Our Tour and "The Tour" de France

We are now in France after spending a short time in Germany. Our time in Paris was short, but very much worth the effort. Our hotel was located less than a mile from the Palace of Versailles, so it was convenient to catch the train into the city. The kids loved the Eiffel Tower and our stroll on the Champs Elysees. The weather has been pleasant thus far and surprisingly cool for this time of year. Over the next several days, we will be staying in the Normandy region of France. Internet access is a bit limited for us right now, so pictures are not uploading as I had planned. I will start posting pictures once I establish a stronger and more reliable connection. Au Revoir.

Lights Out

5 and 15

Some rather "rich" American coffee products at the local grocer-- (almost 9 euros for coffee-mate, Ouch!!)

Some fine sugary processed foods from the U.S. (wonder if there is a Finnish version of Aunt Jemima???)

Americana Central at the City Market grocery store-- even some Paul Newman salad dressing, and of course 'good ol ' peanut butter!

The Finns love their potatoes--- there are plenty to choose from at the store

Our team extended its winning streak to four games and raised our record to 5-2 on the season with a 49-14 win against the Jaguars last Saturday. We started off very slowly and didn't play a very sharp game. We are sometimes plagued on the offensive side of the ball by the tendency to put the ball on the ground, so that is something we must fix if we are to reach our goals this season. Our QB Alex Rouse continued to play well. He is leading the league in completion percentage and doing an excellent job of running the ball too. Alex manages the game well, makes plays, and does a great job of spreading the ball around to his receivers. We now have a break from league play and won't play our next game until Sunday August 8th in a rematch vs. the Helsinki Roosters. The Roosters are in first place in our league.

Another big event in my life is my 15th wedding anniversary on July 22nd. Wow, Estalita and I have been married for 15 awesome years already! I really don't know where the time has gone. She has been such a great companion, the love of my life, and is truly my best friend. I feel very blessed to have her in my life. We are celebrating # 15 by heading off to Germany and France for the week. It worked out well to have a break during this time, and it didn't hurt that Ryan Air was offering some really cheap flights out of Finland either. All five of us are flying round trip to Germany for less than 300 dollars. We plan on spending the night of our anniversary in Paris, and then touring around some for a day or two. I will be posting some pics from the trip along the way.

Lights out.

The Pathetic Culture of American sports

Most of my recent blog posts have been dedicated to Finland related topics, summer activities, and pictures from our time here this season.

It has been a little while since I expressed my opinions or shouted from my "soapbox", so I figured it was high time to vent some frustration and cool things off a bit.

Well, here it goes.

The dominant headlines over the past week or so have focused on the passing of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, the LeBron James free-agency show, and the unemployment of Terrell Owens.

I have never been a Yankees fan, but that is beside the point in this discussion. Let me just also say that I cannot bring myself to speak in only negative terms about a man who helped influence and shape the current culture that runs rampant in pro sports today. At the very least, I have to give the man they refer to in baseball circles as the "Boss" his due for making such a sound investment. Steinbrenner purchased the Bronx Bombers in the early 1970's for around 10 million dollars and the current value of the Yankees is in the neighborhood of 1.6 billion dollars.

My issue with the man known as the "Boss" was his win at all costs mentality and his supreme willingness to buy championships. I would argue that these two ideals have contributed to the shifting of values in the American sports culture in a dramatic way, but sadly, not for the better. I just can't bring myself to call outspending your competition and stacking your team with the best players in your given sport fair play. When I looked up "sports" in the dictionary this morning, it defined the term as --- physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs, often engaged in competitively. Maybe I am just too old fashioned in my values, but I use this definition as a framework for how I view sports in general. You see there are important words in this definition like rules, customs, and competition, which suggest there is more to this thing we call sport than simply beating your opponent. There is a certain honor inherent in teams that compete and strive to win within a given set of parameters or rules. That has seemingly disappeared now and movers and shakers like George Steinbrenner and agents like Scott Boras have left their fingerprints on this new culture of "moneyball". Moneyball has replaced baseball as America's new past time. Not that the game isn't sick from other maladies like megastars who pop pills and shoot up with roids so they can hit the ball out of the ball park and score a fat contract. I almost forgot to mention how "moneyball" has left franchises like the Texas Rangers bankrupt in the wake of their slimy pursuit of the front running Yanks. The Rangers sold the house, farm, and franchise while giving A-Rod 250 million in their quest to beat New York. The plan didn't work out so well for them or several other major league teams who have to contend against Steinbrenner's deep pockets each off-season. The players benefit from this foolish spending even if they don't win their coveted championship. A-Rod made a quarter of a billion dollars with the Rangers and then must have figured if you can't beat the Yanks, then maybe it is best to join them. Just recently, the cashless Rangers still figured out a way to trade for Cliff Lee in their desire to beat, (you guessed it) the Yankees.

