What a Difference a Year Makes

 Oh what a night!

In their wildest dreams, USA Swimming could not have asked for a more exciting first night of the Swimming Olympic Trials.  I took "knock me out" cold medicine when it was all over and it still took me an hour to fall asleep.

Before we get to the meet, let's consider the last year.  Tonight is the finals of the Women's 100 Fly.  The Women's 100 Fly is a going to be a battle.  The top two seeds are teenagers.  The third seed, Kelsi Dahlia, has been the dominant U.S. flyer for the past four years.  If you asked me two weeks ago who I thought would be most hurt by the year delay of the Tokyo Olympics, I would have said Kelsi Dahlia.  (And seriously, why didn't you ask me that?)  In early 2020, she was still the dominant U.S. flyer.  One year later, an 18 year old named Tori Huske (from Arlington, VA - go VA) and a 16 year old named Claire Curzan have had the chance to emerge as not just a threat to Kelsi Dahlia, but arguably the favorites to make it to Tokyo.  Kelsi Dahlia has gone from the favorite to win Olympic trials, a probable medalist in the 100 Fly and a potential gold medalist in the 400 medley relay, to looking up at two teenagers.  What a difference a year makes.

Everyone knows what the last year has brought.  Anyone who pays attention to the world of swimming has heard the stories of searching for an open pool, swimming in open water, trying to find a backyard pool, or buying an endless pool last spring/summer, just to get in the water.  Endless pools were virtually impossible to find last year.   (Perhaps I shouldn't use the word virtually - it has a whole different meaning now.)

Aside from the breaks in training, the extra year has given a new, young group of swimmers one more year to grow, mature and train to make their Olympic dreams come true this year, rather than waiting for 2024.  At the top of that list is Claire Curzan, who is a legitimate contender to make the Olympics in several events.  It is possible Curzan could go on to a career that rivals those of some of the best swimmers in U.S. history and the delay from 2020 to 2021 could give her 1-5 more medal chances than she likely would have had.  Tori Huske is another who likely would not have been ready to compete for an Olympic spot a year ago.  Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass, Rhyan White, Emma Weyant (who qualified last night), Carson Foster (who just missed last night), and Jake Magahey (who also didn't make it last night) are others who likely have a much better chance in 2021 than in 2020.

Dahlia was my pick for swimmer hurt the most by the delay.  This has more to do with the rise in her competition than any drop in her performance.  However, we all know Father Time is the only undefeated person in sports.  Eventually, he always wins.  It is difficult to say who may have been impacted by the extra year of mileage on their bodies.  Did Anthony Ervin lose anything more by turning 40?  It is arguable Nathan Adrian benefited, by having more time to recover from and train after being treated for testicular cancer.   Ryan Lochte may also have benefited from an extra year to train after his various debacles.

Of course, my pick for person hurt the most by the delay looked FANTASTIC yesterday, so I am not looking real good right now.  And how I look is the most important factor in all this.  Perhaps I should have gone with Zane Grothe, the best U.S. 400 freestyler the past 4 years who failed to make the final.  I may still be right, but as we have already learned, nothing is certain in the most stress filled swim meet in the world.

Speaking of...back to yesterday.  From two incredible races in the 400 IMs to Kieran Smith's pressure filled 400 Free (needing not just to finish in the top 2, but also to make the Olympic Qualifying time), to two American Records, Day 1 was worth the wait.  The award for best sport goes to Melanie Margalis who finished a 400 IM, missed an Olympic spot by .12 seconds and reacted by laughing and giving the two women who beat her big congratulatory hugs.  The Women's 400 IM was also the best race, but just barely over the Men's 400 IM, both coming down to the last 10 meters to determine who will finish top 2.  Tonight promises to be even better.

