I need to pick this up again (again).

It's a good place to record things I want to remember!--like the potentially-disastrous-but-hilarious soccer game today.

Background details: every Sunday, the entire family packs up and heads out to the soccer fields Dad owns with two other business partners. Mom and the brothers work the concession stand, while Dad assigns and oversees the games (and especially the referees). I'm happiest refereeing.

Just this session, we signed our first women's teams. They're still learning, but they're having fun. Today was their first rain game. First, we had a lightning delay...then the clouds came closer...then they poured. When I finally blew the whistle to begin, the rain had calmed to a drizzle, but it picked up again a few minutes into the half.

A game like that can easily be a miserable time: players can lose their heads, slide recklessly, get angry, and get hurt. The officials don't have an easier time of it, either. If the game is slow, you're cold; if it's fast, there's a danger of slipping and injuring your pride or your legs. These girls kept their heads, though, and had fun with the rain--so I did the same.

There's nothing quite like seeing someone's abuela intercept a breakaway or jump over a slide tackle.