I'm not naive enough to think this is all Steinbrenner's fault or these problems are limited to baseball. In fact, these issues have permeated other sports in our country like football, basketball, etc... The marriage of corporate greed and hip-hop culture values have created the perfect storm for moral and spiritual decay in the sports we used to love. Showmanship, trash talking, and poor sportsmanship are the by-products of this "win at all costs" and "chase the dough" mentality. Let's face it, most professional athletes come across as being self-absorbed egomaniacs who believe they are above the law, and entitled to whatever they desire at any given moment. (ex: Barry Bonds, Ben Roethlisberger, Serena Williams) I wish it weren't the case, but I would be lying if I said that most athletes I come into contact with these days aren't very shallow people in most respects. This is a very judgmental statement on my part, but I'm simply commenting on what I have observed over the last 10 years or so. Many of them are fixated with getting laid, (see also Tiger Woods) self-promotion and being the center of attention, (see also LeBron James) prone to misbehaving in public, (see also Pac-man Jones) an inclination towards violent acts (see also Michael Vick) willing to take drugs and cheat to get ahead, (see also Mark McGwire) lazy and unwilling to sacrifice for their teammates, (see also Randy Moss) and just simply in love with their own stats and image, (see also Chad Johnson)

I see signs of our sick sports culture at the youth events I attend where parents seem like they are out to win a championship at every game, and stretching the rules is very much en vogue. I have witnessed parents yelling at coaches during my son's (age 7-8) youth football games, cussing up a storm, and even encouraging their kids to take cheap shots at their opponent.

I have witnessed coaches at my ten year old daughter's softball games yelling at girls on our team who are still learning the rules and being openly disrespectful to the umpires and other coaches. The unruly behavior is shameful and outrageous to say the least!

Often times when I stand up in front of young people today and talk about things like not caring who gets the credit in victory, encouraging the person who is playing in front of you, and not running up the score in a blowout victory- the players stare into my eyes like I just stepped off the spaceship from Mars. I am often very perplexed by their reactions and quite disturbed by what I am seeing.

In the end, all I can hope for is that the future of American sports has less LeBrons, T.O.'s, and Steinbrenners at the forefront. If not, I don't think I'll be tuning in.

Lights out.

Weekend Fun in the Sun

Stilts anyone? Kamryn, Kodie, and Nick give it a go

Even Kaylin got in on the action

One of my favorite signs I've seen in Finland thus far--- these signs are actually necessary throughout the country--- where people just seem to pee whenever and wherever they get the urge!

Brother and sister having some fun in the sand

We even caught some fish by hand in the shallow waters of the Baltic

Boats and jet skis were a common sight along the shores of Yyteri

Large crowds gathered round for the beach football matches

Just a beautiful day to be at the beach

Doing the tango in the streets--- As Al Pacino would say in the movie "Scent of a Woman"--- HOOwaaah!

These fried fish or "muikkua" were selling like hotcakes--- so we decided to try some--- they tasted like ...... chicken! (ok, not really)

yummy yummy

City Square in full swing during 2010 summer Tango Festival

Hope you enjoyed the pics from the Tango festival in Seinajoki last weekend and our day trip out to Yyteri Beach in Pori, Finland.

This has been a busy week here in Seinajoki. We are getting ready to play the Jaguars and our other coach (def. coordinator) Eero Martinmaki is on holiday with his family. I have been busy with some extra duties on special teams and running the defense while Eero is away. I have definitely felt stretched as a coach this past week and I'm hopeful that we will play well tomorrow. We are shooting for our fourth straight win.

We are also enjoying having some guests from England here in Seinajoki. Our friends Nick and Vickie are visiting us for three days. We have been showing them around the city and hanging out at the beach. They will be here to watch the game tomorrow and then head back to Helsinki on Sunday for their flights back to the UK. We only get to see them about every 2-3 years, so it is a real treat to get to spend some time together.

Tough battle versus the Butchers

Crocs players warming up for the Butchers game

The cheerleaders were out in full force

Including this young group of cheering fans-- Kaylin doing her best "Go Crocs" cheer

A fine day for football

"Gang-Green"

On Friday evening, we played the five time defending champions from the south of Finland known as the Butchers. We started off poorly with a few offensive turnovers, shaky tackling, and a busted coverage. We even killed a drive with an offensive penalty and helped the Butchers keep a first half drive alive by first having twelve men on the field, and then subsequently jumping offsides on consecutive 4th down penalties. Fortunately, we didn't lose faith in our ability to rebound from our mistakes. The team pulled itself together and scored two key touchdowns late in the first half, one coming on a slant pass with just eight seconds left before intermission.

