Honorary Queenslander

NUFL 2 was this past weekend in Albert Park. The fields there are a bit like Red Hook with big dirt and dust patches. I ended up an honorary Queenslander for the weekend. Sultry, the team coming down from Brisbane lost a number of their free agents and players who couldn’t afford to fly down to Melbourne and were showing up with a skeleton crew. VOS was already the largest team in the national competition and everyone was coming this weekend since it was in town. As I’m not too deeply enmeshed in my Victorian roots, and I gave up state pride when I moved to Texas in 6th grade, I was happy to volunteer to play with Sultry. The girls were all really nice and I had fun. Our team was out matched and lost all 4 of our games. It was a really windy weekend in Melbourne and the teams played zone all weekend. We just didn’t have the handlers to hang in. We had adequate D and were getting turns, but just couldn’t turn them in to scores. I played pretty well except for a throw away to the dump that is still eating at me and a drop while handling in the axis. I was only thinking about swinging the disc to the other handler ASAP to beat the cup and didn’t wait until I caught the disc first. Arrrgh! So frustrating.

Biking to NUFL2 on Sunday in Albert Park I saw one of the coolest things I’ve seen since I arrived here. I’ve mentioned the huge black swans with red beaks before. (Is a black Swan just a goose? I don’t know. These are some of the most beautiful and incredible birds I’ve ever seen. I’ll go with black swan until proven elsewise.) Apparently it’s swanling (cygnet) time because I saw several tiny baby swans. They are light grey and look like a duckling that was dipped in egg batter and then in snow. They waddle unsteadily. They are the cutest thing I have ever seen. It’s thanks only to the fact that I had to get to a game that I didn’t stay there all day and maybe try to take one home with me.

I lived through week one in my NFL survival pool. Sure it’s easy to do that when you pick the Colts. Maybe that’s automatic and maybe I wasted a get out of jail free I’ll need later on in the season but I’ve already finished ahead of than 5 people in the pool so we’ll see how it goes. What happened to my Eagles? How did we lose to that geriatric wash up? I bet I am glad to be on the wrong side of the world for the NFL this season.

Don’t be frightened, but I’ve been cooking again. Dinner tonight and lunch for the rest of the week is this recipe that I sort of improvised. Boil a cup of brown rice with two cups of water and simmer for 25 minutes. Yes, I know that’s just the recipe for rice. There’s more. Then add a cup of frozen peas, a cup of mushrooms that they cut up for you at and prepackaged at the grocery store, a cup of frozen cauliflower, four servings of tofu, cubed and a whole jar of curry sauce. Makes 1 dinner and 3 lunches. I’m eating it now. It’s pretty good. Would be better if I hadn’t accidentally purchased something that I never knew existed before which are ‘mint flavored’ frozen peas. Who would do this to peas? Why? Are people clamoring for refreshing gum flavored peas? What’s the extension of this aberration? Mint flavored carrots? Tomatoes? Mint flavored orange juice.? Let’s band together to fight this mint invasion. Are you with me?

I haven’t really been too homesick for NYC since I got here, but lately has been the worst so far. Ambush is getting ready for the fall series and just had their famously wild fundraiser and I missed it! Killer. I’m sure you girls had fun. Go Bush!

As Warren G said in 1994, “What’s Next? What’s Next? What’s N-X-E-T?”

Well, my parents will be here to visit soon. I’m steeling myself for that.

The footy finals are in full swing here and I’m having folks over on Saturday night to watch the Hawthorn Hawks vs. the North Melbourne Kangaroos (Dad, that’s the shirt you got for Father’s day). Go Roos!

With NUFL over there should be a little break in ultimate. I was going to play Mixed Nationals with Gary, but that’s in Sydney the same weekend I’ll be in the Yarra Wine Valley with my parents and Aunt and Uncle. It’s okay. You may have noticed I’ve been to a few tournaments before.

I am thinking about playing with the Australian national team in Taiwan in December. More on that in future posts.

Here’s wishing you a good week and reminding you the escape key will not save you in the event of a fire.