Family Update

It's been awhile since I posted a family update so I guess I better get to it. I guess we just have those times where we are on cruise control and there is nothing really to update you on.

I have been coaching track at St. Marcus. In about the 3rd practice I tore my achilles slightly while sprinting against an 8th grader. It has been healing slowly. I am slightly less gimpy each day. My family does not tease me less each day. I do what I can to give them a reason to laugh. I'd have to say that this group of kids for track is like herding cats.

However their performance at this last track meet was impressive. The boys truly dominated. 1st in nearly every event and often a 1st and a 2nd. Ike personally got 3 1st places for sprints, a 2nd place for Triple Jump, and a 3rd place for Running Long Jump. The only people he placed behind in the jumping were his own teamates and they were all within inches. I look forward to the WISCO meet tomorrow. There will be a few more schools there and could be some sleeper athletes from other schools we don't know about. Should be more competitive.

Katie, Ike, and I have a 5k road Run on Saturday in Franklin as part of "Team Victory" I will be jogging along at a very slow pace as the ankle really won't be up for it but we'll "git r done" I'm guessing Ike and Kt could win their divisions.

Karen is plowing through her Statistics class and in a couple of weeks will be doing her Ethics class actually on campus in Lafayette, IA for a week. Kt will be going to Florida that week to visit her new love...or not so new by now. It will just be Ike and I living the bachelor life. I predict Pizza will dominate the menu for that week. Since it the first week of ike's summer vacation I also predict he will not be around either. I cannot believe how fast this school year has flown by. It makes my head spin. Probably a good week to do web things.

Kt has been going to Physical Training (PT) on Thursdays and Poolie events on Saturdays with the same recruiter as Zachary. She really "enjoys" getting out there in the fresh air and doing their little excercises. She seems to be doing well considering she hasn't even enlisted yet. The Sergeant Major for the midwest recruiting district was there this last Saturday and was impressed by her because she came in 3 minutes before any other girl on her run and is actually able to do the physical activities.

It does seem to be a trend.. as often when Zach was doing the same conditioning he would comment about the girls who would complain about not being able to run or do certain activities and would sit out. As I always sat in the car waiting for Zach I often heard the girls as the recruiter would take them outside to listen to them whine(I admired the recruiter's patience as I would just want to smack them). Apparently the recruiter has said to Kt that she is the last girl he will actively try to recruit. He has had too many bad experiences. One got dishonorably discharged and others have had various issues (like doing drugs the night before shipping out...zero drug tolerance for the Marines and you have no recourse....you are done permanently). All recruits stick with their recruiter for the entire time he is a recruiter. Meaning if your recruits do well all the way through..it reflects well on your performance review...If they suck...it reflects on your performance review. So they have a vested interest in getting truly dedicated, morally responsible, and high quality candidates. It's another reason that the Marines at least will not make as many waivers for previous bad activities as say the Navy and Army.

Zach finishes his "Core Electronics" School today. He is finishing with a very high score (I believe it rates proficiency in the material) He will now be classing up to the Introductory classes for his Avionics training. This will be a standard day schedule with classes from 7-4 instead of the 2nd shift he is on now. He has two classes slated for 4 weeks total duration. After/during these intro courses they lock him in to his MOS. Depending on final assignment he has a minimum of 16 weeks in classes but could end up in the 27 week program if he does well and gets his choice of programs. So he could be in Pensacola until November 1st-ish or as late as February 1st-ish. Hopefully he will get his wish and be there until February.

Zach also has only one week left of wearing his orthopedic boot things for the stress fractures in his legs. Zach has always suffered while running and I guess there is good reason. The shin splints stepped it up to stress fractures. I don't know if that means he starts getting to run again right away but soon he will have to rejoin his group for PT runs. He also had half his big toe nail removed and it will be permanently gone. It was constantly getting ingrown and he had to have them keep slicing it off so he had it dealt with in a more permanent fashion. That is the same toe that was chopped in the lawn mower.

So that has got to cover everything I know for now. Have a great week!