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Just a couple of photos from the beginning of the weekend at Senior State Finals.
Shows Matt exiting my car after a lunch at Lennie's and heading into the pool for his first swim.
Posted at 06:16 PM in Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Whisk Wednesdays will return next week. Mastering the Art of French Cooking will return next week also. Nancy's Notions will begin next Saturday, stay tuned for that one and I will explain then. I will also be taking some time off for a little vacation and Art Museums from August 8-15, but hope to cook ahead next week and bank the posts to be published on the correct days. At least that is the hope. Think fast swim times, the boy needs to drop 11/100ths of 1 second in the 50 Free for a Jr. National time...so close, so very very close! Senior State Swimming Championships begin tomorrow in Bloomington, so I am taking a little break from blogging from now until Sunday while we concentrate on supporting Matt in that.
Posted at 04:09 PM in Matt's Days and Ways, This, That, and The Other | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
CSC swimmers are doing great, some with new best OPEN times, which is better than Jr. or Sr. National times, so Congrats to them! Photo is Matt and Stevie after they finished their swims this evening, happy to have something to show for Day One. Keep those good thoughts going, tomorrow he swims the 200 Freestyle, Wednesday the 100 Backstroke, and Thursday the 100 Freestyle. Day One of Sectionals started off quite well for Matt. He had the 50 Freestyle this morning and got a new best time of 24.59, qualifying him for finals tonight. He did not best that time tonight, so gets to keep the 24.59 from this morning as his new best time. A good way to start a meet, so he was happy.
Posted at 08:11 PM in Friends, Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Harrison and Matt heading out to duel it out over the freestyles and backstroke. Sarah and Lauren all smiles and ready to swim fast this week. It's that time of year already, USA swimming Sectionals for the swimmers. Summer has just flown by this year. This morning the Sectional qualifiers loaded onto a bus and headed east for Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Charles packing his bags into the bus trunk. Bags were checked. The swimmers loaded onto the bus. Carly and Megan going for new best times and new good times! Back to front: Matt F., Michael, Trish, Rhiannon, and Elizabeth all seated and ready for a week of fast swimming and new best times! And, because the silliness is never just limited to the antics of the swimmers, here's one of Carly's dad and Josh and Lauren's Dad goofing on the kids a bit. Carly refused to hug her dad goodbye a second time because "he's all sweaty from working in the yard!" So that Rick wouldn't feel rebuffed by his 16 year old, Larry ran over and gave him a big hug, with Carly dodging "corny embarrassing parents" by running for the bus! We all laughed...some kids will still hug at the bus steps, and some won't...they are all growing up way too fast! Road trips: always fun to see the swimmers heading off to compete for those coveted spots at Nationals, fun to be a part of the excitement, the hopes, the dreams, the incredible work ethic this team has for their love of swimming and always, always, going for that new best time, that sense of achievement, the payoff for all the hard work. Best of wishes, CSC Sectional Swimmers...we'll all be here for hugs and congratulations when you return! We are so proud of each and every single one of you...we stand in awe every single day of what you do and what you have achieved. We could not be happier than we are right now, so have fun, swim fast, and know that we appreciate all the efforts you put into swimming each and every day. Go CSC! Josh, Matt, Harrison, Mike V., Michael G., Daniel, and Peter eager to get started on the trip...didn't manage to get all the guys as they were arriving in dribs and drabs and I was lucky to get this many in one place at one time.
Lisa checked off all her trip lists making sure they were all set for the trip, and they headed off with hugs and waves from parents as they drove off, excited to be together and going off on a road trip for swimming.
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Last week I received quite a few suggestions for novel reading, so I am gathering those and going in on those next week while we have a lot of swim meet time and I can read! In the meantime, now, I am finishing up odds and ends and some magazine articles I have put aside to read.
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I guess that's good, but I miss the kid. There are leftovers in this house. No one volunteers to run to the store for me. I have to do things like pump the rain off the pool cover. And, well, I just miss him being around. He did call Sunday and gush about the wonderful time he is having for eight minutes. He sent these two photos from his phone. I have to admit, he looks pretty good against that Colorado rugged mountain scenery. The photo of the four boys on the rock is one from Sunday morning after Mass. Tony took the Catholic boys to Mass with him and then showed them around the area of Seven Falls which they thought was a great deal. He says his swim times are good and he is learning a lot. He says the time is going too fast. Sounds like it is everything he hoped for and more. Lauren, if you are reading this, TAKE PHOTOS for me as the guys will come home with either NONE or "guy photos" of crazy things. We miss you all! Haven't heard much from the swimmer out in Colorado because they keep them incredibly busy each day.
