All the rage of facebook. What character are you? What state is optimal for you? All the answers posted here!
(I went OUT OF MY WAY to pick alternative but still applicable answers and STILL GOT THE ENGINEER! These quizzes are smarter than I thought!)
Since it’s posted, and someone summarized it, here’s when the rest of the episodes will finally air. As stated before, we were the first game of the first round and the last game of the second round. So, one they start again, there are a lot of them and they come every two weeks until after Memorial Day.
Howell: April 19
DeWitt: May 17
Hartland: May 31
Saline: June 4
White Cloud: June 4
Winter sucks….especially for picture-taking. Dark gloomy indoor facilities for soccer, dark gyms….low camera angles. Not a good combination for anything half decent…and we’ve tried!
This weekend worked about better for a variety of reasons. So, there are a lot of pictures in this post! But, first!
Kevin/Dad: Kevin won his first match, 15-12, 15-5, 15-3. Dad lost 14-15, 15-9, 5-15….played some 20-something and I just didn’t have the stamina to keep up with him at the end. Oh well.
Cpher: Finally won two back-to-back games; beat Holt 49-45, beat Eaton Rapids 45-40.
Thought the kid really played well in the first game even though his shots didn’t go in. I think universally, coaches and parents, thought Cpher had the best game of the year in the second game, against Eaton Rapids.
The first game, against Holt, had quite an ending. We were down by four with about 50 seconds to go. There was a big scrum for the ball, Holt ended up getting it and one of their coaches called a time out, hoping to keep possession before we could steal it back.
That was a mistake….they didn’t have any more time outs. The other Holt coach was yelling at the one coach; pretty ugly. They get a technical; we get two free throws and the ball. Make one of two, and then make a three-pointer to tie it up. We press and steal the ball and score and then they have to foul us and we win by four in the end.
Thought the boy did well on defense; gathered a lot of rebounds and did what he needed to do against Holt’s big guys.
Having games at Holt High School sucks….and that’s too bad. It’s the newest high school in the area and it looks great…and I’m sure the gym is awesome for high school games. But, when you are trying to fit two games on the court it sucks….there is no room on the gym floor for seats or the stands to be pulled out. So everyone is up on the balcony, and if you sit in the chairs you have to watch through the fence or stand.
The bright side is that you are up high and can see the game differently. Following the usual deal, I taped the first game and plan to go back and pull out all of the Cpher moments. Took pictures in the second game…most pictures are when the players are on the side of the gym away from us but I did take a few of Cpher as he was down on our end…I’m probably shooting down at him at about a 45 degree angle for this shot.
And this one, as he guards an inbound pass.
Had seven points; this is two of them. A rebound and then back up for the points.
Strong on defense.
Strong on defense!! Cpher and I had to laugh, we are trying to figure out what Eli is doing there on the far right….
This is the play Cpher talked about as we left the gym….”Dad, I was over the line on one of the inbounds plays”. Not a big deal…..especially since….
the other crappy thing about the Holt gym is that the lines for the ‘other’ courts are this pale green that you can see under Cpher in this photo. Another of Cpher’s baskets.
I have no pictures of his finest offensive moment, it happened on this end on the other side of the basket. But there was a shot, and he had to run all the way out to the sideline to get the rebound. He didn’t hesitate, he dribbled in, posted up, blocked the defender out, and scored. Maybe the most I’ve seen him move offensively. Had a chance on a fast break today too but the pass was too high and too long; made him do almost a 180 trying to catch it.
Not in good rebound position here…..but not coming over the back either. The other big guy got in foul trouble (and eventually fouled out) so Cpher was on the court a lot.
Did get this rebound.
And I was happy to see that even late in the 2nd game he was running the court well….
Late in the fourth quarter got fouled getting a rebound…we were in the bonus, so, reluctantly he went to the line.
Made the first, missed the second. A good day of basketball!
Matthew: Two games to finish off this first session of indoor soccer. Tied the first match 1-1; lost the second 2-0.
These indoor games, for the first time ever, are at the Eastern Michigan University Dome. It’s the dome for the football team, so, you can see the football lines in all of these pictures. But it’s bright, and very nice. The field is huge…the biggest soccer pitch that we’ve played on yet! Wish he had more games here!
There seems to be some club-edict that we wear white in indoors. Not a fan, have never been a fan, of all whites. Heck, go with blue shorts every once in a while if you want white tops.
Thought the boy played ok. Not his greatest outing, especially in the second game where he spent more time on the bench than I’ve ever seen him spend there. Had a bad pass that led to quite a breakaway…..and I need to talk with him before the next games to make sure he understands that, especially in your end, your passes need to be your teammates feet, not to a space in front of them where the other team can get them.
Always have liked these pictures from behind on free kicks….
With every indoor game I’m becoming more and more confused about what the coach wants Matthew to play; he has said, when we talk, that he sees Matthew as a center-mid but in these two games, when one of the center-mids was gone playing basketball, I expected Matthew to play there a lot and instead, after a brief stint to start game one, he was back at center back for the majority of the two games. Not sure if this is a winter thing or what….we'll see what happens I guess.
Matthew: All quiet on this front last week.