Predictions results:

Men's 400 IM - Chase Kalisz, Carson Foster - So close.  I thought Foster had 2nd, but Jay Litherland had an incredible finish to sneak into second place (or blast into second place)
Men's 400 Free - Kieran Smith, Jake Mitchell - Nailed it.  To be fair, I would have picked Grothe second if he made finals and would have picked Jake Magahey if he had made finals.  Smith was my pick for 1st all along.
Women's 400 IM - Melanie Margalis, Hali Flickinger - as the three swimmers raced the last 50 meters, I changed my thoughts on how they would finish about 9 times.  Just simply a great race to watch (but really, really painful to swim).  I correctly predicted Flickinger 2nd, so, half credit.

Predictions:

Women's 100 Fly - Notwithstading my whole commentary above, I am sticking with the teenagers, Tori Huske, Claire Curzan
Men's 100 Breast - Michael Andrew, Nic Fink
Women's 400 Free - Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden

What to look forward to:

1.  What happens in the bloodbath that is the Women's 100 Fly?
2.  What happens in the semifinals of the bloodbath that is the Women's 100 Back?
3.   How does Katie Ledecky respond to Ariarne Titmus putting up a 400 Free time less than half a second off the world record?
4.  What does Michael Andrew do for an encore?
5.  Is 2016 Ryan Murphy back?
6.  Will I actually go three days in a row?

At Last

Today, after five long years, we will have an official US Olympic swimmer, in the pool.  In fact, we will have three.  Tonight is the finals of the Men's 400 IM, the Men's 400 Free and the Women's 400 IM.  Although realistically the top two finishers in each of these three events will qualify for the Olympics, technically, only the winners will officially be Olympians tonight.  This is because the U.S. is only permitted to take 26 men and 26 women to swim in the pool in the Olympics.  There are fourteen men's events and fourteen women's events.  If two different swimmers qualify for each of those 28 spots, we have too may swimmers.  This has never happened and likely won't happen this year.  But if you are watching tonight, and why wouldn't you be watching tonight, this is why the winner will be the only swimmer who technically makes the Olympics tonight. 

We have to point out that tonight is the qualification for pool swimmers.  The qualification for open water swimmers has already happened.  Ashley Twichell, Haley Anderson and Jordan Wilimovsky have already qualified in open water.  All three will also be swimming in the pool this week.

I have been looking forward to today for more than a year.  I have really been looking forward to today for almost five years, but the last year has been brutal.  There is much to talk about, and we will do it over the next seven days.  However, as I thought about the Olympic Swimming trials, I realized that yesterday was a much more important day in the world of swimming.

Today, we get to see the fastest swimmers in the country compete for the greatest accomplishment a swimmer can achieve.  Yesterday, I got to see many children swim in a summer swim meet for the first time in two years.  It was only a team time trial, but it was special.  And it was not only me.  There were hundreds of similar meets conducted across northern Virginia, and I imagine, in many other places throughout the US.

Summer swimming is special.  I have discussed this before.  Many swimmers start their careers with a local summer swim team.  A rare few of these swimmers go on to represent the U.S. at the Olympics.  More of them, but still very few, will swim at Olympic Trials.  More will swim in college, but that is still rare.  Many will swim in high school.  Many will swim for a year round team.  Most will swim for their local summer team, and that is it.  That is what makes it special.

Summer swim is about fun and junk food and making friends and cheering and going out to lunch and community.  There is competition, sometimes fierce competition.  Sometimes there is unhealthy competition.   Mostly, though, there is fun.  There are donuts.  There are kids making friends and adults making friends.  I help run the summer team my kids swim for.  Every year I have a parents meeting and tell all the new parents that swimming is different from most youth sports.  Everyone is needed to do something, whether they are timing, officiating, writing ribbons, recording results, selling the junk food (and some good for you food), keeping the kids in line (or trying and failing) and many, many other things to make this the special sport it is.  It really does take a village.