Our defense made some big stops in the second half and the offense kept ringing up big plays when it had to. A total team effort allowed us to overcome our early miscues and register a 42-30 victory over the Butchers. The guys were so excited about the win and the crowd was treated to a great football game on a hot sunny day in Suomi. We are starting to play with a lot of confidence and the guys are giving exceptional effort on the field. There is a hunger to keep getting better. We have one more game before our second break of the season. This Saturday, we play the Jaguars at home. The Jags are coming off a 24-21 victory vs. the Tampere Saints.

After the Friday game, we decided to hang around town on Saturday and attend the Tango Festival in Seinajoki. This annual event brings in thousands of people from all over the world to, well you guessed it, TANGO. They tango in the mall, in the city square, on the streets, in the campgrounds, and just about anywhere else you can think of. It is really quite the spectacle. Their are many vendors present at the event selling everything from jewelry, clothing, tango dancing shoes, fresh fruit, and countless other items.

On Sunday, we drove two hours south to Pori, Finland and visited a beach called Yyteri. Many say that it is the finest beach in Scandinavia. It is a beautiful beach that sits near a forested area close to a nature preserve. There are big sand dunes as far as the eye can see and the water was surprisingly warm compared to the Baltic waters near Vaasa, where we swam last summer. The place was jam packed full of people and it even felt a bit like Daytona Beach--- Finnish style. The kids thought it was great so we might take another trip down there before we return to the states. I will post some pics from our weekend activities on the next blog.

Lights out.

Crocs Face Off Against Butchers

For those of you who are interested, our game versus the Porvoo Butchers will be streamed live over the Internet today. The broadcast begins at 6:15pm Finnish time (11:30am U.S. East Coast time).

www.sajl.fi (and click on "Media" in the top right corner)

Lights Out

Stretching Our Euros/ More Midsummer Break pics

Me and my sauna hat in the "sauna" section of the local City Market

View from our apartment balcony around 1 am

Our budget dinner on a Finnish train-- cream crackers, salami, and some assorted cheeses

Some tapas selections on the Viking Line

The Panna Cotta was superb

The reindeer was tasty too

Fresh bread with some extra virgin olive oil accompanied by a tapas of feta mousse

One of the nearly 30,000 islands that you can find on the trip from Stockholm, Sweden to Turku Finland--- If you look closely, you will see a lone individual in the middle of the picture-- He is standing at his easel and painting!

A fresh salad really hit the spot--- All this sailing really makes one hungry

A Viking Line ship making its way into port at Mariehamn on the placid waters of the Baltic Sea

We passed right by several other vessels including this Silja Line ferry on its way to Stockholm

Another Viking Line boat right behind us

Kaylin having her own kind of fun on the ship

Finnish sun seekers sitting on the rear deck and enjoying the views

I never get tired of looking at all of the little dwellings and cottages on even the smallest of islands

The Old town Square in Tallinn, Estonia

One of the beautiful flower markets in Tallinn

An Irish coffee and free WiFi-- Life is good in Tallinn

Nice panoramic view of the Old town area in Tallinn, Estonia

Our second family trip to Estonia

Just had to get a picture of this door

View looking towards the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral-- an orthodox church in the Old town district of the city of Tallinn

Maybe someday I will give this one a go

One of the biggest challenges for our family of five in Europe is trying to budget our money so we don't run into the problem of too much month at the end of the euros. Traveling in this part of the world is not cheap and there are no Tom Bodett's that "leave the light on for you" for say 50 U.S. dollars a night. Transportation costs, food, and especially lodging can really put a dent into a travel budget in no time at all. We have developed some very basic strategies for cutting corners and stretching our money, so we can see and experience as much as possible during our time here. Here are a few of our travel secrets!!!!

First, we let our feet do the walking. When traveling with three young children, prices on buses, trains, and trolleys can really add up. Although the fares for the younger children are generally reduced, many times children receive only a small discount on full adult fares. Therefore, we usually grab a street map and walk to our destination. We generally avoid shuttles, unless of course they are free, and we only opt for a taxi if the weather is brutal or we are in a major hurry to make a connection. It is always an adjustment for the kids at first, but they seem to adapt fairly well. We are often amazed at the sights or hidden gems we encounter along the way.