Back row: Cameron and Matt; Front row: Stevie and John.
Posted at 10:44 AM in Friends, Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Pretend it's Thursday. That's about how far I am behind in blogging things happening around here. So, it's Thursday, June 11th, 2009, at about 5:10 a.m. at the Indianapolis airport and Team Indy is getting ready to take off for Colorado and the Olympic Training Center. 27 Girls, 27 Boys.
CSC had the honor of having ten boys selected from their group of elite swimmers. Matt was lucky enough to be one of them.
We barely slept through the night as we were so excited to just get going. We were up at 4:00 a.m. more from the excitement than from the raging stormy weather, although it was a close call. We drove through rain, lightening, thunder, and road construction to get to the airport on time.
I had barely enough time to line up the guys (the girls were scattered all over the area chatting), for a group photo of the ten CSC boy OTC swimmers. Remember this was about 5:10 a.m. and all these guys are looking pretty happy to be getting on that plane that early in the morning. I've seen them plenty of times at that hour of the morning, but never looking quite this happy at that hour. Congratulations, guys...we all hope you have a wonderful time and bring home some new best times.
Reading left to right: John S, Daniel H, Josh J, Nik A, Matt G, Mike V, Harrison W, Jonathan A, Stevie S, and Tyler G.
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The word is out, the requests have been pouring in, and while we weren't sure if we were posting Taylor as the "girl" friend or the "girlfriend," here is a nice photo from this evening of Matt and the lovely Taylor, The Girlfriend.
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Photo: My lilac bush with blooming lilacs for CP as I can't seem to get it to load where it was actually supposed to end up...See, Caitlin, lilacs just for you!
Posted at 08:05 PM in Film, Friends, Matt's Days and Ways, My Life with Alex | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Matt and his USA swim coach, Chris P. Last year, I predicted that Matt would be as tall as Chris this year...I will let you be the judge! I think Chris is 6'4".
Posted at 08:49 PM in Friends, Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
That was my first favorite thing to share today...the second is this: this morning I did not have to be anywhere until 9:30, so after everyone left the house for work and school, I decided that I was going to just snuggle under the warm covers with my book and read until 8:30. It was raining and dark and dreary, however, I do love the sound of rain falling against the roof and windows, so I just read my book and listened to the sounds of the rain falling for an hour...it was really nice. I am very lucky. I hope you had a lovely day, too. Molly and Matt in front of the restaurant where we had breakfast recently...the two Godchildren, friends since birth, Molly the elder by just two months. Molly's mom, Cindy, is Matt's Godmother, and I am Molly's Godmother, and we have enjoyed photographing them through the years together...when they were younger, our plan was to marry them off after college, but since each seems to view the other more like a brother or sister, that plan has pretty much been shelved over the years. It's fun to watch them grow up together, though. Lots of photos through the years of lots of fun times.
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Each year the USA Swimming organization sponsors elite swimming camps that are designed for swimmers, ages 14-19, who have exceptionally fast swimming times.
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Last swim of the last session of the last day...all that's left on deck are the freestylers: Harrison, Michael, Nick, JJ, and Matt, Coach Chris P., Coach Ian, and Coach Chris W.
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Matt and Nick having a great time at the meet this morning...great swims make very happy swimmers and coaches!
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Getting into these fancy racing suits is no easy feat. It takes a swimmer, a friend or two, and at least one coach to get it all assembled. I don't know how they swim in those things! Matt and Stevie getting suited up for the 100 Backstroke this evening.
(Photos are shots of Matt's 100 back tonight...he is the one leading down the return stretch in the first photo and then he is shown hitting the pad for a first place in that heat.)
