Every once in a while a suburban parent needs to find themselves somewhere without children. This past weekend, I went to my place. Annually, I meet up with a number of friends for a golf weekend. I say a "number" because it used to be a group of 8. Ironically, a few years ago we had an email argument about whether or not we should expand the number to include more than 8. Since that argument, the number of people has declined. This past weekend we had 5. I am sure we could find more people who want to participate in a golf weekend, but this is a special group of people. I'm not even sure how I fit in but we have discussed how none of us can think of anyone else who would fit just right. So, as people have bailed for various reasons, our numbers have dwindled.
I know a golf weekend for "the boys" is not unusual and is perhaps a bit cliche'. I know thousands of suburban dads leave the children and wives for a golf weekend and act in ways they probably do not when at home. I know we are not unique. But, as I drove home Sunday, exhausted and sore, I was wondering why I put myself through this.
I am a fairly boring person. Generally speaking, I don't enjoy the things that middle class Americans, even those in my age group and familial status, enjoy. I don't enjoy going out. I rarely drink. I don't like loud music, except under the right circumstances in my car. I don't like bars or restaurant-like places that act as bars. I rarely stay up late, and if I do, it usually involves reruns of some TV show, a Dallas Cowboys football game or a U.S. World Cup qualifier. I don't even watch as much sports as I did 5-10 years ago, much less the absurd amount I watched 15-20 years ago. Yet, here I was (or there I was, I guess), staying up late, in a restaurant-like place acting like a bar, with loud music and people drinking a lot. For three nights.
I am also getting old. I'm not like old-old, but the body can't handle what the body once could. I am sure that 15 years ago 36 holes of golf, in 20-25 mile per hour winds on a 40 degree day would have been bearable and survivable. Now, it makes the body hurt. A lot. Two day of this really puts a crimp in my style, and numerous cramps in my body. Perhaps if I played golf more than 6-8 times per year (4 of which are during this particular weekend) my body could take more. Despite my recognition of this, just like the nighttime thing, I found myself engaging in 2 rounds per day, 40 degree temperatures, 20-25 mph winds.
This explains why I was exhausted and stiff and in pain on Sunday driving home. This explains why I accomplished very little after getting home on Sunday. This explains why after 3 days away from my family, it may as well have been 4, because I was present, but not really there on Sunday. That made me feel guilty, so we can add guilt to exhaustion and pain.
I knew all of this going in, of course. Well, the pain is a little more than I remember. I'll be honest, I like golf. I don't, however, think my enjoyment of golf justifies the lack of sleep, exhaustion, stiffness and pain. Its the people. The fact is, the 4 people I shared this weekend with have become some of my closest friends. The irony is, the link that connects me to them never joins us.
When we were in one of the 2 restaurant-like establishments acting like a bar, we met a couple celebrating their anniversary. At one point, we were asked if we were high school friends or college friends or what? Except for me, the answer is high school friends. I am a friend of a friend. Literally. One of my best friends from college went to high school with the others I share my golf weekend with. Through various activities over the past 20 years (really? 20?), I have become friends with a number of his high school friends. I am now better friends with his high school friends than with my own. And I see them more than I see him.
If you asked me to name my best friend, I'm not sure what I would say. It depends on the period of my life. Not to sound corny, but my best friend right now is probably my wife. Although I don't think of her like that. If you asked me to name my 4 best friends, I could do it, and each of my "at some point in my life you were my best friend" friends would still be in the top 4. This is true even though I haven't seen one of them in about 5 years and I have no idea when I will see any of them.
The group I play golf with doesn't make the top 4 (sorry.) The difference is, I know when I will see them again. At a minimum, I will see them in about 12 months. And about 12 months after that. And about 12 months after that. I look forward to seeing them every year, and I enjoy knowing that I will see them. Of the 5 people who attended this year, 3 have never missed in over 10 years. The 2 who have missed one year (including me), missed for the birth of their first son. The male heir. You have to be around for the birth of the heir to throne. So that one miss is justified. It would literally take a birth or a death or perhaps a plague to keep us away. This is an unbreakable tradition.
As I have become a little older, and a little more tied down by family commitments, the only thing that keeps me doing anything is the unbreakable tradition. If the golf weekend wasn't an unbreakable tradition I probably would have stopped several years ago. We have a few people who have. I am not complaining or judging, because I understand the reasons that make something stop. As I have learned from my various attempts to exercise regularly, if I never give myself an excuse to miss something, I never have an excuse to miss. Don't get me wrong, I love this weekend and I do not want to miss. But the occassional first baseball game, or rainy weekend, or tough week at work is always enough of an excuse to avoid a weekend that will result in exhaustion and pain. There is always an excuse, but I never let myself have it. One excuse turns into five and eventually you just never go again, unless there truly is no excuse.
I have seen a regular poker game and various exercise programs live by the "no excuse" rule and die when it was broken. I have seen a New Years Day brunch go by the wayside. I have seen Eldest's best friend once in the past 12 months, because her family and our family let everyday life stop the traditional times we saw each other. I will not watch that happen to my golf weekend and to the 5 people I expect to see at least every 12 months.
Traditions are important. They are important to culture, to custom and to families. They are important to friends and to rituals. They are important to life. Without traditions, we wouldn't always open presents at our house on Christmas morning or eat dinner at Red Robin on New Years Eve or go sightseeing on Presidents Day. But more importantly for me, traditions keep me from letting laziness, tiredness and basic inertia from getting in the way of doing things that I want to do, but can find a reason not to. I need to find more traditions so I can see those 4 people mentioned above a little more often. I need to build and keep traditions to make sure my family keeps doing little fun things together, especially as they get older and stop wanting to do little fun things with Mom and Dad. I need to keep subjecting myself to three things I don't like (late night, bar and pain) to keep doing one thing, and seeing 4 people, I love, late March every year.
Traditions are important. I'm not sure I knew how important until I was driving home, exhausted, stiff and sore this past Sunday, looking forward to next year.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Unbeaten...or Unbeatable?
That is the question asked in my house after not one, but TWO basketball seasons that ended without a loss. That's right, not one loss for either boy playing basketball this winter. I am not talking about some rinky-dink, local youth league, this is the Chantilly Youth Associati...OK, rinky-dink local youth league. Still, no losses, two teams.
The first undefeated season came for Eldest. The season started a little rough, with a low-scoring, close opener. A win is a win, though. An early season tie (I said undefeated season, not perfect season) raised some questions about how the season would go. Eventually, though, the Blue Ninja Dragons found their groove and started to play as a team. They had a few close calls as the season progressed. They also showed themselves to be closers, finishing more than one game with dominant fourth quarters to turn a close game into a blow-out or a potential loss into a close win. Each victory (and the one tie) raised the stakes for the season. As the number of games left in the season diminished, the "its all about fun and learning the game" thoughts diminished as well. The pressure was on, at least for the parents. Well, at least for me. The coaches remained as cool as the other side of the pillow (yes, I am stealing from Stu Scott for this).
In all seriousness, the coaches were awesome. I missed a couple games, either playing daddy to Youngest or taking Middle to his practices/games, but saw at least 9 of the 12 games. Of the games I saw, the best player on the court was on the other team for more than half the games. Of the 3 games I missed, the Wife told me the best player on the court was on the other team for at least one of them. The Blue Ninja Dragons were a team though. I give a lot of credit to two fathers who volunteered their time and demonstrated an amazing amount of patience, positive feedback and teaching ability in getting nine 3rd grade boys to play team basketball. The boys learned a ton and won every game by being the better team, even if they were not always the better collection of players.
The last practice was held on a Tuesday night before the final Saturday game. The assistant coach was going to miss the game (for a vacation in Mexico without his kids), but said it was going to kill him to miss that last game. The head coach remained as cool as ever, but admitted he really wanted them to finish their season without a loss. He knew this was a big deal, even if it was a rinky-dink local youth league.
In the first half of the final game, the Blue Ninja Dragons demonstrated their version of team basketball, as always. They were also making shots, which was a rare treat. The offense implemented by the coaches created a ton of chances for the boys, but their shooting percentage was less than desirable. However, in the final game, they came to play. Once again, though, the best player on the floor played for the other team. Early in the game, I was pleased to see that their offense consisted of one player dribbling around for a while, then going baseline before putting up a backwards, over the head, reverse lay-up. I am not kidding, he did this about 5-6 times. The problem is, in a 3rd grade basketball game, someone with his dribbling ability dominates. If this kid had any inclination to pass, or some sort of conscience about putting up ridiculous shots, the Blue Ninja Dragons would not have built up a solid first half lead.
