For new readers some background...Stella and I have been friends for nearly 20 years and her grand daughter Ashley, who is 16 years old is a tennis star.....I have watched Ashley at about 10 tournaments now over the years and even hit balls with her and she is a smashing young lady so I was thrilled to see this article on her....
         | NEWS & FEATURES
Commitment Profile
Blue Chip Senior Ashley Lahey Rides the Waves
by James Hill, 8 March 2016
After reaching the 14s singles finals of theEaster Bowl and Hard Courts in 2013, Lahey suffered a foot injury, and surgery was necessary. She bounced back, but doctors determined there was a fracture in each foot, caused by overuse. Lahey was injured throughout 2014 and the beginning of 2015. But Lahey was persistent and worked hard to make a comeback.Lahey studied at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., taking extra college classes during her rehab period. The talented Lahey will become a member of the Pepperdine University women's tennis team this year. But it was not the visit to the campus, overlooking the Pacific in Malibu, Calif., which swayed her. Her decision to become a member of the Waves team was because of head coach Per Nilsson. "The first time I visited Pepperdine, I was uninterested in the school," Lahey admitted. "I hadn't really considered it as one of my top choices and was only visiting for the experience. The coach (Per Nilsson) is one of the most enthusiastic and positive people I have ever met. His attitude is truly infectious, and his knowledge of the game is incredible. On top of that, he has demonstrated a lot of belief in me. After a few months, I knew I really wanted to work with him." Nilsson is in his second season as head coach at Pepperdine. He took over in the summer of 2014 from 37-year veteran head coach Gualberto Escudero. Last year, Pepperdine defeated Auburn in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament, and then lost to 14th-seeded Stanford in the second. This year, the Waves have been ranked in the Top 10 of theOracle/ITA Women's Team Rankings. Nilsson spent five years as an assistant coach with Pepperdine's men's team, and then was head coach at his alma mater, Mississippi State, for seven seasons. Lahey did consider Southern California, California, UCLA, and Stanford. However, she made the commitment to Pepperdine, and knew that was the place for her.Lahey is currently ranked 12th on the Babolat National Recruiting Lists. Lahey also is the No. 1 player in Southern California. Her IMG TennisRPI is 11. "My greatest assets are physical," Lahey said. "I am tall and can generate a lot of pace on the ball. I like to dictate points using my forehand and move forward, but I can also play long points, grinding from the baseline." On the comeback trail, Lahey made the finals of six tournaments last year, winning four of them. In January, Lahey emerged as the Southern California Sectional champion, a feat she accomplished without dropping a set. Last month, Lahey earned a wild card-berth at the $25k Morgan Run Challenger Lahey has worked out for the past four years at the USTA Player Development Program in Carson, Calif. "They have been incredibly helpful in developing both my game and my character," Lahey said. |
One day I hope to see her at one of the big events!!!
I have many Americans friends and I hope after reading the below they are still my friends!!!!
A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
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1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
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2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
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3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
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4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
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5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
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6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
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7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
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8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
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9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
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10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
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11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
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12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
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13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
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14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
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15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!
Come on laugh you enjoyed it I know!!!!
OK let me get you caught up on the day...I was on the road by 9 am and going down this highway and into the mountains!!!
The first waterfall was by the side of the road
A short while later I arrived here
Where there was a canopy lookout over the valley and forests..
Then I took a 6 km loop track through this amazing rain forest
It was a change for me to hike through rain forests without any rain or George's (leeches)!!!
As I hike all I can hear are the constant shrill noises of the birds until I start to hear the sound of running water and the first waterfall..
Another 20 minutes and I came to Crystal Falls this was lovely.....
What is great about this fall is there is a track that leads behind the waterfall...
It was great..
Then the view from the suspension bridge you can almost see the rainbow!!
This was a great hike and then I found out that the noises I could hear in the forest that I was not sure were birds or animals are actually...
My next stop was in the quaint town of Dorrigo where I purchased a take out dinner to have later ...
2 km out of town were these falls..
They look inviting so lets go down the track to the falls...
So here I am all on my own with this great big swimming pool in front of me...what shall I do???
Of course go for a swim....it was a bit of a shock after all the lovely warm ocean swims to be in cold water but after a few seconds felt quite invigorating.....so I swam closer to the falls..
and closer
It was an awesome experience.....came back and sat and had lunch so calm and quiet..
Just after 4pm I arrived at my airbnb stay for the night and this I knew was going to be a treat I was on a working farm...Jennifer was there to greet me with tea and cake and the home is just lovely!!!
The splendid view of the valley from the deck
Jennifer asked me if i wanted to go with her around the farm and do some chores and of course I tagged along.....
the two horses have been with Jennifer for 5 weeks she rescued them they are very old and have no teeth and therefore cannot eat too well which is why they look so thin but they are at peace here on the farm and enjoying the remainder of their days
Then we checked on the rest of the animals
These two beauties are about 2 weeks old!!!
Jennifer then had to go to her neighbors to get some milk for the sick horses and she took me with her by then unfortunately my camera battery had died so I could not take photos of the dairy operation we went to but I have never been in a cow shed and seen the cow girl attached the hoses ready to milk the cows what a neat sight!!!!
Back home I had dinner and shared some with Jennifer and then had to go feed one of the older cows...
and check out the horse!!!
I have really enjoyed seeing farm life up close and personal and Jennifer runs this operation on her own...a busy life!!
Well told you it was going to be a long read hope you enjoyed!!!!
Yashi Kochi!!!
Come on laugh you enjoyed it I know!!!!
OK let me get you caught up on the day...I was on the road by 9 am and going down this highway and into the mountains!!!
Of course go for a swim....it was a bit of a shock after all the lovely warm ocean swims to be in cold water but after a few seconds felt quite invigorating.....so I swam closer to the falls..
the two horses have been with Jennifer for 5 weeks she rescued them they are very old and have no teeth and therefore cannot eat too well which is why they look so thin but they are at peace here on the farm and enjoying the remainder of their days
Jennifer then had to go to her neighbors to get some milk for the sick horses and she took me with her by then unfortunately my camera battery had died so I could not take photos of the dairy operation we went to but I have never been in a cow shed and seen the cow girl attached the hoses ready to milk the cows what a neat sight!!!!
Back home I had dinner and shared some with Jennifer and then had to go feed one of the older cows...
Well told you it was going to be a long read hope you enjoyed!!!!
Yashi Kochi!!!
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