Still Publishing Christmas Photos!

Here's Monica assembling Elijah's new Baby Einstein activity center.

It was a little more complicated to assemble than one would think...!

Thursday, December 29th: Well... I've had a busy last few days. The weather's been so nice that I've been quiye busy on the tennis court. This is actually the best and busiest December I've ever had in my career!

Today I have lessons from 10 AM to Noon at Columbia Lakes then I go to League City for an afternoon camp! Tomorrow is a very lite day lessons wise... So I'll try to get alot done here at the house! Sigh... There's always something to do!

I've already had a very productive day and it's only 7:38 AM... How many people can say that...? I got up with my alarm at 4:30 AM and had my morning devotional, emptied the dishwasher, took out the trash, straightened the garage, and have been blogging for the past hour.

I have many emails to reply to and several phone calls to return before I go on the court at 10 AM and whenever Monica gets up I promised her about an hour of baby sitting time so she could get some things done on her todo list.

Yesterday was Elijah's 5 month old birthday! and yesterday also marked two and a half years of happy marriage for Monica and I...!

It was a very good day.

We only have today and about half a day tomorrow before Connor returns home from his Christmas vacation to Missouri. I'm looking forward to having him back and hitting some tennis balls tomorrow evening!

I'll try to blog a little more Saturday afternoon after my morning lessons.

Bye for now.... Coach Sam

Elijah's Christmas

This morning Elijah played in the activity center that his Aunt Becky sent him for Christmas. This has become his favorite past time. In this photo I don't think Elijah knew he was about to be photographed.


Elijah knew he was about to be photographed here and was smiling brightly for the camera. While he played we all watched the Polar Express together this morning... 12:07 PM

12 Noon Update: We're watching the Polar Express right now... The Turkey is cooking slowly. I'm having trouble keeping the smoker temperature above 200 degrees... That's ok. We're just having a lazy, relaxing day...

The Kittys have been missing Connor and have slept in his bed the past two nights.

Coach Sam's Christmas Day Blog: Mid Morning Report

Well, we are emplementing 'plan b' of our Christmas dinner because the heating element in our oven caught on fire while Monica was pre-heating it to make some bisquits... That's going to change our Christmas menu a bit....

And... I tried to post some photos but the photo blogger tools aren't working properly now.

Sigh... I'm going to log off and completely shut down my computer and try another report a little later this morning....

Bye for now.... Coach Sam at 10:32 AM

Coach Sam's Christmas Day Blog

I found Hobbes on the couch in fromt of the fireplace this morning playing in some Christmas wrap tissue paper.


I brined the turkey last night and put it in the smoker this morning at 7:30 AM . By 7:40 AM the smoker was 250 degrees. I'm using a combination mesquite and hickory wood. I'll be checking the temperature about every 45 minutes and try to maintain an average of 220 degrees for about six and a half hours. (it's an 8 lb turkey). Once the internal temperature is 185 degrees then our feast is on...!

8:05 AM Christmas Day:
Well, it's Christmas morning.... Monica and the baby are still asleep. Connor is in Missouri visiting family. It's 54 degrees here in West Columbia this morning but it's supposed to warm up to 75 today... There ought to be some great tennis weather this afternoon!

The weather was gorgeous yesterday, too. Although it was a bit windy, I had a tennis clinic in the morning and then Monica and I walked with the baby through the Columbia Lakes property. I strung a few racuets in the afternoon and then we went to our neighbors house next door(The Klements) for a Christmas party. It was very nice... Elijah got lots of attention as he was wearing his Santa Suit. After that we went to church in Lake Jackson, had a bite to eat and came home and went to bed.

This morning I'm going to catch up on all my blogs, cook the turkey and dressing, help Monica around the house look after the baby... Oh yeah, and I need to string a racquet some time this morning.... But I'll be taking photos and posting updates every couple hours throughout the day so please check back again...!

Oh and the time stamp at the bottom of this post is a little off... The 'real' time of this post is in RED next to my sign off signature. The time I started the post is in Bold at the beginning of my posts...

Merry Christmas...! -Coach Sam at 8:18 AM

No Photo Today!

Sorry, no photo today. The blogging upload tools are not working properly. I was going to post a nice photo of myself posing with our new 17 foot utility ladder we bought from Costco with a Christmas present gift card...! I'll try to post that pic again later.

