T e e J a y

Ok, Right

2005-10-30T09:24:00.000-05:00

So I've been neglecting the blog. Sorry. I probably have lost all my readers. In the week(s) since I have posted, I have sprained my MCL, played alot of disc golf, and scored a goal. But if you haven't heard about all of this, my bad. It's time to move on and look toward the future. So I'm posting this to force myself to start posting again. Right.

Until next time...

A Pelican's Briefs

2005-10-09T21:54:00.000-04:00

Aloha. I'm coming to you after a jampacked day full of guitar, disc golf, and calculus. First let's recap th rest of the week.

Friday, the football game got rained out. So I was brave enough to go out in the monsoon (no exaggeration there) over to Cory's house for some poker. My luck has been pretty crappy the past few times I have played, so I was looking to change my luck. After about 3 hours, I came out victorious, and earning $35 for my efforts. Sweet.

Yesterday was fun as well. Not. Well, it started off not fun. I had to take the SAT. For those of you who haven't taken it yet, or haven't taken the new one at all, you are lucky. I feel it is a poor judgement of intelligence and a complete waste of mine, and every person who has to takes its time. Nonetheless, I still took it. I went in at 8, got out at about 1:10. So yeah, that took up most of the day. I grabbed a Firehouse Sub (best subs around) since I was in the vicinity. Then I met up with Jon and Mac for some good disc golf action. UNCC and App are currently on fall break, so Tim and James were home. They came over, with some of Tim's college friends, and we played some crazy captain's choice disc golf. It was fun times.

Today was a pretty cool day as well. It was the 215th anniversary of my church, so there were alot of people there, and we had some good food after the service. I then came home to read a couple chapters of The Pelican Brief (not to be confused with a pelicans brief's). I know I have failed to mention it, but John Grisham is the man, and I highly recommend any book he wrotes/will write. So anyways, after reading, I played a couple more rounds of disc golf with Jon and Mike. I shot a +5, my best score ever. It was crazy nasty. Following that, we played some soccer over at the field with most of the team in preparation of tomorrows big match against Hibriten. So I was planning on going home after that, but Lambo gives me a call saying their shooting some hoops over at Chance's place. So I went over there for some good basketball action. I was extremely rusty, but I thought I played pretty well considering.

So after that long day, I must concede to writing in the blog in favor of watching the Angels/Yankees game.

Until next time...

Crazy Rebels

2005-10-06T20:12:00.000-04:00

Well hello there. Since we have spoken last, alot has happened. This week has been crazy, and it had its climax yesterday. So let's cut right to the chase, cause I'm sure you're chomping at the bit to see what happened.

Monday, we had a home match against West Caldwell. We came out strong, but they had a nice shot within the first 2 minutes of the match, and took an early 1-0 lead. We kept up the offensive pressure, and finally put the ball in the back of the net. We ended up winning 3-1, off some nice goals from Earls and Mac.

Tuesday, after getting home from practice, I proceded to work on Physics, Calculus, and finalized my college applications. I am applying to 4 schools (NC State, Carolina, Charlotte, and App) and I will know if I get in in the coming months. I will be sure to let you, the avid blog reader, know what happens.

Wednesday. What a day it was. We had a soccer game at home versus Newton-Conover. If any of you remember, the last time we played Newton, we beat them 2-1, at their place, when they were ranked #1 in the state. The next day, the Hickory Daily Record interviewed one of their players who said, "Both teams played a well fought match. But the next time we play them, they better bring it, because I know we will. Foard just got unlucky." We had that article on our locker room door ever since they day, and Wednesday was time. We came out strong, and Pat got a goal about 15 minutes in. The huge crowd we had went nuts. From that point on it was a dogfight. It was one of the most physical, and physically demanding games I have ever played. We made it through the half 1-0, and after halftime, they braught it. But our defense was up to the task. During the last 20 minutes, it started raining, which was awesome, because I love playing in the rain. We managed to hold them off, despite there best efforts, and sent them packing. We were pumped after the game, and later that night found out that Hickory had lost too. So all we had to do is win the rest of our games, and we win conference. More about this at a later date. Also, to add to the pure exhilaration of yesterday, Fifa '06 came out, which is freaking awesome. I will elaborate on all this later.

My joy was short-lived, however, today I had two big tests in Physics and Calculus. But once that was over with, I came home and treated my self to Fifa, and am now watching the ESPN Orginial Movie, "Four Minutes", which is great. Speaking of that movie, I must get back to it, it is getting really good.

Until next time...

Happy October

2005-10-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

I wanna preface this post by saying that Fifa 2006 comes out on Thursday, so everyone needs to go cop that.

But anyways, we played Hickory last night in football. For those of you who don't know about football in this area, or those who are ignorant and don't care, Hickory is undefeated. They proved why, defeating our guys 42-0. So then again, I look to next week for a W for the Tigers. Our crew travels down to Hibriten, for a CVAC game against the Panthers, I'm hoping for the best.

Today was pretty cool. I woke up at like 8 (the only thing not cool), to go help out with a Car Show and BBQ at church. I saw some sweet cars, and took some photos with my fully manual camera for photography class. I might share them with you depending on how they come out. I got done around 12, then headed over to Glenn Hilton for some disc golf. I shot two of my worst rounds ever. But hey, I can't do good all the time, I was due for a bad round.

I got back home, watched Florida get killed by Alabama (Shubert!). I then took a nap, then ran 6 miles with Drew. Considering I haven't ran any distance over two miles in the last three months, I did rather well. After getting home, I watched Notre Dame pummel Purdue, and realized, ND is the truth. Now I'm just watching TV, and chilling.

Well now baseball is getting down to the final game of the season for most of the teams. The AL Wildcard is about wrapped up, the Red Sox are 1 game up on the Indians, and in the NL, the Astros are 1 up on the Phillies. So as long as anything crazy doesn't happen, which I wouldn't doubt, then the playoff teams are all but sealed up. The Yanks clinched the AL East today. Overall, baseball had a good year, certainly with its ups and downs. I am highly anticipating the playoffs, it should consists of some good games. However, Sportscenter is calling me, so.

Until next time...

Long Week

2005-09-29T20:20:00.000-04:00

The title emplies why I haven't posted in the past week. So I suppose you wouldn't be reading this unless you wanted to know whats up.

So on Monday, was a big soccer game. Hickory v. FTF. Last year, as some of you may recall, the crowd was insanely insane, forcing one of their players to get a yellow card for making unsportsmanlike gesticulations toward them. And was quite frankly the best soccer match I've played in my life. This years match didn't even come close to topping it. We had a good crowd, but ended up losing a tough match, 4-1.

Tuesday practice was cancelled, so Jon, Mac, and I hit up some disc golf. It was awesome, and I'm growing quite fond of the sport.

Yesterday we had an away match against Bandys. When we got there, we soon discovered that their field was a specific soccer field, not a football field. It was pretty sweet. Soon after we got their, however, we had found out that one of their players had passed away a little bit before the JV game. He had cancer, and they knew it was a matter of time. It was still sad, and it was hard to play after the tribute they had for him. However, emotions aside, we ended up winning 3-0.

Today after practice, I checked out the volleyball game. I decided to go because the number of home games are winding down, and I want to experience as much as I can my senior year.

I just want to say something about the sports world right now. If any of you have been watching/listening to the news, you would be aware of the current playoff race in the American League. It is everything any baseball fan could want. 4 teams trying to get in 3 playoff spots. Today the White Sox clinched, so its down to 3 teams for 2 spots. I cannot fathom this. A baseball season is 162 games, and when it comes down to the last 3-4 games, that's just awesome. Enough about that, I'm just a sports nut.

Everyone have a good day, I'm out...

Until next time...

Untitled

2005-09-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

Just checking in. I'm extremely bored, considering my night ended prematurely with my lackluster poker play over at Cory's. So for the past 3 hours I have been playing Yahoo Pool and listening to Dave Matthews. Today Matt came home from college, so we chilled, and met up with Jon for some disc golf. Had fun with that.

Tomorrow will be filled with a whole day of college applications and NFL.

I have nothing more to say, except for one thing. HICKORY VS. FOARD AT THE CAGE, 7PM.. BE THERE!!!

