Saturday Afternoon Update...

Here's Connor on the lounge chair with Hobbes and Gabriel napping..

The trip to Bay Area Racquet Club went ok... There were several interested parents there for the HPTA Parent Seminar so it was a good trip.

Connor and I are going to go shopping for his school supplies later this afternoon and I'm going to spend most of the day working on marketing my fall tennis programs. Tomorrow is the big day for completing the Team Tennis League at Columbia Lakes. I'm excited about that.

I'll be grilling something from Omaha Steakhouse this evening. I'm also trying a 10 bean soup recipe. And of course I'll have some of my famous Mexican cornbread to go along with all that.

Monica and Baby are doing well...

That's about it... Don't forget to check out Elijah's photoblog link on my sidebar. I update with new photos every day...! By for now...

Coach Sam

The Weekend...

Wow.. I slept quite a bit last night. I could barely stay awake until the end of the TV show...

I'm not sure how Monica and the baby slept. They are asleep now on the couch in the living room. I guess Monica stayed in there most of the night so I could get some rest. Isn't that a sweet wife...? Oh I could use the sleep... I'm way behind on resting.... But I feel guilty to not get up with her and care for the baby. But I know if we take turns it's better for both of us...

Well, I'm going to try to be the one to wake up through the night tonight. It's Monica's turn to get some rest...!

I actually wish I had awakened earlier because I wanted to do some work first thing this morning and now my timing is off. But that's ok... My body will definitely benefit from the few extra minutes/hours of sleep.

Later this morning I have to go to by Area Racquet Club to help with a tournament for the HPTA. That's right, I'm heading back to BARC. I worked there over a 4th of my life. For the most part it was a less than optimal experience. I've been gone from there fo 3 years now...!

BUT.... If I hadn't stuck it out there for as long as I did I would not have met my sweet wife... And there would be no baby Elijah. So my tenure there was definitely in God's plan!

And I did meet a few nice people there.... So it wasn't really all that bad. It was just a season of my life. And I learned a lot about my self and people while I was there.

So, after BARC I'll be heading back home and preparing for tennis tomorrow at Columbia Lakes. We are wrapping up the team tennis competition there at 2 PM. I'd like to have some details down on paper about the next Team Tennis Program so I'll have to put my thinking and planning cap on.

If there's time this afternoon I need to work in the yard a little. That's' about it... And I'll probably grill something for dinner tonight...! Omaha Steak House has really made life easy for us...! And Monica and I have been greatly blessed in that several of my tennis students and some friends from church are going to bring us some meals this week.

-Isn't God good to work through his people and help us in a time of need...? And this is something that we really haven't prayed for, either. It's just out of the goodness of God's heart...! Yes, God is Good.

My Thumb is starting to swell again. I didn't quite get all the infection out with the last round of antibiotics so I'll need to call the doctor again on Monday to get my prescription refilled.

That's it for now... More later... Coach Sam

Sci Fi Night

Friday evenings I like to hang at home and watch the Sci Fi Channel. It's really the only time I watch television. Stargate Atlantis comes on at 8 PM and then my favorite, Battlestar Galactica comes on at 9 PM...!

I used to watch the original Battlestar Galactica as a kid... This is a remake of the original series... It's good.

Today was a little a stressful. I was up a lot the night before... And then Arno and Judy left early this morning and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to them. I missed them by about one minute... Tennis lessons went ok, but I did have a little discipline problem in the last class... That happens from time to time... I think I handled it ok.

The rest of the afternoon I worked on returning email messages and posting photos on my Elijah Blog. We went to Babies R Us this evening and got some baby stuff... The we went out to eat at The Outback Steakhouse. It was Elijah's first trip to a restaurant. He slept pretty much the entire time. Our dinner was good... Now here we are... Back home...

I'm actually kinda sleepy right now... Little or no sleep for 8 days is starting to catch up with me...! Hopefully I can stay up until 10 PM...

I think I'll close here... More in the morning. Bye for now. Coach Sam

Brisket Day

I'm cooking a brisket today...! It's been awhile since I made brisket. My last big bar b que adventure was smoked pork ribs for Connor's Birthday... Incidentally, I'm going to publish a bunch of pictures from Connor's Birthday tomorrow... I should have already put them up but just haven't had time to download them from the camera...!


I started out by brining the brisket last night at about 11 PM... I've always had the best success with brining... Then I got up this morning and started the grill at 4:45 AM.... This brisket is going to smoke with hickory chips for about 12 hours at around 200 degrees... It should be ready in time for dinner...!

Today I'm staying at home. That's my new schedule for Wednesdays. I won't be taking the day off, I'll definitely be working from the house. I'm going to catch up on email, phone calls, and all my HPTA work. I want to spend more time at home with the family now that Elijah's here. Although I will lose income from my normal lessons schedule I think that over all, I'll do better because I'll be more organized and less stressed.

I've got to close here because it's almost 6 AM and I want to listen to Dr Charles Stanley's radio broadcast...

More later... SC

A New Blog...!

I just started a new blog for Elijah... You can now keep up with the life of Elijah Chadwell by clicking elijahchadwell.blogspot.com.




I've been working on Elijah's blog this weekend when I should have been working on other things like my tournament and lessons schedule this week...! Oh well... I know it will all work out...! But I'll have my hands full today. I leave for Columbia Lakes this morning at 6 AM and I'm on the court from 8 AM to Noon. Then I have a little break this afternoon and then back on the court from 4 to 8 PM. The four hour break may have to include a trip to Houston to pick up a racquet and strings...

I've been up since 3 AM working this morning. Elijah has definitely changed our sleeping habits. It's a good thing I don't require very much sleep any way...! So far though, Elijah has been a very good baby. And actually he slept pretty well last night.

Well... I'd better close here... Let me just say that it feels a whole lot different being a dad...! More about that next time.

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Mom, Baby, and Daddy are Doing Well...!

Hello Friends...

I'm next door to the Hospital at Memorial City Mall at Panera. Now I have my trusty Dell laptop fired up and I can type a better report...

The computer terminal I was using in Monica's room was just a touch screen and there was no way I could compose a lengthy post on that machine...

So... I'm a daddy now...! And I was there in the room for the entire delivery... It was an incredible experience...! I'll be writing about this for days...!

Monica did so well.... I'm very proud of her. She was in so much pain..

But she toughed it out...!

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I'm so grateful that men can't get pregnant...!

Elijah is a beautiful, healthy baby boy. He weighed 7 lbs and 4 ounces. I won't be able to post photos until tomorrow...

I'm taking the day off to spend at the hospital with Monica and Elijah... Monica had previously given me permission to teach lessons Friday morning but yesterday was just too much for everyone and I need a day to recover... Plus, I really don't want to be too far from Monica and the baby right now.

In fact, I'd better get back to the room right now... Monica's expecting a delicious Panera breakfast... And a Real Cafe Mocha with Caffeine...!

More later...

Coach Sam

Elijah is Here....!

Praise the Lord....! Monica delivered a healthy baby boy today at 5:04 PM...!

I am spending the night here at the hospital tonight.

I do not have access to wireless internet here. I am using a virtual terminal here in Monica`s room. It`s very tedious typing on a touch screen so this will be a short post....

I`m happy to report that we are all doing fine. I`m going to take tomorrow off from lessons....

