New Year's Eve Mavericks

On the last day of 2019, we checked in to a hotel on OKC near the Chesapeake Arena, walked to Zio's Italian Kitchen, where we stood in line and ordered yummy take-out (Emi and I ate ours before leaving the restaurant). Then Emilio and I headed to the Arena to watch Luka Doncic and the Mavs take on the Thunder. Our seats were great, and the people beside us were also Mavs fans.

After the game, we walked across the street to our hotel and started a round of "Ticket to Ride." 

Radio Debut

With the Voice of North Crowley Sports Radio

Christmas

Trimming the Tree

Breaking traps, dropping a dime, breakaway layups and fans!

Lisa, Melissa, and Norah drove up to Ardmore to see Emilio play.
Emilio escapes from the trap.


A breakaway layup with the left.


Feeding Reed, tracking the reeb, and feeding Alex.


Another break-away lay-up.

And after the win: supper at McAlister's and a drive through the Ardmore Christmas lights show.

A Cut

First Shave

Fast Break Against McAlester

Versus Shawnee: Steals, Good Passes, Fast Break Layups, and a Three-Point Play

Coach Nall to Emilio: "I want you to steal the ball, drive and dish, drop some dimes, and get out on the break."
Emilio to Coach Nall: "You got it."


A steal? Check.
Drive and dish? Check.
An assist
A fast break layup? Check.
And another
Another good pass--that's assist #3.
And another steal and a lay-up with the left.
That's a three-point play. Game line: 7 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals in the win.

Three steals at McAlester

Steal 1


A tip/steal and a good pass.


Steal 3


Great drive and dish.

In the Water Gardens

A steal and a foul drawn vs. Durant

Season 15, Game 4: Goals Four, Five, and Six!

One week ago, we lost to the Jets in Ardmore, 3-7. We didn't have Carl on defense in that game, and Emilio feared that we wouldn't get a better result in the rematch.

But Carl didn't make this one either. Last week, he and his sister Reagan were visiting grandparents. This week, they were at the OU-Texas game.

Last week, Coach Tyler started Emilio at center-mid and played Augie at forward. This week, he started Augie at center-mid and moved Emilio to forward.

Here's the complete lineup:

Colton was in goal.

Left Defense: Carlos; Left Center: Sam; Right Center: Corbin; Right Defense: Dexter.

Holding Mid: Jose.

Left Mid: Dylan; Center Mid: Augie; Right Mid: Caden.

Left Forward: Luke; Right Forward: Emi

Last week, the Jets scored twenty seconds in, and we never had the lead. This week, we were scoreless after thirty minutes. Then Sam forwarded the ball from the defensive end, and when the man marking Emilio misplayed the bounce, Emi took advantage.


I love the way Emilio turns on the jets and lengthens his stride before delivering the kill shot.


Ten minutes later, Emilio and Augie execute a seamless give-and-go, and Emilio is cool amid three defenders in the box.  And we're up 2-0.  That's the score when we go to half.

In the second half, the Jets score to draw to within one, and Tyler pulls Emilio back to center mid.

And with less than five minutes to play, Emilio feeds Caden, who launches a through-ball. Emi chases it down and lifts a shot from the corner of the box.

Gooooool!  That's Emilio's first hat trick in probably at least two seasons. We're up 3-1.  And that's the final score.

We now have 2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.  And Emilio has six goals in 4 games.

Season 15, Game Three: Goals Two and Three

Fifteen seconds into this match against the Ardmore Jets, we went down 1-0.

Then we were down 2-0. Then, in the 31st minute, Augie centered the ball to Emilio.

Emilio's tap in brings us to within one.


Fifteen minutes later, Emilio picks the ball out of traffic in midfield and uses the outside of his foot to provide excellent service into the box (this footage does not capture Emi's sudden, surprising delivery). Augie chests the ball to himself, and we go to half-time tied 2-2.
 
In the 2nd half, the Jets open up a lead again, but Emilio cuts into it with this efficient strike in the 60th minute.


