Just trying to stay on the board

Posted on 03/15/2009 by RLW3

My wife read the blog last night. She said she liked it but I could hear a “but” in her voice.

When I inquired further, she said “It’s just that most of the recent posts are all about our son.”

I have been thinking about that myself…

But, that is what is happening in our home. Wrestling, choosing a college, recruiting, SAT/ACT tests, etc. It has been like surfing. This big wave suddenly has suddenly caught us and thrown us forward and we are just trying to stay on the board to completely enjoy the ride.

The toughest part will be when the wave ends. That time will arrive very quickly. In all likelihood, he will leave to go to college and this young man whom we love will no longer be around to incessantly maul and us ask for hugs.

At that point, we will have to pick up the board and swim back out to catch the next ride.

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Such a “controlling” father

Posted on 03/14/2009 by RLW3

My son has been in California since Tuesday night. However, he cannot get away from the long arm of his father.

He is supposed to be on his Spring Break but I keep unexpectedly rearranging his plans.

One month ago, I informed him that I registered him to take the SAT test at Chatsworth High while he was out in California visiting his friends. He took that test this morning.

After he finished the test, I called him to inform him that I bought him a plane ticket to the High School Senior Nationals. He was excited! (To be candid, I was a little surprised by his reaction. He responded so peacefully when I told him just last week that we couldn’t make it happen financially that I really didn’t know that he wanted to go so strongly. He really trusts his parent’s judgment!)

I then told him that I was sending his wrestling gear via Fed Ex because I was trying to find places where he could train! He was excited.

When I told him that I was trying to see if I could schedule an early morning workout and an evening workout, he was a little less excited.

But, he knows that he has 2 1/2 weeks to get better. EVERYONE at this tournament is VERY good!

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I reached the tipping point

Posted on 03/13/2009 by RLW3

I have gone to bed twice this week filled with wonder and/or amazement.

The first time was last Sunday night. I was truly amazed at how quickly and smoothly I was able to put together a DVD of my son’s wrestling for a college coach.

Tonight is the second time.

I can’t really pinpoint what changed my mind…

It might have been the delay in hearing from the coach at Drexel. We sent the DVD overnight on Monday but he never confirmed that he received it although I requested as much via e-mail and a phone message.

It might have been my way of retaliating against the recent attempt to slander my son. “Forget this small town power play mentality. We are going to make his case nationally!”

It might have been the unselfish college coach encouraging me to do it because my son “has earned it.”

Whatever the reason, I changed my mind…

I bought my son a ticket to Virginia Beach on April 2nd. He is going to compete in the High School Senior Nationals Wrestling Championship! Only Seniors who placed either 1st or 2nd at their state tournament are invited.

My wife tipped the scales when she reminded me that we had a $125 voucher with Southwest airlines that we had to use by May 7th. The voucher has the same “feels like” effect that the wind has in winter. The ticket really cost $223 but it “feels like” $94!

I called the contact person for the Kansas delegation to notify them of my decision. Although all of the rooms were “filled”, she shuffled things around so my son already has hotel accommodations with the Kansas team! Their hotel is directly across from the actual event.

Once I find a way arrange for his transportation from the airport to the convention center, everything will be set!

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A repeat performance?

Posted on 03/12/2009 by RLW3

Last year, my son started wrestling as a Junior in high school and the rest, as they say, is history. (click on the tag “Wrestling” if you are interested) My wife thinks that we might see a repeat performance.

My youngest daughter, also a Junior, started swimming last week. In less than a week, she has already moved from lane 6, the slowest lane, to lane 4. She even visited lane 3 for a bit.

We’ll see what happens…

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Kansas wins the battle

Posted on 03/11/2009 by RLW3

My wife and I watched a wrestling match tonight…

Our son was not in it. He is in California visiting friends.

We went to the Metro Classic to cheer on one of my son’s teammates who was invited to wrestle in the event.

Good news! He beat the Missouri state champ, 3-2 and the match wasn’t that close. And he still didn’t wrestle his best!

Missouri brought 6 state champions. Kansas brought 3.

Kansas won 27-23!

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The things people say…

Posted on 03/10/2009 by RLW3

After the high school season concludes, there is a special match (The Metro Classic) where the best seniors in the Kansas City area from the Kansas side wrestle the best from the Missouri side. Although my son finished second in the state, he was not invited.