A week and a half ago, the Olympic trials started with the beginning of Wave I.  Tonight we get the first official pool Olympians.  Yesterday, however, we got to experience the heart and soul of swimming.  As much as I have been looking forward to tonight, I realize yesterday was more important.  Several hundred swimmers get to chase their dreams at Olympic Trials.  Thousands upon thousands of kids got to experience the joys of swimming yesterday, whether they dream of being an Olympian, just want to compete, or just want to get a donut.  The pandemic took so much away from us over the past 16 months.  We are getting a lot back.  Tonight is a small step back to normalcy.   Yesterday was a giant leap in the same direction.

Predictions:

I cheated a little, because I did not do these predictions until I saw the results of this morning's preliminary heats, but here they are - 

Men's 400 IM - Chase Kalisz, Carson Foster
Men's 400 Free - Kieran Smith, Jake Mitchell
Women's 400 IM - Melanie Margalis, Hali Flickinger

What to look forward to:

1.  Do the teenagers continue their run to the Olympics in the 100 Fly?
2.  What does Katie Ledecky do in her first swim tomorrow?
3.  What does Caeleb Dressel do in his first swim (200 Free) tomorrow?
4.  This blog, actually having content on a regular basis.

How About a Double

Pandemic, pandemic, pandemic...

My motivation to sit and write disappeared, along with many, many other things over the past 6 months.  For me, I think the pandemic has proven the law of inertia (Newton's First Law).  An object in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by another force.  An object at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted on by another force.  With the pandemic, I have a lot more free time.  I was going to write more. I was going to write a book.  (Okay, maybe not.)  I was going to organize the whole house, learn a new skill, actually take care of the yard.  I didn't have swim meets or Cub Scouts or basketball games.  The world was open.  But I was at rest.  I tended to stay at rest.

Of course, Tokyo 2020 was also postponed.  The one thing that gets me to sit and write was suspended for a year.  And we still don't know if it will really happen.  The Olympic games are supposed to begin on July 23, 2021.  That is 170 days from now.  This morning on the news I learned that the Olympic organizers have created a "playbook" to make the games happen.  The "playbook" includes details of how they will keep things safe.  Things like testing athletes every 4 days, everyone wears a mask all the time (not quite, but a lot), and a bunch of other things I am too inertiaed out to research for you.  See, I can't even move to a different tab to do the research I should properly be doing for you.  Or to even see if inertiaed is a word (no need to check for me, I am certain it is not.)

The news is generally good for the Olympics, even though 80% of Japanese polled want the games either cancelled or postponed again. I want the Olympics to happen.  As a swimming fan, I want to see what Regan Smith, Claire Curzan and Shaine Casas will do in what is likely (and hopefully) their first Olympics.  I also want to see if the old guys can make it one more time (I am rooting for you Nathan Adrian.)  I want to see if Caeleb Dressel can make us forget, perhaps for even a moment, the name, Michael Phelps.  I want to see what Katie Ledecky will do in her third of perhaps 5 Olympics.  I want to see the greatest gymnast ever on the Olympic stage again.  I want to see Noah Lyles.  The Wife really wants to see Noah Lyles.  And so much more.

So I might have something to live for.  The Olympics really is the only thing I have to live for.  I am hanging on a string, sitting at home, staring at an unused laptop computer, waiting, hoping, longing for inspiration.  I've watched repeats of events from past Olympics on the Olympic Channel almost as many times as even I can stand...OK.  That's a lie.  If there are no live Olympic broadcasts to watch I could binge watch past Olympic events all day.  I have several saved on "DON'T EVER DELETE" on by DVR.  I can never hear "Here comes Diggins!" too many times.  No one outside of France will ever get sick of hearing Dan Hicks ask, "Can the veteran chase him down?" as Jason Lezak closes in on Alain Bernard in the 2008 4x100 freestyle relay.  Even so, I want to see the new moments.

