On The World Cup

Meh

I realize that I am supposed to be deeply obsessed with what is going on in Qatar right now, the “football” World Cup. I am of course, a patriotic American, and so because I am supposed to do so, I suppose I am happy we tied the English yesterday 0-0. I wonder which on average is a lower-scoring game—college women’s field hockey or World Cup Soccer football?

Part of my distance from this game is the degree to which many in America see it as some sort of national character flaw that many of us find little to enjoy in this sport of flopping and rolling around in (fake) pain and anguish. The rest of the world already sees us as flawed in this manor, and the cool kids here want the rest of us to join in.

I’ll never forget moving in the summer of 1972 to a new town where there was organized soccer offered for kids. Parents then pointed to the new American professional soccer league as evidence that soccer was the sport of the future. Fifty years later, I’m still listening to this. I’m all for the rest of the world having the World Cup, and I’ll pay passing interest to it, maybe even watch some of the final. But I am not for a millisecond going to validate any of the global snootiness that attends to this generally boring sport.

UVA Basketball Update

For those interested in an exciting sport, I give you college basketball, and the AP #5 ranked Virginia Cavaliers. With both UNC and Kansas dropping games over the weekend, it could be that the Hoos make it all the way up to #3 in the poll that comes out Monday.

I have to admit to being a little apprehensive about all of this hoopla. Indeed, UVA is MUCH better than they were last year, and probably nearly as good as they’ve been in the past. They had two big wins in Vegas, and they’ve taken care of business elsewhere. But danger lurks.

First, they are heading up to Ann Arbor to play Michigan Tuesday night. Michigan is a very good, very big team playing at home. UVA is favored, but this will be bruising. The game that REALLY has my attention takes place a week later, when James Madison comes to Charlottesville. First—JMU beat us last year. Second, this is an in-state, chip on the shoulder type game that we could be unprepared for. Win that game and there’s a bit of an exam break before the even higher ranked Houston Cougars come to town in what could be a #2/#3 matchup.

Post-Thanksgiving Giving of Thanks

It is the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and all is right with the world. One Kitten is already back at school and the other will head to hers later today, both very much looking forward to a quick turnaround and a return home for their final college Christmas break. Our Thanksgiving meal (plus seven extended family/significant others) was delightful, although I did a poor job on the Turkey. We had a “to-die-for” beef tenderloin that I think will be a mainstay of future Thanksgivings, and both the pumpkin pie and pecan pie were all-time greats.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

The Kitten/Kittens are planning to abandon me shortly after Christmas for warmer climes, which has caused the realization that we need to be all “Christmas-ed Up” earlier this year. To that end, we went Christmas Tree shopping yesterday and grabbed a couple of fine trees, the main one for the living room and the other one (smaller) for the room pictured above, placed just over my left shoulder. I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful our place is at Christmas time. Catherine is a magician, and transforms the house into a place that would put any Hallmark Christmas movie set to shame.