The Futures Tourney

Nice article about Zak :)

Wesleyan Wrestling

On Sunday, the 2nd string wrestlers went to battle at the annual Future's tournament hosted this year by Roger Williams University. Wesleyan brought 6 wrestlers: Mike Baratz, Zach Larabee, Richard Leuchter, Dave Amrhein, and Jacob Sheffer. Austin Frank was the lone placer with a 3rd place finish at heavyweight.

Austin Frank started off the day by facing Adam Datema of Williams. In the tight match, Frank scored three escapes, but was unable to fend off two takedowns from Datema. Coming into the end of the match, Frank had Datema in a front headlock and nearly scored a takedown to send the match into overtime. Frank lost the match 5-3. Frank then wrestled teammate Dave Amrhein winning 3-1. Frank followed with a tight win over George Madosky of Johnson and Wales University (JWU) by getting the winning takedown in overtime. In the consolation finals, Frank had a rematch against Datema, who he lost to in his first match, but this time Frank wrestled at a whole new level. Frank's instensity was unmatched by his opponent, which translated into Frank taking down Datema twice and never letting Datema close to his legs.

Also at heavyweight, Dave Amrhein wrestled his first match again Michael Cyr of Trinity. Although down early in the first period, Dave displayed lots of fight as he used funk and scrambling techniques to reverse his opponent twice from bottom. However, that did not prove to be enough as he lost 12-5. Dave then lost to teammate Austin Frank.

Also at heavyweight, Jacob Sheffer first wrestled Kyle McGuire of Trinity. This proved to be a tough match with Sheffer losing 3-1. McGuire ended up winning the tournament. However, in the the 1st consolation round, Sheffer rebounded by employing several single-leg takedowns to win by a solid score of 8-3 over Maldonado of Norwich. Up next for Sheffer was a match against Adam Datema of Williams. Wrestling well, the match was close and Sheffer showed great motion and intensity on his feet and rode tough with a cross-body leg-ride on top. However, Sheffer was caught off one of his shots in neutral and was pinned.

At 149, Zach Larabee proved to be the most exciting wrestler of the day. After losing his first match, Larabee wrestled Joey Holbeche of RWU. Although it was a competitve bout on their feet, on top Larabee proved to be lethal. Larabee locked up a tight far side cradle, while Holbeche was on his base, rolled through and pinned his opponent at 3:25. The pins did not stop there as Larabee in his next match proved to be Wesleyan's most dangerous wrestler from the bottom position. In his match against a JWU wrestler, from the bottom position, Larabee sat out, pressured back into his opponent and grabbed his opponent's head until Larabee was flat on his opponent who was flat on his back. Larabee gained the defensive pin at 3:25. This move does not have a name but will from now on be referred to as "the Larabee." In his next match, Larabee wrestled another person from JWU. In the high scoring match, Larabee was in the bottom position was being tilted, yet he somehow managed to get his opponent into a headlock. With a tight headlock, the JWU wrestler seemed to be pinned, but the referee did not call one, and the JWU wrestler tapped out. Larabee received for the back exposure 4 points instead of the usual 3 due to the tapout. However, that did not prove to be enough as he lost 14-11. Zach Larabee proved on Sunday that he is a very dangerous wrestler from the bottom position and has usurped Gideon Levy of his unofficial title of being the team's best defensive pinner.

At 157, Mike Baratz went 0-2, but wrestled with tough defense.

Also at 157, Richard Leuchter had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. This caused him to go 0-1.

Here are the brackets: http://www.rwuhawks.com/custompages/wrestling/2011-12/wrest_newa_futures_brackets_12.pdf

http://www.rwuhawks.com/custompages/wrestling/2011-12/wrest_newa_futures_brackets_12.pdf

www.rwuhawks.com

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Changing Habits....

This writing prompt is for:

 


       I have a love/hate relationship with the kitchen. I love it because we always gather there for meals, chats, and  just hang out and play games. It's warm and comforting. It is a safe place to tell your secrets, share your fears and enjoy a good meal or snack all at the same time.
   
     I hate it because it is my place of weakness. It is where sugary cookies and salty cheese hang out. For many years I would sneak in at night and give in to my greedy friends. I would tell them my secrets and insecurities but they wouldn't reward me with wise words. They would give me guilt, high cholesterol and many added pounds to my petite figure.

