J.K. Coi

Wow, getting logged on here took up about twenty minutes of my time, and I'd only given myself ten minutes for blogging to begin with!! Oh, the joys of the electronic age :)

Well, now that my nerves are completely shot, I'm not even sure what it is I wanted to say anymore.

There's been so much happening lately that I can't even begin to start. School's almost done now that summer is fast approaching and hubby is busy trying to get exams ready. Our son is starting to wonder why this is "the last week of school". He says he doesn't know everything yet, and it can't be finished. How to tell a 4-year old that he'll go back in a few months, that's going to seem like years to him.

I don't think I mentioned yet that...

I WON!!

My book took first place in the Get the Lead Out 2007 literary competition up in North Bay this past May! It was a lovely weekend conference, full of great advice from guest authors, and wonderful people to meet who are all in the same boat as me--writing, writing, writing.

I've just completed final edits for the book, and it has now been sent out to be reviewed by an agent. So now we play the waiting game and see what happens.

But, enough about history, let's talk about what's really important: SOCCER!!

We enter the time of the year that our family loves best, summertime. The time when the weather is warm, the trees are green, and the soccer is exciting.

This year Canada is hosting the FIFA U20 World Cup Soccer finals in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Burnaby, and Victoria. This is a big deal for players under the age of 20 who will from countries all over the world to compete, and since we're a big soccer family (having 2 out of 3 members playing all summer long), we'll not only be watching the games on TV, but will be lucky enough to get to see a semi-finals game in Toronto in July.

Traditionally, we have been a solid fan of the Italian teams, but alas, Italy will not be represented in these games, and that makes life so much simpler for us this summer, because we will be cheering guilt-free for our homeland, Canada.

The new home to Canada's national teams is the National Soccer Stadium at Exhibition Place, which hosted its first official international on Friday, May 11, and the FIFA U-20 World Cup hosts were only just edged out 2-1 in the dying seconds by Argentina in a pulse-pounding friendly.

This season's crop of Canadian players look tough to break down. Strong players with lots of experience and a strong coach, Canada could surprise many of the more traditional powers with the aid of familiar fields and what are bound to be energetic and boisterous crowds.

So, who else is following the tournament in Canada this year? It doesn't necessarily have the prestige of a Euro Cup or the World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010, but for us, the benefit of games being held here in Canada is a great draw, and we'll gladly follow them to the very end.

Vive le Canada!!