It's Going To Be A Long Day

Today is MLK Day, so there is no school.  Within the past few years, this day has become a day for school to host shootouts, so I'll be heading southwest to Illini West High School to officiate a girls game between Brimfield and Monmouth-Roseville.  It should be a really good game, and I'm with my regular crew, so that is an added bonus.  It's an afternoon game, and then we load up in the cars and head northeast!

Today is also a scheduled date for the Lincoln Trail Conference girls basketball tournament in Woodhull.  Because of a scheduling situation, we will have three games at that tournament, and the games won't feature the level of play that we will see earlier in the day.  This day, then, makes for a lot of exercise, fun with my regular crew, but all will not be good.

It's cold; it's January; and "fan happiness" is at a low at this point of the season.  I know I've discussed fan behavior towards officials before, but today will be a day where fan happiness is bleak.  Teams that are struggling will not yet see the light of the end of the season, so their dispositions are usually pretty glum, and their parents and family members and friends generally feel the same way.  More often than not, all of these folks are attending because they feel some sense of responsibility to attend, not necessarily out of a burning desire or eagerness to attend.

And who are the favorite targets of fans?  Of course, those dummies in stripes that don't know anything.  And the thing about these particular games is that attendance is usually pretty low, so any and all derogatory comments towards the dummies in stripes generally is very clearly audible.  For this reason, I really don't like quiet gyms! 

Give me cheerleaders, a pep band, a packed gym of fans and you will find me a happy camper.  I'm not saying we perform any better for the fans, but their comments are blurred out in all the other noise. 

So today will be a LONG DAY.  May I not only have the physical endurance to survive, may I also have the patience and emotional calmness I'm sure will be tested!

A Morning Of Random Thoughts

• I started intermittent fasting protocol of eating on February 16 of last year.  I've been really hoping to get to a total loss of 50 lbs. before the 1-year anniversary.  I don't know if I'm going to make that.  I've got about another 8 lbs. to lose, and that's a lot now that losing weight has become a slow thing.  I'm okay with that because officiating and long days presents a battle of nutrition and willpower.  Sometimes I just come home after officiating at night, and I eat things I shouldn't - chips, cookies, which I now know is a big mistake and really isn't from my body's need of nutrition but my brains mixed up signal to my stomach.  Still, the challenge is real.  I need to do better planning and then just get a little more mental toughness.

• Related to eating were two stories on the Today show this morning.  One was a feature story of a female comedian, and she was a large woman.  I struggled with the story because a segment of it discussed her struggle with her weight.  My struggle is that because of her weight, she often receives more laughs...she makes money because of her weight, so why struggle emotionally.  My other struggle is whether or not she's healthy.  There isn't a perfect body type, but there is "healthy".  And if "healthy" is a larger body weight than someone else, then that's fine.  But if larger is unhealthy, then I don't know if the proper message is for that person to accept who he or she is.  I don't mean to sound unfeeling or disrespectful, I just wish the message was for all of us to accept ourselves at a size or look that is healthy, even that look isn't a glamour fashion model slim and trim look.

• The other food related story was the trend of "meatless" burgers.  Honestly, I've been eating meatless burgers for awhile.  It's not an "everyday" thing, but my ex-wife was a vegetarian, so I would have veggie burgers, veggie corn dogs, veggie chick nuggets, etc...  And those foods really weren't a big deal.  Recently I've tried Burger King's Impossible Burger and Hardee's version (I can't remember the name).  I liked Hardee's better, and I think the protein used in the Hardee's version is suppose to be better for you.  The doctor interviewed on the story segment suggested that even these plant-based burgers are processed, so it's not like they are necessarily "good" for us.  These plant-based burgers may have different nutritional values that are just "different"...good in some ways and bad in others.  I'll have to do more research on this.

• Should I be excited about a "snow day" canceling Sunday school?  I am.  This morning, temperatures are very cold, so Sunday school was canceled for the day, and I am pleased.   I think I will still plan on attending service, but I'm really uncomfortable with Sunday school - for me.  My faith journey is a little unconventional, so leading a class is something I'm uncertain about.  I've only done it once, and I really felt awkward.  I don't like the idea of leading a group of students when I'm not really sure of a lot of things myself.  I'm suppose to lead two more classes (one per month), and I think when that tour is over, I'm going to back away from the job.

If It Was Anybody Else

The U.S. recently assassinated a high ranking general from Iran under the order of President Trump, and this assassination took place in the capital of Iraq.  According to news released to the public, this event was completed to defend against another imminent attack that was being planned by this general.  The Iranian government is apparently planning on a response, and the U.S. is taking this information seriously.  Diplomats in Iraq have been ordered to leave, U.S. troops have been placed under alert, and more U.S. troops and military equipment is being sent to the region.  This is a serious mess.

I have no doubt that Iran has been involved in attacks on other sites and countries in the region.  (By the way, I also have no doubt that Saudi Arabia was involved in the killing of the American journalist.)  My problem is that I just don't trust anything that President Trump says.  I don't trust anything that President Trump does.  I don't trust anything that President Trump represents.  Plus, after the assassination, he publicly seems to "show off", with his arrogant and blustery "We got him."  The President's comments and the President's stupid ass tweets are just going to inflame the situation even worse.

People are going to die over this.  Millions or perhaps billions of dollars are going to be spent over this.  Unrest is now going to exist at a higher level for even many more years.  I just wish I trusted President Trump, but I don't.  So now it's an election year, it's an impeachment year, and now it's a military conflict year.  Good grief.

Just on the news this morning, an Iranian military adviser claimed that Iran will respond militarily against military targets.  As horrible as that sounds, I hope that is the only way the Iranian government plans to respond.  At least our military establishments in the regions can attempt to defend themselves. 

Is it wrong for me to place more faith in the potential human compassion of the Iranians than in the President of our country?  Perhaps, but I just can't trust anything President Trump does (or says or represents).  I sure hope to Hell the people around President Trump can keep him restrained, and I hope the impeachment process can be quick and decisive - whichever way it goes, and I hope the 2020 election gets here quickly.  And I hope the Iranians stick to the words of that Iranian military official that spoke on the Today show this morning.