Pete's Arboblog: Memorial Weekend edition

GarryP · 05-24-2008, 08:20 PM

A fine Memorial Day weekend to all, as we remember those who came before us and helped pave the way for our lives to be what they are.

**
Fight On and All Hail the champions of NCAA women’s golf. Coach Andrea Gaston’s girls came through and held off the weather and the Uclans for the championship, our second of the year, and 108th overall. This is the best bad weather bunch I have ever seen in any sport….and this weather week in New Mexico was one for the ages. Now let’s see if Chris Zambri’s men can follow it up with a title of their own at Purdue this week.

**

The tennis teams are done, but the men’s doubles team of Kaes Van’t Hof and Robert Farah are in the national semi finals tomorrow. They’re seeded #2, and are unbeaten this year. The #1 seeds are out already. Go get ‘em guys!
**

The baseball season is over after tomorrow’s final game in Pullman. They dropped the first two up there, and there will be no post season again this year. Inconsistency did ‘em in. Wait’ll next year, especially if Cook and Milone return!
**
Meantime, the Dodgers seem to have awakened. Except Jones. What a disaster.

That makes him the front runner for the Jason Schmidt award. I still haven’t been out, but am considering making a trek to watch Kershaw Sunday afternoon.

**

Continuing saga of watching the 1988 USC football season in review as I begin work on the History of USC Football, Volume III. I watched John Jackson catch a pass against Oregon over the middle, get double decked on the sideline, run to the SC side, refuse some water, and puke. On camera! Tough little dude.

He was the post game interview subject of Rich Marrotta and Mike Garrett on Prime Ticket on the post game show, too! Man he speaks well; I wonder what ever happened to the kid?!

**

Tomorrow here at the Venice Boardwalk, there’s amateur boxing, and early rounds of the body building competition, then Monday the body building finals, so it figures to be a huge throng that walks the neighborhood.

We never got our business licenses to do stuff on the boardwalk. Basically, you must sell wares that you make yourself, which eliminated Jenny’s idea of teaching passers-by how to draw and paint scenes from their trip there. We're still thinking.

**
I went to daughter Ronnie’s choir banquet in Santa Clarita, were she was named best soprano, and I hope a shoe in for one of the jazz ensembles they have there for next year.

If there’s anyone in the crowd of about 200 that did NOT receive an award of some sort, I want to know about it. It was all followed by a 30 minute slide show of their year in review.

Had dinner with son KC, who is finishing up the school year and trying to find a summer job.

Stepson Leo is trying to shed a few pounds to qualify for the 172 weight class in the upcoming Santa Monica Junior High wrestling tourney on June 4. That will be as exciting as his matches. It ought to come right down to the wire.

He needs to drop ‘em anyway for football this fall, or all he can do is practice, not play until high school next year.

**
I went over to On Track, a small business with a big warehouse attached to it that deals locally and internationally with track and field equipment. It’s run by Ron Morris, who won, I’m pretty sure the 1956 Silver Olympic medal in the pole vault and has his name prominently displayed over at Loker Stadium and Cromwell Field. He showed me lots of photos, and we reminisced about jumping into sawdust pits with metal poles, and of the old sporting goods store on Brand in Glendale called Cornwall and Kelty, where we could get equipment and our letterman’s jackets in high school.

He sold me a shot and a discus and I got a much needed plug for the base of a vaulting pole. He and his family still go to the football games and track meets. It was great to meet an old friend I had heard about for so long, and a real great Trojan hero.

**
Jenny and I ran a race down at Belmont Shore Pier this morning, after it stopped pouring rain. Mighty interesting weather we’re having here ain’t it?

It was a four miler on the sand at very low tide—not as low as I’ve seen it get here in Venice, so we had to run on a slant most of the way.

I got out quickly, and finished with my best four mile time since 1986, in 37:35. Felling pretty good about that.

**
Unfortunately, while at the aforementioned choir banquet, I missed the Lakers’ rout of the Spurs in game two. Good to see the Pistons took at least one from Boston, though!

Jenny and I watched the poor unfortunate miss the penalty kick in the slop in Moscow in the European Champions league soccer match. Both sides had many, many chances. Manchester Untied looked much the better team in the first half, Chelsea (who fired their coach today!) was the better team later. I realize it’s only Europe and only soccer, but it IS good sport when played at that level.

