It is Monday, which in my world relates to Blog Day. I guess I add to the blog on Monday because I can relate the events that transpired during the weekend with my family. If I blogged on Friday, I'd relate work events and suffer from IBS. This way I hang on to my three regular readers and stay regular. Nice.

We spent yesterday in Santa Cruz with Jennifer and her boyfriend, Ryan. The weather was ideal, reaching about 80 degrees. Good beach boardwalk weather and good beach weather. We left the house about 8:30 a.m., a half hour later than planned as Jenn and Ryan were running a little late. It worked out fine as we took Alicia's Durango, which seats seven, and still made it to Santa Cruz by 11:30. Even with a stop for gas and an extra stop for a potty break for Jennifer. Our Explorer only seats five as we don't have the extra seat. Jennifer and Ryan squeezed into the rear seat which is cramped and left the middle seat for David and Daniel. Ryan is 6'1" and weighs about 210 pounds, so with our boys, we had a load of beef in the car. It was nice getting to know Ryan a little bit and watching his interaction with Jennifer. He certainly cares about her and the feeling is mutual. The boys got a kick out of spending the day with Jenn and Ryan and they went through the park together, going on every "make you puke" ride in the park. Jennifer even talked me (shamed me) into going on the Fireball, a 12 person ride that lifts you up and turns you inside out. I begged off, citing my poor back, but Jenn and Ryan said that it just looked rough, that it was actually an easy ride, easier in fact than the wooden roller coaster that I went on with Darla, Daniel, Jennifer and Ryan. I belted in after storing my hat and glasses in a "cubby" provided for that purpose. Jennifer and Ryan seated next to me both turned to me and said "Sucker!" at the same time as the floor dropped below us and the instrument of torture began it's ascent into the sky. I felt some G forces that likely were not the best on my back, but the kids all got a good laugh at my expense, so what the hey.

Darla and I set up camp on the beach when the kids went on their way through the park and as I was lying in the sun, sipping a cold Dr. Pepper and contemplating life, it dawned on me that this theme park experience was one of the best I've had as an adult. Normally, the Disneyland experience is wrought with tired feet, hot asphalt, cranky kids and over-priced food. We brought a cooler, our beach chairs, umbrella and a blanket and Darla got to read her book and I napped under the sea air. It was, frankly, invigorating. Darla and I went and rode the log ride and got soaked and then relaxed some more at the beach. The boys got a kick out of Jennifer talking Ryan into riding the Typhoon, a two-armed 360 degree ride that I've always known as the hammer. Ryan apparently begged off and Jennifer pulled him on to the ride, with the words, "I don't date wimps!" The boys laughed and laughed again when relating the story to us. We left about 6 p.m. and stopped for pizza in Gilroy on the way home.

Darla and I had met Ryan for the first time at the football games on Friday night. He was understandably quiet as he didn't know what to make of me or Darla, who was her ebullient self. We certainly got to know him better on Sunday and he seems like a nice kid.

The football game was as difficult to watch as any I've sat through. The idea of starting one quarterback and shuttling in another in the second quarter and basing the decision on who would start the rest of the season on that performance was absurd. Breaking that promise within a half hour was unbelievable. David started the game, which was right as he had earned the position in the preseason. He played well, but wasn't able to score on his watch. Adam started the second quarter and played as well as I've seen him play, even leading the team to a touchdown which was scored on a running play. He fumbled the ball once and was stuffed on a running play where he tucked the ball and looked like a prisoner caught in the glare of a floodlight when he was hit. We went into the locker room down 12-6. I felt that the coach would use Adam's touchdown as an excuse to start Adam the rest of the way. David started at free safety and played the whole game on defense. When the teams came back on the field after halftime I caught David's eye and gave him the thumbs up/down sign. He gave me a big thumbs up and indeed started the half and looked relaxed as he guided the team down the field against the number ten ranked team in the Sacramento Metro area and scored a touchdown on a sweep. We were thrilled. The other team scored on it's next possesion and David ran the team again, giving the ball up after two first downs. Our defense was able to hold and the third quarter expired. I saw the coaches talking to David and then he stood way off to the side with his head down as Adam came into the game at quarterback and proceeded to immediately throw an interception and the other team scored to go up by 15 and the rout was on. We lost 40-25 and David was inconsolable. Both games ran long and the game finally ended at 11:30 after an interminable delay for a player who broke his leg. It took at least 45 minutes to secure his leg, cart him off the field and wait for another ambulance to come take the place of the first, which is league rules before play can resume.

David was so mad, that he met with the head coach and offensive coordinator for fifty minutes after the game. He finally called us at just after one to say he was on his way home. When he didn't show up by 1:45, Darla drove over to the school and found David, his Dad and the offensive coordinator huddling under the lights of one of their cars. Darla was livid and gave all three of them a tongue lashing. David's cell phone was off and she was afraid that he'd had an accident. I was in bed asleep by the time this all went down. The coaches' answer to David's complaints was that he put Adam back in the game in the fourth quarter because he wanted to "open the game up". David asked him how that went (or should have) as the result was an immediate interception. David told the coaches that the team is hungry for leadership and tired of the quarterback shuffle, that the coaches need to make a decision and stick with it. The coach told David not to worry, that they consider him the team leader and that this was a non-league game and a chance for the coaches to continue to evaluate the team. David told him that, as a senior, this may be one of the last ten games that he gets to play football and that he felt the way it was handled had cheated him and cheated the team of a chance to win that game. The coach looked at David and told him that was the type of fire and leadership that he was looking for in his quarterback. David said, "Then let me lead!".

David told me afterward, that if the coach picks Adam at this point then he knows the coach is talking out of both sides of his mouth. He was very frustrated and upset by the way he was treated in the game and the boos raining down on the coach from our sideline after the interception let him know how the fans viewed his decision. This guy has the instincts of Wiley Coyote. Adam used to be one of David's best friends, but he hasn't handled competition well and some of the things he has said and done behind David's back have put a wedge in the friendship. Adam walked off the field after the interception yelling at one of the receivers for running "a lazy route". The interception was RIGHT in the arms of the d.b. and there wasn't a receiver within five yards of the play. As a quarterback, Adam will make a good Clinton Democrat, always blaming someone else for his shortcomings. Oh well.

Daniel played as good a game as I've ever seen him play on Friday night. He played both sides of the ball and only came off the field for special teams. His team won 35-13 and looked sharp throughout. Daniel was opening huge holes on the offensive line for the running backs and plugging holes on the defensive line, once sacking the quarterback and twice stuffing runs for negative yardage. He is really growing in to a fine football player at 14 (15 next month). He is 6'1" and 225 pounds of manchild.

Jennifer will be leaving for her 26 hour trip to Kuwait on Saturday and will be gone by the time I write again. The only good news is she'll be that much closer to getting out and returning to civilian life. Dad: Jennifer will have dinner with us one night this week and we'll call you and Shirley and let her say her goodbyes. Anyone else who wants to wish her well, call her at (310) 927-6311 before Saturday. I'll write again at that time. Ciao.