Injury Report

Those of you who know me very well were probably expecting a post like this very soon after my Corporate Challenge announcement. So yes, I have encountered my first injury. Luckily, it's not the knees or ankles -- but just a pulled muscle. Well, both my quads actually. Evidently, I can't just get up and run around without preamble like I used to. I now have to respect my age and actually warm up and stretch appropriately first. The worst part about it was having to watch from the sidelines while my team struggled without enough players. As I have hobbled around and iced my thighs these last couple of days, I have become very determined not to let that happen again. It's one thing to injure yourself while actually participating in the game. It's another thing to run on to the field and then collapse before your feet have even touched the ball. Anyway, there is no update on the other sports yet. Justin and I went on a quick trip to Dallas over the weekend and played a little racquetball at a *proper* Ballys (one with courts). It was a lot of fun, but I discovered that my skills are extremely rusty and there is no way I could represent my company without a lot more practice. And since there are no easily available courts in town, I don't really see that happening. I guess that it's for now. Stayed tuned for more middle-aged-geek-trying-to-do-sports madness!

Corp Challenge Update

Well, it's been awhile since I announced my Corporate Challenge aspirations. I figured I should provide an update on how my "getting-into-shape" goals are progressing. Volleyball: I played on a company team for a couple nights and discovered that all the other ladies have been playing together for a long time. They didn't really need an extra newbie, so I'm no longer a candidate for that event. Bowling: There were barely enough ladies to sign up for this event, so I'm definitely playing on the Coed team. Recently, I have played a few practice games and I've been bowling lousy, so I need to get a lot more training in before the June 3 tournament. Pool: Here there were 3 ladies who signed-up for the 1 person slot. So far, I have beaten one woman and tied the other, so it is still a little up in the air. I am not a shark by any means, but I am remembering a lot of the basic skills that will probably put me in the middle of the pack. A few of my coworkers have been going to Side Pockets weekly during lunch to get some practice in, and that is helping. Racquetball: Again, not very many volunteers here -- only 2 of us signed up for this sport. However, as I tried to schedule in some practice I learned that none of the Bally's Fitness Centers in Kansas City have racquetball courts anymore. I am still hoping to play a little on some pay courts, but otherwise I will bow out to other lady and just be an alternate. Soccer: Ahh, now here is where I hoped to have the most fun. There actually are several women who registered for this event. I haven't heard anything about company try-outs yet, so I figured I should get in some practice on my own. I went back to my old hang-out, All American and signed-up for and indoor Mom's team. It's really just a house team for their 28-and-over-no-experience-required league. I played in my first game this week, and man, am I out of shape! Luckily, most of the other ladies have not ever played soccer before, so I didn't look too bad. Despite my wheezing, huffing, missing, and stumbling I managed to score a goal! I am really happy about playing again, so even if I don't get to participate in the Corporate Challenge I will at least have met my personal goal. I'll keep posting more information as this adventure progresses.

Miscellanous

Okay, I'm not doing so well at keeping this site up-to-date. On the plus side, not much has been going on. Except we've been watching movies as always. Most recently, we finally viewed our purchased copied of Capote. It is very well-done, although I think I missed out on some things just because I am not that familiar with Truman Capote's history, or really American Literature in general. I still rated it a 7 overall. Then there was Memoirs of a Geisha, which I also rate a 7. I often enjoy stories of oriental culture, but this one was a little slow paced. Plus, I was hoping for more spectacular visuals like Hero. Another historical flick, Good Night, and Good Luck didn't really hit home with me. The quality still rates it a 7, but I wasn't really sitting on the edge of my seat. I did remark at all the smoking -- my, how the times have changed. The critically acclaimed A History of Violence also fell a little flat in my opinion. The acting was spectacular, but I am tired of mob stories. I hoped for something even more surprising and rated this only a 6. Probably the movie I have enjoyed the most of late is V for Vendetta. Of course, being the latest from the Wachowski brothers, I was anticipating something great. It didn't have as much action as I hoped for, but the story and interactions were still superb. I give this one an 8. Finally, yes I expected some laughs when I went in to see Ultraviolet. Even trying to view this as a comedy, I can't really give it more than a 2 rating. My friend said that it is trying to be a live-action Anime movie. I could see how that might be the case, but better character development would help. It's pretty sad when I start to feel sorry for the non-existent special effects.

As you may remember, when the house was built we didn't want to spend a bunch of extra money on sod for the whole backyard. So this weekend we finally took the time to till up all the dirt; dig up the big rocks; pull up the twigs and roots; and lay down some seed. Whew! It was a lot of work, and now the watering begins. Let's hope it pays off. 

We finally found a bench that we like a lot! See how perfect it fits in the entryway. Frege even posed for this picture.