     Then I met my husband. We were a perfect match. His love was meat and potatoes, mine was juicy and mayonnaise laden BLT sandwiches. Then we had three children and passed down our love of food to them. We were showing the boys that love was food. Love was crispy toast, hot, greasy bacon and it enveloped our family like a bad disease. Until one day it clicked.

     My husband came home from coaching football practice and showed his concern for our youngest. He always came in last during the laps and the other kids were starting to make fun of him. We had to stop this cycle before his health got really out of hand and make a lifestyle change.

     It was hard at first. It was hard to remove the foods that we loved and craved from the house and switch them over to healthier versions. Fruit and veggies now became part of our beloved  family while we "disowned" the bad eggs....bacon, white breads, potatoes and all the cookies and candies were banished from the house. We did it though. We made the change necessary for our family's health and we couldn't feel better, literally and physically!

     My husband has lost 70 pounds, I have lost 20 pounds and the kids are no longer last in laps. Goodbye BLT's, hello veggie wraps!!!

GLEE - Full Performance of "I Will Always Love You" airing TUE 2/14

No matter who sings this song, I get goosebumps.....you know when you hear a song you always associate it with a time in your life...I will always remember a hot day in Puerto Rico driving down the road and this song came on the radio, making the first decision of many to follow, which led me to where I am today. sorry, a little emotional today :)

RIP Miss Whitney Houston.....

Reflections.....

   This is a fictional piece of writing for http://writeonedge.com/


      There is only one table occupied tonight. The weather channel has been on the t.v. behind the bar all afternoon covering the snowstorm. The city has come to a standstill. Liza gets up from one of the tables in the back of the restaurant where she has been filling salt and pepper shakers for the last half hour. She walks over to the bay window wondering what the hell has happened to her life.

     "Wow", she thinks out loud. "Who would have thought I would be waiting tables at my age?" She thinks about all the "what ifs" she could have done and the "why's" that led her down this road.

     Two years ago, she was a writer for the local newspaper, and a good one at that. She had the handsome, athletic boyfriend on her arm, going to all the jumping parties and the late night dinners at swanky restaurants. She had a cute townhouse that was decorated in the shabby chic theme that was all the rage. She was popular and having the time of her life. She didn't realize it then, but of course now she does, that as one drink was leading to others, her love of alcohol was leading her to addiction. And it was that addiction that led her here. To an empty restaurant, no money, no boyfriend and almost all of her friends gone. She threw it all away because she loved her precious booze more than herself. She chose alcohol over herself and everyone who cared about her. She didn't see what it was doing to her life and her career. She only saw the want and need of the warm liquid rolling slowly down the back of her throat and the immediate comfort it gave to her.

     She looks at her reflection and wonders if she should try and call him again. "no", she whispers, it's to late and he will probably just hang up again for the hundredth time. Instead she dials another number. "Hello, Barb?" She pauses. "Yes, it's me. I was just having a tough time tonight and wanted to talk".

     Liza sits down at the table picking up the salt shaker where she left off. With the phone in one hand and the salt in the other she thanks her sponsor for always being there for her......

Pick four numbers, each between 1 and 10.

Write them down so you remember.

The first number will be for your character, the second your setting, the third the time and the fourth will be the situation.

Then take the four elements and combine them into a short story.

All four you picked MUST be your main elements, but you can add in other characters, settings, times and situations. 500 word limit.

I picked:

4. a waitress

4. a restaurant

9. in the middle of a snowstorm

7. Reminiscing on how things change

Quote of the day:

Some bridges are meant to be burned in order to light the way.

"Bestie"

      It was the end of summer in 1982. I was officially a college freshman and driving to Virginia from Massachusetts to embark on my "college years". I was scared to death. Finally after getting settled in and meeting my roommate (who left after the first year) I fell into a group of girls from another dorm and we just clicked. I moved over to that dorm and we became known as "3BC", our little nickname for ourselves. We all got along great but we had our "besties". Mary was mine.

