Wow, I haven’t posted in over a year.  No April fools jokes here.  I am not one to pull pranks on people.

A lot has happened to me since then.  I am still here in California working at the same university   Its had its ups and downs, but overall its been a good move…with the exception that my family is 948 miles away.  I know its 948 because that is the mileage I get from both United and Southwest when I fly home (one way).

I’ve made some decisions over the last year that I am not proud of, some that I am very happy about, and some that were so so.  I have broaden my experiences and done some things that I have not been able to do before because of money or other issues.

I no longer have my home back in Colorado…and that is ok.  It will be awhile before I will own a home again.  At least it will not be here in California.  Its amazing how people live here.  No wonder there is so much desire for the residents to rely on the government to live.  Home prices are astronomical  along with gas, milk, food, clothes, life in general.  I joke with my family that I go back to Colorado to eat seafood because I can afford it there.  Here in Monterey you can plan on spending $80 for a small portion of seafood here.  Gas is still $4.09 per gallon here, whereas its $3.37 back home.  Even a gallon of milk is $4.99!  But speaking of milk…I’m out…have to go raid the savings account to buy gas and milk today!!

Still working on my doctorate, but getting burned out.  But I still want to finish.  Just need to get there and finalize the research and then write.  I am in my pre-proposal phase.  At the end of this, there is one thing I know…I will never do research again.  I just want to read for fun from now on!!  I want to watch mindless tv, go on hikes in the Colorado mountains again, learn how to play the banjo, work on cars, and crap…pay back some student loans.

I purchased season tickets to the San Jose Earthquakes last year and got to experience a lot of fun and great soccer.  I got to share this experience with some friends, but most importantly my kids.  Chris got to come here and go to the Stanford stadium game.  51,000 people watching the Quakes comes back from a 3-2 deficit to a 4-3 win.  In October, the kids and I sat in the Quakes section when they came to Colorado to play the Rapids.  We did this just to cross it off our “bucket list.”  As much as I enjoy the Quakes, I miss watching and attending the Rapids games.  My closet has a few blue jerseys and coats….but its got a lot more of Burgundy and now the new Blue jersey for the Colorado Rapids!  I long for the day I can call myself a Colorado Rapids season ticket holder.  As a note, when the Rapids come to San Jose later this summer I will be wearing my blue Colorado Jersey and sit in my season ticket seat!

Speaking of soccer, we went to the US men’s game in March against Costa Rica.  Yes the SnoBowl!  Brought seven other people with us.  My kids, one of the boy’s best friends, step brother, his fiance, boyfriend, and one other friend.  We had an absolutely great time!  Even in the 30 degree snow filled night!  So many pictures  so many memories, and so much fun.  Besides Demspey’s goal and spending four great hours with my kids, my most memorable moment was hearing over 19,000 singing the U.S. national anthem.  It wasn’t like an NFL, NBA, or NHL game…it was loud!  People were singing with their hearts and with passion!!  Even with all of the strife and problems our country is going through, it made one proud to sing during this game.  One Team, One Nation!

They sold out in less than hour for the Colorado game…I hear that the other venues still have tickets for sale.  I got excited and bought one ticket for the Salt Lake game.  I am going in June and going to sit in the VIP section.  Bring my camera and get the full experience…hopefully it won’t snow in SLC in June!  Sorry kids, but I am flying you out here for the Quakes v Galaxy game at Stanford late June, so the Utah trip is just me.

One thing I’ve noticed is that after I pour my heart and soul into this sport, first as a player for 14 years, and then as a coach, player, and referee for another 15 years…each time I took a break and did very little with soccer.  That is almost 30 years I have been associated with soccer in some way or another.  But now, kind of like Landon Donovan, I am now enjoying soccer again.  But I’m not playing, just watching it again…for my third time in my life.  I doubt I will ever play again or ref again.  I have a bad left knee…so much so that I am in search of a surgeon to repair or replace my left knee.  It makes way too much noise for a body part and hurts too much when I walk up stairs.  But this break from soccer was good.  I am not coaching, reffing….just a fan watching, but a fan with a little more knowledge than most and as my kids will tell you I will jump all over the refs when they make a bad call!

One last note…people ask why I don’t go to Hawaii, or other places to have a real vacation now that I have the means and time.  Going home to Colorado is my vacation!  I guess that is why I hardly left the state when I did take vacation…spending time in the mountains is more relaxing than anything I can think of.  So I go on vacation every other month…back home to Colorado.

Well that’s enough for now…back to reading and writing…or maybe take the jeep out for her weekly trip.