Tag Archives: Scotty

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Go Millers Go!

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Tonight was the playoffs for the men’s indoor lacrosse league. There are two divisions, and Scott plays for the high school in one of them. They played great. They won their first game, knocked off the top seed in the second, but lost in the last two seconds of the championship. That was a heart-breaker, but they played great all night.

Tomorrow night is the finals for the girl’s team. We are in the championship game already, so I hope everyone is rested and ready…..particularly since I am the coach! All our high school teams have fared pretty well regardless.

We will be taking a few weeks off until Winter ball which begins in January, and then it all starts up again. It is a great sport, and I am glad Stephanie and Scott play it. We have lots of fun.

I want to think about just that tonight, in that I was by St. Patrick’s tonight and it is still not even painted. We need to take possession of it in no later than 48 hours because we have no other place to go! Please keep it in your prayers. But for now I am off to bed savoring a great lacrosse evening!

Goodnight and God Bless.

Tom+

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I’m Just Two Tents…………

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Tonight I built a tent in our living room for Ben while Amanda and Scott went to Steph’s work to get a few things and take her something to eat. Ben and I had a great time in the tent too. It was made with 4 TV trays and some blankets. We spent much of our time watching the Doodlebops in it and throwing balls at each other. But all good things come to an end. Amanda and Scott got home and soon I was booted from the tent and they replaced me.

Ben soon had to go to bed, and the tent is still up. Ironically, I still see feet sticking out of the bottom…..Scott’s. As everyone else left, Scott stayed. It is not a new thing though. When he was Ben’s age we used to make tents together and he used to fall asleep in them too. He and I will no longer fit in one together….but it sure was moving to see he and Ben in there together.

Anyway, Ben is in bed, Amanda is watching House MD, and Scott is just about 20 minutes from having to abandon his tent and drive me to pick up Steph. Life sure is exciting at the Tirman home, but I would not want it any other way.

Good night my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

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Go Irish, but Scotty, go cheaper…….

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It has been a busy but wonderful day. Scotty and I left early this morning to head to Notre Dame, where Scott was able to tour the campus and attend his first ND football game with my cousins. My uncle and I, who are both older and wiser, didn’t brave the 17 degree weather, but instead watched the game from the Student Union. Sadly ND lost, but Scott was impressed nonetheless.

My cousin Matt is actually a Senior there. Scott and he are pretty close, so it was good for us to be there. Scott, though just a sophomore, needs to start turning his focus toward where he will go, and quite frankly if it is ND he will need TONS of help. We just do not have that kind of money.

Of course he was majorly in love. Notre Dame is a big thing in my family. My dad got his bachelor’s and master’s there, and he even broke his arm playing football there. Now granted it was in gym class, but at least it is not a tall tale!

As for me, I grew up playing hockey in the Irish youth hockey league. My dad taught there, so I was around the campus a lot. When it came time to go to college however, I wanted to go away. Apparently flunking out at home was not good enough, so I made my way away from ND and through two other colleges before heading to, and graduating from, Butler. Don’t get me wrong, Butler is a prestigious school, and I got a great education there. I just regret never going to Notre Dame, and I know I will until the day I die. I will always hold it fondly in my heart.

But I suppose that will have to do….a sheepskin costs well over $100k and I am a bit short! So I will just do my best. Steph is a Junior and will visit ND, probably in March, but will probably go elsewhere. Scotty will probably do the same a year later. Just as long as it is not Penn State I don’t care. Yep, Amanda is one of those, and I already have enough trouble with her. They all think Joe Paterno is in the Bible, and though he is clearly old enough, as a priest I need to be living a little more truth than that. She is a work constantly in progress. Please keep me in your prayers!

Night my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

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Ode to a transportation miracle…..

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Tonight I was able to tell my daughter that she could have my car until hers was fixed and she couldn’t have been happier. Her car has been in the body shop for close to a month as parts come in and work is done. What has been sacrificed has been her freedom. She has to hitch a ride everywhere now, and hearing that era was now over produced a big big smile! It made my day!

My car is a 1998 Volvo and it will become Scott’s when he gets his license, but I know he is not too pleased about it. it is a great car, but hardly something a teenager might want. I remember the days. My first car was a red white and blue 1970 Ford Pinto, hardly the “chick magnet” my 16 year old mind had envisioned. But it was good for me. I learned that a car just gets you from one place to another, and how it looks is not nearly as important as how (or if) it runs!

