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Happy Birthday or Anniversary to me!

I grew up in an era and a place where it was customary to spank someone on their birthday. And after tonight’s thrashing of my team by the Hamilton Southeastern Bulldogs I was wondering if it really was my birthday after all. You do not play well every game, and tonight that was certainly the case. But in a week that we play 4 top 10 teams in a row with just Sunday off, and tonight being the easiest of those games, it seems we need to adjust and adjust quickly.

But back to the spankings……today is NOT my BIRTH day, but today just happens to be a birthday of sorts. Three years ago I suffered a stroke that really changed my life forever. Oddly enough, I did not remember that it was today, but I got a nice “I’m really glad you didn’t die” email from my wife that sparked my memory. Ironically, memory is an issue for me, but I thought it was kind of neat that I misplaced the day……I enjoy the days I do not think about it.
So today is also my 3rd birthday or 3rd anniversary, depending upon how one sees it…..but all I know is that not one of you bought me a gift! Oh sure, my good friend HSE Head Coach Ashley Grant (I do love her she is great) made sure I got the spanking, though I would have preferred a nice card and a Noblesville win. Tomorrow is Carmel, and they are only number 1, but it is not any type of birthday for me…..so I hope to see a different result.
Anyway, it is off to bed for me. I am thankful to be alive, but this is a day I am going to try and forget!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Tree-ed off……

No, not really, but I am still behind. I do hope however to catch up by week’s end. What that means however, I do not know. As clergy, I am never quite sure how to define the week. Biblically, the week’s end is Sunday….a day of “rest,”…….right!

Anyway we were able to get home tonight and get a start on the lawn and such. Without any snags I should have it mowed, fertilized, and seeded….that’s right, buy week’s end. (As big as it is that could mean next February.)
But part of the fun was not only letting Ben drive the tractor a bit, but we also put him up in a tree. I am sorry the picture is so lousy, but I sent Stephanie my cell phone. It was probably the Cadillac of technology, but I was clearly a Pinto guy. I knew how to text, call, and take pictures. If I did anything else, like appointments, I would screw up my calendar and address book. So I am back to using an old Blackberry (perhaps the same model Jesus used….it is OLD) but at least I am not screwing up anything but pictures.
Anyway, it finally got too dark to work….thank God! Off to bed only to wake up and do it again tomorrow!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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On the cusp……

With lacrosse season in full swing, my life will not be my own till the end of May. Practices and games, games and practices, it will seem like there is no break till the end. Last year at this point we were nursing a lot of injury. This year, though it exists, it is much less severe than the last.

The fun part is that it really all comes down to this. All the hard work and effort come down to walking out onto a field and trying to beat a team that has worked just as hard to beat you. I have a team with a lot of heart and skill this year. Only God knows where it will take us.
Tomorrow will be our last practice before playing the most difficult part of our schedule. We play HSE at home on Thursday, then Carmel Friday, Culver Saturday, and Guerin on Monday….all away. If we survive that we will have a few practices to prepare for our next games.
But I am excited it is here. Tomorrow the new girls will receive their home uniforms so they can wear the jerseys to school on Thursday. I know they cannot wait.
And in all truth, neither can I!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Woof….

Yep, I would say she missed us. When the cat climbs into Scotty’s un-unpacked suitcase, it is a clear sign she intends to not let us leave again. And of course the dog’s return this morning was like a scene from a movie. I would love to think it is me that they miss, but quite honestly I do not think I am on the radar. Maybe in time I will work myself back up in the rankings…..you can’t always have a great year.

But despite my personal rankings, I find myself WAY BEHIND. I returned calls most of the day, and am only about half way through them. I hope to catch up with that tomorrow, but that may be optimistic. Our (the women’s lacrosse team) home opener is on Thursday, and practice today showed me again just how far vacation can back things up. These next few days will be pretty busy.
Oh but I can take it. I guess I have gotten quite accustomed to working amidst the high seas. It’s not a great analogy for a guy like me who doesn’t really care for the ocean, but I think you get the picture. I have been blessed (or cursed) with the ability to deal with a lot of pressure. It’s not that I care to be here, it’s just that I can.
But I need to get ahead of it all this week for sure. I understand my request to move Holy Week back a few months was denied…….and Palm Sunday is just 6 short days away.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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All good things must come to an end…..

Yep, we finally left Stephanie and Missouri behind today and I am typing this from my office at home in Indiana. It is so hard to say goodbye, and each time it doesn’t seem easier, but harder. Steph has a great life in Missouri and WONDERFUL friends. That is good too, since her friends in high school were wonderful too. But I just do not like having to miss her so much.

Her brothers were with us on this trip as well as Scotty’s girlfriend who Scotty picked up at the St. Louis airport. We all ate out a lot and almost always in larger groups. I am a firm believer in helping the poor college students out in getting some good food. I am sure none were as bad as me (I sold my plasma (blood) to buy macaroni and cheese (or beer)) But we enjoyed their company as well as Steph’s. It was so much fun.
We also say Lindenwood take all four games over the weekend and finish (pre-tournament) at #5 nationally. Steph started two of the four games and played in them all. It is quite an accomplishment for a freshman, and she will be off in a few weeks for Arizona to play in the Nationals. It is an exciting time.
Sadly, I cannot be there. My team will be playing then as well, and I will be on the field with them. I am certain Steph understands. And my thoughts and prayers will be with all of them there.
But soon it will all be over and she will be home for the summer. And I know we cannot wait….especially Ben. He loves his big sister and all the “college girls.” I am certain many of them will be passing through to see him (and hopefully us) this summer!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Yep……we’re related!

