Sports Day and Truck Heaven

This year was the 5th Annual Sports Day with the Thursday night girls. We've met for a sports-filled Saturday in June every year for the past 5 years. We are spiffy enough to keep track of points and award a winner at the end, complete with a designated trophy that is passed on from winner to winner, year to year, just like the green Masters jacket, only way cooler.

The 8 crazy girls are Cathy, myself, Cindy, Donna, Kecia, Tina, Franci and Crystal. Big thanks to Crystal being there, otherwise I'd be the youngest.

Our day started off in Simi Valley at 8:30am (we don't mess around). We run from park to park in Simi Valley, playing 7 different sports. This year we played volleyball, basketball, ultimate frisbee, darts, shuffleboard, and horseshoes. Yes, I know, that is only 6 sports. Cindy Ward had a little oopsie-daisy playing ultimate frisbee when her ankle had an arguement with the grass, so we had to change the schedule around a bit. Tennis was to be played after darts, but we substitued ping-pong after horseshoes instead.

Here are sisters Cindy (left) and Cathy (right) showing off their horseshoe form.

Here's me playing horseshoes. Only took me half the game to get my form down. Did I mention I got two ringers in a row? Kecia brought her daughter, Korah, out to play with us all day. Korah was a big help and took pictures all day long, and also helped us when our volleyball and basketballs went astray during the game. She also shouted at us with suggestions on our form and technique throughout the day.

Here we are being silly. Eight hours in the sun will do that to a person. Below in the picture are Kecia, Korah, Donna and Crystal. On the right is the magic tally board. We lug that thing around all day keeping track of individual points for each sport. We make sure to play 3 games of each sport, and change teams in between each game. Oh yes, we are that serious.

To see all the Sports Day pictures, click here.

Sunday morning was a happy and sad day for me all at once. On Sunday, Mom and I drove the truck up to Oakland to rest in what I'd like to call Truck Heaven, otherwise known as Grandpa Jake's house. Grandpa Jake has a 22 year old red Mazda Sundowner truck, and when he heard I was selling the little blue truck (a.k.a. Little Foot), he said he wanted to buy it. My little blue truck is only 10 years old, so for him, that's an upgrade. On a sidenote - the next time you drive up the coast, make sure to wave at the big wooden people on the side of the road in the Dole orchards out by Salinas. I love those big signs. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you just have to drive up there and see.

Here's Grandpa Jake. He is all smiles when he sees us pull up in the truck. This is also Grandpa Jake's new hat. He likes it because it makes him look like a farmer, and keeps the sun off his neck.

Bright and early Monday morning, Grandpa Jake was out washing the truck and making it his own. He even polished the hood. He ran right down to AAA to turn in the paperwork to put the truck in his name. Before I knew Grandpa wanted the truck, I had planned to drive the truck until it drove itself into the ground. I couldn't bare to think of letting a total stranger drive it. Now that the truck is in Grandpa's hands, it is in retirement. He will take great care of it, and have a lot of fun doing it.

What did I buy to replace the truck you ask? I have a fun Nissan Murano to lug all my stuff around. It zooms around town, holds all my stuff, blows air conditioning like no one's business, and the blinkers work (the latter two were not true for the truck.) All in all, it was a great weekend, and I got a few extra hugs from Grandpa Jake to take on my flight back home.

While Mom and I were at his house, we walked around the backyard looking at the apricot and grape fruit trees. To our noses' distaste, we found half a cat. We think a racoon or coyote got it. Below is the picture of the burial. Now, I say burial instead of funeral, because Grandpa and I had an interesting conversation when we buried it. I said we should have a short funeral, and he said that you only bury animals, and not give them funerals because animals don't have souls (you can hear the Canadian farm boy in him.) I said what about the dogs and cats that guard children in families, they have to have souls because there is a special place for them when they die to reward them for being so loyal. Grandpa looked at me and said, Fair enough. Ha. Only took me 29 years to win a point from Grandpa.

Bye bye kitty. Next time run faster.

To see more Sports Day pictures, and more fun at Grandpa's house (including the other half of the cat), click here.