REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

ER Greyhound Wrestlers won the Regional Championship last night in Mason! On to State competion where the Greyhounds boys will show them how it is done!

Happy Birthday Mike

Mike's 18th birthday was a non-celebration for Mom and Dad, but a sign that he is truly 18 now. His idea of fun was, no birthday cake, no birthday dinner......just some birthday cash and off with his friends. That is when you know they are grown up, I guess.

His life is filled with school, his band, his love of computers and of course, looking forward to graduation. He is a great kid and I spent last night missing him, but feeling good that he has turned out to be such a wonderful son.

Happy Birthday, Mike

Today is the BIG Day

Tonight, Eaton Rapids Wrestlers go to Mason for the Regional competition. We are so proud of Andy to have been placed in tonight's lineup. He even got a haircut to commemorate the occasion. I have been begging him for months and I came home to find a pleasant surprise. At Saturday's competition, someone pulled his headgear off during the match, pulling his hair. I think it made him realize when it distracted him, that a haircut was a good idea. Anyway, he looks like my boy again.


According to the Wrestling website, he gets to wrestle against John Glenn High School on Sunday. Since Joe and I both graduated from Glenn, we told him we were wearing our alumni T-shirts and would not be able to stop chanting ....."J. G. H. S.....Goooooooo Glenn!" He didn't find it funny.

Unfortunately, he is wrestling at 125, which is above his weight class, but they need someone to fill that slot. He did it last week and won, so here's hoping.


Update tonight, after the tournament!

That's My Boy!

Andy pinned his first opponent from Battle Creek quickly. The second match against a Senior from Jackson Northwest (Andy says he was from HELL) was lost by points.

He quickly came back with another PIN against Parma and finished with a final PIN against his opponent from Mason.

This qualifies him to compete at the Regional Individual Championship next Saturday!

Can't help but think Gordy's grandson just made him smile in heaven.

*************To be Continued!

THREE WINNING MATCHES!

Wrestling Update

The top Varsity teams "wrestled off" and sent their best to the Individual District Championship today in Charlotte. After Eaton Rapids won the District Championship, Andy again won the spot in his weight class and will represent Eaton Rapids.

Regionals will take place Wednesday night in Mason. GO ER!

DISTRICT CHAMPIONS!

It was a good night in Eaton Rapids watching the Greyhouns win the District Wrestling Championship 75-3! Andrew pinned his opponent from Dewitt and I was so nervous I couldn't even take pictures. Our favorite buddy Justin also pinned his opponents from Charlotte and Dewitt. Now it's on to Regionals on Sunday.

Gone to Ground--Maybe...For a while

I have been told by my regular readers that I have been strangely quiet. My family members have complained that they not only haven't heard from me lately, but can't reach me by phone. Cousin Kathi, calls it "Mona has gone to ground" and says it happens every so often. I guess she is right.

Sometimes the world becomes too full, moves too fast and by 9pm when I get home, there is just no energy left. Whether it be enough energy to make a phone call or the creativity to compose a blog, it just isn't there.

Don't get me wrong.......I enjoy my days, I just find them exhausting. I love my job. That is a given. The challenge each day keeps me getting up and looking forward to seeing just what I can achieve. I consider myself lucky to have a job that often feels like I am playing a game....and I LOVE games. It is more fun to win at the game of work, than my favorite game of pinochle. After all, Debbie and I have been beating Joe and Jim at cards for over 30 years. It has almost lost it's thrill!

Winning at work is a bit more complicated and the reward definitely lasts longer. The thrill of accomplishment is a high that lasts far longer than the extra cash it brings. I can spend a year's bonus in a weekend. Just did.

February always does this to me. I come into the new year committed to a lot, some of which I actually accomplish each year. This year I have set expectations for myself professionally and personally and am finding myself tired, but satisfied at the end of the day. Just enough energy to hit the couch.

I will attend Andy's wrestling meet tomorrow night. I will take the day off so I am not too tired to enjoy the important stuff. Thursday, I will watch Michael play a concert for the VFW Children's Home. It is nice to be proud of your sons and I am.

So, if it seems as if I am "gone to ground", maybe I am. Spring is coming.....and then I want to paint the house and get ready for Mike's graduation. Think I am going to enjoy this February quiet, snuggled under my quilt at night, watching tv and knitting mismatched socks.

Saturday Morning Crazy

6AM is NOT my favorite time of day. That was when I heard Joe calling for me to get up and find his crutches. He was having a gout attack, his foot is swollen and painful and he could not even make the morning bathroom run without them. Obviously, no choice but to get up.

The crutches were buried in our upstairs storage closet (and I DO mean buried). Without at least my first cup of morning coffee, I am close to useless and dangerously close to being nasty. However, I took on the mission. I found ONE........and was promptly informed that wasn't going to work. Now I had to dig beneath suitcases, summer clothes, old bedspreads, computer keyboards and old printers.........I found it! Oh, oh! One of the kids must have been playing with them and they now fit.......hmmm.......Catie??? Oh, and the handle was missing too.