Another thing we do is always book ahead well in advance of our trip. Estalita and I both scour the internet for deals and comparison shopping can generally save you some serious money. On a recent Viking Line (12 hour boat trip from Stockholm to Turku, Finland), I secured five tickets for us for only 8 euros each by booking well in advance. This did not include a cabin as this would have run us an additional 200+ euros for the trip. However, I went to the front desk after we boarded the boat and negotiated a full cabin for only 20 additional euros.

Tip # 3 involves food. We generally always scout around for a small grocery store close to wherever we are staying and then buy some basics like drinks, dried fruit, bread, cheese, cream crackers and salami. On a recent trip to Sweden, we found a small grocery store near our budget hotel and then spent about 12 euros on these items for our evening dinner. Breakfast is included in the price at most European hotels, so we try and eat our bigger meal in the morning if this is the case. If we are checking out before breakfast, the hotel staff is usually happy to make up a small "to go" bag free of charge in lieu of the hot breakfast. You just have to ask.

My last tip involves visiting tourist info. centers and asking the staff for coupons or info. about any advertised specials for local restaurants or attractions. Don't forget that simple forms of ID like student cards, can generally get you into a museum at a reduced rate.

Lights out.

Riga and Stockholm

Dome Cathedral in Riga, Latvia--- the church dates back to the 13th century and the church organ houses close to 7,000 pipes

One of the picturesque sidewalk cafes in the old town of Riga

Riga is known as the "Paris of the North" and the architecture in this old city is splendid to say the least

St. Peter's Church--- which dates back to the year 1209-- much of the church was destroyed by fires during the second world war

Love these color combinations, which can be seen all over the city

Europeans really take their World Cup Soccer seriously-- This truck was set up in one of the main squares for everyone's viewing pleasure

Getting ready for some of the dark garlic bread that Riga is known for-- that is St. Peter's Church in the background

On our way back to catch our boat for the 17 hour boat ride back to Stockholm. The dark and oily waters of the Daugava River are in the background. This river runs from the hills of western Russia all the way to the Gulf of Riga.

One of the many canals in the city.

This freedom tower was constructed in the city in the 1930's-- It symbolizes the freedom that Latvians experienced after the first world war. The country was under German and Soviet control from 1939 until the early 1990's

Great place for a clothes line

Checked out this occupation museum which had poignant artifacts and displays from all the years that Latvia suffered under direct occupation--one memorable display was of a Russian "gulag" or hard labor camp-- where thousands of Lats were sent during this time period

weapons from the gulags-- where conditions were often harsh and thousands perished

More articles from the camps



Now For Some More Stockholm Pics

Wonderful view from the Aquarium on the island of Djurgarden

The Stockholm Aquarium-- Don't think you will find these sort of fish in the chilly waters of the Baltic though

The Nordiska Museum-- A Grand and Opulent Structure, which seems to be the norm in Stockholm

George and Laurie Contreras in Stockholm-- It was great to finally meet the two of them--- Think they will be ready to co-author their very own Lonely Planet Travel Guide sometime soon!

Did I ever mention that I really love Stockholm???

Thought these cloud formations were really unique

The "Vision of the Seas" Cruise Ship in port at Stockholm Harbour

Taken from our cruise ship somewhere in the middle of the Baltic Sea

Kodie and Kamryn on the "Vision of the Seas"

We have been back in Seinajoki five days now and the weather has been absolutely splendid. The kids have been swimming twice this week and outdoor summer activities are at their peak this time of year in Finland. Kaylin hasn't been feeling well since we returned, so we took her to the local hospital yesterday. It looks like she has some type of eye infection that has been accompanied by a sore throat, so now she is on medication and already seems to be improving.

Our team traveled to Turku this past weekend to play the Trojans. Despite missing two more starters on defense due to recent injuries, our team rose to the occasion and turned in our most consistent performance of the season. The game was played in sweltering heat (about 84 degrees by Finnish standards), but our team got off to a quick start and played well in all 3 phases of the game. We had over 500 yards of total offense in our 63-0 victory and the defense held our opponent to less than 50 yards of total offense. It was just one of those days where everything was clicking and my hat is off to our players for turning in such a dominating performance. Great job guys. The road gets even tougher now as the Porvoon Butchers come to town this Friday for a big match up against us. The Butchers are probably our most intense rival and they have won the last 5 championships in a row. They are a physical team with many skilled players and they know how to win. It should prove to be a great test for our team.



Hope you enjoyed the photos of Riga, Latvia and Stockholm, Sweden.

Lights out.