Today I have just 3 hours of tennis in the Clear Lake area. But I need to go in and string a racuet in a few minutes and then put up a few wind screens before I get on the road. I'll be back home early this afternoon. Yea... Saturday I have just a few lessons here at Columbia Lakes... Then it's a few days off...

I'll catch up on more posting this weekend.

Bye for now...

Monica's Tennis

Monica's been practicing every day, no matter what...! Even a few days ago when it rained there was a break in the rain just long enough for me to dri off a portion of the court for a 30 minute workout...! Monica is taking the photo, but it's still all about Monica's Tennis. By the way, Elijah has already been to many hours of lessons. Years from now when he's a world class player we will honestly be able to say that he grew up around the courts!

December 22, 2005
I've got another busy day on my hands... Lots of tennis. I have a camp here at Columbia Lakes this morning, then I go to Clear Lake this afternoon for another camp from 2-5 PM... Atleast it will be an early finish for me this evening.

I'll try to post more photos this weekend... Bye for now...

Sam

Trying on the Santa Cap

Elijah got a Santa Suit from his Grandparents in California... In this photo we had just unwrapped it and I was trying to put the hat on Elijah's head, but he just wanted to play with the wrapping paper!

12/20/2005
Yesterday I had 8 hours of lessons. Today I have 7 hours including 2 camps and 2 groups. The weather will be a little cool today, but we'll be ok...!

I really don't have time to write this morning... I'll try to catch up tonight or tomorrow!

Christmas Presents...!

We opened Christmas Presents early yesterday since Connor will be leaving on Dec 22 for Missouri. Here is a present from Monica's parents: a new cordless phone set for our house! Now we won't be scrambling around looking for a phone the next time it rings...!

12/19/05
I have lots of lessons today. In fact, I'm busy with tennis pretty much all day today, and the rest of this week!

I've been up since 4 AM... I started reading the Chronicles of Narnia last night. I've never read it before. I want to read it before I go see the movie. I listened to Dr Stanley this morning and have been blogging for the past hour. I desperately need to complete my Grand Prix schedule and send it out... That project must get finished today!

That's about it... I'm fighting a bit of a cold but I'm taking medication so hopefully being out in the cold air all day today won't do me in...

More later...

Bye for now. Coach Sam

Tennis Shop Refurbishing

I demolished the old counter and built in desk that had been in the shop for years and repainted the walls which resulted in a nice, bright, open space. Of course you can't fully appreciate the bright open-ness of these photos, but this was a photo of the work in progress at the time. Trust me... The final result is very nice. I'm working at the shop most of the day today and will take some more current photos.

We added several pieces of furniture and artwork from our move that really turned the tennis shop into a home away from home. Here is another photo of the old cluttered look. The tennis shop had previously been used just as a storage room and drop off spot for miscellaneous stuff.

The end result will be a nice work space from which to do business from, and a cozy hang out setting for tennis patrons...! Check back in a day or two for more tennis shop refurbishing photos...!

December 16 Early Morning Report: U.L.L.M.

UP Early.

Lots to do...

Little time to do it in...

More later... (with photos)

Cozy...

OK, I'm in a better mood now. (If you check out my post earlier this morning I was a little cranky.) But after my first post I started a fire in the fire place and relaxed on the couch while I listened to Dr Charles Stanley and Dr Adrian Rogers. A roaring fire is a great attitude adjuster!

Yesterday I made some great progress on the tennis shop. I need to post some photos of the new look. The weather is nice today and I need to get on the road by 12:30 PM for my lessons this afternoon. And up until then I need to work on HPTA stuff and market my Christmas programs. That's it... I gotta go. Bye for now. Coach Sam

Not Much to Comment On... Hello...? Does Anyone Care...?

I'm dragging a bit this morning. I need a little extra sleep. I couldn't sleep last night and I had some very unproductive time just reading different, random blogs. All I can say is that there are some sick, messed up people out there in the blogsphere.... Anyway... I'm going to take a 20 minute snooze, then Listen to Dr Stanley and try to get on Track for the morning.

More later....

Rain... Rain... Rain....

It's one of those days... Rain is forcasted all day. But Monica and I took the baby for a walk early and I roll dried the court off and worked out for about 30 minutes before the conditions got too adverse.

I'm about to get to work on marketing my Christmas programs...

I may post again later... I'm feeling very 'wordy' today. SC

The Hobbes Report

Here's a cute photo of Hobbes and Gabriel laying on my Wilson Briefcase. Gabriel tries to copy everything Hobbes does. He's like a little shadow. He worships Hobbes as if Hobbes is a rock star or something....

