Mom's parking karma

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When I went to the airport on Monday to pick Mom up, I drove into the parking structure to park. She had let me know that she was cleaning out her garage, she had found stuff for me, and she was bringing it: pull up the car and come in to help carry it out.

When I went to park, I drove next to the entrance to the baggage claim, and to my left was a one hour parking spot. I stopped and stared at it for a few moments, trying to figure out if this space was really okay to take. It wasn't a handicapped spot. It wasn't an electric car only. Oooh-kaaaay.... I thought, as I eased into the spot.

Baggage claim was twenty feet from my car. I could not have parked any closer.

Monday evening, Mom and I went to Whole Foods to pick up items for dinner. We were winging it, not really any dinner plan. As we pulled into the lot, a car pulled out of a spot right next to the front door.

We pulled in behind and parked all of twelve feet from the store entrance.

This, in a lot I'm used to hoofing it clear across the expanse of cars, having fought for that one space that I parked in where even I couldn't get out of my tiny car because the cars next to me were parked so close.

Today, Mom came for lunch. She asked to have my car instead of the truck for her afternoon errands. When I went to move the truck to a closer spot after handing Mom the car keys, I lucked into a spot closest to the crosswalk from work.

Sure, the spot was fifty feet from my desk, but it was the closest one to my desk.

That woman is a parking spot good luck charm. I need to figure out how to bottle this parking karma. I'd make millions.

No, billions.

Introducing Lilac

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I received an email from Mom today:

I found her on my doorstep. Says that she's related to MK and insists on coming along. I frankly don't see much family resemblance, so I think she's a poser.


Head bump

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As George, Ruth and Frances were getting ready to leave for the airport on their journey back home, I reached back and stretched, putting my hands behind my head. As I pulled my hands down, I brushed across the back of my head, and felt a bump.

Earlier today, I was checking Annie for ticks. She has scratches and bruises and various hot spots that I check they are healing nicely. We've found various ticks on her days after her weekly outdoor hike, so I've become a little paranoid about checking her frequently and knowing what bumps and bruises are where.

She has one spot that feels like a tick, but in reality is just a scab over a healing puncture wound. The bump on the back of my head felt similar to that bump on Annie, but I didn't recall injuring the back of my head recently.

In a typical way of mine, I grabbed the scab on the back of my head and pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled.

My hair's getting long. Time for a haircut.

When I pulled it out, I put the bump on the table to look at it.

And discovered it was not a scab, but a tick. A tick on the back of my head. A tick whose source I'm completely clueless about.

I freaked slightly and asked the Cookes to check their heads for ticks, too. My tick was probably from the couch where I slept last night, and where the dogs sleep daily.

I'm still a little weirded out by it. Where the heck that tick was hiding, I have no idea, but it was found in my hair, on my head.

Stupid ticks.

First game

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After a ridiculously rough start this morning, we arrived at the fields and played our first game.

For some reason, the college kids thought First St. was the same as First Ave. and not until I pointed out we were still in Hillard and not in Stevinson yet, did they believe me and continue east. Two U-turns and three country roads later, and we arrived less than 25 minutes before our first game. Zoiks!

Warm up jog, throwing, dynamic warmup and flip instructions later, the captains flipped and we were on the line.

The team did really well. Their opponent was a team that had been playing together three years. Given our team had been playing together about five months, they played fantastically. They moved the disc down the field to within 10 yards of the endzone probably a dozen times in fifteen points, and had maybe 8 or 9 defensive blocks. They were foot blocked twice, which wasn't so hot, but they'll learn to pivot and fake better.

The final score was 13-1, with the single point being scored on a pick call the opponent, Cal Poly SLO, called back to grant us the score.

This game will probably be the easiest today, as it was against the fourth seed in the pool. Tomorrow should be much better, as the bottom three teams play round robin. Have to see if I can make it back for the half day.

Overheard on the field

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Two girls walking by:

"Where's Santa Clara located?"

"Santa Clara."

Elsewhere:

Thrower on the field who just caused a turn over:

"Gah! I need to punch myself!"

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