The second half didn't go as well. The Blue Ninja Dragons started to miss a few more shots, and superstar from their opponents started dropping in some of his prayers. Eldest proved his meddle with his typical array of hustle plays, solidly set screens and the first, and only, three point play of the season for the team. I can remember many practices ending with Eldest asking to practice free throws. Free throws were a rare treat in 3rd grade basketball and Eldest had never had the chance to shoot one in a game. Regardless, there he was, week after week, practicing free throws. So, as the lead was slowly decreasing, he got a loose ball in the lane and put it up, the whistle blew and the ball dropped through the net. Count the basket! Foul on the shot. Eldest stepped up and the practice paid off. The free throw bounced softly off the front of the rim and rolled through. Three points!! (Yes, I am bragging about basketball, something I thought I would never be able to do.)
The fourth quarter began with a 4 point lead and the two best all around players on the Ninja Dragons sitting on the bench. WHAT???!!!! If it hasn't been made clear, I loved our coaches. But here we were, 7 minutes from an undefeated season and our two best all around players, including our unquestioned best on the ball defender, were sitting. This demonstrated two things. First, our coach is a genius. League rules stipulate that every player must sit at least one quarter of each game, unless you don't have enough players to do so. Superstar from the other team had played each of the first three quarters and our coach put our best defender out there each time to guard him. So even though our guy was sitting, so was their guy. (Side note - Coach told me after the game that the opposing team tried to put superstar on the court, but one of our parents called them on it. I also heard that parents from the other team spent the entire 4th quarter complaining that their superstar wasn't allowed to play. Gotta love youth sports.) The other thing this demonstrated was that our coach was not going to let a potential undefeated season change the way he coached the game. He gave everyone equal opportunity to play and coached the same way from the first practice to those excruciating last 7 minutes. I honestly am not sure I would have been able to do that (more on me as a coach in another post.)
Without our two best players, things got a little shaky. However, without their superstar, they couldn't really take advantage of the situation. The 4 point lead remained at about 4 points throughout the 7 minutes and the Ninja Dragons finished their undefeated season.
One week later, the CYA 1st Grade Blue Dragons (don't ask - I have no idea how they ended up with almost identical names) had a chance to complete the undefeated winter for the Earle family. 1st Grade basketball differs slightly from 3rd grade basketball in our rinky-dink local youth league. The Blue Dragons only played 3 games and the referees ability to "swallow their whistles" would embarrass a hockey referee in the 3rd OT of a Game 7. The score is also reset after each quarter. Presumably this is done so no one's feelings get hurt too much by getting blown out. It doesn't work because everyone, particularly the players and their older siblings, keeps track of the aggregate score. Through 2 games, the Blue Dragons were 1-0-1. The first game was a barn burner: 2-0 in the first quarter, 0-0 in the second, 0-2 in the third and 2-2 in the fourth for a 4-4 aggregate score.
The second game was a blow-out. We stopped keeping score by the third quarter because the Blue Dragons were winning by about 20-4 at that point. The first quarter was fairly close, 4-2, the second quarter was less close, 8-2. The third quarter was ugly. The fourth quarter was no better than the third.
The coaches of the Blue Dragons were every bit as commendable as the coaches of the Blue Ninja Dragons. Although, with a group of 1st grade boys all from the same school and all friends, the 1st Grade coaches' patience was tested a little more. They taught the boys basic skills and one play. The one play consisted of the dribbler taking the ball at the top of the key and yelling "One" to signal the one play. Or I could say to signal the "One" play. The remaining four players were in a box around the lane. When the play was called, the player on the right of the dribbler was supposed to set a pick to allow the dribbler to run around him and drive the lane. The play worked about 10% of the time. The biggest problem was the dribbler rarely waited for the pick. He would yell "One" and just start running to his right. My personal favorite was the player who wanted his teammate to set the pick before he called the play. The two players stood there in a pickle, one demanding that a pick be set and the other waiting for the play to be called. Eventually, the dribbler just drove the lane and hurled the ball toward the rim. If you have ever seen a 1st grade basketball game, you understand there is a lot of hurling going on.
For the last two games, the coaches implemented a baseline in-bounds pass play. It looked kind of like the "Picket Fence" of Hoosiers fame and actually worked. The only problem was it took forever to develop and most people thought the boys were just standing around in a line about 5 feet farther away from the baseline than any of them can throw a ball. We ended up with a bunch of parents trying to ruin the play by telling their sons to move closer to the baseline. This was a lot funnier in real life than reading about it.
This brings us to Game 3. The Earle family was 12-0-2 in 2012-13 basketball and looking to complete an undefeated winter. (One other family had boys on both teams and was looking at the same undefeated winter.) Middle woke with a fever that morning, but insisted on playing. We filled him up with Tylenol and water and let him play. The game started well and the Blue Dragons took a 4-0 lead after one. Sadly, their opponents reversed things after 2, and we had a 4-4 aggregate score. Middle was his typical self, excited, running around non-stop and usually not in the right place. But he loves basketball and always has fun. He is also the fastest player on the court and what he lacks in fundamentals, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets back on defense faster than our son. He didn't score, but he made his mark on the game in other ways. (My boys, the hustle play guys.)
In the third quarter, the Blue Dragons took control again, with an 8-6 run, giving us a 12-10 aggregate lead. The fourth quarter was nerve-racking. At one point, the opponents took a 4 point lead. The Blue Dragons never gave up, though, and fought back to 4-6 with less than a minute to play. The opposition called time-out. I watched the assistant coach, who is the father of the other family going for an undefeated winter, talk to his team as if it was the most important time-out of his life. Let's be honest, it was. After the time-out, the Blue Ninjas ran the "One" play perfectly...and missed the shot. A well fought rebound gave them a second chance and they tied it up 6-6. With only about 20 seconds left and an aggregate 2 point lead, I finally felt comfortable that we would get our undefeated winter. The other team managed a miracle baseline jumper with 5 seconds left to win the quarter 6-8 and finish the game 18-18 aggregate. It was unfortunate that the game ended in a tie, but undefeated...or undefeatable, was accomplished. We celebrated appropriately, then had pizza.
I must admit, the drama of an undefeated winter got to me. I watched that final game with nerves racing through my body. OK, not exactly racing, but it was exciting trying to complete what will almost definitely be our only undefeated basketball winter ever. As a parent, I want my kids to have fun and learn the game. But I am a competitive jack-ass, and as the chances of something special grew, so did my competitiveness. I became a little more vocal and a little more engaged with each win for the Blue Ninja Dragons, and that final game for the Blue Dragons. As much as fun and experience is the goal, it is nice to win every once in a while. It's even nicer to never lose.
2012-13 will always be the season of undefeated, even if not undefeatable.
Things to look forward to:
More on competitiveness
Me as a Coach
My spring coaching soccer
Summer Swimming coming soon
Less than 11 months to Sochi 2014
The first undefeated season came for Eldest. The season started a little rough, with a low-scoring, close opener. A win is a win, though. An early season tie (I said undefeated season, not perfect season) raised some questions about how the season would go. Eventually, though, the Blue Ninja Dragons found their groove and started to play as a team. They had a few close calls as the season progressed. They also showed themselves to be closers, finishing more than one game with dominant fourth quarters to turn a close game into a blow-out or a potential loss into a close win. Each victory (and the one tie) raised the stakes for the season. As the number of games left in the season diminished, the "its all about fun and learning the game" thoughts diminished as well. The pressure was on, at least for the parents. Well, at least for me. The coaches remained as cool as the other side of the pillow (yes, I am stealing from Stu Scott for this).
In all seriousness, the coaches were awesome. I missed a couple games, either playing daddy to Youngest or taking Middle to his practices/games, but saw at least 9 of the 12 games. Of the games I saw, the best player on the court was on the other team for more than half the games. Of the 3 games I missed, the Wife told me the best player on the court was on the other team for at least one of them. The Blue Ninja Dragons were a team though. I give a lot of credit to two fathers who volunteered their time and demonstrated an amazing amount of patience, positive feedback and teaching ability in getting nine 3rd grade boys to play team basketball. The boys learned a ton and won every game by being the better team, even if they were not always the better collection of players.
The last practice was held on a Tuesday night before the final Saturday game. The assistant coach was going to miss the game (for a vacation in Mexico without his kids), but said it was going to kill him to miss that last game. The head coach remained as cool as ever, but admitted he really wanted them to finish their season without a loss. He knew this was a big deal, even if it was a rinky-dink local youth league.
In the first half of the final game, the Blue Ninja Dragons demonstrated their version of team basketball, as always. They were also making shots, which was a rare treat. The offense implemented by the coaches created a ton of chances for the boys, but their shooting percentage was less than desirable. However, in the final game, they came to play. Once again, though, the best player on the floor played for the other team. Early in the game, I was pleased to see that their offense consisted of one player dribbling around for a while, then going baseline before putting up a backwards, over the head, reverse lay-up. I am not kidding, he did this about 5-6 times. The problem is, in a 3rd grade basketball game, someone with his dribbling ability dominates. If this kid had any inclination to pass, or some sort of conscience about putting up ridiculous shots, the Blue Ninja Dragons would not have built up a solid first half lead.
