Secrets & Shoes

Since we had looked at Sorentos, I knew I didn’t want an 18 mpg car that I had to pay all that income tax on. I did fall in love with the 37 mpg / $25000 Optima Hybrid, dreaming that I could possibly swing a deal with the dealership where I didn’t have to pay state tax on the Sorento and Optima, and only one document fee. I knew that was a pipe dream, and tried not to dwell on it.

Anna and Will hoped for cars, and Ceil wanted to buy Anna a car AND spend the rest fixing up the house so we could move. I didn’t tell her how impossible that would be. Had I won I’ve would’ve had to take the car, pay the $2275.00 state tax and $600.00 doc fee, and have the $11.000.00 income tax hit. Then sell the car as a used car, since it had been titled. We would’ve been able to pay off the CRV. Barely.

I didn’t want to tell many people, because I knew I might not win, and it may or may not have been on TV. Anna told her best friend, who told her parents, and it got back around to Ceil. Finally told my dad late last week, so he would know what was going on should I call him to tell him to watch. The first thing he mentioned was the taxes. Ceil never told her parents. At work I had mentioned my leg was hurting from kicking, but no one dug into why I was kicking. Then I hinted that I might have a big weekend. Saturday night I noticed you on Facebook, so I sent you the email. Had I told lots of people it would’ve been a hassle having to tell everyone what happened.      

Of course the shoes were an important component. I needed a tight shoe with a solid toe. The day I found out (August 16) I practiced on Tritt Elementary’s grass field, wearing a pair of grey Puma Voltaic running shoes. I kicked well, but afterward my feet and toes were sore. August 18 I kicked on Walton’s field turf wearing Will’s Reebok baseball “turf” pregame shoes from his season at East Cobb (I had worn these shoes when I coached Matthew’s baseball team in 2011). I kicked better, so I knew those would be the shoes I would wear. Since they were tight, I wore skinny socks.

Since I didn’t want to wear shorts on TV, I wore black warm-up/running pants. Also a black T-shirt, though I correctly assumed we’d be given Kia shirts to wear.

Another variable was the tee. Two inches would be preferable, and off the ground least preferable. My few practices were with a 2” tee. Then the competition was off the ground, and the final kick off a one inch tee. I hit the ball too high. Had it been a 2” tee the kick would’ve been better. had the ball been on the ground it might’ve rolled further…maybe.