A Short Entry About the Long Weekend

With last Friday being my usual day off (go alternative work schedules!) and yesterday being a holiday, I used a day of leave on Monday to piece together a five-day vacation. Since I don't have enough time to write about everything, I'll just write briefly about the Fourth of July and the World Cup.

For the Fourth of July, we went to the small celebration at my parents' place. My dad barbecued steak and chicken and we had some of my mom's homegrown zucchinis. What the gathering lacked in size, it made up for in patriotism. It was stars and stripes all over the place, from the large American flag flying atop the fifteen-foot-tall pole in the front yard to the fifteen smaller flags adorning the lawn. Even the dog was sporting a red, white and blue bandana. Next year, I'm fully expecting the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps to be out in front of the house playing the national anthem.

The 2006 World Cup is nearly finished. I saw the last part of yesterday's semifinal match between Germany and Italy. Throughout the tournament, the German team seemed like an unstoppable machine. It ploughed through opponents with an efficient offense and an impenetrable defense. I thought they were a sure shot for the title, but they fell apart in the final moments of the second overtime period of yesterday's game. Within a matter of minutes, the Italians scored twice and eliminated the host nation from the World Cup. It was so abrupt, I couldn't believe it. With France defeating Portugal today (1-0), the title match is now between European neighbors. I don't have a favorite, but if I had to pick a team, I guess I'd root for France. They defeated heavily favored Brazil and that has to be worth something.