We have been off for a couple of days, but it is also district basketball time, which means that it is crazy. Three trips back and forth to Bethel, not counting the two that my bride will take ferrying players back and forth (it's a high school thing). Hanging out for hours at the Bethel Regional High School gym. Watching more basketball than I do for the rest of the year.
We started with two games on Thursday. There had been some confusion about the boys' first round game, because we were having a funeral for an elder that afternoon. His family called our coach and told him that they wanted the boys to be able to play at their scheduled 8:45 a.m. starting time, so that they did not forfeit their first round game. As it turned out, alternate arrangements were made, and they played in the evening instead. Our boys and girls played back-to-back games. The boys won, and the girls unfortunately lost. Round one was over, and we were back down the river to PKA.
I also picked up a fish-sitting job. One of our teachers is raising salmon in a science project with her third-graders. She needed to go out of town suddenly, and I volunteered to feed the little guys. I am trying to average four times a day. It is a little more involved than just sprinkling some goldfish food in a tank. The process takes about twenty minutes at a time. No problem.
On Friday, we had the girls' game in the loser's bracket. We also had a batch of uniforms that we had taken back to school and washed Thursday night. After the girls lost their second game, I headed over to the local DMV office to get my official Alaska driver's license and voter registration. I got back in time to watch a little bit of some other ball games before the boys played.
It was a tough game. Our guys looked physically like high school kids. The other team were built more like college guys. The kids from Napaskiak kept it close for three periods, but it was not to be this year. Last year, as readers may know if they have been around for a while, our Hawks won the Alaska State 1A championship, the first ever from our district. That was a great run, but we also lost two great and experienced players to graduation. I am not sure that I would call this a rebuilding year, but it was definitely a year of transition. It is nice to know that we have some young talent on the way that should be fun to watch in the future.
Anyway, our guys lost,which put them into the game for third place in the conference, which took place today. It was another nail-biter, but our guys pulled it out with a spurt in the third quarter to come from behind. Not a bad effort overall. Of course, after three years as conference champions, it is a bit of a letdown. But our kids are great, and it is just nice to watch the way that they perform and the way that they conduct themselves on and off the court. I think that a nice standard is being set for the way in which our athletes behave, which is very important in a small place like this, and I hope that it will continue in the future.
We had good light today for driving, and I enjoyed taking the helm of the snowmachine. I cannot seem to get my glasses to keep from fogging, so until I get prescription lenses for my snow goggles, I am at a definite disadvantage unless the weather is clear and bright. My distance prescription is not especially strong, so I can safely operate, but I find it hard to make out details on gray days, and usually leave the driving to the younger crowd. At night, my vision is even more of a hindrance. I have considered contact lenses, but do not really like getting anything around my eyes, let alone in them. I think that the goggles with some adjustment is the preferable alternative.
After we returned home, we went over to the school for an evening of finishing lesson plans and grading and sorting papers. This was to the accompaniment of the boys' and girls' championship games over the district closed-circuit feed. I capped the evening with a ruthless purge of the top of my very funky desk. I dream that someday I will have a desk big enough to actually accommodate my needs. Until then, I will have to be more careful to avoid clutter on the one that I have. I did my brief workout at nearly 11 p.m., and came home.
Tomorrow will be a little bit busy. We may try to get out for a ride on the tundra. Lesson planning is nearly done, and I will try to finish off my prep for the week while my bride is off to Bethel. We are going to attempt to take Sunday as an actual day of rest and enjoyment. I hope that we succeed.
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