stacya

Happy April! My daughter's 2023/24 luge season wrapped up on Saturday, with USA Luge Youth National Championships, in which she placed 4th out of 18 athletes. The three athletes that placed ahead of her are each at least 2 years older than her (Kendall is 14), and have all been on the Candidate Team for 1-3 years longer than her. Several athletes Kendall placed in front of are also athletes who are older and more experienced than she. Kendall has had a great season, and we are super proud of the progress she's made in her first year on this higher level team. The new team selection list comes out on May 1, and summer training will begin in June. You can find her on FB, Kendall Achen, USA Luge, or her group page that I handle, Kendall Achen, USA Luge Jr. National Candidate Team, if you'd like to follow along as she moves forward toward her goal of becoming an Olympian! https://www.facebook.com/share/v/2xeCoAr2JsbAnD6E/?mibextid=oFDknk

Happy March! Last weekend, my luger participated in her first ever Jr. National Championships. She is 14, racing in a group of athletes ages 14 -21. Out of 12 sliders, she came in 6th, and was the highest placing athlete out of the first year athletes on the Candidate Team. She has one training camp left the first week of April, culminating in Youth National Championships (for the younger age athletes), on April 6, and then she's done til summer training camps, starting in June. Probably the coolest thing she did this last camp was when she and the team got to slide from the very top of the track because it had been so warm, the track was slow enough for this to be safe for them. She and her female teammates were the first women to slide from the very top of the track in about 10 years, and who knows if it will ever happen again. img_7554-2.mov

Happy February! My luge athlete is back in Lake Placid for the next three weeks, gearing up for Jr. Nationals the first weekend of March. Then there's just one week of training left for this season, right after Easter, leading up to Youth National Championships - that is if it's still cold enough by then to actually race. When we met a teammate in Albany yesterday to carpool the remaining distance to LP, we were remarking how there was already no snow and warmer temps. What a crazy season it's been weather-wise! Anyway, here's a pic and video of my daughter taken by a fellow luge mom today. Oh, and she travels through here at around 75 mph. VID_20240212_183919.3gp

Happy New Year! My luger is back in Lake Placid this week. I've made more trips this season than I care to count, lol. It's a 7-7.5 hour ride in good weather. Last week's trip back home was crappy weather and was 8.5 hours long. My daughter, Kendall, is on the left, with her BFF teammate

An early Merry Christmas! I am in the northeast, and we have had a ton of rain since last night. My daughter, the luge athlete, is currently at a training camp in Lake Placid, and it is even worse there. I'm supposed to travel up there Wednesday evening to bring her home on Friday, and there are road closures and damage to roads as well, which will make it a bit of an ordeal to get there if unresolved before then. On the upside, it has been cold enough that she's been able to get on the track this camp, and she is sporting her new jacket for this season. My daughter is on the left, with her teammate bestie, walking through Lake Placid last night. received_754432626504508.mp4

Hi there! I'm comparing these 2 tablets for my 14 yo daughter. I bought the Lenovo because it has a bigger screen and the OS is Android 12. Now the Samsung is only $10 more than I paid for the Lenovo, but it has a 10.5" screen instead of 11.5", and runs Android 11. Did I make the better choice, or should I go with the Samsung, especially since the price dropped another $20 since I looked at it last? I'm not techy in the least, so I don't know what else to compare that's worth comparing. Memory was my biggest concern, because her previous tablet didn't have much. Thank you!!

Happy November!! My daughter, Kendall, just returned from her first two week training camp of luge season in Lake Placid, but unfortunately it was too warm to keep ice on the track, so there was no sliding. Just lots of conditioning and starts training, as well as team bonding, and even a day of hiking - in shorts, in the Adirondacks, in late October!! She goes back to Lake Placid on December 11 for two weeks, comes home for Christmas, and then goes back for another week starting on New Year's Day. This is her first year on this higher level team, so this season will be much busier than in the past. VID_20231102_102230171.mp4

And still try to give gifts from the heart!

Got my magnets and stickers. Had to pick up at the post office, because it came to $3.46 postage due. Not sure why it was so much, when so many others received theirs with no postage due, but whatever. Probably something to do with being in PA, where they nickel and dime you to death. Thanks, Brad!