Anyway, tomorrow Steph will take Scott to school in “his car.” It ought to be interesting. I am just glad they will be able to drive and not lug all their stuff on the bus.

In time, lessons will be learned and most importantly I will be a chauffeur to only Ben and his mom. I like them in that they rarely go anywhere after 7! Praise the Lord for that!

Okay…off to pick up Steph from work for the last time! Yee hah!

Good night my friends and God Bless!

Tom+

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Standing in the line of fire……….

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Tonight I watched proudly as my son Scott took his turn in the net as goalie for his lacrosse team. Each player takes a turn, but I do not think they all enjoy it. Scott survived it, and he has the war-wounds to prove it. But I am certain he is not anxious to get in there again anytime soon. The team they were playing tonight was pretty good.

Sometimes it’s hard to just sit back and watch your kids do things without interjecting yourself. You just love them and you want to protect them. I remember the first time I left him at school, the first time I put him on the school bus, the first sleep-over, the first time away. All of them produced anxiety, yet somehow, someway, he managed to survive without me.

Tonight his knees are a bit torn up, his body is a bit achy, and he is bruised in a couple of places pretty good……but there is nothing wrong with his self-esteem. He looks at it more as a right of passage I think, and in looking back to my own life, I guess that is how I’d see it as well. It was a battle, and he was in it, taking his turn, being part of the team. I am sure he will always remember it too. I know I will.

Scott’s a pretty great kid, with a heart of gold. I am proud to be his dad. I don’t take it for granted…..I know that I am truly blessed!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tom+

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The Good Stuff…….

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It’s been a busy 24 hours. Last night I had my second sleep study in 10 months and I was happy to get it behind me. The doctors are collecting a lot of different pieces of information about me in order to set what we need to do from this point. So far no news….but stay tuned!

And tonight, after a busy day, Amanda and I went to see Scott play in his very first lacrosse game! Scott plays right now for one of the high school’s indoor teams, getting ready for the regular lacrosse season in the Spring. It was a great time, even though we lost. Scott got a real education, in that he was no longer out in the yard with a long retired hockey player knocking him around, he was out with some pretty large high school athletes with sticks, pads, and attitudes! He did score, which was awesome, but even as a good-sized athlete, I know he was surprised by the opponents size, speed, and aggression. It was so much fun to see him so excited about continuing to play! Steph plays tomorrow night, and as the women’s coach, we are excited about that too!

Anyway, not a lot of religion tonight, but the ramblings of a proud dad. All the busy-ness was well worth the wait. It is great to be dad….I always can see God’s blessings when I spend time with my kids!

Good night my friends and God Bless!

Tom+

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Of the joys and pains of fatherhood……..

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Tonight Scotty and I practiced lacrosse in our backyard. Scotty is going to follow in his sister’s footsteps and play for the high school this year, and I thought it would be great fun to get out there with him in the yard and mix it up a bit. After all, I am a former long-time ice hockey player, and certainly know and enjoy how to dish it out. I thought it would be good exercise for us both, and a great lesson for him to work to get by me.

So we got out there and went at it…..Scott in full lacrosse gear, and me in an old facemask-free hockey helmet. Scott 15 and determined, and me, 47 and a legend, apparently only in my mind.

I really shouldn’t be that hard on myself. He acknowledged that I gave him a real battle, particularly when he said I “fouled.” Apparently driving him into the fence and/or the bushes is considered “illegal” in men’s lacrosse. What a whiner! In neighborhood hockey all was fair….no penalties. But what went around came around!

Of course his 31 year advantage came to light quite a few times over the course of our practice, particularly when he launched me with a check that I would be envious of at any point in my life. My helmet (though unstrapped) stayed on, but I was in the air and came down hard! How I LOVE this game! I only wish it were around when I was younger! We are going to practice again tomorrow too! I will take some Advil prophylacticly however.

It is always a blast though. I coach my daughter and the women’s high school team, but I know very little about men’s lacrosse. I am however, trying to learn. I do know quite a bit about ice hockey though, and so I try to fake it when I mix it up with Scott. I may need some x-rays, but I believe it is all worth it. Ben best beware, by the point he is ready for me, I probably will be pretty wicked with my walker!

I love being a dad more than anything else in the world! What a blessing!

Goodnight my friends and God bless!

Tom+

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An entry from my son Scott……..

