Recap 2011 - The Lost Months

Where's 2011?! Where have I been?? Let's see if I can get myself up to speed and do a better job of keep up with this blog. In fact, I forgot I had one. I can't even believe that I remembered the log on and password information. I guess it's a small kind of accomplishment and this blog must have some great importance to me that I would remember such minute details. :)

Here goes:
January 2011 - This was a very happening month for me. It was the heart of the district basketball season. We weren't doing incredibly well considering we were a small school in the heart of basketball country in New Mexico but we tried really hard. I was the JV coach for BHS at the time. The JV squad was at .500 at the time. We faired pretty well before Christmas time and pick up quite a few wins but struggled early with the local teams. My 29th birthday was this month. It wasn't too exciting. I had an away game that day and didn't have time to celebrate that day. I remember coming home after eleven that evening to find my mom asleep on the couch. She was waiting up for me because she had a small surprise. She bought one of my favorite cupcakes and lit a single candle and told me to make a wish and blow out the candles because birthday wishes have no expiration date. LoL! My mom is so clever and so loving. I don't know how she can do things like that and make me feel like the most special thing to her. Granted I already know I am, but in reality, I am one of THREE special beings to her (me and my sisters). Hahaha...that pretty much summed up January because my birthday is on the last day of the month. :)

February 2011 - February was a rather emotional month. It was the end of an era for me that month. First off, we finished a rough basketball season. We missed out on a bid to the state basketball tournament. We had a clear shot to be one of the top 16 teams in the state but after being "graded" we came out #17 one spot out of state tournament contention! :( Little did we know that this would be the last time we would see these players play together. We were going to lose a few to graduation, some decided to move and others just didn't want to play anymore. We had youth on our side, but we were going to be very short on talent. I had a disappointing Valentine's Day. I didn't have one. Hahaha....but I did have my trusty 12 year old valentine who hasn't failed me for the last two years! I love you Dominick! He's the son of my friend. He's cute and pudgy! He decided we could be valentines since he didn't like any of the girls in his class....lucky me! :) That was probably the best parts of February.

March 2011 - TRACK SEASON! :) I love March for junior high and high school track season. Practicing and competing for track is done outside and I love that! I spend about 1/2 of my coaching indoors for volleyball and basketball that track is always a great change. We had most of our track staff intact. Coach Hatch, Coach Montoya, myself, Coach Lopez and Coach Foucault. We have such a great time! I truly believe in the smallest measure are more friends on that track than assistants to the high school staff. :) I had a good turn out. I had about 20 girls and 20 boys try out throwing. I didn't do anything exciting for spring break, just stayed around and relaxed.

April 2011 - The track season continued on. We had a pretty good girls team and with what few boys Coach Lopez had, he managed to whip them into competitors. He's just gifted that way. :) We had cold weather this season! I spent alot of time in my huge overcoat with gloves. I think we had snow, rain but mostly cold, cold, winds! Man, someone really got on the bad side of Zephyr (wind deity). We had a pretty good run with throwers. I had the top three throwers in the Basin for boys and I had at least two girls in the top 5. If anything I can  ever say about my kiddos is they work hard! I appreciate that!

May 2011 - May cycled back in to an emotional month for me. Our kids had a good showing at the end of the year meet. The places escape me but I know it was good. Hahaha...good season! This was also graduation month. It was emotional because the first group of kids I worked with when I started working for the schools graduated this year! They were mere 5th graders and here they were young men and women with such ambition and ready to move on to the next step! I had many tell me I helped them along the way with simple sayings, hugs or just acknowledging their existence. It's had to believe because you really don't think that you do all that or even that much but I did. :) For the first time, since dropping out of college, I felt like I did something right. What an awesome month it was!

Summer - June, July, first half of August 2011 - The summer months are the most uneventful for me. I do the same thing every year. I have a no-brainer job that I work at three days a week in the evening times after practice. I continue to work all through the summer. I also play women's league softball in Farmington. I have been a part of my team for about four years. We had a great season. We won the league title, mid-season title, the Jicarilla Little Beaver Round-up women's title, the Escalante Days women's title, but came up short at the All-Indian tournament in Albuquerque and got second. It wasn't a total loss though I was named to the all-tourney team. :) Good times when I play softball. It's me interacting with my peer group. All through the year I coach and work at a school so my age range is 6-18 years old and even they just don't relate to you sometimes. It's my one outlet.

August 2011 - The school year rolled around again. School always seems to come quick when you're so busy and that was me this year. I made a change last school year by becoming a full-time substitute so I could get back in to college and finish with sometime. Well that didn't quite go as planned so I said: Screw it! and went back to working full time with the schools. This time I was in a behavior therapy class. It was nice to be back. I also learned that I would only coach volleyball this year. I got sad news that my head coach in bball got an offer to another school and he took it. Because of that change, I was not offered a position back with the program. :( Also, track is a year to year for me. There is either funding for me or not, simple as that. Well as of this month, there was no funding. :( Boo!
September 2011 - Work was going pretty well. I was trying to get the hang of the behavior program but I had to deal with going to a different school with a much larger population. It turned out to be a great change, although I was going to miss my middle school colleagues. It was another season of Bobcat Volleyball. Things were a little shaky with low numbers but we were faring okay. We had lots of tune up games to prepare us for our rigorous schedule. It was also the month of my youngest sister's birthday. Just a lot of volleyball and traveling for this month.

October 2011 - We now were in the heart of volleyball season. We were up and down all year. My personal life took a turn for the positive. I was reunited with my bestest friend on the planet after her move to Maryland. I also was reunited with my best guy friend. He's my childhood bestie who has been there for most of my life up until about eight years ago. He just left and suddenly he was back! I needed them so much because my personal friendships back here were falling apart slowly. His name is Derrick. I;ve missed these two so much! I believe they were sent back to me for a good reason. I love them so much! I hope it's a long time before be part again. This month was my middle sister's birthday. It was a busy month of volleyball but I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and talking to them. Just another day in the neighborhood...

November 2011 - We had a very disappointing showing at the district volleyball tournament and didn't get any consideration for state. It was a chill month because there was no basketball to coach. I did take up scorekeeping for extra cash but it almost killed me. I couldn't handle how much the kids seem to be lost and definitely between programs! LoL...had a good Thanksgiving. We celebrated by ourselves at home. Fun fun! We hit a movie or two and relaxed all holiday! I loved it!

December 2011 - Another chill month. We only go to school for half of the month because of Christmas. Work was fun. I love activities for Christmas. We had concerts and movies and ice cream. :) Kept on scorekeeping and just relaxed! I also took some classes too. I forgot to mention that earlier. I had three classes and passed all in magnificient fashion. Christmas was great as always! Family was here and we just partied like no tomorrow. Lots of laughs and shared memories for departed family members not in attendance. It's heartbreaking but also heartwarming for the light they have lit in our hearts and souls. :) Rest in Peace - my dad, my maternal grandpa and grandma and my paternal grandpa and grandma.

I did it! I remember most of 2011! I hope to be able to do it for 2012. Things really picked up and changed for me that year! Stay tuned...