Fall

No fires yet but the chill is on the way.

Forward

This is from last weeks game against Maryland. They won big and Dylan played a full game on B side. He was good on all his conversion kicks and ran and tackled well. They have the weekend off and he's headed home on the train today. It will be good to have him in the house for a few days.

Back

Third time back in the office since March 2020. Trying out a Tuesday and Thursday schedule right now to mix things up a bit. The building has been open since August 1st on a voluntary return to the office policy and I figured a change of view would be nice. I do have windows on three sides of my office and nice views of DC with a lot of light. While the commute is still annoying, the change in space is kinda refreshing.

Grays Lake

We did a lot of walking in Des Moines including Grays Lake. Lots of public trails in that area that all hook up to other trails. Good walking city.

First Drake Football Weekend

Not the game result we were looking for but fun to see Sam for a few days.

Pre Game

Bulldog Rally before the boys head to the locker room.

Earth Drawings

The fields on the way into Des Moines look like some sort of massive art project.

Parents Weekend

Arrived in Des Moines this afternoon and checked into the Hilton across the street from the Drake campus. Nice fall weather and dinner with Sammy soon. Haven't seen that kid in over 7 weeks.

Game Day

Dylan had a good first outing on the pitch last weekend in a loss to Penn State. He was thrilled to be playing again and with his new teammates. Nicole and I had dinner with him and a friend of his on Friday night and with just him on Saturday before the post game team party. Rugby players tend to party a bit.

Morning Calm

Nicole gets up at unreasonable hours to get her long runs in before it gets hot. The benefit of that is quiet pictures like this.

Miller Time

Miller, the dog hanging out at the mountain house.

Birthday Week

Started it out in the Shenandoah around a fire pit. Always nice to get away to our friends Bryce house.

First College Game

Sam and his roommate CJ. Not a lot of playing time for either of them but hey, they are freshman and likely to have four years of eligibility at the end of the season.

28 Days

After 4 weeks of Drake football training, classes finally begin. Sam was good enough to send this first day of school photo.

Bulldog Blue

Not sure if someone styled his hair or not. I think he's happy that the all day practices are coming to an end soon.

Having Fun Yet?

Nicole texted Dylan at around 9:30 last night when we were going to bed and got this photo response. Said he got his homework done already.

College and Eggs

Dylan has been on campus for rugby practice a week now but his first classes were today. He's already learned how to eat eggs at school. Hard to believe he went over 18 years without ever consuming an omelet but has had one a day since moving to fredericksburg.

Where’s Sam

The clue is middle of the pack and smiling again. His roommate CJ is #5 in the front row.

Roster

The Drake football roster is up. Smiling is in this year for football players.

First Practice

You can Dylan's face in the back row slightly right of center. 6am start time for practice all week. Go Mothers!

Empty Nest

Dylan is with his four suite mates now and doing his rugby thing. There dorm is two rooms that share a bathroom. Andrew, to the left of Dylan is his roommate, the other two are rugby players as well and share the soon to be really disgusting bathroom between the rooms. It's possible that one of them will keep it clean but it probably won't be Dylan.

It was a smooth drop off and included Ben, a rugby player from Scotland who stayed with us for a couple nights before all of us drove down to Fredericksburg. It was tough leaving him there but he hugged us and hustled off to meet some friends he met this summer that had arrived Sunday as well.

First Scrimmage

It was drake defense against drake offense today. Sam got some playing time but wasn't thrilled with his performance. Hang in there tiger.

Greenwood Lounge

I spent a little time catching some live music at a really small and smelly dive bar a few blocks from our air bnb in Des Moines. The Monday night band was really good and this one was pretty good. Based on some lyrics this guy sang about something you would only know if you spent some time in Baltimore in his last song I had to talk with him. Turns out he went to school at Catholic University and lived in Baltimore for a while. He was pretty good but needs a better bass player. Also talked with the bartender who knew cousin Timmy.

Sculpture Garden

Trying to interact with the art in Des Moines.

Delivery Complete

We saw Sam for a short time this morning to wish him luck. His physical yesterday was fine except they wanted a orthopedic surgeon to look at his ankles today. One was loose and one kinda stiff. He was eventually cleared to practice this afternoon but they are watching the loose one closely. The boys haven't been apart more than 8 days in the last 18 years. They probably won't see each other again until November or December.

Early Move

Out of the Air BnB at 6:15am for a coffee stop and move in at 7am. It's Des Moines and everything is 10 minutes away so we were early. Sammy I'd officially moved in and in team meeting after meeting. It was exhausting day for everyone.

Gentleman, start your engines

Pre-race selfie. Those electric go karts were quick which explains the helmets.

Iowa

Sam looking down on his new home away from home as we landed in Des Moines yesterday.

The Day Arrived

Barely a blip on the radar 18 years ago but here we are in Chicago waiting for the final leg into Des Moines and the first kid living somewhere other than Sharon Chapel Road. It's an emotional day with a few more to come.

