June 2006

2006 Sarasota YMCA "Sharks" Open

Well, the big meet of summer for the YMCA Sharks is finally over; 4 days of swimming in the heat and humidity...oh wait: only the kids swam, us parents wilted under the brutal Florida sun!

This was Karl's inaugural swim meet, and he came through with some excellent swims. His first event was the boys 11-12 100 meter breaststroke, and did surprisingly well, with a final time of 1:54.96. With only 3 weeks of practice, he managed to beat 2 teammates that have been swimming for almost 1 year! Natalie followed with a 1:57.07 in 10-U girls 100 meter breaststroke, a 1.6 second drop in time! She bested that effort with a 1:33.56 in the 100 meter freestyle, dropping 9.69 seconds!! Karl then swam the 50 meter backstroke, finishing in 54.23. Natalie demonstrated what weeks of training can do; she swam a 49.61 in the same event for 10-U girls, shedding 3.84 seconds and finishing 16/29.

On Saturday, the kids really shined! It was their favorite event; the 50 meter breaststroke. Karl got things off to a great start by clocking in at 51.02, good for 10th place/16 and a 2nd alternate position for finals! Natalie again lowered her time by .49 seconds to 52.96 and placing 12th/46. She then capped off the day by swimming the breaststroke leg of the Girls 10-U 200 Medley relay, Sharks team "D". They placed 5th out of 12 entrants, and bested the Sharks team "C"!

Karl in "recovery" before the "glide" phase!

Natalie about to glide...

Sunday was a bit of a downer. There was a 1 1/2 hour delay due to lightning, all relays and the 400 IM heats (all 14 of them) were canceled in order to stay on time. Both kids swam the 50 meter freestyle, logging respectable times, but you could tell everyone was tired. Natalie's last event was the 50 fly, and she gave it her all, but faded the last 15 meters. Sometimes the swim is just not there! All in all, the weekend was great, the meet was exciting and the kids swam with enthusiasm; what more could one ask for?

Cindy was seemingly everywhere poolside; volunteering as backup timer, pacing the pool exhorting the swimmers on, and lugging H2O, snacks, towels, suits. All I did was sit in air-conditioned comfort, running the timing computer, scoring computer and announcer for Friday night finals! Will we survive? Can we survive? For the kids...of course!

GOOD MORNING & HAPPY FATHER"S DAY!

CONGRATULATIONS, KARL!

Your Dad's cheerful and comprehensive report about your latest achievement in sport was actually not a big surprise, because Oma and I knew already that you will be an excellent swimmer, demonstrated so often in the past. Thanks to having inherited your mother's long legs, you must have flopped and propelled yourself with frictionless synchronicity through the refreshing waters of the Y. As you begin your ascent in your new sport and consequently more records, I am running out of suitable accolades.

The little blonde in the back of the photo, Albinolla Kerzenduenn, had apparently focused her eyes on you and was ultimately in awe of your performance...

This sport - with you as solo-performer - beats the team effort required in Flag Football and Basketball.

Like the rowers say: "No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing." (Emerson). Think about it.

NOW, CINDY --- did you prepare the Beef Tartar as recommended some time ago? Did you open the bottle of champagne? If not, there is still time for doing it.

Oma, Thomas and Opa.

Karl Swims!!!!!

Yes folks, you are seeing it for the first time...Karl swims! He joined the YMCA "Sharks" swim club a couple weeks ago, moved from Novice to White team within a week, and today swam in the monthly developmental meet. He did great, especially in the breaststroke (following in the ol' man's footsteps; or would that be strokes?).

Looking cool as a cucumber even with temperatures in the low 90's, Karl swam the 50 yard freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Here is his breaststroke; he absolutely blew away everyone with an inaugural time of 42.44. Even Natalie was impressed, but more importantly, his coach was too.

Karl gets to swim in the annual Sarasota YMCA Sharks Open Invitational, with teams from Texas, N. Carolina, Georgia, Washington D.C, and the best of Florida, including UF Gators swimming. He will compete in only 3 events, as the meet will be very fast. What a way to start; racing against top-ranked age groupers!!!

Congratulations!

Good Morning!