And today, after hearing the mostly good news about the 2021 Tokyo Games, I looked on the inter-webs and found the single fact that could make me pick up that slow, dusty laptop computer and reach out to you.  I could not have picked a better day to find the motivation to care about something, because that brief moment of caring led me to this discovery that I now share with you.  The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing start on February 4, 2022!  If I remember how to read a calendar correctly, that means we are exactly one year away from both the SUMMER and the WINTER Olympics!!  How about a double, indeed!!  I could get Jessie Diggins and Caeleb Dressel in the same 365 day period?  And that 365 day period begins today?  I have found my Holy Grail and thy name is Asia.  As in give me my Olympics from Asia this summer and next winter.  This was enough to even get me out of bed today.  And seriously, nothing gets me out of bed.  I just lay there, all day, reading 1274 text messages from the same group of 7 people.  Yes, 1274 messages on average, per day.  Seven people.  That is my life.  Wait, that WAS my life.  Now, two Olympics!  One Year!  One!  New!  Man!

I was so excited, I made lunch for my three boys, just so I could eat with them and tell them my exciting news.  Shockingly, they lacked my enthusiasm.  I told the Wife.  She was just happy I got out of bed and stopped asking "Where is Diggins?"  Eldest did have the courtesy to comment that we have never had TWO Olympics in one year before.  I was so excited that he showed even an ounce of caring that I excitedly said, "I KNOW!"  And then, it hit me.  We had two Olympics in the same Calendar year every four years from 1924 until 1992 (except of course 1940 and 1944.)  I was devastated.  The single fact to get me out of my funk was merely a return the norm of life for literally the first 20 years I was alive (as well as the previous 70 or so years (don't ask me to do math - remember the inertia thing))?

However, I have recovered.  If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has taught us that we need to find small victories.  (I think I said that before, at the beginning of the pandemic.  Then I was inertiaed.  And started making up words.)  I don't care that the summer and winter Olympics were in the same year for decades.  I only care that I might, just might, get to see both in the next year.  I got to see my favorite cross country skier literally tear down a pull up bar with her incredible strength, just because I was inspired by the next year of my life.  I get to dream of Caeleb Dressel and Simone Biles and the US Soccer Team and Beach Volleyball and Biathlon and dozens of other athletes and sports and stories.  I'm even looking forward to Mary Carillo and her stories.  I miss her stories.

Things are looking up.  Vaccines are happening.  My kids might actually go to school.  I got out of bed.  And there are two Olympics coming in the next 365 days.  Thank you Olympic Gods.  Yes, I'll take a double.

Back in the Saddle

The water temperature was perfect.  It was a little chilly upon entry, but not cold.  It never got too cold or too hot.

The weather was beautiful.  The sun was bright.  The sky was a pure, crisp blue.  The air was clean.

As I took my first few strokes, I was a swimmer again.  My arms felt long.  My legs felt strong.  I had a solid tempo.  My body position felt right.  My stroke felt perfect.

I took my first turn.  I executed a long streamline with 4 powerful dolphin kicks.  The world was right again.

Then, reality hit.  My arms started to hurt.  My legs just stopped.  I started gasping for air.  Both hands started to slip in the water.  At one point, about 75 meters into warm-up, my entire body shifted about 6 inches to the side for no apparent reason.  I was just swimming along and, whoops, I shifted to the left.  A little later, I was kicking backstroke with the lane rope just to my left.  Three seconds later I hit the lane rope on the right.  Three seconds to drift all the way across the lane.

I swam for the first time in almost exactly three months yesterday.  I was terrible.  It was fantastic.

For three months I have not been able to swim.  Pools have been closed.  I don't have easy access to open water, the proper equipment to swim in open water, or any great desire to swim in open water.  If I had the first two of these, I would have done it.  I didn't, so I didn't.

I did my best to exercise over the last 3 months.  I have actually exercised every day, or almost every day.  I ran for the first time in a few years.  I biked for the first time in even more years.  I started doing yoga on a somewhat regular basis.  I am probably in reasonably decent shape.  However, as any swimmer will tell you, being in shape, and being in swimming shape are very different things.

