Playoff Performer?

Since I last blogged about M3’s basketball journey, she’s had 3 different sessions so this could sound like 3 different blogs.  But I will keep the write-up on each session brief.

First was the Winter House League session that she was half-way through.  There was nothing special in that session (or maybe it’s been so long I forgot what happened).  I mentioned that there were 4 teams in her recreational league and M3 had finished first, second, and fourth before but never third.  M3 claims I jinxed her because this time her team came in 3^rd.

Second was the school team.  I remember when I was in school and on a team, there was actual league play where we would play after school either at home or by travelling to the other school.  This would go on for several weeks and then there would be playoffs.  But for M3 all the games took place on one day – tournament style.  The kids would miss school for the whole day, as opposed to last period for an away game, in my days.  When M1 was on the badminton team, the structure of play was the one-day tournament as well.  Is this just teachers being lazy and not wanting to commit for more than one day of league play?  M3’s school won one game and lost three games on that day and were eliminated from the playoffs.  Unfortunately, I had an important meeting at work that day and could not go watch.

Third, back to the House League sessions.  This was the spring session and her team had finished the preliminary round in 4^th place, meaning they would have to play the 1^st place team when the playoffs began.  For some strange reason, M3 was on fire that day.  Maybe she’s a playoff performer?  She scored 40% of the points for her team!  The final score was 25-19 and M3 got 5 baskets – a career high.  I mentioned before that the scores are usually in the 30s but this was a defensive battle.  Perhaps everyone was focused on shutting down the top players so M3 had more room to manoeuvre.  After the game, her teammates told her that she carried the team and M3 was very happy to hear that.  Sometimes compliments from your peers mean more than hearing the same words from your coach, because it’s your teammates that are playing the same game as you.

All the teams were pretty even because the 3^rd place team beat the 2^nd place team in the other semi-final.  In the final week, the 2^nd place team won the bronze medal and M3’s team won the championship.  In this game, I noticed M3 took more shots than she normally does.  Perhaps her performance last week got her thinking she was a sharpshooter.  But unfortunately, the ball didn’t go in for her this time and she only got one basket.

Anyway, M3’s improvement is continuing and as we rest for the summer, we have to think about staying in this league or finding a new one.  That’s because the next age group she will be in is Grades 9-12.  I’m not sure if she can compete at that level because she’s not even 5 feet yet.  We’ll see what happens.

Big Oh

Florida Trip: Day 12 - Coming Home

 Day 12

Our final day in Orlando – we would wake up at 7:15 to have breakfast and make it to the airport for an 11:55 flight.  But the flight was delayed to 12:45 so M1 went back to sleep for a bit.  When we go to the airport, the flight was delayed again to 1:10.  Then again to 1:35, 2:05, and finally 3:02.

We ate lunch at the airport around noon and at 2:15 they announced that we could get food vouchers because of the delay.  But just 10 minutes later they started the boarding process, so we could not use the vouchers.  They are good for 1 year and can be used in Toronto, though.

When we landed at Pearson Airport, we used the vouchers for drinks from Booster Juice.  Uncle Pepe picked us up and Cousin Lee picked up Uncle Kaka and Auntie Sally.  Then we had a full circle moment as we drove alongside each other on 16^th Avenue again, just like when we were leaving for the trip, 11 days ago.  This time it was a greater coincidence because we left the airport at different times.  We went to Booster Juice but Uncle Kaka and Auntie Sally did not.  We took Highway 407 while Uncle Kaka and Auntie Sally did not.

When we got in our house the girls yelled and screamed, saying how much they missed their grandma and their home sweet home.  As YC would always say, “The best part of vacation is coming home.”  We enjoyed a nice home-cooked meal by Grandma and told her all about our vacation (even though we had been calling home almost everyday).  I was very happy that we all had a great time on this vacation!

Big Oh

Florida Trip: Day 11 - Hollywood Studios

Day 11

This would be our last day at Disney and M1 wanted to end with Hollywood Studios because that’s where the Star Wars Galaxy Edge was and other rides that were supposed to be more for “older kids”.  But in some ways it didn’t meet expectations.

First, this felt like the hottest of the three days.  Although, the temperature was 34 degrees vs. 40 degrees at Epcot, there were less places to rest indoors.  We were in the heat longer and so it felt hotter – personally I thought we were in an oven.

Second, the lines were longer.  Longer wait times meant more time outdoors, which also contributed to feeling hotter.  Of the three parks, this was the one where we went to the least attractions/rides because of the lineups.

The day started off great with the Aerosmith roller coaster ride.  This was a really fast ride and likely ended up being ranked #2 in terms of all rides we went on, just behind Guardians of the Galaxy.  The day got even better when we got the chance to meet and take a picture with Darth Vader.  M1 opted out because she was terrified of him, claiming he brought back childhood nightmares of how he was living in her bedroom closet.  Perhaps I introduced her to Star Wars too early?  I asked if I could have a picture of Darth Vader choking me but the lady in charge said no because they are running a “peaceful operation”.  So I suggested just force choking and Vader was about to agree but the lady in charge still said no and promptly dismissed us.