Until next time...

Futbol and Football

2005-09-22T18:15:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know I've been neglecting the blog, but I haven't really haven't had time to post. What can I say, I'm a busy man. I've nearly failed a physics test, filled out some college applications, and drank over a dozen Gatorades. Now that we've got the useless information out of the way, we can get to the juicy stuff. (ok, not really)

Monday we had a game at home against Bunker Hill. They are a 2nd year soccer program, and we pummelled them 10-0. It was really a boring game.

Tuesday was an ordinary day, we didn't have practice. So after school I went home and played Yahoo Pool for like 2 hours. I am the untested champion, if you want some, bring it. After that escapade, Dad and I went out to the new Chinese restaurant, it was good.

So yesterday was the heavily anticipated game against St. Stephens, at there place. They always give us a good game when we play there, and it definetly turned out to be one. We controlled most of the first half, but only managed a 1-1 tie at halftime. We played pretty evenly most of the 2nd, but we got a late goal, making it 2-1. We held out for the victory, hurray! So now we look toward next Monday, the biggest game of the year, Hickory, at home. EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE THERE!

And after practice today, I must get a shower, and rest. Tomorrow night will be fun, the Tigers roll into Gurley Stadium to take on the Devils of Newton-Conover. It should be a fun game. And on Saturday is my favorite day of the week now, because Jon and I are going to hit up some good disc golf action. But I'm off for now.

Until next time...

Aloha

2005-09-17T09:48:00.000-04:00

Well I haven't much really to say, and I was bored, so I thought I'd make a nice little post here. Last night I went to the Saint/Hickory football game over at L-R. I'm not quite sure why the game was played there, but it was crazy. Even though Hickory killed them (they are extremely good), it was interesting to see a high school game on a college field, I'll be it a small college, but one nonetheless. There were tons of people there.

As for today, I might hopefully go play a couple rounds of disc golf, and I have to do alot of college stuff. Boo. But as I said, I don't have much to say, so...

Until next time...

The Highs and Lows of Sweeping

2005-09-15T21:40:00.000-04:00

Hello to all. (That would be funny if you have Shubert, but if not, disregard this comment.) Well this week has definetly had it's ups and downs. So if your interested, keep reading, if not, well, read anyway, you might learn something about how bad grammer is, and improve your English.

So check it, Monday we had a match against Newton-Conover, at their place. For those of you who don't know, Newton was ranked #1 in the state in 2A at the time of the match, so this match was huge. It was the first conference match of the season, so we wanted to start out with a bang, with a win. As you can tell, we certinaly should, and were, very much hyped up for this match. Right off the bat, within one minute, we scored. This was huge. Our goal coming in to score early, and I think we nailed it. After that it was a battle, both teams played basically even till about 18 minutes left in the 2nd half, when they scored off a goal that never should have happened. So there we were, in OT for the 2nd time in three games. Quick side note here: I don't know how many of you have played soccer, or even know what all it entails, but we play 2 full 40 minute halves, and the OT consists of two 10-minute overtime periods, and we play the full 20 minutes. So that would be 100 minutes of total game time, and that gets rough. So we were down to the 99th minute, and just when it looked like we were going to end up with a tie. I saw it happen. It was like it was slow motion, and I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was yesterday, two days ago. I think it was Alton threw it in to Weldon, who crossed it to Chester, who took it down the line, and found my boy Clip, who got it about 10 yards outside of the 18, and blasted it in for a goal. 2-1. BAM. We had beaten Newton. The feeling after that game, I do not think I will ever forget. What a game.

Moving along, Tuesday was pretty bland, just recovering from Monday, and anticipating our match on Wednesday, at Hibriten. Hibriten, another 2A conference foe, was going to be another tough match, and definetly lived up to expectation. I was a little under the weather, so I sat out most of the game, and we lost off a heartbreaking goal, 1-0. It sucked. However, at the expense of our loss, I think it brought our team closer together, and made us face reality. No one is going to give us the game, we have to work everything. I hate that we lost, but was good in the fact that it got us together.

Today, we had practice, then watched a little tennis at the match. I am indeed looking forward to the weekend, which should be filled with some disc golf. Hurray. Well I am off, in favor of sleep.

Until next time...

Week In Review

2005-09-11T17:41:00.000-04:00

Well here it is, as promised a nice long review of the week that was.

Tuesday we had a match against Alexander Central, the first home match of the year, and boy was it a doozy. If you recall, last year we had only lost at home once, and gave up two goals the entire year (in both cases the game happened to be the last game, against Hickory). The Cage Crazies of last year all graduated, so we were left with a few roudy fans, but nothing compared to the great crowds and noise of last year. Back to the game. The game was extremely rough, which tends to happen when the ref's don't call squat. So there we were up 1-0, then we give up a goal. Tied 1-1, and it stays that way for the rest of the match, so to overtime we go. During the course of the match, the ref wouldn't call real hard fouls, but would make some calls instead when people really didn't get fouled, and acted like they did. So we used this to our advantage, and ended up getting a foul in the box, and converted a PK to win the game, 2-1.

Wednesday was a pretty average day, school and soccer practice. Me and Earls went to check out the Newton/AC game to scout Newton, they look decent. More about this later.

So on Thursday we had another soccer match at home against McDowell. This team was horrible, but like before, we couldn't finish. It was until 12 minutes left in the 2nd half did anyone score, and it wasn't us. So we were down 1-0 at home, with about 11 minutes remaining. Then we got pissed and scored off 2 corner kicks in a row to send McDowell packing, and to keep our home record unblemished.

All week was leading up to Friday, the day of the big football game Foard vs. Maiden. I first knew we had a shot at beating the perinnial power when the lost to Lincolnton just a week prior, showing signs of vulnerablilty. I led the Tigers out of the tunnel holding my huge FTF flag, just as I did a week ago, hoping that it would lead the same results as it had done before, a victory. On the first play of the game, Tommy Henry (Maiden's star running back) was playing defense, and intercepted Walters' first pass of the game. Then got on offense, and ran it in, scoring in just 26 seconds. I knew from then they came to play. But our boys responded well, battling the rest of the half, and threw half time. It was 21-7 at half, and was the closest we had been to Maiden in recent memory. They scored early 3rd quarter, making it 28-7, and we felt the game start to slip away a little. Then the fire was ignited. We score on the ensuing drive, but failed to convert the PAT off a bad snap, making it 28-13. On our kickoff, there returned bobbled it, and we recovered the fumble, and scored, but Jon just entirely missed the PAT, so the score was 28-19. By this time Tiger Stadium was rocking, the momentum shift was fsst, and effective. Maiden went 3 and out on their next drive, and we scored yet again, this time converting the PAT, making it 28-26. Somehow we stop them on their next drive, and had the ball around their 25, and faced a 4th and about 6 or 7. The fate of the game rested on that play. We went for a pass, but it failed, thus ending our dreams of beating the Blue Devils. But what a hard faught game it was, and I think this game gives our team the confidence that they can hang with anyone.

So yesterday I went up to UNCC to chill with Tim C., and to play some disc golf in Charlotte. The App crew was up there, so James went with us to play at Reedy Creek, and wooded course 10 minutes away from Tim C's dorm. I had fun, even though I sucked it up. We got back, I met up with Rachel who gave me a tour of the campus, which was cool, they have an surprisingly nice campus. Then, at night, I ended up playing poker with some of Tim C's roomates, and some FTF graduates. I won $17 bucks, which was cool. Then I got up this morning drove home, and have been watching football ever since.

I hope you enjoyed my enormously long update, I know my fingers enjoyed typing it out for you. Now it's time for me to go sulk over the Panthers loss, and root on my fantasy team.

Until next time...

Subdued

2005-09-09T23:52:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know what your saying. Tim has gotten bored with blogging, and will stop to do it. That's poop. I have just been absolutely busy this entire week with stuff that I haven't got around to blogging. And now would also be one of those times, I'm just writing this so I won't loose readers (like I have any anyway). I have to go to sleep now, I'm heading up to UNCC tomorrow. But when I return on Sunday, I shall have a long post to quence your blogging thirsts.

Until next time...

Road Trip

2005-09-05T15:43:00.000-04:00

Ahoy. Well let's just jump right into it, shall we?