     Mary was from Norton, Va. and like many other of the girls went home on the weekends to spend time with her family and boyfriend. I tagged along sometimes and other times she would stay at school and we would laugh, goof off and just hang out. I didn't get to graduate from my class because I didn't do very well and had to stay another year, but that is another story. Mary and the gang graduated and moved on but never out of my life. We both got married and then her husband was in a horrible car accident. That was rough but we made it through. She remarried and I was asked to be in her wedding and "3BC" was back together. I moved to Puerto Rico with my husband and had to hear the tragic news of her brother's death due to a fire in her childhood home. She knew I couldn't make it home to be with her and she understood. We both had children two years apart but on the same date, I thought that was the coolest thing! Then another tragedy struck. Her other brother died due to an illness. She stood strong and made it through this dark period in her life. I have never met anyone stronger.

     Mary now lives in South Carolina and while finances don't allow us to visit often, we did get a chance to visit a couple of summers ago while we were driving through her area and it was the quickest but best way to end a family vacation! We may not see each other often or speak on the phone but when we do, it is like we just spoke yesterday and she still makes me laugh like no one else!!

     Mary is my idol and my hero and I am so proud to call her friend.

Thanks to Write on Edge for this writing prompt.......

Monday Movie Review...

Rise of The Planet of the Apes:

I really thought this was going to be a cheesy predictable movie. I was wrong! It was a little predictable but damn if I didn't fall in love with those chimps! I loved the relationship between James Franco and his father who had Alzheimer's and what his son was doing to help him. To me, this is what a movie is all about, entertaining, thought-provoking (not in the real deep sense but really about disease, evolution and love) and best all, Chris didn't fall asleep! 2 Thumbs-up!

Writing Prompt: Personification

Slam, Dunk

                 He's late today. That is not a good sign. I know from previous experiences that he gets all flustered 

when he is late and takes it out on me. Uh, oh, there he is. Hmm, he doesn't look all that grumpy today.

  Quiet, quiet, here he comes...ugh! his hands are freezing! Here we go...bounce, bounce...his hands aren't to 

 tense, so that is a good sign. Bounce, bounce, he's laughing now with his friends, another good sign. He's passing me back and forth gently. They all seem to be in a good mood today. I hope I was wrong about his mood. Well here's the final test, he shoots, WHOOSH!!!  He (or I, however you want to look at it), made the basket! High five's all around! Oh yeah, today will be a good practice!

  

~~This is my first time doing a prompt from http://writeonedge.com/2012/01/remembered-personification/, so forgive me if it is a little short, I'm a little nervous, LOL!! And yes, my terrified little guy is my son's basketball.

I need to practice this...

Resentment hurts you, not them. Always forgive people, even if they never ask for your forgiveness. Don’t do it for them – do it for you. Grudges are a waste of happiness. Get that unnecessary stress out of your life right now, and move forward. - via http://www.marcandangel.com/

She should have been a you-tube star!

This poor woman at the wrestling tournament yesterday...she came walking into the gym carrying her turkey sandwich and tripped, slipped and did a face plant right into the sandwich! If only someone had filmed this and put it on you-tube, she would have been an overnight sensation! Probably over a million hits, would have done the morning talk show circuit, Ellen would have had her on her show and she would have had her 15 minutes of fame! And her poor mortified son.....she is probably sore today and has a bruise on her ankle where she twisted it...yes. she does. That poor woman was me! Sorry for embarrassing you Zak, and your damn father hasn't stopped laughing!!!

Love Is.....

Monday Movie Review...

I'm a little late to the party but My Big Fat Greek Wedding was adorable!!  I felt so bad for her while she was preparing for the wedding, the bridesmaids dresses were hideous, the favors (those almond candy thingies), so outdated and I cringed when I saw her in her wedding dress! But she was a trooper and made the best of it!

The best scene in the movie however is when her aunt is telling the groom's parents about the cyst on her neck, and she had it removed and the Doctor said it had teeth and a spine and was her twin!!! I about peed in my pants!!! If haven't seen this little gem yet, hurry! You will love it!

Happy 2012!!

Happy New Year!

Well, so far it started out crappy! Out of the blue, I was knocked down by a horrible cold and spent the whole weekend in bed! So, up today and started off with a brisk walk with Chris. We have been out of our routine cause of his bad back and the Holidays so we are regrouping and getting back on track. Zak was home for 2 weeks and is now back at school and hopefully well enough to wrestle. I struggle with him being in college. I guess it is because I was there once and I know first hand what goes on there. I know I need to let him go but I am such a worrier.....

