Golden Gloves

I have a lot of respect for the kids that fight Golden Gloves I have been around them for years now. When approached they look you in the eye and say things like “yes sir” “no sir” “Thank You” “Please” and so on. If you walk in to an area where they are it is usually your first reaction to go the other way. You will see hoodies pulled over their heads, ear buds in listening to music and depending on the time of the season assorted bruises and black eyes. Don’t you dare judge these kids they work hard at a sport that hardly gets noticed and if they win they will have had to endure several beatings by their opponents to get to the next level. They fight three rounds against an opponent that is trying to knock them out and when they are done what do they do? They hug each other with a smile, then they walk to the other side of the ring and shake hands with their opponents coach to be followed by bowing to officials that may rule against them now the cool part they meet in the middle of the ring for the announcing of the winner and will be the first one to congratulate the guy that just beat them who also may have just finished their own dream, lastly the winner holds open the ropes of the ring for the looser to exit first.


Here are a few conversations with these kids that I have had:

Talking with a young man that just lost at Nationals a major achievement to get to
Me: I saw your mom at the State Tournament
Fighter: no that was just a friend my mom never comes

Another Conversation:
Me: You are graduating this year what’s next?
Fighter: I’m going to Anderson University and studying law

Once while working at a tournament I walked in the bathroom to find a fighter looking in the mirror his eye was the size of a tennis ball. I asked does that hurt, and he said no then manually straightened his nose so that a stream of blood could flow down his chin then looked at me and said “that does”

Last night at Nationals I saw a fighter in work boots and his warm ups on without thinking I said you gonna fight in those boots and thought I was funny until his answer.” No it’s just the only other pair of shoes besides by boxing shoes I can afford.” Then he smiled at me and said they look kind of cool huh.

Not all of the boxers are from rough homes but I can tell you that all the ones I have met are winners.

Golden Gloves is a true 5013c and grants scholarships to kids that will be attending credited colleges.

Two thirds gone NO WAY

I wrote this sentence in my last post: “Not sure where we will be in twenty four more years or if I will even be on this side of the dirt” I have to be honest I have never really sat and thought about the fact that in twenty four years I will be around the average age to die. WTF I am out on that I still have a lot of living to do!

When I negotiate with Nancy for her approval on one of my adventures my line of logic is always the same; I may live to be really old but I wont always be able to do some of the things I want and may not even feel like doing them so I need to do them now.

Yes I am aware of my age but obviously there is a little bit of denial with in me because until yesterday I never really thought of my death in terms of less than “ah hell I’m going to live to be a hundred!”

This isn’t to say I will be dead in twenty four years or that I am afraid to die I am not nor do I plan to. It just seems a little weird when you think of averages and that leaves me about twenty four years. I call “Bullshit”

I am not worried about the after life I believe in one, and yes I am secure with my God although I may have a few things to explain when I get there. It is just that twenty four years sound really short when you know how fast time travels by us.

Happy twenty fourth

Monday will be twenty four years with the same girl under my arm and you know how we will celebrate? Lunch at Le Peeps Nancy’s favorite restaurant why lunch because the middle son has a ball game, his father has Golden Gloves and life is just moving that fast right now.

We used to fly to Vegas and raise hell for our anniversary now we raise the family but the circle of life is making a new swing around and soon it will be back to just me and momma this will be good at times and melloncauly at other times but at the end of the day time will keep ticking by us and we will just keep ticking together like a Timex.

Not sure where we will be in twenty four more years or if I will even be on this side of the dirt but if I am I want her to be right beside me because there is still a little hell to raise and some one needs to keep me upright.

Grab your life vest

Ok so God did not speak to me it was just my natural survivor skills mixed with beer induced conspiracy thoughts and wa-la the Arc is finished. I am out of here 800 feet of snow followed by 300 feet of rain and I can take a hint. I am currently loading it up and plan to snatch up most of the animals from the local zoo. I’m thinking no bugs this time evolution can figure it out with out them.