The second half didn't go as well. The Blue Ninja Dragons started to miss a few more shots, and superstar from their opponents started dropping in some of his prayers. Eldest proved his meddle with his typical array of hustle plays, solidly set screens and the first, and only, three point play of the season for the team. I can remember many practices ending with Eldest asking to practice free throws. Free throws were a rare treat in 3rd grade basketball and Eldest had never had the chance to shoot one in a game. Regardless, there he was, week after week, practicing free throws. So, as the lead was slowly decreasing, he got a loose ball in the lane and put it up, the whistle blew and the ball dropped through the net. Count the basket! Foul on the shot. Eldest stepped up and the practice paid off. The free throw bounced softly off the front of the rim and rolled through. Three points!! (Yes, I am bragging about basketball, something I thought I would never be able to do.)
The fourth quarter began with a 4 point lead and the two best all around players on the Ninja Dragons sitting on the bench. WHAT???!!!! If it hasn't been made clear, I loved our coaches. But here we were, 7 minutes from an undefeated season and our two best all around players, including our unquestioned best on the ball defender, were sitting. This demonstrated two things. First, our coach is a genius. League rules stipulate that every player must sit at least one quarter of each game, unless you don't have enough players to do so. Superstar from the other team had played each of the first three quarters and our coach put our best defender out there each time to guard him. So even though our guy was sitting, so was their guy. (Side note - Coach told me after the game that the opposing team tried to put superstar on the court, but one of our parents called them on it. I also heard that parents from the other team spent the entire 4th quarter complaining that their superstar wasn't allowed to play. Gotta love youth sports.) The other thing this demonstrated was that our coach was not going to let a potential undefeated season change the way he coached the game. He gave everyone equal opportunity to play and coached the same way from the first practice to those excruciating last 7 minutes. I honestly am not sure I would have been able to do that (more on me as a coach in another post.)
Without our two best players, things got a little shaky. However, without their superstar, they couldn't really take advantage of the situation. The 4 point lead remained at about 4 points throughout the 7 minutes and the Ninja Dragons finished their undefeated season.
One week later, the CYA 1st Grade Blue Dragons (don't ask - I have no idea how they ended up with almost identical names) had a chance to complete the undefeated winter for the Earle family. 1st Grade basketball differs slightly from 3rd grade basketball in our rinky-dink local youth league. The Blue Dragons only played 3 games and the referees ability to "swallow their whistles" would embarrass a hockey referee in the 3rd OT of a Game 7. The score is also reset after each quarter. Presumably this is done so no one's feelings get hurt too much by getting blown out. It doesn't work because everyone, particularly the players and their older siblings, keeps track of the aggregate score. Through 2 games, the Blue Dragons were 1-0-1. The first game was a barn burner: 2-0 in the first quarter, 0-0 in the second, 0-2 in the third and 2-2 in the fourth for a 4-4 aggregate score.
The second game was a blow-out. We stopped keeping score by the third quarter because the Blue Dragons were winning by about 20-4 at that point. The first quarter was fairly close, 4-2, the second quarter was less close, 8-2. The third quarter was ugly. The fourth quarter was no better than the third.
The coaches of the Blue Dragons were every bit as commendable as the coaches of the Blue Ninja Dragons. Although, with a group of 1st grade boys all from the same school and all friends, the 1st Grade coaches' patience was tested a little more. They taught the boys basic skills and one play. The one play consisted of the dribbler taking the ball at the top of the key and yelling "One" to signal the one play. Or I could say to signal the "One" play. The remaining four players were in a box around the lane. When the play was called, the player on the right of the dribbler was supposed to set a pick to allow the dribbler to run around him and drive the lane. The play worked about 10% of the time. The biggest problem was the dribbler rarely waited for the pick. He would yell "One" and just start running to his right. My personal favorite was the player who wanted his teammate to set the pick before he called the play. The two players stood there in a pickle, one demanding that a pick be set and the other waiting for the play to be called. Eventually, the dribbler just drove the lane and hurled the ball toward the rim. If you have ever seen a 1st grade basketball game, you understand there is a lot of hurling going on.
For the last two games, the coaches implemented a baseline in-bounds pass play. It looked kind of like the "Picket Fence" of Hoosiers fame and actually worked. The only problem was it took forever to develop and most people thought the boys were just standing around in a line about 5 feet farther away from the baseline than any of them can throw a ball. We ended up with a bunch of parents trying to ruin the play by telling their sons to move closer to the baseline. This was a lot funnier in real life than reading about it.
This brings us to Game 3. The Earle family was 12-0-2 in 2012-13 basketball and looking to complete an undefeated winter. (One other family had boys on both teams and was looking at the same undefeated winter.) Middle woke with a fever that morning, but insisted on playing. We filled him up with Tylenol and water and let him play. The game started well and the Blue Dragons took a 4-0 lead after one. Sadly, their opponents reversed things after 2, and we had a 4-4 aggregate score. Middle was his typical self, excited, running around non-stop and usually not in the right place. But he loves basketball and always has fun. He is also the fastest player on the court and what he lacks in fundamentals, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets back on defense faster than our son. He didn't score, but he made his mark on the game in other ways. (My boys, the hustle play guys.)
In the third quarter, the Blue Dragons took control again, with an 8-6 run, giving us a 12-10 aggregate lead. The fourth quarter was nerve-racking. At one point, the opponents took a 4 point lead. The Blue Dragons never gave up, though, and fought back to 4-6 with less than a minute to play. The opposition called time-out. I watched the assistant coach, who is the father of the other family going for an undefeated winter, talk to his team as if it was the most important time-out of his life. Let's be honest, it was. After the time-out, the Blue Ninjas ran the "One" play perfectly...and missed the shot. A well fought rebound gave them a second chance and they tied it up 6-6. With only about 20 seconds left and an aggregate 2 point lead, I finally felt comfortable that we would get our undefeated winter. The other team managed a miracle baseline jumper with 5 seconds left to win the quarter 6-8 and finish the game 18-18 aggregate. It was unfortunate that the game ended in a tie, but undefeated...or undefeatable, was accomplished. We celebrated appropriately, then had pizza.
I must admit, the drama of an undefeated winter got to me. I watched that final game with nerves racing through my body. OK, not exactly racing, but it was exciting trying to complete what will almost definitely be our only undefeated basketball winter ever. As a parent, I want my kids to have fun and learn the game. But I am a competitive jack-ass, and as the chances of something special grew, so did my competitiveness. I became a little more vocal and a little more engaged with each win for the Blue Ninja Dragons, and that final game for the Blue Dragons. As much as fun and experience is the goal, it is nice to win every once in a while. It's even nicer to never lose.
2012-13 will always be the season of undefeated, even if not undefeatable.
Things to look forward to:
More on competitiveness
Me as a Coach
My spring coaching soccer
Summer Swimming coming soon
Less than 11 months to Sochi 2014
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Less Than One Year
The countdown continues. We now have 364 days* until the opening ceremonies of Sochi 2014. I have much to do to make you fully informed viewers and now have less than one year in which to do it. I also need to come up with less vague ways of filling space.
We have a few things to cover today, but let's begin with the next Olympics. For those of you that followed me during London, 2012, you know my fondness for the Olympics is not limited to the summer games. In some ways (i.e., in the ways that don't include swimming, Alex Morgan, women volleyball players or long track races), I prefer the Winter Olympics. I like to learn new things and develop odd fondnesses for obscure sports. Seven years ago, I discovered curling and fell in love with biathlon. The only problem with curling is the television coverage often doesn't show you the whole round. They only show the last couple of stones. I want to develop a better feel for the strategy of the game. I am hoping to do so in 2014.
Biathlon is simply awesome. Ski until you almost die, then shoot, then ski again. I love the races where a missed shot results in a penalty lap, not just time deduction. The look on the racers' faces when they finish and have to go to the penalty lap area says it all. They are tired enough and they know this will cost them in effort and time. In most of the races I have seen, everyone misses eventually, so when you miss is often as important as how often. Regardless, I just find it enjoyable to watch.
Three years ago, I discovered and fell in love with Nordic Combined. Nordic Combined combines the two nordic ski competitions. (Funny how that works with the name, huh?) At some point in the next 364 days I will research what a Nordic Ski Competition is and give a history for you. Now, since I have 364 days, I shall focus on the bigger issues. As far as Nordic Combined, the bigger issue is whether the US can even approach their historic success of 2010. Prior to 2010, the US had never won an Olympic medal of any color in Nordic Combined. In 2010, we DOMINATED. (That all caps was brought to you by my Volleyball Insider.) The US won four total medals out of nine available medals, including silver in the Team Competition and gold and silver (and 4th) in the Large Hill competition. The names Johnny Spillane, Bill Demong and Todd Lodwick will always have a special place in my Winter Olympics heart.