My team is, as I’ve mentioned, and for various reasons, Hereford, which has been promoted from League Two to League one, their second promotion in three years. Well done boys!
**

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05-24-2008, 08:20 PM	#1
GarryP Publisher Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10,862	Pete's Arboblog: Memorial Weekend edition A fine Memorial Day weekend to all, as we remember those who came before us and helped pave the way for our lives to be what they are. Fight On and All Hail the champions of NCAA women’s golf. Coach Andrea Gaston’s girls came through and held off the weather and the Uclans for the championship, our second of the year, and 108th overall. This is the best bad weather bunch I have ever seen in any sport….and this weather week in New Mexico was one for the ages. Now let’s see if Chris Zambri’s men can follow it up with a title of their own at Purdue this week. The tennis teams are done, but the men’s doubles team of Kaes Van’t Hof and Robert Farah are in the national semi finals tomorrow. They’re seeded #2, and are unbeaten this year. The #1 seeds are out already. Go get ‘em guys! The baseball season is over after tomorrow’s final game in Pullman. They dropped the first two up there, and there will be no post season again this year. Inconsistency did ‘em in. Wait’ll next year, especially if Cook and Milone return! Meantime, the Dodgers seem to have awakened. Except Jones. What a disaster. That makes him the front runner for the Jason Schmidt award. I still haven’t been out, but am considering making a trek to watch Kershaw Sunday afternoon. Continuing saga of watching the 1988 USC football season in review as I begin work on the History of USC Football, Volume III. I watched John Jackson catch a pass against Oregon over the middle, get double decked on the sideline, run to the SC side, refuse some water, and puke. On camera! Tough little dude. He was the post game interview subject of Rich Marrotta and Mike Garrett on Prime Ticket on the post game show, too! Man he speaks well; I wonder what ever happened to the kid?! Tomorrow here at the Venice Boardwalk, there’s amateur boxing, and early rounds of the body building competition, then Monday the body building finals, so it figures to be a huge throng that walks the neighborhood. We never got our business licenses to do stuff on the boardwalk. Basically, you must sell wares that you make yourself, which eliminated Jenny’s idea of teaching passers-by how to draw and paint scenes from their trip there. We're still thinking. I went to daughter Ronnie’s choir banquet in Santa Clarita, were she was named best soprano, and I hope a shoe in for one of the jazz ensembles they have there for next year. If there’s anyone in the crowd of about 200 that did NOT receive an award of some sort, I want to know about it. It was all followed by a 30 minute slide show of their year in review. Had dinner with son KC, who is finishing up the school year and trying to find a summer job. Stepson Leo is trying to shed a few pounds to qualify for the 172 weight class in the upcoming Santa Monica Junior High wrestling tourney on June 4. That will be as exciting as his matches. It ought to come right down to the wire. He needs to drop ‘em anyway for football this fall, or all he can do is practice, not play until high school next year. I went over to On Track, a small business with a big warehouse attached to it that deals locally and internationally with track and field equipment. It’s run by Ron Morris, who won, I’m pretty sure the 1956 Silver Olympic medal in the pole vault and has his name prominently displayed over at Loker Stadium and Cromwell Field. He showed me lots of photos, and we reminisced about jumping into sawdust pits with metal poles, and of the old sporting goods store on Brand in Glendale called Cornwall and Kelty, where we could get equipment and our letterman’s jackets in high school. He sold me a shot and a discus and I got a much needed plug for the base of a vaulting pole. He and his family still go to the football games and track meets. It was great to meet an old friend I had heard about for so long, and a real great Trojan hero. Jenny and I ran a race down at Belmont Shore Pier this morning, after it stopped pouring rain. Mighty interesting weather we’re having here ain’t it? It was a four miler on the sand at very low tide—not as low as I’ve seen it get here in Venice, so we had to run on a slant most of the way. I got out quickly, and finished with my best four mile time since 1986, in 37:35. Felling pretty good about that. Unfortunately, while at the aforementioned choir banquet, I missed the Lakers’ rout of the Spurs in game two. Good to see the Pistons took at least one from Boston, though! Jenny and I watched the poor unfortunate miss the penalty kick in the slop in Moscow in the European Champions league soccer match. Both sides had many, many chances. Manchester Untied looked much the better team in the first half, Chelsea (who fired their coach today!) was the better team later. I realize it’s only Europe and only soccer, but it IS good sport when played at that level. My team is, as I’ve mentioned, and for various reasons, Hereford, which has been promoted from League Two to League one, their second promotion in three years. Well done boys! **