Still learning

A newscast from the east coast was focused on the drop in reading and math scores following the pandemic. One professional educator said absenteeism was a major problem. She said there were students who were absent over 100 percent of the time.

Guess that’s the “new math.” I always thought 100 percent was “all.”

As I said before, I am still learning amazing things.

I’m also learning how fast the days and weeks go by. As I was writing the Lady Buff basketball story last week, when I checked the calendar, I couldn’t believe that last weekend was the final week of the regular season, and the Buffs will be heading south to the West Regional tournament this week. Where did the seasons go?

Another bit of basketball trivia. I have been following the star Caitlin Clark, Iowa State standout, and learned Friday that she had become the holder of the most career points for college women. In fact, she is within range of becoming the most prolific scorer overall—I am not sure, think she was 40 points behind the men’s leader—and there are still four games to go. In her record setting performance, she scored 47 points or so, plus handing off 13 assists. And the shot that gave her the scoring title was made from just over the half-court stripe.

Winter told us Saturday that he (or she) wasn’t finished yet. As we were returning from the game in Dayton, the temp on top the mountain was minus 10. But the snow plows had been out and the road was safe to travel.

The game was early at TR. They were hosting the regional wrestling meet Saturday, and almost as soon as the BB boys left the court, they were dragging out and getting the mats set up. Again, I had forgotten that their state meet is this weekend.

I called Earl Jensen Thursday to see if he knew when the Greybull Junior High boys became “Calves” instead of “Dinosaurs.” He didn’t, but we had a great conversation for over an hour all about the VB tournament in Powell, Fran Childers’ coaching—how good it was—and from there the conversation covered dozens of other subjects. It was great to catch up with him.

I learned that Don Amend was the basketball coach for the Lady Buffs’ debut on the high school scene. I didn’t know that bit of news. Not that I don’t believe EJ, but I have been trying to contact Don—not to confirm it, but to talk about his “coaching prowess” and how long he coached the girls.

Anyone out there who wants to share stories about that first Lady Buffs team, or who recalls or played for the Junior High Dinosaurs or the Junior High Calves during their two years in Junior High School, feel free to share it with us.