KG's Hideaway

06-27-06 9:08pm

Well, we're all back from Kansas and it went pretty well. We got to our hotel Thursday night around 10:30pm and Ryan was still pretty calm. I was anxious as hell, but got to sleep before her OR Craig.

We drove into Manhattan (Kansas) where Kansas State is located and I was immediately charmed by this town. Every house was flying a K-State flag, or had the Wildcat mascot somewhere on their property. I mean it was EVERYwhere. (The women's basketball team is the defending NIT Champions so they are quite proud) I don't know how they do in their other sports but I guess that being in the Big XII is big enough... I don't know. K-State's Womens B-Ball Page is Here.

Anyway... I'll try to make a long story sorta short. I'm not good at it, but I'll make an effort. When we were checking in, we met the associate head coach, Kami Ethridge, who is an olympian and played at the University of Texas. She was an All American and as a player she led the Univ. of Tx to a 34-0 season- the FIRST perfect season in NCAA Div I history. Google this woman's name if you're interested... she's the shit!!! This woman is just a ball of energy and it shows in everything she does... everything. She has a passion for basketball and she has a gift for being able to show these kids how to play it the right way. It was amazing to watch her and I feel like I'll be in a better position to help Ryan for having watched her. She led all three days of the camp, but the head coach was also there, watching and encouraging the girls.

Anyway, we were excited when she recognized Ryan's name and knew who she played for. We took that to be a VERY good thing. It doesn't matter to me WHY or HOW, just that she DID. They've been sending her letters, but we didn't know how much attention they actually paid to her, so that was exciting.
Then, Saturday morning, I got to meet Deb Patterson- the head coach. I was actually just complimenting her on the camp and I gave her my name and told her who my daughter was, thinking it was just as a courtesy but she stopped me and said, "Ryan is an '08 right?" (meaning her graduation year) My heart nearly hit the floor. It meant that she too knew who Ryan was. I told her that she was right. I also told her that I wasn't happy with how Ryan had been performing at the camp and she told me that Ryan was doing just fine. It turns out that Ryan had been grouped with two girls that had already signed with K- State and a couple that they were hoping to sign while we were there along with one other girl Ryan's age. (Ryan just finished her Soph. year) They finished undefeated through the camp. All in all, not so bad.

They got to do some really cool stuff, like go to the arena where the basketball teams play. They got the experience of walking through the tunnel to the court then playing a game their court. Then we were taken to their locker room and they brought out the NIT trophy. I can only imagine what that must have been like for the girls because as parents WE were excited about it.

The college players were sooooo good with the girls... I just can't say enough about them. Marlies Gipson, Danielle Zanotti, Claire Coggins, Shana Wheeler, Kimberly Dietz, .... I just can't say enought about these ladies!!! They really stepped in and taught the girls. They weren't afraid of stopping the action and reinforcing body positions or where you should be on the court during certain types of action. I just can't stress enough how impressed I am with the girls on the K State team. The interpersonal skills they possess along with their athleticism amazes me and those skills are what grabbed the girls' attention. They even stayed in the dorms with the girls!

Ryan came out of the camp seeing alot of things she needs to work on but she can definitely do it and she really wants it, so... we'll see. She struggled in some areas and ran out of steam at times. There were other times when she was just not in the right place on the court or she'd pass the ball rather than shoor it... I have no idea why. Then, just when I'd given up on her and walked out of the gym (Craig stayed) she stepped up and drained several 3 point shots in a matter of a few short minutes. I hate that I missed it but I'm glad that it motivated her. Anyway, she's gotta work on things if she wants to get that scholarship there... but its definitely within her reach. She sent coach an email today telling her that she was taking the challenge. I'm proud of her for that.

Gotta go!

Posted by at 9:35 PM | Permalink

5-22-06 12:45pm

Good news: found new digital camera. Bad new: Bedroom still a wreck. But more good news: Don't care too much about bad news.

We found out why we are having to get a hotel room an hour away from Kansas State. We are entering country music HELL. Manhattan, Kansas is being invaded by Toby Keith and a shit load of other singers. Crap. Just what I need. This oughta be fun. At least they're putting Ryan in a dorm so she won't be with us... thank all that is HOLY for that!!!

Posted by at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

06-22-06 8:50am

I'm trying to get everything ready to leave for Kansas and I'm afraid I'm not doing very well. My bedroom already looked like the aftermath of Hiroshima BEFORE I tried packing (because of the contruction) so my efforts are just ridiculously flailing in the wind. It's almost embarassing.

To top it off I can't find my BRAND NEW camera. I didn't even need the new digital camera Craig bought me when we were in Chicago in April for Ryan's ranking camp but he bought me the newer Sony digital one to replance my older one because the features were nicer. Now, my old one is sitting right over there in it's box where I left it and my new one is nowhere to be found.

I've still got to get over to Academy to get the crap to tape her foot from where she had her surgery. They'll be working out 12 hours a day so her foot is probably going to bother her... don't want that to be seen as a weakness to the coaches. God, I should probably medicate myself. She's totally calm. I'm running around like crazy. Hopefully, she'll stay this calm...