We went to the Star Wars cantina for a drink but it didn’t look like the one in Episode IV.  Maybe it was something out of Episode VII – IX.  Most of the props, locations, and rides had Episodes VII – IX as the theme.  (This was unfortunate and I would blog about that but I can’t because in my mind those episodes don’t exist.)  For example, the most popular ride was the Rise of the Resistance but we thought it didn’t live up to the hype and the Avatar ride in Animal Kingdom was better.  I took a lot of pictures and a video as we walked through the Millennium Falcon.  The ride itself wasn’t that great and M1 and M2 blamed it on the fact that M3 and I were the pilots and we didn’t know how to maneuver. 

Since this was our last day, we thought we should get souvenirs for ourselves.  M1 had purchased a Monsters University hat and I got a t-shirt at Epcot but M2 and M3 did not get anything yet.  So M2 got a Baby Groot that sat on her shoulder and M3 got a deck of Disney Uno cards – Uno is one of her favourite card games.  I went all out and got a set of Jedi robes at $200!

This Star Wars experience was significant because the girls (especially M1, who kept asking me what I wanted to do and see and experience) really wanted me to have a good time and not the other way around with most parents and kids at Disney.  My girls are growing up.

Big Oh

Florida Trip: Day 10 - Animal Kingdom

Day 10

On this day, we went to the second of the three Disney parks that we had booked - Animal Kingdom. The forecast called for rain again and after what happened the day before, I didn't want to get soaked again.  We brought with us ponchos that Auntie Sally had in the vacation home.

Life's funny in that when you don't want something to happen, it usually happens.  One of the first rides we went on was the Kali River Rapids.  It's just like the White Water Canyon in Wonderland, but it seats 12 people instead of 6.  Similar to White Water Canyon, everyone gets a little bit wet, but one or two people will get soaked, depending on where they are sitting.  So of course, I was the one in the lucky seat that got drenched!  I could have worn a poncho on the ride but I didn't want to be the silly-looking Chinese guy who was afraid of water.

We went on guided safaris as well self-guided tours to see various animals - giraffes, monkeys, elephants, zebras, rhinos, cheetahs, bats, crocodiles, flamingos, ostriches, and more.  We were able to take lots of pictures and M2 did some silly pictures where it looked like she was kissing or eating a giraffe.  The one group of animals we didn't get to see that I really wanted to see were the tigers.  They were crouching (like in the movie) behind some rocks to stay cool from the heat - that was the explanation we were given by the guide.

We also went to an "Animation Experience" where we learned to draw Ed, the hyena from The Lion King.  My drawing skills are so bad that when I play Pictionary, I draw a dog, a horse, and a monkey the same way.  And no one is able to guess any of them.  So I was curious to know what I would draw.  But it turned out okay.  The sketch paper had lines and ovals pre-drawn to help us.

Another highlight was the "A Bug's Life" 3D short film - or maybe it was 4D, because water and mist was actually sprayed on us.  Then there was a part where bumps in our seats moved around making it feel like bugs were crawling on our bums!  The girls were equally amused and disgusted by that.

In the afternoon it rained really hard so we got out our ponchos.  M3 said her poncho was stinky and seemed to have sand all over it.  M1 said her poncho smelled funny too and was a little wet.  But they were still in the package and didn't look used.  M2 said hers was fine.  I opened the last one and found that it was greasy!  So we threw those out (even M3's) and bought new ones - matching ones.  We had been looking for matching hats or t-shirts to buy but couldn't find any we all agreed on.  So now we have something matching.  Later Auntie Sally explained that the ponchos could have been there for many years and she did notice that the closet they were in had an oil spill of some sort.

After this, I was getting a headache - from being wet (2-day streak), the alternating between the heat and A/C, and just general fatigue.  So one of our last rides for the day was going to be the Avatar ride.  It was another virtual reality ride and I thought it would make my headache worse.  But it was the opposite.  It was a refreshing ride, with lots of good scenery and the drops felt real - not just like my chair tilting.  This actually made my headache go away.

None of us like animals particularly so we were skeptical of how much we would enjoy this park but I think in the end it exceeded all of our expectations.

Big Oh

Florida Trip: Day 9 - Dinner with Uncle Rich

Day 9

After a tiring day at Epcot Center where we each walked more than 25,000 steps, we decided to just have a rest day at home before meeting Uncle Rich's family for dinner.  So in the afternoon it was more Wii games.  M1 was so tired from the previous day, she fell asleep in the game room.  I, on the other hand, napped properly in my bed.  M3 also fell asleep - only M2 did not nap.

When we got up, we swam for a bit but it started to rain so we rinsed off and got ready for dinner.  Driving to dinner, the rain was so heavy, it seemed like we were driving through a waterfall.  At one point, we were under a bridge and the water could not drain into the sewers fast enough.  The water was probably two feet deep and cars looked like they were driving across a pond.

I dropped the girls off at the restaurant entrance and then parked the car so we didn't all have to get wet.  The water in the parking lot came up above my ankles.  So my socks were soaked.

