Notes in the key of C

   What?  You say you don’t  know who Kendall Grove IS???  Where have YOU been hiding….under a rock somewhere?  You mean to tell me that you haven’t been watching the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Chanpionship) show on the Spike channel?  It’s not that so-called “professional wrestling” that so many millions tune into several times a week.  Hey, I’ll admit that I watch WWE, (used to be World Wrestling Federation) once in a while.  But given the fact that it’s choreographed, good guys versus the bad guys, underdog whips or gets whipped by  a juiced-up steroid freak. It’s real life cartoons.  Let’s call it like it is. It’s acting with accidental and occasional incidental injuries.  Add a little fake blood (or real blood from self-inflicted scratches, a squared circle with strategically placed microphones so the simultaneous pounding of the boot on the mat and fake punches sound like the crash of thunder,  and you’ve got “action” tv.

    Anywayyyyyy……..back to Kendall Grove,  proud son of Hawaii, Maui to be exact.  Last night, as part of the finale of the Ultimate Fighting Championship series, he capped off a successful climb, through extensive training under the guidance of Tito “I kicked Ken Shamrock’s butt and I’ll do it again” Ortiz, Kendall pounded his way through elimination and semi-final bouts to earn the chance to win a six-figure contract and the title of Ultimate Fighting Champion in the middleweight division.  Mixed martial arts fighting at it’s best,  it’s the real thing, folks.  It’s punching, kicking, forearms, elbows, knees and submission holds being traded and may the best man win.   Tap out or get knocked out. Brutal is the best word I can think of to describe his fight with Ed “the Short Fuse” Herman.  Friends out of the octagon, both were equally determined to be victorious.  But in a vicious, bloody match where the momentum changed from fighter to fighter, in the end, the decision was unanimous.  The victor??????……….Ladies…..and Gentlemen………(drum roll, please)….Hawaii’s own, Kendall Grove!!! He had predicted that his hand would be raised in victory and then made it happen. With his family there to support him,  the fans exploded in cheers for him and really, for both fighters in a match that ended with Kendall holding a rear naked choke on Ed as time expired and the match ended.  The Hawaiian flag waved in the audience as the announcement was made and the trophy was awarded.  You could only imagine the pandemonium back in Hawaii where I’m sure thousands more had watched the fight.  Remember the name and the face because this is just the beginning and another big step toward fame and fortune in the cage.

     So, tune in, folks.  It’s the real thing and Kendall will be re-appearing soon on your TV and in the “octagon” in his continuing quest to becoming the world champion.  It’s just a matter of time. 

Looking back, I suppose it could have been worse. It seems like it was just yesterday…….wait a minute…..it WAS just yesterday that all this happened.  June 6th, 2006.  I know. The sixth month, and sixth day of the sixth year. SIX,SIX, SIX. It was plastered across the front page of the local newspaper.  Five thirty that morning, I crawled out of bed to get ready to haul my butt to the fitness center. Outside, I could hear the howling wind, thunder and the heavy downpour on the roof. I peed out the window, oops!, I meant, peeked out the window at the awesome sight of the two huge trees in my front yard, swinging from side to side, whipped by the crosswinds, as rain poured down. At first , it appeared as though the extent of the damage was one, single limb on the ground.  I stepped outside (what the hell was I thinking?) and that’s when I saw that a huge section from one of the trees had snapped off and lay in the middle of the street along with another that the neighbor had already dragged over to the side. How they managed to miss crashing down on one of the cars in the driveway is a small miracle in itself. Long story short….instead of the usual morning workout, I was out there in the rain with my handy dandy tree saw, cutting limbs and clearing the street. The devastation left behind after the storm went through is something we’ll remember for a long time.  Throughout the neighborhood, trees suffered the wrath of the rain and high winds.  Huge limbs littered the yards, whole trees were seen, uprooted and leaning against the front of one house and creating a gaping hole through the roof of another. Not even a mile south,  a path of destruction, including huge trees that were decimated, power lines down, rides at the amusement park pulverized, and the roofs of two churches received heavy damages, with sections ripped off by the powerful winds that seemed to have targeted that area. It was indeed a scary reminder of how vulnerable we are against the forces of nature. Crews continue, around the clock, cleaning up debris and working to restore power.

     In the past, we had been spared, with the worst of the bad weather, passing through to the south and the north of the metropolitan area. This time it hit just a little to close to home.  Whew! Maybe it’s a sign that it’s time to put the FOR SALE sign in the front yard and move………to Florida (No,..too many hurricanes)….or California ( I don’t think so..earthquake country) or Hawaii (sunshine, year around warm weather ……and  a prime tsunami target).  Hell, I can swim!