Poor Hobbes must have recently been in a fight. We noticed a large wound on his side and rushed him to a local vet a couple of days ago. The vet gave him a shot of antibiotic and said he'd be fine. But we could tell Hobbes was definitely feeling under the weather yesterday.

I'm not sure if it was a fight with another cat or what. It could have been an opossum or racoon... Our poor cats are city cats. I don't think they've ever even seen a racoon before. Oh well, they will get used to living in the country soon enough. But for the time being we've decided to keep the kitty door closed during the night after we've gone to bed.

Today the forcast is for rain all day. That stinks, but I will use my time wisely. I'll get caught up on my blogging this morning, then work on finishing my HPTA schedule and marketing my Christmas programs.

It will be a pretty full day. I didn't have time to write yesterday but I'm going to make it up today, for sure.

That's about it for now. Thanks for reading my journal. -Coach Sam

Good Buddies

Gabriel and Hobbes are Best Friends. Hobbes, with his back to the camera is a little older and acts as a 'big brother' and mentor to the younger Gabriel. In this photo, Hobbes is taking a break from trying to teach Gabriel how to use the new cat door I installed last week...!

Today I start a busy week of marketing my Christmas programs. I have a group lesson at the club in a few minutes then my wife is going to come up for a private after that. It's just a regular day in the life of Coach Sam...

More later... This post is to be continued after lunch... Bye for now (8:37 AM)

Hobbes Has Cold Feet...!

It's been pretty cold lately and this is how Hobbes copes with adverse weather conditions.

I'm in my usual cozy position sitting on the couch with my laptop in front of a nice fire in the fireplace. It's definitely too cold to do anything outside today. I've been up since 5 AM and I started a new blog this morning...

Check it out at http://connorcopeland.blogspot.com

I'll probably spend most of the morning on the couch working on my websites and blogs. Later today I'm going to help Monica with some upacking and of course baby-sitting Elijah.

More later... Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Self Portrait: Bad Idea

My stepson Connor thought he'd take a photo of himself but he misjudged how bright the flash was. I'm sure he won't make that mistake again...!

Wow... The air is a little chilly out there today! I don't think anyone will be mad at me for canceling tennis lessons today! I've been up since 4 AM this morning. I'm getting back into my old routine of early to bed and early to rise...!

I heard some fantastic bible teaching this morning on KKHT Radio. That was a great way to start my day.

I'll be spending most of the morning online journaling and working on marketing my Christmas and new year programs. Then Monica and I are going to make a trip into Houston to check on the house and shop a little.

That's about it for now... More later...

Coach Sam

December 7th: A date that will live in infamy....

Here's one of Gabriel's baby photos. We rescued Gabriel when he was just a few weeks old. He was a stray and barely survived his childhood. Now months later, he's a happy, healthy little Hobbes look a like!

Pearl Harbor Day.... I wonder how old a person needs to be to automatically think of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor which pulled the United States into WW II...? For today's youth September 11 was their Pearl Harbor Day.

I'm talking about deliberate acts of violence. Well thought out acts of evil. Atrocoties. It's really amazing how utterly despicable one human being can treat another. As you can tell, I'm sitting on my couch pondering deep thoughts this morning....

I've held back reporting these next two bits of news but they are events that have recently shocked and shaken my belief in the human condition.

A couple of months ago I was packing and moving boxes from my house in Houston. I had my arms full of boxes from my waistline up to my chin. I was walking out to the driveway and a car full of teens whom I've never seen before drove by and shot me in the leg with a BB gun. I was stunned, and as the shock and pain registered on my face, their car erupted in laughter as they drove on.

All I have been thinking about since then is what if that had been a .38 caliber or .357 magnum and those kids randomly just blew me away...?

Then, a truly shocking atrocity occurred right before my eyes just this past Sunday as my family and I were driving to Houston along a country road. There was a vehicle in front of us travelling 70 miles a hour throwing baby kittens out the window...! Unfortunately we were not able to save the kittens but we did report the license plate to the police. And the perpetrators of this crime were adults. Any one who would throw a kitten out the window of a fast moving car is certainly capable of more evil acts.

What's up with society today? What can we do to combat the moral decay that is increasingly getting more and more out of hand...?

We can pray. And we can raise up Godly families to make a difference. That's what I plan to do. Even though last Sunday I almost turned into a Charles Bronson -Vigil Ante character regarding the kitty people....