Happy September!! My youngest son turned 18 on Saturday, and he and my daughter start school tomorrow. It's my daughter's first day of high school, and my youngest son's last first day of high school. Sigh. Where does the time go? My oldest started classes at Temple last week, and is already hard at work and busy as an RA. I hate this time of year, because it just depresses me when the kids go back to school. And to know that this is the last year for one of my kids, and I have to deal with another one leaving the nest soon, it is even more depressing.

Happy August! My daughter just finished up her final luge summer training camp, and will head back to Lake Placid in late October, when the new season officially begins. My oldest moves back to Temple on Friday. He will be an RA this year, so we will definitely be seeing less of him, as he will not be able to come home as often. Also, he got a kitten for an emotional support animal, and Amtrak Keystone Service is one of only two routes that don't allow animals to travel, unless they are service animals, which means if he comes home, either his father or I have to travel to pick them up. Not a fan of driving in Philly. Ugh.

Happy July!! I am currently in Lake Placid while my daughter is in the middle of a 2 week luge training camp. I bring her home Saturday for two weeks, and then she comes back again for another two weeks, and then before we know it, summer will be over. Boo.

Happy June!! Kids' last day of school is Thursday! I don't know who's more excited, me or my kids, because it means I'm free from hounding about homework and grades for a few months!

Happy May! It's been a great day here, as the team list came out for USA Luge, and my daughter, Kendall, was indeed promoted to the USA Luge Jr. National Candidate Team, a year earlier than we thought she would be. One step closer to becoming an Olympian! And we go out to Temple this weekend to pack up my oldest for the end of his freshman year there, and he will soon be home for the summer. So far, it's been a great month!!

Happy April! Glad to slow down now that my daughter's luge season is over for this year. Team selection comes out on May 1, and we are expecting that Kendall will move up to the next rung, the Candidate Team, which is a year earlier than we thought it might happen. I will need ALL the deals after May 1, lol.

Happy March! My daughter, Kendall, finished up her luge season this past weekend, culminating in Youth Nationals, the National Championships. She was supposed to race in her age group, and her coach bumped her up to the next age group, to make it a challenge rather than a gimme. She placed 6th out of 12. She is 13, racing against 14-16 year olds who are older, bigger, and more experienced than her, and we are so proud of her hard work this season! Per her coach, she will likely be promoted to the next level team when team selection is released on May 1, setting her one step closer to becoming a future Olympian. I'm going to need a LOT more deals, if we're going to afford this, lol.

Happy February! My daughter just won a silver medal this morning in the Empire State Winter Games, held in Lake Placid, NY. The weather is brutal, with the wind chill currently around -40 degrees. The race was originally supposed to be tomorrow morning, but was moved to today, because tomorrow's wind chill will be worse. She is currently an athlete on the USA Luge Jr. National Development Team.

Yes, I ordered it from someone on Etsy! And thank you!

Happy New Year! Luge is in season, and my daughter heads up to Lake Placid for two weeks starting on Sunday, for her first training camp of the season. She will be back again at the end of January for two weeks, to compete in the Empire State Winter Games, and then for one final week of the season, at the end of February, to compete in Youth Nationals. You can follow her adventures on Facebook, @ Kendall Achen, USA Luge Jr. National Development Team!

Happy December! I cannot believe we are 20 days away from Christmas. We don't even have our Christmas decorations out or anything, lol. My oldest comes home from college in 9 days (but who's counting, lol), so I'm kind of waiting on him. Merry Christmas, everyone!

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Are there any stores that WILL be open on Thanksgiving this year? I saw a list of stores that won't be, and I didn't see JCP on it, but per the press release here, they are also part of that list, so I'm wondering if there are any stores that have said they will open.

Woot!! Let's get this show on the road!! [emoji2960]

Happy October! Summer clocked out right on schedule here in the northeast! Holy crap! Trying to keep from turning our heat on just yet, but it's getting harder and harder...

Happy September! Kids are back in school, with my oldest away at college for the first time, so a huge adjustment in our home. My youngest boy just got his driver's license a couple of days ago. And my 13 year old daughter, my National Team luge athlete, has six weeks of training scheduled for this winter. We are busy!!