Volleyball is here!

Well we are off and running in our last year of high school sports. Lucy decided to play volleyball again this year after a very tough junior year. Lots and lots of very unfortunate drama (too much teenage estrogen). So, even though she played plenty, it took a lot of the joy out of the deal. It was particularly hard for Maggie, as she ended up riding the bench her senior year after a promising junior year on the varsity squad. She came through fine however. She is a tough kid and even though things went very poorly for her, she refused to quit, and I believe made the best of a frustrating and difficult year. Kind of a bummer though, you want your senior year to go well. That's life!

Moe last year

This last weekend was our (last) Yerington tournament. The girls did very well.  They went 5 and 2 over two days.  The only two losses were to Yerington and Truckee who ended up playing for the championship.

They lost their first match to Yerington, then won 5 in a row before succumbing to Truckee in the last game. Lucy played her usual middle hitter spot, and got to serve and play one rally in the back row for several of the games. She made good passes, and while she made a couple of service errors, overall her serving was excellent. Against Fernley, both teams traded points to about twelve with the maximum lead being 2 and switching back and forth.  Lu got the serve and made a 5 point run to give Portola some breathing room, and the team never looked back.

Between games

Lu and her setters had a tough time with the "short set".  It is called a "one" and demands a precise set about 6 inches above the net with perfect timing by the hitter to catch the ball at the top of its arc, and smash it through the defense. She did score an a couple of "ones" and was especially happy after killing a "one" for the match winning point against Lowery high school (Winnemucca NV). One area she contributed lots was blocking. She and her fellow outside hitters had numerous blocks throughout the tourney.

She is feeling very good about her decision to play this year. So far little if any drama, and her coach seems to appreciate her, and is being very encouraging. So tomorrow we head up to Susanville to play Lassen, then this weekend we go to our second tournament in Hamilton City (just south of Chico CA). Kim and I found a "cheapo" room for only $50. We need to stay on top of expenses as it looks like there will be no supplemental fire income for me this year. I missed one assignment while I was laid up after my surgery, and last week, they caught the fire and put it out before I could get there (I was delayed due to a couple of Dr checkups).

Me relaxing during warm-ups

Anyway, it is good to watch Lucy tackle her senior year. All I want is for her to have a great one! She is off to a good start (you can't see, but I am crossing my fingers)!

That's All

A Tough Week

Well, I had a tough week!  But before I go into that, the good news.  I am up to 3.5 miles in my semi daily walks.  The route includes a steep hill about 1/4 mile long up to the old Sharkey Cemetery overlooking the valley.  I have not gotten to the point of doing this everyday, since I want to give the old "bod" some recovery time in between.  My legs are getting noticeably in better shape.  Before, I had a hard time taking a step up on stairs, or even into my work shed.  Now it is much easier!

Our sign at RR Days

So, the week from hell: started Thursday with the official District Governor's visit to the Loyalton Rotary. Not really a very taxing thing. A couple of hours later I was barbecuing lamb at our annual Rotary BBQ. This was more work, and I was very active 'till about 9:00. Next day (Friday) was opening of Portola's Railroad Days where our club was signed up to sell "Hoagie" sandwiches.  Rotary is raising money to assist in the eradication of Polio from the earth, and this is some of our part! We boiled up delicious deep pit BBQ beef (frozen since our 4th of July Picnic) and slapped it on a large roll with some vine ripened tomatoes from the local farmer's market.  Then we topped it off with some BBQ sauce, and horse radish!  Once we started cooking, the word (and delicious aroma) got out. I worked Friday from 3:00 to 8:00 including set-up, Then Kim and I worked 9:00 to 1:00 on Saturday. We left at 1:00 to get dressed for my nephew Beau Barkley's wedding.  So without much rest it was off to the party!

Woodette and our booth

It was a tremendous affair, and Kim and I both cried like babies. Beau and his wife Emily are such a beautiful couple. Well, the wedding was definitely the best part of the week, but I didn't get much resting time! It was great visiting with family and friends but by about 8:30 my hospital weakened body was giving out. Lucy drove me home, and I hit the sack!