December 7 changed the way Americans lived. September 11 changed the way the world lives today . But civil, law abiding, God-fearing citizens must not despair inspite of the deplorable behavior of a few certain individuals.

Hang in there. Take Heart. Practice a random act of kindness today to off set the bad things happening in the world. Try to make a diffence in someone else's life today. Be a mentor. Be an encourager. And keep those prayers coming...!

Tuesday Afternoon Update

Here I am hanging Christmas lights in our front yard. This project is unfinished because Monica thought I was going to fall out of the tree and break my neck. (She made me stop.) We're going to get a taller ladder soon so I can complete the project before it's not Christmas any more.


I'm a little off my routine today. I had to be in Houston for a meeting at 9:30 AM and so I didn't get to blog earlier as I prefer.

I'm at Coffee Oasis enjoying a delicious hot tea and utilizing their free high speed internet. It's been a good productive morning and early afternoon so far. I have lessons starting at 2:30 and then straight through until 8 PM if the weather holds out.

The weather is supposed to get bad later this week I think so I may have some extended office hours soon. But that's the way it goes in December. You just never know about this Texas weather!

I'm trying to get the HPTA Gran Prix schedule ironed out for the new year. Right now I'm just waiting to hear back from people who are hosting the events.

I'm also pretty busy planning my Christmas programs and getting them marketed.

I made a fire in our fireplace last night. It was nice. Elijah fell asleep in my lap watching it.

Life is still a little hectic but good. We enjoyed our visit to Brazos Point Fellowship church last Saturday. We're going back again this Saturday.

That's about it for now. More tomorrow... Coach Sam

Starting Off the Week Right!

Mike Bryan (1/2 of the number one doubles team in the world) walks toward our front row box during an exhibition match Sunday afternoon at River Oaks Country Club.

I started off the week right by getting up early, spending time in prayer and study, and working out. I did 100 crunches while I listened to Dr Stanley's morning lesson. I weighed in yesterday morning at 236.3 pounds. But that number is only going down from there...! Watching the pro tennis exhibition at River Oaks yesterday afternoon has really given me the itch to get in shape and start playing competiviely again.

I'm REALLY starting to get into a good routine now and I am very motivated to get in shape. Monica is too. We're going to be each other's encouragement buddy...!

Today I need to get on the ball and finalize the HPTA Junior Gran Prix Schedule. That will be my main project after lessons this morning. (I have a ladies' drill from 8 to 9:30 AM)

I took a lot of pictures from the Pro Exhibition at River Oaks yesterday and will be publishing them on my various blogs and websites in the next few days... Stay tuned...

That's it for the moment. I really need to get moving this morning. I want to walk to work so I can burn extra calories!

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Looking Back on December 2004

Here's a funny photo of Hobbes. He climbed up into our chimney on the day we moved in. The photo angle is a little awkward because I'm laying on my back inside the mouth of the chimney looking up at Hobbes. The wood you see is a little end table we put in so he could step down easier. (We thought he was scared to come down...) Anyway, the chimney entrance is blocked by boxes right now so he can't get back up there.

By the way, yesterday I installed a kitty door in the kitchen for he and Gabriel. I'll post photos of that later.

One of the neat things about blogging is that you can go back and see where you were in history. Last night Monica and I were trying to recall the events of Christmas 2004. We did not have a vivid recollection. I think that says alot for our memory! So this morning I went back to my journal archives. It was neat to visit the prayer journal and see what I was praying about and where I was spiritually a year ago.

Then I visited Coach Sam's Life from December 2004. And I remember now the weather was very cold and rainy the week surrounding Christmas. In fact, many areas got snow. I spent a big part of my time blogging, working on my personal websites, and cooking on the grill.

We were anticipating the birth of Baby Elijah and Monica went to get her first ultrasound in December when Elijah was the size of a Gummy Bear! Those are fond memories.

Today I have lessons until Noon then a few hours off before we go to Lake Jackson to check out a new church we're considering to join. Sunday is a field trip to River Oaks Country Club for a Pro Tennis Exhibition...!

That's about it for now... I've got to get to work!

Coach Sam

Connor and Peepers

I haven't posted a photo of Connor and Peepers in a while so here's an update. Peepers moved to the Columbia Lakes Tennis Shop. She's no longer a house kitty. Hobbes and Gabriel are grateful for that... Connor is doing well in school and loves his new home. He's now really close to the tennis courts and has lots of friends to hang out with. We all love living out in the country.

