While I was away...
I exited Chenango’s county lines for nine whole days returning early Saturday morning, July 7 from California. I visited Carlsbad with Aidamarie and her four kids meeting her entire immediate family for the first time. Carlsbad, if you’re not up on the geography of Calif., is about half an hour north of San Diego.
After nearly a week and a half on the West Coast, I had some observations from my stay:
* It’s not nearly as warm out there as I thought it would be. In fact, during my time away, I was told that Norwich was embroiled in a rain-less heat wave, while Carlsbad enjoyed daily highs ranging from the high 60s to the low 70s. The average temperatures in SoCal (near the ocean) were perhaps my biggest misconception. Taking in the gentle breeze off the Pacific Ocean, Carlsbad’s temperature rarely climbs into the 80s. On the flip side, the temperature rarely dips below the low 60s at any point of the year. The weatherman’s job out there is a piece of cake.
Conversely, upstate New York may see a high temperature in the mid 90s one day, and a low temperature within 24 hours in the low 50s. We, as New Yorkers, have Jekyll and Hyde weather, while California’s is akin to “Groundhog Day” – the same every day.
* The second interesting observation I had was the lack of San Diego Padres patrons. You would think the host city of a major league franchise would have thousands of fans walking around with Padres gear. No, not at all. On the day we visited the San Diego Zoo, I think I spotted three people donning Padres paraphernalia among the thousands we passed. Perhaps the Padres’ dismal record had something do with the reticence of fans showing their allegiance. On the bright side, the day after I arrived in Carlsbad, San Diego began a five-game winning streak that pulled it out of the National League West cellar.
* Swimming in the ocean was not nearly as pleasurable as I anticipated. My last dip in sea water was in the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, Fla., and my experience there was great. In Oceanside, another suburb of San Diego, the ocean water reminded me of my childhood when I plunged into the frigid Atlantic Ocean water off the coast of Maine. Dang, it was freezing! I made many feeble attempts to ride waves on the kids’ boogie board before permanently retreating to the not-so-warm beach. Still, in three hours, I managed to tan up quite well. Aida reminded me that it isn’t necessarily the heat that can tan/burn you, but your proximity to the equator. Yes, Southern California is quite few points lower on the latitude scale than Norwich, N.Y.
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In the 17 years of the Gus Macker Tournament in Norwich, I have probably volunteered as an official or scorekeeper maybe half of the time. Hearing the pleas of organizers a couple of weeks ago for officials, I volunteered to officiate games this past Saturday and Sunday. Yes, this involved actually blow a whistle instead of sitting in the cheap seats second-guessing calls. On Saturday, a friend of mine asked:
“Who talked you into doing this?”
My reply, “I actually volunteered.”
Blank stare, silence, and the shaking of my friend’s head ensued.
Seems like officiating games at Gus Macker is not on many locals’ summer to-do list. Another acquaintance of mine, one who is the head of a local company, said he is willing to volunteer in any capacity at the tournament except for officiating games. This is a man who is used to running the show, a man of authority and confidence, and a man who would prefer to not take any grief from a basketball mom or dad.
No one wants to hear the complaining and whining of fans or players. It comes with the job, but please be heartened to know that officials at the Gus Macker Tournament have a tremendous support group of Super Busters as well as other highly competent officials. I am a non-confrontational sort, and officiating games sets me up for many potentially uncomfortable situations. Yet, not once did I feel any discomfort, and parents and kids on my court were great. Yes, I heard some grumbling from a few people, but concerns were often born of not knowing Macker-specific rules.
Anyone who understands basketball rules should give officiating at Gus Macker a shot. Tournament organizers give you a great gratuity package plus free soft drinks throughout the two days. Most of all, officiating for the Gus Macker tourney benefits the community as a whole by ensuring a smooth-running event.
Follow me on Twitter @evesunpat
After nearly a week and a half on the West Coast, I had some observations from my stay:
* It’s not nearly as warm out there as I thought it would be. In fact, during my time away, I was told that Norwich was embroiled in a rain-less heat wave, while Carlsbad enjoyed daily highs ranging from the high 60s to the low 70s. The average temperatures in SoCal (near the ocean) were perhaps my biggest misconception. Taking in the gentle breeze off the Pacific Ocean, Carlsbad’s temperature rarely climbs into the 80s. On the flip side, the temperature rarely dips below the low 60s at any point of the year. The weatherman’s job out there is a piece of cake.
Conversely, upstate New York may see a high temperature in the mid 90s one day, and a low temperature within 24 hours in the low 50s. We, as New Yorkers, have Jekyll and Hyde weather, while California’s is akin to “Groundhog Day” – the same every day.
* The second interesting observation I had was the lack of San Diego Padres patrons. You would think the host city of a major league franchise would have thousands of fans walking around with Padres gear. No, not at all. On the day we visited the San Diego Zoo, I think I spotted three people donning Padres paraphernalia among the thousands we passed. Perhaps the Padres’ dismal record had something do with the reticence of fans showing their allegiance. On the bright side, the day after I arrived in Carlsbad, San Diego began a five-game winning streak that pulled it out of the National League West cellar.
* Swimming in the ocean was not nearly as pleasurable as I anticipated. My last dip in sea water was in the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, Fla., and my experience there was great. In Oceanside, another suburb of San Diego, the ocean water reminded me of my childhood when I plunged into the frigid Atlantic Ocean water off the coast of Maine. Dang, it was freezing! I made many feeble attempts to ride waves on the kids’ boogie board before permanently retreating to the not-so-warm beach. Still, in three hours, I managed to tan up quite well. Aida reminded me that it isn’t necessarily the heat that can tan/burn you, but your proximity to the equator. Yes, Southern California is quite few points lower on the latitude scale than Norwich, N.Y.
–––
In the 17 years of the Gus Macker Tournament in Norwich, I have probably volunteered as an official or scorekeeper maybe half of the time. Hearing the pleas of organizers a couple of weeks ago for officials, I volunteered to officiate games this past Saturday and Sunday. Yes, this involved actually blow a whistle instead of sitting in the cheap seats second-guessing calls. On Saturday, a friend of mine asked:
“Who talked you into doing this?”
My reply, “I actually volunteered.”
Blank stare, silence, and the shaking of my friend’s head ensued.
Seems like officiating games at Gus Macker is not on many locals’ summer to-do list. Another acquaintance of mine, one who is the head of a local company, said he is willing to volunteer in any capacity at the tournament except for officiating games. This is a man who is used to running the show, a man of authority and confidence, and a man who would prefer to not take any grief from a basketball mom or dad.
No one wants to hear the complaining and whining of fans or players. It comes with the job, but please be heartened to know that officials at the Gus Macker Tournament have a tremendous support group of Super Busters as well as other highly competent officials. I am a non-confrontational sort, and officiating games sets me up for many potentially uncomfortable situations. Yet, not once did I feel any discomfort, and parents and kids on my court were great. Yes, I heard some grumbling from a few people, but concerns were often born of not knowing Macker-specific rules.
Anyone who understands basketball rules should give officiating at Gus Macker a shot. Tournament organizers give you a great gratuity package plus free soft drinks throughout the two days. Most of all, officiating for the Gus Macker tourney benefits the community as a whole by ensuring a smooth-running event.
Follow me on Twitter @evesunpat
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