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While we have a little time here during the break between swim sessions, I thought I'd update a bit. Those of you wishing to see this week's Whisk Wednesdays' assignment, you can scroll down to Wednesday's date and I now have it posted. I ended up making it for lunch today as this was the first I could get to it this week. It was a pretty big lunch, but we hadn't had much in the way of breakfast when we left for the pool this morning, so it worked out fine. This morning's swim, the 100 Backstroke, was not the stellar swim Matt had hoped it would be, as he added a little time, so he wasn't all that pleased. (Note photo at right showing the end of the swim with no smiling boy with a "thumbs up" sign for Mom and Dad in the stands at the end, a sure sign he was not happy with the swim.) Nevertheless, this is his best swim and he did make finals, even with the time he swam this morning, so he will be swimming it tonight for another try at a best time. JJ finished 3rd, Nick 7th, Stevie 16th, Matt 18th, and Harrison 19th, so we will have several CSC swimmers to watch this evening. He also swims in a relay, but I'm not sure which one yet. So enough updates, during the break, I need to get some laundry done, hopefully make my TWD dessert for this week, and get things in general order. What's going on over at your place during this time? Hope it's fun and/or productive! Matt and JJ (Josh) getting ready to swim the 100 Backstroke this morning. They got to swim side by side (JJ in Lane 4, Matt in Lane 5), which is always good for Matt as JJ is a senior and one very fast swimmer, so Matt usually swims faster when JJ is in the next lane...well, usually. Not today.
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Here we are between swim sessions, rejoicing in a new best 50 Freestyle time on the first day of a four day meet. Matt is swimming at the USA Swimming Speedo Champions Series (we are Central Zone Section 3) here in Indy at the Nat. The boy went in at 25.20, and clocked 25.14 at the morning's session. While he was happy to have dropped 6/100ths of a second (always rejoice at the drops!), his goal of getting it under a 25 has eluded him for months, so he is hoping for a chance to get back in the water for finals and whittle away some more time. After a refueling stop with several of his teammates, tons of pasta at Noodles, they are all supposed to be home resting before heading back to the pool at 3:15. So, we are just kicking around this afternoon enjoying the time together between doing this that and the other. Here's the link for the Live Scoreboard for those of you who are interested. Matt's events are as follows: Thursday 50 Freestyle (Event 5); Friday 200 Freestyle (Event 10), meet starts at 9:00 a.m. and Event 10 follows the first event which is the Girls 200 Freestyle; Saturday 100 Backstroke (Event 18), meet starts at 9:00 a.m. and Event 18 follows the first event which is the Girls 100 Backstroke; Sunday 100 Freestyle (Event 32), meet starts at 9:00 a.m. and Event 32 follows both Girls and Boys 200 IM and the Girls 100 Freestyle. Evening finals Thursday, Friday, and Saturday start at 5:30 and on Sunday at 4:30. They follow the same order as pre-lims. Here's the connect for the schedule for those of you who know how to read such a thing: click here. You need to scroll down a bit to get the Order of Events schedule. Have a great Thursday...the weekend is only a day away! We have sunshine! We have beautiful yellow daffodils!
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It's been that kind of evening around here...NCAA games, teens hanging out, my very excellent book available for time outs and such. Hope you are all enjoying yourselves at your house, since it is the weekend and all! (In the photo: Matt, Mike, Nick, and Josh; Not in the photo: Harrison, who arrived too late for the group photo.) Since it's Saturday night, and since the guys enjoy hanging out in the Men's Den playing any number of video games, and since I had a freezer full of numerous cartons of excellent ice cream, and since they all love ice cream, it seemed like a good way to add to the evening, and definitely a good use for all that ice cream!
