Wet And Squishy

Day 17: Life goes on.

Today's title sounded more like an advertisement for a family-themed water park or a pair of secondary mischeif-making characters in a 70's sitcom...but, alas, it was simply a reference to the weather. It has been rainy today, but it's been pleasant. I sometimes enjoy a couple of days of steady, constant light rainfall. A crashing thunderstorm is exciting, but generally short-lived, whereas a heavy sprinkle may go on for hours and days. It's excellent napping weather.

My mother, my sister and I have gone into full-swing preparation mode for my dad's funeral. I have, of course, heard countless people talk about how complicated and involved the planning process is, but I always assumed that to be some sort of situational hyperbole...I mean come on, how difficult can it be to make a couple of phone calls and simple decisions?

Needless to say, my uppance has come for that little touch of hauteur.

It will certainly all get done, but I am now among the countless who will nod sympathetically at the recently bereaved and mumble some vague comment about how tough it is to make all the required arrangements. We have played divide and conquer on the event, and my main task has been handling things with the church. While everyone there has been wonderfully helpful and kind, it's just the sheer magnitude of the information one has to collect in such a short time that seems overwhelming....what's the last name of his friend who agreed to be a pallbearer?...what scripture reading would we like?...how many pews will be required for the family?...Sweet Mother Of God, I don't usually ponder this many questions in an hour, and now they all need to be answered on the spot in rapid succession... at one point I thought about simply shouting out random nonsense answers...orange! Seventeen! Photosynthesis! Henry V! It would have given the church staff something to talk about at lunch, at least... (btw, everything did get handled, and painlessly. If you ever have to execute a complicated task at a sad time, you couldn't be in better hands than those at Cathedral Church of the Advent. My fondest thanks to them.)

On other subjects, I have noticed that football season seems to have begun. I am sure I will go to a few parties this season, but I truly couldn't care less about the game. As a southern male, I am supposed to have the sports gene, but I just don't. Even stranger is the fact that I am a southern male who is also a graduate of The University Of Alabama, that football-mad elysium for those whose greatest dream is to attend a four-year sports bacchanal with an occasional class tossed in. Don't get me wrong...I love my alma mater, and I got an excellent education and had lots of fun. I just never understood the thrill behind sitting and watching 22 people lining up and crashing into each other in contest over the ability to run with a small ball across a grassy lawn towards an oddly-shaped giant fork.

I am, however, in a very tiny minority, and I am aware of that. ;-)

An irony of not complete insignificance dwells in the fact that aside from the game (or match or meet or whatever) I usually very much enjoy most of the activity surrounding a sporting event. I love football parties, provided there are enough party-goers rotating into the kitchen or bar area to talk to me. I love tailgate parties, especially if the weather is cool. I have been to one professional baseball game, and I felt like I was at a huge amusement park, which was delightful. I even like the sound of a football game being broadcast over the radio, which reminds me of Saturday afternoons in the fall when my parents would listen to the radio broadcasts of those UA games that were not televised. Sports stadium food? Love it! Slightly mushy hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts and beer...what's not to like? I love the feeling of togetherness that comes with visiting good friends during a televised game and sitting together around the tv. Above all, I love an excuse to drink at 11am and not look trashy. It's just watching the event itself that puts me to sleep. Oh well, it's not like I've never been the odd one before... ;-)

In today's News From The Motherland...a quest for truth in cigarette branding.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8239028.stm

Cheers!
FLT3