Uncle Rich's family was already there - Auntie Celeste, Cousin Earl, his wife Grainne, and their son Connor.  After the greetings, I excused myself to go to the bathroom to take off my socks.  When I returned, Earl agreed that was a good move so he proceeded to remove his wet socks too.  Of course, he was scolded by Grainne for doing so at the dinner table.

We were at an authentic, upscale Chinese restaurant (a rarity in Orlando) owned by a business associate of Uncle Rich and Auntie Celeste.  They chose a Chinese restaurant because I said we hadn't eaten Chinese food in a week and it's difficult for M1 and me to go so long without rice.

It was nice to talk with them and get caught up.  Uncle Rich and Auntie Celeste always have interesting stories about their business associates and latest travels.  Connor, who was two year-old was currently into dinosaurs and mermaids - quite a strange combination.  When Earl told him that M1, M2, and M3 were actually mermaids, he promptly looked under the table to see their tails.

And of course the food was amazing!  In fact, the fried rice dish was called, "Amazing Fried Rice."  The menu was an 8-course meal which became 9 because they also cooked Uncle Rich's favourite dish, which wasn't part of the set meal.  There was Peking Duck, twin lobster, and grouper fish prepared 3 ways, just to name a few of the fancier dishes.

It was a hearty and satisfying meal and in the end, there was enough food left over for our dinner the next day.

Big Oh

Florida Trip: Day 8 - Epcot Center

Day 8

This day marked the beginning of the second segment of our trip - the real vacation portion - going to Disney World.  We bought the 3-day pass and our first stop was Epcot Center.  Uncle Kaka and Auntie Sally dropped us off before they went to the Kennedy Space Center.

With the Disney App, M1 was able to map out our itinerary showing the best times to visit the rides and attractions we were interested in.  The top 2 the girls wanted to experience were the Ratatouille ride and the Guardians of the Galaxy ride.  The Ratatouille ride was not as great as it was hyped up to be, but we all agreed that the Guardians of the Galaxy ride was our favourite.  We were all pleasantly surprised by the Soaring Around the World ride and we actually went on that one twice.  There was one virtual ride that simulated a rocket launch to Mars and that made M2, M3, and me want to throw up.  Sometimes the virtual reality stuff is worse than the real roller coasters.  We needed a break after that one.

We did a lot of walking on this hot day and luckily we had enough bottled water, heeding the advice of others who had gone before in the extreme July heat.  It was 34 degrees Celsius (40 with the humidity) and we were constantly looking for gift shops with A/C in which to rest.  When walking outside, M3 would ask to go inside every 2 minutes.  Luckily when waiting in line for rides, most of the waiting was in a covered area with fans or A/C.

I liked seeing the different countries' exhibits at Epcot and watching the short video on China made me want to visit there.  The Canada one was a bit weird though.  There was a higher content of indigenous people compared to what we actually see everyday in Toronto/Markham.  M2 was particularly amused by the song they wrote for Canada.  She kept playing it in the car on the way home after finding it on the web somewhere.

For lunch, we enjoyed a savoury crepe and a dessert crepe at a French restaurant.  We all agreed that the dessert crepes tasted much better but it would have been weird to just have dessert for lunch.  I guess we could have - we can enjoy whatever we want on vacation, right?

For an afternoon snack, M2 got a caramel candy apple and M3 got a Mickey-shaped pretzel.  I bought a Darth Vader t-shirt for myself, M1 got a cap, and we got a Japanese fan for Grandma.

There were fireworks at 9:00 so we decided to stay and watch them.  They were quite spectacular, especially "The Grand Finale".  After that we got picked up by Uncle Kaka and Auntie Sally.

It was a tiring first day at Disney but M1 summed it up as a "successful day"!

Big Oh

Florida Trip: Day 7 - Rest Day

Day 7

On this day we were supposed to go to the Kennedy Space Center but after several days of dancing, M2 needed a break.  Uncle Kaka also thought it wouldn't be enjoyable for the girls if they weren't into space stuff, which they weren't.  So we decided to have a rest day at home.

The girls played Wii again.  I also participated for a few rounds of Tennis, Bowling, and Just Dance.  That gave the girls a few good laughs.  Somehow the Wii tired me out or maybe it's the Florida heat again.  I took a nap in the afternoon while the girls went swimming.  Uncle Kaka and Auntie Sally also joined them.

Later M1 wanted to go watch two dancers that used to dance at M1's and M2's studio.  They are a brother and sister that M1 choreographed solos for before.  They are now dancing at a higher level studio and the competition they are at is also at a higher level than the one M2 just competed in.  M1 doesn't like to do anything on her own so she made M2 accompany her.  (So much for M2 getting a break from dances.)  I dropped them off at the competition venue which was about 30 minutes away.

I came back for dinner with M3 and Uncle Kaka and Auntie Sally.  Then we watched some TV and M3 and I played some on-line riddle games before I had to go back to pick up M1 and M2.

It was a nice rest day!

Big Oh