foursquare Ten Hundred Badge

foursquare must have just introduced this badge today! I unlocked the badge when I checked in at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio at 7:51 EST this evening. I hadn't heard of it. When I checked to see how many check-in's (Say that three times fast!) I have on foursquare it was 2,523. When I Googled the badge I couldn't find much about it, so it's obviously brand new. Looks like it just came out today, and foursquare is awarding it to people who have hit 1000 or more check-in's.

It had been a while since I got a new foursquare badge, so I'm happy!

Looks like they are giving some discounts on t-shirts at the foursquare store for this badge too!

foursquare Ten Hundred Badge

Over 1000 check-ins!? Thank you 1000 times over! Treat yourself to 40% off some cool shirts at store.foursquare.com (using your unique code). We’d give you 1000% off, but that don’t make no sense! It’s a super tiny gesture of our immense appreciation

Columbus Crew Upset by The Richmond Kickers 2-1 in US Open Cup Round of 16, 6/28/11

1,845 of my closest friends and I watched the Columbus Crew get upset by the USL Pro League Richmond Kickers 2-1. The loss eliminated The Crew, who lost in the finals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup last year to the Seattle Sounders, from the 2011 tourney tonight.

I thought it would be interesting to attend tonight's match. My daughter Mallory came with me. I anticipated seeing several Crew players who have not seen first team action this year, and rumors were that Robbie Rogers, returning from National Team duty, would play, as would Danny O'Rourke, in his first competitive match following knee surgery.

You can read the recap of the match on thecrew.com:

http://www.thecrew.com/news/2011/06/recap-crew-vs-kickers-usoc

Pretty uninspired performance. Danny O'Rourke got a straight red in the 67th minute when the game was 1-1. The ten-man Crew still were able to attack, but the defense (no regular starter played in defense tonight) looked unorganized when Richmond knocked in the winning goal in the 85th minute.

I was a little surprised with the lack of effort put in by Jeff Cunningham who played 90 minutes at striker. He seemed to disappear for several minutes at a time in tonight's match.

Robbie Rogers looked good in his return, creating several scoring chances for The Crew with some good one-on-one effort.

But The Crew lost. Should have figured it wouldn't be a good night when Mallory and I noticed that only half of the Crew Stadium lights came on as the sun set. I thought the match was going to have to be finished in the dark. Late in the match all of the lights did finally come on, but The Crew still couldn't find the back of the net.

Weight Watchers, Tracking My Progress 6/28/11, Gained .2 Pounds

Well, I weighed in today and actually gained .2 pounds this week. I weigh 259.4 pounds and have lost 25.6 pounds since I started the program 13 weeks ago.

I didn't do as well exercising this week. I exercised 5 of the past 7 days. All of my exercise consisted of brisk walks. I walked a total of 11.7 miles this week.

Everything I have read about healthy weight loss advocates for no more than 2 pounds per week weight loss, so I feel good about losing 25 pounds in 13 weeks. More importantly I physically feel great! Sunday I bought a new belt, as my waist has shrunk to the point that my old belts are way too large.

I followed the program diligently this past week. I will chalk up my very slight weight increase this week to the fact that I was wearing my work clothes to my weekly meeting rather than shorts and a t-shirt the last two meetings and not getting as much exercise as usual.

Hitting my 10% loss of body weight milestone is within reach. Should be within the next two weeks.
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Again With the Galaxy! Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 15, 6/27/11

The Galaxy are #1 Again!

The Los Angeles Galaxy keeps the top spot this week giving them six #1's in a row.

This week the gap closed between the Galaxy and second place Seattle. We may be ripe for a change next week.

Biggest moves up the rankings this week? Sporting KC and Real Salt Lake each moved up 4 spots.

Biggest drops? The Philadelphia Union and Colorado each dropped 3 spots.

Who has the best current form? Seattle, Sporting KC and the Galaxy.

The worst? Portland, New England and Toronto.