Joe decides to try an Ace Bandage. Oh, good....I can find THAT at 6:15am....sure I can. Now I take EVERYTHING out of the bottom of the bathroom cabinet. Nope! By this time, Joe is getting frustrated. I am not much happier. The dogs are running wildly through the house because Joe usually takes them outside. All 3 chihauhaus and Spike are crying and Joe is now saying, sarcastically, "I am SO sorry to wake you."

It is Saturday. That means Wrestling Day. Joe isn't going to miss it, no matter what. I do offer to drive him, try to convince him to stay home and finally give in and start the process to help him carry on.

I find the Ace Bandage, find the Motrin, let the dogs out, get Andy up and begin the search for the cane I used when my back was out. Now I have to take EVERYTHING out of the hall closet and find it buried at the back. Joe is now using one crutch and one cane. He WILL make it somehow. About that time we realize that the dogs are probably frozen to the yard, since it is below zero and I forgot them...........I just want a cup of coffee!!!!!

Like the loyal wrestling Dad that he is, Joe limps out to the car and waits as I pack his bag with snacks for himself and the team and essentials for the long day ahead at Okemos High School. It is now 7:30 am and the house is quiet. I have visions of Joe trying to walk on his crutch/cane across the ice and they aren't pretty. I sure hope Andy wins today.

Andy WINS Again!

Andy wrestled tonight and beat his opponent from Jackson Northwest, 7-1.

Mike's Car Disaster of the Week

After my posting this morning, moaning about the cost of kids, Mike called within minutes. He was at LCC and the locks of his car were apparently frozen. He thought he would climb through the trunk to get in the car but his key BROKE off in the trunk lock!

No problem........IF you have a second set of keys, which we did not. Jennifer to the rescue!

Jennifer has the wonderful insurance plan that our company sells. It covers lock out. Good thing, because the car had to be towed to the dealer, 2 keys made and the keys "re-programmed" to match the car. $203 later.....Mike was back on the road.

Need a Second Job

Most of you who read this blog either have little ones that may seem expensive, but in truth are NOT......YET! The rest of you have older children and are laughing at me, because I am still raising mine.

In the past week I have heard, "Can I have a class ring?" "I need to order Graduation Announcements, cap and gown" (thank God), "I need new boots" , "I need a new coat", "I need to order a yearbook", "Can I have 2 Concert Tickets for my birthday?", "I need to pay for having my guitar worked on.",.......................................and on it goes.

Not one bit of it bothers me. After all, we go to work so we can provide for our families. Yet it is amazing how we do it. As the school sends home one opportunity after another to spend money, the prices increase every day. Class rings now cost more than my engagement ring!

Yearbooks? You have to be kidding. You don't even want to know. The other day a customer asked me how I would feel giving out $60 a week to kids for lunch money......3 kids.....$4 per day. I told him I do it every week. We grumbled together about the days of school lunches for under a buck.

They don't ask for more than they really need. Prices have just gotten crazy. I sound like my Dad again. Oh well.

I love my kids more than I can say. I want to give them EVERYTHING!

Month End

My kids know "month end" means tired Mom. Long work days end with a bowl of cereal instead of dinner because it is just easier. Then fall asleep on the couch in about 10 minutes, only to get up and do it again.

January has been a month of sickness in the House of Chin. The boys had it, gave it to me and of course it lasted the rest of the month for me. Now the boys seem to have "it" again! I will be happy to see January OVER!

Missing My Dad

It has been 17 years since my Dad passed away and I realize I talk about him every day. If only I could be such a parent, to have that kind of impact.

Every situation that arises, somehow I hear his voice in my head. There is always a "Gordyism" to fit the problem. Some are pretty funny, others are just bits of advice. Every childhood memory is filled with Dad. I realize one thing. He made his kids believe that there was NOTHING that they could not accomplish!

We were taught life was going to be hard work, but hard work was just a new challenge. Challenge was a good thing. It made your heart beat faster and you knew you were alive!
You also knew you were going to win.

When things didn't turn out so well, it was only another opportunity for a Gordyism. "If life hands you a lemon, make lemonade", then he helped you figure out how to do that. He never gave you the answer, but taught you how to think.

We were "little people" with most of the family falling between 4'10 and 5'5" tall.
"The bigger they are the harder they fall, Pal!" I can hear him say it over and over. If it was going to be a tough fight, he might say "They may end up with dinner, but you had better get LUNCH."

Every challenge had a planning stage. Selling Girl Scout cookies began with a talk with Dad. It went something like this:

"How many do you have to sell to be the top salesgirl?"
"How many days do you have to do this?"
"Who could be your customers?"
"Let's plan what you will say...."

No wonder Dave and I both ended up in sales! And yes, I was always the top salesgirl. In Cub Scouts, Dave sold so much fertilizer that they delivered in via semi-truck. Mom almost fainted when they filled our entire driveway with those big bags. Dad helped him deliver every bag.

Memories of boxing with Dad on the front lawn (boxing gloves and all) by the age of 5 or 6 are floating around in my head today. He taught me how to defend myself, but there was more learned there as he taught me to think fast and defensively. I was afraid of no one.

