Crouching tiger, or hidden dragon

So after a spiritual feast at women's conference and a very short night's sleep, I woke early Saturday morning to take Parker up to his first taekwondo tournament. For the second day in a row, Dave was running things at home. It was a crazy event and pretty much the entire time I was wondering if I was really cut out for tournament life. After waiting for hours, Parker was able perform well at board breaking. He did a complicated kick series, but his first board didn't break the first contact. Splinters were flying as his other boards broke and he divided the first board when he came back to it. It was only he and a teammate in that division and Parker got second place in that category.

Then we realized we needed an athletic cup for the sparring competition. I hate driving in Salt Lake. I always get turned the wrong way and want to turn left when it is not allowed and go east on a westbound one-way street. I left Parker at the tournament and got on with the business of getting nowhere. After a few crazy turn-arounds, I got into a huge supermarket. I was able to find the sports section, but they didn't have an athletic cup. Darn. They pointed me to the Dick's sporting goods down in the Gateway. Well that miss had only burned up 45 minutes: I could have driven home in that amount of time!!!! So assuming the next leg of my journey had to run smoother, I trekked out in pursuit of the cup.

Turning south to avoid an unwanted entry onto the freeway, I kept going south to avoid going the wrong way on a one-way. Then I had to stay southbound to avoid another freeway entrance. Augh!! Finally, 30 minutes more into the journey, I made it to the gateway, but I had absolutely no idea where Dick's was. Navigating as well as a blind-deaf mariner, I turned again to try to find my way back through the maze. I stopped at a stop sign and verbalized a prayer: "You know where Dick's sporting goods is. Can't you help me get there? I have a little boy alone at his first tournament, anxious to compete." I rounded the corner and without the angelic chord that easily could have accompanied the vision, I saw the long-pursued goal. I still had to make a few wrong turns and get turned around, but the goal was in sight. I got the cup. But I forgot the mouth guard.

Flustered and rushed, I started the journey back. I got lost again. Who designed the streets around the U? Insanity. But I did arrive, a full 2 hours from the time I'd left, before Parker was called up to fight. But then I realized the mouth guard mistake. His match was delayed as I went out again. But this time, I am happy to report, I didn't have any trouble. You see, I knew all the wrong turns not to make. Round trip only took 30 minutes!

Here's where it all turned worth it. I waited another hour or so for Parker to be called up. He went out onto that mat and revealed the tiger inside. He was smart and aggressive and effective. He lost a point for accidental head contact, but he had it to give. He won the match 9 to 2. To see what I saw in him for those three minutes, I can definitely be a tournament mom.

By the way, I really missed my camera!!!!

The demo team has been invited to Nationals in Florida at the end of June. Parker is standing in the back with his head down.

Here is the first board.

There was a bit of power in that break. He's winding up for the final break.

The sparring match. Sorry, I was too caugh up in the match to capture it.
Final score, 9:2

First place.