Moment of Truth

Sunday I got to sleep in, but by this time my legs and back were very sore and tired. I could hardly stand up, and had to move very slowly to maintain my balance, (and avoid stabs of muscle pain). At about 1:00 I returned to Portola to help close up our sandwich booth. I was really moving slow by this time, but managed to get through it. Fortunately we had some good help show up right when we needed it most. We grossed over $700.00 to put towards the end Polio campaign to, so it was worth it. When I got home my creaky old body flat rebelled. I could hardly stand or walk. I crawled into the bed around 9:00 and slept like a rock through the night.

Bucha, the "Best Dog"

Today it still hurts, but I am definitely on the mend. I will put some pictures in here as soon as I can find my camera.  Also, I will do a follow-up post on the fantastic wedding of Beau and Emily. Kim was taking photos there, so it is certain to be well documented.

That's All!

Number Three Flies the Coup!

Pin designed by
Maggie and Justine

Sitting here at home tracking Maggie's flight from Phoenix to Philly.  Oops, she just landed!  Amazing technology.  On the internet go to www.flightstats.com and you can follow flights in real time as they wing their way through the skies.  We had a great "Family" day yesterday.  Dedicated the day to making sure Moe had everything she needed for the trip.  We picked up her exchange pins (they are really cool) and the Rotarian whose business made them would not let us pay.  Said it was their way of supporting Maggie.  What a wonderful gesture.  Maggie and Justine (our latest Belgian daughter) put their heads together and designed the pin (at left).  It is a heart with the flags of the US and Belgique, along with her name, town , and her home and hosting Rotary Districts.  Very sweet!

With Mango just before she walked through
Security and headed for Belgique!

Last night we stayed at a motel in Reno near the airport since Moe's flight departed at around 6:00 am.  We watched one last movie together in the room, then woke up about 4:00 o'clock to get ready and go.  It was strange saying goodbye to Mango.  On the one hand I am so, so proud of her.  I know this exchange will be the experience of a lifetime for her.  On the other, it is hard to say goodbye to my daughter who has been such a huge part of my life's focus for the last eighteen years.  We all held it together pretty well.  A nice security guard took our picture at the entrance to airport security.  If  you blow it up you will see some teary eyes.

So after Maggs left us, we went back to the motel, had a little "traveler's breakfast," then fell back into our "racks" and slept 'till a little after nine.  We ran a few quick errands, then turned the truck back towards home.

We all feel a bit out of sorts.  As Lucy said, "it is weird that Maggie is gone to Europe.....why couldn't she have just gone to college!!"  Maggie, if you are reading this remember: No English!  You aren't there to help your hosts brush up their skills.  Hang in there Baby!  The best things in life are the hardest things!!

That's All!

Sitting in the Shade

With my life a little slower than normal lately, (doing great) I have been taking some time to sit in the shade, and read.  I love reading history.  It is amazing to read about world events, and great world leaders.  The truth is incredibly  entertaining, and also amazing because it is the truth.  Imagine the greatest Hollywood scripts: love stories, tales of incredible individual courage, astonishing feats of human endurance, legendary tales of leadership, and accomplishment, and personal triumph over tremendous adversity.  Great reading as fiction, and fantastic reading  as nonfiction.  Aside from the great content, and the fact that these stories are true, there is the added enjoyment of learning.

My latest read is Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  It tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's rise to the presidency, and how he kept the country together through the Civil War.  It details not only his life but those of his primary rivals for the Republican nomination in 1860 who eventually end up working under him in his cabinet.  The book, and others like it I have read, are very enjoyable as they put the flesh on the bones of "legendary" figures in history.  As the story unfolds, I remember small snippets from school.  There are usually many "ah-ha, so that's where that came from" moments.

Lincoln was an incredible man.  What we know about him from our basic schooling is all true, but there is so much more.  It is one thing to know that he was born in a log cabin on the frontier in Kentucky to a poor family, but it is another to read the details of what it meant to overcome life's challenges and end up probably the greatest and most important President since Washington.

One thing that strikes me as I read about the great leaders that have shaped our nation is it seems as though when things get dire, some great person comes along to keep us on track.  I look at the nation building attempts across the world today, and see mostly floundering and failure.  Why did the right leaders at the right time "appear" here in America?  Perhaps it is more than the right leaders at the right time.  Perhaps it is the idea of America.  The Declaration of Independence and our Constitution lay out some incredible ideals that reach out and touch the soul.  Perhaps it is those ideals that turn decent leaders into extraordinary ones when crunch time comes.  I like to think that.

That's All