Final Post of 2022

It's been another wonderful year in the McGuirk family. We have had our ups and downs, but for the most part, we have survived the year unscathed. We also welcomed Rowdy to the family, and even though he's been somewhat destructive, he's starting to come out of the puppy phase (hopefully) and become a pleasant little fellow.

We took some family portraits this year, and per the usual, I'll finish the year with a nice picture of Bode.

The big man turned 15 this year and has already started his driver's training. Next year at this time, he'll likely be driving. He also really improved his swimming this year and has become quite the dedicated athlete. Ashley continues to do well at her job and also hits the gym three times a week at a waaay too early of an hour. We have no major plans for New Year's other than to watch some football and relax.

Happy 2023 from sunny Florida!

Happy Christmas to All

This post is a couple days late--we are probably still recovering from the Christmas feast. We had a lovely holiday. As usual, we have a real tree that we've done our best to keep Rowdy from peeing on.

Note the long cylindrical package in front of the couch. Santa must have had a hard time getting Bode's present down the chimney (it was a 45-lb barbell); Christmas magic must come in handy. Ashley and Bode could not contain their excitement before we opened our presents.

Bode and I were a little more reserved :-)

We received tons of lovely gifts from family and friends. Ashley's parents came over for a wonderful meal of ham, prime rib, and turkey. We ate until we bulged, and then we ate some more (desserts). We relaxed and had a nice day together. The weather was very cold the past few days--in the 20's in the mornings! Fortunately, Jack Frost has been beaten back, and the temps are back in the 60's. Bode is doing two-a-days for swim practice a lot over this break, so he'll be exhausted and hungry. I guess that means I better go cook dinner. Happy Christmas (belated) to all!

Egg Nog Jog

The Egg Nog Jog is a small 5k (3.1 mile) run in Fort Walton Beach. Ashley did it last year with some friends, and she wanted to do it again this year. To our amazement, Bode also wanted to run (he never runs!), so we signed him up. We arrived early and picked up their packets. Then, they took the time to pose for a pre-race shot.

Here is the start of the race. I don't think you can see Bode or Ashley in this picture as they said they were in the middle of the pack.

The beauty of this race is that it weaves through the neighborhoods such that the halfway point is really only a couple hundred yards from the start line. Thus, I was able to get some good shots of the team on the course. First, here is Bode--look at that form!

The turn-around point is just at the end of the road in the above picture, so I was able to get a movie of Bode coming back towards me.

Next, here is Ashley just after the turn-around (sadly, she let her son beat her).

I then rushed back to the finish line to get Bode's finishing kick.

Here is Ashley finishing--fortunately I had the fast-shutter speed so she's not all blurry :-)

The greatest part of this race is the food afterwards. It is sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings, and all runners get wings. Bode ate 12 (nothing like a dozen wings at 10:00 am). We then stayed for the awards presentations. I think we were all amazed when they called Bode's name as the winner for the 15 - 18 age group. I wasn't even filming, so these pictures will have to do.

I was filming when they did the 50 - 54 female age group. Ashley was the big winner!

When we got home, the two champions posed for a picture.

It was wonderful watching these two run. Perhaps more races are in their future :-) Pleasant day to all.

Holiday Season

The Choctaw Band had their annual Holiday Concert last night. Since Bode is only a freshman, he is in the concert band, which only got to play two songs. I don't think you can see Bode in the videos, especially in the first video when the choir entered. But the music was very nice, and we enjoyed a nice night out.

Bode also had a swim meet this past weekend. It wasn't a big meet, but it was a chance for the team to get in the pool and race. Bode swam five events, but I'll only show the 100-butterfly. Bode is swimming in lane 2 and took second. His buddy, Sawyer, is in lane 3, and he must have been confused because you can see Sawyer swim to freestyle strokes right after the start. I think this is a DQ :-(

We are a bit behind with our interior Christmas decorations. Ashley and I will go out and get a tree either tomorrow or Friday, and then we'll have to get busy wrapping those presents :-) Pleasant week to all.