Three years ago my two oldest boys fell in love with biathlon. This isn't surprising. What could be more fun for two young boys growing up in the snow-starved mid-Atlantic region of the US than imagining a competition that involves skiing and shooting guns. (Yes, I know, the 2010 Winter Olympics happened during the historic 2009-2010 winter so we weren't snow-starved then. Don't let facts get in the way of my "no snow" whining.) Really, though, I think the snow helped, because my boys could actually imagine that biathlon was something they could do. Why not? There was 2 feet of snow outside on three different occassions. I have pictures of the two of them practicing biathlon shooting with Star Wars Nerf guns in prone and standing position. In a couple of the pictures, you can see the Olympic biathlon competition on the television in the background.
Now, we can look forward to Sochi. There are a few problems, but for now I will focus on just one. Sochi isn't exactly a winter wonderland. Jim Caple, of ESPN.com, visited Sochi and wrote about his experience. Among other things, he spent the majority of his time dressed for a summer vacation, not the Winter Olympics. According to Weather.com's 10 day forecast (that link is useless because you aren't looking at it at the same time as I am, but it can be used to get a general feel for Sochi's weather) in the 10 day period from February 12, 2013-February 21, 2013*, the high temperature averages at about 50, the low about 40, and it never goes below freezing. On Valentine's Day, temperatures are expected to reach 60. This is not the stuff a great biathlon course is made of.
(Caple also discusses some of the traffic and human rights issues, which we may touch on later in the year.)
The weather concerns were not a big surprise to my Baltic States Insider, who informed me of Sochi's primary purpose upon Russia being awarded the 2014 games. Sochi is a summer resort city on the Black Sea. The next time the US goes for the winter games, perhaps Myrtle Beach should put in a bid. Seriously though, Sochi is kind of close to the Caucasus mountains, which is where the skiing will be held. Of course, they aren't getting any snow in the mountains right now and traffic is a bear. Start praying for snow in Sochi, we have less than a year for the olympic gods and snow gods to agree that the snow problems in Vancouver didn't help the experience and give us a better show. Unless they decide Putin doesn't deserve a better show and they go out of their way to ruin things for him. There is justice in that, but I want to see a fast downhill, the Flying Tomato and Nordic Combined. So I am praying for snow...in Sochi and Chantilly.
In other Olympic news, wrestling has been dropped from the summer games' core 25 sports. Wrestling has been contested at every Olympic Games except Paris in 1900. I am not exactly a fan of wrestling. I have, as far as I can remember, never attended a wrestling meet. I have never really watched wrestling in Olympic competition. If you asked me to list my favorite sports, for any purpose - to watch on television, to watch live, to listen to on the radio, to participate in for competition, to participate in for fun, or anything else you can think of - I can't imagine wrestling makes it into the top 25, regardless of the category. But this feels wrong. Wrestling is a classic olympic sport. It should be contested at the Olympics. If it is not contested at the Olympics, where will it be contested? It is already one of the most victimized casualties of Title IX, in my unresearched observation. (This website, showing the 281 or so college wrestling programs that have been discontinued since 1972 certainly supports my unresearched observation.) Without the olympics, wrestling is on its way to extinction.
Of course the article says TV ratings and ticket sales are part of the reason it has been dropped. So, I guess, in some small way, my ambivalence played a role in this. Well, mine plus about 100 million other people who don't care about wrestling. It still feels wrong. I don't know why I care now. I'm not going to watch in 2016. Maybe wrestling is the pinky toe of Olympic sports. You never think about it (unless you stub it), but you'll notice when its gone.
I planned to get into some other subjects, but the wrestling story sidetracked me. By the way, the * above is there to indicate that this post was started on February 8, 2013, but not finished until February 12, 2013.
Things to look forward to:
Choosing Spring Sports for my boys
Fat Old Man Update
Winter Sports Review
SI Swimsuit Issue in mailboxes this week
We have a few things to cover today, but let's begin with the next Olympics. For those of you that followed me during London, 2012, you know my fondness for the Olympics is not limited to the summer games. In some ways (i.e., in the ways that don't include swimming, Alex Morgan, women volleyball players or long track races), I prefer the Winter Olympics. I like to learn new things and develop odd fondnesses for obscure sports. Seven years ago, I discovered curling and fell in love with biathlon. The only problem with curling is the television coverage often doesn't show you the whole round. They only show the last couple of stones. I want to develop a better feel for the strategy of the game. I am hoping to do so in 2014.
Biathlon is simply awesome. Ski until you almost die, then shoot, then ski again. I love the races where a missed shot results in a penalty lap, not just time deduction. The look on the racers' faces when they finish and have to go to the penalty lap area says it all. They are tired enough and they know this will cost them in effort and time. In most of the races I have seen, everyone misses eventually, so when you miss is often as important as how often. Regardless, I just find it enjoyable to watch.
Three years ago, I discovered and fell in love with Nordic Combined. Nordic Combined combines the two nordic ski competitions. (Funny how that works with the name, huh?) At some point in the next 364 days I will research what a Nordic Ski Competition is and give a history for you. Now, since I have 364 days, I shall focus on the bigger issues. As far as Nordic Combined, the bigger issue is whether the US can even approach their historic success of 2010. Prior to 2010, the US had never won an Olympic medal of any color in Nordic Combined. In 2010, we DOMINATED. (That all caps was brought to you by my Volleyball Insider.) The US won four total medals out of nine available medals, including silver in the Team Competition and gold and silver (and 4th) in the Large Hill competition. The names Johnny Spillane, Bill Demong and Todd Lodwick will always have a special place in my Winter Olympics heart.
Three years ago my two oldest boys fell in love with biathlon. This isn't surprising. What could be more fun for two young boys growing up in the snow-starved mid-Atlantic region of the US than imagining a competition that involves skiing and shooting guns. (Yes, I know, the 2010 Winter Olympics happened during the historic 2009-2010 winter so we weren't snow-starved then. Don't let facts get in the way of my "no snow" whining.) Really, though, I think the snow helped, because my boys could actually imagine that biathlon was something they could do. Why not? There was 2 feet of snow outside on three different occassions. I have pictures of the two of them practicing biathlon shooting with Star Wars Nerf guns in prone and standing position. In a couple of the pictures, you can see the Olympic biathlon competition on the television in the background.
Now, we can look forward to Sochi. There are a few problems, but for now I will focus on just one. Sochi isn't exactly a winter wonderland. Jim Caple, of ESPN.com, visited Sochi and wrote about his experience. Among other things, he spent the majority of his time dressed for a summer vacation, not the Winter Olympics. According to Weather.com's 10 day forecast (that link is useless because you aren't looking at it at the same time as I am, but it can be used to get a general feel for Sochi's weather) in the 10 day period from February 12, 2013-February 21, 2013*, the high temperature averages at about 50, the low about 40, and it never goes below freezing. On Valentine's Day, temperatures are expected to reach 60. This is not the stuff a great biathlon course is made of.
(Caple also discusses some of the traffic and human rights issues, which we may touch on later in the year.)
The weather concerns were not a big surprise to my Baltic States Insider, who informed me of Sochi's primary purpose upon Russia being awarded the 2014 games. Sochi is a summer resort city on the Black Sea. The next time the US goes for the winter games, perhaps Myrtle Beach should put in a bid. Seriously though, Sochi is kind of close to the Caucasus mountains, which is where the skiing will be held. Of course, they aren't getting any snow in the mountains right now and traffic is a bear. Start praying for snow in Sochi, we have less than a year for the olympic gods and snow gods to agree that the snow problems in Vancouver didn't help the experience and give us a better show. Unless they decide Putin doesn't deserve a better show and they go out of their way to ruin things for him. There is justice in that, but I want to see a fast downhill, the Flying Tomato and Nordic Combined. So I am praying for snow...in Sochi and Chantilly.
In other Olympic news, wrestling has been dropped from the summer games' core 25 sports. Wrestling has been contested at every Olympic Games except Paris in 1900. I am not exactly a fan of wrestling. I have, as far as I can remember, never attended a wrestling meet. I have never really watched wrestling in Olympic competition. If you asked me to list my favorite sports, for any purpose - to watch on television, to watch live, to listen to on the radio, to participate in for competition, to participate in for fun, or anything else you can think of - I can't imagine wrestling makes it into the top 25, regardless of the category. But this feels wrong. Wrestling is a classic olympic sport. It should be contested at the Olympics. If it is not contested at the Olympics, where will it be contested? It is already one of the most victimized casualties of Title IX, in my unresearched observation. (This website, showing the 281 or so college wrestling programs that have been discontinued since 1972 certainly supports my unresearched observation.) Without the olympics, wrestling is on its way to extinction.
