Jets Training Camp (with the stars)

After Martha arrived in NY she joined us at the Training camp. The Jets had the tent for the day...season ticket holders, sponsors, etc. We still had the SUNY Cortland ladies serving food...breakfast sandwiches, bacon, hash browns, fruit and juice and coffee. Martha, Anna, Ellen and I went shopping the tent. Martha picked up a few things ; and we got a few odds and ends. The weather was perfect again...we really lucked out! Martha and I both got T-shirts. And I had to laugh when I over heard other people (parents) saying to their family members.."Why do you want that? You're not even really a Jets fan?" Well...I'll tell you...even if you aren't when you first get there...you can't help but be a fan when you leave. You see these guys working hard to make the team..in our case we got to meet some of them...and you can't help but be a fan.I've been rooting for them for the past few years...ever since they started going to Cortland. You gain a new appreciation for what they do. John who's a Miami fan at heart...will root for the Jets this year...when they aren't playing his team...anyway. Martha will too I'm guessing...if she watches at all. (she keeps pretty busy...don't think she spends too much time watching football)

Jackie

Once again we watched the players coming in to the practice.

Anna ready with her football, Martha, Anne and Ellen

Erik was expecting a special guest that day. William Fitchner (actor in a bunch of movies...TMNT, Elysium, Lone Ranger, The Perfect Storm to name a few) had contacted him about a project he was working on. He had hoped to film (I think) something at Cortland...but because of Training Camp schedule...Erik had to turn him down...however he told him if he was in the area he should stop by and check out Training Camp. He did...and he brought one of his good friends...Kim Coates ( TIG-Sons of Anarchy).  I have to admit, when Erik mentioned he was expecting William...I really wasn't sure who he was talking about. Erik assured us we would recognize him as soon as we saw him...and we did. When he arrived...Erik was down on the field with a group. John spotted them as soon as they walked into the tent. He went over and introduced himself and told them the what was going on. IN a few minutes Erik was back.

Ellen and John with the guys

Erik telling them about the fields, the arrangement with the team, etc

Turns out Kim is actually a Buffalo fan...but William is a Jets fan. (Martha wasn't even sure who she was coming to see...hahah...not really...she remembered...but she doesn't have a "team"). The guys were interested to hear the story...asked some questions and enjoyed their tour. At some point one of the trainers ran over when she spotted Kim. She told him there are three guys on the team who call themselves the "Sons of Anarchy"...Wilkerson, Harrison and Richardson...they are huge fans of the show and she wondered if he would be there long enough for them to come over and meet him and get a picture with him after practice. (about 15 minutes before it ended) He agreed to hang around.

By now some of the other people had kind of figured out who they were...and Erik's assistant was trying to figure out how to get a "selfie" with Kim because her sons love the show. I was acting like the agent hahah...told her "Go ask...they'll be glad to take a picture with you"...like I had anything to say in the matter..but I said that because it was true. They were super nice and happy to take pictures with whoever asked. We were chatting with them a bit while practice wrapped up.

It was fun watching everyone getting excited when they realized who the two "guests" were.  

Here's the Son with the "sons"...they enjoyed meeting him. The photographer was running around snapping pictures and people were jumping in and out of group shots...and I was enjoying watching the whole thing! I really was. Of course...my sisters will tell you...I was like some kind of groupie...totally unlike my usual personality...I was asking for autographs,  asking for pictures...etc. Well...Erik suddenly said..."I bet Rex is a fan of the show. Here I'll introduce you to him" Kim said something like..."Oh I don't want to bother him..." I was like...Yes, yes...introduce them...hahah because I was planning on taking some photos! I figured that was as close as I was going to get to meeting Rex Ryan....I'd have to settle for a few photos from just a few feet away. Sure enough Rex said "Tig is my favorite character" and came right over to meet him.

William Fitchner, Rex Ryan, Kim Coates and Nick Mangold

I don't think any of them noticed me...the crazy person hovering around with my little camera...hahah

After a few minutes the guys decided they needed to start heading out...they had places to go.They shook hands, gave Ellen, Martha and I a hug...thanked us and then we all headed back to the tent...and I watched everyone along the way scrambling for their cameras to get pictures!

it was kind of funny I had them lined up, then Kim said...Wait turn it around this way...the lighting will be better...a true veteran of many, many pictures!

