Summer 2011 - Seasons of Scraping By

It's June yet again which means summer is well and truly upon us.  If you were to ask me I'd say it's already here, but the official calendar definition says it won't be here for a few weeks.  Either way I'm not expecting a lot of excitement this year.  I'm not saying that there was a lot of excitement last year but there was... y'know... the World Cup.  Also unemployment, poverty and brutal heat and boredom.  None of that this year!  Well maybe the heat.

In lieu of the World Cup there are two soccer tournaments on offer, the CONCACAF Gold Cup featuring perennial final Mexico vs USA, and the South American Copa America.  While these are both interesting tournaments in their own right I'd say I'm more excited for the quadrennial Copa America.  I was hoping to see AFC champions Japan test their skill against South American opposition but the Blue Samurai pulled out in wake of the tsunami.  Costa Rica took their place which is a far less exciting scenario.  It will still be a thrill to watch Argentina and Messi play, as well as Brazil and World Cup overachievers Uruguay.  I'll probably be cheering for our southern neighbors Mexico to take the cup to North America for the first time and to pick up their second proper trophy (after the Confederations Cup). 

However in a complete reversal I will be hoping Mexico completely fail in the Gold Cup.  They won't, of course, and will probably be our rival in the final.  Unlike two years ago I hope that the United States national team fields a full strength side.  Far too much time is spent by the US national team focusing on "experience" for younger players.  Commentators and US team "big wigs" will throw away chances at success in exchange for getting untested players some experience.  Play the strongest side and let the domestic leagues weather the players, damnit.  Outside of Mexico the competition in the Gold Cup is weak.  Canada, Panama and Guadalupe are hardly going to challenge the team.  Plus we always have home field advantage.  Every single time!  Can't squander that... though they might.  We'll see what happens next week.

I can't follow the J-League any longer since Fox Soccer Channel isn't one of the six stations I get.  It's too depressing to follow it as Japan, the idea and in reality, seems so far away now.  While once I was obsessed with the land of the rising sun it has become hard to even read blogs or watch J-vlogs.  Never has it seemed like such an impossible goal as right now.  All I ever wanted was to live and work in Japan, eventually that downgraded to a visit, and now... I don't know.  I was willing to work in Korea and vacation in Japan, but that too didn't pan out.  This has all lead to not being able to focus on anything Japanese, soccer or puroresu, without being depressed.  And summer isn't about depression!  At least not this year.  So I'm ignoring J-League soccer, especially since Shimizu sold Okazaki to some Bundesliga team.

Our budge may be incredibly tight but that won't stop us from going on our day excursions!  Ashes and I are daytrippers, period.  Whatever our financial situation is we will still take our trips.  In the 2011 "warm" season we've already been all over Western Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut.  With dozens of ideas lined up we plan on having a busy summer.  Luck has been on our side since I haven't had to work many weekends which has allowed us to have two days to ourselves.  Over night trips are a bit out of our price range at the moment so we are limited to a few hours in any direction.  We're willing to sacrifice a bit of money on gas and food for a good time.

I'll post about our trips... proper posts and none of this half committed crap that I'm doing now.  That's something to look forward to, as I'm sure most of my readers are more concerned with what @theashes is doing with her time.  Plus I'll get a chance to do some more refined writing as opposed to scattershot brain dumps. 

A bit of soccer, a bit of travel and a pinch of whining.  Yep, sounds like an average post here at YGGOY.