Posted by at 9:06 AM | Permalink

I feel like shit today. I felt it creeping up on me yesterday, but I pretended it wasn't there and it almost worked. But today my neck feels like the bones have fused and my brain feels like someone has poured acid inside my skull. When that has happened in the past it was a sure sign that the headaches were coming back and that meant trouble, and hospitals. I can't do that right now. I can't. I won't.

We're supposed to leave for Kansas Thursday. Ryan was invited to Kansas State for the weekend for the Elite camp and I really want to go but if this keeps up it will just be she and Craig. I really want to get a look at the campus and stuff now. They've been hitting her hard all year, sending about a letter every week or two through the coaches at school. None of the other college letters have gotten her attention nearly as much, even the other Big 12 Conference schools (alright, that's a lie. She liked Tx Tech's letters). We'll see how the rest of today and tomorrow go.

I finally had to call my father in law today about my work comp case. I live in Texas, but my injury happened when I lived in California (I moved back to Texas after I was off work for a while). My attorney is in No. California and has really been doing NOTHING on my case for a while. (a "while" being something close to 2 years) Anyway, my father in law is an attorney in So. Cal, but he is a trust and financial attorney so he is going to help me with this. I was a little shocked at how simple the solution may actually be, but it didn't shock me that he'd have an answer. I'm just pissed at myself for not asking him sooner when my attorney started slacking off. Damnit.

Now, I'm going to bed. Later.

Posted by at 1:12 PM | Permalink

Father's Day and Bon Jovi- Strange mix, huh?

My husband is amazing and without him I probably wouldn't be able to weather the storms of the recent months with my family, but he's stood beside me and held me up through the toughest of days and I don't know what I'd do without him. He's the only man who's ever even made me consider the fact that another man could possibly measure up to my dad... and he did it by just being the most amazing father figure for my kids. Far better than their own "sperm donor" ever could imagine being.

I've been caught in a bit of a strange mood the last few days. Anytime I feel this way I've always turned to music, and typically I'll play whatever song effects me over and over and over and over for days or weeks... whatever works til it's out of my system. When this particular mood has hit over the last few year I've always turned to Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses." It's an all out jam, but it's so tender at the same time. I don't just mean kind of tender.... it's painful to hear. I don't really know how to describe it and I'm not ever sure I know what the freakin' song's about but if I had to guess I'd say the litteral meaning is just about the dichotomy of his life and how he wants this bed of roses (life with his wife) but the life of being a musician (the bed of nails) continuously conflicts with that. My guess would be that the figurative translation is just that in all of our lives we have things we love to do, and that sometimes in order to do those things (have nice homes, nice cars, hobbies, travel...etc) we have to do things we don't necessarily want to do, like work late, spend time away from our kids.

But the saddest lines are the ones where he writes about how much he wants to talk to her on the phone, yet another time when he's talking to her on the phone "a marching band keeps it's own beat in my head while we're talking..." (thinking about his music)
And who of us hasn't done that? You've been talking to your signifcant other and you're thinking about work, or your at work thinking about home. It just seems like we're always torn in every direction. I know people who are worrying today about when they're getting to see their kids next (and I'm thinking about you) and I know people who are worrying about their marriage (and I'm thinking about you, too) and I know a person who'se worrying about how to fix her relationship with her sister (I'm thinking about myself).
And anybody else out there... this song makes me feel better. I don't know why, but it does. I fuckin' love it. It's sad, but it's a good kind of sad, if ya know what I mean.

"Bed Of Roses"

Sitting here wasted and wounded
At this old piano
Trying hard to capture
The moment this morning I don't know
'Cause a bottle of vodka
Is still lodged in my head
And some blonde gave me nightmares
I think that she's still in my bed
As I dream about movies
They won't make of me when I'm dead

Tonite I won't be alone
But you know that don't mean I'm not lonely
I've got nothing to prove
For it's you that I'd die to defend

Posted by at 10:01 AM | Permalink

6-9-06 5:41am

I have GOT to get to bed and get some sleep. We've got to be gack up and out the door to be back at the track by 3pm today which means leaving the house at 2. I haven't slept all night because of a melt down with Ryan. Girl stuff. I'm glad the kids can talk to me when they need me, I really am, but I'm starting to worry about her. She's been complaing about her kidneys for 4 days now and I'm wondering if it's the new birth control pills they've put her on. I'm really worried. She's been crying alot, too. God, what a mess.

The track was a boring mess today. Only 230 people in Victory Lane Club TOTAL so it was just boring as SHIT. We stood there and did nothing. Got paid for it, but did nothing. I'm just worried that I'm gonna have to take Ryan to the emergency room tomorrow, and I'm not worry about leaving the track I'm just worried about getting to her if the traffic is bad.

Farren Congress was over at the house tonight to see Ryan and and somehow her and Austin ended up together so they're going out tomorrow night- which Ryan LOVES. Farren is black, and she is beautiful. She's just got one of those pretty faces that doesn't need much makeup and she's got a cute atheletic body. She's a basketball player in college and is also a cheerleader, so she lookds good. Now both of my kids are dating kids in another race. oh hell, I forgot about Kyra! All three of my kids are dating kids of another race!!! HA!!! That's pretty funny--- ah well- can't beat 'wm, join 'em! kdgr!

Posted by at 5:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)