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Last year, Roch fell into our laps from the sky...seriously, we were six weeks into the swim season with no coach and weren't sure if we were even going to have a meet to swim in to qualify for sectionals. Then HE appeared...the coach to end all coaches. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration because we do have Chris P and Ian over at CSC and believe me, THEY, too, are the coaches to end all coaches...as are the rest of the coaches at CSC. Roch fits right in with the best...we could never pay this man what he is worth in the coaching world. He always goes above and beyond anything required. He crunches numbers, he reads everything known to man on the subject of swimming and times and events and swimmers, etc. He has coached all levels, including college. He is absolute gold. So, when we heard that he would be doing a bit of traveling for his job during the high school swim season, and probably would not be able to coach Matt this year, we were very sad. How on earth could we come up with anyone like Roch? Then, he took a step back, we took a step back, and both kinda said at the same time...."Well, maybe we could....." and somehow, with all the crazy schedules, crazy practice times, crazy communications, and the help of Mary Lynn Voigt who would volunteer to be the Assistant Coach and cover what could not be covered when Roch was on business...somehow with all that...we had our Head Coach back for this year. He coached from Indiana, he coached from Alabama, he coached from (believe it or not) Thailand via Skype, and all points in between, texting us during sectionals from airports in Texas and Florida. I'm not really sure all the places he was when we would get emails, text messages, Skype calls, phone calls, etc. I just know he made it all happen. Everything was documented, turned in on time, filed, dated, and delivered. And, while he was not able to make sectionals (since he was in Thailand), he did make it back for all the state events. We chuckled the whole season: One Swimmer, Two Coaches, International coaching...it was quite a ride. We are ever so grateful. Roch has a way of inspiring the whole person in Matt as a swimmer. It was Roch who suggested having "Totus Tuus" on the state shirt...Guerin's motto this year taken from Pope John Paul II's Apostolic motto of the same. It means "Totally yours" in Christ through the Trinity and With Mary. That's the kind of coaching Roch is able to pull off and the kind of inspiration that can convince a sophomore that he CAN get to state in both events, he CAN place in the top 16 in both events, and he CAN do it again next year. And Roch is all about giving proper credit where proper credit is due: Totus Tuus. For a truly wonderful year, we have ALL Matt's coaches, Guerin and CSC, to thank...and for making a high school swim season possible at Guerin, we have Roch to thank, for without him, it never would have happened. We are incredibly lucky...or as Roch would say, "Rich in Providence." Rich indeed. Before we lay to rest the 2009 boys high school swim season, I have one more post that I wanted to do about it all. It's about our Head Coach, of course. While those who see us often, know how much we think of Roch...I have had to remain a little quiet here in blogland throughout the season.
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Matt holding up his state swimming shirt for Guerin. It's now past history...state swimming finals for 2009 are over.
one of Matt and JJ getting ready for the 100 Backstroke, they had the lanes next to each other,
one of Harrison gathering up all his gear after his 50 Free swim, not all he had hoped for, but he did a wonderful job,
and a photo of Jay (courtesy of Buddy) with his Go Harry shirt on.
Posted at 05:11 PM in Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Matt qualified for the state swimming championships in his two events yesterday. Coach Voigt instructs, advises, encourages during warm-ups today. He began the day by finishing second in the 200 freestyle in a new personal best time of 1:43:64, just 45 hundredths of second out of first place, which went to Michael G., a senior from CHS, a fellow CSC teammate, fourth went to Matt F., a CHS junior and fellow CSC teammate, while sixth went to Peter, a Westfield High School freshman, and fellow CSC teammate. Here is a good look at the fancy body suit the guys were wearing for finals. Coach Voigt not only has to know all the swimming techniques, she has to know the techniques of getting her swimmer into that skin-tight, no room to hardly breathe, body suit! The last step of zipping that thing up rivals the scene in Gone With the Wind when Miss Scarlet is being laced into her party dresses! Later in the afternoon Matt finished 3rd in the 100 backstroke, again in a new personal best time of 53:52 (the 3rd place performance was just 2.14 seconds out of first place, first going to JJ, a senior from CHS, a fellow CSC teammate, second going to Nick, a junior from CHS and fellow CSC teammate, missing from the photo for some reason, and fifth went to Mark C., a CHS freshman and fellow CSC teammate). I know it seems like maybe there were only three teams present from these podium pictures, but there were in fact eleven high schools represented at this sectional...should be fairly obvious the ones that dominate the lanes. And Guerin, despite the fact that it is a one man team with no relay points, did NOT finish last...GCHS finished with 25 points and in tenth place, the ninth and eighth places only had 27 and 29 points and they had a whole lot more swimmers! Not a bad finish for a one man team. We have one very happy boy here today. We are particularly excited as he is only a