What Training Ain't

It's always a red flag when a new person has the expectation of personal training in the gym. No matter how many times Steve explains to the new people that the class is not set up for one-on-one, like he did last night, the expectation continues to exist. I worked with several of the new people, but there's always the realization that some will be gone before the month is out. Most of boxing involves self-motivation, and if some don't possess it, well, so much for that.

The place was packed last night. I enjoyed myself a lot, especially coming off of another crappy day in a week where everybody and everything at my job is working my last damn nerve. Boxing does take some of the edge of my naturally bad temper, but there's only so much I'm going to tolerate at any time.

Turned in my volunteer application to Mary last night, so I will become an official Park District volunteer soon. Don't know why I didn't do it sooner. Steve had brought it up to me at least a year or more ago.

The son of a coach at another fieldhouse has been bugging me for a date--I mentioned him a couple of posts back. We met at the Clarendon Park boxing show that took place recently. I keep dropping hints that it's not going to work--he gives the impression that he doesn't exactly look after the kid he has, there is a baby's mama on the scene, and he still lives at home with his mama. His devotion to boxing is suspect, as well. He was supposed to help his dad out while at Clarendon, but he spent his time bugging me and slapping hands with his friends. The guy may show up at the boxing show tomorrow night. If he does, I'm going to be very clear that there will be no "us". He seems like the type that won't understand "no". I would hate to have to insult him to get the message through.

The New Girl

Kristin is in the youth program, and Barry decided that she should also come in with the adult boxing program as well. She's 17 years old, and shows promise. Barry told her and her mother that I would train her. We went over the basics, including footwork, this past Friday. There was supposed to be another girl from the youth program stopping in, but I haven't seen her yet.

Kristin's mom confessed that she is not crazy about her daughter being in boxing. However, it is something positive. Her mom felt more at ease when I told her I was "the old woman in the gym". I think she felt better about someone looking out for Kristin.

I called Tony, the guy I met at Clarendon's boxing show last week, on Saturday, out of curiosity. I guessed correctly--he lives with his mama, something he had no shame in freely admitting. His brothers, who all have kids and baby's mamas to match, are all at home, too. "I usually don't date men with kids," I told him. I dated one of those before. He had two kids and lived with his grandmother because he was irresponsible about taking care of his financial business, and his life in general. I ain't got time for that anymore. Unfortunately, he may show up at the boxing show at Loyola's fieldhouse this Friday night. He didn't take hints during our phone conversation that we aren't going to work, so I guess I'll have to be a little more forceful and rude if he bugs me then.

Mary gave me a volunteer form to fill out, so I can officially help out in the gym. Been doing it unofficially for the past three years. Steve told me Friday, "It's nice that Mary likes and trusts you." As the fieldhouse supervisor, Mary has to be careful about who is allowed where and when. I'm honored that she thinks that much of me.

Focus Interrupted

Steve, Junior, Mike and myself were at Clarendon Park fieldhouse for their boxing show. Unfortunately, both Junior and Mike lost their matches. I believed that Junior was getting the best of Ramon, a guy who fights out of a club called the Matadors. The judges saw otherwise.

Pizza had been ordered for the officials and coaches, and Steve suggested that I go get some of the food. I'm not officially a coach, but I often go into the "war room" anyway. A guy who is the son of one of the other coaches, Tony, decides that he would like to ask me out on a date. Well, there went the evening. I could hardly pay attention to Junior and Mike's bouts, or any of the bouts, because Tony was hanging around me. He bugged me so much for my phone number that I gave it to him. He called after midnight, and I didn't answer, as I was already asleep.

Tony seems to be a nice guy, but he's not my type. I like men who are six feet and over, built somewhat thick (think broad shouldered, a light heavyweight build or maybe a few pounds extra), and preferably no children. Tony hasn't been married, but he has a five year old kid. That means baby mama's drama to me, and I'm not interested in being caught up in that. "You're gorgeous," he told me. I'm not a teen anymore, so flattery doesn't impress me. He's more in the friend category.

Sadiq and his wife was there last night. Sadiq was going to fight for Clarendon, as he's been training over there lately. There were no matches for him, unfortunately.

Crystal Tree

Junior, Steve and I went to a show fight out at a south suburban golf course called Crystal Tree. What should have taken us an hour took nearly two as we ran into heavy rush hour traffic.

