Ego boost and other things....

The Ghent Summer Bar Tour was the 27th of July last week.  We had a great time!  The concept was to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation here in Hampton Roads, and to appreciate the many great dining and drinking experiences in Ghent (a section of downtown Norfolk).  Each restaurant/bar had some special that you could partake in if you were part of the tour.  In the midst I found the best pizza you can get in Hampton Roads.  I do not say this lightly.  There are a few places I like, and I usually order from Papa Johns because I don't have to talk to distracted teen-agers that way.  Cogan's Pizza was a grand slam home run for pizza though.  I will easily drive the 20 miles to get there from where I live.


Volleyball Monday night was a bust for a couple of reasons, but I still had a lot of fun.  We only won one game though, out of four.

Wednesday was wine tasting and jazz at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk.  Great wine, great music, great girlfriend, and great friends.  We had a splendid time and got to meet a number of new people.  Susan and I went to the 219 afterwards, my favorite restaurant in Hampton Roads.  It was divine, as expected.  :-)

The floods came, so to speak, on Thursday afternoon.  The dishwasher and washing machine were going and something backed up.  Water started coming out of everything.  I got it stopped and used ALL of my towels to mop it up.  One pipe needs a new seal on a joint, but I think that is it.  I'm not sure what caused the backup yet, but everything seems to be good now.

Dodgeball on Thursday was rough.  I was taken out early every game and we lost all but the last one.  That one went into sudden death overtime (ie one player left on each side).  We added three players to each side.  I ended up with the stinger ball.  The stinger is a smaller ball, black, lighter, and more difficult to through.  The other team charged us.  I waited until I could see the whites of their eyes, then spun the stinger into the universe.  The aim and spin were true and the player was OUT!  So for all their screaming and running, they were out before they even got off a shot.  :-)  And we won.  whew.

After dodgeball I went with one of the guys from my team to shoot some baskets.  It quickly turned into a five player game of 21.  Here is my ego boost I'm going to brag about.  When shooting a free throw, the ball bounced off the back of the rim back to me.  I lunged, crouched, the launched into the air.  I grabbed the ball, went over everyone, and jammed it home.  The teenage guy playing said "I was just jumping, I didn't know you were going to dunk it on me."  :-)  Not to shabby for a 38 year old white guy.  It really made me feel good as it seems between running, working out, and probably beach volleyball more than anything, all my exercise and energy output is paying off.





After basketball we went to Shorebreak pizza to socialize for a bit, meet up with Susan, and then over to Off Shore to see Jesse Chong.  Jesse is a one man band of sorts.  A truly talented musician.  With just an acoustic guitar and a little bit of equipment he works with his feet, he plays and records his rhythm and melodies for each song, then starts the lead and clicks in the rest as he needs them.  To sing play, and work your own sound at the same time seems like it would take obscene amounts of talent.  To top it all off, he was very funny too!  Sometimes he plays with Charlie Austin, a renown fiddle player.  That I have got to get out to hear at some point.





Friday Susan and I went to Cha Cha lessons!  My first ever dance lesson.  What a great time.  I didn't even break any toes!  It has been a desire of mine for quite some time to learn how to dance.  It is going to take some time, but I'm on my way.  We went to Cogan's afterward for some amazing veggie california pizza.

Saturday was a work day.  I fixed Susan's hot tub and helped her setup a hammock.  She did lawn work while I did that.  All is better and working now!

I did my run this morning.  3.5 miles.  It was hard going at first, but gets easier.  I'm trying to expand my stride some so that my knees are bearing the brunt of the punishment.  Off to Church!  More soon!

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"Until you forget what you think you know and what you think is possible, you will never know what is truly attainable."