Of course the article says TV ratings and ticket sales are part of the reason it has been dropped. So, I guess, in some small way, my ambivalence played a role in this. Well, mine plus about 100 million other people who don't care about wrestling. It still feels wrong. I don't know why I care now. I'm not going to watch in 2016. Maybe wrestling is the pinky toe of Olympic sports. You never think about it (unless you stub it), but you'll notice when its gone.
I planned to get into some other subjects, but the wrestling story sidetracked me. By the way, the * above is there to indicate that this post was started on February 8, 2013, but not finished until February 12, 2013.
Things to look forward to:
Choosing Spring Sports for my boys
Fat Old Man Update
Winter Sports Review
SI Swimsuit Issue in mailboxes this week
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Oh Where, Oh Where Can My Winter Be?
The Lord took Her away from me.
Two years ago, we had the craziest winter these here parts (DC Metropolitan Area) have seen in a long time. (If not ever, but I don't care enough to look up whether it was the craziest winter in recorded history.)
Two days ago, we had our first of two consecutive 70 degree days in January.
Last year was the warmest winter on record in DC.
Yesterday was the warmest January 30 on record at Dulles airport.
We are currently in the longest stretch of time between snow falls of at least 2 inches in recorded history, with no mention of breaking said streak in the extended forecast I have seen.
Mother Nature, what have we done to spite you?
Jack Frost, where have you gone?
My favorite season is spring. I love cool mornings and evenings and pleasant, sunny days. I love sweatshirt and shorts weather. Anyone who knows me knows I will wear a sweatshirt and shorts in any weather, until it is warm enough to take the sweatshirt off, but I am talking about spring, when people don't look at me funny because I am wearing shorts. I had a friend who once said people are like bugs, they all go outside when the weather gets nice. This is true, especially in my neighborhood. When spring hits whole families emerge from their winter hibernation. The playgrounds are full. The streets are more dangerous, with kids on bicycles, scooters and foot going along and across at various speeds and intervals. It is the renewal of life. Everything looks better, smells better and feels better, because Mother Nature is warm and sunny and renewed. Spring is the best.
I still want winter. I am sure most people have heard San Diego residents sarcastically comment on people who like "seasons." People who don't live in San Diego say they couldn't live in San Diego because they like seasons. People who live in San Diego sarcastically claim they understand, because who would want to live in a place that is sunny and 70 every day. I see both sides of the argument. If I lived in San Diego, I don't think I would miss winter. San Diego is close to ideal weather for me. Last time I was there, I wore shorts and a t-shirt, until it got chilly in the evening and I put on a sweatshirt. I don't, however, live in San Diego. So I want the weather that comes with my geographic location, and that includes winter.
During the three ridiculous snowstorm winter of 2009-2010, I told the Wife that our kids, especially Eldest, were going to develop a warped idea of what winter is. Almost 2 feet of snow is a once every 6-8 years phenomenon in DC, not three times in a season. Our kids had a blast with those snowstorms. When I shoveled our driveway, I created 8-10 foot mounds on either side. The kids turned these into slides, complete with steps up to the top. They created an igloo-like shelter near the mailbox, where even I could go to get away from the wind and the cold. We had massive snowball fights, with giant walls and defenses on either side of the driveway. Then we went inside for hot chocolate with marshmallows. Winter was good.
Since that winter...nothing. Last winter, I sadly watched Middle son try to make a snow angel in the barely white mixed winter precipitation we got at some point. It was the saddest thing I have ever witnessed in mixed winter precipitation. This year, in the 3/4 of an inch snowfall we got over the past weekend, he asked me to have a snowball fight. Each scoop of the barely there snow created a snowball that was 2/3 snow and 1/3 leaves. Ignoring for the moment what this says about my failure to rake this fall, it was another reminder that a boy who wants to love snow becomes a sad, sad sight when Jack Frost doesn't cooperate.
That is why I want winter. I am not a snow nut. I didn't grow up in Minnesota or Maine or Canada and have some demented need for really cold weather. I don't relish spending hours with a snow shovel to clear my driveway which, frankly, isn't that long. I just want my children to have some snow to play in from time to time. Especially Middle, who seems to be craving a real snowfall. Several years ago, after an unxpected 12 inches of snow, I heard on the news that the DC area gets a 10 inch snowfall on average every 3 years. That works for me. My concern is that 2009-10 is filling the average and we won't have another one for 7 more years. We are on the brink of two straight winters without even 2 inches. I just want a good 6-8 inches. Enough for my boys to get snowy and cold and deserve that hot chocolate and marshmallows. Plus a 2 footer every 3-4 years. Is that too much to ask for, Jack Frost?
Tonight they are predicting another tease. Snow showers resulting in a dusting. In fact, the extended forecast has snow predicted for four straight days. Expected accumulation is a dusting to a half inch. This is merely a recipe for more sad images of a 6 year old trying to squeeze a whole lemon's worth of snow fun out of a lemon seed. At least they may get a two hour delayed opening from school.
Things to Look Forward to:
1. Choosing sports for your kids, based on a discussion with friends.
2. Update on winter sports.
3. Renewed dedication to this blog.
4. SI Swimsuit issue coming out, so I don't need to promise pictures of mostly naked women.
5. Sometime before this summer I will give a full recap of last summer.
6. 372 days until Sochi 2014.
Fat Old Man Update:
I have not been consistent, but at least I am consistently inconsistent. Eventually, I tend to fall into an inertia created 2 month break from any serious exercise, which I have avoided. Holidays, illness, laziness and the busy life of a suburban dad have created occassional 2 week breaks, but nothing more than that. I had lunch with my old (I meant former, really, former) coach today who suggested I wear fins when swimming, at least some of the time. We agreed that I am a snob who will resist such an act, but maybe I should invest in some. If nothing else, it will boost my ego by making me feel faster. At this point, my goal is to keep it up on a somewhat regular basis until the summer, when hopefully I can commit to more time.
Two years ago, we had the craziest winter these here parts (DC Metropolitan Area) have seen in a long time. (If not ever, but I don't care enough to look up whether it was the craziest winter in recorded history.)
Two days ago, we had our first of two consecutive 70 degree days in January.
Last year was the warmest winter on record in DC.
Yesterday was the warmest January 30 on record at Dulles airport.
We are currently in the longest stretch of time between snow falls of at least 2 inches in recorded history, with no mention of breaking said streak in the extended forecast I have seen.
Mother Nature, what have we done to spite you?
Jack Frost, where have you gone?
My favorite season is spring. I love cool mornings and evenings and pleasant, sunny days. I love sweatshirt and shorts weather. Anyone who knows me knows I will wear a sweatshirt and shorts in any weather, until it is warm enough to take the sweatshirt off, but I am talking about spring, when people don't look at me funny because I am wearing shorts. I had a friend who once said people are like bugs, they all go outside when the weather gets nice. This is true, especially in my neighborhood. When spring hits whole families emerge from their winter hibernation. The playgrounds are full. The streets are more dangerous, with kids on bicycles, scooters and foot going along and across at various speeds and intervals. It is the renewal of life. Everything looks better, smells better and feels better, because Mother Nature is warm and sunny and renewed. Spring is the best.
I still want winter. I am sure most people have heard San Diego residents sarcastically comment on people who like "seasons." People who don't live in San Diego say they couldn't live in San Diego because they like seasons. People who live in San Diego sarcastically claim they understand, because who would want to live in a place that is sunny and 70 every day. I see both sides of the argument. If I lived in San Diego, I don't think I would miss winter. San Diego is close to ideal weather for me. Last time I was there, I wore shorts and a t-shirt, until it got chilly in the evening and I put on a sweatshirt. I don't, however, live in San Diego. So I want the weather that comes with my geographic location, and that includes winter.
During the three ridiculous snowstorm winter of 2009-2010, I told the Wife that our kids, especially Eldest, were going to develop a warped idea of what winter is. Almost 2 feet of snow is a once every 6-8 years phenomenon in DC, not three times in a season. Our kids had a blast with those snowstorms. When I shoveled our driveway, I created 8-10 foot mounds on either side. The kids turned these into slides, complete with steps up to the top. They created an igloo-like shelter near the mailbox, where even I could go to get away from the wind and the cold. We had massive snowball fights, with giant walls and defenses on either side of the driveway. Then we went inside for hot chocolate with marshmallows. Winter was good.
Since that winter...nothing. Last winter, I sadly watched Middle son try to make a snow angel in the barely white mixed winter precipitation we got at some point. It was the saddest thing I have ever witnessed in mixed winter precipitation. This year, in the 3/4 of an inch snowfall we got over the past weekend, he asked me to have a snowball fight. Each scoop of the barely there snow created a snowball that was 2/3 snow and 1/3 leaves. Ignoring for the moment what this says about my failure to rake this fall, it was another reminder that a boy who wants to love snow becomes a sad, sad sight when Jack Frost doesn't cooperate.
