You're Doing It Wrong

Yeah, this little pitiful harvest is my tomato crop. There are still tomatoes out there and I might get another handful but this is the best my garden could do. I’m going to need to rethink the garden next year. Everybody loves gymnastics during the Olympics and then forgets about it until next time. I am here to make a pitch for NCAA gymnastics. You probably get at least some coverage if you have a decent cable package. My coverage has varied over the years but for the most part I can get SEC and every single team is really good. I also get Pac12 which also has many good teams but for some reason last year Pac12 divided into a bunch of little Pac12 stations which means for TV I generally only get the Oregon State meet. Not to worry, you can catch a lot of stuff online but in that case you have to watch live and I am not always able to drop everything and watch gymnastics on a Friday afternoon. Or in the case of some of the Pac12 meets, Monday night. I’ve never had any luck getting Big 10. Maybe your cable has it. NCAA is a different beast from elite (Olympics) and Balance Beam Situation does a good job of explaining why. Here’s my explanation: NCAA is all about the team. They’ll let you individual high scores but the real competition is the team. NCAA still uses the 10 point scoring system. The routines are shorter and more precise which leads to really tight scoring. Every toe point and landing is critical. In elite the score is divided between difficulty and execution so Simone can have a major mistake and still win a medal. The other thing fun about NCAA is there is more artistry and originality. And there are so many really great gymnasts. Mark your calendar. The season starts in January.

Walls come tumbling down. Falling and breaking to hundreds of pieces. Rapid changes. A much needed change. Doing without, in order to advance. Security lost, but for your own good. Weakness is found. A major shift. Karmic lesson. Back on your own two feet. Awareness. Outgrowing old structures, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Arranging and making room for the new. LEO (July 23-August 22) Five of Pentacles: Miserly. Shattered. Material struggle. Poverty stricken. A change in your stable surrounding, which can be professionally, personally romantically, or spiritually. Financial loss. Loneliness. Misfortune. Disorderly conduct. Being an outcast, left out in the cold. We're not as important to someone as we thought we were. We finally figure out where we stand, realizing that there are necessary changes that must be made to regain our personal power back. Important to prioritize now, as what you have been clinging to what has not brought you the peace or self-respect that you have been searching for.

In some cosmic way, you got what you wanted. When one door closes, another opens. Personal development comes from the courage to grow and leave the rest behind. You have something important to learn about what you are capable of, and you can't learn it unless you stray rom your comfort zone. VIRGO (August 23-September 22) Ace of Cups: A beginning of an artistic endeavor or creative project. New love available. Emotionally available to others again. Overflowing with an abundance of inner joy. Beauty. Harmony. Everything is in-sync. Self-love. Allowing ourselves to be creatively expressive. Nurturing our inner self. Fidelity and trust revived. A gift from God. Our positive outlook returns. Hope arrives when we need it the most. Spiritually in-tune. We lend or receive a helping hand that creates a magical bond. A fresh emotional cycle with a brand new start. A new friend added to our circle. LIBRA (September 23-October 22) Knight of Pentacles: Dependability. Making responsible decisions based on hard experiences and learned lessons. A scholar. A teacher.

Willingness to adapt to a situation without losing sense of the self. Someone comes along to help and show you the way. The right way. Honorable decisions are made now because of a solid background. A loner. Someone who isn't influenced by peer pressure. Choices are made with personal integrity. Good morals. Willing to learn and grow. Progress. Applying ourselves to work with nature. Struggle disappears. Meditation. Conscientious. Changes with patience and caution. Continuance to study. Good news and positive changes in finances and education. SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) Five of Swords: Trickery. Cheating. Degradation. Winning by unfair means. Cowardly measures taken. Interest in selfish gain. You have a chance to do the right thing with no one looking, but do you, What does your character stand for, The truth shall set you free. Ethics versus manipulation. Insensitivity. You are who you hang with. What does your character reveal about you,

A necessary assignment to see what you are made of. Weakness and temptation challenge your willpower. How to be a survivor to today's world. A powerful lesson available to learn. This is the proof, either you got it, or you don't. A challenge that is commanded by the Gods. A confrontation where both individuals walk away with their just reward. One gains by being dishonorable. So who's cheating who, All is a blessing. All comes into balance. There is a moral to this story. SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) Seven of Pentacles: Ingenuity. Hard work and determination pays of with time and patience. Slow down, no one and nothing is going anywhere. Give it time to develop. You've sown your seeds, now give your garden time to flourish. Nothing long-lasting happens overnight. A time for reflection and rest. Growth. Slow progress develops self-confidence and self-respect. Invest into your future wisely, have a good perspective on what you own and what you lack.