"Boy Time"

First of all, it is important to know that I do not even like baseball. Not one iota. Nope. Not one bit. I have been interested in the symbolism behind the good 'ol game (which I find to be eerily synon0mous with the "GOP"...), but watching a baseball game does nothing for me.

Still, I am so happy to have been to the first exhibition game -- as I understand it, the fist ever game open to the public to be played in the new "National's Park" stadium -- of the National's season this past Saturday. The reasons why I am grateful to have been still have little to nothing to do with the the game itself, mind you. My reasons are many and range from getting the chance to hang out with my boyfriend's brother in a context that is both familiar and fun for him to eating my first ever chili dog in the stands. I laughed at how the pictures of the players that flashed on the screen during the pre-game extravaganza looked like they hadn’t evolved since the early 1070s with another friend – another “guy” – and traded whispers about the supposed pro-umpire who was apparently seated behind us (handheld electronic devices coming in handy to look up his picture, just to be sure). It was a ball. No pun intended

So, I got to be “one of the guys” and didn’t for a moment feel like I was out of place or unwelcome among them, even though all three of my compatriots was a seasoned baseball fan. And, although there is little fear that I will hence become one myself, I will certainly jump at the chance to catch another baseball game…although I will probably pass on the chilidog.

Fake House Calls

Yesterday, I was sitting and reading at home, when I got a rather amazing phone call. A man on the other end of the line -- who said his name was Dr. Kevin Johnson -- told me I had won... are you ready for it?... a house.

Yes, a house.

He said I'd entered my name in a computer somewhere, that he had the printout sitting in front of him, and that I'd really won. A house. For free. I just needed to come see him at his office.

Naturally, all the possible bells in my head were going off... loudly. A free house? Please. I'd entered my name in a drawing? No, sir. Naturally, I was tugged-at emotionally -- I really would LOVE to win a house, and I'd even fantasized about just that very thing happening -- but I wasn't that gullible. (Always hopeful, never blind -- that's my new motto.) I knew there was something fishy about this crazy call. I just didn't know what it was.

As it happened, we were planning to go for a walk later in the afternoon, so we thought... what the heck? Let's go by the guy's office and figure out exactly what his scam was. I mean, if the dude had my phone number -- not to mention the correct pronunciation of my name, which is perhaps not too shockingly rare among cold-callers -- what other information did he have? I wanted to track him down and try to find him to make sure he wasn't up to something even worse than a prank call.

So, off we set on our rambling. We strolled this way and that, popping our heads into a few cool stores, until we found ourselves in front of his office -- or, more accurately, where his office was SUPPOSED to be. He had given me an address -- 1819 New Hampshire Avenue NW -- that literally didn't exist. The numbers went from 1815 to 1825. Knowing already what would likely happen, I took out my cell phone and dialed the number he gave me: a wrong number. Dr. Kevin Johnson didn't exist.

At this point, you might be thinking I was pissed... but no, I wasn't. I was a little bit relieved that there wasn't some bigger financial scam going on, but mostly I was (you guessed it) grateful. Throughout the whole walk, we enjoyed a charming, dreamy conversation about what we should do with our new imaginary house, wondering how we'd decorate the new dwelling we knew was entirely fictitious. And then, when that game got old, we started outlining what might even become a cool play about a man who makes elaborate prank phone calls to get back at a lover who jilted him -- a legitimately interesting idea we might pursue further. Without Dr. Johnson's minor-league scam, we'd never have done any of that... and so I'm glad it happened.

Thank you, Dr. Johnson -- or whomever you are. But please don't call again -- once was enough.

For the Birds

There's a mourning dove that has been flitting about happily in our courtyard this morning, cooing and hopping from balcony to railing to window ledge, and it reminds me that the world is full of beauty and delight that needs only be noticed and taken in. It's a wonderful gift, and I accept it with great gratitude.

Speaking UP

Funny, I have recently been attentive to questions and moments that are described by prases ending in UP...this is interesting to me as it relates to my feelings about looking forward in movement through life.

Today's "up" lesson began yesterday with a near-fight. I allowed myself to speak up in a moment where I would have otherwise held my feelings in for fear of displeasing or creating a moment of conflict with someone I love. I tend to react to -- or retract from -- such moments in this way even more when they involve people I am not familiar with. However, I was happy to have believed in myself, and in the person I love so dearly, enough to speak my mind in a moment where I felt that my heart and mind were in a very different place than his so that we would both better communicate what we were feeling.

Again today, I was reminded of the strength and power of speaking UP during a conversation at lunch when I spend a long time listening to another person who has made it a habit not share moments of discord with the people she most loves and who has, as a result, become very afriad and confused about what she really thinks for herself. This makes me afraid when I can understand, in a very personal way, the situation she has created for herself. Still, I am inexpressibly and infinately grateful, even as I write this, when I recognize my ability to use my voice to speak my mind as my own chance at giving the world, and those I love the most in it, every opportunity to love me better. This is my committment to keep on doing it, no matter what.

Waking UP

Sometimes I hate waking up in the morning; the disdain of getting out of a warm bed on a cold morning, knowing that I haven't had enough sleep, worry for what the demanding day will pull out of me...but today I am invited to find reasons to be grateful for it. I realized this morning at around 6:30 while taking a wonderfully hot and soothing shower that I love what the morning holds in its quiet and slow awakening each day. I used to embrace this part of the day with much more enthusiasm, which I have somehow lost the more and more I have become focused on work and getting it done. The morning is not concerned with such things; it does not worry about the time it needs to wake up and become the day that it has been able to create through its waking. I think there is a lesson to be learned from observing the world and I am grateful today for what it has taught me, yet again.

Celebrity Atheists

I'm very, very grateful for Julia Sweeney and Penn Jillette -- two big(-ish) celebrities who've come out as atheists. The stand they've taken -- given how it might impact their careers -- is inspiring.

My newest celebrity atheist hero, however, is Ricky Gervais. In the article I've linked to he describes his deconversion story; it's honest, simple, and straightforward. (You can learn about Julia Sweeney's -- which she's turned into a very successful one-woman play -- here and Penn Jillette's here.) If you've ever seen the original British version of The Office -- far superior to the American version, which is still pretty funny -- you know how incredibly, uncomfortably funny he is. I'm really, really grateful when people that talented and articulate and entertaining speak out on behalf of the truth... without demeaning people of religion. It feels like I'm not alone. I feel like I have... a champion.

Rich, I'm Rich, I Tell You, I'm Rich!

There is nothing in the world like having an open-hearted, completely non-judgmental, totally supportive friend.

Having so many of them is an embarrassment of riches.