As I managed to get myself through about an hour swim practice, I realized, more than I think I ever knew, what I missed.  Most of all, I missed being in the water.  My whole life, I have loved being in the water.  I love floating and sinking and gliding and sprinting and splashing and just feeling the resistance the water gives as I sway my arms back and forth.  I miss the feeling of gliding through the water after a solid push off the wall.  I miss a strong dolphin kick.  I miss bubbles.  I even miss the pain, a little.  All of this really means I miss feeling like a swimmer.

I also miss my team.  I almost never swim with a group.  I see my team at competitions and social events.  It is far too rare that I get to spend time with my teammates, but I have missed those times for three months.  Yesterday, I swam with a group.  It was so nice to see teammates, new and old.  One of the great things about the way my team works is I almost always meet new teammates at every meet and social event.  Yesterday, I got to see old friends and meet new swimmers.

We were all thrilled to get in the pool.  At one point, another swimmer said that she never thought she would be able to swim with a group again.  Our leader for the day could not stop smiling and could not stop telling us that she could not stop smiling.  Everyone enjoyed themselves, even though almost all of us were not in swimming shape.  It was great to be in the water.  It was great to be with teammates.  It was great to be outside, using our bodies, on a perfect day.

There are a lot of things I have missed over the last three months.  There are a lot of things I have not missed.  I miss seeing Eldest on a soccer field.  I don't miss having three things schedule for one Saturday afternoon.  I miss seeing Middle decide that he is going to be the best defender on a basketball court.  I don't miss seeing Middle get frustrated when his shot isn't falling.  I miss seeing Youngest climb anything and everything he can.  I don't miss worrying that he will fall on his head.  I miss being with people.  I miss watching new swim meets, especially yesterday which was supposed to be summer swim time trials.  I don't miss traffic.  Sometimes I miss having a full schedule.  I miss post swim meet meals.  I don't miss seeing how much a post swim meet meal costs for a family of five.  I don't miss waking up at 4 am to drive Middle to swim practice.  I do miss watching my Boys swim.

As things are opening up, we will get some of this back.  However, unless I want to go to a gym (I don't), or get my hair cut (not yet) or eat at a restaurant (again, not yet), I don't think I am getting much back now.  There are still no games.  There are still no swim meets.  There is still no Ninja.  There will be no movies or hih school musicals in the next several months.  I did finally get the water back.  I streamlined, I sprinted, I splashed, I felt the soft resistance.  I swam.  I was in my element.  By the afternoon, I felt the typical soreness and the hanging head of an extremely tired old man.  I have been sore over the last three months.  I have been tired.  This is different.  It felt right.

Silver Lining

Last night, which was a lovely early spring evening, the Family went for a walk.  All five of us.  Outside.  There was a slight chill in the air and a fairly stiff breeze.  It was, however, sunny and springy and pretty.  It was a simple thing, but at least we were able to get out.  About a quarter of the way through the walk, the Wife says to me, "I saw on the calendar today you were supposed to swim the 1000 today."  (For those of you uninitiated in the world of swimming that is 1000 yards, 40 lengths of a standard swimming pool.  Yes.  One.  Thousand.  Yards.)

Silver Lining.

 I did not swim the 1000 last night.  I don't like swimming the 1000 (sorry, Rich).  I don't know how to swim the 1000 (sorry, again, Rich.)  I either start to fast, then spend the majority of the race wishing I could quit and get out and thinking there is no way I can swim 22 more lengths of this God-forsaken pool.  Or I start too slowly, feel great and finish strong.  And then Katie yells at me for staring too slowly.  I don't like when Katie is mad at me.  The 1000 is really a no win situation.  Except yesterday, I didn't have to swim the 1000.  Win for me.

Times are tough right now.  We have to find the silver lining.  This weekend is a weekend I work for most of the year (except the past year, when I really only worked for it for half the year.)  (Sorry, yet again, Rich.)  This weekend is the Masters swimming Colonies Zone Championship.  The big meet for me, and several other people I know and love, and a lot of people I don't know, but still feel some love for.  Like just about everything else, this meet was cancelled.