Swim Banquet

Choctaw had its end-of-the-year swim banquet on Tuesday night. It was a lovely event. Before we ate, the team had a big photo opportunity. It would have been a good picture had I not had my finger in front of the lens.

The coaches also gave out some awards. Bode was given the Rookie of the Year award.

I also got a picture of Bode getting the award, but neither Coach Jasson nor Bode looks their best.

Bode also received his varsity letter, so I guess we are going to have to get him a letterman's jacket. Ashley has been gone all week, so we sent her a picture of Bode giving the puppies some love. Rowdy is getting pretty big.

Only 17 more shopping days until the fat man arrives. I guess I need to get on the stick :-) Pleasant week to all.

First Driving Lesson

Bode has officially driven a car on the public roads. You have all been warned :-) We took Bode for his first driving lesson last Saturday. We went up to a large parking lot and had him drive around a few times. With all his experience driving golf carts, the kid was a natural (sort of).  First, here is a picture of Bode behind the wheel. Scary.

Next, we have a two pictures of the car in motion; Bode is driving the car, and he did quite well.

We did a number of laps around the parking lot. We then decided to drive through the neighborhood. This was trickier because there were other cars on the road. He did very well, although on one narrow road, he got a little panicked, so we just told him to stop and pull to the side and let the other car pass. Otherwise, he didn't hit any mailboxes, so we will call that a success :-) We have all our outdoor Christmas lights installed. Not quite the Griswolds, but we do alright for ourselves. We just need to go out this weekend and get a tree (and maybe do some more driving :-) Pleasant week to all.

Bode Turns 15

Clear the roads! Bode Jackson McGuirk is now officially allowed to operate a motor vehicle (provided he's with an adult supervising his every move :-) Bode got his first lesson in government today when we spent an hour at the DMV getting his learner's permit. After the obligatory wait time, we successfully proved Bode lives at our address (and just an FYI: even though I have our address printed on my license that was issued by the same DMV, this does not count as proof of residence.) We didn't do any driving today, but we might tool around the neighborhood tomorrow.

We had a lovely birthday dinner and then snapped some family photos.

We also butchered Happy Birthday, but no one ever accused us of being musicians.

It is so hard to believe it's been fifteen years since Bode was born. How time flies :-) Pleasant day to all.

Ashley's Birthday

To celebrate Ashley's 52nd birthday, we went to the Goofy Golf and then to the Waffle House (we are high class here in the Florida panhandle). I would report the scores, but Bode says the scores do not matter because he got it in the snake's mouth. I did record this magical event.

We then feasted at the Waffle House and worked on putting up the Christmas lights (I'll post the final product at a later date). We then had a wonderful dinner followed by the obligatory singing of Happy Birthday.

We will probably watch some football tonight (sadly, Auburn did not win the Iron Bowl) and then turn in, as we all have to return to work tomorrow (boo!) Pleasant week to all.

State Meet Part 2

Following the State Swim Meet, the boys all went to Sea World. Ashley didn't realize that Sea World now has a number of roller coasters. There were hardly any people at the park on Saturday night, so the boys had the coasters to themselves. I think they all decided to first get some snappy shades so they could look like the Hollywood stars they are.

They then rode the coasters, and we were able to snag some of the action photos; obviously Bode is hating this ride.

Here are Bode and Matias, obviously wishing they were back in school.

Everyone went back to the park on Sunday and posed for a group photo.

Ashley has a ton of additional photos, but I think the above are indicative of the time they had. Sadly, I had to work, so I had to live vicariously through the pictures :-) My mother is now down here visiting, and we are still digesting after a wonderful Turkey Day. Hopefully we'll have time to do some Goofy Golfing this weekend. Pleasant Friday night to all.

State Meet Part 1

 A hurricane delayed the Florida 2A State Swimming Meeting until the weekend of 19 November. It is an eight-hour drive to Stuart, so the team left Thursday after school. That morning, the team had a final practice and then went out to breakfast.