I'm traveling to Clear Lake today for lessons this morning, then I'm taking the afternoon off to work on things at the house. I have to install kitty doors and do some plumbing. I also need to put Elijah's baby bed together.

And I still have lots of marketing to do for my Christmas programs. My hands are full. That's the Friday morning report. More later...

Coach Sam

Coach Sam Update

Here's a cute photo of Elijah taking a snooze on Daddy's Belly...! This photo was taken on Thanksgiving day after our meal...

I'm getting back into a regular routine, except that although I've been going to bed on time, I have still had a difficult time waking up in the morning, I'm 8 or more hours a night! I think I'm still a little fatigued from the pneumonia.

I normally like to blog early in the morning and I'm a little behind schedule for the day now.

I've got to head over to the tennis shop and work there for the morning. I need to get my office there in order... And that will give me some quality time with Peepers who is living at the club now...

I'll be at the tennis shop this morning from 9 to Noon. Then I'll come home for lunch... That's kind cool. Perhaps Monica and Elijah will walk up for a visit, that will be kinda neat, too.

Well, anyway... I need to head out the door. That's my morning report. Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Making Traditions

Here's a few more Thanksgiving Photos. These are after-dinner photos... By the way... I don't really have a double chin... It was just the angle I was reclining in the rocking chair. (I promise!) Elijah is a few days shy of 4 months old in this photo. Daddy just turned 40 years old a few weeks ago. That's about 480 months old for Daddy!


Losing consciousness into a turkey coma after Thanksgiving dinner is going to be a Chadwell family tradition for Elijah and Dad...!

Chadwell Family Thanksgiving 2005

We have recently moved from North Houston 60 miles south to West Columbia Texas. It was our first Thanksgiving at Columbia Lakes. Here is a sample of pictures from our first family holiday in the country!

The old Smokey from New Braunfels cooked it's best holiday turkey ever!

Monica prepared all the side dishes including our favorite green bean casserole!

Sam, Elijah, and Connor hang out in the back yard with the old smokey...!

Connor says Hi and Happy Thanksgiving to all his relatives and friends across the country!

Monica made sweet potato pie...! Mmmm...! She's a great cook!

More Chadwell Family Thanksgiving Photos

I'm starting to carve the turkey here while Connor and Elijah anxiously await!

Here I am ready to devour a delicious holiday dinner...!

Our good friends Joe and Dolphina Nagle baked us this delicious pecan praline pumkin pie...!

Here's the main course...! I brined it for about 14 hours the night before and smoked it for about 10 hours on Thanksgiving day. It was the best turkey I've ever prepared!

Elijah Relaxes in Mommy's Lap following the meal....

Gabriel relaxes in a chair after the Thanksgiving meal...

Hobbes went in to a 'Turkey Coma' on the couch after the Thanksgiving meal...!

OK...I'm Back...!

Back to the land of the living...!

I've been so sick, probably about the sickest I've ever been... But all that is behind me now... And hopefully never to resurface.

Just to catch everyone up to speed I had strept throat that morphed into pneumonia and I've been out of commission for nearly three weeks. And through that all my family packed up our house in North Houston and moved 58 miles south to West Columbia, Texas.

Now my once arduous 75 minute commute is a pleasant 9 minute walk across the golf course to my tennis shop. I still drive to Clear Lake three days a week but that is a shorter easier drive and I only have to get up early on Friday mornings. That is quite a life change.

I've taught lessons the past 3 days and my throat is still a bit weak, but at least I don't have the fatigue issues I had last week.

Hopefully now that I have such a less stressful schedule I won't ever put myself in such a depleted physical condition again.

Today I'm at Coffee Oasis enjoying a delicious hot tea. I go back on the court in about 2 hours then I'm heading back home. Tomorrow I have a couple of privates then I'm heading to Houston Racquet Club for a PRO AM. Sunday I'm helping a friend run a tournament at Quail Valley Country Club. I'm not sure how long I'll be there. Hopefully not into the evening....

Then Monday through Wednesday I have a tennis camp. So I'll be fairly busy the next week.

We're planning to have Thanksgiving dinner at home. I'll be smoking a turkey. I don't know if we'll have any guests or not, but I'm looking forward to my first holiday in the new house.

Well, that's the quick update. More later... Coach Sam

Big Moving Day

Hello friends,

I haven't posted in a while because I've been deathly sick. My strept throat turned into the beginning stages of pneumonia and I've been out of commission for almost two weeks...!

