Tales of the 10th West Irregulars

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

now reading, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

On Thursday morning we slipped the city to ski for a few hours as a family. We tried to keep it under wraps because it was a gym day for Beach. I am sure the fact that she has a season pass would not please the head coach.

On Friday, after a morning workout, Beach came home quietly. It helped that we also had Baby J to run home from her gymnastics class. Or at least that what's I thought at the time. I hadn't realized how tired Beach was.

I don't recall the afternoon being anything special; calm and simple. A trip to the bookstore, a fresh backed carrot cake hold the frosting, and the original Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

The day faded into night. We had a dinner of steamy pasta smothered in spicy tomato sauce. It was the calm before the storm. We spent the night playing Parcheesi. Beach icing her arm watching the Olympics.

Saturday afternoon we drove out to Sandy to pick up Sophie. A soft blur of the girls trying on high heels and eating Oreos in her mom's apartment before heading back home.

By 6:30 PM I was back in the car moving through the center of the city to drop the girls for a little ice skating and meeting up with more friends.

We passed the flashing lights of police cars and ambulances in the city park, trains clicking by, headlights & taillights, traffic lights, and towering glass buildings. They slipped off laughing closing the car door behind them, stopping to wave good-bye one more time.

Before 10 PM it was a reverse course for pickup.

The wind blew all night long.

Sunday morning 9:30 AM we drove the interstate chasing Baby J and her parents through the rain that changed to snow, to Crystal Hot Springs (an hour north of SLC).

We spent a few hours with them soaking in the pools of hot water as the snow fell. The big white flakes stinging our shoulders and sticking to our hair. Baby J floating and talking, her arms around my neck, calling out for Beach as Beach slipped beneath the water.

We drove home, snow changing back to rain, changing to low grey skies that knew nothing of the winter that was coming.

That night Beach's friend India appeared for a sleepover. Beach's room was draped with sheets and blankets. The sound of laughter slipping out into the house as the snow began to catch the valley.

Monday morning, a holiday, with a breakfast of fried doughy scones and baked apples. A couple of hours of playing in the snow and back to the Parcheesi board. Before lunch India was gone.

Beach didn't have gym and I was let out of work. The snow fell for hours.

Sophie turned back up in time for dinner; taco soup and cheesy quesadillas. They walked out in the snowy night bundled up in layers of jackets for an ice cream cookie shake that they spilt eating it over the heat of the wood burning stove.

Sophie was picked up around 9PM. The night getting cold and thin.

Tuesday morning BC nursing a cold crawled out of bed early to ski. He sectioned two halves of a grapefruit, one for me the other for himself. We drank coffee and I stared out the window at the snowy branches. I have caught his cold but it doesn't matter- the long weekend is over.

Before he left he cleared my car of the heavy snow encasing it.

I didn't take any of the photos I normally would have. I have been thinking about whether or not I want to keep blogging. I am still thinking about it, wondering how much more I have to say.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

ready to go home

I spent yesterday watching the Las Vegas sky change. All alone in the house we rented. I was home sick but not actually at home.

The girls were back at the meet venue, BC hiking in Red Rocks, Jeff heading back to SLC for work.

The house is nice. Nicer than our own. I love these house for their minimalism.

My favorite, would have been the Ohio house. I'm not even sure why. Perhaps it was the way it held us safe and comfortable while still being in walking distance to all we needed.

I love the inspiration of the rented houses. The reminder of how little we honestly need. A space that frames your life a little differently. A strange view of yourself. None of them alike and yet they are all the same.

But I'm ready to go now.
Ready to pack up and go home.

I haven't felt this homesick in a long time.

In my head I can already see the girls (who are still in bed) in the back seat of the car as we drive the interstate. I see sunlight and winter fields go by. I see bathroom stops and gas station potato wedges. I see the sun moving across the desert sky. Distance and miles slipping away.

I can see myself closing the front door of our house behind us as we carry in the last bag from the car.

I want to walk out the door into my own backyard. Cross the garden and slip the gate. I want to go home. I want to see my other children and Baby J.

I want to watch the Las Vegas sky disappear in the rearview mirror.

One day I want to move to White Pine County, Nevada. Buy land and a small house. Start over in a new town. But not today. Today I want to go back and pick up where we left off.

Saturday, February 10, 2018

one-thousand six-hundred four

It's actually more than that. More miles than a round trip flight to Denver, a drive to and then from Colorado Springs, and a long one way trek back to Vegas. But you get the point 1,604.0 mi. in a week.

1,604.0 miles, a day of nervously waiting, followed by tight judging on an unforgiving floor, 2 vaults almost not landed, a fall on a double back dismount on bars, teary eyes, tired muscles, a wave of disappointment, and at the end of all of that is beam.

It is easy to keep going when everything is going well. It's easy to be a good sport and teammate when you are on top. But only part of character is built in those miles leading up to success. The bulk of it is forged on mile one-thousand six-hundred and FIVE. Where you fight for what matters to you even as the arena empties and the parents drift away.

Whether or not Beach stuck her series, hit her leaps (the best her healing hip allows), did all the other skills required with grace and power, and landed her dismount- it doesn't matter. What matters was the way she took it on. The determination to do what she could with all that was left.

Maybe in that moment when she paused to smile the judges understood the look, you can put your pens down because from here this routine is just for me.

Of course they scored her anyway- it's their job. They scored her beam routine 2nd, judged the last couple of beam routines and called it a day.

As the mileage rolled on 1,605.1 the Little Giants of GTC stopped together on the edge of the floor to cheer on the last 2 competitors of the session. Cheering for girls they didn't know without being prompted without a second thought of where else they could be, or what else they could be doing.

The arena empty their job done they stood with the other team to bring everyone home they way they deserved.

As a team they placed third. As tiny humans they took first.

Beach had the exact opposite meet that she had in Colorado. Season highs replaced by season lows. In Colorado I was proud of her scores. In Las Vegas I was proud of her, of who she has become.

Friday, February 9, 2018

on the road in Nevada (travel meet)

The Little Giants came home Sunday night from Colorado. They squeezed in a few practices and a couple days of school. Then we headed back to Las Vegas for the second time this season. Of course all work and no play isn't going to cut it for this clan.

Once again we went off trail taking an alternative route between SLC and LV. It's a good thing they are gymnasts and not part of something like the Amazing Race we would have been the last place team. As far as we know we were the first to leave and the last to arrive! But it was well worth it!!!