My Week 15 Major League Soccer Power Rankings (UP or DOWN from last week):

1)LA Galaxy (West)

2)Seattle Sounders FC (West) UP

3)FC Dallas (West) DOWN

4)Columbus Crew (East) UP

5)Sporting Kansas City (East) UP

6)San Jose Earthquakes (West) DOWN

7)Real Salt Lake (West) UP

8)Philadelphia Union (East) DOWN

9)New York Red Bulls (East) DOWN

10)Chicago Fire (East)

11)Colorado Rapids (West) DOWN

12)D.C. United (East)

13)Houston Dynamo (East) UP

14)Vancouver Whitecaps (West) DOWN

15)Chivas USA (West) DOWN

16)New England Revolution (East) UP

17)Toronto FC (East) UP

18)Portland Timbers (West) DOWN

A Plethora of Goals! The Columbus Crew Win 4-1! 6/26/11

I have always wanted to use the word "plethora" in my blog. Seems pretty apropos (another word I have wanted to us) to use "plethora" to describe last night's Columbus Crew victory over the Colorado Rapids. Four goals in one match? Yeah, The Crew did that.

I missed the last home match against the Chicago Fire, so I didn't blog about that debacle. But last night was a very inspired performance by The Crew. After giving up an early goal to Colorado's Conor Casey (who was later red-carded after going in hard on a ball saved by Crew keep William Hesmer) The Crew racked up four goals, two by Andres Mendoza (who received a standing ovation when he was subbed off in the 68th minute) and one each by Eddie Gaven and Tommy Heinemann. The Crew got a measure of revenge against the Rapids, who eliminated The Crew from the 2010 MLS playoffs on penalty kicks last November at Crew Stadium.

If Mendoza continues to convert his scoring chances, The Crew fans will learn to appreciate him. He clapped for the fans when he came off the pitch. Maybe he has learned a little to show a little appreciation for the fans. We really aren't hard to please.

I really thought Emmanuel Ekpo played one of his best matches of the season. He controlled the midfield and made very good decisions with the ball. I also continue to be impressed with Rich Balchan as a holding midfielder. And Sebastian Miranda has turned into one of the best outside backs in the MLS. The guy just doesn't make a mistake.

There was some interesting goings-on in the Nordecke last night. During the first half, the whole group moved to the upper deck. I was trying to track what was going on via twitter during the match. Looks like Chris LaMacchia of the MassiveReport.com captured what happened here:

http://massivereport.com/content/nordecke-takes-vacation-corner

It will be interesting to listen to the Massive Report's podcast tonight, as Crew President and General Manager Mark McCullers will be the guest. I'm sure Nordecke-Gate will be discussed.

Two wins in a row for The Crew now finds them tied for second in the Eastern Conference with the New York Red Bulls with one game in hand. The Crew are playing some quality soccer right now, and I'm enjoying it.

The LA Galaxy are #1 for the 5th Week in a Row! Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 14, 6/22/11

The Galaxy are #1 Again!

The Los Angeles Galaxy keeps the top spot this week giving them five #1's in a row.

This will be a brief post, been busy, but still wanted to get my rankings out there.

Biggest moves up the rankings this week? The Columbus Crew moved up 6 spots, Sporting KC moved up 5.

Biggest drops? The Houston Dynamo dropped 4 spots, Colorado and Real Salt Lake both dropped 3.

Who has the best current form? The Galaxy, FC Dallas and San Jose.

The worst? Portland, New England and Toronto.

My Week 14 Major League Soccer Power Rankings:

1) LA Galaxy (West)

2) FC Dallas (West)

3) Seattle Sounders FC (West)

4) San Jose Earthquakes (West)

5) Philadelphia Union (East)

6) Columbus Crew (East)

7) New York Red Bulls (East)

8) Colorado Rapids (West)

9) Sporting Kansas City (East)

10) Chicago Fire (East)

11) Real Salt Lake (West)

12) D.C. United (East)

13) Vancouver Whitecaps (West)

14) Chivas USA (West)

15) Houston Dynamo (East)

16) Portland Timbers (West)

17) New England Revolution (East)

18) Toronto FC (East)

Weight Watchers, Tracking My Progress 6/22/11, Down 25 Pounds!

