I've been told I don't post often enough, so I will write about what I did last weekend. I went to a bridal shower for one of my college friends who is getting married next month. Her bridesmaids did a beautiful job with the decorating and keeping us entertained. 16 women were present and we played a variety of shower games:
1. Everyone was given a pretty clip when they arrived and told not to cross her legs either at the knee or ankle throughout the length of the shower. If you caught someone with her legs crossed, you call her on it and take her clip. The person with the most clips at the end of the shower won. I guess at baby showers, they do something similar where you are not allowed to say the word "baby."
2. Bridal shower bingo--get five in a row on your bingo card to win.
3. Hold a blank piece of paper over your head and tear out a wedding dress without looking up. The bride-to-be chooses the best dress.
4. Word-find with words about the bride and groom. I think the bridesmaid used an online program to create the puzzle. I won this game, yay!
5. Blind-folded, pick out little gold safety pins from a bowl of rice. This was pretty challenging. After a while, your fingers get coated and the two feel very similar.
6. The bride-to-be answered questions about her fiance that he had previously answered. Our bride did really well and got 18/26 correct. I think the ones she missed were ambiguous and didn't have clear-cut answers. I love this game because you always learn new things about the couple. Some of us had to get out our tissues.
For the luncheon, we sat at tables with lace tablecloths and cloth napkins. The china we used belonged to the hostess's mother and grandmother, some of which dated back over 60 years. The dishes had delicate floral patterns and golden edges that are less popular today. Each table had a centerpiece of fresh flowers and a party favor for each guest--a plastic swan with Hershey Kisses and Jordan almonds wrapped in sage green tulle and tied with a pink ribbon (the wedding colors).
The food was no less elegant. We ate croissant sandwiches with spinach and strawberry salad, fried dumplings, chicken wrapped in bacon, and fresh fruits--honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Our goblets were filled with iced tea and that yummy punch that I only get at weddings and showers--a mix of Sprite, Hawaiian punch and sherbet kept cool with an ice ring.
Afterwards, we went into the reception room for presents and cake. As the guest of honor opened her gifts, the giver sat in the chair next to her to give her some words of wisdom on how to have a happy marriage or life. Half of us were not married, but it was touching all the same. We ended the event with a peach cake from a Chinese bakery. This was just the beginning of my week-long sugar high, with Valentine's Day, two office birthdays, and a potluck within the next few days.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Saturday, February 05, 2005
football
The sports ministry at my church organized its annual Chili Bowl today, the day before the Superbowl. It is a full day event with a chili cook off and co-ed flag football tournament. 100+ players, 8 teams, and 8 pots of chili.
The organizers did a great job, with safety and good sportsmanship as top priorities. They warned us not to wear sunglasses, metal spikes, or knee braces with exposed metal. Tape was provided for us to tape up our shorts pockets so they wouldn't rip if someone grabbed a pocket instead of a flag. There was no downfield blocking for the offensive team and only shadow blocking was allowed, with hands at your sides or across your chest. Quarterbacks were not allowed to run. They had to get rid of the ball within 5 seconds. Enforcing the rules were two referees for each game, fully equipped with whistles, stopwatches, and yellow flags.
My team swept! I was a bit apprehensive when I was the only one from my team to show up for the football clinic the week before, but I guess the other members didn't need the practice. We had a guy who played quarterback in high school and he came up with a lot of plays, which we executed with ease. Also key was the fact that the girls on my team rocked! The organizers created "gender rules" so that at least 2 of the 7 players on the field were female and at least one was involved with a play once for every 4 downs. Many times, we had three girls on the field, subbing out our star quarterback. I learned a lot about football and even got to quarterback for the first time. I did throw one interception :(, but the guy didn't get very far, as I ran and grabbed his flag on the spot. Ours was the only team to go undefeated, winning all three of our games, 28-6, 35-14, 26-12.