Yesterday morning, Mitch and I traveled over to Mark's place to embark on our journey to Raleigh, and little did we know what we had instore for us. As I pulled up I saw the car we were taking, totally decked out in Virginia Tech flags. For those of you uninformed, Mitch and I are NC State fans, Mark favors VT. So anywho, we took down the flags, and headed off. We picked up Ben on the way, because he needed a ride down. After stopping at Bojangles for a little brunch, we arrived on campus around 11:30-12. We dropped our stuff off in Ben's dorm, then headed over to Carmichael to play some basketball. Little did we know, Carmichael was closed, but we did find 2 cool guys playing ball on the street, and proceded to play a little 3 on 3 action for about an hour.

After a little basketball, we went back to the dorms, got showers, and headed over to the pre-game tailgate. All the students of course already had tickets, and we didn't, so we figured we could just scalp some for cheap upon arrival, then hang out and eat some food before the game. So we parked, and started to search for tickets. We searched. And searched. And searched some more. We got there at 2:15, and here it was, 6:00, 75 minutes till kick-off, and we still haven't found any tickets. We seriously asked every person we saw, and never stopped walking for 4 hours. But our persistance paid off, when a guy gave Mitch a ticket for FREE. Mad props to this guy. So we have 1 ticket. Great. So about 20 minutes later, we got a call saying Mitch got another ticket, for a handsome some of money. 2 down. For the third, Mark chose to find a scalper, and just buy it from him, which ended up to be around 6:40 or so. So at 6:50, we walked in the gates of Carter-Finley stadium, with a little less money, but with a better appreciation of watching the game. Granted we all three sat at different spots of the stadium, it was still worth it, because what a great game it was. The attendance ended up being 57,100, the 7th largest crowd ever at State. However, even though State lost (Mitch and I never heard the end of it) it was definetly a fun night. Always being on top of the situation, I thought I should take some pictures for the blog viewers, so they could have a visual to go along with my great words.

The main tailgate area. This is the place where we walked about a million times, searching for tickets.

After finally getting in, this is the band's pregame performance. If you look closely you can see that they spell out a cursive "State"

This is the pack coming out of the tunnel, sorry for the lighting issues.

My favorite photo, just a shot of the field, showing the enourmous amount of people there.

Well overall, it was awesome. But for now I'm running out of things to write about, so it's time for me to shut up. Home soccer game tomorrow night at home versus Alexander Central, 6:30 PM. I want to see everyone there!

Until next time...

Victorious

2005-09-03T14:57:00.000-04:00

First off, I would like to preface this post by giving a shoutout to all the Hurricane Katrina, everyone please keep them in your minds. It is just a culture shock how our everyday lives could change in an instant. It just sucks it had to happen to them.

So check it. Last night was the debut of Gettysburg (our football teams student section, named after our head coach, Mr. Gettys). I dressed up as Abraham Lincoln, and for those of you who don't get the allusion, Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. So I had my top hat, and beard, it was crazy. I even lead the football team out of the tunnel while holding my hat on my head in one hand, and holding the FTF Tigers flag in the other, quite a difficult task I might add. So the game is going well, we have the lead with 2 minutes left, 21-14. However, we gave up a late goal, in the last minute, taking the game to 21-20. So, West Lincoln, going for the win, goes for the 2-point conversion. They ran a draw play, and we stopped them, sealing the win for the Tigers. (We went on to win 28-20). Everyone was excited, considering we had one our first game of the season, we had a good reason to be. So carrying all our excitement after the game, we invaded O'Charleys. We had at least 40 people pilled in there, and I felt sorry for the lady who had to wait on us, I know we weren't the best behaved people that have been in there. I finally got out of there, and called it a night.

So this morning, Mac, Tim C., and myself went over to Glenn Hilton to watch the really guys play disc golf at the annual tournament held there. Let me tell you, they are amazing. One guy almost got a ace on a 360 foot hole, which is absolutely insane. I'm no pro, but I can't even throw it that far in one throw. That was sweet.

As for the rest of my Labor Day weekend, I will be traveling to Raleigh tomorrow to watch the NC State/Virginia Tech game, which should be a doozy. I will have plenty of stories and photos, so be sure to stay tuned for that. But as for now, I'm off to pull for my boy Nadal, cause James Blake is about to put him out of the US Open, and that's not going to happen. So...

Until next time...

Sharp Pains in the Lower Back

2005-08-31T18:34:00.000-04:00

Hola. So today was an ordinary day, went to some classes, talked to some people, ran like crazy at soccer practice, and came home and listend to music. I will rinse and repeat for tomorrow. I'm not in all the best of moods today, so I will leave it at that.

Until next time..

Tornado, or Lack Thereof

2005-08-30T18:22:00.000-04:00

Yo. Well, as many of you know I would be at our regularly scheduled soccer game right now, but I'm sitting here listening to some Mayer, and writing in my blog. Ok, just kidding. Since we had some tornado warning, all extra-curricular activities that take place outside are cancelled for today. Bummer, I know, I was pumped for our game. But let's bring it back, and get you caught up.

Yesterday was a regular day at school, quite note about that. My first period, Photogrophy, is going to be my favorite class of the semester. I have always been interested in the art of cameras, just haven't had the proper instruction to further my interests. I will keep you posted, and share any interesting photos I might take through the semester. So after school we had our first regular season soccer match, against West Iredell. We play a good game, and ended up defeating the Warriors 2-0.

So today, as previously stated, all extra-curricular activities were cancelled. So a few people went over to Pat's for some good pool/ping-pong action. It was fun indeed, but the weather was not at all bad as I was expecting. I'm saying this early, probably jinxing myself, and it's going to rain cats and dogs here in about an hour. So overall today was boring, and I am sleepy. Therefore I will go and nap.

One more thing, if you avid TJ-Blog readers would notice, I changed my layout back to the old style. I like it better that way. So back to that nap. Take it easy...

You know the drill, until next time...

178 Days Till Freedom

2005-08-27T21:42:00.000-04:00

Greetings and Salutations. I apologize in advance for my lack of posts recently, I have had a busy the rest of the week. I promise I will make up for it with my impeccable sentence structure and grammer. So let's take it back.

Thursday, as many of you know, was the first day of school. Walking into FTF as a senior was just like any other day, but you knew it in the back of your mind it was going to be your last time. So after a brief homeroom, I headed to first period, Photogrophy. Me, with my evergrowing interest in the subject, came in with an optimistic mind, not knowing what to expect. I was happy as I found out what all the course would entail, and would better my lack of knowledge in photogrophy. Plus it shouldn't be too hard, so that's a plus. Next, I headed to Physics, with the in house science guru Bruce Yount. Nothing unusual happening in there, his classes are carbon copies of each other in formality, the only thing that changes is the material. Next is Weight Training, pretty self-explainitory there. And I finish out the day with my favorite teacher in the school, Shubert, with some Topics in Calculus.

After school, we headed to Freedom for our final match in the Freedom Tourney, against Statesville. A formitable opponent, they were. They came out of the gate, scoring 3 goals in the first 8 minutes. Josey, the mastermind behind the FTF Tigers, made some defensive adjustments, and we played our soccer the rest of the match. We finished up with a 5-2 loss.

So last night the football team played host to West Iredell, a very beatable opponent, at Tiger Stadium (now known as Gettysburg). After the first successful tailgate of year, kudos to Ben for bringing the food, the crowd rolled in to watch the game. It was 7-6 at half, and we ended up loosing by 16 points. The biggest story of the night was not the loss, but of one of FTF's own injured in the line of duty. Sergio Mitchem was returning a kickoff when he was tackled hard, knocking his helmet off, by a West Iredell player, then getting hit by another before he hit the ground. He suffered a severe concussion, and I don't think anyone knows the full extent of his injuries, I suppose I'll find out on Monday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Serg, good work man. On a lighter note, we have West Lincoln next week, a team which should bring joy to the W column, with the first one of the season. (fingers crossed)

So today Jon, Mac, and myself took to the disc golf course, getting in a nice two rounds today. My recently purchased 2004 Disc Golf World Championship DVD had shown me some techniques and pointers which I tried out today with some mild success. I suppose I should work on these a little more to become proficient at it.

