WARNING SYRUPY POST AHEAD

In October 2002, Sarah and I had our first “date” at a small art gallery in Fort Wayne. She made me a mix tape. The tape had a song by Clem Snide “Lets Explode”. I liked it, and subsequently asked her out. A year later we went back for the same art show, and that was the night I proposed. The gallery has since closed and a restaurant/bar is now in the building. Well this week Clem Snide happened to be stopping in the Fort on their latest tour (go figure), and on Monday Sarah and I, now five years married, with a two year old, and one more on the way (yes uno mas), went and saw them play in the same building it all started. I couldn’t help but think its been a lovely six years together. All you need is love! (John Lennon) Anything’s Possible!!(Kevin Garnett)

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

i read my all time favorite book from my childhood to my kindergarten class today - maurice sendak's WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

this book inspired my imagination greatly.
in only 10 sentences!

my class loved it too.

afterward, i showed them the movie preview for the upcoming film based on the book.
they wanted to watch it again and again and we saw it maybe 5 times.

you may watch it here.

i gotta get my own blog.

These kids aren't playin...

...without jerseys anymore thanks to norm!

tomorrow is the first round of the playoffs for CULTURE and LANGUAGE ACADEMY OF SUCCESS. we go up against WOODCREST in compton. might be the first black kids in maltby jerseys - a day many thought might never come, and a true sign of the times we live in.

starting line up for tomorrow:

# 2 dominic PETERSON
# 4 james WALKER
# 12 tyler COTTON
# 14 kylen BIGLOW
# 34 brandon LITTLE

tip off: 3:30
check your local listings
or come out to enterprise park.

*we've sold 61 tickets. 39 more and we play at staples center.
thanks mom and jake!

Happy Nowruz/Birthday Bill!

It's the first day of Spring, it's Persian New Year and it's Bill's Birthday!

I'm gonna celebrate with some ice cream watching march madness.

Mad Money

We've sold only 21 tickets to the CLIPPERS game so far; 79 to go.

Yesterday making my announcement in front of the school to announce our daily ticket total (and color in the poster/thermometer from Inglewood to Staples), I announced that we sold 2 tickets the previous day - to my Mom, and she will be donating these tickets to two lucky students. A Gaines rescue bailout. Thanks Mom!

Obama says a lot of grandiose things, and critics wonder if he'll deliver (he's actually already delivered by winning presidency, now it's up to us). And many of you have spoken eloquently about The Norm Lampi foundation, but it's time to step it up and deliver.

Send me your checks! I'll give you a shout-out in front of my school, and I'll send you a picture of the student you sponsored.

Or risk getting called out here on the blog a la Jim Kramer.

Again,

1529 1/2 Rosalia Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

MADNESS

Just a quick blog to let you know I set up a NCAA Tournament pool since "The Bookie" needed a break and is trying to fly under the radar. I emailed it to a bunch of you and will post a link that I hope gets you there below. Please forward an invite to anyone you think would be interested.

I know pride comes before the fall but as defending champ, let me offer a few reflections to get you going... Always beware the #12 seed. Watch you heart strings UM fans. Last year all four #1 seeds made the Final Four. Senior guard play is essential. Check travel schedules. Darrin Collison at UCLA has never missed a Final Four and he is a senior guard (never count out an athlete named Darrin)

Make sure you get in before Thursday. Let me know if you have any problems.

Click here to join the madness! Oh, and the password is "staxowax"

Grey, says hello all!

Hey everyone, Grey is growing so fast, so I thought he could take some time to say hello. Here is the big man.

Steve's Table Tennis Celebration

I remember when the younger Gaines-Lampi's would do video's, Steve was the big dancer in those videos. Well, he is still the big dancer. In fact, Steve is quite a table tennis player as well. I was able to find a video of Steve in a recent table tennis competition where he showed his table tennis skills as well as his dancing ability. Way to go Steve. You still have it.


Excessive Table Tennis Celebration

A moment to remember

Dad, we can't wait to here how practice with the Spartans goes. Here's a moment i bet you wouldn't trade for the world. So all, here's Coach Lampi with his grandson coaching his last game. Grey was shouting, "Shoot it girl, shoot it girl!!!" while he was on the bench. So I guess we managed to sneak in one last generation of lampi-gaines clan into the basketball picture of Maltby. It was an amazing sight from across the court. I sat next to my Grandpa and I could see how proud he was of his son. Quite the moment. Love ya dad. Thanks for all the memories.

Steve

Oh yeah, one more thing, this family is done with the Wolverines. Any university that considers my dad worth their time, has me for life. Go Spartans!!

funny how things work out...

So, you know already ole' NORMIE has been blowin' the whistle for over 33 years now and has passed his ties and clipboards on the Andrew. So, after my mom told me how long it was, I went on Ebay and scored a Magic Johnson #33 throwback '79 Championship replica jersey and had a plan: to surprise my dad and take him to the Tom Izzo show (MSU's babll coach for those who don't know) and have him meet coach and get the jersey signed by him. It would be a moment made in hardwood heaven for my dad.

I get in touch with the basketball program and one of the basketball operations assistants tell me to take him to last night's show.

But the jersey still in mail limbo hasn't arrived. I get a BIG TEN CHAMPS shirt quickly as a second option.

We role up there, a sports bar, my Dad sees the sign and says, "Awesome! I get to meet Tom Izzo." Plan working so far.

We walk in and there are hundreds of peeps, alumn, donars, old folks with money waiting for the show and my dad and I get the old, "There's no room in the INN" excuse and settle for 2 seats at the bar on a waiting list. I apologize and spill my surprise to my dad. Like always, carefree, he makes the most of it.