John was back in the tent during all this...so I had to get a picture of him with them. Also one final shot of them with Erik...since he's the reason they were there in the first place. Then they had to slowly make their way out...stopping for many  photos on the was. The police/security guys (jokingly (?) asked if they need a security detail to walk them to their car...mainly because they wanted a photo too...hahah One of the policemen was kind of hesitant...but I saw he had his phone out...he wanted a picture...once again...I acted like the agent..."Sure...just ask them...they'll be glad to take one"...but they did...and I really think they had as much fun as all of the rest of us did. It just took them a while to get to their car! After they left I went and got a couple of autographs...for one of our friends.

And that was Training Camp for John and I...Martha was there for another day with Ellen and Erik.

August in New York

Last Friday, John and I flew up to Cortland , NY to visit Ellen, Erik and Anna and to attend the Jets Training Camp.Martha flew in from Hawaii on Sunday. So we had a mini reunion and had fun checking out the program.
School is out for the summer...so the campus is pretty quiet till the Jets come to town. Actually the whole town is pretty quiet...and the influx of team, support staff and fans is always a good thing!

 We stopped at this local spot more than once during our visit. The owner knows E & E...so we were treated like one of the locals...

out for a walk..posing by sign across the street from Ellen and Erik's house

Now...neither John nor I are true Jets fans....I'm from Pittsburgh and it doesn't matter that I've been in Florida for over 45 years...I'm still a Pittsburgher at heart...and that means I root for the Steelers. John has always been a Dolphins fan....but that is not  always easy...hahahah in recent years anyway. Since the Jets began going to Cortland for their camp...I have become a fan. As long as it doesn't come down to a showdown between the Steelers and Jets...I'll root for them. When Tebow was there for a season...most Gators cheered for him.......however...the Dolphin fans really really don't like the Jets...hahahah...they are big rivals.
I  actually got to go to a couple of match-ups in the past (20 some yrs ago)....both of which were won by the Jets. I was on a bus full of mostly drunk disappointed Dolphin fans....secretly glad that the Jets had won....because for whatever reason...I just never have been a fan of Miami. I just can't root for them ...hahah.
I also like Rex Ryan who is the head coach of the Jets. I like his sense of humor and the fact that he seems like he loves what he does. A lot of head coaches are so serious...and I understand that...football is big business...but I like it when people have fun AND do their jobs.
Everyone wondered why we would want to go to JETS camp?????? the answer is easy...Why not? when would we get an opportunity to do something like this anywhere else. Because my brother-in-law is the president of the university...we were automatically VIPs. with field passes! Very cool!

                         We got to go in the back way...where the players and coaches enter. (Got to check out some of the players vehicles....lots of nice looking, BIG trucks, etc.)

There was a kids area set up on one side of the field. Also some bleachers,  a gift shop (set up Disney style...hahah you had to go through the gift shop to get to the stands) and tent for special guests. The team and the University had the tent on alternate days. When the school had the tent, they could invite alumni and donors and special friends of the University. Team days usually included season ticket holders, sponsors, etc. Coffee, juice,water and breakfast was served each morning.(eggs, hash browns, bacon, assorted fruit) The first 50 kids to enter the "play" area were given special wrist bands that entitled them to go to a designated area at the end of practice to meet some of the players and get autographs. Other fans could sit or stand on the side lines (behind a "fence").....where they could also try to get autographs after practice. Different player groups signed on different days....linesmen, tackles, etc.

Students have been able to get hands on experience during the training camps....some film the practice.....
some work with the trainers, etc. I think Erik said about 15 graduates have been hired by the organization since the partnership started. The Jets are the only team that allows fans to be down on the sidelines during the practice. Typically, Erik takes groups of about 10 people down along the sideline to watch for about 25-30 minutes. Of course no videos can be taken...but pictures are allowed.

with our special passes...we got to stay on the field

We got to watch the coaches and players walking in and Ellen and Erik introduced us to a couple of them.

Rod Graves-Sr Director of Football Administration was kind enough to stop and chat with us

Cortland staff had red shirts...team staff wore green...only players in red were the quarterbacks

It was interesting to watch and fun too. enjoyed seeing the other fans getting the tour; some were very surprised to be able to get on the sidelines. One family brought sauce from their restaurant as a gift to Erik. They told us they drove 4 hours to get to the site...but loved it and hoped to come back next year. A few of the staff people we talked to also told us how much they enjoyed coming to Cortland for the camp. They feel getting the team away as a group cuts down on distractions and helps them bond as a team. I know the coaches like it...and with any luck...in other words a winning season...I think they plan to come back. If they do...we'll be back too...it was fun! More next time! There were some special guests on Sunday.