Congratulations Natalie! Sorry we are a little late. In spite of being a member of the famous Shark Swimming Team only a few weeks, you already impressed everybody with your determination to excel in various strokes. We are proud of your success and hope you willcontinue to be tenacious in the future and add a second here and five there on the way to many victories, so vividly reported by your Dad. The follow-up video was interesting to watch when you left Flippsy Sumpfwasser in the last few feet behind you.

Karl is on your heels now by joining the team and he will undoubtedly be as successful in swimming as he was on the football field or basketball court.

Oma, Thomas and I admire your determination and wish you the best of luck in future meets.

Opa.

1st video on the blog!

I have finally decided to try and upload video clips to the blog for all to see, and it seemed appropriate to show Natalie's 50M breaststroke Final from the Morgan Stanley meet. Click here to see it.

Morgan Stanley Invitational Swim Meet

It was a long weekend for Natalie's first away meet in Fort Myers, but a very successful and rewarding one. We started early on Friday, driving down with 4 girls (all daughters of Natalie's coach, Renee), cooler, portable canopy, various swim bags, and my camera/video equipment. Cindy had to work, so it was just me as chaperone!

The meet venue was the Aquatic Center of the Gulf Coast University, albeit a less than stellar facility. There were no bleachers or overhangs to protect us from the intense sun (it was over 94 degrees), hence the portable canopy. Once situated, Natalie dressed into her racing suit and began a 1/2 hour warmup (500yards; a mix of all 4 strokes, turns and starts) with all her teammates (over 160). Her first event was the 100M backstroke, which she had not raced before. She struggled to maintain pace and stay centered in the lane, but did execute a nice turn. She finished in 1:51.74, good for 17th place (out of 27). Her best event, the 50M breaststroke, came next, and was she excited! Seeded 13th out of 28 entrants, she swam in heat 4, lane 2. She swam very well, hitting the wall in 54.25, besting her previous time of 55.95, and making the finals as the 8th seed!

After her last swim, we got together with Coach Renee and some of the other swimmers and grabbed a bite to eat at Cracker Barrel. Finals were to begin at 6:00PM, but a thunder/lightning storm delayed the start for almost 1 hour. Natalie at last swam her 50M breaststroke final at 9:20PM, and from lane 8, bested her afternoon swim, touching the wall in 53.45, and finishing in 7th place! Her coach was quite pleased, and Natalie even got a "good job" wink from Coach Watts, the master age-group instructor and the next step up for Natalie. We drove home, "Noodle" sleeping in the back seat, and pulling into the driveway at 11PM. Wheeeewww!

The next day, ALL of us went down for the remaining 4 events; Girls 10-under 200 Medley relay, 50M freestyle, 100M breaststroke, and 50M butterfly. Coach Watts made the decision to place Natalie on the "SYS-C" relay team, breaststroke leg, based on her performance Friday night. The "A" and "B" squads, however, were untouchable, showing all what 2-3 years of 5day/week training can do. In the 50M free, Natalie swam strong, out-touching Payton Davis of SWIM-FL in 40.78, a nice improvement in time from 42.55, and good for 17th place/45! The next event, the 100M breaststroke was another possible chance at making the finals. Natalie had perhaps her best start and pullout, and was leading her heat (2) by nearly a body-length, but began to tire after the turn home, finishing in 1:58.67, bettering her previous of 1:59.50 and good for 14th place/32.

Above is a picture of Natalie and the 50M fly! She hates this stroke, but in reality, might be her second best event. She swam in heat 3/6, lane 5, and again out-touched Peyton Davis of SWIM-FL to win the heat in 51.60, a big drop in time from the 55.52 she swam 2 weeks ago.

All-in-all, this was a very fun meet. Cindy, Karl and I got to meet many new parents and swimmers, and with Karl racing next week, we are bound to repeat the excitement!!

Father's Day Preparations

HALLO CYNTHIA, DEBBIE, JACQUI, JENNIFER!