Weighed in tonight at 259.2 pounds. I now have a total weight loss of 25.8 pounds. Got a medal for hitting the 25 pound mark!

Exercised 6 of 7 days this past week. Brisk walks. Went a total of 16.5 miles this week.

With my Dad still being in the hospital up in Columbus, I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to maintain my discipline and follow the program with all of my travel there this week. But I did. I'm also pleased I got some exercise too.

I Googled the term "25 pounds" as I wanted to find a cool graphic. But I found something even better! Check it out:

Quite Possibly the World's Largest Potato-25 Pounds!

Father's Day

At this time last Sunday I wondered if Father's Day today might not be a reason to celebrate.

My Dad (He has involuntarily contributed to my blog from time to time.) fell during my daughter's graduation from Ohio State last Sunday. As a result of the fall, he required surgery on his neck (Waiting...). The great news is that he is doing well and will fully recover.

I credit both my Dad's perserverance and the wonderful care he is getting from the Ohio State University Medical Center for my optimism and for his long term prognosis.

I knew Dad would be OK when at one point this week the nurses asked him if he knew where he was. His answer? Ann Arbor! (Dad is a Michigan grad.)

So I can celebrate Father's Day. Dad will be OK. My daughter Mallory is attending her first National Athletic Trainers' Association Meeting as a certified Athletic Trainer fresh out of Ohio State. My son Brian has moved to New York City, has a job and is close to finding a permanent place to reside there. And my youngest son Michael has just finished his junior year in high school.

Everyone is happy!

Oh, not to mention my wife Tammy and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in 3 1/2 months.

Get Well Fast Dad!

Waiting...

What actually happens in a hospital waiting room?

Old magazines. Really old. I swear they had a Time magazine celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall.

People seem to be in a better mood than they should be.

As I sit here, I begin to get curious. Are the operations that people's loved ones are having significant? The jovial mood would indicate otherwise. But it's a Monday afternoon and in some cases there looks to be four, five or even six family members waiting for loved ones. If it wasn't serious, would they be here in the middle of a workday?

My next thought is that the perceived jovial mood are peoples way of redirecting the serious of their situations.

While I write, I look around...two middle-aged women just returned from getting lunch at the Wendy's located here in the hospital, talking, but not smiling.

A large family across from me seems to have separated a bit. A half an hour ago there were at least nine people, a mixture of older and younger. Six have left. Bored? Needed a walk? It is a nice day outside.

The three that are left are messing around with their smart phones,  or reading the random pieces of today's Columbus Dispatch and USA Today that were left at their seats. Are these three the one's who are most concerned about their loved one? Are they the one's who are standing vigil? Are the one's who left just feigning that they care?

In the corner are three people in deep conversation, sitting hunched forward.What are they talking about? Maybe they are discussing the worst case scenario for their loved one. Or maybe their backs hurt from sitting for so long.

Waiting room furniture wasn't designed for actual waiting. If I had the job of designing the furniture, I would make sure that the arm rests moved up and down, so if a person wanted to lie down they could.

To my right are two people, feet planted firmly on the floor, heads bobbing as they attempt to sleep. Both have the luxury of having the backs of their chairs against walls. They can lean their heads back. But their chairs are too close to the wall, so even if they try to lean back, their heads soon lurch to forward or to the side...nocturnal whiplash.

There's a video board on the wall. When you check-in at the waiting room desk they give you a six digit code that corresponds to the person whom is in surgery.

Look on the board, match the six digit number to the one you are given:

Patient in Pre-Op
Patient in O/R
In Recovery
Exited Recovery
Transfer to Room

The volunteer also gives you a beeper, similar to the one you would get at your local Cheesecake Factory, buzzing, lights blinking...O/R Nurse on the phone...

"Your Insert Here (mother, father, brother, sister, friend etc.) is still in the operating room. Doing fine. Any questions?"

"I don't think so."