Summer is winding down

Our summer programs are winding down....one tomorrow and one Thursday and that's it!
Summer has flown by! The kids around here will be going back to school August 18th. That seems early...but it's actually a week later than the last couple of years.

a few of the kids came in their pirate themed clothing...like the one little boy with the orange shoes...there were pirates, sharks, etc...I love when kids dress for the theme!

It's been a fun summer. I've had a good group at StoryTime for the last year and most came pretty regularly this summer...with the exception of one week when I only got four and two of them left early. I don't know what to expect once school starts...since many of my little friends will be heading off to pre-school. If they go M-W-F some of them still come see me on Thursday mornings. We'll see. I also have some moving up from Ms. Di's Toddler Time. Last week we had pirate stories...this week we're doing end of summer stories and we'll have a little party. I have some special treats set aside for them. :)
John is 5 weeks down with one to go to start his rehab on his shoulder. So far all is going well....and he's not too crazy! He's been to the movies a few times, bid a couple of jobs, gone to lunch...and taken lots of bike rides and walks during his down time.

we also put new slings on a few patio chairs...well actually only one...it was a pain...we'll do the other two soon...after one John said "Should we do another...Brenna and I both said NO!!!!

 He almost went fishing yesterday...kept telling me "Don't be alarmed..." (yeah right) but I guess the good lord intervened or Hurricane Bertha because the conditions changed Saturday night/Sunday morning...and he decided it was better NOT to go. I woke up and he said..."You don't have to worry anymore...I decided not to go" It was a good call too...because we had storms off and on all day and it would not have been fun out on the water! Now I don't have to worry because he's occupied this week and we are heading up to NY this Friday.
John and I are heading to Ellen and Erik's to see what's happening at the NY Jets Training camp. They train at SUNY Cortland...where Erik is president...so we get some VIP treatment! I am looking forward to seeing what it's all about...and if by chance I meet Rex Ryan...(who shares the same birthday as me...I read his book last year and learned that tidbit...hahah)...that would be even better! I am really a Steeler fan...but have rooted for the Jets a little since they've been training at Cortland and when they had Tim Tebow. Martha will be joining us too...so it should be a nice long weekend...and temperatures are expected to be high 50's/low 60's for the Low and high 70's/low 80's for the high...which sounds just about right for me!
Here it's been hot with afternoon thunderstorms....we had a couple of big storms

but most don't last long...and they make for nice sunsets!

Next post will be from Training camp! Can't wait to see who we run into........

Another day...another sunset...( or nothing too exciting going on)

It's been pretty quiet around here....not much to write about...as you may have noticed.
John had shoulder surgery on July 1st. He had several tears (rotator cuff, labrum,bicep) and a couple of bone spurs.

gaffing this fish was probably the "last straw"

 Once it's all healed he should feel a lot better. It has been bothering him for quite a while...but he held out as long as he could. It finally got to a point where he couldn't work without ending up in a lot of pain. That made it hard to sleep, fish, golf, etc. His goal is to get strong and do all the things he enjoys again...once it's healed. He's at the halfway point of phase one...arm in sling at all times. In three more weeks he will start physical therapy (only stretches for now). That's kept things kind of quiet around here...although he is starting to get a little restless......hahah

We've been taking walks, riding the bike...short easy routes...and last we we ventured out a couple of times.
     Last night we went to a local spot to see Doug Flutie and his brother and their band play. They were having a show at the Sand Bar in Melbourne Beach. A bunch of our friends were going, we weren't really doing anything else, so we figured why not. Chandler plays baseball with them...so we told Reid and Amy...they had other plans for the evening; so John decided to give it a go. Band was supposed to start at 8pm. We got there around 7:45pm. The place was getting crowded...I guess all the locals had the same thought "We have to see how well he plays the drum" hahah (Had to laugh paper had a blurb that was all screwed up "Flute (instead of Flutie) Brothers play ..*.blah, blah, with Doug Flutie in drums" (instead of on...hahah) Now he's not a big guy,,,but he wasn't in the drums...he played them haha. He really isn't very big at all considering the fact that he played quarterback in the NFL.

 No wonder they were all skeptical...