That is why I want winter. I am not a snow nut. I didn't grow up in Minnesota or Maine or Canada and have some demented need for really cold weather. I don't relish spending hours with a snow shovel to clear my driveway which, frankly, isn't that long. I just want my children to have some snow to play in from time to time. Especially Middle, who seems to be craving a real snowfall. Several years ago, after an unxpected 12 inches of snow, I heard on the news that the DC area gets a 10 inch snowfall on average every 3 years. That works for me. My concern is that 2009-10 is filling the average and we won't have another one for 7 more years. We are on the brink of two straight winters without even 2 inches. I just want a good 6-8 inches. Enough for my boys to get snowy and cold and deserve that hot chocolate and marshmallows. Plus a 2 footer every 3-4 years. Is that too much to ask for, Jack Frost?
Tonight they are predicting another tease. Snow showers resulting in a dusting. In fact, the extended forecast has snow predicted for four straight days. Expected accumulation is a dusting to a half inch. This is merely a recipe for more sad images of a 6 year old trying to squeeze a whole lemon's worth of snow fun out of a lemon seed. At least they may get a two hour delayed opening from school.
Things to Look Forward to:
1. Choosing sports for your kids, based on a discussion with friends.
2. Update on winter sports.
3. Renewed dedication to this blog.
4. SI Swimsuit issue coming out, so I don't need to promise pictures of mostly naked women.
5. Sometime before this summer I will give a full recap of last summer.
6. 372 days until Sochi 2014.
Fat Old Man Update:
I have not been consistent, but at least I am consistently inconsistent. Eventually, I tend to fall into an inertia created 2 month break from any serious exercise, which I have avoided. Holidays, illness, laziness and the busy life of a suburban dad have created occassional 2 week breaks, but nothing more than that. I had lunch with my old (I meant former, really, former) coach today who suggested I wear fins when swimming, at least some of the time. We agreed that I am a snob who will resist such an act, but maybe I should invest in some. If nothing else, it will boost my ego by making me feel faster. At this point, my goal is to keep it up on a somewhat regular basis until the summer, when hopefully I can commit to more time.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Christmas Hangover
Christmas Eve is a magical night, devised for the purpose of torturing excited children. I have always believed this, to a certain extent, based in large part on the memory of my own torure as an excited young boy. I learned something new this year. Torture is much easier to handle if you have at least another week off from school than if you have to go to work on December 26. I hope your Christmas Eve was wonderful. Let me tell you about mine.
After spending the day on a wild goose chase for a camera that was sold out of multiple Targets, I finally got home to help the Wife prepare Christmas Eve dinner for my whole family, fourteen people after two had to bail due to the flu. We managed to expertly spread the work out over the full three day weekend, so we were in good shape on Christmas Eve afternoon as we took care of the final touches. The "Polish" themed Christmas Dinner the Wife has introduced to my family (pierogies, kielbasa and shrimp) was as good as ever, and Christmas Eve started off swimmingly. By 7:45, Youngest told his mother he wanted to go to bed and she put him down without incident. We let the two older ones spend a little more time playing with their cousin before everyone left and we got them ready for bed. The excitement level was high, and they were in good spirits. Milk and cookies were put out, PJs were put on and everything looked good at 8:30 when we told them they could play together for a half hour before lights out. I had some last minute wrapping to take care of, so the half hour was well spent. Lights went out without a problem, even though Youngest woke and wouldn't go to bed again until he could sing to his older brothers. Then the bottom dropped out.
At 10:00 we wanted to put presents under the tree, but Eldest was still awake. We waited a little while, then decided just to take care of it despite the potential for getting caught. We were in bed, ready for dreamland by 11:30. I was awakened at 2:30, by Eldest, who couldn't sleep. I had trouble falling back to sleep but did manage until 4, when Eldest and Middle decided to turn lights on and play together. I told them that wouldn't work until 6. Between 4 and 6, Middle came to see me 4 times to tell me, among other things, that he was "dying" because he couldn't play with his brother. I slept, not a wink, during those two hours. At 6, I let them get together and reminded them that presents didn't start until 7. I had to tell them 3 times to quiet down so the Wife and Youngest could sleep. I slept, not a wink, during that hour. At 7, chaos ensued.
I enjoy the chaos. I enjoy the excitement. I even enjoy the torture a little. I did not enjoy the lack of sleep. We did Christmas morning in my house, Christmas afternoon and dinner at my sister-in-law's, about a 90 minute drive away. We returned home for bed Christmas night. I felt like a zombie most of the day and took several days to recover. A bad night of sleep on Christmas Eve is fine when you have nothing to do for the next week, it becomes torture for the adults when they have to go back to work.
Christmas is a wonderful holiday. I am convinced the only thing better than being a parent of young children on Christmas morning is being a young child on Christmas morning. Even better for the child is more than a week off from school. This is definitely the kicker for the Christmas season. The children get their day, then their week to recover and enjoy. As a parent, I had to go to work the next day and the day after that and the day after that. Christmas seems like less a season than a blip. I can handle the build up, the shopping, the decorating, the wrapping, the cleaning the house and the preparation for dinner. I struggle with the aftermath. I struggled this year with a really bad night of sleep. I struggled with the clean up, the taking down of decorations, and the getting the house back in order. To make matters worse, this year I got the Plague about 4 days after Christmas. Well, maybe not really, but it felt like it. That would explain why this post was finished several days after New Years, instead of several days before.
Ultimately, though, that week after Christmas is worth it, because of the joy my boys get during the build up and the excitement of the week off from school after Christmas. A week they spent playing with new toys and wonderful babysitters. I just hope to avoid the Plague next year.
Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year, with fun and happiness, and perhaps a few Observations from a Suburban Sports Dad.
After spending the day on a wild goose chase for a camera that was sold out of multiple Targets, I finally got home to help the Wife prepare Christmas Eve dinner for my whole family, fourteen people after two had to bail due to the flu. We managed to expertly spread the work out over the full three day weekend, so we were in good shape on Christmas Eve afternoon as we took care of the final touches. The "Polish" themed Christmas Dinner the Wife has introduced to my family (pierogies, kielbasa and shrimp) was as good as ever, and Christmas Eve started off swimmingly. By 7:45, Youngest told his mother he wanted to go to bed and she put him down without incident. We let the two older ones spend a little more time playing with their cousin before everyone left and we got them ready for bed. The excitement level was high, and they were in good spirits. Milk and cookies were put out, PJs were put on and everything looked good at 8:30 when we told them they could play together for a half hour before lights out. I had some last minute wrapping to take care of, so the half hour was well spent. Lights went out without a problem, even though Youngest woke and wouldn't go to bed again until he could sing to his older brothers. Then the bottom dropped out.
At 10:00 we wanted to put presents under the tree, but Eldest was still awake. We waited a little while, then decided just to take care of it despite the potential for getting caught. We were in bed, ready for dreamland by 11:30. I was awakened at 2:30, by Eldest, who couldn't sleep. I had trouble falling back to sleep but did manage until 4, when Eldest and Middle decided to turn lights on and play together. I told them that wouldn't work until 6. Between 4 and 6, Middle came to see me 4 times to tell me, among other things, that he was "dying" because he couldn't play with his brother. I slept, not a wink, during those two hours. At 6, I let them get together and reminded them that presents didn't start until 7. I had to tell them 3 times to quiet down so the Wife and Youngest could sleep. I slept, not a wink, during that hour. At 7, chaos ensued.
I enjoy the chaos. I enjoy the excitement. I even enjoy the torture a little. I did not enjoy the lack of sleep. We did Christmas morning in my house, Christmas afternoon and dinner at my sister-in-law's, about a 90 minute drive away. We returned home for bed Christmas night. I felt like a zombie most of the day and took several days to recover. A bad night of sleep on Christmas Eve is fine when you have nothing to do for the next week, it becomes torture for the adults when they have to go back to work.
Christmas is a wonderful holiday. I am convinced the only thing better than being a parent of young children on Christmas morning is being a young child on Christmas morning. Even better for the child is more than a week off from school. This is definitely the kicker for the Christmas season. The children get their day, then their week to recover and enjoy. As a parent, I had to go to work the next day and the day after that and the day after that. Christmas seems like less a season than a blip. I can handle the build up, the shopping, the decorating, the wrapping, the cleaning the house and the preparation for dinner. I struggle with the aftermath. I struggled this year with a really bad night of sleep. I struggled with the clean up, the taking down of decorations, and the getting the house back in order. To make matters worse, this year I got the Plague about 4 days after Christmas. Well, maybe not really, but it felt like it. That would explain why this post was finished several days after New Years, instead of several days before.
Ultimately, though, that week after Christmas is worth it, because of the joy my boys get during the build up and the excitement of the week off from school after Christmas. A week they spent playing with new toys and wonderful babysitters. I just hope to avoid the Plague next year.
Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year, with fun and happiness, and perhaps a few Observations from a Suburban Sports Dad.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Merry Christmas
Well, it seems I have lost my way.
