It is Star Wars Saturday. I am out with Sweetie Edie watching her dominate the court at Garrison Forest. She is on a team with a few of her friends from school, Winnie and Charlotte. Their team is playing well as a team. It is fun to watch Eden. She is talented and aggressive. She works hard and makes plays and she talks on the court. She is always smiling. She usually does the inserting on corners. I enjoy watching them strategize before they insert. Eden holding the ball as they discuss what play to run. What fun it is to be a dad.

Eden wins, 5-0. And Eden scores 2 goals

Luke has been anticipating the release of the new Star Wars movie for some time. While many kids count the days until Christmas, he has been counting down until Dec 15, the release date for The Last Jedi. Every day, he has been reminding me to buy tickets. I was planning to wait until Christmas morning and give them tickets for the next day, but I was afraid someone would spoil a plot line for them or me.

Luke has become quite a Star Wars fan. He has a lot of his father in him. Like his father before him, he has been indoctrinated into the Star Wars order at a young age. I saw Empire in theatres when i was three years old. And Return of the Jedi when I was 6. I didn’t see the original movie until just before Return of the Jedi was released.

It was a different day and age. It was typical to have to wait for things. There was not a society of instant gratification and immediate fulfillment. It is good to learn to wait for something that you want. Patience is a virtue. When you are patient, you can learn to be in control of yourself and master your impulses.

So, back to Star Wars, I have built this release up quite a bit. The excitement, the fervor is palpable in the Kennedy house, especially with Luke. When he introduces himself, he sometimes says, “I’m Luke. My real name is Luke Skywalker, right Dad?” His excitement level is high. Last night, he and I stayed up late watching Rogue One to raise the temperature on our fever pitch.

I know how much we have all anticipated this movie. And so I am glad that the kids have been patient and positively excited for today’s event. I read the theatre rules. No masks, no blasters, but you are allowed to dress up and bring light sabres. Awesome. Luke knows the rules. He may bring his Sabre, a weapon from a more elegant age, when Jedi kept the peace.

The kids dressed in Star Wars shirts last night. I am ready. Who is Snoke? Who is Rey? I have read theories. I have formed my own as well. I was an avid reader of Star Wars novels in my teens. I can’t wait to see what today reveals.

Luke, the Force will be with you … always.

PS – After the movie, Luke said to me, “I waited so long for that, and it was so great!”

Liz became an IAAM champ for field hockey this fall with her school team. They defeated Maryvale in the championship, 3-0. Liz had a goal and an assist.

A friend shared with us the game footage. Liz was amazing. She outhustled all of her opponents all over the field. She earned that championship and has been proud of it.

I recently read a book by Lou Holtz.  I believe it was his autobiography.  I was inspired.  One point of his book was a story he told about how he created a list of things he wanted to do before he died.  The list was 97 things.  He has accomplished most of them.  Such a list is commonly referred to as a bucket list.

I recently turned 40.  This blog has provided me a means to look back at the last few years of my life, and see the roller coaster that my days have become.  And also I have seen that time passes quickly.  I have had a charmed 40 years thus far, but my pace for excitement has changed.  We are not experiencing life at the same pace we were doing in our 20s, or even in our mid-30s.

It has been a year since my dad was put in the hospital for Miller-Fisher Syndrome.  I remember that life is short.  Walt Disney is quoted as saying,

Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long.  We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

I have enjoyed 40 years on this floating rock we call Earth.  I have had too many wonderful experiences to recount.  It is time for me to look forward and pick up the pace.  I am now focused forward.  Here is my list for the next 40 years.  My 40 for 40 (in no particular order).

1. Run a marathon
2. Witness Aurora Borealis
3. Visit Mayan ruins
   8/7/2018 – Visited the Mayan ruins of Coba, in Mexico.
4. Celebrate my 50th anniversary with Marcia, and dance with her
5. Walk my 3 girls down the aisle
6. Jump from a plane
7. See a whale in the wild
8. Fly in a helicopter over a volcano in Hawaii
9. Drive the family across the country
10. Zipline through a jungle
    8/7/2018 – Ziplined over a lagoon in the Mayan jungle near Coba
11. Visit Paris, France
12. Visit the Pyramids
13. Visit Yellowstone National Park and watch Old Faithful erupt
14. Be there for each of my children in their darkest hour
15. Take my kids fishing
16. Shoot a gun
17. Hike the Grand Canyon
18. Camp at Acadia National Park
19. Visit all 7 continents
20. Scuba dive
21. Mountain bike with some of my children
22. Enter the White House
23. Travel outside the country with Marcia, just the two of us
    8/4/2018 – Playa del Carmen, Mexico
24. Climb a mountain
25. Sail a boat in open water
26. Ride a motorcycle
27. Babysit my grandkids
28. Witness each of my children achieve something great
29. Make a significant positive change in someone’s life
30. Surprise my wife
31. Take Marcia wine-tasting
32. Vacation at Martha’s Vineyard
33. Play Craps
34. Visit Stonehenge
35. Visit Easter Island
36. Fly on a plane that has a water landing
37. Climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty
38. Visit a castle
39. Make something great
40. Make my wife happy

I was in Philadelphia with Liz and her friend, Mackenzie. Liz was at a two day lacrosse camp at Penn. She really enjoyed herself. She played very well and met friends. She put together her own 4v4 team. I did not watch the entire event. On Saturday I went back to the hotel.

I took a running tour of Old City. Highlights included Betsy Ross house, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Ben Franklins grave. I was struck by how small they all were.

I was also struck by a passage at the Liberty Bell about John Adams, our 2nd President, and the need to crack down on aliens in order to protect our country. We live today in a very politically correct world where I do believe many people do not recognize that real threats to our lives do exist. And people do not respect what others in this country do so that they can live peacefully and forget about these threats. In older days, everything was right in your face and real, not watched on TV or through social media. I do not have any answers, but have at least given pause to consider what is best for our country.

Pause over. I went back to the hotel, overrun by Army fans for the Army-Navy game. I decided to go to the fitness center and lift. Great workout. I felt refreshed.

I went back at night and caught Liz and Mackenzie in action. I really love watching Liz play. She has worked so hard. I would like to see her with other players who have worked as hard as her.

I took Liz last night to a Step Up clinic in Annapolis with some of the Navy coaches.  It was run by Step Up, but I was somehow not expecting to see Becky.  What a wonderful surprise.

Liz did what she always does and played really well.  It was great to watch Becky interacting with kids.  She is such a great role model, and I am so glad that we were able to catch up for a few minutes.  Below are two pics of Liz and Becky.  One is from 2011 and the other from last night.

Liz is growing up.  Almost as tall as Becky?!  I am really thankful to have the opportunity to expose my daughter to such a wonderful person.