I didn't think I'd be away from the blog this long, especially with all that is going on in our world: earthquakes; tsunami; exploding nuclear-power generators; and more upheavals in the referee program. Late last year I left the draughty farmhouse I occupied in an orchard near Winters, and repaired to the northern coast of California, near the Mendocino/Sonoma county line to a place I lived before and loved: The Sea Ranch. Now I sit some hundreds of feet above the Pacific, with a view of pines, redwoods and waves. But transitions are rarely easy-to-make, no matter how well-planned . . .
Then not long afterwards, a belligerent storm hurtled across the coast, tossing down trees, poles and power-lines, leaving me without electricity or water for four days. I had planned to start writing again on March 1st, but those ". . . best-laid schemes o' mice an' men . . .". .
But wait, there is more! After another brief power-outage, my three-year-old, newly-tuned computer started behaving like an insane gerbil or a teenager in heat, switching on and off spontaneously, refusing to reboot when commanded, and turning blank in mid-sentence. Three or four days of this was enough, my frustration quickly overcame my parsimony, and so I ordered a custom MacBook Pro, which is due to arrive on the 19th, next Tuesday.
I'll start the blog up right away, commenting on the Premiership games I watch every week, and dealing with issues brought up on the federation's "Week in Review", as well as odds-and-sods that catch my eye. Ed will be contributing too.
Thanks to all of you who in my absence asked after my health, and yes, I am looking forward to stirring the pot again, looking for a good meal. And if the opening game in MLS was anything to go by (Seattle/LA), I won't be short of ingredients.
Glad you are back!!! I have been deployed for a bit and it is always great to be able to read your blog whenever I get internet connection. I have been able to do some games while deployed....always fun to pick up the whistle and see how soccer can UNITE even the most unfriendly territories. Even if it is for only 90 minutes.
Take care and thanks again for all of the education!
Johannes from Hawaii....
Posted by: Johannes | June 08, 2011 at 09:36 PM