But I'm on my third day of a new antibiotic and I'm definitely getting better...! I still have very little voice, a very scratchy thoat, and a low-grade fever, but other than that I'm on the road to recovery.

Today we start our move from North Houston to West Columbia. It's about a 70 mile relocation and we've got a very full 3 bedroom house to pack up. We're renting a u-haul and taking some smaller items over the next two days and then on Sunday we've got a moving company coming to get the heavy stuff.

We should have the bulk of our belongings moved by Sunday afternoon...! But until then I'll be busy packing and moving so don't expect very much in the way of journaling this weekend.

Thanks for reading my journal. Bye for now. Coach Sam

Starting a New Life

OOPS... My apologies... This post should have been posted to my daily devotional prayer journal. Unfortunately the blogger tools do not allow me to cut and paste so I would need to delete this entry completely and type it in again on the other blog in order to move it. I don't have time to move it this morning.

WARNING: The post you are about to read contains life perspectives from a Christian worldview...!


Monica and I are closing on our new home in West Columbia on Monday. We'll be moving there inside of a week. It will be a whole new life for my family. We'll be living in the country. (how I grew up) I'll be within walking distance of work and will shorten my commuting by 14 hours a week...!

We'll be getting involved in a new church. Connor will be going to a new school. It will be a completely new life for us. We'll be settling down to a slower pace.

And I've been dreaming about a situation like this all my life. I've never felt a better fit with a job before and never really clicked and enjoyed the community like I do this one. I really feel like this is where I'll retire. This is definitely where I want to raise my kids. My Life is Good. And it's all from God.

Yes, I give God 100% credit for my successes. I am nothing without my Lord and Savior. He strengthens Me. He Leads Me. My only hindrance is Myself. I don't let God be God enough. But I'm working on that. And Monica's helping me. We're helping each other through prayer, encouragement, and love.

I've missed a few days of journaling because I've been sick. Strept throat has wiped me out for the entire week. I'm really just getting on my feet today.

I missed Thanks and Praise yesterday so I want to take today to just count my blessings and proclaim the Goodness of the Lord...!

Dear Lord,

My King, You have done marvelous, wonderful things in my life. I can't praise You enough. Thank You Father for blessing me above and beyond what I ask for and certainly above and beyond what I deserve.

Lord I know that apart from You I am incapable of anything. But through You I can do all things...! What a Mighty God You Are...!

I love You, Jesus. And I Praise You. And I lift You Up above all else...!

You gave Your life for me long ago and I pledge my life to You today and ever more, My Savior...! Thank You Lord for giving and restoring my Life. Thank You for the new life for my Family. We will make the most of it and live it for Your Glory.

Lord Jesus I pray this in Your holy name, Amen

Christian School Scalps Astros Ticket...!

It's going to be difficult to make a comeback now... Last night's game was a tough pill to swallow, but I think that so far the White sox have played just a little bit better than our beloved 'Stros.

Every game played so far has been win-able but we just haven't been able to get the job done. Still, I am happy and proud of the Astros for doing as well as they have done to get this far. Over all, it has been a great season that has brought great excitement and entertainment to Houston.

My step son's school was given a single Astros ticket to last night's game. They planned to auction it off as fund-raising for the school. Although the ticketed face value was $125, they started the bidding at $1000. I wonder how much that ticket went for and if the winner of the ticket enjoyed the game by themselves and felt they got their money's worth...?

I find it ironic that a Christian School which is supposed to be providing a Godly witness to our children and our community was publicly 'scalping' a ticket to a professional sports event in the name of fund-raising. I mean, would Jesus sell a $125 ticket for $1000...? In my opinion that action was an extremely poor christian witness. What exactly does that teach our children about money, and what is important in life...? Where is this school's priority...? It looks like it's more concerned about green, cold, hard cash than raising up Godly young men and women.

We actually withdrew Connor from that school yesterday and plan to enroll him at West Columbia Junior High as we are moving either over the weekend or early next week.

I'm still under the weather with strept throat. My voice is a little better but I still sound more like the lead singer from Dire Straits than myself...

I don't feel too bad... I've just got an extremely scratchy throat. I may try to teach a few private lessons tonight that are mostly just hitting sessions anyway.

But that's about it. I'll be eagerly watching the astros tonight to see if they can extend it to al least one more game and allow Roger Clemmens to pitch game 5.

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Hobbes Takes a Break After an Exhausting Game of Ping Pong!

