What a Year This Will Be!

Well  into my 69th year, I have a full schedule of sports planned for 2013.

• March 28th, 2013, the CELADRIN TIGERETTES were invited to New York to play the lady anchors in a fun adventure on The Today Show.  They had a proper full court sport's court set up and fenced off with fans four people deep surrounding it.  Cameras on cranes,Matt Lauer interviewing, Al Roker refereeing, with a flashy looking opposition of Natalie Morales , Hoda Kotb , Kathie Lee Gifford , and Ann Curry.  This was outrageous...for our team anyway.  See what I mean by watching.

 While waiting in the "Green Room" at NBC, someone mentioned that we had recorded a
Fight Song, so ,of course, we broke into song...terrible without accompaniment.  But it seems we never pass up an opportunity to look foolish.

• April 5th was the Texas State Senior Games held at Trinity University in San Antonio.  I took my husband, Poul, and we had a great time enjoying the Alamo and the River-walk.  The team did a number of TV stations.

• KABB-FOX TV Fox News First, live on Thursday
• WOAI-NBC San Antonio Living  live on Friday
• KABB-Fox Daytime at 9 live on Friday before playing the tournament
• CBS KENS5 live on Saturday...see the CLIP

 The Texas State Games were interesting.  We won the Gold in the 65+ division by defeating all of the teams in that category and bringing our record to 200 wins, 5 losses.  We then scrimmaged with a great team called the "Hoopaholics" from a younger division.  That was super fun.  It made us push ourselves like we haven't done in years.

• May 18^th and 19^th there is a basketball tournament in San Diego for the California State Games
• May 24-26 the US Open Volleyball Tournament is in Louisville Kentucky and I have entered the Legacy 60+ team.
• May 27-29 my Legacy 65+ team is playing in the US Open
  
  
• July 25-29 the Celadrin Tigerettes will be competing for their 8^th US National Senior Title in Cleveland, Ohio.
  
  
• July 31-August 17 I am travelling to Italy on the Huntsman Games Friendship Tour and competing in the World Masters Games in Torino, Italy with the Australian Southern Stars, a 50+ volleyball team and then continuing to tour in Italy.
  
  
• October is always the St. George Utah trip for the Huntsman World Senior Games and it will be my last year putting in 60 and 65 teams. Next year I qualify for 70+ so will put in 65 and 70 teams.

Because this is a demanding schedule, I have increased my workouts. I'm still playing with the drop-in full court ladies basketball on Monday nights. This year my daughter, Cori, was able to play with us often which made it twice as hard (because she's good and tough) but twice the fun. On Thursday nights I play in the Open Woman's Competitive Volleyball league in Nanaimo. Having a twenty year head start on most of those girls doesn't seem to matter. I joined Jim's Gym in Parksville and do intervals for cardio and weights for strength, on alternate days. Thought I might lose some weight through all this. Everyone knows a woman shouldn't weigh 193 lbs....but here I am. My arms are solid and getting bigger. I'm wearing a size 12. Poul seems to like where things are...so what the heck.

When young and apologetic for being a jock, I worried about “bulking up” but at 68 my dense bones and bulging muscles make me feel proud about not being normal. In fact Poul and I have said we are interested in being sent around Mars, a trip which takes a year and a half in an area the size of 3 latrines. There my dense bones would be appreciated and my work ethic in the gym would pay off to keep me functioning.

Renovations are still a big part of every day. The deck which is mostly Poul's construction domain will be followed by the foyer and stairwell. Next will be the living room and kitchen. My forte is finishing: tiling, flooring, trim, painting etc. So I have to wait for the next phase to begin. And while I wait. I play.