More later. Coach Sam

Only One Thing On My Schedule Today...!

This is it...!

The next time I make a post to this journal I'll be a new daddy...! Amazing. Monica's getting ready right now... We have to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM... Ouch! That's actually early even for me...!

They told us after they begin the process of inducing labor it takes anywhere from 5 to 12 hours... So it could officially happen by lunchtime...!

There's really not much else to report this morning... My thumb still continues to get better...

I pretty much have a one track mind today. So I guess I'll close here. I'll see about posting some photos as soon as I can. Monica usually helps me get the images off the camera, but perhaps I can figure it out, or maybe Monica's Mom (Judy) can help me if I need tech support...!

More later...

Bye for now. Coach Sam

Hannah's Outa Here...

Poor Hannah is going back to the SPCA this morning... She's just not the right dog for this family. Especially a family about to bring a new-born home...

She's just too hyper and jumpy. (and barky...) I don't think Connor will be too upset... She's hurt him several times already just playing around. She's scratched and bitten him numerous times just being aggressively playful.

Oh well... We'll try for another dog after we relocate down south sometime in the next 12-18 months.

Today I have a bunch of stuff on my plate to do... I have to cancel a morning camp I had scheduled tomorrow. That will involve a lot of phone calls. Then I need to work on the Gran Prix tournament....

Tomorrow I'll have my hands full with Monica making a baby...! I mean delivering a baby... Then....

What...? Oh by the way... Thursday, we're inducing labor on my wife who's overdue to deliver by four days now... (for those of you just tuning in to the fun and exciting life of Sam Chadwell)

And my Thumb...? Well, it's not getting worse. So that means it's getting better, right? At least the swelling is not getting any bigger. It might have gone down a little bit. It doesn't really hurt unless I try to use my thumb. I know that sounds crazy, but before I changed antibiotics it hurt all the time and the only relief I could get was to submerge my thumb in icy cold water and numb it. Today the injury actually looks worse than ever. My thumb is about 4 different colors right now...

As I said... Today will be a busy day.

So... I need to close here. I'll probably try to post a little more later today if I can...

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Thursday it is...

Well... We just got back from the doctor and he's scheduled to induce labor Thursday morning...!

There will definitely be a new Chadwell in the world in 48 hours...! Yea...!

Needless to say... I'm taking the day off Thursday....! (Wednesday too...)

That's the Big News.... More tomorrow!

Coach Sam

The Much Anticipated Thumb Photo...

I've decided not to publish the thumb photo... It looks really bad. But if anyone has a strong stomach, I'll email the photo to you privately. The injury is much better now. It still looks much worse than it feels. But I'm definitely on the road to recovery.

I've decided to publish a cute photo of Peepers instead... I published a similar photo of her a while back...

She loves to hide in the box of water bottles.

Her favorite thing to do is to lie very still and when Hannah walks by unsuspecting... Wham...! Peepers will swat her...!

I'm catching up on HPTA work and marketing for my fall programs which will start in August.

It seems strange to refer to them as 'fall' programs since it's still so hot... But hopefully cooler temps are right around the corner...

Monica took Connor for a Doctor's appointment. He has to get a physical for football season. Yes not only am I a tennis dad, but I'm a football dad, too... Who would ever have thought that would happen...? Yes, strange indeed....!

I'm going with Monica to the afternoon doctor's appointment... We're going to see an ultrasound. I'll get to find out what my son's going to look like...! Then we'll figure out when we're going to induce labor...

I need to finish reading Monica's Pregnancy book: tips for dad right away...!

More later...

Bye for now...

Coach Sam

The New Thumb Report...

Man, I was dying yesterday... My thumb felt like it was on fire. But Monica took me back to the doctor and we saw a different one. Of course my thumb was much worse than on Thursday... He drained the abscess and prescribed some different antibiotics and now I'm definitely on the road to recovery.

I have some photos of the thumb right after the procedure was performed. I'll post them later... You won't believe how swollen my thumb was...!

Any way... I'm happy to report that I'm doing better now...

My thumb injury did preclude me doing very much else yesterday. I did manage to grill dinner but that was about it. Today I will get a lot of things done...

Monica has a doctor's appointment this afternoon. They are going to do an ultra sound and determine when to induce labor...! That's going to be exciting...!

Uh.. Not much else going on here... I have over 100 emails to sort through in my inbox... That'll keep me busy. The yard needs to be mowed... Perhaps I can coax Connor into taking care of that...

I'll try to log on again this afternoon and post my thumb photo and give a baby report...!

Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Aaaaghh....

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I'll make this a quick post... We're still waiting on Elijah... And my thumb is really looking bad now... It's taken a definite turn for the worse. The antibiotic has not had any effect on it...

It's swollen up even more... It's changed several different colors... It hurts bad... I'm ready for amputation...! The Doctor's office opens at 7:30 AM and I'm about to head over there right now... Monica is wanting to go with me... She'll probably go into labor on the way... (hopefully not...)

Anyway, that's the report...

More later...

Coach Sam

If this day could last forever...!

This is a good day... It's beautiful outside... And I have the entire day off... I don't get too many of these... I wish this day could last forever...!

I'll probably work on the Bay Area Racquet Club Gran Prix tournament... And do a little yard work... Of course I'll be blogging off and on today...

I'll probably cook something on the grill for lunch or dinner.... The photo above is from a previous briskett day. Hmmm.... What can I cook..? I don't know but I'll think of something...

Or Maybe Monica will have the baby today... She woke up with a super hard contraction last night and was going to time it but she never had another one so we're still waiting...

Last night I watched the new Battle Star Galactica episode on the Sci Fi Channel. I also watched Stargate Atlantis... I liked Galactica better....

I'm not much into Television but I just might start tuning in on Friday nights for awhile... Once I get back on a regular schedule Fridays will be my one half day of lessons. I'll be taking the afternoon and evening off from work. Fridays will be my family day...

Hannah is starting off having a bad day... She's just so hyper.... Sigh... I'm going to have to try to watch the Dog Whisperer today...!

Well... I've got to get on with my day... More later...

Coach Sam

Friday Update

My morning lessons went fine... Now I'm hanging at Diedrich's for a few minutes. After that I'm going to drive over to Sweetwater Country Club to pick up their left over medals and t-shirts from the tournament. I'll be working on the Bay Area Racquet Club tournament over the weekend.

I just spoke to Monica on the phone... She's doing fine... All is well... I've really got a slow week planned next week lessons wise... I'm off pretty much the entire week except for a few lessons on Wednesday and Friday.

At some point there's going to be another little Chadwell running around here... I'm looking forward to that...! Gabriel is shown in the photo above testing out the crib... The kitties are going to freak out when they meet the baby....!

So, I'm taking it easy next week. It's nice to relax a little... Although all this relaxing is taking a toll on our bank account...! But I'll pick up the pace in the fall...

That's what I'll do the rest of week is firm up my fall schedule. I've almost got everything lined up.... Now we can start looking for real estate down south closer to where I'm working....

Of Course, We're not desperate to move... Especially since Connor is just starting school.... But I think for sure we'll be looking harder by the spring.

Well, I'm just rambling.... I guess I'll close here... Bye for now... Coach Sam

The Thumb Report

Still Sore.... But doing a little better... All the doctor did was charge me $100 and say, Yep... It looks infected. She prescribed an antibiotic.... So we'll see if it continues to improve...!