This all began with a few emails to a few friends about the US Olympic Swimming Trials. I did it for fun and I did it for myself. I enjoy the US Olympic Swimming trials, because I enjoy watching the best of the best in a sport I love fulfill their ultimate dreams. A dream I never even remotely approached. I like to talk about it and, let's be honest, not many around the water-cooler are itching to discuss Olympic Trials swimming, so I harassed a few friends. They seemed to enjoy my aquatic ramblings, so I continued when the Olympics started.
The Olympic blogs were truly a labor of love. Make no mistake, it was labor intensive, but I love the Olympics. I would have watched as much, if not more, regardless of whether I was reporting my observations to an audience of at least 6. Again, I wanted to share my thoughts with others, so I turned the emails into a blog. The Olympics, I now realize, were more than just a subject for writing, they were my muse. I wrote in my conclusion post that the Olympics felt like an old friend, but they were obviously so much more for me. The Olympics, and this blog, took over my life. I wouldn't have changed a thing about it, except for the whole job thing. If I could have, I would have watched more, and I would have wrote more. I loved it that much. I never thought of the writing as work and I never had to convince myself to write. I looked forward to it, and it just happened.
The Olympics did, however, take their toll, as shown by the several day delay between the closing ceremonies and my final Olympics post. Perhaps that was a mourning period. Although I am not sure if I was mourning the end of the games or the temporary death of my muse. She will rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes, on February 7, 2014, a mere 14 months from now. For the time being, though, I find myself without my muse and without my motivation.
Once the Olympics ended, I tried to make this blog reflect its title. To a certain extent, I was successful. I also tried to give my NFL against the spread picks, which I did for a few weeks. The NFL picks was something I did years ago, in an email to a few friends. I even kept a spreadsheet of not just my picks, but those of several others. I think we all enjoyed making the picks and my sometimes witty, sometimes stupid comments. Sadly, I now think that point in my life has passed. The title of this blog is "Observations of a Suburban Sports Dad", and this Suburban Sports Dad doesn't have the time to make and record NFL picks every week. Rather than looking forward to writing, I began to dread it. I found myself rushing to the computer after church on Sunday mornings, trying to write something mildly entertaining while making NFL picks. I failed. I failed to make the picks before the games started and I failed to keep it above the baseline of "mildly" entertaining. I don't like to fail, so I stopped.
I always intended to get going again. I had a few ideas here and there and thought I should sit down and write. Alas, no muse, no motivation. When December rolled around, I thought I had found new motivation. I love Christmas, always have. I love everything about Christmas. I know most people do, and maybe I am not unique, but I remember torturous Christmas Eve nights, lying in bed, unable to sleep for hours, waiting until that magical time of 7:00 am, when I was finally allowed to get up, wake up the rest of the family, and go rip and tear. I was the youngest of three children in my family, and by the time I was about 9 and my brothers were 12 and 16, I was not a popular person on Christmas morning. They did not want to wake up at 7 am.
Even as I got older, and slept in a little later, when I woke up, I was ready to go. Now, as a father, I enjoy Christmas morning just as much. I am, however, able to sleep on Christmas Eve night. Probably because I am exhausted from 4 hours of wrapping before going to bed. Last year, I truly enjoyed that night, listening to Eldest go through the same torture I used to. I don't condone torturing children, but I loved the excitement and anticipation in a small boy who could not wait for 7 am. I let him out of his misery, a little, at 6:30, by joining him in his room and spending the last half hour talking about my torturous Christmas Eve nights. I think it made him feel a little better. I enjoyed that half hour immensely. When 7 am rolled around, we woke Middle and the Wife, then watched the two of them tear through Christmas in less than 20 minutes. The joy in their faces, actions, speech...everything was infectious.
So, I thought about making December a month of writing about Christmas. Christmas music, Christmas shows, Christmas decorations, Christmas preparations, Christmas joy in three boys. Sadly, December is a busy, busy month and it never got off the ground. Maybe next year.
Then, Newtown, CT happened. One of the things I have learned about writing for me is that it is therapeutic. If something is bothering me, writing about it and my feelings helps. I imagine this is no different than talking about it, except perhaps a little more thoughtful and a little less spontaneous. I almost wrote about Newtown for myself, but I thought that was selfish. I like to think that this blog is thought provoking, but mainly in a fun way. Restarting it after 3 months by discussing an unthinkable tragedy for the purpose of self healing just didn't seem right. I have a lot of thoughts on that tragic event, but this is not the time. Perhaps it is the place, and it could have been, but the timing wasn't right.
That brings us back to today. Why now? I don't know. I have found myself generally unmotivated and unmotivatable recently. Perhaps I finally decided I didn't like that feeling. Maybe it was a promise to a friend and to a small group of readers that I would continue the blog that finally needed to be fulfilled. Maybe I am ready to move on from my writing love and find another muse. Maybe I just love Christmas so much that I needed to give this back to you, my 1-6 loyal readers. Ultimately, we shouldn't ask why. We should just enjoy the fact that I did it. It does make me feel better, and hopefully gives you a few moments of enjoyment and an occassional thought provoking tidbit.
From here, I plan to make theis blog what it is titled. My observations as a Suburban Sports Dad. I hope to make this somewhat regular, 2-3 times per week. Sometimes I will be a dad, sometimes I will be a sports fan, sometimes I will be a sports fan and a dad; and occasionally, I will be a surburbanite. I will try to entertain you. I will try to make you think. I will fail from time to time. But, rest assured, I will be here...observing.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas. I hope to be back again before the magical day, but if not, I should have lots to motivate me from the boys next Tuesday.
This all began with a few emails to a few friends about the US Olympic Swimming Trials. I did it for fun and I did it for myself. I enjoy the US Olympic Swimming trials, because I enjoy watching the best of the best in a sport I love fulfill their ultimate dreams. A dream I never even remotely approached. I like to talk about it and, let's be honest, not many around the water-cooler are itching to discuss Olympic Trials swimming, so I harassed a few friends. They seemed to enjoy my aquatic ramblings, so I continued when the Olympics started.
The Olympic blogs were truly a labor of love. Make no mistake, it was labor intensive, but I love the Olympics. I would have watched as much, if not more, regardless of whether I was reporting my observations to an audience of at least 6. Again, I wanted to share my thoughts with others, so I turned the emails into a blog. The Olympics, I now realize, were more than just a subject for writing, they were my muse. I wrote in my conclusion post that the Olympics felt like an old friend, but they were obviously so much more for me. The Olympics, and this blog, took over my life. I wouldn't have changed a thing about it, except for the whole job thing. If I could have, I would have watched more, and I would have wrote more. I loved it that much. I never thought of the writing as work and I never had to convince myself to write. I looked forward to it, and it just happened.
The Olympics did, however, take their toll, as shown by the several day delay between the closing ceremonies and my final Olympics post. Perhaps that was a mourning period. Although I am not sure if I was mourning the end of the games or the temporary death of my muse. She will rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes, on February 7, 2014, a mere 14 months from now. For the time being, though, I find myself without my muse and without my motivation.
Once the Olympics ended, I tried to make this blog reflect its title. To a certain extent, I was successful. I also tried to give my NFL against the spread picks, which I did for a few weeks. The NFL picks was something I did years ago, in an email to a few friends. I even kept a spreadsheet of not just my picks, but those of several others. I think we all enjoyed making the picks and my sometimes witty, sometimes stupid comments. Sadly, I now think that point in my life has passed. The title of this blog is "Observations of a Suburban Sports Dad", and this Suburban Sports Dad doesn't have the time to make and record NFL picks every week. Rather than looking forward to writing, I began to dread it. I found myself rushing to the computer after church on Sunday mornings, trying to write something mildly entertaining while making NFL picks. I failed. I failed to make the picks before the games started and I failed to keep it above the baseline of "mildly" entertaining. I don't like to fail, so I stopped.
I always intended to get going again. I had a few ideas here and there and thought I should sit down and write. Alas, no muse, no motivation. When December rolled around, I thought I had found new motivation. I love Christmas, always have. I love everything about Christmas. I know most people do, and maybe I am not unique, but I remember torturous Christmas Eve nights, lying in bed, unable to sleep for hours, waiting until that magical time of 7:00 am, when I was finally allowed to get up, wake up the rest of the family, and go rip and tear. I was the youngest of three children in my family, and by the time I was about 9 and my brothers were 12 and 16, I was not a popular person on Christmas morning. They did not want to wake up at 7 am.