But I suppose you are all tired of reading, because I know I certainly am tired of writing (for today at least). So I bid you all farewell!

Until next time...

The Beginning of the End

2005-08-24T10:48:00.000-04:00

Joke of the day: A magician was driving down the road, then he turned into a driveway.

Okay, aside from my comedic genius, let me fill you in on the latest developments. Monday night, as I said, we had our first match against South Iredell. We came out swinging taking a 4-0 lead about 25 minutes in. We sort of let up a little bit, allowing them to score twice, but we retaliated with another goal. Then, right before the end of the half, we allowed another goal, to make the score 5-3 at half, a goal fest for sure. After halftime, we played for about 10 minutes, and thunder struck the area. It had been raining during the whole game, but it just then started to thunder. So both cames were paused, and everyone took shelter from the approaching monsoon. To make a long story short we waited for like 45 minutes, and ended up calling the game. Victory!

So yesterday, I decided to get a round of disc golf, shooting a +7 on the hard holes. I even birdied 18 on the hard pin location. Woo! So last night we were matched up against Freedom in the second round of the tourney. We were outmatched from the beginning, when I went up to the captains meeting they had like 7, and we had just me. They took control from the start, and ended up winning 4-0. So we're left with a consolation match tomorrow night, which is an improvement, considering we have never won a game in the tournament, and always have finished last.

Moving to the social front, last night was the last true night of summer, because tomorrow would be school. So we all just chilled, and stayed up to 5:30 AM playing Tiger Woods 05, good stuff. In a way I'm kind of sad summer's ending, but then I think back and remember we've been out for almost 3 months, and I think I'm ready to get my senior year started with. That's crazy, I'm a senior. Speaking of seniors, I will be making a documentary on our senior year, but I'll tell you more about that later, that's neither here nor there.

So I guess I'll see you goons at school tomorrow. Right.

Until next time...

Opening Day

2005-08-22T12:46:00.000-04:00

Well today denotes the first official game of the FTF soccer season, with a matchup against South Iredell today in the Freedom Tournament. I'm pumped, and it should be a good match. Other than that, nothing much is going on. However, yesterday, I found a Pro Valkyre while playing disc golf, which is a $20 disc, oh yeah. Also, I almost hit a 120 ft. putt around like 8 trees, curving my Roc (a type of disc) right, then back left, it was crazy.

So I suppose that is all for today, have a good one!

Friday Night Lights

2005-08-20T20:58:00.000-04:00

Well, good friends, the Fred T. Foard football season was kicked off last night with a loss to South Caldwell. I was definetly disappointed with a loss, but our squad looked a little bit better than in previous years, so maybe more than one win will be on the docket for the 05 season. It was equally awesome to see all the Seniors (wow, I can't believe I'm actually saying that, and referring to myself) and all of my friends. Even with a loss, the Tiger train keeps on rolling, the first home game is next Friday, queue the Rebels of West Lincoln. Bring it.

So after a disheartening Friday, today rolls around, and is the date of the West Iredell Jamboree. For all you non-high school soccer junkies (which, I know is very few of you) is when about 16 teams get together, and just get in some good scrimmages before the season. We had 3 games: at 11 vs. Wilkes Central, 2 vs. South Iredell, and at 5 vs. West Stokes. And I don't know if you know much at all about the weather today, but it was crazy hot. We battled through it, losing the first game, however, 2-1, to a team we should have beaten. The day continued with our 2 PM match, against South Iredell, who, ironically enough is the team who we will face on Monday in the first round of the Freedom Tourney. We dominated, winning 2-0. Our final match rolled around, and we were down 1-0 (off a bull crap PK, but it adds the drama). So check it. 1 minute left, Logan Clippard chips it from like 40 yards out over the keepers head, for the game tieing goal. They were pissed, and we rejoiced. So overall it was a good day, we went 1-1-1.

Well I'm off to recoop from a strenuous day. School starts in 5 days, crazy.

Until next time...

New Style

2005-08-18T23:06:00.000-04:00

Ok so I was bored with the blue, so I changed my template.

Sue me.

Infactuations

2005-08-18T12:33:00.000-04:00

Long time, no speak, I know. I've got things to do; like disc golf, and listen to music.

So since we last spoke, my disc golf skills are declining, I've said goodbye to more people going away to college, Fred T. Foard Football kicks off, and I have had a sudden infactuation (hence the title ^^) to Dave Matthews Band. Let's address these topics one by one.

After a solid week of disc golf, my best score was +9, which wasn't bad, but it was considering I was like +4 through 12. Yesterday, nothing went correctly, and when my tee shot on #7 landed right in the middle of the creek, I was severely pissed, and proceded to watch James shoot a +5. In other news, all my disc golf friends have went away to college, so if you care to join me of a round of 18, please feel free to give me a holler. Speaking of saying goodbye to people, I think just about everyones gone, Tim C., Tyler, and James are the final people departing, sad, I know.

Well tomorrow night in Granite Falls, NC, Fred T. Foard football begins it's campaign for a state title against the Spartans of South Caldwell. As many of you surely know by now, here in Plateau, we hold our football team close to our hearts. In recent years (mainly every year I have been associated with Foard Football) our football team has won a game a season. But this year, things are gonna make a U-Turn, and we're destined for good things. More to come in this area later.

In other news, I have finally discovered how good the Dave Matthews Band really is. I have a few albums of theirs, but I will definetly by purchasing more in the weeks to come. I'm glad I have come to appreciate the skills of DMB. Their awesome blend of vocals and just everything from guitars to drums, they're awesome.

Well, that's it for now, I'm off for some Chic-Fil-A, then heading up to CVCC for a little disc golf throwing practice (if you drive by, please honk).

Until next time...

Around and About

2005-08-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

Hola. Just thought I'd pop in for a quick post. Nothing much has been going on recently.

Saturday we had soccer scrimmages from 2-9, that definetly wore me out. We went won one, lost none, and tied twice. We could have beat all three teams we faced, but our JV's had to get some PT in there, so we couldn't come at the full force. Sunday I just basically played disc golf all day (James Durham +5, he's the truth), then went to the taproom last night. Today, more disc golf, and soccer practice will be coming up tonight from 4-6. Nothing much else to say...

Sorry for such a boring post, but you know the drill..

Until next time..

Live The Dream

2005-08-13T01:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, I really don't where to begin, so I'm going to begin with this little beginning intro thing that makes it look like I have a beginning, when in all actuality, my beginning is nothing more than a simple "Hello" I will type in the next sentence.

Hello! So check it, the past two days have been absolutely awesome, and bittersweet at the same time. Well, as you all know (and probably attended) the Sound Medix concert was last night. Last time we had just over 100 people show up, this time we had 120+. It was amazing. I made my singing debut by rocking out to some "Beverly Hills" and showing my gangster side by doing a Rap Medley, consisting of Jesus Walks, All Falls Down, Miss Jackson, and Ride Wit Me. I loved every second of it, even though I butchered it up so bad. I hated it though, because Matt (our lead singer, and one of my best friends) couldn't make the show, but I think we made up for his awesome vocals, by just totally rocking out, and having fun with it.

For all of you that went to the show, I don't think you have any idea as to how much work was put into this. First off, we (the band) practiced about everyday for a few hours leading up to the show. On Wednesday, all day was spent getting the stage and equipment ready. If you were at the show, you know how we had the colored lights, the red, green, blue, and yellow bulbs. Well that was rigged up by our own Kyle "Skippy" Williams. All the sound equipment was rigged by Elliot Williams. All day was spent getting the equipment there, and we spent late night practicing, and getting the show "just right" for Thursday.

After the show, it was really a bittersweet time. I had had one of the best nights all summer, but in the back of mind I knew my time with my great friends has come to an end. All 3 of the guys were leaving for college on Saturday, which stinks because no more Sound Medix. But I thought about all the happy times we all had together, and thought it would be alright to let it go, knowing we ended it on a good note.

