[Shrek] The Unlikely Champions

Earlier this summer I wrote about Fiona's and my first night of the summer bowling league. My plan, although I don't recall if I mentioned it as I was at the time more annoyed with Curt Schilling's sudden loss of testicular fortitude, was to simply stay loose over the summer and to enjoy the company of friends.

I figured we'd be good enough to finish no worse than the middle of the pack, and could hopefully play spoiler for the two teams I thought would be in the running to win the league. Nothing that happened the first couple weeks really changed my thinking, and we were all generally having fun.

Week three changed things.

I had promised Fiona we could go to the free Tornadoes exhibition game, and that game fell on a league night. So the day before the game Fiona and I rolled off ("pre-bowled" for all you ten-pinners), with both of us rolling a little over our averages. Josie and Rich then had to face our (at that point) unknown opponents. It turns out we bowled "the old lady" team that week, who decided they were going to "coach" Josie to make her a better bowler. Rich was able to get her to ignore them, and the two of them with our roll off scores absolutely shellacked the old ladies 8-0.

Rich and I exchanged a few e-mails about what happened, and when we all met up the next Tuesday Josie was still irked. And she took it out against the ghost team, helping us beat the invisible foes 8-0.

From that point on we were in first place, and spent every week after running away from the pack. We actually had a chance to lock in first place in week 14, but the teams chasing us didn't co-operate, but we still clinched first in week 16 as the teams behind us made one last futile push.

That made last night a "victory lap". The girls both had great nights, Rich kind of tossed the ball down the alley getting his boxes over, and I had a couple lobs that made me look like a slo-pitch softball pitcher. Along the way we had a lot of laughs, and for the only time this season, got skunked. Not that it mattered. The beer flowed freely, the pizza tasted great, and the fact how we bowled didn't matter made for a great evening.

I finished with the 2nd high average in the league (a book keeping error had me tied with someone else for 2nd, but it would have been too much effort to fix it so we let it stand), and Rich also got an individual prize.

Josie started week one with a 44 average. She ended the season at over 65. I have never seen anyone improve 20 pins in one season, even those like Josie that had never bowled in a league before.

Fiona ended up a little over her normal 66, and despite saying every week she hated the game, had a good time.

Together we made for some very unlikely champions.

[Fiona] The Choosing of the Stone

Have any of you ever thought about what goes into choosing a stone? By this I mean a headstone for a grave. It is not as easy as it sounds. Color, weight, quarry, finish, lot size, all of these things have to be taken into account along with what will be sand blasted onto it besides the name(s) of the deceased.

This past weekend my father, my mom's sister and I went to Whitinsville to stone shop. My dad made the final selection through tear soaked eyes. It is a lovely stone from a Canadian quarry. It is sort of rose colored with the words together forever across the front with roses on either side of the wording. There is also a cross adorned with rosary beads (the 'rents are Catholic). The ovearall effect is quite beautiful.



I don't know why but going to my hometown to buy a headstone and check out my parents plot really made me sad. I think the reality of the end of life(for everyone I know and love) was just too much for my poor soul to bear. It's funny how I never realized just how much I love the people in my life.

[Fiona] She Lives

Not that anyone in blog land is worried about me, but yes, I am still alive. My life has recently seen an increase in life changing stress and so I haven't felt much like blogging.

That is until today. Today I feel spry.

My mom recently passed away and I have been solely left with the responsibility of caring for my Pops. He is healthy for his age but has the suckiest memory known to man. He knows who I am but can't remember small things like: did I eat? bathe? feed the dog? Small and yet important.

He recently said to me, "I don't know what's wrong with the dog. She goes poop like four times a day. Do you think I should call the vet?"

Apparently the dog knows my dad's memory sucks and being the pig I know her to be, pesters him for snackies she just doesn't need. I have taken to taping a sign on my dad's microwave that says "Don't feed the dog" which seems to work pretty well most of the time. Occassionally, however, my Pops will call me and ask, "how come I can't feed the dog? is she sick?"

He'll laugh because on some level he knows it is because he can't remember things like he used to. Thank god he still has his sense of humor.

I love this man, to me he is unforgettable and I pray that he will always be able to remember me.