When school ended on Thursday, Bode came home, grabbed his gear, and then headed back up to the high-school, where he would rode with the team in a nice van. The Choctaw Athletic Director put together a nice sendoff for the team. Below is a picture of the five state-bound athletes.

Ashley followed the team van, and they all stopped for the night in Gainsville. The boys dressed alike the next morning for breakfast.

The team made it to Stuart and had an hour in the pool Friday night.

Saturday, the boys had their meet. Going in, we knew the state meet would be a fun meet for the boys, as they really had no chance of winning. They swam great, and got 18/21 in the medley relay and 20/21 in the freestyle relay (they qualified 20/21 and 21/21, so they improved!). Below are the races. First is the Medley relay. Bode swims third in this race.

Next is the 4 x 100 relay. Bode swims second in this relay.

Here is a shot of the results sheet. Note Bode swam a 52.97 for his leg, which is the fastest he has ever swum a 100-free.

We are very proud of the boys, and to reward them, they all went to Sea World following the meet. Stay tuned :-)

Regionals 2022

The big regional swim meet was today. Bode's relay teams went in with a long-shot chance of qualifying for state. There are four regions, and the top 21 times from the relays qualify for the state meet next week. Bode's first event was swimming the butterfly leg of the medley relay. The team shed five seconds off their time and finished in 1:45. They currently have the 18th best time, but there is still one more regional meet, which will be on Saturday. We will have to wait and see if they get to swim at state. Bode's next event was the 200-IM. Below is the video.

He swam amazingly well and finished in 2:10, five seconds faster than his previous best time. He then had a short rest before the 100-fly. Below is the video.

Bode swam a 57.16, over a second off his previous fastest time (which he swam last week at districts). The final event was the 4 x 100 relay. The team came in with a 3:42 best time, and they shocked us all by swimming a 3:32. As with the 200 medley relay, they have a long-shot chance to make the state meet.

Bode swam the second leg of the race, and his split was 53.1, another personal best. After the race, the team posed for a nice picture.

We should know by Saturday night if the boys get one more swim or not. Either way, we are very proud of how well Bode swam during his first season in high school. Way to go, big man :-)

District Results

The big district swim meet was last Wednesday. Prior to the meet, the team had a nice breakfast on the beach and had the team photographs. Various people also took some pictures; below is a good one of Bode and Kate, a fellow swimmer.

There are seven teams in Choctaw's district. Bode swam great, and was 4th / 12 and 3rd / 12 in the 200 IM and 100 fly respectively. Bode swam fast enough to qualify for the regional meet. The region consists of five districts, and the 24 fastest times from the five district meets qualify. Below are the selections for the 200 IM and 100 fly.

Additionally, the two relay teams of which Bode is a part of qualified for regionals. The regional meet was today, so the team met at Olive Garden last night to carb-load. They then went to Jacob's house where the girl's helped the boys shave their legs.

Bode had smooth silky legs, and all he needed was a good night's sleep, which he got. He got to miss school, and he had the meet of his life at regionals :-)

Birthday

Matias is an exchange student from the Czech Republic on Bode's swim team. He had his 18th birthday party today. His host-mother had the party at her family's property on the Sound, and Bode had a great time. First, here's Bode and one of his friends (I know this isn't Matias) jumping off the dock.

Next is a picture of the group carving pumpkins. Matias is the boy with the blue shades on his head.

Bode said he had a lot of fun at the party. Hopefully not too much fun because this is a big week for the CHS swim-team; the district meet is Wednesday. Bode will be swimming the 100-butterfly, the 200-IM, and he is on the medley relay and the 4x100 relay. Hopefully they swim well :-)

Finally, I'm sure you have read this somewhere else, but I thought I would let you know Ending the Cycles, the long-awaited sequel to my first book, has hit the market.

Get your copy now before they are sold out :-) Pleasant week to all.

