Hot at Eckhart

I had been running all day long. . .trying to figure out how to move stuff around my apartment so the exterminators who are coming next week can do their job (the task is a headache), taking the contents of my piggy bank to deposit in the bank (it is worth it to save your change), picking up my notary public commission (after having waited since May for it to be processed). Then it was off to Eckhart Park for another Chicago Park District boxing show.

I packed my gear, but I figured I'd come up empty-handed when it came to being matched up.  I was right.  Oscar came in a little after the weigh-in was over, but there were people his weight for him to fight.  But I think the official verdict was that they were too young for Oscar to fight.  Kenny was more fortunate, as he did get a fight.  Arturo, one of the coaches, gave Alan passbooks created by the Park District for Kenny and I to fill out.  This is something new that has been introduced.  I understand the coaches and officials are concerned about people fabricating the amount of fights they've had.  I know I fought Meg from Hamlin twice, but I could not remember in which field houses those fights took place.  I'll have to scroll back through the entries in this blog to figure it out.  

Sarah and Amy arrived a little before the first bout began, and they were happy to learn that Kenny had gotten a fight.  I helped Alan in the corner.  Kenny's opponent was a somewhat muscular guy in his early twenties.  The windows were open in the gym, but no air was stirring.  One large floor fan, off on the other side of the room, was working, but it wasn't enough to cool the room down.  "I don't want to sound like I'm continually complaining, but it's hot in here.   I wouldn't want to fight in this heat," Alan said.

Here is a portion of the last round.  I thought I had gotten Alan talking to Kenny immediately afterwards, as well as Kenny's arm being raised in victory.  As you can see, the camera goes out of focus -- I was helping to take Kenny's gloves off as that happened -- and it cuts off after that.  Kenny's opponent won the first round, but then Kenny got the best of him by out-punching the guy.  Sarah commented, "He used the uppercut on the guy that he showed us in the gym last night!" 

Bill told Alan and I that he would bring Meg over to the Loyola show later this month as an opponent for me.  He mentioned that she hasn't been training much at Hamlin.  I remembered seeing a news report months ago about her showing she also trains at the firehouse where she works, so she's probably getting workouts in there. 

Eckhart's boxing show was one of the shortest ones I've attended.  It was over in an hour.  Just as well, considering how hot and dry it was.  Today's temperature was in the 90s, but it felt good when we all got back outside.  Sarah and Amy gave me a ride home.