How glad was I to skip a long-mulled holiday weekend trip to Palm Springs? Pretty glad.

Instead I simply stayed away from the keyboard for a few days and by way of catch-up should note that:

*The Galaxy lost yet another preseason game Wednesday at Home Depot Center, although much more important than the result was that Palos Verdes Estates’ Kyle Nakazawa saw his first minutes in a scrimmage since joining the club from the Philadelphia Union and draft picks Tommy Meyer and Bryan Gaul continue to audition for a central defensive slot partnered by A.J. DeLaGarza.

*Speaking of center backs: the Galaxy is making injured stopper Omar Gonzalez available to the media Thursday for the first time since his knee surgery after the club’s closed door scrimmage with Chivas USA.

*The Galaxy have pared their roster to 34, releasing 2011 draft picks Ryan Thomas and Dustin McCarty and 2012 draft pick Stephen Posa from camp. The only minutes Thomas, a defender, experienced was in the meaningless 2011 season finale, while midfielders McCarty and Posa simply had no chance to crack the star-studded Galaxy midfield.

*More important is the early return of Landon Donovan to the club in the wake of yet another sparkling performance for Everton against Chelsea that included an assist on the goal that sealed an unlikely win for the Liverpudlians. Would LD like to stay longer? Oh yeah, and it sounds like that is a more permanent stay is a distinct possibility eventually.

*Chivas USA, playing the Impact’s second-string Wednesday following the Canadian club’s game against the Galaxy, beat Montreal in Carson.

The club unveils its new 2012 jersey at around 30,000 feet somewhere between LA and Guadalajara today and have similarly high hopes for this young highly-rated Ecuadorian newcomer.

*Good to see former Galaxy veteran Chris Albright sign with his hometown team.

*Finally, is Diamond bar’s Alex Morgan poised to become the latest American golden goal to win the nation’s collective heart at this year’s Olympics? Sure seems so.