Tag Archives: football

Day 84 – Saturday – Pork Chops

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Diane decided that she was cooking today. We had some porkchops thawing in the fridge for a couple of days and it was time to spice them up. She did it in the crockpot and it was really good. It had sliced potatoes and onions under the meat and the end result was a lot like pork chops and scalloped potatoes. It wouldn’t be ready until 1730 so she had the entire day free to roam.

Once the food was in motion, we went to ACE Hardware, one of the many in Tucson, to get metal screws so I could properly attach the flapper seal on the bottom of the bedroom slide. That’s the part that blocks daylight from streaming under the slide when it’s extended. She figures if she can see daylight under the slide, so can mice and rats. Up until now, I’ve been blocking the gap from the inside but that’s a tedious task. I should have fixed it a long time ago but by putting it off for so long I was honing my procrastination skills to a world class level. Diane has convinced me that it’s time for me to give up on this lofty goal and get to work. What I needed was some self-tapping metal screws to put it together properly, so we took a little trip to a local ACE store. There are 5-6 of them in this town. Thankfully, it had free popcorn. I got to eat most of it before I dumped it on the floor on my side of the car. What a mess.

Diane dropped Max and me at home then drove off to complete her visit to the last thrift store she was at yesterday, the Humane Society Thrift Store. She had to stop shopping early because she wore the wrong shoes, and her feet complained. Today she’s in flip flops and can walk a mile in those things.

I stayed home with Max with the understanding that I was to find a way to use my time alone in a productive manner. So, between bouts of productivity I watched a little NCAA Football and randomly walked Max. We ate some stuff, too. I don’t remember what it was, but it was good. It was a nice day, so we spent some time lounging on the patio. Max got whiplash trying to get a bead on everything that moved, and I just sat there, reading. It was best to be outside because the crockpot aroma was getting to me. It was wonderful.

Watching football wasn’t really interesting to me until late in the afternoon. The Oregon Ducks, #1 in the nation, didn’t play today so I had to wait until 1700 when the PAC 12 teams, both of them, played each other for the title. The Oregon Ducks used to be in the PAC 12, but they went east to play with the Big 10 guys. They are doing OK, too.

The Oregon State Beavers played the Washington State Cougars for a full four quarters. The lead changed hands numerous times throughout the game, and it was tied 38-38 with 20 seconds remaining in regulation. Oregon had the ball, and it was 4th down. All the Beaver kicker had to do was nail a 57-yard FG. Which he did. Final score, 41-38, Beavers win. It was awesome.

While I watched the game, Max spied on the neighbors, Diane locked herself in the bedroom and watched old Columbo mysteries. It’s her safe place. I appreciate that she allows me to watch a game now and then.

Diane wouldn’t let me add a photo of her which makes sense. I didn’t even take one.

Later.

The Olympics

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Diane and I just finished watching our recording of the Opening of the Olympic Games. We agree, as I’m sure pretty much anyone who watched it, that it was absolutely spectacular. If I’m wrong and you disagree, that’s OK. You have the right to be wrong, too.

For us the entire ceremony was very emotional, building as it progressed to the end when the Olympic Flame was ignited. What a show.

If you missed it I encourage you to seek a source and watch it all the way.

Today I was going to watch the USA Ladies play basketball but, for some reason, it didn’t record. However, they won without me watching, so it’s all good.

It turns out that Ladies rugby was recorded so I decided to watch it since I missed basketball. On a happy note, I’ve learned it’s a fun game to watch. There isn’t any real competition for watching women play football without pads. Additionally, it’s a game that doesn’t appear to have any specific rules. Either that, or they make them up on the fly.

Here’s the way it looks to me.

Opposing teams line up and one team kicks the ball. I’m not sure how that’s decided but no one argues about it. After kicking the ball it’s a free-for-all to see who can get possession. The one person who gets the ball starts running toward the other goal unless the other team can divert her then they run toward their own goal until they come across one of their teammates and they can lateral it to them. This goes on and on until the runner is consumed by the opposing team. Once on the ground, the fight for possession begins when the ball is pushed out of the group of players toward the opposing goal. Once clear of the downed runner, a team mate puts her hand on the ball and no one moves until the ball is pulled from the turf. It’s amazing because that’s the only time they aren’t fighting for the ball. I mean fighting, too. They aren’t gentle with each other at all.