Homecoming

Choctawhatchee High School had its 70th anniversary this week. Things kicked off with a big football win and a great performance by the band (Ashley and I worked, first in the parking lot and then selling band merchandise, so don't ask us about the game :-)

Saturday night was the big homecoming dance. Bode went with a lovely young lady named Grace along with a large group of friends. The theme was Hollywood Glam; I wasn't sure what that meant, but the kids all looked amazing. First is a picture of the group; I have no idea who all the kids are, but I do know Bode and Grace are on the far right.

Next is a good one of all the boys, err, young men. They all wore goofy socks.

Next are some nice ones of Bode and Grace.

Finally, here is a picture from the dance.

I think Bode had a nice time--it is so hard to get more than two words from a teenager :-)

Busy Weekend

Bode had a very busy weekend. He had swim practice Friday morning from 0500 - 700; what a great way to start the day. He then had school, after which he got home around 2:15. Choctaw was playing an away football game, so the band had to be ready to travel at 4:00, so we had to feed him a quick meal and send him on his way. The band played well (according to Bode; Ashley and I opted to skip this game), and Bode got back home shortly before midnight. Nothing like a 20-hour day to start the weekend.

Bode had to be back up at the school at 11:00 on Saturday morning. The band had their Music Performance Assessment (MPA). MPAs are a very big deal, and the band had to take the hour-long bus ride over to Tate High School where all the local schools were gathering for their evaluations. Choctaw did great--they earned all Superiors, which is the best they could do. The below movies are snippets of their performance; I have no idea where Bode is in these videos :-)

Bode got back Saturday night around 9:30. He promptly ate a big snack and went to bed. We were up at 5:30 this morning for a swim meet out in Destin. Bode swam the 100-back, 100-butterfly, 200-IM, and 100-freestyle. He was within one second of his best times for the first three events--he figured he would be a little slow today, but then he amazed us and took one second off his 100-free time finishing in 55.5 seconds. Below are his butterfly and freestyle races.

Bode is off from school tomorrow due to the holiday, but he does have swim practice at 0500. He plans to go to practice and then sleep the rest of the day. Ashley and I will work, as someone has to earn money to feed this kid :-)  Pleasant week to all.

Swimming Odds and Ends

 Apparently there is a Choctawhatchee High School swimming Facebook page. Ashley has given me access, and I have downloaded some past pictures of Bode and his friends. These aren't in any particular order--I just like seeing pictures of Bode with the team. First, here is a picture of Bode with his 4 x 100 freestyle relay team. It's nice to see the boys relaxed for the picture :-)

Before the meet this past weekend, the team had an area where they relaxed between swims. Here is Bode wearing some goofy glasses.

After the meet last week versus Navarre, the team went out for pizza. Here is a nice shot of a bunch of the kiddos.

Below is a picture of the team waiting for Coach to arrive one morning. Note there isn't any light in the sky, and Bode is at the far right of the picture.

To raise money, the team collects parking fees at home football games.

Here is a nice picture of Bode at one of the meets

This is a neat one of Bode cheering on a teammate.

This next one is a picture of the relay team.

The team had one Friday night where they volunteered to pick up trash for one hour on the beach and then we had a pot-luck dinner.

This is a good shot of Bode on the blocks. I think he is getting ready to do the 500-yard freestyle. Bode is in the center of the picture.

I'm not sure what the boys are celebrating here, but they look happy.

I think this picture was from the meet this past Saturday.

This is a cute one of Bode and Kate; Kate is the niece of the guy that built our carriage house.

That is probably enough pictures for now. Below are some results from the meet. The IM relay team took third, and the 4 x 100 freestyle relay team took fourth out of sixteen schools.

Bode took ninth (out of thirty) in the 200 IM and seventh (out of twenty-one) in the 500-free.

That is probably enough for this one post. Bode has an away football Friday night, a band performance Saturday, and a swim meet Sunday; he'll be exhausted come Sunday night :-)