Final Preparations for EuroBall Experience XIV

Tuesday, January 15 and Wednesday, January 16, 2019

These past two days have had one goal in common, getting ready to blast off for EuroBall Experience XIV!

Our 2019 Italian DII Groupings

As you can see, our Varese Skorpions are in the nine team Group A this year as was explained in the previous post.

Hard to believe that this is the FOURTEENTH time since starting in 2008 that I am leaving home to coach an American football team in or from Europe, including our three Europe Warriors battles in Mexico.

Here is where American football has a taken me to coach since retiring from my teaching career in June of 2008:

2008 Italy - Catania Elephants

2009 Italy - Catania Elephants

2010 Sweden - Hässleholm Hurricanes

2012 Switzerland with the Thun Tigers

2012-13 France - Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons

2015 Spain - Murcia Cobras

2016 - Sweden Wäsby Warriors

2016 - Spain - Osos Rivas & Guadalajara Stings

2017 - Sweden Wäsby Warriors

2017 Mexico - Europe Warriors (Srs. - Aug.)

2017 Mexico - Europe Warriors (Jrs. - Dec.)

2018 Italy - Varese Skorpions

2018 Mexico - Europe Warriors

2019 Italy - Varese Skorpions

What a retirement I'm having!

 Tuesday near my Italian Conversation

Class I found this omen parked

After my class, Laurie and I did some running around trying to tie up some more loose ends before my imminent departure.

For lunch, we stopped in BEAUTIFUL

El Rio, California for lunch at

Montezuma's Mexican Restaurant

I'm eating as much quality Mexican food as I can before leaving as authentic Mexican food in Europe is hard to come by I have found.

Milan does have one solid entry in the EuroMexican food scene.

Check out my old team, the

Murcia Cobras, game pants

That "W" on the pants means but one thing, they are a pair of used Washington Huskies game pants that we were able to ship to them a few years ago thanks to the procurement efforts of our friend Mark Johnson.

Laurie and I have been shipping God only knows how many boxes of used football gear to teams in Europe over the years.

We currently have six boxes of shoulder pads and helmets in transit to two teams in Spain and our own Varese Skorpions.

In the evening I said farewell to the family, first to Jenn, Andy and Kevin in Las Vegas via a FaceTime connection and then over a pizza at home with Vanessa, Mike, Jacob and Mary.

Did I say Mary?

No, it was actually a

Zombie Apocalypse

 Jacob defying gravity

Good times with Jacob

A cuddle with Mary is always

a good thing!

With that, my six busy months in California came to a close as I head back to Italy Thursday morning from LAX at 8:15 a.m.

I will have a two hour and ten minute layover in Newark, New Jersey before finally arriving in Milan at 8:25 a.m. I

Italian time.

That's 11:25 p.m. Thursday night Los Angeles time.

That is if all works out properly given the current U.S. Government shutdown that will affect my at the TSA checkpoints at both USA airports plus a severe Winter storm hitting the Eastern seaboard on Thursday.

This could become an adventure of a different kind, keeping my fingers crossed!