olio
Last night Jason and I participated in National Night Out (a great opportunity for burglars to turn it into “National Break-In”) and just as we predicted, we were the youngest participants by about 25 years, and I got stuck sitting next to a chatty 83-year-old war veteran. Luckily, the two organizers did a great job of surreptitiously rotating people, although I didn’t get to talk nearly enough with the woman who looked exactly like a live-version Lois Griffin. Lois-alike confirmed my suspicions of the neighbor kids’ hooligan-ness with her own tales, which were also corroborated by the neighborhood fireman’s response of: “Oh, those kids? Yeah, they tried to set fire to my yard two years ago.”
Although I armed myself with your stellar book recommendations, our local library was not as well-stocked as I anticipated, so I contented myself with some Anne Lamott, Anne Tyler and a light-hearted book about the mind of a serial killer, which is making me even more paranoid that normal (HARD TO DO). For some reason, hearing the gory details from the killer himself and his thought process is even more disturbing and chilling than hearing it from a secondhand source. As is the thought that there are people out there with those thought processes, walking among society undetected.
Jason is thumbing his nose at common sense and running on his broken toe. He did it yesterday and today, and is now forcing me to run faster because I can’t be beat by the guy with a broken toe, right? Only I run in intervals and he runs the whole shebang in one shot, so I fly by him when I’m running, but as I’m walking, he jogs past me and my competitive spirit awakens. Today I sprinted (sprinted!) the last 100 yards (composing a sentimental Olympics voice-over in my head as I did so: “And so the 34-year-old underdog from Minnesota stuns the world…”) and was congratulated by Jason, who then said, “How does it feel to be beaten by a guy with a broken toe?” And I laughed it off good-naturedly because he has fantastic endurance and I am a sprinter both mentally and physically, but I should have replied, “Great. How does it feel to be literally beaten by a girl until you have TWO broken toes?” Ha ha – just kidding, honey! (Note to self: UP MY GAME.)
It appears nothing interesting is happening to me lately, as evidenced by my choppy, non-lyrical posts with no concrete, tidy way of tying everything together. I should really try to put more effort int–
My apartment complex had National Night Out as well! Ours was horribly lame though. I didn’t get to see any cool Lois Griffin look alikes…just the scary people who live near me. And good job on the running. Intervals are better anyway. They make you faster
(and you can tell people you’re doing fartleks. because that’s fun to say with a straight face).
Comment by Sarah — August 6, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
Intervals! I could probably run at intervals! Can I still call it “going for a run” if it is interspersed with “liberal periods of walking”?
Comment by pseudostoops — August 6, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
We didn’t even have a NNO this year (nor did we last) as our coordinator just stopped doing it. I told my husband that I would consider doing it if there were people our age that would come.
We have Blanch from The Golden Girls living across the street.
And also there is a man who rides his bicycle down our street everyday hauling his little white dog in a Burly. Seriously!
Anne Lamontt = GREAT! Which one of hers are you reading?
Comment by Me Today — August 6, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
Me Today,
I read Joe Jones. The plot was slow, but her writing is beautiful.
Comment by Shauna — August 6, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
You can never go wrong with Anne Lamott.
Comment by Nowheymama — August 6, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
What is the book about the serial killer? I feel kind of weird telling someone I don’t know this (I’m not a psycho! Really!) but I love those kinds of books. But you are right – totally creepy!
Comment by Becky — August 6, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
Tidbits are JUST THE THING for me right now. Seriously. So digestible! I love it!
Comment by Jess — August 6, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Becky,
It’s called “I” – The Creation of a Serial Killer. Creepy and unsettling.
Comment by Shauna — August 6, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
I’ve been reading true crime for years and sometimes get so creeped out that I can’t sleep at night. Sometimes I have to take a break. Getting into their brain is so disturbing.
I hope you don’t mind but I’ve tagged you. The rules are posted here: http://www.sixteensisters.blogspot.com
I’m not sure if you ever saw my post of our camping trip from July. I have some photos of our awesome tent shower and the A/C we use in our tent and thought you might enjoy seeing them. Click on my “We’re back in one piece” entry from the July archives.
Comment by Carri — August 6, 2008 @ 2:56 pm
I did the national night out yesterday too. In my neighborhood, everyone is my age +/- 5 years. It’s kind of creepy. But fun.
I had a broken foot and continued to run on it. It actually works. Swimming doesn’t though, he shouldn’t do that.
Comment by Penny — August 6, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Hey, don’t feel bad. My posts are almost always choppy and random.
Comment by nonsoccermom — August 6, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
Or just fiugure out some way to break another one of his toe. I’m sure you can figure out some way to make it look like an accident.
Comment by My Buddy Mimi — August 6, 2008 @ 7:19 pm
I love the way this ended. Or didn’t end.
My theory about injuries and running is: if it doesn’t hurt enought NOT to run than it’s okay to run. Obviously I would have made a really terrible doctor.
Comment by Erin — August 6, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
I’m on a borrowing-from-the-library tear this summer. If they don’t have what you want, make them get it for you — I’ve been getting books from all over the place which makes me feel very cosmopolitan.
Comment by Ellie — August 7, 2008 @ 8:46 am
Hi! You won my pay it forward contest! I still have your address, because I am a crazy stalker, so you don’t need to do anything and I will send you a fabulous prize!
Comment by Shelly — August 7, 2008 @ 9:09 am
hee. i’m always coming up with awesome retorts WAY AFTER THE FACT. i hate it. why can’t i be clever in REAL TIME?
Comment by Alice — August 7, 2008 @ 9:57 am
I was in on the city’s planning team for the National Night Out city-wide kick-off the week before the neighborhood NNOs and then my neighborhood (the one I’ve only lived in for a few weeks and don’t know anyone and was thinking NNO would be the perfect time to meet the neighbors) didn’t even have one! How lame is that?
Comment by Julie — August 7, 2008 @ 3:48 pm