Heat and Hydration

Seattle is hot… very hot. We are experiencing a heat wave that has not been seen in many years. We will hit the 100 degree mark across the state, and this stifling heat will continue for several more days at least. When I lived in North Carolina, these temperatures were not unusual. Temperatures were high and humidity filled the air, making outside living conditions somewhat miserable. However, air conditioning fills the homes, offices, and shopping malls. Little time is spent outside during the peak hours of heat, and more inside in the comfort of a 70 degree room.

Seattle homes are not equipped with AC. We sit in the stagnant air, forcing air flow by way of fans, attempting to stay cool – but with little success. I have a basement which is cool and comfortable, but many do not. Those who are in apartments and condos without AC must be hit the worst. There is often no protection from the sun, especially those who face west. My advice – eat out in air conditioned restaurants, watch a movie in a theater, and crash at somebody’s house who is fortunate to have AC or a cool basement.

Coaching has been canceled tonight. It’s just too hot for the kids. Temperatures will be over 100, and add 10 -15 degrees on the turf ……… nice and toasty. There are many people who will still be working out though – including me. Drink lots of water, supplement with Gatorade, and end a workout with chocolate milk. On a normal day, you should drink eight glasses of water. With this heat, and especially if you are outside – drink, drink, drink.

Be careful, be smart, and if you can – enjoy the water…….

Busy summer ahead….

It’s been a busy last few months, and there are many more ahead of me. Business is pushing forward in the right direction, building my networks, meeting some great people, and learning all the time. At 1to1 Soccer, we are searching for new opportunities to grow our business. Building our knowledge of our market, expanding the scope of our business offerings, and redefining what we need to do is at the forefront of our minds. Seeking out some angel funding is also important right now. We have a core team of dedicated individuals, but man hours cost money. We want to accelerate our progress and implement our ideas quickly. Speed to market is key, but we don’t want to drop something that will crash as soon as it hits the ground.

Youth soccer is gaining momentum also. We have passed through tryout season, and I am now getting to know the players. We have our first tournaments coming up, and it will be a good indicator to see where we are. I am running several summer camps this year, and hope to grow these over the next few months. We are focused on teams, and how we can best serve each team and develop some improvement over the course of the 4 or 5 day camp.

The Sounders are moving forward. The game last night was unfortunate and frustrating. To give up a 2 goal lead at home was greatly disappointing to the players I am sure, and the many fans that continue to pack Qwest field. What a place to watch a game of soccer. Hats off to Adrian Hanauer and his team – they have made a great impact in this area in such as short period of time.

I will be updating more often…..

Trials and tribulations of the housing market…..

The storm of the housing market and the impact it has had on the economy has swirled around for months and months now. Foreclosed homes have been dotting the American landscape, and with each broken loan comes a broken dream and a broken heart. It is unimaginable that families can be thrown onto the street, especially in a country where we spend $140 million dollars on “volcano monitoring”.

I am now in the group of people who are trying to sell their home. In a market where qualifying for loans is difficult, buying a home is a lot more challenging than it used to be. A few years ago, you could basically walk into a bank or brokers office, state which home you wanted to buy, and it seemed the people in charge were more than happy to hand over the money – and a little extra to boot. With the economic downturn and the stigma now attached to mortgages and banks, credit has been at a standstill. But with the impending summer season which is often the busy season in the housing market, and the notion that the housing market is on the upswing, money should begin to change hands. The reality is, without credit and money, the economy will never turn around.

I am hoping that somebody has the access to a loan and falls in love with my home…..

Man Utd wage bill

I was reading the British papers this morning, like I always do, and discovered an incredible statistic. Manchester United’s annual salary bill stands at a little under $200 million. When you compare that to the NFL and NBA which teeters a little above $100 million, it is astounding. How about when you compare it to the MLS salary cap of $2.3 million…

It is staggering, when the world is struggling financially, that professional sports can pay out such exorbitant amounts of money on players. Just look at the Yankee’s. They just signed Alex Rodriguez to a $275 million contract, Jeter is already on a $189 million contract, and CC Sabathia just signed a $161 million dollar contract. The kicker is, they are all guaranteed.

Join in the discussion….

I just checked my blog stats, and there are certainly people who are viewing and reading what I have to say. Please add to the blog, and post comments, thoughts, opinions, and your views on the variety of subjects. I look forward to your increased participation…….

Seattle continues to grow….

For those of us who live in the Seattle and Bellevue area, the presence of cranes and construction sites continues to grow. Seattle is fast becoming ‘the’ place to live. With such beautiful surroundings, mild climate, booming local economy, strong real estate market, and a great support network from private and public organizations. South Lake Union has been completely redeveloped in the last 5 years, and continues to grow up and out.  There is a buzz in the city. We see new condos and office buildings that cater to city living, and the increasing quantity and quality of amenities targeted to this increasing crowd of 20’s and 30’s.

Here is an interesting article on Paul Allen and South Lake Union…..

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/realestate/commercial/09amazon.html

I am intrigued to see how Seattle will continue to grow…….

National Championship tonight

Who’s going to win? My vote goes for LSU, in a tight defensive game.

My first post

I hope this blog will provide a platform for family, friends, and welcome strangers to communicate and discuss a variety of subjects, important to them and me…… Look forward to hearing from you soon…..