Happy New Year! I heard it's going to be a boar...

Now to go find Lucy and finally kick that football....

Happy Halloween!

Solemn Memorial Day

"Wednesday night, sitting in a pizza joint in the Bronx, watching the world go by, I was upset and couldn’t put my finger on why.

A friend said “Hey! Do you want to go to Fleet Week? It’s this weekend here in the city.”
What? No? Absolutely not. I don’t want to be in the midst of tens of thousands of people clamoring for a chance to look at a static display of Marine Corps and Navy equipment. I don’t want to see Marines and sailors dressed up, paraded around for community relations and recruiting purposes. I don’t want to watch any parades.

As I said it (barked it, really), my friend’s eyes widened and I recognized the frustration in my tone. I didn’t know why I was upset, at first. I paused, and while I was sitting there contemplating my outburst, I heard a commercial on the radio screaming through the tinny speakers.
“Beaches, beats and BBQs!” it said. “We’re your Memorial Day station with everything you need to kick off the summer in style!”

That’s when it hit me. I’m angry. I’ve come to realize people think Memorial Day is the official start of summer. It’s grilled meat, super-duper discounts, a day (or two) off work, beer, potato salad and porches draped in bunting.

~~~

A friend reminded me that plenty of people use the weekend the way it was designed: to pause and remember the men and women who paid the price of our freedom, and then go on about enjoying those freedoms.

But I argue not enough people use it that way. Not enough people pause. Not enough people remember.

I’m frustrated by people all over the country who view the day as anything but a day to remember our WAR DEAD. I hate hearing “Happy Memorial Day.”

It’s not Veterans Day. It’s not military appreciation day. Don’t thank me for my service. Please don’t thank me for my service. It’s take the time to pay homage to the men and women who died while wearing the cloth of this nation you’re so freely enjoying today, day."

-Marine veteran, Jennie Haskamp, May 22, 2015

Friday (Christmas) Funnies

Source

A Visit from Coach Nick.....

This is a repost video ('Cause I was too lazy to script a new one):

Anne Josephson:

‘Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the gym
not an athlete was training,
the lights were all dim.

The stockings were hung
from the beams just in case,
St. Nicholas and the reindeer
stopped by the gym space.

Some gymnasts were hopeful
that Santa would leave
some brand new leos;

preferably long sleeve.

 Read the rest on the JAG blog.

The start of my own version a few years back:

Seeing this post from Rick, I thought I'd share the following which I made up and would recite during warm-ups, adding a bit more to it each day and refining:

"T'was now 1 day [first time I started saying this in the gym, it was 10 days before Christmas] before Christmas and all through the gym,

The gymnasts began stirring, feeling mighty fit and trim.

Their grips were all hung by the lockers with care,

In hopes that Coach Kort soon would be there.

Thea lay snuggled all warm in her bed,

While visions of her overshoot danced in her head.*

And Amy in her Bruinwear,

And I in my Santa hat,

Had just settled down,

On the cold, cold hard panel mat.

When out on the Tumble Trak there arose such a clatter,

That I sprang from the panel mat to see what was the matter."

That's about as far as I got by camp's end.

Last year during winter camp, I had a bungee cord around the midsection of my gymnasts as they ran sprints, so they could drag me along. And I'd holler, "....to the top of the roof, to the top of the wall, now dash away, dash away, dash away all!" I also made up substitute lyrics then, but don't remember what used.

With my team coworker out for the holidays, I've been managing our preteam and level 3s and 4s all to myself, with some overlap between groups.  Last week Wednesday, I combined preteam and the new level 3s for running drills on vault.

All they needed were reindeer antler headbands.

Happy T Day!

Hope you find time this weekend to stretch something more than just your stomach.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Day After Veterans Day

Conversation I had last week:

Me to 10 yr old excel kid in passing: "How was school today?"
Her: "Good."
Me: "Did you have school yesterday?"
Her: "No."
Me: "Because of Veterans Day?"
Her: "Yes."
Me: "Did you thank a vet?"
*confused look on her face*
Me: "Do you know what Veterans (Armistice) Day is?"
Her: "Wait....what's a veteran? Is that someone who doesn't eat meat?"
Me: :-/
Her: "....Or is that veterinarian?"

 

:-/

Gymnastics Tricks are the Treat!

Sunday Funnies

Happy Old, Happier New!

Sunday Funnies

Marc Jacobs

Happy Thanksgiving!

Source

I posted the following last Thanksgiving.

Here is another telling of the "turkey person" story:

Bill Courtney has a book out, "Against the Grain". 

Happy Veterans Day!

Source

Best Gymnastics Halloween Costume

Via Gymnasticscoaching.com:

It reminded me of this, linked in a previous post:

The Haunted Gym on Nordhoff St.

Happy Halloween!

Offered them toothbrushes for their Halloween treat; but they didn't go for that. So gave them origami flapping bats instead.

¡puɐʇspuɐɥ ʎddɐɥ ɐ ǝʌɐɥ

Holiday Doodles:

September 20, 2014: It’s a one-two punch for punch today, since it’s both National Punch Day and National Rum Punch Day. I guess they’re covering all of the bases for all of the ages. I’m not a fan of punch from a punchbowl, primarily because of the chance of contamination / double-dipping / backwash. It’s also why I don’t ever touch a chocolate fountain. Today is also National Gymnastics Day, so get out there and do some leaping and tumbling! (But maybe not after having a few glasses of rum punch.)

Memorial Day

Another video I made 2 years ago....and still relevant.

Happy Mother's Day

"𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣." 

- 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲

I grew up listening to The Carpenters. One song that had always stood out in simplicity and efficacy is one by Henry Mancini called "Sometimes". The lyrics were written as a simple poem by his daughter wanting to express her love and gratitude for her parents. Mancini set it to music. Karen Carpenter brought it to life with her voice.

To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day. This song always makes me reflect upon my relationship with people; upon how much everyone who has ever crossed my path has meant to me, in one form or another. I feel gratitude and love, even for your simple "Hello"'s.

And I reflect upon my own mother today who has given me everything she could possibly give. I hope I have given her as much happiness in return, and then some.

Thank you, Mom.

Sunday Funnies

Marc Jacobs