July

I don't think anyone reads this anymore, but I need to keep myself posted for my Top 25 Moments feature at the end of the year. Since my last post, the run of aboveaverageness ended for Rick is 21, a 2-7 team disguised as a contender for much of the season. We went down, 5-1 in the quarterfinals, to a team we'd beaten in the regular season. I got to officiate the semis and finals (the matchup everyone wanted to see, thanks to two semifinal upsets) and was later invited to join the national head ref pool, for which I hope I can make time next year.

Jill and I kicked the house search into high gear and made an offer on a split-level in South Portland. After some negotiating, denial, innapropriate questioning, and merciful begging, we're still where we were last week.

John Maine didn't make the All-Star game. Not sure why.

We entertained a houseful of Jeffreys this weekend. My chest saw the sun for the first time in a year... with sexy results... at Scarboro beach, we enjoyed a Sea Dogs victory, and we finally caught dinner around 9:45 at Andy's (formerly Nappi's) after being thwarted by the rest of Portland's restaurants.

That's all I've got.