Beans for Breakfast

The boys got a good night's rest last night but they're still suffering from jet lag. Yesterday afternoon they were bouncing off the walls but by evening many a head were bobbing at dinner. This morning when they gathered in the dorm lobby to walk to breakfast they were still half asleep. When asked to name a highlight from the day of the trip Jherson replied "Being able to sleep."
 
One difference in how they start their day is eating beans for breakfast. Could be the jetlagbut several have taken to drinking coffee in the morning. Having Cocoa Krispies as an option helped, too.

Cowboy Up!

As we prepared to board the puddle jumper to Philadelphia, the US Airways customer service rep waved us over and loudly whispered, "Your flight has been cancelled. I'm telling you this before the general announcement so you can make it to the ticket counter before everyone else. You'll board a bus to make your connection."  This after arriving three hours early to the airport. After standing in the TSA line for an hour. After walking a country mile to the farthest gate in the terminal. Boy patiently waiting, playing cards, and going wherever and whenever we told them to.

We trekked to the ticket counter and to baggage claim and back to learn that the flight, in fact, had not been cancelled and US Airways was going to pull a plane out of the mothballs for us. In all we spent five hours at BWI when we could have driven to Philly in two. Bob Carter told us to "Cowboy up!" so we invoked our Takoma Park karma and arrived just as passengers began boarding the flight to Glasgow.

 

Exhausted but in good spirits, the boys began suffering from RID, Reduced Intellect Disorder, where their goofball quotient is directly correlated to the number of boys present. Their first practice, held at William Wallace High School, should help with that. 

 

And I'm sorry that the photos aren't aligning properly but I'm too tired to care.

 

T Minus 22 Hours

What began as a kernel of an idea in Fall 2012 has finally come to fruition. Many emails and dollars spent later, the boys U13 Takoma Park Fusion are crossing the pond to take part in the Loch Lomond International Youth Soccer Festival at the University of Stirling.

Hopefully we'll find the proper USB cables to connect Stuart's camera to my Surface Pro and have adequate Wi-Fi access. If so we'll upload photos and chronicle the trip for those who remain stateside.