Lawn Game Revival

This Memorial Day Weekend was a celebration of lawn games. It started with an invitation from Todd P. to cookout & croquet at Jumpy's. Todd, as many probably don't know, is part of an elite croquet-ing club. But, he condescended to play with Sam & I, though not so far as to not beat us. Well, actually he came in second, but that's beside the point. It was a lovely night, the course was clearly measured and marked. We drew for colors. I drew yellow, i.e. 4th turn. I started off strong, but lost it somewhere around the far post, just about the time Abby & Miyuki were getting the hang of it, and promptly left me in the dust along with the boys. Thus, I ended up finishing dead last, however, it was a leisurely good time, and Todd & Jumpy always have the class to put a small table in the middle of the course for drinks.

The fun continued on Monday evening with a rousing game of bocce. A special thanks to the European students who were renting this house before we bought it and consequently left us a fantastic set. Again, the evening was lovely, the champagne was flowing, and this time guess who came out on top. That's right, it seems I have (or had at least yesterday) an uncanny knack for placing heavy 30cm balls nearer than others to a smaller ball. The contestants were myself, Sam, Dinah, and my nephew Carson, who came in a noselength behind me in 2nd place! Seems the little boy doesn't have a bad arm himself!

And so, the summer begins, and shall not end without the commencement of many more lawn games. If only I could have played Kungen on Friday or Saturday evening. Then the weekend would have been complete.

One of those moments

Yesterday morning was one of those perfect, beautiful moments. It was about 10:30 am, the weather was warm, but not too hot, breezy. Sam was sitting on the porch reading Meat on the Hoof, his historical sports book of present, and I was giving him a haircut, a task that I thoroughly enjoy. I mean, its just a little number 7 clipper here, number 5 there, but its still very enjoyable. Anyways, I just thought, "ah, this is so nice". The rest of the day was fine, too, but it was one of those moments in which I was thinking about how nice it was at the time it was happening.

On another topic, Sam will be home imminently from his first cricket match. Can't wait to hear about it. His team is all Indian except him, and the other team turned out to be all Pakistani. When I spoke to him at 1pm there were not yet any riots. Here he is this morning in his whites, ready to go.

A modesty issue

So, the other day I was at Norman's local hippie-mart, buying some bread. There were a few other people in the shop, including a few women at a table eating, one of whom was holding a baby (and wearing a tank top). Anyways... not long after I'm there, baby gets hungry, so what does tank-top wearing, hippie mama do but follow her uninhibited lifestyle and feed the sweet baby whilst carrying on her conversation.

Now... part of me was made uncomfortable by a breast in public (even if it did terminate in a baby), but another part of me was happy that she didn't feel like she had to cloister herself away and could carry on with life with her baby, and that none of the other people (hippies) in the shop were bothered. It wasn't trashy, and it wasn't overly exposing, but it was still public boobery.

Part of me wishes it weren't so uncomfortable and that such a natural, good thing could be more easily embraced, that the sight of a boob could be not as big of a deal (in this context), but still be special in other contexts.

But then, I guess there are all kinds of other "natural" things that still want to have a level of modesty. Still putting together thoughts on this issue.

On dreams & fasting

So, last night I had a dream that I was kidnapped by gangsters because I witnessed them killing a police officer. Not urban gangstas, but, like, educated, white, fairly endearing, misunderstood young men who just had some sort of justifiable problem with the Authority. What that justification was I don't know, but that was just the feeling. Anyways, I was all on good behavior trying to make sure they didn't hurt me and also trying to plot my escape. Also, I was gratuitously trying to make them like me (not like like, but just appreciate) because I'm a people pleaser. Anyways... I did escape in a not exciting manner and was worried that they'd come after me when I woke up relieved and in wonderment that dreams can just be so weird sometimes. There were weirder details, too, including but not limited to me doing ballet, and my friend from high school whom I haven't seen or spoken with in years, and a boy I met at RUF summer conference 2002 whom I have likewise not spoken with or seen since.

Anyways... dreams are always weird, I guess. At least it wasn't too scary.

Today as I rode my bike home from work all I could think about was that I was SO hungry and Sam and I had (I thought) agreed to start a fast after lunch today and then break it tomorrow night at dinner. I was wondering how I was going to make it. When I got home I felt all relieved/guilty when I found out that he had not the same understanding as I had and was instead almost finished fixing some delicious dinner. I'm looking forward to the spiritual discipline of the fast, though. The Lord knows that I need some discipline if I am a total baby about missing one meal.

Right, I'm going to have some more of that delicious Rossi Sangria that Collin & Meghan brought to us last night and try to sort out my finances. I can pretty much guarantee that they're not so much up to Fat Man Standard as not up to Fat Man Standard.

This blog is totally updated regularly enough

Ah, a weekend with the Griders. Good times had by all. Saturday and Sunday, outside of church, consisted of basically eating, sleeping (including naps), and watching entirely too much Little Britain. The whole second season, I think.

Friday, on the other hand, was quite a kafuffle trying to get to Tulsa on time for the opera. The opera started at 8, and I got off work early, at 3, just so that we could make it in plenty of time. We barely made it because of such factors as the usual scrambling to get everything needed for just a mundane trip out of town, the rain, and a slight 'detour' to Guthrie on the way out of OKC onto the Turner turnpike. Whoops! But, thanks to us accidentally running through the PikePass lane sans a PikePass, we made the opera on time! And with the $3.50, too. And, the Marriage of Figaro was fantastic! It was very well done, even by the standards of Mr. Seen Rigoletto In the Royal Opera House in Prague. I think we definitely need to get out to more such cultural events. Which might be easier if this TCU option works out with Sam. We'll see. Maybe we could even be supernumeraries at the Ft. Worth opera, woowoo! But, not to count chickens before hatched.

And lets see... this blog entry's food comment is just that pork pie = delicious. I'll let Sam wax eloquent about that one. And my next food experiment: making cheese. Paneer cheese, to be exact. To be used in Navratan Korma.

And... happy birthday to Mama.