"OK. I will give you another update in two hours."

"OK. Thanks."

Click....

Waiting...

Weight Watchers, Tracking My Progress 6/14/11

Weighed in tonight at 261.2 pounds. I now have a total weight loss of 23.8 pounds.

Exercised 5 of 7 days this past week. Brisk walks. Went a total of 14 miles this week.

Feel pretty good about this week's results, as I had my daughter Mallory's graduation from Ohio State this weekend. The whole family came in, and we had plenty food and drink as part of the celebration. But I stuck to the program, counted all of my points, and stayed within the limits.

Apparently Lance Armstrong is a Bully Too!

Check out this report from the NYTimes.com:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/15/sports/cycling/altercation-between-lance-armstrong-and-tyler-hamilton-interests-fbi.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Tyler Hamilton, Lance Armstrong's former cycling teammate who recently came out on a 60 minutes report accusing Armstrong of doping, was at the same restaurant as Armstrong in Aspen, Colorado this past Saturday night.

Lance Armstrong and Tyler Hamilton in Better Times

Lance Armstrong decided to berate Tyler Hamilton at the bar.

Two questions:

Why was Tyler Hamilton at a restaurant known to be frequented by Armstrong? Bad decision.

Second, why would Lance Armstrong decide bow-up on Tyler Hamilton in public?

If I were Lance Armstrong (and I'm glad I'm not) I would keep my yap shut. But he just can't help himself. Witness tampering? Hmmm...

The LA Galaxy are #1 Again! Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 13, 6/13/11

The LA Galaxy are on Top for the 4th Week in a Row!

The Los Angeles Galaxy keeps the top spot this week giving them four #1's in a row, matching Real Salt Lake's run in my rankings earlier in the year.

Interesting week this week. I weight current form, road wins and home losses as part of my formula. With four teams getting road wins this week (San Jose, Colorado, Chicago and Sporting KC) along with San Jose's current run of  good form there are some significant changes in this week's rankings.

Biggest moves up the rankings this week? Chicago moved up 6 spots, Colorado moved up 5.

Biggest drops? Portland dropped 6 spots, Chivas dropped 5.

Who has the best current form? San Jose, The Galaxy and Philadelphia.

The worst? Portland and New England.

My Week 13 Major League Soccer Power Rankings (wins-losses-draws) UP or DOWN from last week:

1) LA Galaxy, Western Conference (8-2-7) 31 points

2) San Jose Earthquakes, Western Conference (5-4-4) 19 points UP

3) FC Dallas, Western Conference (7-4-4) 25 points DOWN

4) Philadelphia Union, Eastern Conference (6-3-4) 22 points DOWN

5) Colorado Rapids, Western Conference (5-3-7) 22 points UP

6) Seattle Sounders FC, Western Conference (5-4-7) 22 points DOWN

7) New York Red Bulls, Eastern Conference (5-2-7) 22 points UP

8) Real Salt Lake, Western Conference (6-3-3) 21 points DOWN

9) Chicago Fire, Eastern Conference (2-4-8) 14 points UP

10) D.C. United, Eastern Conference (4-5-4) 16 points DOWN

11) Houston Dynamo, Eastern Conference (4-5-6) 18 points UP

12) Columbus Crew, Eastern Conference (4-4-6) 18 points

13) Chivas USA, Western Conference (4-5-5) 17 points DOWN

14) Sporting Kansas City, Eastern Conference (2-6-4) 10 points UP

15) Portland Timbers, Western Conference (5-6-2) 17 points DOWN

16) Toronto FC, Eastern Conference (2-5-8) 14 points

17) Vancouver Whitecaps, Western Conference (1-6-8) 11 points

18) New England Revolution, Eastern Conference (3-7-4) 13 points DOWN

Winning the Battle with the Thurmanator!

I'm impressed by my brother Tim tonight!

He and his wife Cindy arrived early tonight in Columbus for my daughter Mallory's graduation from The Ohio State University on Sunday.

