My New Arsenal

I've been walking all week since the attempted bike theft incident. Every time I set out I wish it were on my bike-I wish I were the type that could let things like that roll off my back without taking it the least bit personally. It's not like the slimeball that tried to take it was thinking about how I'd feel, and how will he feel when I've distanced myself from it enough to ride it again? Will he chuckle at the situation, shrug and keep going, or will it be a challenge for him to get it back, to think about my face as I walk out and realize it's worked this time? Or, am I giving even that too much thought? Reality is he probably cased it for a while, built up his nerve and has since forgotten the bike itself, if not the crazy story. I won't be using the same racks, and I'll probably lock it up in different spots everyday now, but I think I'll always hold my breath as I turn the corner in anticipation of seeing it.
I rode down to Lance's shop today and had a look at their selection, and picked out a gnarly combo of 'bike cuffs' and a cable that should be extremely difficult if not impossible to cut through, and even if it were freed from the post, would make it unrideable. All I can hope for is for the guy to think it's too much of a pain in the ass, I guess. I've also saved my serial number and checked with the insurance company to make sure it's covered in the meantime.
Of course I keep thinking 'why?'. Was he desperate for transpo, or cash from the pawn shop? Was it a junkie or a family man? Should I feel the pity I do, the guilt for having nice things that other people want to take?
My active hatred for retail employment had dulled until this incident. Watching people steal or return things they had obviously stolen shook me to the core while working retail, and made me angrier than anything I've encountered. The entitlement of the individual, and yet the flaws in the society that made them was stupefying. The fact that they all looked different than myself and I could see them coming, profiling them, made me feel guilty, angry and bitter towards the world, and I never wanted to feel that way again. Austin's not utopia, I knew that, but it just seems like the friendliness you encounter everyday, the sense of community, would prevent some of the mundane ugliness you see in other cities. I don't want to doubt, I don't want to have to think like a criminal to prevent suffering in my life. Reality sucks.

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Happy

So I keep thinking of things in my simple, quiet life that bring me so much joy, but they're things you have to really pay attention in order to notice. I'll call them miniature joys. I've decided to try adding one a week on this page, so hold me to it. I'm a pretty observant person, so I could post one everyday, but I think we all know that's an unrealistic goal.
One thing I really like about myself is that I have always noticed little things around me and gotten a great deal of peace from those things. I need that time to be quiet, inside my head, and without it I feel myself falling into a sort of mania brought on by over-stimulation and manifested in a very grumpy, lazy attitude. Cartoons used to do it-my parents will tell you.
I like to hear the little things others notice that I may not have ever thought about, so I guess this is my way of opening a little advent-calendar window on my thought processes that might make someone else notice a miniature joy in their life. Enjoy.

KICK ASS!

Supreme Court Rules Death Penalty Is 'Totally Badass'

This Onion Makes My Eyes Water...

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

We Didn't Lose!

We played our season-ending double-header last night, and had one rough game and one downright fun one. The first was against 'Your Mom', and I must say, MY mom never shoved me with a flat hand as I was walking away, but I guess people have different experiences growing up. The guys were aggressive but respectful, the girls were downright nasty. We lost, but only gave up a couple the first half, and our defense was a brick wall the second. We've officially decided that not only are we a second-half team, we're a second game team, because it all came together two fields over and 5 minutes after the first game. Our defense was rock-solid, our offense was passing and staying open for each other as if we'd drilled ourselves silly (in reality a weekly practice session never quite gelled). Although we got a goal for the other team (which was a beautiful directional-header straight into our net, oops), we ended in a tie. Had the ref actually known the league rules beforehand, we would have won, but don't get me started.

It was a short, painful, ugly season with a few glorious seconds thrown in, and I can't wait to do it again. If motivated, I have at least 3 chances a week to play el juego bonito, and a team that beat us wants to form a conglomerate to take over the world of super-social league soccer. Watch for us America, the as-of-yet unnamed team is coming straight for your nets!

This Week's Soccer Game:

I don't want to talk about it.

GOOOOOOOOoooaaal!

I actually got to see exactly this up close and personal last night. What a good feeling. We still got pummeled, but I got the only goal for our team, and it was a beauty.

Gold takes it to the outside, pushes up-Red tries to defend but can't get their
feet on it. The goalie, frustrated, comes out of the box for a save
and..MISSES! Mario crosses right in front of the net and it's...TAPPED IN
BY AMANDA!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOaaall! GOOOOOOOooooaaaal!!!! Beautiful
teamwork.

Looks like I'll be playing forward more often, well, for our last 3 games. I highly doubt we'll make it to the playoffs with our 0-3 record, but I'm starting to actually have fun out there even while losing miserably. I am taking on a Cubbie-like attitude, looking to our future seasons for success.

At one point I was laughing so hard I could hardly see because my teammate (Mario, that got the assist) was teasing a girl on the other team who kept squealing every time she had the ball and anyone got near her. He would yelp, or bark, or something, and from the other end of the field I'd hear "EEeek! Eeek!" It was hilarious. It reminded me of the time in high school on my indoor team that a girl on the other team tried to psych me out on a free kick by doing a little 'ooga-booga' dance in front of me. I just laughed, looked back at her and did the same thing back-even the audience of parents was laughing. I never understood what she thought I would do.

Onward, fellow footy lovers, and hopefully upward.