Random Ramblings: I'm Old Edition

* Look, I understand that I’m old and am increasingly out of touch. I recently read in my Ithaca College alumni magazine (yes, a print version!) that “The hottest career choice is no longer doctor, lawyer, or actor. It’s now content creator” with 57% of Generation Z (people born between 1997-2012) saying they would become an “influencer” if given the chance.” I think I’ve heard of the biggest content creators/influencers. There’s Mr. Beast who makes videos and seems to give away significant amounts of money. I don’t know what Druski does, but he’s in several commercials with Snoop and Zoe Saldana. I’ve heard the name Alix Earle though I’m not sure what she does either except that she spent time with Tom Brady at a party. This brings me to Kendall Vertes. The Pittsburgh Pirates shared pictures of her throwing out the first pitch at a recent game. Despite having nearly 11 million followers on Instagram, I had never heard of her. 

Apparently, Kendall is/was on Dance Moms and started on the show as a child when she was definitely not a mom. But if the show is about the moms, shouldn’t her mom have 11 million followers? Since Kendall seems to be a big deal, they should rename the show Dance Moms and Dancing Kids. Maybe create a new show called Dance Kids Who Are No Longer Kids? I’m sounding older and older as I continue to type this, so I’m stopping now.

* Based on the schedules of my kids’ activities, I haven’t been able to work as a soccer referee this spring. I worked one game as an assistant referee a few weeks ago, so I was excited to have two games as a center over the weekend. Just before I was about to leave my house, the assigning app gave me a notification that my games were canceled. I figured it was a mistake, and since I was running a few minutes late and the field was about 25 minutes away, I ignored it and drove to the field. When I arrived at the sports complex, the parking lot was mostly empty. There was an adult soccer game occurring on one field but no one else was there. I checked my email to see two more notifications that my games were canceled. Apparently, the county (not the county where I live) closed the grass fields due to rain from the night before. My particular field was absolutely playable. One of the coaches was there and grumbled about county officials not actually visiting the field before making a decision to cancel games.

I got back to my car and emailed the referee assigned to see if any other games were available. She gave me several options in the afternoon, but I couldn’t do them. Instead, I took one U-12 girls rec game in the exact opposite direction. The game was fine as I really enjoy teaching and mentoring younger referees and explaining rules and calls to the players (and sometimes coaches). Still, I drove 16 miles to the original field, 33 miles to the second field, and back 19 miles to Luigi’s flag football game. That’s 68 miles just so I could make $30 for a game with 30-minute halves. While I joke that I get paid to exercise when I referee, I’m not sure the paycheck will cover the cost of gasoline!

* I loved the TV show Jury Duty from a few years ago. The show was made up of all actors except for one guy who thought he was a member of the jury in an actual case. Highly recommend seeing it if you haven’t. I was skeptical about the new series, Jury Duty Presents Company Retreat since I wasn’t sure how they would do it again. Despite the awkward title, the show was just as good as the original.

* A few weeks ago, I wrote how I thought (but wasn't 100% sure) that retired Browns and Steelers cornerback Joe Haden was a coach in my third grader's flag football league. It's now confirmed that the 3-time Pro Bowler is a coach. The Moose got a picture with him at Luigi's last game, and we talked to him for about 30 seconds. He was in Pittsburgh to announce a pick at the NFL draft on Friday evening and then flew to the DC area on Saturday to make it back in time for his team's flag football game. That's dedication!

* My kids’ elementary school holds an annual Heritage Night where the gym is filled with tables of families’ cultures/countries. It’s such a fun event, and the kids (and parents) get to try different types of foods from all over the world. 

* I might have been 100 feet from US soccer great Clint Dempsey last week. Men In Blazers, maybe the biggest soccer podcast/show in the US, held a contest for the Best American Soccer Bar. Ireland’s Four Courts near where I work in Arlington won, so Men In Blazers held a live event which featured Dempsey. I walked by the restaurant a little before taping, so I might have been close to him.

* In the next few weeks, I plan on writing two "serious" posts. I have general notes and ideas but need some time to fully form them into posts. They're going to be a little different for me.