Three Good Rounds

I was pleased with the three rounds I did with Andre Two on Wednesday night because I actually focused better and planned my punches.  It is hard to think when punches are flying and the other person is moving around, but it goes better in the ring when a boxer does.  At one point, I swung a left hook at Andre Two's head and missed because I didn't time it right.  He bobs and weaves a lot, and I tried to catch him one of the times he moved.  I backed off and tried to figure out how to do that, finally succeeding with a right hook to the head.

Andre Two went on to spar with Paul.  Paul did get some good jabs in on him.

I noticed that Andre One had to reach up far to get the jabs and rights in on Andre Two, but he got many of them in.  Andre Two kept blocking Andre One up against the ropes and in the corners.

There was a Maize bag (in the picture above) hanging in the spot where the double end bag normally does.  It is not for punching, but for slipping punches.  I was on it for several rounds.  How it works is the bag is pushed so that it swings, then the person moves their head slightly to the side to avoid being hit in the face by it. 

Once again, Alan was telling me how he has to light a fire under some folks to sign up for the next session.  Mary hasn't said anything to anyone in the gym about paying their registrations fees for awhile, but Wednesday was the last night of the Spring session.  She'll probably come around to lay down the law next week when the Summer session begins.  I believe it's a lot harder to enforce that during summer because of all the people who want to come in and out of the gym.

The coach did remind people to pay their registration fee by Monday.  To my chagrin, Igor asked Alan to repeat the information which means he'll probably be back again for another session.  Igor and I said nothing to each other that evening.  Actually, I felt a little bad about that, but at the same time, unless Igor changes some facets of his personality, I'm not going to have any patience for it.  It's a casualty of me getting older and having less tolerance for things.

Matthieu came in briefly and introduced his brother Ben and a male friend of theirs to me.  His ankle is better.  "The guy who caused me to break my ankle - does he still come in?" he smiled, referring to Jake.  I assured him that Jake still does.  Matthieu said he'll probably return to the gym in the fall.

Ursula and I are now friends on LinkedIn, a job/career networking site that appears to be helping everyone else except me.  I miss seeing her down at the gym, but it appears that her business is doing well. 

Alan and Paul have to go out of town for a business.  As we were leaving the gym for the evening, Alan asked Paul about hanging out in between the business functions they have to attend.  "We can go to the gentleman's clubs!" Paul laughed.  I told Alan, "I'm telling your wife." "Eh, she won't say anything," he said as he put his things into the car.  "Humph. . .you think she won't," I laughed.

He drove me home, like he usually does.  While on the way, I asked, "You didn't get into trouble when Riva saw what I wrote in the blog, did you?"  "Trouble about what?" Alan asked.  "That business about the female colleague of yours and Paul that came to the gym one night and the joking about her being a side girlfriend," I said. 

Alan smiled, "No. . .you have to remember that Riva and I have been married for over 20 years, and we've known each other since high school.  I can say anything to her, and she knows me by now."  That has to be nice to have that kind of comfort level in a marriage.  I know a couple whom I went to high school with; they were dating each other when we were all 14 and 15 years old.  They have also been married for over 20 years.  I admire that kind of longevity.