A friend who coaches wrestling recently attended the Kansas Metro Classic team’s practice and asked why my son wasn’t on the team. It turns out that the head coach of the team had never even heard of him. That is understandable since he is so new to the sport.

However, another older coach told my coaching friend that my son is a “wild card”! When my coaching friend asked why, there was no explanation; just an declaration that he is a “loose cannon”!

My son, who doesn’t drink, smoke, do drugs, mess with women, studies hard enough to be a candidate for the National Honor Society, attends church regularly and is respectful to authority, is a “loose cannon” and the guy who was suspended from school for fighting or the young man who is on parole that ARE on the team are not?

Proof that you can not please all of the people all of the time.

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Nothing special but still special

Posted on 03/09/2009 by RLW3

What a great night. Nothing big happened. I stayed one half hour longer at work since I am taking off early tomorrow, drove directly to the school to pick my daughter up from swim practice, went home and all four of us ate dinner together and talked and laughed.

It was then time to go to bed.

I like excitement but “normal” is really nice.

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My film making debut

Posted on 03/08/2009 by RLW3

After watching several hours of my son’s wrestling footage, I decided against a “highlight” reel approach.

I did not make this decision because there weren’t that many. Au contraire, mi amigo.

He did things this year that I have never seen! I mean unconventional…

like attacking a guy who has both of your arms pinned behind your back!

There were several times where I just shook my head and said out loud, “That is just not fair!” On more than one occasion, my son’s opponent did nearly everything right only to find himself pinned a few moments later!

I decided to forego the “highlight reel” format because I don’t have the time. I need to get this to the coach quickly. Instead, I chose to make individual movies of my son’s most important matches against his toughest opponents.

Contrary to what most people would advise, I am including three of the four matches that he lost in 2009. I am not going to try and trick a college coach. I am trying to show him what he would see if he came and watched my son at one of the major tournaments. Although he won 33 of his last 37 matches, he still lost four times: twice to a 3X MO state champ, once to a 4X KS state champ and once to a 3rd place state finisher. Really, that is not bad company to keep!

It took over two hours to actually burn the DVD but it is done and it looks reasonably professional. Apple’s iMovie software made it relatively simple!

Best of all, we are going to send if via Fed Ex on Monday morning! Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would happen so quickly. Yahoo!!!

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Momentum continues to grow

Posted on 03/07/2009 by RLW3

I have written multiple times on how the circumstances in our son’s life are changing quickly. And therefore, our lives are changing too.

Well, the whirlwind continues to gather strength.

I was hoping to send a DVD of my son’s wrestling to the Drexel coach sometime before he went to Virginia Beach to recruit at the high school Senior Nationals the first weekend in April.

However, I anticipated one HUGE hurdle: I don’t know that my son’s high school coach will loan the tapes to me. Even if he is willing, I know that he needs the season’s tapes to put together the highlight video for the end of the year banquet that is coming up soon so I might have to wait several weeks.

With that in mind, I wasn’t really expecting much when I e-mailed him Thursday night to ask if I could borrow the tapes. Did I get some surprising news? My weekend plans were suddenly changed!

It turns out that the man who did the filming all year still had the tapes and the equipment! I could use them but the coach would be needing them very soon.

I didn’t have to be told twice. I picked them up last night!

After hooking up the camera, I realized that I had no way to connect the camera to my laptop.

Off to Best Buy to get the right cable…

Plug and play just like they said. I started downloading the 5 hours of footage.

I started downloading video at 8:30 P.M. By 10:30 this morning, I was done!!!

I returned the tapes in less than 24 hours. I didn’t want to give my carriage a chance to turn back into a pumpkin! (think Cinderella)

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Batchelorhood is really overrated

Posted on 03/05/2009 by RLW3

I have written in previous posts (click on the “aging” tag) about my reluctance to see this season of being a father to my children drawing to a close. Tonight, I had a little foretaste of what my life might be like in the not too distant future.

My youngest daughter was at swim practice. My son also at school for a tournament with the ping pong club. My wife was working at Costco.

I spent the entire evening alone in an empty apartment…

for the second night in a row!

I already did this for three months in Los Angeles! I don’t like it!

And to think that I was a loner when I got married! I guess I have changed.

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