sophomore, so we have two more years of high school swimming and this is going to look pretty darn good on the college resume. Here are some fun photos from yesterday, and you know what...I have a long way to go to figure out those camera settings...I think I was doing better before that class...LOL! Be patient. I like this photo of Matt F., Michael G., and Matt after the 200 Free...no matter what team you swim for, the CSC kids find their way to the ropes to congratulate and encourage each other...very nice always. Peter and Matt with a "thumbs up" for me after his 100 Back, happy with his new best time. Peter, Matt, and Alex started swimming together in the same class when Matt and Alex were 7 and Peter was 6...they are the only two left swimming at CSC from their original class of about 20. Peter and Alex were swimming buddies for years, their birthdays being one year and one day apart. Peter goes to Westfield High School and swims for them, but as you can see, it's the CSC connections that draw these guys all together...ten years of swimming together is a long time! The last photo is a cute one of John and Beth...Beth running a little late from her volleyball team commitments and John happy she managed to get to the meet to watch him swim. What a lovely girl Beth is, we had the nicest chat. It's very strange seeing the boys growing up over the years and now discovering some of them have "girlfriends," while others are going off to college, and some are entering high school...it's all moving way too quickly! Once again, the GCHS Athletic Director, Chris Buhler, came to the swim meet sectionals to support Matt...and stayed for the whole time Matt was participating, about three hours, I think...how nice was that? Way beyond the call of duty to spend that much of your free time watching ONE student athlete. That's why we like Guerin...it's always like that in everything. Very very nice. Keep The Boy in your thoughts and prayers...he has three days of finals starting Wednesday and then the State Swimming Finals on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. That's quite a bit in a short space of time for one 16 year old to concentrate on. It's going to be another exciting week! The Blonde is Gone...we are now in the bald phase of swim hair.
In the photo the whole left side are these guys.
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Sectional prelims went well. Matt went in seeded first in the 200 Free and came out seeded first in the 200 Free. He added about a half a second in time, so hopefully a little better start and third turn work will shape that up for finals.
Josh and Nick finished in front of him, as predicted. (Pictured at left, top to bottom: Mike V., Josh, Nick...Carmel's powerhouse lineup and Matt's fellow CSC teammates.) All in all, it was a great evening.
It meant a lot to Matt that he would come to watch him swim. We are very lucky. Pictured on the block is Matt and the last photo is Coach B, the Guerin Catholic Athletic Director, Matt, and Assistant Coach Mary Lynne Voigt, all with happy grins this evening, happy to see Guerin Catholic represented in the high school swimming realm. It was a great evening. Keep the good thoughts for Saturday's Finals.
Posted at 09:26 PM in Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The team moms at CHS all decorate the swimmers' lockers, etc. Since I am the "team" mom at GCHS for our team of one, I made him a poster of sorts for his locker for this week, pictured at the left. He was happy with it. At least the kids will know he made sectionals!
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LISTENING TO: Neil Young's Heart of Gold.
COOKING THROUGH: Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking), this week's assignment is Blanquette de Lotte aux Petits Légumes (Monkfish in White-Wine Cream Sauce with Vegetables); Baking: From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan), this week's recipe is Devil's Food White Out Cake, page 247-249. You can cook/bake along, too!
Posted at 07:08 PM in Friday's Favorites Fare, Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Tonight was the presentation of the sophomore class rings at GCHS. The parents and students celebrated with a Mass, a blessing of the rings, and the presentation. (Photo at left is Principal Wagner calling the students to the front, Father presenting the ring to Matt.)
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Posted at 09:44 AM in Matt's Days and Ways, This, That, and The Other | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
So, what's the deal with the GCHS swim team this year?
Well, we are, once again, a team of one. A team of one with two coaches. Seriously. Roch is again Matt's main Coach, but due to his travel schedule, MLV has graciously filled in the post of Assistant Coach, filling in where needed. And, we are oh-so-appreciative of both of them! We are very very lucky!
(Photo shows the congratulatory handshake with Anderson, a well-deserved win for him.)
The 50 Free was another touch out at the end with Matt finishing second.
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Alex figured he would lend a hand to the cookie baking cause around here and frost a few for me today. While he did this without complaining, I did note that the ones he frosted for himself as a snack had twice as much icing on them as the ones he did for the cause, motivation enough as it were, it would seem.
Posted at 06:40 PM in Matt's Days and Ways, My Life with Alex | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Matt's home away from home this weekend as they are in Nashville, TN at the Tracy Caulkins competition pool swimming at a meet. (All photos courtesy of Matt's iPhone camera and sent to me from the road.)