So tonight was the "Last Hoorah". I went to Smitty's house to see all the seniors (soon to be college freshman). I said goodbye to Kyle, because he had to leave like right when I got there. I haven't really known him for much more than a year, but he has become a really good friend of mine. His musical knowledge is unparallelled, and I will never forget the times we had together both at the Gavin show, and during Bruce Yount's chemestry class. Next I said good by to Chris, again, not knowing him that long, has also become another really good friend. Another musically savvy guy, I just think the world of him, he's just a really fun guy to be around, and am going to definetly miss him. Finally, I said bye to probably one of my closest friends, Nick. We first met 2 years ago in soccer, when I was a sophomore, and he was a junior. I still remember the first car ride we had together, and we started a friendship that would last longer than I thought it would. Nick is definetly one of the most funny, and athletic person I know. I will definetly miss going over to the Gullett estate just to do nothing but hang out and play board games. All three of you guys I am going to miss very dearly, and will be visiting you guys alot. I love you guys.

So sorry I had to get all emotional on you, it just had to be done. So after this, the only post that has ever brought a tear to my eye, it makes me realize one thing: don't take life for granted. This guys will be gone for college, they will definetly still be around, but I just can't go and call them up and say, lets go hang out, then do it. It's tough it really is, and it makes you appreciate your friends that much more, and makes you realized "Hey, in 1 year I'll be in this position." That's indeed crazy. But it is getting late, and I need to head to bed. So from App State, to South Carolina, goodnight.

Until next time...

Sound Medix

2005-08-11T00:28:00.000-04:00

When? 8:30 PM, Thursday August 11
What? SOUND MEDIX CONCERT
Where? Tim Cook's Basement, look for the Tiki-Torches

It will officially be crazy. Be there for a great night of fun and music with some great people. I'm off for sleep, but I had to get this in there. PEACE

Warped Tour? Yes Please

2005-08-09T15:34:00.000-04:00

Holy moley. What a past two days. Sunday I just basically did nothing but band practice, but that's not important.

Yesterday morning, myself and butt-load of North/South Carolina's finest youth filed into the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre (and adjacent parking lot). As we pulled into the parking lot, I saw 2 stages right off the bat, with a bunch of people jumping up and down already, and it was only 12:00. We rolled over to a nearby Wendy's, got some CHEAP food, because we new everything inside was gonna be jacked WAY up. So after parking and walking down to the enterance, it was around 12:45. We walked in, and my ears were filled with music, and that sound didn't leave my ears till we left.

So after walking around, the first band we checked out was Street Dogs. They were absolutely horrible, but it was good because I got to see how people acted at punk concerts in a small setting. Mosh-pits, crowd surfing, and jumping around violently were some of the things going on here, and it prepared me for what was to come later.

Around 1:30, we headed over to Story of the Year. Wow -- that's all I can really say about this. Before they went on the crowd was calm, but after that first power chord, all hell broke loose. We tried to get close to get a good view, but it turns out that was a bad idea. The closer you get, the more crazier the people in the crowd are. So for the first two songs, all I did was get pushed and push other smelly and sweaty people really hard. We finally made it out of the craziness, and listened to the rest of their set. One of the downsides of the Warped Tour is, each band is only allowed a 30 minute time slot in which to play. But they make up for this, by the number of bands that are playing. So we then proceded to check out various bands, like The Starting Line, Hawthorne Heights, and a few others.

Before going to the Warped Tour, I decided to check out some songs by the some bands I haven't heard of before, so I knew if I had a choice, who I'd like to see, and who I really wouldn't like. Motion City Soundtrack was a band which I downloaded three of their songs, and liked them a great deal, and was fortunate enough to see their set. And wow I'm glad I did. They totally rocked out, and probably ended up to be my favorite band I saw. I went crowd surfing for the first time during their set, that was amazing. Everyone needs to crowd surf once in their life, end of story. (On the left that is MCS's lead singer, how could you not like a band in which a guy like that sings, seriously)

Right after MCS, we saw Fallout Boy, that was amazing. We were lucky the weather wasn't too bad, but during Fallout Boy, it rained, and it was awesome. Hearing "Sugar, We're Going Down" in the rain, with everyone jumping around and going crazy will definetly be something I'll remember for quite awhile. We just chilled after that, saw Mae, Offspring, and some more little bands. My Chemical Romance rounded off the evening with a steller performance, during which I crowd surfed again, during "Helena", and it was awesome.

What a great time, it was. Indeed. So if you actually read this far, my props to you my friend. I'm off for a nap, before I have go to soccer tonight and face the consequences of my lack of prencense yesterday. Peace.

SOUND MEDIX, Thursday Night, Tim Cook's Basement, 8:30.. BE THERE!

Sugar, We're Going Down

2005-08-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

Well let's bring you up to date on what's been happening in my life. Thursday I shot a +7 in disc golf, my best score ever. Get off me. So I felt things going my way, so I decided to ask Josey if I could go to The Warped Tour. Sure enough, he allowed me. Technically I wouldn't be missing much, just some ball touches, because I feel I am fairly well-conditioned. So I'm going to the Warped Tour, nice.

On Friday, we played a round of disc golf, with Nick and James, and it just wasn't my day. I didn't do bad, but I felt I was a bit off my game I had the previous day. Later in the day, Drew had to get some new running shoes. So I told him about Fleet Feet, and we went over there. My first time being back to my old place of employment was fun. I played with all the new stuff in the store, and tried on the new shoes. It was sweet.

Finally, yesterday, we had a nice Sound Medix rehearsal, trying to start working out some of the songs for the concert. After a nice jam session, I have come to the conclusion that on the 11th, it is going to be nuts, and I can't wait.

Well I'm off to grab some breakfast. Until next time...

August 11th

2005-08-03T22:28:00.000-04:00

I know what I said yesterday. Soccer comes first. Well, after thinking about my decision all night and day I thought: what will I remember more, going to 1 soccer practice or having an unforgetable time with my friends while watching some awesome bands. Ok, so I'm going to put it in the coaches hands. I'm going to tell him my awkward predicament, and depending on what he says, is what I'll do. Yeah, sweet.

In other fronts, THE SOUND MEDIX SHOW IS ON. Yeah, that's right. If you missed the great performance in May, this is your last shot to see the greatest band ever to go through Catawba County, live. It will be crazy, and everyone needs to be there.

Moving right along, I thought I would share this hilarious moment that happened last night. So there I was, sitting in Wendy's, eating my 99 cent classic cheeseburger, and enjoying my night. I have never really noticed the music playing in Wendys before, but it was playing abnormally loud last night. And there was a guy, just sitting there, singing his lungs out, while devouring his chili. That would be funny on it's own, but what really was the kicker was he was nakid! Ok, no, just kidding, he was fully clothed (thank God); but honestly, he was singing, really loud, and the song he was singing definetly wasn't the song that was playing. He even got the nice head-bob, and was stomping his foot. That was not a dramitization.

One final thing before I turn in. Everyone needs to go out and cop the new Mraz album, Mr. A-Z, its hot. Whelp, until next time...

The Dilemma Part II

2005-08-02T23:18:00.000-04:00

I know I've already posted today, I just want to get something off my chest.

So I left you with the decision I was faced with earlier today: Warped Tour (enjoying awesome bands with my friends), or soccer practice (alot of pain, with my teammates) . As I was driving, and all throughout practice tonight, I didn't know what to do. I ended up not asking him at all, and just saying I'm going to practice. Even though every part of my body wants to be at the show August 8th, I will be driving to Fred T. Foard around 6 pm, to run some sprints. Why? I have no clue. I guess I feel that as a senior, I have more of a leadership role. And if I go skipping the first day of practice, what kind of example does that give for a sophomore who wants to do the same thing. It sucks, it really does. In the big picture, there will always be friends to hang out with, concerts to see, but there will be no soccer for me after November. I figure, why not make the best of it. And if that means skipping something I've looked forward to all summer, than so be it. I'm going to feel like crap that day, seeing everyones away messages saying "Warped Tour!!!!", and mine saying "soccer tryouts".

I don't know why I'm not going, I know I haven't even provided you, the reader, with enough facts as to why I shouldn't go. But I guess I just won't feel right not going through the same stuff that my team goes through. Knowing they are running their butts off while I'm enjoying some music. Knowing the fact that when I come in to practice the next day, I will get looks of "who do you think you are, you're not better than the team".