I got my money back - Silver Lining.

Today was supposed to be my hard day - 200 back, 500 free, 50 back, and most likely the 800 free relay.  That would make 1950 yards of racing in less than 24 hours. Instead, two weeks ago I said an indefinite good-bye to the swimming pool.

Honestly, I have to admit that the new normal has become normal to such an extent that I forgot what I was missing this weekend.  Not swimming the 1000 is a small win.  Not swimming this meet is not.  But this is the new normal, and we have to find the little victories, or the silver linings, in this unfortunate situation.

So I did not swim the 1000 last night - win!

I am not swimming the 400 IM tomorrow - win!  (For those of you uninitiated in the world of swimming, the 400 IM is somehow worse than the 1000.  It is kind of like being tarred and feathered, then run over by a truck, then thrown into a swimming pool.  After tat, you usually have about 5 lengths of the pool to go.)

The family has been taking many evening walks - Win!  No one in the family has killed anyone else - double win!

Today, we did a Family Movie - win!  We watched Deadpool.  Normally, watching Deadpool with a 10 year old, a 13 year old and a 15 year old would be frowned upon by many people.  If you haven't seen it, the movie is a hard R rating.  Not really appropriate for a 10 year old, or maybe even a 13 year old.  But today, we watched it together, in our house, without going anywhere.  Socially responsible.  Silver Lining.  Win!

The basement is painted - Win!

I started a puzzle of The Little Mermaid today - double Win!

My family is having an online get together today - Win!  In all seriousness, we would never do this but for the current circumstances.  At best, I would see my parents some time in the next two months, one of my brothers sometime in the next 6 months and the other by or on Christmas Eve.  As for my niece and nephew and my sisters-in-law?  Really not sure.  So this is a good thing.

Eldest has a birthday coming up - Win!  He is turning 16, but can't get his driver's license - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  Win!  Win!  Win!  (We kid because we love.)

Middle bought Grand Theft Auto online for the PlayStation.  This is kind of like the Deadpool thing.  Not exactly appropriate.  But he did it from the house.  That is socially responsible.  So, Win!??

OK I'm reaching.

If I am honest, as I wrote about a week ago, this kind of sucks.  I am lucky.  I have a job (still).  The Wife has a job (still).  None of us are sick.  If we get sick, we have good health insurance.  I am confident my family will get through this.  I am hopeful everyone does, but I know that isn't the case.  I am looking for the positive, as is everyone else.  People are re-connecting with old friends.  There are some good things coming out of this.  But, it kind of sucks.  Everything has been cancelled.  We really fear for summer swimming (no word right now, but I am concerned.)  We don't know when this is going to end.  So we look for the Silver Lining.  The small Win!

Like I said, no 1000 last night.  No 400 IM tomorrow.

The Unintended Consequences of Stay in Place

Youngest, who is 10, is addicted to gambling.

Last night, the Wife wanted to have a "family game night".  We played Beat the Parents (they did), then Apples to Apples (with various results).  Eldest went to shower.  Middle wanted to do something else.  Youngest wanted to gamble.  Specifically, he wanted to play Texas Hold'em, but he said, "I want to gamble."

I have created a 10 year old gambling addict.

This all started a couple years ago at a graduation party.  The family was sitting at a table that had a deck of cards.  One of the Boys, I think it was Eldest, had recently played blackjack with some friends, so we all played some hands of blackjack.  I think we were betting Hershey's Kisses.  We all had fun.  A couple months later, we played some more while on vacation.  Until about a week ago, we hadn't played since.

Youngest has a tendency to become obsessed with, well, anything.  It varies from thing to thing, and usually doesn't last for too long.  Some of his obsessions come and go, like waves.  At various times the past few years, he has been obsessed with cubing (solving a Rubik's cube), speed-cubing (solving a Rubik's cube quickly), Fortnite, magic, cup-stacking, and several other things I can't remember now.  Sadly, cleaning, re-tiling the bathroom, re-roofing the house and power washing the deck have never been his obsession.  However, if we put a power washer in his hands and told him to have at the deck, I think that one would keep his interest.  He wouldn't do a great job with the deck, but that power washer would be shooting for a long time.