Kevin/Dad: My match cancelled; Kevin lost 15-13, 15-4, 15-2.
Cpher: Lost both games while Mom and Kevin were away. Lost to ELansing 58-53 in OT; lost to Williamston 54-24 in the second game.
(probably needs to consider jumping a touch earlier….this wasn’t particularly close)
The EL game was fun, we were down by 14 going into the fourth quarter and battled back to tie it. Of course, battling back means that we are pressing and trapping the whole time and the big slow guys didn’t see the court at all….understandable.
The last picture is right after this group of four got pulled off the court to go over the play the coach wanted them to run…but, they didn’t do that very well. So, back to the drawing board.
Two more games next weekend, and then another weekend off before the year-end tournament. We will be one of the top teams in the bottom half of the bracket.
The last of this type of post. I think.
1) In the end, what are the chances that Kevin goes here?
2%. Kevin ranks Oklahoma second, ahead of Michigan and Arizona State. But not 1st.
2) What did Kevin think?
He liked it well enough. Was not blown away or overly excited about anything he saw here, but, I think the interviews here went better than at any other school.
(Oklahoma paid for the hotel room for the night and oh what a night! The Sooner Legends and Suites, an older 60’s style hotel completely done in Crimson and White and with pictures of Sooners everywhere! Kevin’s facebook post says it best…)
3) Most impressive thing?
The Dining Hall. It wasn’t even close; Suzanne and Kevin were still talking about it days later.
(I got the impression that at least in this main Dining Area you could get almost any kind of food available and most of it made to order. Suzanne had this huge steak quesadilla, Kevin sampled the all-you-can-eat Chick-fil-a)
(the only tour where they ended up inside the football stadium, if only for a moment)
4) Least impressive thing?
Not much. The hotel was more kitsch-y than anything else.
The International Studies program is new, only a few years old, and apparently the legacy of the current president of the school. So, not much of a reputation but a big focus on establishing one.
(a lot of brick buildings in Norman….some more ornamental than others)
5) Food?
Discussed above.
6) Biggest reason to go here?
Five Years of almost completely funded higher education.
7) Biggest reason not to go here?
It’s Oklahoma. It’s not Northeastern
8) What’s next?
Saying ‘yes’ to Northeastern. Orientation in Boston sometime this summer.
Ok, we’ll hear from George Washington in March…..but I think Kevin at this point would probably pick NE over GW.
9) Any Other Updates?
Just one. We knew they had sent out rejection letters a few weeks back, so, this was just a formality. But a big one.
Boston in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday; travel day Monday to Norman
1) In the end, what are the chances that Kevin goes here?
98%? Maybe he will decide that the benefits of a full ride at Oklahoma outweigh what he likes here but, I think this is his far and away first choice after the visit. Unless George Washington comes through with some crazy aid package that we don’t expect right now…and I don’t know if he would choose that over Northeastern at this point!
(the first visit where Kevin said “Yes I would like a shirt”. Enough said)
2) What did Kevin think?
He liked everything. Period. Exclamation Mark. In fact, the more he learned the more he liked what going to Northeastern would mean.
(maybe the icing on the cake…told Kevin last night that he should go Google ‘northeastern ski club’. And for $55 per trip (includes bus AND lift ticket) he could go to some of the best mountains in Vermont and New Hampshire every weekend. A really sweet deal!)
3) Most impressive thing?
The coop program. Kevin wouldn’t have the most traditional of college experiences here; he would be gone from campus three times in five years on co-op semesters.
The International Village, the brand-new Honors dorm, also ranked high on Kevin’s list.
(long ago Kevin had his college priorities as 1) away from home and b) big city. 2 for 2 here, even more so here than ASU (Phoenix) or Norman (Oklahoma City); the campus is it’s own distinct campus but only a subway stop or two from downtown)
4) Least impressive thing?
They wanted Kevin to post that YouTube video way in advance so that they could talk with him (if they wanted too) during this visit. They couldn’t even acknowledge they received the email with the link.
But, that’s it. Nothing else was a downer. Suzanne mentioned this morning that two things were missing from this visit from all of the others. There was no talk of football. There was no talk of Greek life (they have it, but, it’s not a huge emphasis). And yes, a lot of this is the choices Kevin and we made for schools to visit. but Kevin does not care a bit about either of those things….
(some building at Northeastern….
5) Food?
I wasn’t there, so, have nothing to report here.
(some random pictures of Northeastern)
6) Biggest reason to go here?
For the first time in this whole process Kevin has been overly enthusiastic about the opportunity to go here. The co-op program. Sounds like they have a BA/MA program too….Suzanne heard about it but I don’t have enough info yet to talk about it.
7) Biggest reason not to go here?
While meeting the initial screening of “costs-less-than-Michigan”, it doesn’t cost much less. Kevin will be working every summer to at least earn living expense money; coop earnings will help offset costs as well (in the understatement of the week, Boston is not the cheapest place to live should Kevin end up off-campus)
(Suzanne reports the Marriott near campus is completely and totally awesome….I can tell it has some great views!)
8) What’s next?
Mom and Kevin are on the way to Norman even as I start to type this.
9) Any Other Updates?
Nope. Expect the letter stating that Kevin is a national merit finalist any day now.