Still no baby, but the Doctor said it could be any time. If the baby's not here by Tuesday then we're doing another untra sound and planning to induce labor the following Thursday if necessary. That's the Plan... So we're definitely entering the home stretch...!

Today I am teaching in Nassau Bay from 7:30 AM to 11 AM then I'm running some errands and then back home for the afternoon...!

I'll post some pictures this afternoon. I'm at my wife's computer right now... But, I gotta close here and finish getting ready for the morning lessons...!

Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Gabriel is trying out the baby seat in this photo... He was also been seen in the stroller and the baby bed.... We're keeping the kitties out of the baby room now, but it was cute to see Gabriel trying everything out... Right now HE is the baby...! 

A Sore Thumb...!

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Two weeks ago I poked myself in the thumb with a stringer's awl while I was stringing a racquet. I didn't think much about it at the time, and I don't remember it hurting very much if any the following week. But this week my thumb has swollen up to almost twice it's normal size and I can hardly use that hand. I can't turn on the car ignition with my right hand. In fact, I can't do anything with my right thumb and it's in excruciating pain. It's been throbbing for a couple of days now. I'm scheduled to see a Doctor about it this afternoon...

I don't normally complain about nagging little injuries, And I hate to go to the doctor, but this really hurts...! It's not discolored or anything, but it's quite swollen. Oh well, we'll see what the Doctor says...

I'm hanging out at Coffee Oasis today... It's off NASA Road One by Kirby, in the Arlans' Market shopping center. It's a little more quiet than Diedrich's and I was looking for peace and quiet today. I've been on and off the phone with Monica all afternoon. She had a good doctor's visit. Her due date is this Sunday, but if the baby hasn't come by next Tuesday she has another Doctor's appointment next Tuesday for an ultra sound. Then they may determine to induce labor next Thursday or the following Tuesday at the latest. So we are definitely into the final countdown...!

I had a bad Hannah Report today... That's not good... I'm not sure if she'll get voted off the island or not, but right now it's not looking too promising for her...

That's about it for now... I'm going to try to catch up on emails and phone calls....

Chadwell Out...

A Close One For Hannah

Many of You may remember when I made the comment that perhaps Hannah didn't have what it took to be a Chadwell...? Well today she was put on notice. We had an emergency family meeting regarding new rules for Hannah's behavior.

She is not allowed to play rough in the house. No one is to run and chase any more... No one is allowed to feed Hannah cookies or any other junk food. And anyone caught terrorizing the cats will be whipped with a rolled up newspaper or magazine. If these rules can not be followed then Hannah will be returned to the SPCA. Oh Yes, one other rule... No barking during dinner...!

I realize that Hannah is just a puppy, but her breed is one of the most hyper and easily excitable breeds there are... We're going to all have to work together to train her to be as calm as possible in the house and provide a safe environment for our soon to arrive baby...!

Coach Sam's Day: Today I got most of the yard mowed before it started raining... Connor had his first conditioning workout for his school football team. We watched Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, the sequel to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure... And the verdict is: Bogus, Dude.... (don't watch it)

Tomorrow I finish up the League City Parks and Rec Summer Program. I need to make certificates for the students tonight...

The Monica Report: Monica has a doctor's appointment tomorrow at 11:15 AM... She was reporting a contraction about 3 minutes ago... We still think the baby will arrive before the due date (Sunday).

That's about it... Except that I learned a new photo posting trick tonight... Now I can publish a photo right inside the body of my post... That's cool, huh...? Any way... More tomorrow...

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Here's Connor hiding in our board game and dvd cabinet... Now here's a kid that doesn't have enough to do...! 

We couldn't find Connor one day, then we discovered that he was playing a trick on us... What a crazy Kid...! 

Catching up at home...

Today is a major domestic day at home... I'm taking off from tennis lessons today. Normally I go to Columbia Lakes, but they are still in the middle of some major renovation at the tennis shop... It's as hot as @#$% there and actually this time of year lessons are a little spotty because of the heat, humidity, and everyone's traveling plans. No, I think I picked a good time to take off.

But I'm still going to be out in the elements... I'm taking Connor out for a private lesson a little later this morning. Then I want to work in the yard for a bit. This afternoon I'm going with Connor to meet his football coach and some of the team at his new school. They're doing conditioning right now. I'll probably walk the football field while Connor gets acquainted with the guys...

I desperately need to lose weight. I've lost about 5 pounds this month since July 4th but I've got many more pounds to go before I'm thin enough to satisfy my weight and health goals.

It will be easier after the baby gets here because Monica and I are going to start working out together. There's nothing like having a good committed work-out buddy...!

You'll notice that I'm starting to publish photos in my blog again... I've got hundreds of great photos that need to publish. All I need is the time to do it...!

I think Monica and her Dad comparing bellies is a classic...! They actually have a similar picture from Germany before Connor was born 13 years ago... Yes, Connor is a teen-ager now... Sigh...

He's got such a great personality. He can be so funny at times... Like when he was hiding in our video and games cabinet... That was hilarious...!

Well that's about it for now... I'll be hanging closer to home the next week just waiting for the baby to get here...

More later... Bye for now... Coach Sam

Monica and her dad compare bellies in this fun photo...! Monica is due to deliver on July 24th. We wouldn't mind if the baby was a few days early...! 

No Time Yesterday...

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Yes, I slept a little past my alarm yesterday and didn't get a chance to blog. But I'll make up for that today. I was on the court for 9 hours yesterday. And I could hardly walk by the time I got home last night... But it's amazing what a couple of aspirin, a hot shower and a few hours sleep will do for you...!

Today I just have 3 hours of lessons in the morning and then I'm off until tomorrow afternoon. Yea... I'll be resting today and definitely going to bed early tonight...! -Unless the baby decides to enter this world today... If that's the case then I'll gladly forgo rest for awhile longer...

Yes... We're still waiting... But it definitely won't be much longer...! Monica and I haven't spoken about it yet, but if the baby is not here by the 24th... Then I'm sure that on the 25th or so we'll induce labor... But we'll see. Somehow I don't feel it will come to that...!

I just spoke with Monica and she said that we're probably due for some rain today because of Hurricane Emily... It's supposed to come in around Brownsville sometime today and we'll be getting some bands of rain... I'd better close here and check the radar and update my website before I head out...

More later....

Bye for now...

Coach Sam

I

Working on A Sunday...!

I hate working on a Sunday, but I only have a few more Sundays left. This current league will be done in 2 more weeks. Then I'll take a few Sundays off before I start a new program but I'll have my brother John run the new league when it starts.

Connor had a nice birthday celebration. The meal turned out great and we had a delicious cake for him, too.

We have church in a few minutes then I'm going to Columbia Lakes for my tennis league. The league starts at 2 PM. I hope they have the new air conditioning unit installed in the pro shop when I get there. That would be a real blessing...!

Ummmmmm... Not much else to report. Still no baby...!

Bye for now... Coach Sam

About Ready for Lunch...

The Ribs are just about ready... The beans and corn bread are ready... Connor changed his mind and wanted baked potatoes instead of potato-salad so we're just waiting on the potatoes right now...