River and Reef

Nicole's friends and their kids met up at the old town farmers market this morning because they wanted to see Sam before he left town. Reef is pictured, River was being shy.

Cousins

The big chair at Maddens Resort.

Lake Hair

Less sunny today but better fish. Nicole and Karen caught some sizable bass.

First Fish

Not many today and nothing very big. They were all sleeping in I suppose.

Kavanaugh

Another summer trip up north to the lake. We were delayed at Dulles for 6 hours but managed to survive in a United lounge with some airport walks to stay sane. We finally did arrive in Baxter around 10pm and has some supplies in the cabin courtesy of Rachel. Tough travel day but we had a nice relaxing day of sun and beach with dinner on Gull Lake coming up in a bit.

Academy Team

Dylan is in the top row to the right. They fought hard but lost there first game to the New England Junior Jacks. Dylan played well and had fun playing in a big stadium. They play the Junior Jacks again in Boston next Sunday.

Jimmy Wild

Another benefit of the DC United game yesterday was seeing Jimmy Wild. Coach Wild has been at Edison HS for 30 plus years teaching PE, coaching and being the assistant Athletic Director. He also does a lot of work on the Edison athletic fields. He's one of my favorite teachers at school and the boys love him. Halftime at the match we recognized him from our nose bleed seats directing some halftime watering and found him after the game for a quick picture.

DC United

It was a beautiful day to watch United smack down Toronto 7-1 at Audi Field. It was our first visit to this relatively new stadium in DC. We got tickets late and were pretty high up but there doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. You can also see the Capitol just over Dylan's head from this section.

Nats Game

Went to my first Nationals game in many years as guests of Lexi's parents. Fun game that ended after the dodgers hit a grand slam to take a 4 run lead in the 5th, then the sky opening up with torrential rain and a tornado spotted a couple miles away. We headed home after the heavy stuff ended.

Instastar

Old Glory Academy used a photo of Dylan to promote the upcoming games against the New England Junior Jack's. That's the Academy team of the Free Jacks. One game is in Virginia and one in Boston. I anticipate another long bus ride for the boy in July. 7 hours to Boston, an overnight stay and a 7 hour trip back has to be better than the 17 hour ride to Kansas City.

Last Visit

The boys are moving on from their 15 year relationship with Precious Smiles and to an adult based practice. They were shorter than their hygienist when they arrived for their first visit all those years ago.

Slippery

The ball and they boys were hard to get ahold of in those games. 100 degrees and 70 degree dew points meant dropped balls and tackles that go right thru your hands. Dylan played well all weekend.

Fort Hunt Warriors

The outcome wasn't perfect but they grew as a team. The boys were overcame a bunch of obstacles including cancelled flights and a 17 hour bus trip to even get to Kansas City but arrive they did and played hard for three games in 100 degree heat. They didn't get any wins but they had a great time together and were actually able to fly home. They aren't national champions but will take great memories to their next chapters.

Woeful Warriors

The Fort Hunt Warriors played one of their worst games of the season last night and lost to Texas in the quarterfinals of the National Tournament. Dylan started at 5 on a quick hot and humid night. He played well at a position he had not played before. The coach used our depth to swap in 7 new players at half to keep the legs fresh but dozens of unforced errors cost us the night. Not sure if it was the cancelled flight and 5 hours at the airport, the 17 hour bus ride from Virginia or just lack of focus but we are out of the title chase. Games today and tomorrow to determine where we sit in the field of eight then back home on Sunday.

State Bound

Sammy took second at the Occoquan Region tournament in discus and will be heading to the state tournament next weekend. He threw the disc 129 feet 10 inches, beating his previous long throw in competition by over 9 feet. Not bad for someone who started throwing about 8 weeks ago.

State Champs

Good weekend of rugby with Fort Hunt winning the state championship. Dylan got some good playing time on a hot and sticky couple days of hard hitting rugby. We have a weekend off then it's off to Kansas City for the National tournament.

Game One

Dylan had a try and was 3 for 3 on his two point conversions (kicks) in the Warriors first round win over Loudon county today. They have the semi final game and hopefully the final tomorrow. This tackle on his repaired knee didn't cause any issues but it looks dangerous. He's also been playing a forward position #7 lately and is involved in the scrums. That's why his ears are taped. (The headband he's wearing is actually tape that is keeping is upper earlobes against his head so they don't get ripped off in the scrums). It's a rough game.

K to 12

These kids all went to Clermont all those years ago and graduated from Edison yesterday. Except the young lady in purple. She graduated from a private school nearby but mostly went to school with the rest of them.

The grads and mom

They are all looking happy they are all done with high school.

Spectators

Sam being on Student Government gave us VIP seating where we watched the graduation ceremony with Mike and Carrie. We have a whole bunch of selfies like this at various locations.

Graduation

Before the grad party.