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Matt and Matt F. riding down together as seat buddies, always a good time as those two motor about well together also. And, just for fun...because he is always about the fun, Charles arriving just in time to hop on the bus and head out, toting pillow, cereal, and juice. Charles always makes my day...always a smile for me, always a bit of chit chat, always fun with Charles around. Rhiannon and Michael likewise...always fun. Matt called about five and a half hours later and said they were all safe and sound and getting ready for lights out as they have early warm-ups tomorrow morning. It feels very strange to be staying here while they are away as I usually go along...definitely going to be missing all that this weekend, but there are things to do here, so hopefully the time will pass quickly and I won't have time to be sad that I am not there with them all...these years are passing quickly. And, last but not least, a little Christmas listening for you today, click here. Well, although it is not a "one-horse open sleigh," some of the swim club's swimmers embarked on a team travel trip over the rivers and through the woods for swimming late this afternoon and will return on Sunday, hopefully with some new fancy swim times and some fun memories of good times out of the water as well. Matt and Mike boarding the bus, get to be roomies for the weekend...the two motor well together, so they will have a great time no doubt.
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The Gerths love their bowling. A lot of it stems from being originally from St. Louis where I think it is required that each and every resident knows how to bowl. I did not grow up this way, so it is sort of lost on me, but my sons are both big into bowling. From the time kids are old enough to hold a bowling ball, in the Gerth family, they bowl. Thanksgiving weekend is a big weekend for bowling when everyone is together. (Mark's brothers Brian and Phil at right.) Each Friday after Thanksgiving at 4:00 the lanes in Elwood are home to various Gerths bowling three games before heading to Grandma and Grandpa's for a lasagna dinner. Are they of Italian descent? Nope...I have no idea why they have lasagna each year, but it has always been part of the tradition. The bowling is as much of a tradition as the turkey dinner on Thursday. The next photo is of Matt trying to do his best to ignore Brian's High Five after his seventh strike that game. After awhile it just becomes discouraging to bowl against Brian...we have been trying to talk Brian into actually joining the bowling circuit as the guy is an amazing bowler, but apparently being a pharmacist and a bowler don't mix all that well. And, because the Gerths don't mess with tradition, even if the Purdue game is on at the same time as the scheduled bowling outing, there is a way to combine the two. This is a divided house, Al and Susan being Purdue fans as they both attended and work at Purdue, and the rest of us all Indiana fans. Nevertheless, when the two teams aren't playing each other, SOME members of the family can work up a certain amount of enthusiasm to cheer on the black and gold. OTHERS just tune in to enjoy watching Purdue getting beaten by their current opponent. I am not saying which members are which, to protect the innocent and harbor the guilty, but there was both cheering and grieving when Purdue went down in overtime to Oklahoma. It did not, however, affect the camaraderie over the dinner table, which is always a good thing. Round two of the bowling continues today when the traditional Saturday's outings include "going to a movie, bowling, and to dinner." The Up and Coming younger bowlers yesterday: Alex, Steven, Jonathan, and Matt (Cousin David is usually present, but he had other things going on this year).
I think a lot of it is that Mark's family is made up of six children, all very close in age, who grew up doing a lot together and still enjoy getting together and doing things together. Bowling is a good thing to do with siblings as you have time to chat while you bowl, etc. You might think the photo at the left is Brian and Al (another brother) engaging in some deep and thoughtful conversation over a couple of beers, but looks can be deceiving as they are actually advising Phil (in the background at the jukebox) on tunes while at the same time entertaining us all with their rendition of the Flintstone's bowling song.