Here is the list’s that is in:

Family
Friends –some of them-
Computer and wi-fi
Tools
Books
Exercise equipment –nah I will just swim, even though I’m awful at it-
Music and good speakers the boats got to rock
Still – I will explain later-
Extra cows –I like steak-
Fishing pole gonna get tired of steak
Garden starts
Grill

Here is the list that is out:
TV
Broccoli
Spinach
Preachers
Lawyers
Ass Holes
Politicians
News Reporters

Someone is getting older

My baby is going to Prom this year, my eyes cant read shit with out my cheaters anymore, my middle son is about to graduate and leave for college, my job seems more like “what ever” these days, I can not figure out another excuse to not cut the grass anymore other than its to long now to cut it, I should be chasing another dream but the dream part seems like to much energy, I got in the ring today for the first time in a long time and I sucked more than normal and I normally suck, I just found a book that I started a few weeks ago set down and forgot about oops, I ate three brownies before bed last night and my stomach hurt more than normal, I fell asleep during the Reds game last night ah hell I always do that one, I did paper work for three hours today and then needed a nap, I started to register my business with the Secretary of State and decided it wasn’t any of there damn business I pay my taxes I may try again later but for now I stand in defiance, I’ve been thinking about my upcoming climb I wonder if I can pay some one to carry me up?

Charles Manson’s evil twin

Pushing five hours of driving and the gas tank needle seeing the back side of the red E it is now time to take a break. Lucky us a truck stop up ahead with an attached Denny’s which appeared clean and new so its time to refuel the soul, belly and tank.

After seeing no reason for any feeling other than hunger while filling the tank in Hillbilly Town Missouri we walked into the Twilight Zone know as Denny’s.

A large restaurant at less then half capacity with a young couple waiting to be sat followed by a single guy. No problem right not so much this many people in one space seemed to be more than the hostess could handle so fifteen minuets later and still third in line we decided to seat our self’s at the bar. Now this should be easier and quicker to be served right not so much. Five minuets later Wilma asks “can I get ya all sometime to drank?” Sure we would like “just a minute sugar ill be right back” Another five minuets and yay Wilma returns “now how bout them drinks” Yes a Tea and a Sprite please, can we go ahead and order “Ill be right back” after our drinks were dropped off with no pit stop by our waitress Kait said dad my Sprite is all soda water. Upon Wilma’s return Kait informed her of the Sprite and with a straight face Wilma said “yeah I had some folks tell me that earlier.” Wilma wanders off still no order turned in and just then in walks Charles Manson’s twin and sits down one seat from me with a look of I JUST CUT A GIRL UP IN THE PARKING LOT AND ATE HER written all over him. Now I am done and Wilma returns not to take our order but to inform us she will turn in the other customers order and be right back. I got to go now but before leaving I hear Charles lean in to Wilma and say something about money, food and her butt. Time to go: “Hey Wilma here is four dollars as I tell Kait time to move!

Cool there is a Subway across the street lets go there and as we walk in I swear I saw the counter kid about to make my sandwich eat a booger.

I am not saying Indiana is Palm Beach or Beverly Hills but we just moved up in the world by my scale.

Really?

17 hour drive and go to the game 17 hour drive home in a 48 hour window

Butler forgets how to shoot a Basketball

I have zero speeding tickets until I hit Cracker Ville Texas and find a speed trap

I have a pinched nerve in my neck from the drive

I read a favorite Blog of mine today and she posted about how over looked UConn was Yeah because every one in the world picked Butler to be there right?

Cop to me “Yeah we got all those Kentucky fans the other night now its you Indiana fans turn”

Pit stop in south Missouri only to find Charles Manson’s evil twin

Over loaded on caffeine... I didn’t know I could do that one



* 48 hours alone with my kid “PRICELESS”

Sun & Guns

Beaches, Beer, Boobs, Blonde's, Bronze skin, Bananas and Machine Guns?

I like all of the above items I just prefer to be holding the weapon and not guarded by it. The Pressley’s have always been a beach family I am not sure I can list all of the white sand I have been privileged to place my towel upon.

Over the years we have become beach conasuers and we know what we like: small tiki huts, white sand, eighty five degrees, slight breeze and good local food to be found later. No where in that list does it include weaponry.

We discovered St. Martin about twenty years ago and have made some wonderful friends and memories there and until about five years ago St. Martin was perfect we fell in love with the French side of the island absolutely beautiful great food and fishing but this all came to an end when the locals in all their wisdom decided they did not need France any more and thumbed their noses at the French’s tax system to which they discovered paid for the local Police dept. Five years later crime runs unchecked downtown and the tourist said we got to go.

This last week we tried Mexico for our third and final effort and while the Beaches, Beer, Boobs, Blonde's, Bronze skin and Bananas where absolutely awesome driving through poverty, graffiti lined streets and armed guards to reach a compound where you are warned it is best to stay on the premises is not how I want to spend my dollar. Every one of us had a great time how couldn’t you? But their local government needs to find a way to protect their people and put them to work because currently the tourism industry is about to head out for good.

So for now Florida, California you keep going and I will build a Tiki Hut or become a Fishing Guide and keep my bullets at home.