Sorry for boring you all with a depressing post. I just wanted to write something. So until next time... (pending I didn't loose all my readers with a retarded story).

The Dilemma

2005-08-02T15:42:00.000-04:00

Well well well, not much has happend over the past couple days. I've been playing disc golf (I have come to find out that is the proper name for it, "fribee" golf is politically incorrect), and I shot a +8 today, my best score yet. Now that you know that, let's get down to "The Dilemma" I'm sure you are all very much worried about.

So check it, yesterday was the first day of Hell Week, or so I thought. Come to find out, Hell Week is next week, and this is like just getting everyone back in the soccer mode, Pre-Hell Week if you will. So Monday, August 8th would be the start of the organized practices. Well, as many of you know, the Warped Tour is coming to Charlotte on the 8th, and pratically all my friends will be going. So on one hand I have going to practice, running my butt off; and on the other I have enjoying some great music with my friends. It wouldn't be bad if like it was the 2nd week of soccer, as I originally thought it would be, but its the 1st. The FIRST day. But I haven't seen most of my friends ALL summer, and this will a great time for us all to hang out. Have I mentioned the quality of the bands that are going to be there? Somtehing Corporate, Fallout Boy, Relient K, The Offspring, Mae, Motion City Soundtrack, and much more. But then again you have soccer, this is my senior year, and my last year to do something good. I really don't have a clue what to do, and probably won't until the 8th. So stay tuned for the conclusion of this thrilling tale.

In the mean time, I'll still just hang out and play disc golf. Well I'm out for a nap, Pre-Hell Week Day 2 is soon upon me. Until next time..

Same Ole' Same Ole'

2005-07-31T13:27:00.000-04:00

Well today is a normal Sunday: went to church, ate lunch, came back to the house and chill. However, with everyone going out of town, there will be no Taproom tonight. I will go one more time, next week (when Kyle's band plays), and it will probably be the last time I will go with everyone. Considering everyone whos goes is mostly going to college within the month, it will be the last time we will all hang out. I suppose I have to get more people interested to go in my grade, so I can continue on the Taproom tradition.

So I shot a +10 yesterday playing Frisbee golf with Matt and James. It was my all-time best at the course, so I was freakin excited. The weather doesn't look to promising this week for my hope to play every day, but we'll see. I played in the rain before, why the heck not do it again?

Moving along, the Fred T. Foard Soccer 2005 season officially begins tomorrow with the first day of tryouts (aka Hell Week). Which always weeds out the kids who actually want to play, from the kids who are just there to get some exercise. I will be commenting more on this later, as tryouts go all week.

And finally, to clear up all the rumors, yes Sound Medix is playing one final show, August 11th, in Tim Cook's basement. Dare I say this might be a bittersweet time for everyone, as it will probably be the last time everyone will be together before we all part our seperate ways in the near future (well I'm not going anywhere, but others are), so that should be alot of fun. Stay tuned for more details about that as well.

But I must depart now, as I prepare myself mentally for another grueling round of Disc Golf. Until next time...

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2005-07-29T15:55:00.000-04:00

Yes, rain has taken over. No more sunshine, I hope it just rains the rest of the month -- not. So Since I left you last we have had soccer the past two nights, both practices getting called short because of threatening thunderstorms. Last night I was over at the Gullett's, and the power actually went out because of this crazy t-storm that hit the area. So with all the power out, Nick and I went to grab some chinese to bring back to his place and eat. We went through this one area with about 1 foot of water, covering up half of the cars' wheels. Which was sweet.

Also, I have been playing more frisbee golf. James and I hit 2 rounds yesterday, and 2 today (in the pouring rain). So we were playing today, and we had just started our 2nd round, and we were on hole #2. I was walking toward my frisbee, then I spotted this new Innova Eagle (awesome frisbee, worth $20) and was stoked because it was mine now. I turned the disk over, and low and behold, I saw a name, with a corresponding phone number. My guilty conscience wouldn't let me keep it without calling the person who lost it. Upon completion of the round, I called them up, getting nothing but a answering machine. If they don't call me back within a week, I just got myself a new frisbee.

Well that about sums it up, until next time..

Boredom

2005-07-27T13:28:00.000-04:00

Ever since I stopped working, two weeks ago, my free time has been occupied by playing Frisbee Golf, and for the past 4 days, by Soccer Camp. However, today I have nothing but just sat in my chair, look at various, irrelavent things on the internet, and finish reading Harry Potter. For those of you reading it, this ending will knock your socks off. I read the last 200 pages today (yea, told you I was bored) and was shocked at how it turned out.

Yesterday, we played Frisbee Golf with Josey, the master, who told us what we were doing wrong. It was alot of things seeing as how we never got any instruction period. We played 2 rounds, which was fun. I wanted to go back today, but my interest in playing today was surpassed by my companions lack of interest in it.

In other news, I was thinking about buying a domain name and making a real website out of my blog. This probably won't happen, but it certinaly is fun thinking it might. Also, I have switched internet browsers from Internet Explorer, to Mozilla (this is probably the most exciting thing that has happened to me all week) and I'm liking it alot.

So I'm off to continue surfing the Internet, maybe my next post will be a tad more interesting.

See ya.

Futbol Madness

2005-07-25T14:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I just got home from team camp, and wow I'm tired. I'll just give you a little recap day by day.

We departed from good 'ole HKY around 12ish Friday. We (Matt and I) followed Alton and Earls, which turned out to be a grave disaster. So we got to Greensboro around 2, and we had to be on campus at 2:30. So we stopped in Stamey's Barbeque for some quick grub. I got a BBQ sandwich and like 35 small hush puppies for like $2.50, which was nice. So we rolled out of there, in search of UNCG and the dorms. To make a long story short we got lost, one way or another, and ended up driving around Greensboro. We arrived around 3, got our rooms, and chilled till practice that night and between the two, we ate dinner. And boy oh boy, UNCG's cafeteria does it up right. Anything you could want, and everything is freaking amazing. Enough said. So we practiced, then went over to watch the UNCG soccer recruits play a game, which was pretty cool.

Saturday was an eventful day. We woke up, had breakfast, then went over to play the team that was sharing our hall with us, Magna Vista. After owning them 4-1, we just chilled the rest of the day. That night we played a small sided tournament. So Foard divided into 3 equal squads, and played. My team ended up placing 3rd, losing to Durham Academy and Greensboro Day, which was cool. After that we watched the camp all-star game, in which Foard's own Mac and Matt participated in, and we were well represented. Playing on seperate teams, they combined to score the first 3 goals in the game, which is awesome. Later on that evening I put on a magic show in the lobby of our dorm, which mystified everyone who watched.

Sunday, we woke up to a tall task: SW Guilford. Combining with the fact that we played like complete crap, and they were freaking awesome, we got killed 5-0. After the brutal beating, we went back to the dorms to chill until the Soccer Tennis tournament. Soccer tennis, is just like regular tennis, but with a soccer ball.(hence the name "Soccer Tennis") Pat and I ended up winning, cause we're crazy talented. Later that evening, we played another match, winning 3-1, setting us up for the 5th and 6th place game this morning, against Durham Academy.

After waking up to Josey knocking on our door way too many times, we got to the field for our 8:30 match against Durham. We played pretty tough the first half, but to no avail, the halftime score was 0-0. Then, the 2nd half we came out and just put it to them, eventually finishing up with a 4-1 score, and claiming 5th place for our own.

So that was my weekend, I am way too tired, and am going to go sleep. If you read all this, mad props to you.

Later.

Missing In Action

2005-07-22T10:44:00.000-04:00

Let me start by just giving you a recap of yesterdays eventful events:

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (Wake up and Breakfast)
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM (Frisbee golf, James shot a +5, wow)
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM (Shower and Lunch)
1:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Bowling, where I proceded to lose 5 bucks)
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (Harry Potter, Chapter 12)
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Soccer Practice)
7:30 PM - whenever (Pack for Team Camp, sleep)

So let's just say I was pretty tired last night. I'm regretting to say I won't be posting until probably Monday night. I know you will all be sad, but have no fear. I will be back with a full recap of my weekend!

I would continue to post, but I have to finish packing, PEACE.