Well...seems like they were having some sound issues...and they didn't actually get started until a little after 9pm. We laughed when the first song was "Gimme Three Steps" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. John used to sing that to my friend Linda and I...I was gutting the rug down at a place called the Rug, with a girl named Linda Lou.....
I confess we only stayed through one complete song...and the start of the second...it was getting very crowded in the place...we weren't drinking...and really didn't need to stay any longer. We walked back up the street to the car, which was parked at the library, went home and had ice cream. We had fun while we were there...but no need to stay all night.

pretty sunset after the rain...lately we've been getting the afternoon showers on a regular basis

Here's what it looked like one afternoon when the storm clouds were rolling in off the ocean...the good thing is that it cools things down and doesn't usually last all day...

The phone comes in handy when I'm riding the bike and I see cool clouds like this..........
Went to BUNCO tonight...at my friend Marie's house. She doesn't have children...but she does have five cats! and this amazing fish aquarium

my flowers after the rain

BUNCO was fun...and I ended up with three BUNCOS and 9 games...guaranteed to win something. The night got off to a good start with a BUNCO in round 1...on ones. I rolled pretty well all night. Looks like I have lunch money for tomorrow. hahah
Speaking of BUNCO...when I first started playing with the group of women I play with...all of our kids were little...we watched our children go to kindergarten, jr high, high school, college (for most)...now one by one our girls and boys are getting married! Two of the original members of the group will have grandchildren before the year is over....time flies! It's been fun. Some of them I only see once a month at BUNCO...but we take off where we left off...and always enjoy each others company.
And that's all I've got for now.

Finally a flower!

A friend gave me this Plumeria plant a couple of years ago....with the promise about how easy they are to grow. Okay...I am not exactly known for my green thumb, my plants are alive...but I wouldn't say they are thriving...hahah. Frankly...I'm happy when I keep them alive. And.... when I manage to get them to bloom...I love it! I see these plants  all over town and they all seem to be covered with flowers this time of year...so I always wondered what I needed to do to make MINE bloom. I moved mine out off the porch so the butterflies could help it along...and I don't know if it was the extra fertilizer I gave it...or the butterflies...or both...but I finally got some flowers!

So naturally...I had to keep pictures of it's progress...

I get so excited every morning when I go out to check the progress. It's slower than other plants I have....but that's ok...hahah

petals are pretty from the back side too

Speaking of progress...John is doing well after his shoulder surgery Tuesday, July 1st. He has been hurting for a while...but lived with it until recently when anytime he worked he was in real pain afterwards. When it gets to the point that you can't do the things you enjoy (fish, surf, SLEEP) or the things you have to do...WORK! it's time to get it repaired. Fortunately a friend of ours is an orthopaedic
surgeon who's specialty is hands/shoulders. John's done work for Carlos (& Kiele), our kids are the same age, we used to car pool with them, etc...and John and Carlos are two of a kind when it comes to competitive sports; and the wear and tear that comes with them!
Once the Dr got in to the surgery...he found a little more than the MRI had shown. A rotator cuff tear, bicep tear, labrum tear and two bone spurs. (No wonder it was hurting him so much!) So...now the healing begins. No lifting, or anything for at least 6 weeks. Then therapy starts. Right now...just table slides and keeping it in a sling. John wasn't crazy about the nerve block...kind of freaked him out a little having no feeling in that arm/hand.

one day after surgery...checking on job he's been working on...backsplash was one of the last things he did before surgery

When it wore off...he commented..."I remember this pain (had shoulder done once before...not as extensive). He was reluctant to take percoset...doesn't like the way it makes him feel...but did end up taking it the first two days. Now...he's trying his best to use other pain medication...not quite as strong...and so far it seems to be working out okay. Sleep has been hard to come by...first night he had to stay elevated...and even now, if he doesn't get situated just right...it's not comfortable. Last night I heard noise...checked the clock...3:30 am or so...so I knew he wasn't sleeping too well...hahah Then I smelled the coffee...definitely not a good sign. He had some coffee...watched tv, got a new ice pack...and dozed off a little...but woke up again around 5am. He ran some errands (I went to work). When he got home...he went in to lie down and he was out! He was sooooo happy to get some real sleep for a couple of hours. Got up...then fell back asleep until I got home just after 2:30pm. So...he is feeling a lot better this evening. Slooooowly getting back to (kind of ) normal.

The weather has been kind of rainy...usually we start off clear and thunderstorms start late afternoon. The first two days after surgery...it was cloudy and rainy off and on...perfect weather for staying inside and taking it easy.
So far so good for John...we'll update as time moves on.