Another Crazy Weekend

The past weekend was just crazy. My son had to be at his HSPT prep class 15 minutes earlier on Saturday so he and another classmate (and teammate) could leave 20 minutes earlier for their basketball game at Newark Junior HS. The gym was cold, and the boys lost in overtime by a basket. We shouldn't have lost. There shouldn't have been an overtime. There was confusion in the scoring towards the end of regulation because the scorer (a lady who happened to be from the opposing team) failed to record a couple of shots we made. This was why there was a discrepancy on the lighted scoreboard (which was manned by a parent from our team) and this lady's tally sheet. Our team had a separate statistics person (that tracked team stats for all our games), who had the same score as in the highlighted scoreboard. This just proved there was something wrong with the lady's tally sheet. Even the referees noted that the total score by quarter did not add up to the running score -- both of which were being tracked by this lady on her tally sheet. It was just bizarre. But I didn't want to get stressed about it. I'm not the coach.

From Newark, we headed fom Sacramento for the last tournament of the boys club volleyball season -- the Power League Regionals. On our way, we stopped by Amici's in Dublin for a late lunch. Then, a frozen yogurt treat next door at Blush. By the time we left, it was past 4pm. On our way, it rained. With the late afternoon traffic, it slowed us down a little bit. We went straight the McClellan Convention Center, the site of the tournament, hoping to see the boys play their last game for the day. But we were too late. It was almost 6pm. After exchanging pleasantries and some banter, the team gathered for a group dinner at a nearby Mongolian restaurant.

We were billeted at the Lion's Gate Hotel, just a quarter of a mile from the convention center. This was were most of the tournament participants and families stayed for the 2-day Regionals. I managed to book early and availed of the group discount, which saved me at least $40. I thought it was a pretty good deal because it also included a hot breakfast. After we checked in for the night, I had wanted to sit down and have a few drinks. Unfortunately, there were no takers. I ended up having a soda and some chips, while watching replays of ESPN and reruns of Chopped on the Food Network.

The boys had breakfast together the next day, and walked to the playing venue immediately after for the 8:00am call time. Meanwhile, the parents slept in a little bit and met for breakfast around 9. By then, the servers at breakfast already had attitudes. It's either they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of rowdy boys from the tournament all having breakfast at the same time, or it was just their inherent nature. Some of the moms wanted to call them out and give them unsolicited advice, but it wasn't worth the energy and the stress. For a small town of North Highlands in Sacramento, I don't think there are lots of jobs to choose from. These servers should be thankful they have jobs, so a little positive attitude, especially in the hospitality industry, shouldn't be too much to ask.

The venue for the Regionals was probably one of the better ones we've been to this season. It was a large complex, which was able to accommodate all 31 teams in the 16-and-under division. There were sufficient playing courts and enough room for the individual team tables that were spread across the convention center. No need to pitch tents and unfold chairs. Parking was aplenty and free. No charge, too, to enter and watch the games. But then again, we still had to drive up to Sacramento. I wonder why most of the tournaments were held up there since most of the participating teams come from around the Bay. I've heard lots of NCVA (who oversees and runs all volleyball tournaments in Norther California) horror stories, so I am not surprised.

Day 2, Sunday, was long. It was more waiting than playing. On Saturday, the team won 3 out of 5 games, and on the last day, they won 2 out of 3. Not bad. I thought the boys played much better than at their last tournament in Florin. Except for one, the matches they lost were very close. Our last game was suppose to be played at 2:30pm. Of course, it didn't happen. It was more like 4:00pm. But we couldn't leave because we still had to officiate. There were only 3 teams left in the entire venue. And with luck on our side, the match went to 3 sets. It was 6:00pm and they were still playing. As soon as the game ended, we helped tidy our table and off we went.

Dinner on the way home was a toss up between a Japanese restaurant in Dublin and a Mediterranean cafe in Pleasanton. The former won -- Amakara. The place was recommended by friends, but we thought it was overrated and a bit pricey for what they offered. Portions were pretty large, but, for me, it lacked flavor. Even my son commented on the lack of flavor of his chicken teriyaki take-out lunch the next day. And the sushi rolls at our favorite, Tomodachi Sushi Bistro in Hayward, were way better.

It was a (very) long day, and even longer weekend of driving, walking, waiting, talking, and eating. By 10:30pm, I was out.

Author's Note: Lion's Gate Hotel is located at 3419 Westover Street, North Highlands (Sacramento), CA 95652. Amakara is located at 7222 Regional Street, Dublin, CA 94568, while Tomodachi Sushi Bistro is on 24123 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 04545. Amici's and Blush have multiple locations in the Bay Area.