The manager walks in and tells us she's got a spot for us and proceeds to walk us up to the very front of this room of 300 hundred or so. Ok. We are seated next to some really nice people; some of who work at MSU, the Breslin Center, know the Izzos, ....pretty much rubbin' shoulders with the high rollas in the Spartan fam. Lupe Izzo, tom's wife sits down across from us.

Then, the 4 senior players roll up and sit down the table in front of us. The place goes insane when on the big screens, guard Travis Walton is announced Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and erupts when Izzo is named Big Ten Coach of the Year. We chat-- my Dad talks everyone's ear off, listen to the player and coach interviews during show, I slip a quick congrats to Walton and Suton as they leave, and roll. Norm has a perma-grin from ear to ear as we leave, knowing that we just got lucky.

But the luck doesn't stop there. We get home and there's an email message from the lady I spoke to from the basketball office. She apologizes for coach Izzo's absence (somehow getting???? how cool it would be for a guy like my dad to be able to chime with the Izzo) and invites us to a practice this week. Wow. I just laugh at how things turn out sometimes. I still have no jersey, but when it gets here, you better believe me and pops will be making one last trip. And I have a feelin' the best is yet to come. At least I hope it does for my Dad; he deserves it.

Call it the Ides of March or MArch Madness, I don't know. There's just nothing like this time of the year with Spring coming and a certain tourney around the bend. Here are some pics from last night too.


Best comment from last night. Dad, "Son, there's just NO WAY that we get those seats and can even speak to let alone approach those fans if we're in Ann Arbor. Just different folks." And that is why people just flat-out respect this program and their everyday, down-to-earth coach. And for Wes, you've got his CLONE down at IU and will get the same....

To Norm.

It was an honor playing for the great Norm Lampi during his legacy as coach at Maltby Middle School. Norm started coaching 8 years before I was born. For decades, he walked the sideline at what is now being dubbed, ‘Norm Lampi gymnasium’. I was there watching my older brothers play, as a child. That’s where magic happened. Norm should be in one of those NBA commercials:

a photo of Norm on the screen, soft music, ken burns effect, etc…
the text, well known by now, reads,
‘Where Norm happens”

Could somebody please make that?

When I first put on the orange and black practice jersey I realized I would be the last gaines or lampi to wear BULLPUPS across my chest.

Maybe it’s fitting that today I receive a package in the mail postmarked, Rosemary Lane. I pull out a letter that reads:

Andrew,

I hope these two basketball ties bring your teams success. I have worn them on game days for numerous years. I coached my last game, March 2. We lost to Scranton. 34 years, 750 games. Now it’s time to step down.

God Bless,

Norm

--

then I pull out two classic Norm Lampi ties, immediately filling me with nostalgia. These very bright and colorful ties, still smell like the Maltby gym! I mean, the Norm Lampi gymnasium.

These ties saw Jacob light the torch and set the bar way high for the rest of us. Maybe a little bit too high, jake!

They saw jefe coolin off his pistols as he ran down the floor after scoring his first hoop in the last game of his career.

They saw wesser, #00, reebok pumps, yell at refs and sink buzzer beaters.

They saw S. Lamps, MMS shuttle run record holder, go off on Scranton, Muir, Calrenceville, Hartland, you name it. Lamps owned the Live Oak Conference and was the only other Gaines or Lampi to make Varsity.

They saw Benny bend the rules a little bit and make the team on family-friend points. Roasted!

They were there in the locker-room before games, where coach Norm calmed the nerves of his players, in unabashed violation of separation of church and state, with heads bowed and eyes closed, blessing Jesus in prayer before game time.

Norm . you have blessed Jesus with your commitment to team, to family and friends, to community, and you have blessed me by passing on your great legacy.

My team won a game late in the fourth when I called a time out and drew up ‘BULLPUP’ on my marker board. I will wear your ties on the sideline with Maltby pride.

And to end, I would like to say that I am setting up a fund, in Norm’s honor for my Boys Basketball team.

Midway through the season, my 3-5th grade boy’s team is 2-2, and we still don’t even have jerseys - technical foul on our team outfitter, who has left us high and dry and seemingly walked off with our money. No callbacks, no email.

So we need to recoup this money and make the best of these dimmest of times.

I’m taking action and putting together an event so we can raise back our money and have a fitting end of the year ceremony for a team worthy of celebration.

For West Coast Gaines’, you may buy a ticket for $25 and come to a Clippers game with my team and my school on April 10th. For out of town Gaines/Lampis’, you may sponsor a player at the same amount, and send one of my boys to the game in your honor. As an added bonus they’re going to let us come in and have our last practice on the floor at Staples Center, but the boys don’t know this part yet.

I have to move 100 of these tix, and I fronted a bunch of my dough as a deposit.
Norm’s done his part for us all, and it would really mean a lot to me if you donated a small amount to the Norm Lampi fund. And if you’re in the area, I would love it if you stopped by a game or practice to cheer on the team.

Defense wins ball games, Norm Lampi sells tickets.

Andrew Gaines

1529 ½ Rosalia Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Happy Birthday Becky!

Today is a special day for Temecula's Finest! Happy Birthday Becky! You are special and we love you! You are the best!
Love
-Jackson and Ben-

quiz for Wes

name at least 2 of the 3 , I'll give you 2 dollars. Name all 3 = $5

go! oh yeah.....the old bulldogs are barking up my facebook

wait! guess the blonde haired guy's profession and I'll throw in a semi-used Obama tee-shirt

Our Weekend

Listen close, that noise echoed through our house all weekend...He has such a sweet voice, but when he is sick..its another story..