Sometime during this "stay in place" era of the 2020s, Youngest wanted to play blackjack.  I played a few hands with him that night ( I don't remember exactly when), then sent him off to bed.  The next night, he was like a cat chasing a mouse.  Focused, persistent, loud, and annoying.  I finally relented and played some more.  I also promised to get some M&Ms, so he had something real to bet.

The next night, he wanted to play with the M&Ms.  This time, the whole family played again.  After sharing and eating M&Ms for a while, it became apparent that these were not the best "chips" to use.  I thought I remembered that we bought a cheap box of poker chips about 20 years ago, and yes, we had.  So we played with the cheap chips.  Youngest cleaned up.  If he hit on a 15, he got a 5.  If he stayed with a 14, the dealer busted.  Every.  Time.

Eventually, I made the highly questionable decision to teach him how to play poker (the cheap box of chips was a "Texas Hold'em" kit that included a cloth with 5 diagrams for the community cards).  Youngest cleaned up again.  Four players, each started with a stack of about 20 chips (Middle had long ago decided he didn't like gambling.)  Fifteen minutes later I had no chips, Eldest and the Wife were exchanging about 10 chips between them and Youngest was "Goin' Sizzler."  I had to send him to bed again.

The next night, more poker and more winning.  For Youngest.  He is obsessed and on a hot streak the likes of which have never been seen in these parts.  Eventually, I got a break from losing gambling games to a 10 year old.  This has not stopped his obsession.  And make no mistake, it went from "I want to play blackjack" to "I want to play poker" to "I want to gamble."  At this point, I'm not sure whether to cut him off or fast forward eight years to when I can take him to a casino and get ready to retire.  I'd be Goin' Sizzler every night with this kid.

There are a lot of consequences of a stay in place order.  Many are expected.  Many are unexpected.  If you had asked me 2 weeks, I would not have predicted that one of those unexpected consequences would be starting Youngest on a path to being the next Doyle Brunson.

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It has Been a Long Year

I really don't even know where to start.  It has been a long day (it's 9:45 am).  It has been a long week (it's Wednesday).  It's been a long year (it's March.)

Almost eight years ago, I started this blog as a way to write about the 2012 Olympics.  I have about 6-8 loyal readers, who have given up harassing me to keep it up when the Olympics are not happening.  I have been gearing up for Tokyo 2020, which means over the past few months I have thought about posting.  I wish I had.  I wish I could find the time and motivation to do this on a more regular basis.  I haven't been able to.  But I was ready for Tokyo.  In the last month or two, I have watched all 8 of Michaels Phelps' gold medal swims from 2008.  I have watched Jessie Diggins.  I have watched Usain Bolt.  I have watched track and field events and swimming events.  I watched a little gymnastics.  Somehow I have missed volleyball, which is a failing on my part.  But I was getting ready.

All for naught.

I am sad.  And afraid.  I am sad that the Olympics won't happen.  I am sad that the Boys school year has come to an end.  I am sad that Eldest won't get to compete in Spring Track this spring.  I am sad Eldest won't get to play soccer this spring.  I am sad Middle didn't get to play in the Winter Basketball All Star Tournament.  I am sad Middle won't get to play basketball this spring.  I am sad Youngest's Ninja classes are on hold.  I am sad that swimming has stopped, for the boys and for me.  I am sad I will miss the Colonies Zone meet in two weeks.  I won't get to see my teammates.  I am just sad.

I am literally on the brink of tears as I think of all the things we will miss over the next...two weeks?  Two months?  Six months?  (I am sure the Wife is actually shedding a tear as she reads this.)

Really, I'm not a narcissist.  I realize this sounds like it is all about me.  It isn't.

