The Victors

1) We have a 9/11 memorial run tomorrow. One of the FAQs tells us that "festive attire is encouraged!" Festive 9/11 gear. Assume they mean a "3 for $10"-T-Shirt you find at certain gas stations that has an eagle and an American flag on the front?

2) I was at the game on Saturday. Great to see GoBrew and traveler again, thanks for hosting. My friend invited one of his Argentinian co-workers, who came with his (the Argentinian co-worker's) father. Neither really knew much about football. My buddy suggested he learn on YouTube University which I've not heard of but assume is some sort of place you can find instructional videos, or maybe child porn, I have no idea what the internet even is any more. Anyway, I'm not sure if they really appreciated the ending or de-appreciated the rest of it, but they got an experience, certainly.

3) As the game was progressing not necessarily to our advantage, I kept reciting to people around me, but mostly to myself, that, having been at the App State game, this couldn't hurt me. I'm thankful I didn't get to quite find out if that was true.

4) Next day, I was talking to a friend (who posts on the Victors) about the game. His kid had gone to bed after the first Hail Mary, and missed the end, so they got to wake him up when he and his wife got home from the game and surprise him with the result, at which point he was through the roof.

I get that we can't turn our brains off, but there's something wonderful that kids can just enjoy winning a close game, and not worry about expectations or season long projections or all that stuff. It'd be a pretty awful to be a fan during the week; I don't know what you'd even talk about. "Gee guys, hope Witt has the boys ready on Saturday." But if you could turn off or at least down the analytical part of your brain a bit and just enjoy the spectacle during the games themselves, it'd be a lot more fun. Alas, it is not the way.

5) We hosted our annual bocce ball tournament, last one at one of our homes, as my mom is moving and my sister doesn't have the space. Not sure what we're going to do as it's something of our family's signature thing/major yearly event (AnthonyC will back me up on this). Anyway, I did win a match for the first time in probably a decade. Alas, it was only 1. There were 30 teams so that was not really close to cutting it.

There's a surprising amount of skill involved, as the same people who usually go pretty far do every year, and you can really see the difference by the end when people can really hit some legit shots, despite 1) being on an uneven lawn subject to random bounces and 2) the cardinal rule being not to practice (or officially care about it) during the year.

OTOH, my dad won the year before he died with Parkinson's which famously affects balance, movement, and coordination. Still not sure how he did that. No one let him win. He just had innate skill that didn't desert him. Also drew a strong partner. I should work on rigging the draw next year. Maybe that's the ticket.

6) The 65" TV is working well. Still in the honeymoon/awe phase. not that I haven't watched football on a really big TV before, but still.