Tale of the Brat Thief

I still can't decide if I'm upset with the events of last night or proud. I made a couple of brats that I had roaming in the freezer and cut them up to eat with some pasta. I was working on something else and when I turned around, about half of the brats were missing. My daughter was there and said, "I love brats!" and proceeded to continue pilfering my stash. I lost my cool a bit as I didn't have any back-up brats and told her to stop. She took the plate to the table and the next time I turned around ate all but two little pieces. I was really looking forward to those brats, but the enthusiasm she was exuding about them may have made up for not eating them. I quite proud of how much she likes brats. She even chooses them over hot dogs.

Tuesday night was one of the best nights of volleyball I've played in a while. Even though it was in a gym with a concrete floor and the end lines were the walls, it was a lot of fun. We played what was probably one of the best teams, and it turns out that we may also be one of the best teams. We split the 4 games and could have won all 4. I felt a lot more comfortable this week getting use to playing 6's again after three summers of doubles. This is going to be a fun season.

I even went for a run the following day and felt good, not unbearably stiff. Anyone who read my last post saw that I found a new shoe store. It's really my new store. I decided that shoes were too big and contacted them to see if they could do anything for me. They have a 30 day return policy, regardless of the condition of the shoes. I'm glad that I decided to boycott Dick's Sporting Goods. I tried to buy shoes there and couldn't get someone to help me. It was clear that I was looking for shoes and wasn't just looking casually. I had my 1-year-old in a stroller, so I was definitely motivated to find a pair and make a purchase. You don't go trying on shoes for fun with a 1-year-old. As I stood looking at the display, holding shoes and looking intently at the sales people, the only response I could get was a curt notification that they only had that shoe is size 14 as one guy rushed to help someone else. I waited for a good 15 minutes and couldn't even make eye contact with anyone. No one even gave me so much as a, "I'll be with you in a minute," or, "Are you being helped?"

Anyway, I'm heading back to get some shoes that actually fit on Saturday and may get some more wool socks. I love those socks. I want to get some SmartWool clothing too. A friend of mine clued me into a site called Steep and Cheap that has some amazing discounts, so I'm watching that because I can't afford $70 for a running shirt.

Big game on Monday. I'm hoping the Vikings are for real and we see an Adrien Peterson extravaganza as he leads the Vikings to a rout of the Packers. Buffalo wings will be made and the kids will go to bed so I can watch this game.

More volleyball and wool socks

Started a new volleyball league last night. It's been a long time since I played 6's, especially with a full team. It's been even longer since I played on a a gym floor (note to self - need to dive less). That being said, last night was a lot of fun. It helped that we won all four games. This will be a good cross-training activity to give the short-twitchers a jump start and give me some speed back when I run.

I finally got some new running shoes. It's been three years since I bought my last pair, but I have to confess that I didn't really use them until this past January. Our local store closed down and I'm boycotting Dick's Sporting Goods, so I went on a search for another local running store. I found one, but it's 45 minutes away. If you are in the area, check them out. It's Elite Feet in Montoursville. They were very helpful, but I think I may have gotten the shoes a little too big. I'm not sure. The last pair was a little too snug, so it may just be a reaction to actually having some room in the toe box. I also wore my new socks, my first pair of wool running socks (Smart Wool to be specific). The guy at the store said I would be amazed at the difference between them and cotton socks. I have to agree, they did feel pretty good. The only problem is I only have one pair.

Today was the first full day of Autumn and we reached 84 degrees in my classroom. We got an email on Monday saying the AC would be off for the week. Anything above 75 and it gets difficult for anyone to concentrate in a classroom. We were spoiled up to this point. The new system put in over the summer (or fixed or whatever...it worked) kept the temperature in my room below 72, often below 70. It was really nice. Today, not so nice.

NTN Trivia National Champion

I just got back from Damons for what may have been my first night out (without my lovely wife) in over four years (since my firstborn was born). I love playing the trivia game they have there and various other places as well. I've always done decently, but tonight may have been my crowning achievement. On one game, I got a perfect score and got the national ranking of #1 for that game. I've broken the top ten before, but I've never come close to a perfect game before. This was even after 50 oz of beer. I was on and on fire. It was my first night of volleyball this summer and I got to play with my brother who was subbing for my normal partner. We split the 6 games, but it felt really good. Playing 20 pounds lighter than last year really made a difference. I still can't believe I got the perfect score and I only had to guess on one question. I only wished one of us had a cell phone to take a picture of my name listed at number one. I guess I'll have to keep trying so that I can get a picture of a repeat.