Oh we had a minor disaster right after my last post a few hours ago... Apparently one of the kitties (probably Gabriel) knockedover a gallon can of liquid-laminate we had stored in a utility closet in the hallway... The clear coat is used for finishing paint jobs... About a quart leaked out on the floor. Arno discovered it... It was a big mess to clean up because we had to take out nearly everything off the floor... But I guess the floor needed cleaning anyway...

Bug Zapper...

I've been enjoying myself killing flies on the back patio with a bug zapper shaped like a little tennis racquet. We bought it at sharper image. It's battery powered and it electrocutes the flies if they get hit with the racquet. You do have to hi them just right so it's a little bit of a challenge.

Anyway... We're celebrating Connor's 13th Birthday today. It's actually on Monday but since we'll be at Columbia Lakes all day, We're doing it today.

I'm making his favorite meal... (and mine) -Smoked Pork Ribs...

I prepared the ribs last night with my secret recipe rib rub. The ribs went on the grill at about 7:45 AM... I'm going to smoke them for close to 5 hours at 200-230 degrees. Mmmm... It's going to be good.

I'm also making some pinto bean soup and my secret Chadwell family jalapeno cornbread recipe. Connor wants some home made potato salad... We'll see if Grandma Judy can take care of that...

I've got a tournament going on in Sugarland this weekend. The rain is going to be a problem... That's too bad...

The Monica Report... I overheard her talking to her mom this morning that she has all the symtoms of a woman about to go into labor. I can't remember what all those symtoms were, but one of them is a sore back... Yes, I'd say that it won't be long before the baby gets here..!

Well... I've got to get back to work here cooking... More later...!

Looking a Little Wet

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At 6 AM the radar shows the clear lake area getting hammered with thunderstorms... It's pretty stormy here, too.

There's no way I'm driving to Nassau Bay in these conditions... I may wait until 6:30 AM to make the call but I don't think my lessons are going to happen this morning. That's a bummer because some of the mom's of children I coach were going to have a baby shower at 8:30 AM...
I'll keep an eye on the weather news this morning... perhaps the rain will let up for the 8:30 AM class...

Oh well... I spent most of the day yesterday catching up on email messages and working on some tournaments....

This morning I've been up since 3 AM working on stuff. And I'm sure I can stay busy all day today, too. I need to start planning my fall programs...

We're still on baby watch. Monica had a good visit with the Doctor yesterday. It won't be much longer now.. Poor Monica really couldn't sleep hardly at all last night...

Hopefully she'll have a peaceful day today....!

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

Coach Sam

Here's a fun photo taken a few months ago during my Tennis Across America Day on May 11 ay Columbia Lakes. I try to host at least one fun social for the club members and surrounding community every 6 to 8 weeks. 

Up and At Em Bright and Early...!

Well I must be caught up on my rest because I was able to get up extra early this morning. I set my alarm for 3 AM and have been responding to email and blogging for nearly an hour now. I still have a bunch of things to do this morning before I head out the door at 5:30 AM but I wanted to post here in my daily journal to get my day rolling.

For some reason Blogging really relaxes me and helps me focus my thoughts. There's just something to be said about writing stuff down that makes it more real. I've got a relatively lite day ahead of me. I'm teaching a Parks and Rec Camp for the City of League City this morning from 7 to 11 AM. Then I have the afternoon off from lessons. I'll work around the house this afternoon. I have a little bit of work to do on the gran prix tournament, I need to finish organizing my office, I need to work on some correspondence for this weekend's team tennis, and I'd like to work in the yard a little bit.

I guess that's not really a lite day, is it...? Well it is for me. Of course I wouldn't mind spending the afternoon at the hospital.... We are still eagerly anticipating the arrival of our baby. Monica is due on July 24 but she thinks he could come any time now...! She has a doctor's appointment today.... We'll see what the doctor says...

Well, I need to get on with my next project so I think I'll close here. Have a great day. I promise I'll try to publish some new photos soon...! Bye for now.

Coach Sam

New Tires and New Phone...!

I bought myself a much needed set of rear tires for my jeep today. The old jeep's got a lot of miles on it but it's running good. And it's paid for. You can't beat that...!

I also got a new cell phone. Now don't get me started on Cingular Wireless Customer Service... Let's just say that my Cingular experience was less than satisfying. The whole cell phone thing is such a big scam...

My tire experience was good. I went to Costo. They always seem to give good service. That restores my faith in humanity...! (a little)

Hannah has been acting bad. She keeps taking things out of the trash cans and tearing them up everywhere. She bites and nips... She annoys the cats to no end... I'm not sure if she's got what it takes to be a Chadwell....

Hey baby update... Monica said she had a pretty hard contraction in the car on the way home.... Maybe we'll have a baby tonight...!

Tomorrow I just teach in the morning from 7 to 11 AM... Then when I get home if we're not having a baby I think I'll work in the yard....

That's about it for now....

Coach Sam

A Day off of the Courts...!

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I'm taking a day off from lessons. My knee needs a rest..! I've been working here at the house mostly this morning and am just about to take a lunch break with the family.

No baby yet...!

I'm working on straightening my office and getting caught up on emails and phone calls...!

And Blogging...!

I've gotta run but will be back and post some more this afternoon.

Bye for now...!

Coach Sam

Busy Morning...

I've only got a few minutes before I have to head out the door for my morning lessons in League City. I'm teaching from 7 to 10 AM this morning. Then I have a pretty big gap in my schedule and don't teach again until 6 PM in Seabrook. I may just come home after the morning lessons so I can chill out here at the house.

Normally I would hang out at a coffee shop throughout the day and take care of email correspondence but right now I think I could use a nap. This Monday to Tuesday turnaround is tough on me. I went to bed at 11:30 PM last night and had to get up at 4 AM this morning and hit the ground with my feet running....

Anyway, I've got to get onto my next project: Publishing first match times for the upcoming gran prix tournament at Sweetwater Country Club.

I'll be back later this afternoon...

Bye for now... Coach Sam

A Full day

Monday's are going to be my busiest day of the week this month. I'll have drills and lessons all day from 8 AM to 8 PM today. Then the rest of the week's schedule will be relatively lite.

Yesterday was a good day for the team tennis program at Columbia Lakes. There were lots of new participants and my brother John came out to help and did a fantastic job... Hopefully Sunday afternoons can become a regular gig for him...!

Last Thursday we went and saw the new Tom Cruise movie: War of the Worlds. It was good... It was probably more action in a movie than I've seen in a long time. It was very suspenseful right up to the end but the ending was rather abrupt. Still, I'd recommend it on my must see list...!

That's about all the news I have time for today. But I'll have a big gap in my schedule tomorrow and I'll post some more so stay tuned...!

By for now...

Coach Sam

Sunday Update...

Hello Friends...

Yesterday was a fun day... I went to watch some of the members of Columbia Lakes compete in a city championship tournament and then I went to West Side Tennis Center to watch the pros play world team tennis.

Connor, Monica and I got to see Martina Navratilova... That was pretty neat. Connor was definitely inspired...! Monica had to leave early because she was tired but Connor and I stayed until the match finished at 10:30 PM... It was great tennis...! Unfortunately the home team lost by one game...!

Team Tennis is definitely where it's at...! In fact, I've started a team tennis program for the community around Columbia Lakes and it's going quite well. That area wants and needs organized play for tennis to grow...! We have matches at Columbia Lakes this afternoon and Connor and I are heading there after church this morning.