Posted at 09:02 AM in Matt's Days and Ways, My Life with Alex | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Indeed...we are again a team of one. This year, however, as Providence again played a mighty role, we are a team of one with TWO coaches. Our coach from last year, seen here today with Matt at the first practice session, has been traveling between two venues with his new job in Alabama. His home, however, is still here, and our swim practice schedule is set to accommodate both as Matt had his heart set on having Roch coach him again this year and Roch is just crazy enough to agree to this. Meanwhile, back in the hallowed halls of GCHS resides a lovely lady who teaches English and has in her resume, a swimming past with coaching credentials for high school girls swimming, and who graciously offered to coach or be an assistant coach for Matt's swimming days at GCHS. How does one boy get so lucky? Providence. Today it was just great being back in the water with Roch at the helm and Matt trying to get started on the right track. Photos with Mary Lynn coaching will appear a little further into the practice schedule. So, there you all have it. The Lone Eagle Swimmer will be swimming freestyle and backstroke this season and hoping to arrive at State to represent his school. Next year, we are hoping to build the team even further...so perhaps a relay could be forthcoming in the future, but for this year, we will be swimming only individual events at invitationals again. This morning at the pool, Mike's mom, Sue, informed me that GCHS was actually ranked in the state swimming polls...too funny, with our lone swimmer to be ranked pre-season. Apparently someone thinks he is going to make a state time again this year. The rankings for IHSAA Indiana State High School Boys Swimming are printed below...hey, not bad for GCHS since we are the only team with ONE swimmer and all. Keep the good thoughts coming and let the season begin!
You've all been asking...so here it is: Opening Day of GCHS Boys High School Swimming Season!
Guerin is known for it, due to it's Patron Saint and all.
IHSSCA RANKED BOYS SWIM TEAMS
1
North Central
138
29
Franklin Central
16
2
Chesterton
112
30
East Central
15
3
Munster
97
31
Fishers
14
4
Carmel
66
31
Yorktown
14
5
Concord
60
33
Floyd Central
13
6
Homestead
59
33
Tri-West
13
7
Lake Central
57
35
South Adams
12
8
Hamilton SE
53
35
Southridge
12
9
Kokomo
41
37
Crawfordsville
11
9
Plainfield
41
37
Greencastle
11
11
Brebeuf
39
37
Zionsville
11
12
Northridge
35
40
Guerin Catholic
9
13
Bedford NL
32
40
New Palestine
9
13
Seymour
32
42
New Prairie
7
15
Carroll
29
42
Vincennes
7
16
Michigan City
28
42
Wawasee
7
16
Terra Haute South
28
45
Anderson Highland
6
18
Portage
26
45
Warsaw
6
19
Muncie Central
25
47
FW Dwenger
5
20
Avon
24
47
Terre Haute North
5
21
West Lafayette
23
49
Eastern Greene
3
22
Rensselaer
22
49
Marion
3
23
Maconaquah
19
49
Noblesville
3
24
Castle
18
52
Culver Academy
2
24
Center Grove
18
52
FW Snider
2
24
Crown Point
18
52
Huntington North
2
27
Indian Creek
17
52
Richmond
2
27
SB Riley
17
56
Merrillville
1
Posted at 12:34 PM in Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! Many good thoughts from us to you for great food, fun times, happy memories, and, of course, safe travel.
As usual, I took a few photos, put down the camera, and never picked it up again for the rest of the night, what can I say? Sometimes there is just a lot more to keep one occupied and photos go by the wayside. Glenn, David, Alex, Matt, Steven, Jonathan, and Mark getting the littles settled with their plates. Steven's favorite: rolls! And not much else!
The little boys have very strange eating habits at Thanksgiving. I decided to take a photo of each of their plates as they sat down to eat because in a few years they will not believe that this was all they would eat from a large selection of offerings at Grandma and Grandpa's house each year. Jonathan has just turkey and a half of a deviled egg.
You will note that as they get older, the plates seem to mature also...well, with the exception of Alex, of course, who remains an enigma on all things food. Honestly, I don't know where he gets that...LOL. Turkey and a roll...these are the plates AFTER they have gone through the line and BEFORE they have eaten a single thing off of them. David (left) has a bit more going on with his plate of food. And, Matt, of course, below, makes sure all the colors are represented, and this was only his FIRST plate of food as he doesn't like to mix savories and salads on one plate. I guess it is good they all drink lots of milk at this age. The final photo is the ever popular Aunt Nan with Glenn, which is where I lost the camera, filled my plate with two bites each of about six or seven different selections and enjoyed the meal and conversation. Might get some more photos later in the weekend.