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Hello, I decided to write my Dad’s blog today, mainly for one reason. Well my Dad’s just plain losing it. I mean really, when your Dad starts spraying weed killer on the cat, or when he yells “WATCH OUT FOR THAT FREAKISHLY LARGE CHICKEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD” when really it was just the Burger King, you can start to tell that your Dad is just plain going crazy.

Well today, we headed down to Nashville, Indiana for a little work on our new building. My job was to remove the tile from the right side of the building. Well let’s back up just a little bit. When we arrived I saw Deacon Dan Conley on his hands and knees with a small hammer and a little chisel. Little did he know we had a spud bar. So now we skip ahead and I am on my hands and knees with a small chisel and a little hammer. Well how did that work out may you ask? Well I don’t know either, but I lived with it. After that, we painted and primed. I was totally clean all throughout, and frankly I was quite sad because of it, until I heard those six words that I really wanted to hear, “Scotty, go clean these paint rollers”…yes… So I walked quietly over to the bathroom and once the door was shut, I knew the fun was about to begin… So my hands were covered in paint. Too bad it was latex and it just washed off so I couldn’t show it off, but I was content.

On the way home was the real fun. Well first off it was my second time driving in the rain. And I made it almost all the way without any trouble. And then it happened. Well really nothing happened but it is my first time writing my Dad’s blog, so I thought that phrase would provide more affect, so I added it. And on that very suspenseful note I thought that I would end. So thank you all and hope to see you all soon.

Scotty

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A good read from varied prospectives……..

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Scotty, Ben and I went down to Half Priced Books tonight because Scotty is required to get a book, “Science Fair Projects for Dummies” for an Honors Chemistry course he is taking in the fall. “Science Fair Projects for Dummies” really seems like an oxymoron to me, but regardless of what I think, he is required to own a copy of that book.

It was funny to me to be up at the register paying though. Ben and Scott were both in the car waiting for me, and I had picked Ben up two books (he is more of a reader than Scott). So in addition to “Science Fair Projects for Dummies” we also got “Hello Spot!” and “Best Friends,” a timeless classic of kitten/puppy relationships. It reminded me of not so long ago buying Scotty the ever popular “Moo Baa La La La,” “The Barnyard Dance,” and “But Not the Hippopotamus!” Children’s books are fun, and I must be good at buying them, after all I never took Honors Chemistry!

We did have a little conflict in the car on the way home though. I caught Scott reading a little of “Best Friends!” But after I reminded him of how much work he had to do he soon put it down and began reading about science fairs. Ben seemed to be enjoying “Hello Spot!” too. It had been chewed quite thoroughly by the time we arrived at home. Overall I would say, it was a successful trip and a good day!

Sometimes my wife says I don’t use enough theology or religion when I write these, and I suppose that is true. But I am a priest who often talks about family values, and I try to live by them too. I have seen so many clergy who are great priests but lousy parents and I don’t want to, or ever intend to be one of them. So perhaps I am postulating that my examples are just merely good theology in action! But it really doesn’t matter, I enjoy writing about my kids and it’s good for me!” There is already plenty of dull stuff to read out here on the Internet, and I know because I read a lot of it! But as for me, I will choose the good portion (yes, a misuse of a Bible verse) and hold up my two wonderful boys today that I love!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless…..

Tom+

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Of Aslan, Scotty, and the Last Battle…….

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As a summer project, Scotty and I have been reading “The Chronicles of Narnia” together, though “together” generally means I am way ahead of him. Many years ago, Steph and I read “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” together, but that was as far as I went. When Scott and I decided to read the series, I asked Steph about it. Steph, who is an avid reader, was able to provide us with two full sets of the series from her personal library!

It amazes me at how much I love to read, but how little I actually do. I find it very relaxing AND, I find that it also helps in my rehab. This series in particular has been so much fun for me too. As a priest, CS Lewis was a theologian, not a fiction writer. But “The Chronicles of Narnia” seems to contain both fiction and theology. It has been a real blessing to me, as well as a privilege to read them with Scott.

I began to read “The Last Battle” this evening, which is the last book in the series, and I am both excited and depressed about getting to its end! I know there are other books I can read, but there have been few books I have enjoyed as much as these.

Anyway, I’m off to stay ahead! I hope to finish “The Last Battle” by bedtime. Of course the last battle is never really over……..I still have to push that 15 year old boy of mine to catch up! But in truth, it is still easier than getting him to clean his room!

Nite and God bless!

Fr. Tom+