Out the window

Well, crap.

I gambled. I had to be somewhere in the IE at 1:30 p.m. today so I figured there was no way I'd make it from Carson after US training to my San Bernardino County destination in an hour-plus (training has been ending around noon, plus the time for me to do interviews) so I skipped training today and decided on going out on Wednesday morning.

Turns out, the US isn't practicing on Wednesday morning. They're training later in the day, too late for me to go out there, do interviews and file my Press-Enterprise story, which was the main reason I was going out in the first place. I had done some reporting beforehand but still one more round of interviews would have been good.

That blows. A lot.

I guess I had it coming, though. I knew this could happen. The US trained later in the day before their game last Saturday and it's exactly what they're doing tomorrow. But I was doing my part with my family obligations and, though important, it could have been done on Wednesday.

Sometimes, as a freelancer/stay-at-home dad, people think that I just relax and surf the web all day, which is what kind of led to my little dilemma. Yeah, I'm at home 3-4 times a week but that doesn't mean I'm playing video games all day. Each day I wake up at about 5 or so. My wife leaves for her job in L.A. at around 5:40 and then I'm on dad patrol. I try and write between changing my daughters' clothes - and the younger ones' stinky diapers - and making them breakfast and just getting them ready for and getting through the day. I've got the naps routine down pat. I maximize my quiet time at night and try to stay ahead of my writing deadlines.

Every now and then, though, I'm called on for favors which, like today's, I have absolutely no problem doing and on any other week it wouldn't have been an issue. Stuff happens and all I can do is deal with it.

So tomorrow I may go out to Chivas USA training or not, but sadly I won't be at USMNT training. Sorry.