Still, the day was not about winning or eating chili (gasp). Our theme verse was 1 Corinthians 12:12. “Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the “body” of Christ.” It takes many ingredients to make good chili and many players to make a great team. I got to meet new people and walked away without any major injuries (we prayed before and after each game), but I'm glad this contest only takes place once a year. I've got a lot of bruising around my knees and minor scratches on my knees, upper thigh and elbow. And I anticipate delayed onset muscle soreness in a couple of days. Oh joy.
The organizers did a great job, with safety and good sportsmanship as top priorities. They warned us not to wear sunglasses, metal spikes, or knee braces with exposed metal. Tape was provided for us to tape up our shorts pockets so they wouldn't rip if someone grabbed a pocket instead of a flag. There was no downfield blocking for the offensive team and only shadow blocking was allowed, with hands at your sides or across your chest. Quarterbacks were not allowed to run. They had to get rid of the ball within 5 seconds. Enforcing the rules were two referees for each game, fully equipped with whistles, stopwatches, and yellow flags.
My team swept! I was a bit apprehensive when I was the only one from my team to show up for the football clinic the week before, but I guess the other members didn't need the practice. We had a guy who played quarterback in high school and he came up with a lot of plays, which we executed with ease. Also key was the fact that the girls on my team rocked! The organizers created "gender rules" so that at least 2 of the 7 players on the field were female and at least one was involved with a play once for every 4 downs. Many times, we had three girls on the field, subbing out our star quarterback. I learned a lot about football and even got to quarterback for the first time. I did throw one interception :(, but the guy didn't get very far, as I ran and grabbed his flag on the spot. Ours was the only team to go undefeated, winning all three of our games, 28-6, 35-14, 26-12.
Still, the day was not about winning or eating chili (gasp). Our theme verse was 1 Corinthians 12:12. “Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the “body” of Christ.” It takes many ingredients to make good chili and many players to make a great team. I got to meet new people and walked away without any major injuries (we prayed before and after each game), but I'm glad this contest only takes place once a year. I've got a lot of bruising around my knees and minor scratches on my knees, upper thigh and elbow. And I anticipate delayed onset muscle soreness in a couple of days. Oh joy.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
gophering
This morning I played tennis with three 60+ year-old ladies. I was a sub, since their fourth is vacationing in New Zealand. The lady who invited me said that they were excited to have someone young enough to run and "go-pher" all the balls. That would be me.
Today I learned a lot about playing tennis with seniors. First, call the lines LOUDLY, as they don't hear well. Second, they sure like to lob. It reminds me of when my friends and I play "around the world" to warm up. :) It's more effective to start out in the back of the court and move your way in. The game becomes more about strategy and ball placement. My partner told me they play it like a chess match. Finally, be patient and allow for health-related ailments. My partner has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so she wouldn't serve and got easily winded. Fine with me. I got extra practice with my serves. Another lady had a bout of allergic eczema all over her hands. It was almost totally cleared up, but she still had some trouble feeling the ball, making her ball toss inconsistent. It sometimes took her five tosses before she served the ball.
During our set, a couple of older fellas (about the same age) came up and wanted to rotate in. They were kind of rude, which we didn't appreciate. So, after we finished our set, we rotated them in and consequently squashed them.
I'm glad I like tennis and golf. I hope I'll still be playing forty years from now.
Today I learned a lot about playing tennis with seniors. First, call the lines LOUDLY, as they don't hear well. Second, they sure like to lob. It reminds me of when my friends and I play "around the world" to warm up. :) It's more effective to start out in the back of the court and move your way in. The game becomes more about strategy and ball placement. My partner told me they play it like a chess match. Finally, be patient and allow for health-related ailments. My partner has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so she wouldn't serve and got easily winded. Fine with me. I got extra practice with my serves. Another lady had a bout of allergic eczema all over her hands. It was almost totally cleared up, but she still had some trouble feeling the ball, making her ball toss inconsistent. It sometimes took her five tosses before she served the ball.
During our set, a couple of older fellas (about the same age) came up and wanted to rotate in. They were kind of rude, which we didn't appreciate. So, after we finished our set, we rotated them in and consequently squashed them.
I'm glad I like tennis and golf. I hope I'll still be playing forty years from now.
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