Another little quirk of the game is when there is a change in possession, the person doesn’t advance the ball until they drop the ball and kick it back up. Kinda interesting.

I suppose if I watched it long enough, or actually read the rules, I could figure it out and it might not take any longer than it did for me to discover exactly what constitutes an off side in soccer. That took me years before I finally figured it out.

Here are the rules.

Basic rules of rugby for beginners:

  1. Rugby is played with two teams of 15 players each.
  2. The objective is to score more points by carrying or kicking the ball across the opponent’s goal line.
  3. The ball can only be passed backward.
  4. Players can be tackled but not blocked.
  5. Tackles must be below shoulder height and players must wrap their hands around the opponent

The Rest of the Story, kinda …

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I just learned a new favorite quote that I’m going to plagiarize from a movie I’m watching with Jean, Diane’s Mom, while Diane goes to Walmart in her nightgown. Here’s the quote, then I’ll explain the rest of that in great detail.

“A problem is an opportunity dressed in work clothes.”

The Movie is “A Taste if Christmas” and it’s on the Lifetime channel. A great quote.

Now, for the rest of the story …

First, Diane swore she wasn’t going to wear her nightgown to Walmart but I don’t know why. If I had a nightgown, and looked as good as she does in it, I’d do it. Honestly, she did leave Mom’s house in her nightgown to go home and tackle a chore while I look after Jean. That’s code for “make sure she doesn’t fall down,” “feed her,” and “watch whatever she wants to watch on TV.” The first two are simple because she doesn’t fall down any more, and I feed her when I’m hungry. The last one is more difficult because I’m never sure I’m on the correct channel at the correct time. During the week we progress through News, The Price is Right, News, Wheel of Fortune, News, Days of Our Lives, News, Lifetime, etc…

Today, however, is Saturday and, as I watch this movie I know there’s a college football game playing on at least 12 other channels but I’ve been directed to steer clear of those to spare Mom the agony of being forced to watch that kind of chaos. Sometimes I dial up those channels on my laptop so I can watch one of my favorite teams (Ducks & Beavers). I’ll be doing that later this afternoon when they are playing.

Sorry, but I got a bit distracted by all the keys on my laptop and it’s difficult to NOT touch at least most of them while I sit here. Sometimes things appear on my screen that actually make sense. All the other “stuff”I try to make it disappear. Once in a while something stupid slips by, so forgive me.

The reason Diane leaves Mom’s in her nightgown is because she spends her nights with Mom. After I get here, and have my coffee, she sneaks into the garage and gets in her car, before opening the big door, then drives home where she takes a shower before getting to work on one project or another. Our house is a little bit remote so there’s no danger of being seen in sleep wear up there. Or, there’s no danger of being seen improperly dressed at home because no one really cares up there.

About that … taking a shower, then going to work on something that’s bound to make one sweaty. I’ve always thought she did that in the wrong order. She should work first, then shower, right? But, she doesn’t and I’ve become accustom to her dyslexic approach to work and hygiene. On the upside, she always smells really great when she begins working. She also smells really good after she’s done working. So, having said that, it’s evident that I don’t really know what I’m talking about when it comes to taking a shower. Because of that, I’ve decided to just take a shower whenever she tells me to. One more decision I don’t have to worry about.

Oh! I went through the TV directory and discovered that there are 13 channels with football games on, not 12. Although I just guessed the 12, I’m sad that I was wrong because I’m so rarely that. Wrong, that is. Just ask Diane. She’ll tell you I’m almost always right.

Today Diane said she’s going to work on getting “things” out of the RV before the weather turns to bad. It’s not fun carrying a load of “stuff” from the RV to the house in the snow, or a torrential rain storm. Actually, doing it in the snow isn’t totally bad. I kinda like it that way. So, I’m not taking out my “stuff” until it snows. The way the weather is trending, I may not have to move my “stuff” at all.

I’m rambling so it must be time to stop.

Now, I think I’ll go take a shower, then watch some football.