Another Ring

Woo-hoo, the Lady Bears won the Big 12 Championship by defeating Texas A&M in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Another ring for me!!!

What makes this one so special is that it was unexpected. So, with that being said, I decided that I was going to savor the moment. This time I actually climbed the ladder and cut down some of the net. I had always been too busy to do that before but decided that I was going to do it this time.

Found out last night that we're a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play in Lubbock on Sunday and if we win that game will play again on Tuesday. Both games should start around 8:30 (CDT). ESPN2 will carry the game but if you don't live in the Texas market, you will only get what they call whip-around coverage (they're carrying 4 games during that time slot).

If we win both those games, next up will be Raleigh, N.C., for the Sweet 16 game, that game would be on the 28th.

SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry it's been sooooooooo long since my last post:
1) I've been busy
2) I forgot my password to get into the blog

Today a light went on and I fiddled around until I got into the site to update!!

Basketball has been going well, we're currently ranked No. 8 but have been as high as No. 3. Two home losses dropped up down this week.

We're on TV on Saturday (Feb. 7) at 11 a.m. (Central) on Fox Sports Net, playing No. 18 Kansas State.

When we hosted Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago we had a special couple come to the game. President George W. Bush and Laura made the Lady Bears' game their first public outing since leaving office. I got to spend quite a bit of time with them on the visit and have posted a picture that was taken in the Lady Bear locker room.

That's all for now, more later as time permits.

Stuck in Portland

Oh, what a road trip this has become! We left Dallas on Friday and flew to Portland. Then took a bus to Eugene as we had a game on Saturday at U of Oregon. Won that game, 81-71.

They say that they only get one snowfall out here a year. Well, there's enough here now to take care of the next five years.

Since we had reservations to fly out of Portland at noon on Sunday (today) to fly into Oakland, we decided since the weather was bad and supposed to get badder we would bus to Portland after the game last night. What would normally take two hours took about 3 1/2 hours. The last 90 minutes was verrrrrrrrrry slow going, since the roads were total ice. Props to Richard our bus driver for getting us to our hotel in Portland around 3 a.m.

Since the weather is so bad, all the flights out of Portland were cancelled today. So here we sit. We had to cancel our game at Cal on Monday. We don't know if we'll even get out of here tomorrow. Hopefully we'll be home by Christmas. Let me just tell you, we won't be singing the song "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" any time soon.

There are various other dramas associated with this trip as well. When we arrived at the hotel in Eugene on Friday, one of our players got a call that her mother had been murdered. You can read a very well-done story about it on the Waco Tribune Herald's website: wacotrib.com.

The picture I posted is from the player's outing into the snow today. They were playing and having snowball fights and tackling each other. Then they saw a car that couldn't get into the hotel parking lot so they trekked to the top of the parking lot and pushed to get him going again.

Check one off the Bucket List

One of the things I have always wanted to do was go parasailing. I got the chance when we were in the Virgin Islands over Thanksgiving. So, I got to check on thing off my bucket list. But, through the process, did add another item to the list.

Lori and her daughter Emilie and Makenzie (Mulkey's daughter) and I all went parasailing on Saturday. Since you go in pairs, that is Makenzie up in the air with me. They said we were about 400 feet in the air. As they're reeling you back in they slow down so you can dip your feet in the water, that's the only time we got wet. Took off from the boat and landed on the boat.

Sorry it has taken me so long to get pictures up but I had to get them from Lori.

It was a totally awesome experience. Although one of the other parasailers on the boat said that it was fun but what we really need to do is the one behind the speedboat called the Screaming Eagle. Hence, another addition to the bucket list.

Enjoy.

Missing You All

Since I am having to be away from the family for Thanksgiving, I guess St. Thomas, Virgin Islands isn't too bad of a place to be.

We got here late Tuesday night, sharing a charter flight with Texas Tech. It was a four hour flight which wasn't bad at all.

Today we had practice after lunch, then went on a snorkling trip then came back and went up a tram to Paradise Point where we saw a bird show then had dinner.

I am posting some picture for you to enjoy (if I can get them to upload, the connection is reallly slow). We are staying at the Frenchman's Reef which is a Marriott property. Iguanas roam free around the grounds, big ones too.

We start our games tomorrow. We play Central Florida tomorrow, Villanova on Friday and Wisconsin on Saturday. We leave here early Sunday morning and should be back in town by noon.

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

MOOOOORE FOOTBALL

For the first time since 2001, Lorena football has made the playoffs. That means Jon's high school football got extended by at least one more game. In order to advance to the playoffs they had to beat the league's top team which, up until Friday night, was undefeated in league action.

Jon was credited with two touchdowns and 102 yards in the victory although he said he only scored one. The error makes up for the one that he got shorted earlier in the season!!! He is now over 1,200 yards for the season.

I didn't get to see the game as the Lady Bears had an exhibition game last Friday. However, Heather and Brodie each kept me informed throughout the game via text messages. They will play on Thursday night so both Bruce and I will get to see it.

The roaming photographer again captured family pictures in the stands and I've included one of Megan, Heather and Parker.

Friday Night Photo Bug

Since I am friends with most of the media/photographers that cover high school football games, it gives me a hook up to get pictures taken. Friday night Lorena had a home game and the photographer got several good pictures of the Bennett Clan.

In addition, there’s a good article on Lorena’s game and Jon made the front page of sports. He ran for 196 yards and four touchdowns.

To view the article and pictures go the to the Waco Tribune-Herald's website: click here.

Scroll down to the High School Section and click on the Come Back & Vote link. Jon’s action picture should pop up, you will also be able to read the article. From there if you click on Fans in the Stands: 3A Games: Oct. 17 you will be able to see several family pictures: 113 – Me and Parker; 118 – Chris; 153 - Heather and Jon; 159, 171, 172 - Jon; 290 – Heather; 298 – Parker sleeping.

Enjoy!!