Today we watched as Lindenwood knocked off the University of Michigan, and Steph played most of the game. It is hard just watching, and it was doubly hard in that it was perhaps the worst refereed contest I had ever seen in my entire coaching career. Fortunately, it all worked out for the Lions.

But it is so very odd to be on a different side of this. I hardly know what to do up in the stands, and I spend most of the games up high looking down on the field for plays and things I might bring home. Of course my eyes are always on number 13. Steph was an All-State player for two of the three years I coached her, and MVP all three as well. Here it is a different level. They all have to play up, and it is pretty cool to see how she has improved.
One high school coach once told me that he actually dedicated an entire practice to figuring out a way to contain Steph when they played us. She was dominate in high school for sure. Here she is one of many, and playing for a nationally ranked team. She is just a freshman too….on her way to becoming much more that she has been or is even now. It is so very cool!
So today you just get to hear the rantings of a proud father, who knows the game and who has enjoyed his time watching. I would have never imagined any of it…….but I am truly blessed by the opportunity.
I love you my daughter, and I am very proud of her too!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Of touristy things………

Being a tourist is something I do not do very well, but my family sure does…..especially Ben. And today we gave him the opportunity by taking him to a place that makes good sense for a 3 year old, his 17 year old brother, and his 17 year old girlfriend……a brewery. That’s right, we toured the Anheuser-Busch Brewery (yes it is mandatory it is capitalized because we are in St. Louis…..the churches here serve Budweiser for communion).

The tour however was a hit for everyone….including me. I had not had a beer in many many years, but had one in the hospitality room at the end of the tour. It was awesome and made me wonder why I ever stopped having them! AND more than that, we were able to see not only a few of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales, but one of the dalmatians, a few of the wagons, and tons of stuff I never imagined I’d see.
A big hit was our tour guides who are in the picture….KC and Janet. There were a lot of people in our tour, but they took to Ben as he did to them and it was off to the races. Ben had a stuffed Clydesdale (no it was not me) and a flash drive from Amanda’s purse that he was trying to convince them was a Transformer. He told them his favorite Transformer was Optimus Prime. KC did not have a favorite, and Janet said she just liked Shia LaBeouf, who as a man I can say I think was in that Megan Fox movie…..oh yea, he was in “Even Stevens” too…..but I digress. The big things was that Ben loved them and it made the day really wonderful! Thanks ladies!
But tonight we watched another Lindenwood game and another victory. It is so cool to see Steph play at this level, but it is so stressful for me to watch.
If only LU had a hospitality room…….
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Making a spectator of myself…….

Okay, it is not the best picture, but had I not traded my (better) phone to Steph it would have been better. But the picture is a significant moment for me. The field is Lindenwood’s Hunter Field (their main stadium field) and Steph is out there just after taking the draw. And, it is the first time I have ever watched Steph play as a college player.

Her team was playing Brigham Young tonight too, and I believe they are either 8th or 10th in the nation in their division. Lindenwood is currently 6th. And their uniforms, including the coaching shirts, were pink tonight, no doubt as a breast cancer awareness statement.
Lindenwood won too…..with just a few seconds left in a real nail-biter. I was just glad to see them win. As a coach I can say that a win is a win is a win…..and in the end, that is what counts.
So the big night is under our belts, and I am exhausted. I am just blessed to have been there. I am proud of Steph, and it is pretty cool to see her playing at this level. I am glad to have the opportunity too!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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I love my family……sometimes.

Yep, Scotty and Amanda think they are funny, but they are messing with FIRE I tell you FIRE. We are on a short jaunt to see Stephanie play a game and after we stopped in Effingham (Indian for pork no one likes apparently) Amanda and Scott did something to the back of my car. It was only 2 full hours later that I discovered what it was. That’s right, my caring and devoted family put a magnetic bumper sticker on the back of my car telling people I was not wearing any pants. I was mind you…..I am just thankful I wasn’t driving in my clerical collar.

But I laughed it off as I have been quietly plotting my revenge….and yes, it will be sweet. Scotty gets it naturally, but he needs to remember that those genes come from ME. He is dealing with a PRO, and this will come back to them with a vengeance. Of course the Bible says, “vengeance is mine says the Lord,” but I am certain He would not want me to miss out on all the fun. I only hope they laugh as hard when the joke is on them.
And no, it is not really about revenge, but I do take humor quite personally. I am pretty funny and I do not care to be upstaged in things like this. So this is really more about one-upsmanship (no it is not a real word) than anything else.
It will happen….and at an hour they do not expect!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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The lawnboy…….

I had a parishioner of mine stop by the house today to take a look at my lawn. Maintaining a lawn is really not all that hard when your yard is small (and rectangular), but this new one is not. So the bottom line is that I was in need of some advice.

The good news is that Mike is, and has been, in “the business” for years. I will need to aerate, I will need to thatch, I will need to re-seed, and, I will need to fertilize as well. My former yard I maintained extremely well, and I am excited about the prospect. But my former yard also took a few years to get it right where I wanted it. Thank God I have nothing to do other than to worry about my lawn! Yea right….it is going to be a challenge.
But the good news is that the starter’s pistol has fired and I am off to the races. It is not a sprint, but it is instead a marathon. I am already enjoying it too. Thank God I have the opportunity to do so!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+