Our New Year's resolutions include keeping on track with our weight loss and getting organized, both in the house and with our finances. Wish us luck.......

The kids are all back at school, thank God! So off to tackle laundry, cleaning and back to the library today!

Quote of the day:

"Life is the sum of all your choices".
   ~~Albert Camus

Christmas Day 2011

Christmas Eve 2011

Quote of the day:

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."


        ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote of the day:

"The true secret of Happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily Life..."
                                           
           ~~William Morris

Quote of the day:

“The secret to making your holiday inspiring is actually quite simple. Be inspiring yourself. As with any change, you must be the change you want to see in others.”

—  Deepak Chopra

OMG! It's December!!

I love this time of year. I hate this time of year!! It is so busy! Basketball has started, wrestling has started, the holiday season has started and wait for it.....I am working! Granted, it is only 2 days a week but my God, I'm exhausted! Just filling in at dad's store but between that and all the driving around for the kids and teacer conferences and this and that.....well, I guess there could be worse things in life so I will stop complaining. Happy Monday!!!

Me from A_Z

A. Age: 47
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore that you hate: Unloading the dishwasher
D. Dogs: Love 'em 
E. Essential start to your day: A walk with my hubby
F. Favorite color: red
G. Gold or Silver: Gold.
H. Height:5' 21/2"
I. Instruments you play: none.
J. Job title: Stay at home mom
K. Kids:3
L. Live: Cheshire, Ma.
M. Mother’s name: MaryAnn (Meim)
N. Nicknames:Lil' m
O. Overnight hospital stays:  just when I had the kids
P. Pet peeves: hypocrites 
Q. Quote from a movie: Maybe a Dingo ate your Baby!
R. Right or left handed: right
S. Siblings: older Bro and younger sis
T. Time you wake up: usually around 5:30
U. Underwear: Breezies
V. Vegetable you hate: Beets
W. What makes you run late: Anything and everything!  One thing leads to another... 
X. X-Rays you’ve had: ankle, elbow
Y. Yummy food that you make: Shrimp Creole and my fav, breaded shrimp on the Grill
Z. Zoo animal: Gorilla!!!!!

MSMM

Thankful...

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am Thankful that my husband chose health for his family...

Thank a Veteran Today!

Thanks to all who have served this great country of ours....to you and your families ...much love...


                                                       and because of the date today....

do your job, cause I wished BIG!

Day 2...smile...

This pic always makes me smile....

30 day Challenge

Let's see if I can do this.......
Day 1: Favorite Food
                CANDY

Happy Halloween!

Sometimes costumes are better in your head than real life but hey, it was a cute idea.....

Then there are other ones that work really well!!

Don't Stop....

Cat Fights, football games, meetings with teachers....Whew what a week!!

This has been one hell of a crazy mixed up week! It all started with some crazy Mom Drama at the football games this past Sunday.....one mom said the other mom yelled at her for "concession" stuff, I repeated this to another mom and bashed same mom for not doing her part, then that mom went to first mom told her, she then came back at me, then went to first mom and had a huge fight and it had to be broken up......God I love concession stand Drama!!! It's all confusing but when you see it on the big screen in a few years, I promise, you will get it! LOL! Then we all "unfriended" that one mom on Facebook and it has been a very freeing experience! I reread this part and it sounds like I was the firestarter but that is SO not the case, I was the one attacked, just for the record.....

Watched a bunch of Football this week.....Sam lost his game but they played great and Christopher's team had a big win......then Hoosac Valley game last night......they won!

Then had our big meeting with the Principal of the school and Sam's two teachers. Chris blasted one of the teachers( but it was well deserved) and we put a new plan in place for his behavior and low and behold he hasn't got one written behavior form sent home this week! See what a little communication and discipline on the teachers part does.....

ok...so this week down on to next..........

Getting my Fall Fix.........

RIP Steve Jobs....

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.  Steve Jobs

Two Birthday shoutouts!!

Happy birthday to my crazy, fun-loving nephew John, Charles...I love you Bob!! And Today to my other beautiful niece, Mariana!