Happy Holidays

Sorry for the long absence, but with soccer and the chest pain issues I have been a bit busy. Also, in the mean time, my friend and his wife had their baby. Sadly, his lung collapsed so they had to rush him to All Children’s Hospital just before Christmas. So, I have been busy trying to help them.
If that wasn’t enough, all of the girls came down with the flu for Christmas, so we had a bunch of feverish, puckers for Christmas. Hey, it wouldn’t be fun unless something fun happened for the holiday. I spent the 22nd and the 23rd in the hospital with my friends and then my daughter.
Anyway, hopefully your Holidays were healthy and happy. I am thankful though even if the kids were sick. They are healthy other then the flu and that is truly something to be happy for. So many children are not so it makes you thankful for what you have.
Today we started practice again for soccer. We decided to have a 9 am start which is troublesome for teens, but we managed. But this is something that made my holiday so much more for me. On the way to practice, I stopped at the local Shell station. Well, it was cold this morning for Florida, a nice balmy 42. Sadly, a homeless man was there trying to get coffee to warm up. Well, the owners called the police to have him removed because he was homeless. After I bought what I needed, I stopped the man and took him to McDonalds to buy him breakfast and coffee. He was so thankful for my generosity that he couldn’t stop thanking me. I told him that it was my pleasure and wished him well and to try to stay warm.
If that wasn’t enough to make my day, one of my players had gone to a college before Christmas for a tryout. Well, he got a full scholarship and is so thankful for all of my support and for helping them get a ticket so that they could go up and tryout. He thanked me for being more then just a coach. He told me that I am like a father to him, since he doesn’t have one. I just about broke down then and there over how much he was thankful for all that I have done. So, I am ending 2006 on a higher note then I was thinking.
If I don’t get back to you before the New Year, I wish each and every one of you a wonderful, joyous, healthy, New Year. Best wishes and do take care of yourselves.

Close Call


Sorry it has been so long since any entries or updates as to the soccer season. I just recently got home from the hospital, yet once again. I started having chest pains last week and they rushed me to the hospital. So, after about a million dollars worth of tests, they still tell me my heart is as strong as an ox. So why am I having these spells?

My wife and family seem to think that it is because I can not say no to anyone and that I have way too much on my plate. Could it be that I have been going from 5 in the morning until 2 the next morning, just working on three hours sleep a night? Hmmmm Could it be that I have a bunch of rotten freshman classes that pull on every string they can to aggravate me? Could it be that I am trying so hard to win for my boys, but yet I want them to win with integrity? Oh, yes, I could cheat like the rest of the coaches and borrow varsity players or play dirty, but I will not stoop to that level

So, anyway, the doctors still have no idea what is wrong with me and my wonderful insurance would not allow me to stay in the hospital any longer then I was. They wanted to run several more tests to check on other parts to see if they were working correctly. Who knows?? All that I can say to you folks is that, “Don’t worry, Heaven isn’t ready for me and Hell is afraid I would take over.” At least that is what my grandfather used to say. I believe him, though. Either place probably feared his arrival. Since I am very much like him, I am sure they aren’t ready for me either.

Anyway, I hope you all have wonderful holidays and I will try to write more often and check in on you all. It just has been very hectic for me. Hey, I am from New York, I should be able to handle all of this and more. LOL Do take care.