Glen Hilton Park, My New Home

2005-07-20T23:08:00.000-04:00

Ok, there is no way to get around it, I'm just going to say it -- Frisbee Golf could quite possibly be the best sport ever. I have always loved tossing the frisbee, and have always wanted to play Frisbee Golf, but not until this week have I made that a reality. Lets start from the beginning...

Sunday night James and I were tossing a frisbee, and started trying to do crazy things with it. I then realized hey, wouldn't it be cool to play some frisbee golf? So the next day, we all went out and baught some frisbees, and went to Glen Hilton Park. Invested in a Driver and a Hookshot (a move which I later regretted). We then played the 18 hole course, and had the funnest 90 minutes I had had in a while.

Tuesday rolls around, and we decide to play again. We all went to Dick's to buy putters (yes, there are putter frisbees, and they are quite useful). All was going well until we got to hole 3. Hole #3 is about a 300 foot shot through about a million trees. It has a steep slope to the right, eventually going down to a little creek. On Monday, Tim Cook had his shot roll down, and actually go in the river, but his frisbee floated. Ok, so it was my 2nd shot, and I was behind this big tree. I decided to get out my hookshot, and try and curve it around the tree. Well, I curved it around it, but the slope was so big and had through it with such an angle, it just rolled down the hill, and into the creek. I wasn't worried because I knew Cook's floated, so I walked down to the creek, and didn't see it; turns out it didn't float. I then proceded to show the guys, "Hey, see it didn't float(and put my putter into the water to prove my theory)." This was a big mistake, as it just sunk to the bottom. About 10 minutes later, I was waist-deep in this creek which had all kinds of nasty twigs and erraneous objects protruding from the ground. I had found my putter I had so hastily dropped in about 15 minutes later, but after a total of about 30 minutes searching, my hookshot was long gone. So we continued out the course, and I did so with two frisbees. So today we played again, twice, with both me and James shooting +11 on our best rounds for our groups top scores. We will be heading out tomorrow morning for a couple more rounds.

So besides the fact that all I have been doing is playing Frisbee Golf, playing soccer, and reading Harry Potter, I have had a effortless week free of exhaustion and fatigue. I will resume my running regimen after we return from Soccer Camp at UNCG on Monday night. Yup, you guessed it, I won't be posting for the entire weekend. So I won't be getting around to posting, but I will be sure to fill you in on all the latest developments in due time.

But for now I'm off for Chapter 10 of Harry Potter. Plus I need to rest, I wanna break +10 tomorrow! Until next time...

Viva la Lance

2005-07-18T10:14:00.000-04:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, I was just a bit busy. I had to play guitar at the early service at church, usher at the regular service. I then Got home, read Harry Potter 6 (I'm currently on chapter 6 for those of you counting at home). After reading, Mark and I ran a nice little 4 mile jog up some big hills around his neighborhood. Finally, my favorite thing to do on Sunday nights is going to the Taproom. It's an awesome place to go chill and listen to some live jazz, and to hang out with some friends. The only bad part about it is that most of the people I go there with will be going to college soon, so my joy is only shortlived, for I will be going by myself next year. After Taproom, went over to Tim Cook's house for ping pong action, and that was my day.

I'm currently watching the Tour de France. Growing up in my house, it was hard not to be a cycling fan. My dad was a hardcore biker when I was young, riding one of the toughest century races (100 miles) this side of the Mississippi -- The Bridge to Bridge, riding from Lenior to the top of Grandfather Mountain. So dad has gotten me hooked on watching Lance and the Tour de France every year. As Lance goes for his 7th, it's always fun to watch him and see how he does it.

Finally, today I will be playing frisbee golf for the first time, and am PUMPED. I have always wanted to do it, but I just had never had the time, or knowledge of where/how to do so. It should be rather exciting, and will post about it after our exciting adventure commences

Everyone have a good day, see ya.

Willy Wonka and Golf

2005-07-16T23:34:00.000-04:00

Well today was kind of a bittersweet day; it was my final day at work When on one hand I was glad it was over, a part of me is going to miss being around people who are as crazy about all things running as myself. I purchased some new shoes while I still had my employee discount, so I'm set for a good 600+ miles. Hopefully I can get my job back after soccer season.

After work myself at Matt went to the driving range to whack some balls. Before today I had swung a golf club about 3 times, so lets just say it was a interesting adventure. After hitting a couple 15 yard drives, I soon got the hang of it and hit some around the 200 yard range (PGA Tour, here I come)

Rounding off the day was a nice trip to the movies to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a movie that I have been looking forward to for quite awhile. And wow, it was everything I could ask for, and more. The movie just backs up my opinion that Johnny Depp is one of the best, if not the best, actor nowadays. His ability to adapt to any style of character simply amazing. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and do so -- it is well worth it.

Finally, the only thing that really matters, I will be starting to run again on Monday. I'm anxious to get back on the road, and I've been reading about this type of training in Runner's World. It is a 21 day program which I will be starting when I get back from soccer camp. It is designed to increase speed, while still maintaining your endurance in a workout. I'm looking forward to it. However, as I am getting tired, I must sleep.

Until next time, good night!

Recent Developments

2005-07-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

Ahoy. Well I have been rather busy with work/running/soccer/Guild Wars in the past two days, so I'm just now finally getting around to posting.

As many of you know, I work at Fleet Feet, a running store here in Hickory. Well today this 60 year old lady came in, and wanted shoes. As my job I am forced to measure and analyze every both of the customers feet in order to tell what type of shoe will be best for them. As she took her socks off, my eyes gazed upon the most grotesque, and ugly pair of feet I've ever seen in my life. Not only were they atrocious, they were wider than most men's feet. I ended up fitting her with a pair of 9 EE Asics, which those of you keeping score at home, is a MEN's wide shoe.

Not much else has been going on. I'm taking this week off from running, and skipping the Street Light 5k in Morganton this weekend, which is always a good race. Oh, and also I looked at some sweet camera's today, we might be purchasing a new one soon. Other than that, my life has been pretty boring. However, I'm off to watch Home Improvement Season 2 on DVD.

Until next time..

The Game of Life

2005-07-13T00:59:00.000-04:00

So as I was running through the pouring rain in downtown Hickory yesterday, I realized -- Why run a marathon now, while still in high school? Live it up I say, you'll only be in high school once. So I've decided to drop my plans of trying to qualify for Boston, and just do as best as I can in track next spring.

So this recent development kind of ruins the whole blog thing, but I decided to keep it going because it's kind of neat. Even though I'm not sure anyone is even reading this, it kind of feels good to tell about what's going on in my life. The good news is I can actually walk normally now, and after running six miles and playing soccer in two subsequent nights, I think I'll be ok.

On a final note, I apologize for the short post tonight, it is definetly 1:12 AM, and I have to work early in the morning, but I just wanted to let the world know of my recent happenings (hopefully someone in the world cares, lol) I bid you a fond farewell.

Harry Potter 6 comes out Friday at midnight, get krunk.

Reciprocate

2005-07-11T17:04:00.000-04:00

Fittingly enough, m-w.com's word of the day was reciprocate, which meets to move forward and backward alternately. Considering my currently situation, that is what I do, because it is easier to walk backwards than forwards. So if you see me on the streets, don't laugh. I will be walking funny because of my buddy lactic acid.(Left)

I've almost fully recovered, just a little quad pain, that's it. I think I might go for a little jog with the Fleet Feet boys tonight, just to get the muscles loosened up. I'd rather be playing soccer, but I have to attend a meeting at work, so might as well get in some kind of exercise before that. But anywho, I'm off for a run, have a good day!

Mountain View Ninjas - You could be next.

What a Weekend

2005-07-09T22:25:00.000-04:00

Just a forewarning: this post will be long, you have been warned. Oh where to begin. Well lets go back to where I left you last, Thursday.

If you recall, Mother Earth unleashed her fury, dumping enormous amounts of rain over most of the south east, especially us. We left around 2 PM, after it raining on us the whole way, arrived at our hotel around 3:15. We chilled for a little bit then decided to head over to Linville, the start of The Bear. When we arrived, the rain died down to a drizzle. The race started at 7, and all was well. There were 678 entrants this year, and most of them, including me, wasn't ready for what was in store for us. I knew the course, having run it last year, and what to expect. 1,648 feet in 5 miles is a tough climb, but I thought I had figured out how to tame The Bear.

