Update on...a while

Blogger tells me I haven't updated since Sept 7. So...

Weekend of Sept 8-9
I'll skip Saturday for now, but on Sunday, after church, we picked up friends of mine and Graham's and went to the Parkway to have a pizza and see The Simpsons--all for free, thanks to a gift certificate passed on by my friend Sharon! (Thanks, Sharon!)

That evening was the first of my slots for Red Tryouts (for new players) or Conditioning (for us returning players), but after I had called three sitters, the only one who could have done it was not feeling well at all (but confirmed for the next weekend). I hated missing it, but it was a little too late to just bring him along.

Weekend of the 14th
Friday night, we had nothing planned, so I asked G if he wanted to have a Crafts Night. He did... and then played computer games for a while. I went ahead and designed a few cards, including one for our minister, who's mother passed away just this past week. G was so excited about it, he wanted to make one himself. So I showed him how I cut the paper, let him round the corners and stamp and cut out the bird I mounted, and we finished it together. That was a nice compliment to me. I wrote a sympathetic message on the inside of the dark purple card in white gel ink.

Saturday was the Cal game vs. LA Tech and also Alumni Band Day. I had gone back & forth about marching with the alumni band, and ended up deciding just to play in the stands. We got to Berkeley about 10, parked (for free!) at North Berkeley BART, and walked up to the rehearsal room. I told G about the myth of rubbing the Bear's nose before a game for good luck, and he really got into it. (There's a stone bear near the Band room.)

We rehearsed a lot of music, and then went upstairs for lunch. By the time we got through the line, there were only a handful of veggie sandwiches yet, so I tried to give back the one G had picked up, to his great displeasure. they insisted he could have one, and I left him with friends to get a sandwich of my own, and a fruit salad for a little healthy touch.

After lunch, we walked up to Upper Sproul Plaza to hear the current Cal Band play their Sproul Steps Concert. G found a 1-yard circle carved into the plaza that says something like "This circle and the air above it are not part of any nation." What a cool concept.

G got through half of the game, but just barely. I finally made a deal with him that I just wanted to see the countermarch that the Alumni Band were going to do. It was well worth the wait--really well done. Not bad for old fogeys! We headed home, on the way picking up a fleece from Freecycle, tons of giveaway food from Dharma & TGF, and something I've forgotten.

Sunday was our church picnic, which was fun, and then I went to the Red Tryouts/Conditioning. It was so good to skate with my friends again! Turns out, lotws of my pals from Green got moved up this season, too; yippee!

More later...