Yesterday was also my Mom's Birthday... She would have been 68 years old yesterday. I thought about her a lot through out the day. Her favorite thing to do on her birthday was to go to the Red Lobster restaurant in Lake Jackson and order a lobster. It was ironic that at the tennis event yesterday they served lobster to the first 1000 fans that came through the gates. It just so happened that the Houston Team was playing the team from Boston and their team name was the 'Lobsters'. That was the reason for the Lobster give away... Mom would have really enjoyed that...!

We are still on Baby watch here... No baby yet....! But we've got plenty of baby stuff...!

Hannah (our puppy) is doing better. She's not so jumpy or as hyper as she was last month but she still has her moments.... I suppose I can offer the exact same report on Connor... (still has his moments...)

Actually, Connor is doing very well. He's really into his tennis now... And he's pretty excited about the upcoming birth of his baby brother...

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

Bye for now.... Coach Sam

Another week Slipped Away...

I know I'm driving my loyal readers crazy by not posting for an entire week. I sincerely apologize... I've just been so busy and exhausted and there has been no spare minute to write...

I'm pushing it this morning but I can't let more than 7 days go by without an update...

I can say this... We are ready to have the baby. The due date is July 24 but as far as I'm concerned, Monica can go into labor this morning...! She's ready, too. And Her parents have come down and will be here for the duration of the pregancy and beyond... My Sis is going to come and visit after the birth so I'm looking forward to a whole summer of house guests...!

I am cutting my teaching schedule way back this month, though. And starting this weekend, my weekends are pretty leisurely for awhile...

I am still very apprehensive about the thought of having to change my first diaper, though... Oh well...

Today I'm teaching in Nassau Bay from 7:30 to 11 AM then Connor and I are going to Bay City for a birthday party... After that I'll be off for the weekend. I'll definitely take some time to update this web page over the weekend. I've got tons of Photos I need to publish, too...

So, thanks for being patient with me... But don't worry... I'm about to get back on a routine, soon!

Bye for now... -Coach Sam

Where did that week go...?

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I keep having these incredibly full days... But Praise the Lord my schedule slows down this month for the birth of my son...! He's due on July 24 but we hope and pray that he arrives early. Monica is ready to not be pregnant any more...!

I am cutting back on my court hours this month.

I'll still have a jam packed Monday and Wednesday but Tuesday will only be 5 hours of lessons with a big gap in the middle of the day. Thursday, Friday and Saturday will only be half days with just a morning schedule.

My Mother and Father in Law are coming to visit most of the month and I want to be able to spend a little more quality time with them for a change.

I have been working out playing a lot more lately trying to whip myself into shape and in my over-zealousness I have messed up my right knee a little bit. It was extremely sore after Monday's 10 hours on the court and I've been pretty lame the remainder of this week. But I stayed completely off the court yesterday and it was much better today. I should be as good as new by next Monday. I need to keep my practice schedule in moderation until I drop more weight. -I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life right now...!

So today was a good day. I had a nice turn out for my group lessons and I've had a productive break this afternoon. I still have a lot of work to do on the next Gran Prix tournament but it's all starting to fall together. I want to have it all completed by Monday morning.

We have a lot of cleaning and last minute projects to complete before Monica's parents get here but I feel good that we've got our act together.

Not much else to report right now. I just finished a very busy month of tennis lessons and programs. Now I'm just mainly focused on the arrival of my baby boy. Life is Good. I feel very blessed.

So, I appreciate you reading my blog... Sorry I've been lax in posting photos. I'll get caught up on that soon enough...

Bye for now....

Coach Sam

New week...

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The weekend went well... Saturday was a good day. Sunday I had to work at Columbia Lakes but everything went well there, too. I ran out of energy Sunday night, though and went to bed a little before 9 PM and didn't get to enjoy much family time.

Today will be my toughest, busiest day of the week. I've got most of the day on the court with lessons and camps and racquet stringing. Once July rolls around I'll have a much lighter schedule because I'm taking Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings off. We'll see how my bank account likes that... Hopefully it won't be too bad because my groups are generally a little smaller in July anyway and I'll be adding a few extra privates in the afternoons which will balance out the lost income of the groups.

And pretty soon Baby Elijah will be here... I have to admit I'm getting pretty excited about that...! Wow... A brand new person. A wondrous creation of life...! I really can't believe it.

And it will be the start of a whole new lifestyle for Monica, Connor and I... But one that we embrace whole-heartedly... hmmm..... Yes, any day now... Our due date is July 24 but Monica and I feel that Elijah's going to come out early... There is one aweful reality, though... The day is quickly drawing near when Coach Sam will have to change his first diaper...!

Oh and another exciting event about to occur is that Monica and I are celebrating our 2nd year as a married couple tomorrow. Two years...! Wow... That's pretty neat, too.

Well, I need to dive into my day. It's nearly 5 AM and I want to get on the road early this morning. I still need to update my website, too...!

Bye for now... I'll try to post some photos soon...!

Coach Sam

Friday Afternoon Update

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Hello... I've been too busy to blog again. The past few days have been just a blur... I've had busy days on the court. Plus, I'm trying to workout more and practice and get my game back in order.

Monica's getting closer to having the baby.... We've got about 4 weeks left before the due date which is July 24...! Our 2 year wedding anniversary is June 28... That's just a few days away.... Wow, looking back at my life over the past 24 months there's been an incredible amount of change...

Connor's been struggling a bit with managing his emotions on the tennis court. We're trying to work on that. But I must say his skills are improving at a lightning pace... That's kinda neat. I'm hoping to get him in some tournaments this fall. I'll be looking forward to that. And that's why I've been trying to practice more. I want to start playing again, too.

My strokes are looking good. Very smooth. I just need to keep working on my fitness. I absolutely have to lose some weight. Connor and I went and practiced late last night and I hope we can do that again tonight. Tomorrow I'm going to play a practice set or two. And I may play a bit on Sunday as well. I don't want to publish my weight right now but lets just say that I'm about as heavy as I've ever been... Sigh...

My summer lessons are going well. I can't complain about that. It all started off a little slow but has picked up nicely now. I am going to teach an abbreviated schedule in July and early August until after the baby's born. I'm not teaching on Tuesday or Thursday evenings or Friday afternoons in July. I'll still have pretty full mornings, though.

My mother and father in law are coming to visit in July and will stay through until sometime in August. Then my sis is going to come for a visit after that. July is going to just fly by quicker than you know it. Such are the days of our lives...

I've been having trouble finding time to blog lately. I know I just have to make the time, but early in the mornings is out. I barely have time to write in my prayer journal in the mornings. Then I've been too busy during the day and too tired at night. Hopefully by taking some time off in July I can settle back into a comfortable routine....

I have a funny story to tell but I'm going to close here and will say that story for this weekend's blog. Thanks for keeping up with my journal. Bye for now...

Coach Sam

A Week Off From Blogging

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Hello Dear Friends and Faithful Readers,

Yes, I took a week off from Blogging. I had an incredible amount of work on my plate this past week. Every day and night was a never ending deadline for this or that. I think at one point I had only slept about 6 hours in 3 days...!

Thank God that week is behind me and it won't be so busy any more. I've been taking the past few days to catch up on my sleep and boy have I been sleeping. I've gone to bed at about 9:15 PM the last two nights...

