Where did my weekend go?

My latest work schedule of 10-7 has really cramped my style since we started it back in January. By the time I get home around 7:30, I'm tired and hungry, and when that's done it's much too late to do anything else. I've tried to get up early and workout or ride my bike before work, but it's next to impossible to avoid morning commute traffic. Since my life is consumed by work all week, I've had to reserve the weekends completely for my extracurricular activities. I look forward to the weekend more than ever these days, but every Sunday night I think to myself: "Where the hell did my weekend go?"

Weekend Re-cap:

Let's been honest, we could all use a few extra dollars. I've looked for part-time employment since my arrival in Houston, but with a schedule as hectic as mine working for a professional sports team, it's hard to find a company that will hire you. I needed something flexible. My solution was to start refereeing soccer games. Every person I know who has done it said it was some of the easiest money they have ever made and it paid straight cash. Perfect. So I took the class and started looking for soccer clubs close to where I live to get affiliated with. I made my soccer referee debut this past weekend with Bellaire Soccer Club playing host to a U-14 girls exhibition tournament. Being a referee in any sport is the most thankless job in the world. You really have to concentrate. Even though these games were just for practice, I had parents and coaches breathing down my neck. I completely missed seeing the offside flag once, and by the time I did see it play had already gone on and the team who would have had the advantage already was in possession of the ball. My class instructors said I would have my fair share of embarrassing referee stories before it's all over. I just didn't think it would happen this soon. That same game, I thought the game was over and started walking toward the car when it was really only half-time.

That evening, my dad's college friend invited me out to his house for an awesome dinner of baked potatoes, BBQ ribs, salad, and of course beer. After that I went over my new drinking buddy's apartment to pre-game a little before heading out. This guy is a recent IU alumnus I met on the social networking sight Facebook. I know it sounds lame, but I was really struggling to meet people my own age in an incredibly huge city. Anyways, after a couple beers we met up with a girl I met on a flight from St. Louis who just graduated from Purdue. I find it funny at how small the world is sometimes. One of this girl's friends went on a trip to London with one of my fraternity brothers. So strange. My buddy and I hung out with the Boilermakers for a while before heading to country bar Whiskey Creek for my coworkers birthday celebrations. I had never been to Whiskey Creek but everyone said it was my kind of place. The place was awesome playing kick-ass music, but way too crowded. I have to admit, I'm starting to not enjoy going out. In college I used to love the thrill of the hunt, but I knew most of the people at the places I went to and it was easier to network. I enjoy going out with a group of friends but I'm no longer a fan of going to bars to meet random girls. To conclude the night, my friend and I ate a late night breakfast at a 24 hour diner close to our apartments.

Unable to sleep in, I arose for Sunday school a little after 8am Sunday morning. I went to church and then to lunch with my class. Now that I'm starting to meet some of the guys, I'm actually starting to connect with a few of them. I still think they're way too uptight, but it's better than nothing. My IU buddy and I went looking around for a new place to live once our leases expire and then we took a random trip to Galveston. Galveston is a dump and a total disappointment. Don't ever go there. By the time I got home from that and made some dinner, all I could think was: "Where the hell did my weekend go?"