More memories of special "secret" trips that ended up at places like the Magic Drinking Fountain are like treasures to pull out on a bad day. After a full day of just time together, we would arrive at the Fountain and he would tell me about the people who believed that this water was so "special" and we were going to get a drink of it. I can still taste that cold well water. I drove by it the other day when I was in Northville and my heart ached for Dad.

He taught me the value of imagination and time spent, just experiencing a beautiful fall day with your Dad. The Michigan State Fair that became a tradition to look forward to as he made every display, event and ride seem like a miracle......I love to watch the home movies of learning how to fish in the lakes up north after he built the anticipation for weeks for our summer vacation.

We knew summer meant a week "up north" at the cottage. Maybe that is why I long for a cottage so much. Those memories of lazy mornings waking to the sound of the lake lapping on the shore, the sight of Lake Huron first thing in the morning. The evenings of sitting on the dock with Dad fishing for perch. Of course, while we fished he talked to me.

I didn't realize I was learning how to live. It might come in the form of a "Jenny" story. I am thankful that my kids got to hear Jenny stories. "Jenny" was a little girl that my father created to teach values. He made up the most wonderful stories about her and one day I figured out she always taught you some kind of moral, ethic or value. Amazing man he was.

"Jenny" was poor because her father, Joe, was "down on his luck". She was good and kind and knew what really mattered. So did her father Joe. I listened to stories of Joe always finding a way to take care of Jenny. Jenny and Joe always found a way to do for others and always did the "right" thing. Wow!

Sometimes Joe went to the bar for a beer. Then we could role play it! I got to be "Joe" and he was the bartender. We had some GREAT conversations as we worked out Joe's problems. I had a miniature A & W Root Beer mug for my "beer", he had a REAL one, of course.

He taught me the value of being spontaneous. Some rules and schedules have to be followed and sometimes you just have to do, what you NEED for you. He never missed a day of work in his life, unless he was on vacation and he knew how to have a vacation, at a moment's notice.

It is OK to do something just because you want to! Some vacations could be planned in about 3 minutes. He got up, got the urge and hours later we were either on the road or on a plane! Talk about IMPULSIVE! He taught us how to be impulsive without being reckless. Dave and I are known for it, but we come by it naturally.

If it was a rough work week....Friday morning, take the day off, tell the kids to stay home from school and head for the airport....be in Chicago by 3. Live it up! Order room service and eat just olives, if that is what you want.....experience something new.
Sure makes Monday morning easier after a crazy, fun, weekend.

There are so many memories, that I could write a book about Dad. Maybe I will. Today, I just miss him real bad.

Telemarketers

Like everyone else, I HATE telemarketers. I know that I have to make similar calls to customers, but I do not enjoy my evening interrupted any more than anyone else.
We have a policy in our house. If the caller ID doesn't show it to be friend of family, we just don't answer it.

Today, Mike took me to the website shown below. I am going to anwswer the next telemarketer that calls and try this method.

http://howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com/

Rocky Escapes

As I was driving today with Rocky in his carrier, he was crying to get out. I looked over and he had chewed a hole in the mesh of the carrier and out popped his head....There went a $30 carrier down the drain. Good thing he is so cute!

Rocky Goes to Work

Since he is only 8 weeks old and Paco is such a mean little man, I was afraid to leave Rocky alone on the first day. Sooooooo.......Rocky went to work.

For the most part he curled up on his doggie quilt under my desk and slept. A few times I felt puppy teeth digging into my foot.

Customers absolutely loved seeing he new puppy. Kids came to play and pet him and grown men had to stop and smile. Maybe there is something to be said for the gentle effect of a puppy.

Our New Baby

Meet Rocky! The plan to kick back this weekend went astray, when Joe offered to take me out for breakfast and to the Lansing Starving Artist Show, to buy a painting for the living room. Now I know that is a far stretch from buying a puppy, but it went like this.

Joe left me at the table too long while he was at the breakfast buffet. I started reading the Lansing State Journal want ads and found puppies. Enough said, yet?

I originally bought Josie for myself. She chose Joe. I hope we don't have the same problem, since Andy is carrying Rocky around in his sweatshirt pocket. Rocky is 8 weeks old and adorable.

Kickin' Back Scrapping, Knitting and Eating

After a long work week in this terrible weather, today will be my day to kick back. It was hard every morning to venture out into the snow and sub freezing temps, but yesterday it was like pulling teeth. It was Saturday. I would rather have done laundry and scrubbed toilets!

So today, I will enjoy the new Scrapbooking software I got for Christmas and maybe create something cool. When I tire of that I will finish knitting Cat's second sock. I will cuddle under my quilt, watch tv and eat the turkey dinner I plan to make. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Diet Update

After last week's 2 lb weight gain, I was discouraged......then I got sick. Now everyone knows the ONLY benefit of being sick is weight loss. Especially when you can't even take a day off work to lay there and feel sorry for yourself.

I got up this morning, eager to get on the scale. I HAD GAINED 3 MORE POUNDS!
Soon it will be back to eating hot fudge sundaes.