A PERFECT DAY

Yesterday was the perfect day. Nothing terribly momentous happened, but the day was filled with so many small but beautiful moments.

I started off the day with a run through the Arboretum. My watch did not sync my podcasts correctly, so I listed to an old Wilco mix. The foliage, the rushing river, and the neighborhood scenery were familiar and so comforting. 

Afterwards, Nicholas and I biked down to the racquet club, where Cate was working. We played tennis, and it was remarkable to see how much better he has gotten. If we had been keeping score, there is not doubt that he would have won! I gave him some tips on his backhand, and he made nice progress after changing up his form. I recommended he get a lesson. I think he has the makings of a great player!

In the afternoon, I spent some time at work trying to clear my head and think about how best to navigate the decision about the move. I was able to clearly see the pluses and minuses of moving forward and what I would be giving up.

I grilled turmeric chicken, and we had a lovely Middle Eastern dinner. Afterwards, we made s'mores, which were delightful! We watched the Copa America Final match with Brazil prevailing in penalties. 

I was able to connect with my old friend, Chap, who has been an incredible source of support and strength as I have faced head on what this move means for my life. I am so grateful to have such amazing friends.

As I lay my head on the pillow, I was able to appreciate just how good I have it. I was able to see all the small positives that added up to a day that felt perfect. I will hang on to this perspective and try to remember how there are so many perfect days - if only we can appreciate them.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

The National Championships for youth soccer only come around once per year. This year was our third trip there, and the third time must have been a charm because Cate's Michigan Tigers 08 Girls Team finaly came away victorious!

It has been six years since Cate joined this club after our move to Ann Arbor. The first year, she was on their second team, but she quickly established herself and was promoted to the first team. Since that time, she has grown incredibly as a player and leader on the field. She plays central midfielder, which is like the quarterback of the team, and she is responsible for controlling play, starting attacks, and helping with defense. It is one of the hardest positions on the field, but she always excels in this position.

At Nationals, we swept the group stage without conceding a single goal. In the semi-final, we played our old nemesis, Plymouth Reign, who had knocked us out of Regionals in Kansas City one month earlier and who also beat us in the State Cup last Fall. Our girls had extra motivation for this match, and we took a 1-0 lead. Plymoith equalized, and the game headed in to extra time. In the second period, with just a few minutes left, Cate heaved a thunderbolt from near midfield. It clanged off the crossbar, and the keeper could not handle it. A teammate slammed the ball home for what would be the game-winning goal. The girls exploded in excitemnt at the game's conclusion, and a number of us parents embraced on the sidelines. They had slayed the dragon.

The final was much more comfortable as Tigers beat Ambassadors from Ohio 3-0. Cate was named "Player of the Match," as best player in the tournament for her age group. They even got some love from local media in a numbers of articles!

I am so proud of Cate and this team! It was a dream come true for Cate, and I am so glad I was able to witness it up close. 

This trip will go down as one of the most special of our 16 year soccer odyssey with Cate. Congrats, champions!

MEMORIES FROM THE MOUNTAINS

Dr. King famously talked about climbing to the mountaintop. Surely, he knew that the journey to the top with loved ones was much more important than the final destination. I can appreciate that sentiment after a wonderful week with our friends the Tais in Black Butte in central Oregon!

Kathleen has known the Tais for 30 years since medical school, and I first met them at their wedding when Kathleen and I were dating in the early 2000s during our time in Dallas. In Portland, we became even closer, as did our kids. In fact, whenever we get together, I always remark on how the kids seem much more like cousins than mere friends. Our trip to Black Butte, like our trips together with them there over the years, was no exception, even though their daughter was away for her job with the Peace Corps.

We took part in a variety of outdoor activities, including walks, pickleball, swimming, and scaling Black Butte. 

There were great meals thanks to Cindy and her son Noah, and fun television and board games, including a marathon match of "Catan." News flash, Noah won!

Sisters is the town nearest the resort, and we spent a few hours there, including a recent tradition ot getting pedicures, and a trip to the local coffeehouse, Sisters Coffee, which is always a treat! 

I look forward to seeing the Tais again and making it back to Black Butte! What amazing people and what amazing shared memories we have made there together!

A FRIENDLY PATTERN IN PDX

After Kansas City, we headed to the Pacific Northwest for some truly deserved R&R! We had a limited amount of time there, but we managed to fit in a few meetings with old friends and visits to some of our favorite places.

We stayed in the Northwest neighborhood. It's proximity to Forest Park allowed for a few runs on the Leif Erickson trail. Some of our favorite food places were nearby, so we got to take in biscuit sandwiches and amazing ice cream!

The Rose Garden was in full bloom, and we were fortunate to see and smell some beautiful blooms!

I am not sure when we will be back in PDX - or its amazing, refurbished airport. 

However, I look forward to touching down again soon and seeing the iconic PDX carpet. It turns out home has its own distinct pattern!

I LIKE IKE

During our KC trip, we had a free day and decided to drive halfway across the state to visit Salina, the hometown of President Dwight David Eisenhower and the site of his presidential library.

I knew Ike was a war hero and served as a transitional figure between the FDR/Truman administrations and the young John F. Kennedy. However, Ike was a truly remarkable leader who never forgot his humble origins and the heartland that he came from.

His sense of decency, globalism, empathy, and leadership is unrecognizable in today's Republican party, and we should be so lucky as to have another national Republican official like him one day. I will not hold my breath!

More than anything, Ike was someone who always put his country and its success above his own aspirations. We could all stand to be a little more like Ike!

ROCKCHALK JAYHAWK

Springfield, Massachusetts is the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, but Lawrence, Kansas, where basketball's founder James Naismith worked and coached, might just be the game's unofficial home. That would make Allen Fieldhouse there at the University of Kansas (KU) the game's chapel!

During our recent trip to Kansas City, we decided to pay a visit and take in the Booth Family Hall of Athletics at KU and see the rest of the town. There was so much to see, and we came away much more knowledgeable about the origins of the game and Naismith's and KU's impact on it. 

The team's name is the Jayhawks, and its mascot is a cute little bird named Big Jay. Needless to say, Nicholas had to get a shirt!

We also learned the origins of the team's chant, "Rockchalk Jayhawk!" The chant started off as, "Rah, Rah, Jayhawk!" Later, it evolved into the rockchalk version, supposedly because of the chalk rock, or limestone, where the campus is located. 

We took in the main drag called Massachusetts Street, which was filled with restaurants and shops, including a fun candy shop called Squishington's that had my favorite treats, inlcuding Charleston Chews and Bazooka!

It was a lovely day trip, and who knows, maybe Nicholas will be back there to cover a game someday!

KC, BABY!

Kansas City is near the center of the country. Fittingly, we have visited at the midpoint of the year the past several years due to Cate's soccer. This year was no exception, but we managed to fit in a variety of new activities.

Of course, we had to stop for barbecue. This year, we went to Joe's and took in ribs and burnt ends!

Last year, we saw a Copa America match in the men's stadium. However, this year, we saw an NWSL women's soccer match at CPKC Stadium, the first soccer-specific women's stadium. The host and league-leading Kansas City Current defeated Angel City in an exciting match!

Finally, we took in some history at the World War I Museum near downtown. It was incredibly informative, and I learned so much about the "War to End All Wars."

I am not sure when we will be back, but I always love visiting this town. Here's to KC, baby, which also happens to be the Current's fan chant!