Here's a photo of Hobbes sulking as Monica had just defeated him in a very close game of ping pong...!


Doctor's Report on Hobbes:

Poor Hobbey had some pretty bad bites. The vet said it was definitely feline bites. We suspect Peepers. Hobbes and Peepers have never been friends. I have this theory that Peepers is from France and doesn't speak English. Hobbes is from America and doesn't speak French... What can we do...?

Well, when we move to Columbia Lakes we're going to have Peepers live at the tennis shop. I've always had a cat at my club wherever I've worked. Many of you who have known me a long time probably remember 'Henry Topspin'. He was the beloved tennis cat at both Windsor Court and Bay Area Racquet Club for about 10 years...!

Coach Sam's Health:

I'm still out with Strept Throat. I've just been working from home getting caught up on email correspondence. Don't try to call me on the phone. I have no voice, but I don't feel so bad, just extremely fatigued... Hopefully another day of rest will have me on the road to recovery...

That's about it for now... Until Next Time... Coach Sam

Another Trip to the Vet...!

Here's a photo of Gabriel and Hobbes. Gabriel is the slightly darker of the two in front. Hobbes in the background is going back to the vet for the second time this year for a 'battle injury'. Last time he was attacked by a mocking bird. But this time it looks like he was in a fight with another cat. Monica's taking him in now.

Poor Hobbes. He's always been such a pacifist. And he's a big cat... He weighs over 20 lbs... Oh well, I hope and pray he'll be ok...

Today I'm taking the day off from lessons. I'm completely dead from the tournament. This strept throat has kicked my butt...! I'll probably have to cancel lessons tomorrow, too. We'll see. You know this always happens. I typically wipe myself out physically doing a tournament and then end up having to cancels lessons afterwards which voids out any extra income the tournament produced. Sigh...

We did hear back from the seller whom we're buying our house from. They are having their own inspection of the foundation done and will get back to us probably today regarding that issue. We're pretty much all set to close on the house on Friday morning if everything goes as planned...

I have to pull all the Junior Excellence together this morning. This will be a busy week...!

Not much else to report. The tournament went very well... Connor and Monica and the baby are doing well. Just Hobbey and myself are under the weather.

More later... Bye for now. Coach Sam

Quick Weekend Update

I am busy the rest of the weekend with a tournament here at Columbia Lakes. I don't have time to post very much this morning. All I can say is the tennis shop looks better than it ever has before, and the Club has rennovated the bathrooms.

I'm poised for a busy, exciting weekend. Too bad I'm fighting a severe sore throat today... I hope Cloraseptic and Tylenol Cold and Flu daytime formula can do the trick...!

I have matches scheduled starting at 8 AM with the last round going on at 6:15 PM...

I'll try to post a short tournament report this evening before I go to bed... That's it for now...

Coach Sam

Still Savoring the Victory!

Well, for some reason the photo feature on blogger isn't function properly this morning. I've tried unsuccessfully to add some Astros photos to this post but although it said 'done' it wasn't done... Now it's showing mulitle photos of the same image... Oh well... That's better than nothing I guess.

Any way, Im still enjoying the victory. And I'm loooking forward to the Astros first world series game on Saturday.

Today I have lots of driving to do. I'll be on the road to Clear Lake in a little bit. Then I have to go to Columbia Lakes and stay there the next few days for a tournament I'm hosting.

I'll try to blog more tonight befor I go to bed, but my schedule is pretty much non-stop straight through from now until 8 or 9 PM tonight...

More details later...

Bye for now... Coach Sam

ASTROS WIN...! We're going to the World Series...!

I was seaching for Astros images on the web this morning and came across this one... I'm going to have to think about it for awhile but if anyone has good suggestion for a caption I'd like to hear it...!

Today I'm Off To a Rough Start

I overslept this monring.... So I'm not going in to Columbia Lakes early. I probably won't get on the road until after lunch. That will allow me to get a few other things done here at home, but I hate the fact that I've let down some of my most faithful tennis students...

Today I'll be monitoring the entries coming in for my tournament this weekend. I have about 55 registered so far. I was hoping for 100, but now I'll settle for 75 and I think that's attainable. There is normally a mad rush at deadline time to enter so I conceivably could get 20 entries in the mail or online today. Entries close at midnight, but I'll probably start making the seeding and making the draws around 10 or 10:30 PM...