All was well till we hit the switchbacks, in a quarter of a mile, we climb 300 feet, straight up. So check it, weather has been great up to this point, a little cool, some fog, that's it. Well, it was about to take a turn for the worse. Fog set in, and it suddenly got severely cooler. During the last 100 meters I decided to kick, passing 4 people, but I wasn't ready for what was about to hit me. 55-65 mph winds were at the top, and when your running into that at a sprint, much like I was, it is extremely hard to breathe. After turning my head away so that the violent winds wouldn't harm me, I finished and I could hardly stand up. I then proceded to head to the Grandfather Mountain giftshop, where the majority of the runners were to keep warm. I finished in 41st place, with a time of 39:16 --fairly well considering the conditions. Last year, the weather was perfect, 55 degrees, no wind -- this year was different. The tempature was low 50's, high 40's, with the wind chill around 40. The wind was 55 mph+ with gusts reaching upwards of 70mph. Sitting in our car, I was shaking, with the car, and everyone's cars around us. There were reports of it even SNOWING on the mountain later that night. Oh, I forgot to mention you couldn't even see about 10 feet in front of you. Wow. (The picture above is me trying to show you how bad the wind was, if you look I'm having to stand at a slant to even stay upright.)

Friday was recovery day. I wasn't sore from the previous days 5 miles, so I just lounged around the hotel, and stretched.

Now for the main show. This morning I awoke around 5:00 AM, to get some breakfast. We arrived at Kidd Brewer Stadium, on the campus of Appalachian State around 6. I talked with some friends, and got ready for what I was about to do. 26.2 miles Grandfather. The race started promptly at 7 with the ideal weather -- no wind, about 50 degrees; it was nice. Having not ever ran a marathon before, I didn't know what to expect, and how to pace myself (this came back to haunt me later.) The first few miles went by quickly, as we winded our way to Macrae Meadows (the site of the Highland Games, and the finish of the Marathon). About mile 19 it hit me like a stack of bricks. Between miles 11-14, I decided to speed up down the downhills, allowing my legs to do most of the work. This wasn't a very good idea. So I hit mile 19, and my legs just felt like lead. I managed to keep going until about mile 22 when I couldn't bare it anymore and stopped and stretched. Up until this point, no one passed me, but after the various issues, a good amount of people whizzed by. I have never been in so much pain in my life. Granted I have never run a marathon before, and with this being my first, my faults could probably be blamed on my faulty pace. Continuing, around 22, I felt like my legs had 20lb weights on them, and I was dragging them behind me. My upper body was normal, but my legs were not. I managed to survive the final few miles to the finish, finishing in around 3:56, thus making the "under 4" goal. (That's me coming across the finish line, woo!)

Upon completion I couldn't fathom I had just done what I did. The finish was in front of 10,000 screaming drunk Scots, what a fitting way to end a wild weekend. And now that I've completely bored you, its time for me to go sleep.

Lactic acid = bad.

'Tis Time

2005-07-07T11:04:00.000-04:00

The bags have been packed, the water has been drank, the only thing left to do is to get up there and run. Rain continues to fall here, and if it's raining here, it is definetly raining in Boone.

We're going up around 2 today, checking in the hotel, then going down to Linville around 4-4:30 to see what's going on. The decision will be made at 7:00 PM tonight whether or not The Bear will be ran, and I feel confident it will be ran. Tomorrow is going to be chill-day for me, lounging around the hotel and driving around Boone will suit me just fine. Packet pick-up is 3-5:30, followed by a pasta dinner which I will be attending. Then on Saturday, it will be time. 26.2 miles seperate me from destiny.

So I look forward to getting back and sharing all the stories and pictures. The next time I'll be writing on this it will either be after getting out the hospital, or after the best time of my life.

31.2, here I come.

The Plot Thickens

2005-07-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

Well its an all-go on my part for my running weekend physically, but Mother Nature has to have her say. Tropical Storm Cindy has been wrecking havoc along the coast of Alabama, causing torrential rain along the southeast.

The current weather forecast for tomorrow night is a 90% chance of precipitation in Boone, predicting a total of 2 inches of rainfall -- that, my friends, would be insane. As if running up a mountain with around a 60 degree slope isn't bad enough, throw in a 20 mph wind, and a nice steady stream of rain coming at you. This should make for an interesting weekend. Saturday, marathon day, seems to be looking good though, with sunny skies predicted, although the humidity is going to be through the roof -- which should make for an interesting 26.2.

I am getting a little excited, and anxious to get the show on the road. I will be taking the camera up there, and hopefully capturing some nice photos of the course, surroundings, and me suffering as I journey up the mountain. I will be posting tomorrow, as "Running Grandfather 2005" continues (sounds like a OLN documentary). So, my friends, I hope you have a nice day, and I will speak with you tomorrow.

Peace easy.

Kiawah Island and Photos

2005-07-05T15:27:00.000-04:00

While the excitement of the weekend is looming in my head, I have to still run a little bit. I got in an easy 3 yesterday, and I will be doing some hill intervals here in a few minutes o prepare for the steep inclines at Grandfather.

First things first. In order to run in the Boston Marathon, which is the whole point of this website, is to run a 3:10 marathon, which would qualify me for it. (Those of you wondering why the 3:10 was up at the top, you now know.) Considering I play soccer through most of the fall, the best time for me to do so will be late November, early December. After talking it over with some fellow runners, I have come to the conclusion I will be running the Kiawah Island Marathon on December 10. With its nice location, and relatively easy course, I hope to run my 3:10 -- if not, well lets not go there.

On another note, completely irrelavent to running, I have decided to start learning about photogrophy. It is a interesting hobby that I hope to learn more about. So if you see photos at the beginning of my posts, those are mine (don't be too critical, seeing as how I've never done it before.)

On that note, I'm out, have a good one..

Background

2005-07-04T10:43:00.000-04:00

So I was thinking, in order to understand where I'm going, you must first understand where I'm coming from. So check it.

I started running 5k's when I was around ten, not really training, just running them for the thrill. I continued to run various local races until I got to high school, when I continued to run while playing soccer, basketball, and running track in the spring. I really never understood what it meant to actually devote yourself to something, and to actually get the maximum out of your potential until my junior year. During the summer I proceded to run around 300 miles, and continued to run during soccer season, in hopes to qualify for regionals. I didn't make it to regionals, but I continued to train, and decided I wanted to do a marathon.

At first I decided to do the Ellerbee Marathon, which was on June 18, and plan to run The Bear (A 5 mile race to the very top of Grandfather Mountain, climbing 1,500 feet in elevation, considered by many the equivalent of a half marathon) on July 7; but then I decided to go big or go home. The Grandfather Marathon was one of the most prestigious, and toughest marathons in the nation. So it was then on that May evening I decided to drop the Ellerbee Marathon, in favor of running The Bear on July 7, and coming back on July 9th to run Grandfather -- 300+ miles and about 60 days later, here I am. I'm about to embark on a running journey few others my age have ever attempted -- The Bear and Grandfather, in the same year.

There you have it, my running career in a nutshell. In 3 days I will begin the toughest weekend of my life, and I will be back here to post every detail. Now I'm off for a little R&R to try and save every ounce of energy, because I'm going to need it.

Happy 4th!

The Inaugural Post

2005-07-03T12:37:00.000-04:00

Well, I have decided to document my journey from Newton, NC -- to Newton, MA (suburb of Boston). That's right, you have read correctly, I am trying to run in the Super Bowl of Marathons -- The Boston Marathon.

Why am I doing this blog, you might ask? Well, I've always liked reading other peoples blogs to learn about what they are doing, so I thought I'd someone might like to read about my story.

My first step on this climb to the summit of Boston, is running my first marathon, Grandfather Marathon, next Saturday. Considered by many the second toughest marathon on America, I figure if I start out with the hardest, the next ones will be easier. I will be posting more about this as the week goes on. As for now I will let you go, please drop me an e-mail at jimteffreys@yahoo.com for some feedback about my blog. Thanks.

Until next time..