Armistice Day. The 11th hour of the 11 day of the 11th month of 1918 marked the end of “The War to End All Wars.” Now it’s called Veteran’s Day because it wasn’t the war to end all wars. At least they tried. So raise a toast to them and to those that keep trying. May they never be forgotten.
Our weekend consisted of the High School League Championship swim meet. Friday night and Saturday, eight teams and spectators, crammed into a natatorium. At a decibel level similar to being in a small room with a running jet engine. Or maybe the cast of Stomp scratching their fingernails on blackboards while performing. Six hours on bleacher seats rejected by CIA rendition centers as being cruel and unusual punishment.
Pool deck before start.
A very cozy pool deck before start.
Our girls in a huddle.
No box seats.
Our girls pretty much blitzed the tournament, winning the league championship. Molly did excellent, swimming a couple of personal bests in the 500 meter and in individual and relay 50 meter races. Way better than I could do now or ever in my past. We’re pretty proud, especially since she is only swimming to stay in shape for water polo.
Moo in the water after finishing a kick butt freestyle leg in the 200 IM. They took first in the heat.
Award platform for second in a 50 freestyle heat
Moo swimming her personal best 500 meter.
They took first, second, and third in a 500 meter heat.
The team with the league trophy.
The team and the coach in the water. The coach is the one with the sideburns.
One of the more stirring parts of the tournament is a girl on the Dewitt team named Mallory. She’s in a wheelchair with what looks like MS or Cerebral Palsy. She is lowered into the water to very slowly swim the 50 meter backstroke leg of the IM relays. The other teams finish all four strokes long before she finishes her backstroke leg. Then her teammates gamely swim the remaining strokes. That’s courage on her part and loyalty on their part. Hearing the whole natatorium chanting, “Go Mallory go,” and then applauding her teammates that have zero chance of winning a heat, is pretty moving.
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 