Father's Day is rushing towards us and since this day is one of the greatest celebration days in our society, I felt the necessity to provide you with a perfect gift for "FATHER" in your family. It is a nourishing and festive breakfast which you might want to serve. By next Friday, purchase 8 oz. of Prime or Choice Tenderloin (center cut not necessary)which you cut into six thin slices. Then you scrape the slices with the back of a sturdy kitchen knife while a fork holds the meat slice in place. This phase takes just a few minutes. In a bowl mash 2-3 anchovy filets, two serving spoons of capers and an equal amount of finely chopped onions, some chopped parsley, 6 peppermill turns of pepper, 2 egg yolks, a dash of Lea &Perrins Worchester sauce, mix well and pour into the now-shredded meat, working it in. Wrap in cellophane and store in the fridge.

Sunday morning, secure a bottle of dry Champagne and glasses, make several slices of toast (his favorite, of course) and place two generous patties on top. Serve along with a big smile and warm kiss. Sit next to "Father" and enjoy the moment.

The following story about BEEF TARTAR is as short as it is interesting. When the adventurous Tartars crossed the barren, monotonous Mongolian landscape, for sport they butchered some livestock or their own horses after riding some 50 werst (about one mile) and placed the hunks of meat under their flimsy saddles. After more riding through the Mongolian empire, heading for the promising WEST and enjoying the scenery, they eventually indulged in the well-mashed meat. It was most likely difficult to secure the anchovies, capers & Lea & Perrins Sauce. Well, their taste buds were not as refined as ours.

So, ladies get the meat, unless you have several whole filets in your freezer, prepare the egg mixture and serve on SUNDAY, FATHER'S DAY!

In support of Marriage...

We might be retired but we still meander and kick around and take part in current social developments.

>>SHOULD "THEY" MARRY OR NOT?<<

We are following the discussions about the theme on TV and here is my scanty contribution: "I think it can be stated without denial that no man even saw a man that he would be willing to marry if he were a woman." A G. Gibbs was the keen observer.

A few more on the hot subject: "One should not think about it too much when marrying or taking pills." Dutch wisdom.

"A marriage without conflicts is almost as inconceivable as a nation without crises." Andre Maurois

"Do not choose your wife at a dance, but in the field among harvesters." Czech observation

"Men are all the same. They always think that something they are going to get is better than what they have got." John Oliver Hobbes

"Men don't understand, as a rule, that women like to get used to them by degrees." Again, Hobbes!

Don't these messages cheer you up?

Opa from Sarasota.

CORRECT SPELLING? WHO, ME?

We were watching last Friday the National Spelling Bee and were impressed with the knowledge displayed by youngsters from different nations and family backgrounds. Now, had the German language not existed, some of the words used in the test could not have been rendered, like URSPRACHE, HEILIGENSCHEIN and WELTSCHMERZ. A calamity.

The German language possesses luckily (?) some rather long and also hard to pronounce words for a foreigner, particularly for those from the other side of the globe. A few examples will demonstrate this situation: Korkenzieherlocken, Zwiebelkuppel, Waschbrettbaeuche, Treppenhauswitzbold, Flugzeugabwehrkanone, Einfuehlungsvermoegen. Maschinengewehrschuetze.

Of course, the English language offers also some rather formidable selections like, Eelogofusciouhipoppokunarious (very good, very fine); a meaningless bluff word, Catawampously (...local sheriff stomping into town hall and demanding to know who voted against him, ready to fight anybody in opposition to him...); Absquatulate (some sheriff leaving hurriedly...); Toidy toid and toid = 33rd and Third in Manhattan; Jalettum? Did you let him? [Also on 33rd & Third]

Use the EELOGO... above in your next letter to a friend or in an essay. Watch the reactions.

Opa in Sarasota.

Blogs around the world

Possessing a smattering of another language?...and forgotten most of what you once knew? Inexpensive help is on the way. Consult one of thousands of BLOGS in foreign newspapers and magazines. There is a BLOG on every subject. And the language is usually fairly easy to understand. I forgot most of my Swedish, but looking at some of the swedish blogs brings back some pleasant memories. Just reading the names of the scribblers is fun, like Siv, Tanja, Ulla, Svea, Kalle and Pelle.

Particularly the younger set within the Hegwein family blog might be interested to acquire perhaps Spanish, a rather fast growing language. This daring decision to learn another language would in the not too distant future permit to issue stern orders or reprimands to immigrants in their own language. Command of Spanish would be a prime tool of communication. Think about it.

Opa in Sarasota.