They were looking for someplace to eat, and my daughter and I recommended The Thurman Cafe, located in the German Village neighborhood in Columbus.

Highlighted on an episode of The Travel Channel's Man V. Food, The Thurman Cafe is known for a huge and delicious selection of burgers, the most famous being the Thurmanator. Here's the description straight from the menu:

The Thurmanator!

The THURMANATOR

Bottom bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, 12 ounce burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12 oz burger, sautéed mushrooms & onions, ham, mozzarella & American cheese, top bun served with fries 16.49

I did not witness Tim's battle, but with the photographic evidence below, and eyewitness accounts from Tim's wife Cindy and my daughter Mallory, I can announce that Tim defeated the Thurmanator at 10:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, June 10, 2011!

Tim and The Thurmanator-The Battle Begins!

A Premature Declaration of Victory-Tim Didn't Finish the Fries!

I Think He Licked the Plate Clean!

What Side of the (Andres) Mendoza Line Do You Fall On-Columbus Crew

I had a little time to mull over the controversy that occurred at last night's (6/8/11) Columbus Crew match versus Real Salt Lake.

A brief review. In the 74th minute, The Crew's Justin Meram drove into the Real Salt Lake penalty area and was tripped by a Real Salt Lake defender, drawing a penalty kick. Andres Mendoza, despite a request from fellow striker Jeff Cunningham to take the kick (with the potential of Cunningham becoming The Crew's all-time leading goal scorer and equaling the MLS career goal scoring mark) and protests from his teammates, stepped up and buried the shot.

The aftermath has been well documented today. (see the links below) The Crew ultimately won the match. Jeff Cunningham was gracious when asked about the incident. Andres Mendoza claimed he didn't realize the historical nature of a potential Jeff Cunningham goal. He also claimed he didn't realize that Cunningham had been designated to take PK's by Coach Robert Warzycha at the beginning of the match.

I stood when the PK was called, and the first thought I had was that Jeff Cunningham would take the shot. I was pissed when I saw Andres Mendoza lining up for the kick. I remember thinking, "this f**ker better make it."

And he did...

And I was happy! The Crew had tied the match, and of course ultimately scored the go-ahead goal a few minutes later to notch the victory.

So which side of the Mendoza line do I stand on?

Choice #1? Andres Mendoza is more trouble than he's worth:

He's The Crew's only Designated Player, therefore their highest paid player. I have high expectations of him. He has disappointed me more than impressed me to date. (Remember last week's match versus the New York Red Bulls?) Therefore I thought that after last night's antics I would be firmly on this side of the line-dump him!

Choice #2? Andres Mendoza has the talent and skill to help The Crew be successful:

He's The Crew's leading scorer. He has showed flashes of brilliance. Aren't most strikers egotistical prima donna's anyway (Jeff Cunningham?). Even with the horrible performance finishing against the New York Red Bulls last week, he put himself in position to finish. On form he is the Crew's best choice at striker, and can help the team win.

Reluctantly, I choose #2. I just wish he had a more endearing personality. If he scores goals, I'll be happy.

Although the point may be moot, as it turns out Mendoza suffered a fractured wrist in last night's match, making his status for Sunday's match versus the Chicago Fire questionable.

Links:

Shawn Mitchell, Columbus Dispatch-Covering the Crew

Chris LaMacchia-MassiveReport.com

Michael Arace-Columbus Dispatch

The Crew Win! Columbus Crew 2, Real Salt Lake 1, 6/8/11

Nothing better than Buck-a-Brat night at Crew Stadium! Except for Buck-a-Brat night and a Crew victory!

The Crew beat Real Salt Lake tonight, 2-1. After giving up another early goal (The 4th time in past six games The Crew has allowed a goal in first 10 minutes.), The Crew and Real Salt Lake played 67 minutes of scoreless soccer until Crew halftime sub Justin Meram drew a foul in the Real Salt Lake penalty area. Andres Mendoza converted the PK (more on that later) to tie the match in the 76th minute.

