Boy! Juulie and I had such a good time last night that I can hardly walk - and, I lost seven pounds! In fact, it was so much fun, we did it three times!!!

Get your minds out of the gutter - I'm talking about reffing.

Our local girls HS summer league started last night and Juulie is the assignor. In her infinite wisdom, she chose me as a partner for the first three games. We had a lot of fun, possibly because each game was a blowout.

During the final game, Juulie called a foul and just as she did, some five year old girl on the sideline yelled "TRAVELING". I told Juulie what she said and she went over to talk with her. Juulie told her she had an extra referee jersey and would let the girl wear it if she wanted to come out on the floor and ref. The girl and her mom had a good laugh, but she didn't come out. :( I wonder what it would have been like working three-person with the two of them.

The games were very intense for summer league (one JV and two V games). We were calling it a little loose but we still called well over 100 fouls in the three games, not because it was "sloppy" but because the girls were playing really hard and created a lot of body contact - not slapping.

Oh - did I mention it was over 90 degrees in the gym? :p

BTW - the coach who runs the league started getting on Juulie a little in the 3rd game. I told him to back off. We're old friends and he just smiled.

You ask us to get our minds out of the gutter yet use phrases such as:

Juulie and I had such a good time last night that I can hardly walk
it was so much fun, we did it three times
she chose me as a partner for the first three
each game was a blowout
I wonder what it would have been like working three-person with the two of them
a lot of body contact - not slapping.
the coach who runs the league started getting on Juulie

And I thought Juulie was a good Quaker!!

Just remember, this is Mark's interpretation. Oatmealqueen thinks I might be a candidate for sainthood, but I'm not, I have my faults. But they just don't include a weakness for extending the partner-thing past the final buzzer of a basketball game -- especially not with Padgett! Why would I want to jeopardize a great reffing partnership by adding in emotional complications?

And furthermore, Padgett wasn't the one that got the coach off my back. It's just that the coach recognized how great I was doing. He also probably doesn't want to go back to finding his own refs!

Hey - I told Gary that if he didn't lay off you, you would toss his daughter out of the game.

90 degrees in the gym?

Don't you guys have AC up there?

Heck we got the AC going about 10 months aout of the year
in Texas.

Of course all the schools here are in such a budget crisis, they may not let us have AC this summer, which would make it about 150 degrees inside the gyms.

At least I could lose some weight that way before next season.

That gym is under renovation and there is virtually no air flow. Fortunately, I have some of my games at a different school.

BTW - during one game, Juulie asked me if I wanted to "switch ends". I told her no, because my wife liked mine just fine the way it is.

This is the sort of humor that keeps me on the reffing end of the "partner" relationship!!

Yeah - but you did look kind of spiffy in those high heels. I thought the fishnet stockings were a bit much, however.

BTW - I emailed that ref list to you.

Wow! Fishnet...remember to wear those to the camps this summer Juulie - that way I can see too...

I expect it would go over real big with Pat Wasp!