What a busy weekend! Saturday, Stephen and Adam had a fencing tournament near Arlington Heights. It was a beginners' tournament, and both boys are considered beginners even though they have been taking fencing lessons for almost three years (this is their first year of consistent competition). Both boys did wonderfully! Adam, who is always the youngest and smallest competitor at these tournaments, actually won a few bouts, which is pretty good when most of his competitors are high schoolers and adults. Stephen is also young compared to his competition. He, however, finished second in the sabre competition. In fact, he would have made a bid to win the tournament if it weren’t for some biased side judging. The two of the four side judges were from the same high school fencing team as Stephen’s competitor. Even the other fencer began to notice that the calls were not equitable. So half-way through the bout, in a gesture of good sportsmanship, he began to acknowledge touches that the side judges were deliberately missing. The head judge would then award Stephen the touch even without support from the side judges. Stephen was happy with his placing even though he was miffed by the unfairness of the final.
After a long day at the tournament, we had decided to celebrate by eating at Outback Steakhouse. We like OS because the prices are relatively inexpensive, the meat is fairly decent, and there is something for everyone in our family to eat. Adam had his usual, a lobster tail. Stephen shared my prime rib and Michelle’s Top Sirloin. OS has some sentimental value for our family. We have ended up there many times after significant events, at times by accident, at times by design. For this reason it is a family favorite. We have associated OS with celebration. I realize that this choice doesn’t sit well with some of my vegetarian friends or with some of my “classier” friends; but that is the nature of sentiment isn’t it? It’s not rationale. We like it because we like it.
Yesterday, after church, we took the boys to the Chicago Auto Show. What an event! It is going on for one more week at McCormick Place. Adam is pretty car-crazed right now. He knows the model and manufacturer of most cars that pass us on the road. That he got to see all new models and a few concept cars meant that Adam was experiencing a personal nirvana of sorts. He was walking on clouds the whole time. Just seeing his face when he saw a Lambourghini Gallardo was worth the price of admission.
Posted by Frank Yamada at February 14, 2005 09:39 PM