Seven minutes later, Crew defender Josh Gardner ripped a long distance shot that was deflected by a Real Salt Lake defender into the net to give The Crew a 2-1 victory. The Crew have temporarily moved into 3rd place in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference.

Jeff Cunningham and Andres Mendoza

I was sitting in the North stands at Crew Stadium when the PK for The Crew was called at the South goal. I assumed that Jeff Cunningham (starting for the first time this season) would take the PK, and he actually walked to the spot. But Andres Mendoza waived him off. It looked like several Crew players, including Captain Chad Marshall, approached Mendoza about Cunningham taking the kick. But Mendoza stood firm, and converted it.

And who was the first person to reach Mendoza and congratulate him after scoring the goal? Jeff Cunningham!

It will be interesting to get the post match story on what actually happened on the PK.

So The Crew win on Buck-a-Brat night, sending home the 9,650 fans who attended the match both happy and well-fed.

And in case you were wondering, I only ate two brats.
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Terrelle Pryor Gone

Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor in the Good Ole Days

Terrelle Pryor will not play his senior season at Ohio State.

Here's the article from the Columbus Dispatch's website:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2011/06/07/pryor-skips-senior-year-ohio-state.html

Here's his statement:

"In the best interest of my teammates, I have made the decision to forego (sic) my senior year of football at The Ohio State University," Pryor said in a prepared statement read by his attorney Larry James.

Bottom line, Terrelle Pryor had lost the respect of his teammates. Buckeye Nation wasn't going to welcome him back.

He couldn't even get the name right when he announced that he would attend Ohio State University back in March of 2008. THE UNIVERSITY OF OHIO STATE?!?!

Here's the press conference from that fateful day:

Hmmmm....

As I write this, ESPN has reported that Terrelle Pryor made $20,000-$40,000 signing memorabilia for a Columbus Businessman at Ohio State.

Idiot. Good riddance.

Here's the report from ESPN.com:

Terrelle Pryor Signings Netted Thousands

The LA Galaxy Still On Top! Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Week 12, 6/7/11

The LA Galaxy Maintain the Top Spot for the 3rd Week in a ROW!

I write this as I'm watching the US Men's National Team play their CONCACAF Gold Cup opener versus Canada. (2-0 USMNT in the 74th minute).

The top three in my rankings (LA Galaxy, FC Dallas and Philadelphia Union) stay the same as last week, while the Galaxy maintain the top spot for the third week in a row. The CONCACAF Gold Cup started to have an impact this week on many Major League Soccer teams. It will be interesting to see what the impact will be over duration of the tournament.

Biggest jumps up this week? San Jose and Real Salt Lake each moved up three spots.

Biggest drop? The Portland Timbers dropped four spots.

My Week 12 Major League Soccer Power Rankings (wins-losses-draws) UP or DOWN from last week:

1)   LA Galaxy, Western Conference (8-2-6) 30 points

2)   FC Dallas, Western Conference (7-3-4) 25 points

3)   Philadelphia Union, Eastern Conference (6-3-3) 21 points

4)   San Jose Earthquakes, Western Conference (4-4-4) 16 points UP

5)   Seattle Sounders FC, Western Conference (5-4-6) 21 points DOWN

6)   D.C. United, Eastern Conference (4-4-4) 16 points

7)   Real Salt Lake, Western Conference (6-2-2) 20 points UP

8)   Chivas USA, Western Conference (4-4-5) 17 points UP

9)   Portland Timbers, Western Conference (5-5-2) 17 points DOWN

10)  Colorado Rapids, Western Conference (4-3-7) 19 points DOWN

11)   New York Red Bulls, Eastern Conference (4-2-7) 19 points UP

12)  Columbus Crew, Eastern Conference (3-3-6) 15 points DOWN

13)  Houston Dynamo, Eastern Conference (3-5-6) 15 points

14)  New England Revolution, Eastern Conference (3-6-4) 13 points UP

15)  Chicago Fire, Eastern Conference (1-4-7) 10 points UP

16)  Toronto FC, Eastern Conference (2-5-7) 13 points DOWN

17)  Vancouver Whitecaps, Western Conference (1-6-7) 10 points

18)  Sporting Kansas City, Eastern Conference (1-6-3) 6 points

Weight Watchers, Tracking My Progress 6/6/11

On April 28th I mentioned that I had started the Weight Watchers program again, and also remarked that I would post my progress from time to time. I think that by posting on my blog, it gives me another way to hold myself accountable.

