Well, it's just me and the dogs for the next month. Karen is living the high life in Jamaica, and then making Lafayette home for the majority of her winter break. I'm home here in Tucson with the dogs on night one of my new bachelorhood. Jamming out to some Drive-By-Truckers (below) while BBQ'ing a filet and sipping on a new hook.
Righteous Path - The words to this tune are great. I regret missing them while in the N.O. not too long ago, despite being ill. It would've been worth the aches and pains...dammit!
Mount Lemmon is the highest point in Arizona, tipping off at just over 9,000 feet at the center of the Coronado National Forest. It lies in the center of what's known as the Sky Islands, a group of 40 scattered mountain peaks that lie between the Rocky Mountains to the north and the Sierra Madre Occidental to the south. It's a "bio-geographical phenomena" of various climate zones, foliage and wildlife. One mountain range contains half of the birds found in the entire United States! Various species of plant and wildlife are trapped on these ranges because they cannot exist in other climates...thus they are called Sky Islands. On our way up Mount Lemmon I believe we passed through four climate zones. We started out with nothing but saguaro cacti surrounding the roads, and ended up with ponderosa pine that reminded me of north Louisiana...minus the nasty clay smell. The base of the mountain is a short 20 minute drive from our home, and one can drive from the base to the top in just over 10 miles.
Rose Canyon Lake is a man-made lake that can be found around 7500 feet up Mt Lemmon, and it was my first glimpse of a body of water since August. Kind of a surreal moment for me. The wildlife serive stocks it once a year with fish, making it a popular trip for many Tucsonians...especially those who feel secluded by desert.
Views like this made Karen leery of driving. I believe her quote was "I feel like I just took a midol and chased it down with a bottle of wine."The road up the side of the mountain is pretty steep. Lose control of your car, and it's over. Also a pretty big cyclist haven, but yo9u won't find me climbing these 35 and 40 degree inclines. Ridiculous!
...well, that's not exactly how it went, but if one is unfamiliar with my transition into the Tucson soccer scene then it could be seen as such. I just returned from a week-long soccer extravaganza which started out with my first game on national tv. Last Wednesday I was the official for a match between the USMNT's U17 team as they took on the French counterpart in Sarasota, FL. Pretty cool experience that almost had me forgetting the ball on the podium prior to the introductions. These teams met about three weeks prior (France 3 USA 0), making the match just a bit more challenging than it would normally be.
All-in-all the game went pretty well from an entertainment standpoint, or so I've been told. I think that's one of the largest complements that an official can receive...the game being entertaining. After all, that's what the job is all about...keeping the game free of infringements that hamper talent while encouraging hard play to flow. When this is allowed to occur some pretty amazing soccer can be played, especially at this level. The treat is being in the middle of it all, and that can be pretty awe-inspiring. The talent level that these kids possessed coupled with a some sick genes is truly amazing. A US equalizing-goal in the last minute of stoppage made for some great theater. Check out the highlights.
From there I headed to Memphis to take part in mentoring some up-and-coming officials at the Germantown Invitational Tournament while blowing my whistle in a couple of matches. I've attended this tournament ever since 2004, and have had some truly great memories. The weather always leaves me wondering why I continue to return, but the post-game meals coupled with some great company is a quick reminder why it's a can't miss event.
Fast forward to last night when I officiated my first high school game in Tucson. Running a line for local veteran quickly placed my pride in check. Two suspect penalties within the first 12 minutes followed by my flag being waved down on an offside decision is just the reality check I needed.
It's good to be posting again. Thanks for checking back
