Our First Meeting with U of A

Karen and I just finished a short run through the University of Arizona campus in 104 degree heat. The funny thing is that I didn't start sweating until I reached the half mile mark, at which time we turned it into a nice walk. The foliage and the design of the campus is absolutely amazing, and it was great to see Karen's face as we strolled along the sidewalk. I can tell she's going to enjoy the next three years. I just can't wait until I can be here permanently with her.

Chains are rare around campus, which makes for some really nice hole-in-the-walls. Last night we ate at El Charo's, which was founded in 1922. Kind of creepy at first as the place in decorated like a funeral home (at least the section we were in), but the hospitality was great and the fish tacos and tamlaes were even better. Tonight we're heading to Wilko, a local gastropub (a public house serving high quality food) on campus. It uses only local and organic ingredients and boasts 30 wines by the glass and 6 craft brews on tap. Should be enjoyable. Hope all is well on this Sunday evening.

More trees than anticipated, but not an oak in sight.

Karen trying to locate a Shactus. She actually pricked her finger here in a silly attempt to capture a moment...succeeded.

The Road to Tucson

Karen and I have finished the first-leg of an open-ended trip as we've just arrived in Tucson after spending the past two nights in San Antonio and El Paso. Let me just say that West Texas is freaking big!

The San Antonio stay was a short one with a trip to Boudros claiming the highlight. The multiple glasses of wine coupled with some great seafood from an award-winning restaurant made for an enjoyable evening with my wife after being apart for the past week (Youth Regionals). People watching at the Riverwalk isn't half-bad either.

Thursday night had us in El Paso for a PDL game. What's a little trip out west without me involvoing soccer? The game/assessment went well as I met some great new friends. A patio dinner overlooking a well-lit Juarez will probably be the memory of the evening, especially when one of the guests informed me that the gang-ridden city south of El Paso reports multiple murders a day...and this is happening less than three miles from my hotel room, across the US/Mexican border. I informed Karen of this fact the next morning on our way out-of-town.

Today's drive might have been the most schizophrenic of the three. We caught the depressing US loss in Los Crusez, New Mexico and followed it up with a scenic drive to Tucson. Texas Canyon was the most breathtaking stretch with Karen and I continually asking each other if we were in the presence of foothills or mountains and whether or not we could climb them in a day's time. I say I can. Come on, I'm from South Louisiana...

Foothills

Mountains

Texas Canyon

The World's Reaction to Landycake's Goal

A little bit of love from the world after Landy made a name for himself on the world stage. If you don't get emotioal during this clip then you had better check your priorities. I think we have a chance...

USA, USA, USA

Next game is Saturday at 1:30 vs. Ghana.

Youth Regionals

Just finished up a week of soccer in Baton Rouge. Region III had their National Cup in the capital, and I was on hand as a mentor to five referees. It was an extremely insightful and humbling experience, and one I won't soon forget.

Let me just say that I have a new respect for administration. The average number of hours spent sleeping each night was five. Rain made for a long Saturday as matches didn't end until 2:15 in the morning...that's right...we were playing soccer after the bars had closed for the night, and woke up the following day at 6:00 to do it all over again. Nevertheless, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I spent time with some great friends, made some new ones, and enjoyed countless discussions about something I'm passionate for. All-in-all a good week.

Back in Lafayette for a day, and Karen and I hit the road for Tucson, with stops along the way in San Antonio and El Paso for soccer before we get to explore our future home.

Will post pics in a week.

Preparation

Thursday will mark my return to the Region 3 Youth National Tournament, after being absent the past couple of years. Baton Rouge is the setting this year in what surly promises to be a test of endurance as the heat in a South Louisiana summer is relentless. With the humidity and temperature both competing to hit the 100 value all participants will be encouraged to hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate. I have a feeling that endurance and fitness will play a major role in deciding who will move on in this year's tournament.

This year will be slightly different as I'll be serving in a different capacity. No longer will I be handling the whistle at this youth event, but rather serving as a mentor to some of the participants who are in the Mentor Program. This prgram has been around for the better part of the last seven years, and it's composed of a handful of National Referees giving feedback throughout the tournament to a select group of youth referees. From what I've understood it's been an extremely positive experience for all involved, and has helped shape a lot of the referees who are currently climbing through the ranks while providing an incentive for others who wish to be included in subsequent years. Should be an exciting week.

Joey, Chino, myself, and Kathryn (not pictured Jacob, who is behind the lens)

In preparation for the busy and challenging week I brought a couple of referees to New Orleans this past Sunday to officiate an ISLANO match. For those who are unaware, this is the most competitive and challenging soccer league in the state. A very difficult test for a referee with respect to managing players. As a crew we performed well. I had a couple of player management mishaps, but that's why we do these games...to learn how to better handle situations, so they don't pop up on us during an assessment. Continual learning is key to continued success.

State Cup

Soccer took only a two day hiatus as Louisiana held the finals of its' state cup this weekend in Lafayette. Adverse weather stretched Saturday a couple of hours longer than was expected while creating a sauna that is all-to-familiar in this competition. It seemed as though this weekend was a little rougher than years past, but maybe that's due to age. I'll have to check with Connelly Sr and the rest of the older guys.
Anyway, the weekend was a success. The officials were thoroughly tested in what should be considered a trial run for the upcoming Youth Regional tournament held in Baton Rouge in a couple of weeks...I was quickly reminded how challenging officiating youth soccer was (after dealing with amateurs for the past three weeks straight)...and Tim is counting down the days until he can take a break from the madness.

One of these characters is in deep thought.

The key term...hydrate!

It's currently Sunday evening, and for some crazy reason I'm writing this post outside...sweating as I sit completely still. Fortunately the wine is chilled. Summer is officially here.

More pics here

Amateur Regionals in Tuscaloosa

At the tail-end of a week-long trip touring the south and officiating soccer. Was in Tuscaloosa for a couple of days for the Region III Amateur National Cup where our schedules were dictated by weather. Seems that's always the case with the amateurs, but it was a successful tournament. Was able to run a line for the Men's Open Championship in what was a pretty intense game. My good friend Jack had the whistle, and put the cap on a great tournament.

Should find out in the next couple of days whether or not I'll be going to nationals. The odds are stacked against me due to being absent for one (heavy) day due to an assignment from the federation. While I would never turn back that experience (see next post), the lesson learned is "you can't have the best of both worlds."

Nonetheless, it was great to catch up with old friends while meeting some new ones.

A couple of pics from the tournament:

Hanging with the N. Texas crowd. Definitely better than perceived...haha!

A break due to rain had us flooding ping-pong in an unbelievable rec center. One step closer to taking down Kevin Terry Sr. Our last meeting had me giving up ten unanswered points in forfeit. This one was a little different in that I only lost by eight.

The crew for the Open Men's Final, and a solid job performed by all.