Two minutes later, Emilio hustles to the corner and draws a penalty.


Five minutes later, a strong strike comes within inches of sneaking inside the far post.

We didn't win, but Emilio played hard to the end.

Caden's dad took the photos below:

Season 15: Game One, Goal One

Thirty-nine minutes in to our first game of the season, Emi, playing center-mid, weaves through the defense to feed Sam, playing forward. Sam scores and we go up 2-0 over the Ardmore Reapers.


Thirteen minutes into the second half, Emi feeds Sam for a sharp shot, and we're up 3-0.


Two minutes later, it's Sam's turn to feed Emilio, and we're up 4-0.

Coach Tyler calls off the dogs soon afterwards, and we end up winning 5-1, making us undefeated through one!

Caden's mom took these action shots of #10:

Day 16: At the Mine Creek Battlefield

After visiting the National World War One Museum in Kansas City, we headed South to Miami, Oklahoma. On the way, we caught up with a thunderstorm, and I began looking for a place to stop and allow the storm to get farther ahead of us. The Mine Creek Battlefield site was just what I was looking for.


Emilio walked the grounds with me.  There was lightning and thunder in the distance, but we risked it.

The grounds were much wetter than they looked and by the time we got back to the car, our shoes and socks were completely soaked.


If I had realized earlier where this battlefield was, it would have been a destination. One of our direct ancestors fought here on October 25, 1864.

Colonel Barnett "Barney" Ford, born in Tennessee on March 1, 1833, had a daughter, Martha, when he was 21 years old. Ford is the bearded man sitting in the photo below.  His daughter Martha is sitting on his right. His mother-in-law Jane is on his left, and his wife Sarah is on her left.

Martha had a daughter, Vina May, when she was 38 and living in New Mexico territory. That's Vina May sitting in Martha's lap on the far left of the picture. Vina May's father, Martha's husband, James Rogers, standing behind Martha with his hand on her shoulder. James also fought in the Civil War on the Confederate side (21st Regiment, Texas Cavalry) as did his father, Augustus (17th Regiment, Texas Cavalry).

The photo above must have been taken around 1892, probably in Cerrillos in New Mexico Territory.

Vina May married Mississippi-born William Bascom Benton on June 29, 1915 in Tom Green County in Texas (county seat: San Angelo). Their eldest son, James Hamilton, was my dad's dad. Vina May was known in the family as "Mama Bent," and she was well-loved by Dad and by Grandmom, her daughter-in-law.

What follows is overly long account of what I have learned about Mama Bent's grandfather, Barney Ford and his experiences in the Civil War. The information comes from a combination of online sources including Ancestry.com (Lee Griffin), Wikipedia, the National Park Service, and the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The sources don't all agree with each other, but here is my current guess at the story. Most of these words have been copied from these sources, lightly edited, and stitched together.

Day 15: In Hannibal

In Mark Twain's boyhood home

Day 14: From Springfield to Hannibal

With Frederick Douglas at the Lincoln Museum in Springfield.


On the banks of the Mississippi River in Hannibal.


At the end of the rainbow.

Day 13: At the Milwaukee Museum of Art

"Untitled" (1981) by Donald Judd.

"Cover Girl" (2018) by Sara Cwynar (as are the following)

Day 12: Lake Michigan

While visiting Lake Michigan, Emilio and I took a walk around the campus, which borders Lake Michigan.

After leaving Evanston, we headed to Milwaukee.

Positioned outside the Milwaukee Art Museum, one of the works in this year’s Sculpture Milwaukee is Elmgreen & Dragset’s giant telescope sculpture, “A Greater Perspective.” It points toward Lake Michigan.

Day 11: New Shoes

We shopped for new shoes for Emilio on Michigan Avenue, but we didn't find any that met his standards until we got to Alamo Shoes on Clark Street in our old Andersonville neighborhood. Those are my fingers sticking out of the end of his old shoes.

Emilio is not particularly fond of change.

Day Ten: At the Neo-Futurarium

In the Hall of Presidents.
In the Room Where It Happens.