Me 6/6/11

I have been on the program for 10 weeks now. When I started I weighed 285 pounds.

At today's meeting, I weighed in at 264.8 pounds for a total weight loss of 20.2 pounds.

I didn't take a picture of myself on the day I started, so the picture to the right is me as of today.

Most of my exercise to date has been daily brisk walks, and I walked every day this week a total distance of 16.5 miles.

Hooray me!

Columbus Crew Steal a Point at Red Bull Arena! 6/4/11

Rich Balchan Celebrates His Goal!

I usually only post my Crew game recaps if I actually attend the match, but I was pretty excited about last night's draw with the New York Red Bulls.

Briefly:

The Red Bulls fielded a relatively weak line-up against The Crew, with several of their starters out on National Team duties. The Crew were missing Robbie Rodgers who was called in to the US Men's National Team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and yesterday's friendly versus Spain.

Side note: Robbie started against Spain last night and played the first half. Spain drubbed the US Men's team 4-0.

The Crew/Red Bulls match was a back and forth affair, with The Crew giving up a goal in the 9th minute to Mehdi Ballouchy. The Red Bulls had the better of the first half possession, but The Crew recovered in the second half and created several scoring opportunities for themselves in the second half. Andres Mendoza, who I thought had righted himself with his two goals last week against Chivas USA, right-footed a cross from his right wide of the goal and 8 minutes later headed a open-netter wide left. Back to his old form.

Justin Meram entered the match for The Crew in the 74th minute, and in extra-time received the ball on the left, crossed the ball on the ground into the box, which fellow rookie and Big Ten alumnus Rick Balchan finished to earn the draw.

Demoralizing for the Red Bulls, but just maybe the type of result that The Crew can build on.
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I Wish I Had Thought of This! Waving at the High School Bus!

Dad Dale http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com/

All the credit in the world to this Father, who as a practical joke/funny way to embarrass his high school son decided to wave to his son as he boarded the bus for the first day of school.

The second day he dressed up a bit. And then he decided to do it all year!

Here's an excerpt from his first blog post and the link:

http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-one.html

The high school bus route now goes down our street! Dale and I enjoyed standing on the front porch and waving at our son as the bus went by this morning. No better way to make your teenage son smile on his first day of school, right?

Check it out-it's hilarious! They posted pictures from the entire school year!

http://waveatthebus.blogspot.com/

Eating Alone, Written by Brian Sell

Every once in a while I like to drop a sample of my son Brian's writing. He is in New York City right now, so I thought I would post this small piece that he wrote for a New York University writing course he took in the Winter of 2010. What do you think?

Eating Alone

Eating alone is an intimidating idea.
By eating alone, I guess what I really mean is dining out alone. Not just eating alone, everyone does that once in a while in their homes and cars.

Walking into a restaurant alone, sitting down alone, ordering alone, eating alone, paying alone and leaving alone is not an attractive idea.

By restaurant, I guess what I really mean is a real eating establishment. One with menus, servers, a wait time, appetizers, desserts and a check. Not just the local fast food “restaurant.”

It is understandable why most people would not want to do this. Eating brings people together. It is something we do with people we love, people we want to love and people we fake that we love. Having to sit down in a nice restaurant to a meal alone means no conversation, no small talk. The only dialogue is the mind’s silent racing.

By most people, I guess what I really mean is me.

Alone in New York, so much to do, so much to see and so many restaurants that must be visited before I leave.

Yet, I am alone in New York.

That means, if I want to visit the foodie places I have to go to every time I’m in New York, I have to do it alone.

Scary proposition.

For more, check out Brian's blog: Sell Your Soul