Day Before Alan's Birthday

Andre Two sparred first with me then with Tommy Wednesday evening.  Since Andre Two has a fight coming up, he needed to get the extra work in.

I tried to go up the middle and get the uppercuts in, but Andre Two keeps himself well protected.  My right hand bounced off of his elbow the wrong way when I threw an uppercut.  For a second, I thought I had sprained a finger.  I threw a left uppercut, and a nail broke on my left thumb.  I keep saying it -- it's a good thing I'm not a nail care fanatic like a lot of women are. 



Andre Two had no mouthpiece, as seen in the photo above (he's wearing purple shorts), so he had tissue in his mouth that served as a makeshift mouthpiece.  Tommy (in the red headgear) is a southpaw, and he got a few good body shots in. 

I think this was the third or forth time that Tommy has sparred since he's been attending the gym, and he's was going there back when Steve was the coach.  He told Alan that he'd be interested in participating in Loyola Park's boxing show which is scheduled for September 28th. 

As usual, I was on the side, clicking away with my little digital camera.  I was tired and hot, and it took effort to hold my arms up to take the pictures.  After I sparred with Andre Two, Andy came over and gave me a hug.  He noticed I was limping a little, and I explained that my arthritis was bothering me.  Andy, who's in his mid 40s, nodded his head.  "I understand, 'cause I'm right there with you, baby.  It's hard getting old."

I asked Sara, one of the new people, if she was enjoying the class.  She told me that she likes it a lot.  "I feel stronger, and I walk straighter and taller down the streets," she smiled.  One of the best side effects of boxing is confidence.

Alan told me that this past Father's Day was low-key for him. Today is Alan's birthday; he always plays down the day.  It's true that for some people as they grow older, a birthday is just another day in their lives. As for me, I don't make a big deal about the non-milestone birthdays anymore.  It's not that I'm cringing when birthdays come around like so many women do.  But seldom was my changing ages given that much importance when I was growing up.  Once, my mother made somewhat of a big deal about me turning 13 years old, but that was about it. 

I was thinking about adding extra workouts considering I'll probably have a fight in September, but I've been slacking off.  I'll be working full-time temporarily at church for awhile.  Aaron, the custodian, has resigned.  I'll be doing his job, plus my normal secretarial duties until a new custodian is hired.  There goes a lot of free time I had during the day, but I can make a workout schedule for the evenings.  It's just a matter of me pushing myself to train.