There's quite a bit to report and I'll try to spend more time blogging this week to catch you up on it all. Today looks to be my busiest day this week on the court. I have 9 hours of lessons (all groups). I need to leave here at 6 AM and I won't be heading back this way until 8 PM...!

The air conditioner is still not working in my tennis shop so I have a long hot day before me. Perhaps I'll lose a little weight today. I'm still way over my mark for weight loss. But I'll get there.

That's about it for this morning. Thanks for reading my blog. I'll be back with a tennis camp report this afternoon.

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Sunday Update

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Well, Continuing the Connor Report... Our little hitting session didn't go well, either. Monica came out and joined us. We hit for about 15 minutes against Connor but he was missing a few shots, got frustrated and didn't want to hit any more. So Monica and I hit some for about 10 minutes while Connor sat on the side bench and pouted.

Finally I asked Connor to hit some with me again while his mom rested. We hit for about 5 minutes and he got mad at himself again so we just stopped all together and went home.

I spoke to him later that evening about what happened and he said he was just angry because he wasn't hitting well. I told him that we'd have to work on his emotional control on the tennis court and we left it at that.

We'll just save all the other issues for our family meeting tonight.

In other news.... My beans and cornbread turned out good.... And the yard looks good....

Today I have a Pro Am event at theHouston Metropolitan Racquet Club at 1 PM... That should be fun... I'll be sure to take some photos of that...

Not much else going on today... I need to string a few racquets for tomorrow and hopefully I will wrap up the Woodlands HPTA Gran Prix this evening. Tomorrow is a very full day in West Columbia...!

I'll probably post more later but I'd better close here. I want to watch a church service on TV...

Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Coach Sam's Saturday...

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11:23 AM.... I just finished mowing the front and side yards... Now I'm about to tackle the back yard. Connor has been enjoying his game boy for over an hour already this morning. I'll give him another45 minutes then I'm taking the game boy up a little after 12 Noon.

By then he'll definitely have used up his 2 free game time hours that he gets Monday through Saturday. I gave him the option of mowing the yard for extra minutes or allowance and he declined.

Monica called. She thought her class was only going to be 2-3 hours this morning but it's actually going to stretch into the afternoon. That'll give us more time to get house work done...! I want her to come home today and find a nice yard and a clean house... Well, back to work...

signed off: 11:28 AM



2:39 PM....

Monica came home early from her class. We had lunch. We had to make Connor do his chores because he really didn't 'feel like it'. He thinks Saturdays are just for laying around and doing nothing or something...

We had to get on his case for not doing a thorough job on his chores. Sadly that has been our struggle lately. Connor is really trying to test the waters with how much he can get away with. Monica and I are trying to teach him to do his best at all times, but that is a lesson not easily learned in a few conversations.

Monica is resting right now. She's completely worn out with this pregnancy. Right now I'm just taking a break from doing a little more yard work. But I still have several other domestic chores to do today. Several hours woth of work.

The plan this afternoon was to take Connor to go play tennis but I've told him several times already that if he helps me with the chores then we get to go play tennis sooner. But he's just not in to helping out around the house. He's not in to anything but laying around.

No one around here models that soprt of behavior and I'm sure his daddy was always busy doing something productive. Oh well, chances are good that with Connor's current attitude that there won't be any tennis at all this afternoon. I'm not the kind to scream and yell and get angry but I have to admit that I'm burning a little right now. All I can think to do iscontinue to be patient, but I must show Connor that are consequences for his behavior, attitude, and the choices he makes. I'll let you know it turns out... Well, back to work for me. Bye for now.

Signed off 2:49 PM

4:12 PM....

Well, I finished the yard project... And I just started a pot of Pinto Beans. We're going to have one of my all time favorite meals tonight... Red Beans and Cornbread. Ah, actually that's going to be mexican cornbread. Mmmm... I'm looking forward to that!

Well, Connor has pretty much avoided me this afternoon. (in order to get out of helping me do yard work) He's stayed in his bedroom by his own choice. I wasn't going to play tennis with him because I didn't want to reward his poopy behavior. But I've decided to go play tennis with him any way. And I'll use that opportunity to have a good heart to heart talk with him.

He can be very stubborn. But I can be just as patient. Stay tuned for the next Connor report in a few hours.

Signed off ...4:23 PM...

Made it to the weekend....!

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I MADE IT...!

Saturday. No lessons today. No traveling or commuting today. No deadlines today. No tight schedules. No appointments or meetings. Today is pretty much free and clear to do anything I want. Ahh... It feels good to relax.

Of course, I'm going to stay busy doing stuff, but it's different when it's one's own choice. I'm going to blog a lot. I really enjoy writing and have 5 blogs and they will all be updated today. I'll work on my website a bit, too. It's starting to get a lot more hits than ever before so I can't afford to let it get out dated. Plus, websites are one of my favorite hobbies.

Connor is interested in websites, too. I told him I'd help him start building his own personal site this weekend. We'll probably do that this evening. It's still early--- 8:30 AM. Connor probably won't even get up for another hour.

He's had a long week, too. He gets up early and goes to tennis with me most mornings so he's a little worn out from yesterday, for sure. We left at 6 AM and went to Clear Lake for lessons all morning. Then we went to Columbia Lakes for a fun evening event I put together and we didn't get home until nearly mid-night.

We're going to work in the yard this morning and then after lunch go play tennis in the afternoon. I can't believe how much Connor loves his tennis. He reminds me so much of myself when I was his age. I fell in love with tennis when I was 12, too...! It is so very gratifying to have a stepson who shares so many of my interests. I'm actually starting to feel Younger. It's like I'm getting to re-live my childhood and get it right this time...! I was so worried about becoming a parent but I'm starting to relax in my new role a bit now. And I'm blessed to have Connor. He's a great kid to start with....!

Monica is at some kind of birthing class right now. It was supposed to be this afternoon and I was going to attend the class with her but the hospital rescheduled it to early this morning and Monica graciously gave me the morning off in lieu of my long day yesterday (and week).

She wasn't feeling 100% this morning. So I'm going to try to straighten the house up a bit and have a good lunch ready for her when she gets home later this morning. Hopefully she will feel better and just enjoy a relaxing afternoon, too when she gets home.

That's about it. I'll probably be back later. I'm sure I'll be posting some photos later today sometime.

By for now...

Coach Sam

Finally...! A few extra minutes...!

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It's been a rough few days. I've had a tremendous amount of trouble with the tournament data software and I've been awake and working around the clock the past 48 hours....

I've finished my lessons for the day and Connor and I are hanging out relaxing at Diedrich's.

We're about to head to Columbia Lakes for an event there tonight. Tomorrow I'm sleeping in...!

I'll post a full report of this past week tomorrow.

Bye for now...

Sam

No Time To Blog....

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I had planned to get up early this morning and catch up on blogging but I had too restless a night with our cats wanting in and out throughout the night. So, I had to sleep in, There's just no time to blog today. Tomorrow will be tough, too. And Friday will be impossible. Therefore, hopefully Saturday I'll be able to get caught up...!

Please check back again.

Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Time is a valuable commodity

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I seem to be running out of time these days. There have been many matters much more pressing than posting in my blog lately. Sorry to dissapoint all You my loyal readers, but I'm under the gun for time this morning as well. I've got a full day on the road with Connor and Hannah in West Columbia and I need to start packing up right now. I'll be back and post some tomorrow during my afternoon break.

