New Best Time! Old time: 26.83...new time: 26.05. It's a great start to long course season when you get a new best time straight off the block. And, then, of course, comes the chat with your coach whereby he patiently points out all your errors that caused you to not get an even better new best time! Chris patiently teaching and reteaching "Matt, you have to work on those starts. You just have to work on those starts. You have got to work on those starts. You are giving up a ton of time on your starts. Matt, you have to work on those starts. Do you hear me?" I think he wants Matt to work on his starts.
READING: Bits and pieces on the Boer War (1899-1902)...the second part of it, not the Transvaal Boer War, which was earlier, although understanding one helps understand the other. Embarrassingly enough, all my life I have skipped over much to do with this piece of history. It just didn't seem like it was worth my time, although I am big on British history, so you would think that I would have embraced this at some point. I knew enough to answer all the Jeopardy questions on the subject correctly and that is about it, so I figure I can use some reading on this particular subject...just in case someone comes up and wants to know something about it sometime soon and all. (Yeah, sure, right.) One morning this week I got up and thought, "I need to read about the Boer War." What...you have never had an experience like this where you just got up one morning and felt certain you should read about the Boer War? Well, maybe not. I, however, am reading up on the Boer War...fascinating, really...riveting. I can't believe it took me so long.
LISTENING TO: Tony Bennett. Those of you who are basketball crazy will chuckle at the connection...those who aren't, well, maybe it is time you became a little basketball crazy. That's all I am saying.
COOKING THROUGH: Might be abandoning this little category on the list as I am posting recipes on Wednesdays for the time being. Lots of chicken this week...surprised we are not all clucking and growing feathers actually. Chicken is always easy and we have been extremely busy this week.
FAV QUOTE THIS WEEK: Courtesy of the Cedar Rapids Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Harper, IA: on the closing of their tiny post office (pop. 144): "We are not the bottom line around here, we are people." Mayor Shirley Altenhofen (My grandfather, Earl Baker, was born in Harper and he and my grandmother grew up and lived around Harper their entire lives, and, after their marriage, in the town of Keota. The Catholic Church in Harper is just lovely, and I am related to half the cemetery that adjoins the church. I grew up going to Harper for lots of various things with my grandparents. It will be sad to see the post office go...it was one of the stops we always made just to "see what was going on in town." And, lastly, as a quick giggle: when I was 13 or so, I thought the Song Harper Valley PTA sung by Jeannie C. Riley was surely about little 'ole Harper, Iowa. Apparently not. I bet you are singing it in your head right now, aren't you?)
FAV NEW FIND: Even though it is the end of the swimming short course season, and we are getting really ready for a week or two of break time, and the shoulder is a bit sore, the kid still managed to pull off a new best time in the 50 Free today at the swim meet. This really amazed me as this meet is being conducted in long course and Matt hasn't trained for long course since last July. Sometimes the switch can take its toll for a meet or two with the switch of seasons. Very encouraging.
FAV NEW FIND: Even though it is the end of the swimming short course season, and we are getting really ready for a week or two of break time, and the shoulder is a bit sore, the kid still managed to pull off a new best time in the 50 Free today at the swim meet. This really amazed me as this meet is being conducted in long course and Matt hasn't trained for long course since last July. Sometimes the switch can take its toll for a meet or two with the switch of seasons. Very encouraging.
FAV THING TODAY: NCAA games tonight...am also enjoying Mark enjoying Lent being over (he does no snacking during Lent)...he headed out to the store after dinner for "game refreshments," which, if you know Mark, means potato chips and a beer. He returned with two varieties of Pringle's...Original and Loaded Potato...because he can NEVER just buy one kind of chip. Never, ever, ever. So cute.
SCRAPBOOK PAGES THIS WEEK; No time...no pages...I have to refigure my total this year as I was hoping to equal "a page a day" by the end of this year. Despite all those I completed on the big weekend away, I think I may no longer be on the "plus" side. Renewed commitment. How are all of you coming with your "a page a day" for this year? Go ahead, make me feel guilty so it will spur me into high speed action!
GOING TO: Be at the Nat for the next three days watching swimming...if you are looking for us, I would start there. Between sessions, we are also shuttling Matt back and forth to a choir retreat and rehearsals on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. So, Matt's weekend will go like this each day: Swimming, Singing, Swimming. No moss growing under his feet ever. Alex has a scout campout for the entire weekend...and they are going to do things with telescopes, so he will be just thrilled.
PRAYING FOR: Our troops, please join me.