Running out of time...

November 13, 2012.... where has the Autumn gone? Summer was just ending and the kids had just returned to school and now what seems like just weeks later winter is creeping in. Today was cool/cold and has turned overcast. I've been snuggled in my bed for a good bit of it feeling under the weather. I just wish I wasn't in the middle of my bedroom remodel so I could really relax in here. No telly yet, and lots of tools, and bits and pieces of Ikea furniture laying around waiting to be assembled. We did get the bed completed on Saturday so at least the mattress is up off the floor now. I also got the new window blinds and drapes installed yesterday which helps with the cozy factor.

So I guess I've some catching up to do here since I last posted. Lets see it was over six weeks ago, Fantu's knee surgery. Well she recovered at warp speed this time compared to last. She was off her crutches in a week and in four weeks she was doing light exercise and jogging. She has now returned to full athletics and is practicing soccer with the team hoping to make the Varsity team. She is loving High School and is doing really well in most of her classes.

Abate has had some ups and downs this autumn. Cross Country was the big one. He was placing in the top 10 and usually in the top 5 at all the meets. With 2 meets left before the district meet he pulled a tendon in his knee. So he had to miss the next 2 weeks of football, the next XC meet and workout daily with the trainer. It paid off though and he placed 3^rd in district (a very competitive one) and qualified for Regionals. We knew he had a shot at a top 10 finishers there which would have qualified him for State. This has been his goal all year, it was why he spent a week running in New Mexico.

The regional meet was held in Lubbock a 5+ hour drive. The XC team drove up on Friday, Fantu and I drove halfway Friday evening and completed the drive on Saturday. Abate was feeling very confident and he loved the course – it is one of the hardest courses in the state, I was really surprised he liked it.

The Region Gatesville is in this year is West and Northwest Texas, It covers a vast area with the towns spaced out miles apart. Ranches, farming, and oil and of course the latest boom Wind energy driving the economy. Affluent whites and immigrant hispanics make up most of the population. This was the first thing I noticed as the racers lined up. 150 runners,mostly white, a few hispanics and Abate and one runner from Burnet were the only two “black” boys running.

Abate got off to an excellent start and was in the pack of the top 20 runners, as the first mile turned to the second mile up around another hill and out of view Abate was in 15^th. They came back by and as they passed and headed into the final mile on this same loop in the course he was making his move and started to move up. They passed out of sight again. As the runners came back around Fantu and I counted....1...2...3..4...8...10.....15.....20... there he was, he was struggling, he was getting passed. Something had happened. Was it his knee? He ran past us towards the finish line, his face just expressed defeat, sadness. I dashed to the finish area to find him, to comfort him. When I got to him I got the story of what happened, another runner came up from behind him and purposely tripped him. He fell flat out forward, stunned he rushed to his feet and tried to see who had pushed him, too many runners were passing by, he hadn't a clue. No officials were watching that section of the course, how convenient for the other runner, I'm sure this was something he noticed on the first pass. Was Abate targeted or was it just by chance he was the closest runner in front of this kid? Did he only bother taking abate down because of his small size or the color of his skin? I hate to think it is the latter but I feel that this was probably why. This part of Texas seems to be stuck in the ways of the past. I would love to have known who was filled with such low esteem that they had to crush my sons dream in those few seconds. Abate was crushed, he cried the rest of the weekend. He knew he would've finished in the top 10 – another runner from our district that Abate was leading at the time, and Abate has defeated several times this year placed 10^th.

Abate will be back next year even more determined to be faster and stronger. He won't have to worry about getting tripped next year because he plans on being so far in front no one can touch him.

In the final count he placed 27^th, not bad out of 150 racers.

Football – Abate had a great season except for the two games he had to sit out with his tendonitis. He only missed one extra point and one field goal. In the final game they played undefeated Liberty Hill and beat them by two points, that's because Abate made all 3 extra points and Liberty hill missed 2. Abate will be the Kicker for the Varsity team next year, who by the way won District this year and are in the playoffs. Go Hornets!

So while much more than this has been going on (my excuse for not blogging) these have been the biggest events this Autumn. Once the bedroom remodel is complete I will post pictures and a before and after video. Hopefully it will be done before the end of the year. My target was Thanksgiving (Nov. 22) but I'm not sure if that is realistic right now. Well football is continuing and soccer season starts soon!