Bye for now...!

Coach Sam

The weekend... Yea...!

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Yesterday was way too busy for me... And I was exhausted by the end of the day. Monica and I slept in this morning until 9 AM and we're getting ready to go to the SETHSA Home School Conference at the Reliant Center... I'll be catching up on projects today...!

I'll try to post a full report and start posting the many photos I have from last week.

Bye For Now...

Coach Sam

Dear Mr Anonymous....

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From time to time I have received 'Anonymous' comments on my blog. Well no more. I just reset my preferences to only allow registered users of Blogspot to comment. I didn't like the tone of the last anonymous comment, and to be quite honest... I've never really EVER appreciated any of the anonymous comments I've received from time to time.

The recent 'anonymous' comment on May 31 regarding Keanu Reeves' ancestry was just plain rude.

From now on if anyone has a comment to make then they can at least sign their screen name alias or otherwise keep their opinions, comments, and bright answers to themselves....!

Only Cowards hide behind the cloak of anonymity, I say...!

So I'm Calling You Out, Mr Anonymous. What You say we settle this Face to Face...? No Body speaks that way to anyone on My Blog, Mister...!

ESPECIALLY TO JUDY!

In the words of the immortal Private First Class Gomer Pyle, USMC:

Shame, Shame, Shame....!

SC

Summer is Here...!

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My summer schedule has caught up with me. Ready or Not, Summer's here. It will take me a bit of adjustment to fine tune my routine to summer hours. I absolutely have to get to bed before 10 PM when possible. I didn't do that last night, consequently I had difficulty bolting out of bed at 4 AM this morning.

I ended up resetting my alarm and laying on the couch from 4:05 until 4:45 in a semi conscious state just praying and dozing off. I had to referee Hannah, Gabriel and Peepers this morning. That was interesting... More about that later.

I've got to prepare to get on the road. I need to awaken Connor. He's spending the day with me today in West Columbia. I've got a good chink of office time this afternoon and I'll log back in and update you on my morning after lunch.

Thanks for keeping up with my journal. I hope you have an awesome day. Until next time, Bye for now...

Coach Sam...5:24 AM

Tuesday, Catching up

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I took the day off from Blogging yesterday for a couple of reasons. One, I was a little worn out and just wanted to relax. Two, I left the power cord to my computer at the tennis shop at Columbia Lakes and my battery doesn't have a lot of life left in it. So, This morning I'm using my trusty old Toshiba laptop that I retired in December 04.

It still works but I think my screen is going out. It's very dim and I can't seem to adjust the picture quality. I have been meaning to take it in to a repair center for a while, but haven't had the extra cash. Any way, it's functional for what I need to do today.

You'll have to bear with me on posting memorial day photos for another day or so.

Now, My Memorial Day tournament went well. The weather held out and everyone had a great time. When I got home yesterday I helped Monica with some household chores and then we grilled burgers for dinner. Mmmm they were good....! Afterwards we watched the Original 'Matrix' movie with Keanu Reeves. What kind of name is Keanu, anyway..? Is that his stage name or did his mom really name him Keanu...? Oh well, sometimes my mind wanders that way and I get off track. Any way, we watched the Matrix and I dozed off towards the end because it was getting way past my bed time.

Today Connor is taking an assessment test for school and Monica and I have to go to the bank to work out a problem with the property tax escrow on our home mortgage account.

Then I need to work on marketing my summer programs this afternoon. That's it. I'm out of time. It's do or die....! Oh it's almost 7:30 AM I'd better close here so I can listen to RC Sproul on the radio....!

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

Memorial Day Bar B Que Blog...!

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I got up this morning at 2 AM to start a briskett. Hannah is happy to have the company...! I've been just putzing around on the computer the last 30 minutes and now I'm kinda sleepy. It's 4 AM and I'm probably going to throw a bunch of coals in the fire box on the smoker and take a 90 minute nap. We're going to the late church service this morning at Houston Metropolitan Baptist then by the time we get home the briskett should be ready...!

That's it for now... Please check back throughout the weekend as I'll be adding comments regularly.

This is the Memorial Day Weekend Bar B Que Blog... You might recall my last Holiday blog was the 2004 Family Thanksgiving Blog.... I'll be posting photos later, too.

See you in a couple hours. -SC -4:07 AM


9:27 AM Update:

We were out of foil so I improvised a smoker box out of an aluminum can and wood chips... That seemed to work fine. The briskett is looking good. It's smelling good, too! I'm going to stoke the fire before we head off for church and the briskett should be just about ready when we get home.

Earlier this morning I watched Lakewood Church on TV, then I watched Dr Charles Stanley. His sermon was awesome as usual. Monica and I are watching the French Open right now, But we're about to start getting ready for church.

Hannah is playing with her toys. Connor is still asleep.

That's about it. I'm taking an easy day today. It will really be one of my few complete days off for the next month....!

More later... Bye for now... SC 9:36 AM

Monica's Getting Bigger and Bigger...! Our Due Date is July 24th...! 

Goin' Offshore on the BEAST

Everyone's about to embark on the Kemah Boat Ride. This was a fun event Connor participated in a few weeks ago organized by F.L.A.S.H. -That's Fun and Lively Activities and Sports for Home Schoolers.

Here's the last of the photos of Connor's Kemah trip with his Home School Friends.  

End of the Week

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The photos posted above are fun pictures from Connor's day out in Kemah with his home School friends from a few weeks ago. That was a really fun day for Connor. Unfortunately, I've posted all the pictures from that little excursion. But don't worry, (all you Connor Fans) I have an endless suppply of Connor photos... So stay tuned and check back often...! :)

Well, I made it to Friday... Yea...! The rest of week will be a breeze. I'm actually going to go into the summer feeling rested, relaxed, and caught up on everything. That's an awesome feeling. I'm looking forward to a good morning of lessons this morning. Then I have the afternoon off to hang out and relax with the family.

I plan to play a lot of ping pong in the back yard. I plan to Bar B Que something. I plan to just spend quality time with the ones I love this weekend.

Ahh... What a life! I can't complain, that's for sure...!

I'll have time to blog too... Maybe I'll recall some funny stories from my childhood or my travels as a tennis pro. I've got lots of stories, no question about that...!

So, that's it for this morning. Perhaps I'll be back and blog a little more this afternoon. I can't promise for sure, but I'll definitely be back some time this weekend.

Until then, Bye for now...!

Coach Sam

No Swimming Allowed...!

Don't fall in the Sting Ray Pool...!

Here's Ashleigh Calcote (pink) and Connor and Matt petting sting rays at Kemah. Connor said they were very slimey...! 

Closing in on The Weekend...!

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The photos above were taken at a fun Home School Event organized by F.L.A.S.H. I'm sorry that I missed it because I've always had a fascination with sting rays and that would have been a good opportunity to see them up close and personal.

Well, the past two days I've been on the phone and sending email like crazy to promote my weekend tennis events and summer programs. Why does everyone seem to wait until the last minute to commit to something...? It makes it awfully difficult to plan a first class event...!

My Saturday event is actually shaping up nicely but I still need some more participants for the Monday Kids half day tournament. I'm sure that today and tomorrow it will fill up.

