the lack of more meaningful posts. I have been awfully busy IRL that my online presence is hardly felt. We just got back from a six-day vacation in the Visayas Region and I was mostly offline while we were there. Yes, we spent our holidays in an island paradise then we attended a wedding back in the city. I will have to review some sports features so I can have something more sensible to say, right? Tata for now!

Best friends Alan and Mike are certified gym buffs. So it is no wonder that when they decided to put up a business, setting up a gym came up. They are now in the process of fixing the logistics and finding the perfect location. One of the things they are considering now is whether to buy all that they need for the gym or just apply for an equipment lease. They are still weighing the pros and cons. It is likely that they will lease for the mean time and see how the business will take off then later, invest in their own equipment.

Matt have taken on a new sport last year and he plans on pursuing it some more this season. Yes, he thought of learning snowboarding last year and I bet he is now so much better at it this time. His gear is now complete from MSR Snowshoes to the boards and the investment is no joke. He will in fact compete in the beginners’ level soon and I wish him luck!

Kobe Bryant and Vanessa have reached splitsville, according to ABC News. The wife filed for divorce on December 1, citing irreconcilable differences. The basketball star and his ex-wife were married since 2001 and the union bore two kids, now aged  8 and 5. Reports say that Vanessa asked for joint legal and physical custody of the girls when she filed for divorce, Kobe did the same. Since they did not have a pre-nuptial agreement, Vanessa will get half Kobe’s fortune.

Like diamond necklaces for women, the news that the new NBA season will start on Christmas Day could be the best holiday gift for the big boys. Just last week, team owners and players have come to a tentative settlement on their issues and announced that the games will commence before the year ends.

The Christmas Day schedule has been released and there are five games to take place on that day. Here are the confirmed matches:

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (12 p.m. ET / ESPN)

Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks (2:30 p.m. ET / ABC)

Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m. ET / ABC)

Orlando Magic vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Time to be announced on December 6)

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors (Time to be announced on December 6)

My cousin is taking a break from his online games because his laptop crashed last week. I think he is having some withdrawal symptoms because he has been cranky and all, LOL! Imagine playing at least 5 hours a day everyday and suddenly you need to stop? He had his machine checked and after the drives were reformatted, they found out he needs to window shop for toshiba laptops batteries since the battery also needs replacement. I guess we’ll have to wait to few more weeks until he gets all happy again because they need to order his part from abroad. Really a bad time to have a broken computer, tsk.