That sounds awesome, narnian_at_heart! Skiing is pretty much the best sport out there. Welcome back

I'll be gone for the next two days. My dad and I are going to visit my grandmother and see the Body Worlds exhibit - I'm excited.

( http://www.thetech.org/bodyworlds_vital/ )

bye mino! have fun! we'll miss you!

I'm going to be gone the next four days. I leave in the morning (US time) for Chicago where I will be representing UTEP in the United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs National Championships. I will be going against 35 other college fencing clubs (non-NCAA) from across the nation including UTEP, UT Austin, Cal Poly, Florida, Swarthmore, Indiana, Northwestern, Dartmouth, Maryland, Army, and many more. Two years ago, I competed in a regional version of this tournament and my team won 1st place. My team isn't quite as strong this time, but I am stronger and I am planning on going all out.

It's going to be crazy as we expect to be placed in pools of 9-13 teams (with 35 teams that would ideally translate to two pool of 12 and one pool of 11). Each team, which consists of three fencers with or without an alternate, will going against each other to where each fencer on one team will spar with each fencer of the other team for 5 hits or 3 minutes. So if I am in the pool of 12, that means I will fence against 11 other teams, which translates to 33 matches. If I do particularly well, I may get pulled into a direct elimination individual final which would be for 15 hits or 9 minutes. All that is Saturday. Then on Sunday, I do the team direct elimination which is the same team format, only it is best 5 out of 9, 5 touch/3 minute bouts. And as I am one of the two best in my team, I expect to be doing all mine. We fence to every spot so I expect to fence another 15 bouts on Sunday. I've never done a tournament like this so it is going to be brutal but a blast.

I won't have my computer with me so I will not be on-line during this weekend. My flight returns early afternoon Monday morning and I will be sure to post results in the sports thread. (I'll do the 2 sentence precis here.) This is my grand finale tournament as a fencer representing UTEP as going to Summer Nationals is unrealistic for me financially, so I am going to give it my all. I'll be on in the morning before I leave. Until then, be back on Monday.

Oh wow, Fencer, that sounds like a lot of fun! Good luck!!!

I'm back. It was a spectacular tournament and just as I planned, I gave it my all and put on perhaps the best performance I have ever done before. The quality of competition was mid-upper level at the National scale so I was pitted against some very strong fencers and I was able to hold my ground against most of them. They had to earn every bout and only a select few were simply out of my league. I had a blast and I want to do more.

[I'm posting this early just in case life happens and I don't get a chance to do it later this week. I should still be able to get on on Wednesday/Thursday, but no guarantees.]

I'll be gone for the next week starting Friday. I'm going to be heading down to Mexico with my youth group on a missions trip, so I'll see ya'll when I get back on the 23rd.

aww bye MM! have fun! *HUGGLES*

welcome back Fencer!

Really glad you had fun Fencer! Welcome back
Have fun MM! Will be praying for ya!

Bye Lia! I hope you have a good trip! And stay safe.

I won't becoming here very often for the next two weeks, I've got a bit more work than I can handle I may go on from time to time but it won't be for long, hopefully I'll get all my work sorted out and done within two weeks, although it may be a bit longer than that
will miss you all

aww I'll miss you wild!

Well. I'm home. This past week has been amazing. I was able to see God work through me and 13 of my closest friends by building a house in 3.5 days.

welcome back MM!!!!!

My family and I are leave really early in the morning and will be gone over the weekend to see family. Hopeful I will be back online late on Sunday, but it might be Monday before I get online again.

SnowAngel