Posted at 07:20 AM in Matt's Days and Ways, My Life with Alex, This, That, and The Other | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
We are thinking that perhaps three concerts, three rehearsals, a three-day swim meet, and three days of finals (last Friday, this Monday and Tuesday) all sort of collided in a Bermuda Triangle of Disappointing Swim Times over the weekend. I am just saying...there was way too much going on for one single sixteen year old this weekend. The Boy swam the 200 Butterfly at the meet...not the ideal swim for someone with rotator cuff problems at the moment, but he gave it a try...said it was a big mistake, that the shoulders just gave out before the first hundred. The finals we don't know about yet, but we will assume those are going fine as he is doing well in school. The swimming times...let's just say there was a lot of room for improvement over the weekend. A. Lot. Of. Room. Here are some fun photos from the meet...not too many, just a few of some of the guys enjoying their chances to compete at the first meet of the season. The middle photo is of Matt and Mike getting ready to swim the 200 Backstroke. They don't often swim side-by-side, so it was nice to get this photo of the two of them. The three amigos at the meet this weekend: Daniel, Mike, and Matt. Three nicer guys you will never meet. Seriously.
The concerts were great. (Photo is of Matt at the last of the three...the Brahms' Requiem with the GCHS choir.)
Posted at 07:51 PM in Friends, Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 05:14 PM in Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
When Matt returned from the retreat on Sunday, I picked him up as we didn't want to leave his car unattended up at OLMC for the weekend. After he hopped in the car, his first words were, "Mom, can you drive me down to Butler as I can make the last hour of IYC rehearsal if we leave right now?" I have grown very accustomed to Matt driving himself everywhere...he tends to go from one activity to the next with not much time between...I am getting way too old for that sort of schedule on a regular full-time basis, but this was an exception, so off we went for rehearsal. Yesterday he went from school, to swim practice, to another rehearsal for his school choir, and since it was located down in Indy after dark, I figured I would drive him there as he was getting out of swimming too late to make the bus and then he could just ride the bus back with his friends if he wanted, I would pick him up at school, drive him over to CHS to get his car, and head home at that point. Am I ever happy that The Boy has his driver's license...it was close to ten before the dust settled! While I was down at the rehearsal location, I decided to just sit in on the rehearsal as it was Brahms' Requiem and I knew I would enjoy listening to it...now I am beginning to think I might be missing out on too much with him driving everywhere himself. Always a tug this way or that on the issue of independence. I always think I am ready for it, but then I think maybe I miss all that carting about to and fro much more than I realize. And, I also miss getting to see all the other kids, like these two in the photo above...two of my favorite pinks...Kristin and Samantha...I had better enjoy times with them now as they are both seniors this year. Even if their parents don't cry at their graduation, I know I will! The gaathering of the guys as Mr. D gives them a pep talk about tackling the difficult choir piece last evening. The Boy is easy to spot as he is still the tallest one around.
Posted at 08:07 AM in Friends, Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The young Knights group, about 70 boys from various parishes, had a retreat in southern Indiana (gorgeous this time of year with all those lovely leaves turning all those lovely colors) this past weekend. They had a great time and here are a couple of photos from when they returned...I had intended to get all five of Matt's group of friends in one shot, but Colin headed out before I could round them all up, and I couldn't corner Marshall until the very end (pictured in photo to the right). Teenage boys are like that...you really need lassos to keep them in one spot. They attended Mass three times over the weekend, and each of the leaders for their parishes got to serve in some capacity, so Matt got to do that as he is the leader at SEAS. He enjoyed meeting Knights from the other parishes and came home with a list of new friends which is always nice. A lot of them were from a neighboring parish in Zionsville, just miles down the road, so that seems close enough that they will see each other from time to time. Marshall is a member of that group actually. He is a friend Matt has known for many years. All in all, Matt was extremely delighted with the entire weekend and said the paintballing was absolute chaos with that many guys! This, I take it, was a good thing. Matt, Jack, and Stephen at OLMC after the Knights retreat weekend. Looking tired, but happy. (Jack swims with Matt at CSC and Stephen goes to Guerin.)
Posted at 10:48 AM in Friends, Matt's Days and Ways | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Definitely time to get the corn in... It's been a lovely autumn here in Indiana. The leaves have stayed nice for quite awhile, the days have been warm, the evenings have just a little crispness to them...a perfect fall.
Posted at 05:03 PM in Matt's Days and Ways, This, That, and The Other | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)