A Victory and A Loss

Last week I was able to get up to the new Nationals Park to watch them play the D-backs.  My first (and probably only) game of the season, it was a good time, albeit a tad expensive, since the garage we parked in was $25 (not my choice).  D-backs starter Daniel Hudson threw a nice game and nearly got his first shutout of his big league career, giving up two home runs in the bottom of the ninth with two outs.  D-backs won 4-2.  We had two Brits along with us, and it was their first baseball game, so it was fun to 'teach' them the game, and to hear their comments.

I also joined five colleagues from work for our annual end-of-summer scramble golf outing.  We had a couple guys bail this year, meaning it was two three-somes, instead of the three four-somes we had hoped for.  We played Karsten over at ASU.  It was blazing hot, 117, with a fair amount of humidity.  We began to wilt on the back nine after finishing the first at even par.  We did birdie the 17th, a par 5.  The other team finished five under, four under on the front; we got smoked.  But it was a fun time.

2 Signs I'm Getting Old

1. The Dog, who is the same age as me in dog years, just had surgery for a torn ACL.  He's been running with me since I started, including a 23 miler I did last year training for a marathon.  He climbed to the top of the Flat Iron in the Superstitions and Finger Rock near Kingman with me.  We've walked and jogged hundreds of miles together.  And he tore his ACL.  Is catastrophic injury of one of these old bones/muscles/ligaments far behind for me?

2. I'm starting to look at young kids, like at the mall, with disdain.  Like the maitre'D in that great scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, who "weeps for the future."  The thought that these derelict boys are going to chase my girls scares me, and the sight of these proto-slut girls saddens me.  Contempt for teenagers is surely a sign of getting old.

Plus I'm officially in my mid-30s now, yikes.

Car Play

The girls enjoy playing on a new toy they got from their cousins a couple weeks ago.  For some reason MM wanted to wear a bib at dinner, then kept it on afterward.

JoJo's Rings

The Dog's Surgery

Our little buddy went in for surgery this week. Turns out his ACL was totally torn, although his miniscus was ok. They patched up the knee and sewed him up. He was still groggy and learning how to limp when we picked him up this morning. He's been laying in his bed all day, only getting up once to pee. In 2 weeks the sutures come out and he can get limited walks in. The overall recovery should be 3-6 months, hopefully 3.

       


Have to admit, easiest $1600 I spent.  Poor buddy.

Weezer Show

Sat. night at the Del Mar Race Track was a special Weezer concert after the races.  Using Coach's "frequent bettor" cards, we got in for only $6 total, to see the last two races and the show.  They played all of their hits and were the only act, playing for just over an hour.  Patrick Wilson, normally on drums, played guitar and keyboards (so it was a 5-man group).  Being outdoors, there was a lot of weed being smoked.  Bobbins' bro and his wife joined us; he and Bobbins boozed it up.

       

         

Beach

Bobbins and I were really looking forward to the beach.  Sat. afternoon we ventured down the stairs, close to our usual spot, with Nana T and Poppy.  MM hadn't been on the sand since she was four months old, and this was JoJo's first time.  Like most babies, she ate the sand and was not happy with the cold water.  It was a nice sunny day and we all enjoyed it.  (Right after I took the photo of their sand castle, a huge wave washed it away.)

      

       

       

        

        

        

        

       

Sea World

Friday we visited Sea World.  Despite their young ages, the girls really enjoyed it, esp. MM and even JoJo.

We figured MM would like the Elmo ride but she didn't seem too thrilled

       

      

Dolphin Show

      

       

      

Shamu Show

         

      

        

At the flags, by the exit.  Mark looked for a thank-you letter he had written them, which others said they had seen, but they had been taken down only a few months before.

      

To San Diego, Play with Cousins

Last week I took the fam along for a work trip in San Diego.  The girls got an extra dose of TV on the drive over.

        


The first day, while I was in the meeting, they met up with their cousins Abby, Mikey, and Anna at a park.

That night we had some delicious tri-tip and cous-cous, courtesy of the wonderful cook Nadia.  Beforehand, the kids swam.