I teach this afternoon in Rustic Oaks. The rest of this week is pretty much half days. I think Sunday we may have some friends over for a cook out. Then starting next Tuesday I go into a summer program schedule mode. I'm concerned about the month of June because I have been so fatigued lately. And this past week I've been trying to sleep more but I still have a difficult time waking up. This morning I didn't even get out of bed until 6:30 AM and I went to bed last night before 10 PM... I'd better shape up fast!

I think I'll probably switch my blog time to the afternoons starting next week. That might help my morning routine a little better.

Uh, well, this has turned out to be random musings this morning, hasn't it...?

Sorry. This is just the crazy life and thought processes of a man with a 7 month pregnant wife, a semi- hyper 12 year old son, a puppy, a kitten, and two cats trying to cope...!

Until next time... Bye for now!

Coach Sam

Sorry, No Spice Today...!

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A few posts ago I promised some 'spicey' commentary today. Well, sorry. I'm not feeling too spicey this morning. I slept in a little this morning. I got up at 4 AM and let Hannah out to the bathroom then went back to bed. I got up again at nearly 6 AM and laid on the couch with Hannah and listened to Dr Stanleys morning broad cast. It was nice just relaxing on the couch with the puppy. After Dr Stanley's sermon I dozed off for a little while and then have been blogging since about 7:45 AM.

I need to spend pretty much the entire day marketing my summer programs. So that's my story today. Maybe there will be some spice tomorrow...!

Until then... Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Accomplishment

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I just accomplished a huge task that I had been behind on here at the house...! I'm still behind in other areas ...Like marketing my summer programs... But I'm in a good mood right now for sure!

I'm going to return a few messages and then head to Seabrook for my afternoon lessons in about an hour. That's the update...! Woohoo...!

More later...

Coach Sam

Crunch Week Day 2

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Yesterday was full and busy as predicted. I had 4.5 hours of lessons through out the day and hit with Connor some and one of the members of Columbia Lakes. I definitely got my exercise...! And the A/C in the tennis shop is still not working. Hopefully the maintenance department will complete that project soon...!

Today I slept in a few extra hours. My alarm went off at 4 AM but I couldn't get going until 6 AM. I may have to adjust my schedule a little more before the summer. Perhaps I'll have to blog less or blog at a different time because my mornings are going to be too busy starting in a couple of weeks.

I'm referring to this week as crunch week because it is an absolutely crucial week for me to get some things accomplished before the summer gets here.I'm definitely feeling the pressure right now.

I'm about to start working on some projects here at the house this morning. I've got a longer day here today because I wrapped up a few classes last week. That's good. I need the extra time.

I suppose I'll close here. Thanks for reading my journal. I'll try to wow you with some spicey commentary tomorrow.

Bye For Now.

Coach Sam

Connor and Matt are about to embark on a ride at the Kemah amusemant park. This was part of the Home School trip to the Boardwalk a few weeks ago. I've still got lots of cool photos to publish so be sure to check back...! 

Big Week Ahead

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I took the weekend off from Blogging. I'm going to do that every now and then to build in some sanity into my life. I've really got to watch my time management. I was quite disciplined yesterday and I forced myself to get to bed by 10:30 PM. I'm quite proud of that. As a consequence I'm not dragging this morning.

Oh I've got a full day today, to be certain. But I know it will work out. I'm off to a terrific start. I got up at 4:15 AM and I even did 100 crunches this morning. Yes, I'm declaring war on this big fat gut of a stomach of mine. I played tennis this past Saturday and got killed, but I'm not giving up. In fact, I hope to start playing three times a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. A month of that and I'll start to regain my old form...!

This is crunch time for my summer program. I have a lot of scheduling and many flyers to make over the course of today and tomorrow. I have lots of calls to make. Yes, it will be a busy day.

I'll try to post again later this morning when I'm on my first break. And I'll post some more photos, too. Thanks for reading my journal. Bye for now.

Coach Sam

Connor Copeland and Matt Asp enjoy a cool sprinkle in the fountain at the Kemah Board Walk during a Home School outing organized by FLASH last week.  

F.L.A.S.H

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What is FLASH..? FLASH stands for:

Fun and

Lively

Activities and

Sports for

Home Schoolers

This group organized the recent fun day at the Kemah Boardwalk last week. It's a great group. My stepson has several good friends in it and I know the family that founded it very well. It is a great resouce for home school families in the southeast Houston area.

I'll be writing more about Flash and helping promote thier activitey on this web page. More later... Bye for now... Coach Sam

Recently Connor and Monica went out for a day trip to Kemah on the Boardwalk with a group of Home School kids and their moms. The Kids took a trip on 'The Beast' shown here. More photos of Connor's fun day will be published tomorrow. 

Here's a photo of Hannah attacking my feet as I'm trying to get my socks and shoes on in the morning. 

Hannah loves to attack my feet and eat my socks... That might change in June and July when my socks get really sweaty, smelly, and dirty...! 

Wednesday Update....

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Sigh... Today hasn't been as productive as I wanted it to be... I forgot a bunch of paperwork at the house... It was going to keep me busy most of the day. Now I'll have to work when I get home tonight... That Stinks...!

I've been painting in the tennis shop today. And I'm going to make a few calls before I go back on the court later this afternoon. It was a lite day lessons-wise for me. But I need some phone call time so I guess it all works out for good anyway.

Tonight I'm going to watch Star Wars: Attack of the Clones to get myself ready for the next episode in theaters tomorrow.

That's about it. Tomorrow Monica and I have a Doctor's appointment. Not much else to report. Oh well... I'm going to put on a smiley face and dive into some phone calls...

I'll be back tomorrow...

Coach Sam

Quick Update from Coach Sam

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Busy, Busy Busy... It's funny, but have you ever noticed on a typing keyboard that if you type too fast, the word busy easily becomes the word, 'bust'...? The Y and the T are right next to each other. I busted twice just then being too busy.

And boy, have I been way too busy lately. But I'm just about caught up on all the stuff I was behind on. In fact, I predict that by the end of the week I'll be caught up with a regular life. Of Course, I'm just about to be starting my 'busy' season with summer programs, but it won't be too bad. I'm holding everything together. (With God's Help...!)

I'm up early this morning. I have a lesson at Columbia Lakes at 8 AM... The rest of the day is filled office work, meetings, and hopefully, knocking out some big projects... It's 4:30 AM now and I'm going to be leaving early this morning. I'll go ahead and close here and perhaps I'll post another journal entry later this morning form Columbia Lakes...

Bye for now. Thanks for reading my journal. I hope You have an awesome day!

Coach Sam

Here's a Close Up of Gabriel. This was before he knew that the flash was bright. Now he blinks and squints when he sees a camera pointed at him...! 

Here's one of Gabriel's Baby Photos... He sure is getting big now...! 

Connor didn't want his picture taken here. He wanted to comb his hair first... 

He got a little tangled up here but it was still a good shot. Nice balance on one foot...! 

Connor Lines up a forehand in this photo sequence. His ground strokes are getting stronger every day! 

My stepson Connor Copeland is 12 years old and has a great love for tennis..! 

Heading to Columbia Lakes

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I'm about to get on the road this morning. I've got a full day at Columbia Lakes. The weekend was good. I'll take a break this afternoon and report on it a little later today.

All is going well. I hope everyone has an awesome day. Be sure to scroll down and check out some photos from this weekend's USPTA Tennis Fun Day.

Bye for now...

Coach Sam