No sooner than we arrived on the grounds, Junior's gym bag came up missing. Steve had to negotiate with the fight makers to have our boy fight later to give him time to find his stuff. Finally, the bag was discovered next to some kids who were also there to fight. Maybe they picked it up by accident, maybe it was intended to be a theft. We don't know. After Junior was suited up, Steve took the precaution of locking all of our stuff in the trunk of his car. Not long after Junior's bag went misssing, another guy's stuff disappeared.

Junior gave too much respect to his opponent. There was a moment when he had the guy on the ropes with a clear opening to let off a battery of shots. Junior hesitated, as if giving the guy a chance to recover. The people in the crowd, particular a group that was directly behind Steve and I, were mostly on Junior's side. However, it was clear they didn't know much about boxing by their comments. One woman kept yelling, "Hit him between the eyes!" I noticed another table of women who were paying more attention to their conversation and their drinks than what was going on in the ring. After rocking his opponent a few times, Junior won the decision.

Later, we were standing near a table of deserts: cheesecake and cherry pie. Junior and I kept eyeing the groceries. Steve said, "Maybe we shouldn't take any of it." Not long after he said that, a crowd of hungry boxers swooped on the table. Junior had a big slice of cheesecake. I had two slices of cherry pie. Shouldn't have eaten that much, especially of pie, but I was hungry.

Watching The Gym Door

George, a beefy guy from Clarendon Gym, came in last night. "I'm a friend of Emmanuel," he told Steve. Emmanuel did show up several minutes later.

Junior said that maybe the reason Sadiq hadn't been in for nearly a month is because he's still ticked about his stuff being stolen. Who then walks in later but Sadiq, along with his wife Lauren. He didn't work out, but told Steve he'd be up for some fights soon. Lauren told Steve that yes, Sadiq was still pissed about his stuff being stolen. I don't blame him, but unfortunately, people are slick, and Steve can't watch the door the whole time he's there.

We're not going to Eckhart Park today, so I guess I have to go to choir rehearsal. They'll rag on me about missing last week's rehearsal I'm sure. However, this is nothing new. Long time members and the choir director know I'm always missing from time to time during the boxing show season, and later when the Golden Gloves are going on. Sigh. . .I have to keep explaining that every year.

Grade School Bodyguards

Kevin, or Toby, as he's sometimes called, told me he has bodyguards at school. We were on our way back home from a boxing show at Simons Park last night. There was no match available for Junior, but Kevin was able to get one. Unfortunately, he ran up on the other kid after the bell for the third round sounded. The kid stepped to one side and knocked Kevin down with a jab. Kevin had won the previous two rounds, but that knockdown didn't look good on the scorecards.

"How did you get bodyguards?" I had to ask. Kevin explained that he is the strongest kid in his 5th grade class. All he had to do was to threaten to beat up the kids if they refused to be his bodyguards. Another kid refused to pay up on a dollar bet, so Kevin put his bodyguards on him. They promptly grabbed the other kid and got Kevin's payment. I was thinking I wish I could have had bodyguards when I was in grade school. As I was picked on constantly, they would have come in handy.

Seems like every time I see Kitchen, he has pictures for me, and I just have enough money in my pocket to pay him. There were some nice shots of a couple of matches Junior had, including a match involving Mike. A couple of pictures show me assisting Steve in the corner with Mike. I took some pictures last night with my old 35mm of Kevin, and some of the happenings at the boxing show.

Broke a nail on my left hand, right in the middle. It can't be cut because of the way it's broken. I was holding punch mitts that were too big for my hands. Steve threw a jab, and my nail bent back. Had to put a bandage on it. I'm going to have to get nail glue to fix it, and hope that it will grow over the break.

Same Guy, But A New Girl

Keith came in last night, which was a surprise. He had a woman with him whom he introduced as "my girl, Emma". Looks as if the last girlfriend is out. Steve told him that he needs to get in shape if he wants to appear in the our fieldhouse boxing show at the end of this month.

Larry came in, announcing he had hurt his ankle playing basketball. He's a very athletic guy.

Junior is the only guy in the adult program who is scheduled to have a fight tonight at Simons Park boxing show. Steve said that some of the kids, including Diego, may participate tonight, too, but that wasn't solid.

It was one of those days where I actually felt my age, which is not that often. I was sitting out rounds a lot, and the energy just wasn't there. Had a slight headache all day long, which might have had something to do with me forgetting to take my high blood pressure medicine a couple of days in a row. Then again, it might have been an allergy headache. I've been forgetting to take those pills as well, and every morning, I've been sniffling and sneezing.