Even as I got older, and slept in a little later, when I woke up, I was ready to go. Now, as a father, I enjoy Christmas morning just as much. I am, however, able to sleep on Christmas Eve night. Probably because I am exhausted from 4 hours of wrapping before going to bed. Last year, I truly enjoyed that night, listening to Eldest go through the same torture I used to. I don't condone torturing children, but I loved the excitement and anticipation in a small boy who could not wait for 7 am. I let him out of his misery, a little, at 6:30, by joining him in his room and spending the last half hour talking about my torturous Christmas Eve nights. I think it made him feel a little better. I enjoyed that half hour immensely. When 7 am rolled around, we woke Middle and the Wife, then watched the two of them tear through Christmas in less than 20 minutes. The joy in their faces, actions, speech...everything was infectious.
So, I thought about making December a month of writing about Christmas. Christmas music, Christmas shows, Christmas decorations, Christmas preparations, Christmas joy in three boys. Sadly, December is a busy, busy month and it never got off the ground. Maybe next year.
Then, Newtown, CT happened. One of the things I have learned about writing for me is that it is therapeutic. If something is bothering me, writing about it and my feelings helps. I imagine this is no different than talking about it, except perhaps a little more thoughtful and a little less spontaneous. I almost wrote about Newtown for myself, but I thought that was selfish. I like to think that this blog is thought provoking, but mainly in a fun way. Restarting it after 3 months by discussing an unthinkable tragedy for the purpose of self healing just didn't seem right. I have a lot of thoughts on that tragic event, but this is not the time. Perhaps it is the place, and it could have been, but the timing wasn't right.
That brings us back to today. Why now? I don't know. I have found myself generally unmotivated and unmotivatable recently. Perhaps I finally decided I didn't like that feeling. Maybe it was a promise to a friend and to a small group of readers that I would continue the blog that finally needed to be fulfilled. Maybe I am ready to move on from my writing love and find another muse. Maybe I just love Christmas so much that I needed to give this back to you, my 1-6 loyal readers. Ultimately, we shouldn't ask why. We should just enjoy the fact that I did it. It does make me feel better, and hopefully gives you a few moments of enjoyment and an occassional thought provoking tidbit.
From here, I plan to make theis blog what it is titled. My observations as a Suburban Sports Dad. I hope to make this somewhat regular, 2-3 times per week. Sometimes I will be a dad, sometimes I will be a sports fan, sometimes I will be a sports fan and a dad; and occasionally, I will be a surburbanite. I will try to entertain you. I will try to make you think. I will fail from time to time. But, rest assured, I will be here...observing.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas. I hope to be back again before the magical day, but if not, I should have lots to motivate me from the boys next Tuesday.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Where is the time?
Yesterday I woke up, cleaned the kitchen, fed the kids, went to a soccer game, went home for lunch, coached a soccer game, picked up a child from selling popcorn, crashed for 10 minutes, went to buy Cub Scout uniforms, went to pick up new glasses, went grocery shopping, ate dinner, bathed three kids, put three kids to bed and then, basically, died. Today, I woke up, showered, went to church, checked a map for my afternoon activity, and then started to write this. After this, I will eat lunch, go to a swim team parents' meeting, do a little house cleaning, eat dinner, then go coach winter swim, before, basically, dying again. Weekends are not exactly relaxing.
The biggest problem with this weekend thing is I have let this blog go a bit. It has turned into little more than football picks. For that, I apologize. I have some ideas to get it back going again, but they won't happen today. I will put a higher priority on it starting this week, but for today, I need to get my picks in before lunch, so I can go to the parents' meeting. Those of you with itty bitty babies who think life is much busier have no idea what you have in store for you in about 6 years. That is assuming you can avoid whooping cough. Those of you with 4-5 kids all of activity age, well, I sympathize and empathize. I would say I don't know how you do it, but I do. The same way I do my slightly easier life, you just do it. And hope everyone survives.
NY Giants @ Carolina(-2.5) - Honestly, I didn't commit to this game before Thursday night. I did, however, pick the Giants to win outright in my office pool, so I am going to take credit for getting 2.5 points. Why was Carolina favored? NYG
St. Louis @ Chicago(-7) - Jay Cutler reverted to his former self against GB. Again proving that my predictions are quite bad. StL
Tampa Bay @ Dallas(-8)- Since Jimmy Johnson's footprint on this team has faded, the Cowboys have been a team perceived to have decent talent that under-achieves. Showed that again last week. Maybe they should try a different story after 15 years. TB
San Francisco(-7) @ Minnesota - My prediction about SF being the classic drop back team this year may have been just a touch off. SF
Detroit(-3.5) @ Tennessee - San Francisco isn't St. Louis, but Tennesse probably is. Det
Cincinnati @ Washington(-3) - Redskins opening day victory over New Orleans is looking pretty unimpressive after the Saints got thrubbed by Carolina. Cin
New York Jets(-2.5) @ Miami - I still say Miami could go winless this year. NYJ
Kansas City(-8.5) @ New Orleans - If you had New Orleans as the last NFC team to win a game this season, stand up and take a bow. Stop lying. KC
Buffalo(-3) @ Cleveland - For the last 5 years, these two teams have been seen as potential break-out teams. Should be the same for about 15 more. Buf
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis(-3) - The king is dead. Long live the king. Ind
Philadelphia(-3) @ Arizona - The Eagles can't win every game by 1 this year, can they? Ari
Atlanta(-3) @ San Diego - Atlanta looks like a true Super Bowl team. SD is coached by Norv Turner. (Yes, I am going to beat this dead horse more and more and more and more.) Atl
Houston(-2) @ Denver - Peyton Manning was trying to remind Denver of the Jay Cutler days last Monday. Of course, how many QBs can throw 3 picks in 4 passes and still lose by only 7? Hou
Pittsburgh(-3.5) @ Oakland - Pittsburgh may be old, but you lose to Miami by 176, you don't deserve to be only a 3.5 point dog to Ben Rothlesburger. Pit
New England @ Baltimore(-2.5) - The only prediction I made that looks good is that Belichick is a better cheater than coach. Bal
Green Bay(-3) @ Seattle - Sorry Seattle, GB ain't Dallas. This win streak ends. GB
Last Week: 7-8-1
Season: 16-15-1
The biggest problem with this weekend thing is I have let this blog go a bit. It has turned into little more than football picks. For that, I apologize. I have some ideas to get it back going again, but they won't happen today. I will put a higher priority on it starting this week, but for today, I need to get my picks in before lunch, so I can go to the parents' meeting. Those of you with itty bitty babies who think life is much busier have no idea what you have in store for you in about 6 years. That is assuming you can avoid whooping cough. Those of you with 4-5 kids all of activity age, well, I sympathize and empathize. I would say I don't know how you do it, but I do. The same way I do my slightly easier life, you just do it. And hope everyone survives.
NY Giants @ Carolina(-2.5) - Honestly, I didn't commit to this game before Thursday night. I did, however, pick the Giants to win outright in my office pool, so I am going to take credit for getting 2.5 points. Why was Carolina favored? NYG
St. Louis @ Chicago(-7) - Jay Cutler reverted to his former self against GB. Again proving that my predictions are quite bad. StL
Tampa Bay @ Dallas(-8)- Since Jimmy Johnson's footprint on this team has faded, the Cowboys have been a team perceived to have decent talent that under-achieves. Showed that again last week. Maybe they should try a different story after 15 years. TB
San Francisco(-7) @ Minnesota - My prediction about SF being the classic drop back team this year may have been just a touch off. SF
Detroit(-3.5) @ Tennessee - San Francisco isn't St. Louis, but Tennesse probably is. Det
Cincinnati @ Washington(-3) - Redskins opening day victory over New Orleans is looking pretty unimpressive after the Saints got thrubbed by Carolina. Cin
New York Jets(-2.5) @ Miami - I still say Miami could go winless this year. NYJ
Kansas City(-8.5) @ New Orleans - If you had New Orleans as the last NFC team to win a game this season, stand up and take a bow. Stop lying. KC
Buffalo(-3) @ Cleveland - For the last 5 years, these two teams have been seen as potential break-out teams. Should be the same for about 15 more. Buf
Jacksonville @ Indianapolis(-3) - The king is dead. Long live the king. Ind
Philadelphia(-3) @ Arizona - The Eagles can't win every game by 1 this year, can they? Ari
Atlanta(-3) @ San Diego - Atlanta looks like a true Super Bowl team. SD is coached by Norv Turner. (Yes, I am going to beat this dead horse more and more and more and more.) Atl
Houston(-2) @ Denver - Peyton Manning was trying to remind Denver of the Jay Cutler days last Monday. Of course, how many QBs can throw 3 picks in 4 passes and still lose by only 7? Hou
Pittsburgh(-3.5) @ Oakland - Pittsburgh may be old, but you lose to Miami by 176, you don't deserve to be only a 3.5 point dog to Ben Rothlesburger. Pit
New England @ Baltimore(-2.5) - The only prediction I made that looks good is that Belichick is a better cheater than coach. Bal
Green Bay(-3) @ Seattle - Sorry Seattle, GB ain't Dallas. This win streak ends. GB
Last Week: 7-8-1
Season: 16-15-1
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