Monica and I will probably have to go down to the bank today and discuss our home loan with them. There have been a few issues with the fact that our Houston home hasn't sold yet. I don't think that will be a 'deal-breaker', but it is something that will require my direct attention. I can't push this off on Monica to handle by herself...! So in that regard, perhaps it's working out for the best that I didn't leave for Columbia Lakes early this morning after all...

I'd better close here and start tending to the things I need to tend to this morning... More later... Coach Sam

Go Astros...!

I was really tired by the end of the day yesterday but I was lifted up a little by the Astros win...! How exciting... But still, I went to bed early last night and slept 8 hours without interruption...! Yea...! I've been in desperate need of sleep for days... And today I'm going to take it easy physically and just work on stuff here at the house. I'll do a lot of blogging, string some racquets, and send out information on my upcoming tournament next weekend.

I'm going to watch Dr Charles Stanley's church service broadcast this morning. It comes on at 8 AM in about an hour... After that message I'll probably blog on my prayer journal. I know I should really take the entire day off from work, it's actually a command from the bible... Perhaps I will. It seems like I'm overwhelmed with too much stuff, but maybe that's precisely because I haven't fully honored the Lord's Day in weeks. I am feeling a little convicted about that right now... Oh well, I'll explore that thought in my prayer journal. I like to keep this journal and my prayer journal topics separate.

I have so many readers from different nationalities and religious persuasions that I don't want to offend anyone with my personal religious views. I try to live my faith in every encounter, in every conversation, and in every coaching opportunity. Everyone has a perspective. And if anyone wants to know about my faith they are welcome to click the appropriate link.

OK, wow... I sort of went off on a tangent, didn't I...? Well, as I was saying earlier, I'm taking it easy today. Monica suggested that we watch a football game this afternoon with Connor. I think that's a fantastic idea. I wonder if the Ram's game will be televised in our area today...? Connor is a big Ram's fan... I'm not that keen on football, but I'm definitely keen on Connor...!

I'll probably blog a little more here later... I've got some good Hobbes and Gabriel photos to post... Bye for now... SC

My Birthday Photos

Here's a photo of the cake that Monica baked for me... I didn't want a fancy expensive cake, just a delicious, fresh baked, Betty Crocker Yellow Cake with chocolate icing... Yum... And it was decorated just right by my sweet wife... It was Great...!


After a delicious meal at Kanomwan Thai Restaurant and my cake... I crashed on the couch with Peepers by about 9:15 PM... I didn't even stay up to watch sci-fi Friday....


This morning I'm up early, stringing racquets, and preparing for a trip to Columbia Lakes. I need to leave by 5:45 AM. I have my first lesson at 7:45 AM, but I need a few minutes to get set up for the day once I get there.... Then I teach straight through until 12 Noon. That's my day. Pretty soon I won't have to get up so early because I'll be waking up at Columbia Lakes every morning starting in November...!

Well, I gota finish this last racquet... More later this afternoon...

Coach Sam

40 Years Old Today...!

Here's a great photo of me and Elijah. (I'm the one with the beard...) I posted this photo on Elijah's Blog a few days ago but it is such a good photo I thought I'd post it again for those who don't check out http://elijahchadwell.blogspot.com.

Wow... It's hard to believe I made it 40 years...! I'm about as happy as a guy can be... I've got an awesome life. I have a beautiful wife, a wonderful baby and stepson... I have a great career... God has really blessed me abundantly!

I only wish I was in better physical condition. I'm in the worst shape of my life this year, but hopefully this major life change of moving to West Columbia will be the start of a less stressful, more healthy lifestyle for me. I'll be able to walk to work most days and not have to eat fast food on the road hardly ever again... Yea...!

Forty. This is it. I'm supposed to be over the hill... But I still feel like a have a lot of productive years left in me. I'm excited to be 40... I'm now one of the youngest players in my age group on the senior tennis circuit... As soon as I lose some of this weight I'll be a force to reckon with. Back ten years ago when I was 30 I had a number one ranking in Texas in Men's 30 doubles. But I weighed 50 pounds less than I do now... Sigh...

Oh well... I'm not going to start worrying about that diet until Saturday or Sunday... I plan to teach lessons in Clear Lake today and then meet Monica, Connor, and Elijah for dinner at Kanomwan, my favorite Thai Restaurant. I love that place...! I won't be holding back my appetite this evening.

Well, it's nearly One O'Clock in the morning right now... I'd better make myself get to sleep. I have to get up in a few hours and string a racquet before I head off to teach my classes...

Bye for now.... Coach Sam