Spring is Here!

I'm so very happy that Spring is here and the outdoors are no longer a hostile, foreign environment.  I swear every time I left a building, I was half expecting somebody to warn me that my tauntaun would freeze before I reached the first marker.  I'm pretty sure I froze my tauntauns off on more than one occasion.

So, updates on all the news that's fit to print.  Baseball season is kicking off in high gear.  Bambino is on a new team, now.  I am a little nervous about it, but I figure in the long run, he'll be fine.  This team is, hands-down, the best team he's ever been on.  They play a tournament every single weekend of the season except one.  Then, add a couple of midweek games and all told, he's going to basically average about a game a day from mid April to mid July.

There's a big tournament in Myrtle Beach to cap off the entire season.  So, that's vacation for the year.

I'm excited for Bambino and my goal with all this travel baseball was to prepare him to play in High School.  Doing the math, looking at the available players and talking to other parents, I think we can all but roll out the mission accomplished banner on this one.

I think he has all the tools he will need to play in High School.  If he wants to put in the work, he can continue to excel.  Even if he continues to play other sports, he should still have a good HS career, and eventually play varsity.

So, that's the payoff.  That's all I really wanted with all the travel ball.  Like most stuff in life, if I had it all to do over, I'd do it differently.  However, it's done, now, and the result is what I'd hoped for.  Bambino continues to be a heck of a good ballplayer.

Fencing season is pretty much over for me until late Summer 2015.  It's as good a time as any for a break.  There is just no real way I can do any tournaments until baseball season is over.  It was time for a break, anyway.

I'm very, very happy with my progress over the past 8 months.  I started out basically only knowing how to do one thing (beat the hell out of a blade, close distance and stab like a madman.)  Now, I'm evolving a style that's pretty far removed from that.  I'm getting tons of glove and forearm touches, even in tournaments.  So, I'm using a lot more finesse these days.

Next year, I hope to combine my blade control / sniping ability with the aggression I started out with.  Try to combine it with some better attempts at binding and controlling the opponent's blade and see how it goes.

I'm going to also try french grip.  If it works out the way it's planned, that should lead to more touches and improved control.  If not, I can always go back to the standard pistol grip (the visconti grip) and continue along the path I was going.

Basketball season is over for the Bambino, now.  He's finishing up his rec basketball season.  He continues to absolutely love basketball.  So, I'm encouraging him to give it his all.  Basketball is, by far, the hardest teams to make and the hardest to get a varsity letter in, in high school, IMHO.  Baseball is second.  (Just personal opinion.  Not trying to start a fight with people who have kids in other sports.)  He knows he's either going to have to grow or develop a killer 3 if he hopes to play varsity.  His ball handling, leaping ability, jump shooting, etc., are phenomenally better than last year.  I'm really impressed with his progress.  If he improves a comparable amount next year, I think he's going to be in fantastic shape for freshman ball.

Bambino is also thinking he wants to play wide receiver in football.  I'm nervous about it.  Every parent is these days.  It'll be more than a little crazy seeing him suit up for his High School's football team.  So far so good.  No significant dane brammage that I can see.  I will be holding my breath until he finishes his time under the Friday Night Lights uneventfully.  Fingers crossed.

I just finished the last of my Defense Acquisition University (yes, there is such a thing) classes required for my Level II certification in Acquisition.  (These certifications are under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, or DAWIA.)  In July, my 3 year service obligation with the Air Force is over.  I am desperately trying to find work closer to home.

I'm a little surprised I've been able to do this for as long as I have.  This drive and this situation have just been crazy and I've been doing them for almost 3 years, now.  I was in pure survival mode.  I'd like to do a little living though.

Until Bambino graduates High School, I want to try and stay here if at all possible.  Of course, that may not be possible.  I'll just keep playing it by ear.  If I have to do this same routine for another 4 years, I'd survive.  However, if I could get a job with the VA in Ann Arbor, I'd sure take it.

So, now, the weather is good.  I can start running outside again.  I'm hoping I'll be able to get back into the shape I was in back in August or so of last year.  I did make some gains with weight training over the long Winter, but I've never really liked being big.  I'll be very happy to slim back down.