I am also afraid.  I am afraid for my family.  I am afraid for my friends.  I am afraid for people I don't know.  I am afraid for jobs.  I am afraid for money.  I am afraid for the economy.  I am afraid for the world.

I am also sad for others.  I am sad for Nathan Adrian.  I am sad for Noah Lyles.  And all the other athletes who have to wait another year to try to reach their dreams.  I don't know how they are training through this.  Are pools open?  Mine isn't.  None of mine are.  Does Katie Ledecky have access to a pool?  She must, right?  I need to look into this.

Tokyo will happen.  I have to believe this.  Otherwise I simply can't go on living.  It will be different.  It will be a little weird.  The Olympics are not supposed to happen in odd years.  Only normal years.  (DAD JOKE!)  Some of the athletes who are expected to make the Olympics and win medals may  not make it.  We will have two Olympics in about 7 months (Tokyo 2021 and Beijing 2022.)  Silver Lining!  Although, that will make it difficult to watch every minute of available streaming and television coverage of Tokyo 2021 before Beijing 2022 starts.  Of course, we won't let that stop us.  You need to have goals in life.

Life will happen.  We will get through this.  I have to believe this.  The medical experts say we will get through this.  Economists say we will get through this.  I don't personally know anyone who has tested positive.  I have read what it is like and it is bad.  Really bad.  Right now, the numbers aren't good.  I pray for people to stay safe and healthy.  I pray for the world to get through this.  I pray none of my three boys will kill either of their brothers.

The most revealing article I have read in the last week was about the economy.  The article said the economy will be OK, but we have to believe that.  The economy is somewhat a self fulfilling prophecy.  If people believe it is going well, it is likely to go well.  I liked that.  I am sad and I am afraid.  But I believe it will go well.  The "it" in that last sentence is life, the world, us, me, my family, my friends, the economy, this fight against this virus, and, well, everything else.  I believe we will get through this.  I believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  And you have to believe, too.  In a little over a year, we will be healthy, not shut in, and preparing for the Olympics.  With a lot less free time on our hands.  That's a good thing.

We have all read suggestions for what we can do during this time.  I'm not going to repeat the obvious ones (social distance, wash hands, clean surfaces, etc.).  Oh, wait.  Apparently I am going to repeat the obvious ones.  I will offer a few of my suggestions, though.  You have probably heard these, but I took the time to write today, so I will repeat them.

1.  Go outside.  Keep your distance from others, but it is OK to go outside.
2.  Look at your TV guide to see what is on TV.  I have enjoyed watching some old sports games on TV the last week, including the 2019 Women's World Cup Final, UVA's run to the 2019 NCAA Basketball title, and an old Miami Heat playoff win with Middle.  It is fun to watch these games, but almost more fun just to see how ESPN and FS1 and NBC Sports and CBS Sports and even the regular networks are filling their air time.
3.  Order some food.  Restaurants are being crushed right now.  If you can, make an order for pick up or delivery (they are all delivering for free right now) to try to keep things moving a little.
4.  Paint the basement.  Or something else.  We are doing the basement.
5.  Move.  Prior to the closure of almost everything I was swimming pretty well.  Then the pools all closed (where are you Katie Ledecky?).  I generally hate working out, but am getting up every day before work to exercise.  Do something.  Don't get into a habit of sitting around, working from home, watching streaming movies and shows, or YouTube.  Get up and move.  Move to the basement to paint it if that is your thing (hello, Wife.)
6.  Go to YouTube and watch old videos of great Olympic moments.  This is tons of fun.
7.  Got to YouTube and watch something stupid.  After you get up and move.  And paint the basement.
8.  Believe.  We will get through this.  You will get through this.  The world will get through this.  It won't be easy.  It will happen.
9.  Be happy some idiotic, amateur blogger is not telling you to follow Rule/Guideline No. 1 of his Guidelines for Watching the Olympics.

Until next time, which will be before Tokyo 2021.