Topic: Who did you meet today?

[Dragonfire]

OMG.  How horrible.  Though it does sound like he has a really good attitude about it.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

OMG.  How horrible.  Though it does sound like he has a really good attitude about it.

Yepp,
I guess I would have fallen into a deep depression, he simply seemed to be glad he survived. Probably his attitude is the better, I'm just not sure that I'd have the power to have the same. And I really don't want to KNOW, if I have.

[Dragonfire]

His attitude is better.  I don't care to find out how  mine would be either.  Most people probably wouldn't have his attitude about it.

[Blair]

It truly is amazing how different people react to trauma, physical pain, and other negativity.

My father is 84 years old. He has worked hard all of his life, still looks like he's in his late 60's or early 70's, you still see a lot of physical muscle on him, and even when in pain he will work until he is more in pain because he is impatient and wants things done now. At 78-79 years old, he worked by himself for free for about 14 hours total to clean up an area that was supposed to be done by five 21 to 25 year-olds who were being paid but instead were just sitting around doing nothing... and if they were working, even as a group they couldn't keep up with my old man.

Keeping that in mind, this same man had a crick in his neck yesterday and complained about it for 4 solid hours.


You just never know.

[Blair]

I went tonight to the only Chinese restaurant (which is a buffet) in town, weary since -- although owned by someone else at the time -- for my only other visit the food tasted really old/reused. With new owners, it seemed worth a second chance.

My waitress, April, was an American Chinese having just finished her first year in college. She kept coming back to my table again and again asking if I needed anything and then staring at me a little. (The other guy nearby who had a different waitress wasn't receiving nearly as much attention.) Eventually she told me that I looked exactly like her best friend, Nick, which opened the gates to more conversation. (I'm 35... was she saying I looked like a college student? )

What made this such a unique talk was asking her if she lived here or in the nearby college town. Her reply was along these lines:

"Ummmm.... I'm not actually living anywhere right now. I just got out of foster care. The people I have been living with, they are really nice people, and I wish that we could see each other again soon, but they live 200 to 300 miles away." (which made me wonder what resulted in her coming to our relatively insignificant college so far away.) When I asked about staying places while not on campus, she said she makes things up as she goes along with the big deal being holidays when everyone has to leave campus and friends often go other places seeing their families.

She was timid but cheerful. She didn't not appear to be looking for pity; It's just her life story; we all have one. But I have to say, I've never heard that story before. I'll be back to discuss things with her later, knowing friends who would likely enjoy having her for a few of the holidays.

[Blair]

Technically not really a meeting since I have seen them a few times before, but I found this amusing:

I go bowling every Saturday night as one of only two recreations available nearby. A few weeks back, I was chatting with the staff as I always do. The assistant manager pointed a family out to me and said they had asked him if I was a pro because they always see me in there every time that they come in. That's some pretty unusual reasoning given they never actually watched me bowl any of those times. I'm no pro by any definition of the word, but he decided to brag on me a little to them anyway. End of that story; I didn't think anymore about it.

Last night, I saw the family come in, but I paid them no mind until the assistant manager decided to put them two lanes over from me (usually he allows me privacy on the end lane but it was busy.) Go figure I ended up bowling one of the best series in my entire life with them staring on. Two nights earlier while out eating, another family I had bowled next to while they were having a birthday party recognized me and asked if I was still bowling 300s (perfect games) since, ironically, I bowled amazingly that night as well. Fate just wanted to give me a boost of confidence this week or something

[Kathy]

I only went bowling once in my life. My first try was a strike and then things went downhill. I think we played 3 games and my highest score was in the 50s. 

[Blair]

The game is supposed to be about fun, so if people can have fun bowling double-digit scores, there is not a thing wrong with it. Nonetheless, I still believe in etiquette which they don't teach anymore (hence why they put me on an end lane so that I won't have people directly next to me on either side.)  Basic things like not letting your kids chase each other around the ball return screaming or break dance in the middle of the approach just because they are hard synthetic-wood floors.

[Dragonfire]

I've only gone bowling once...I didn't do that great, but I had fun.  I think my best score was like 128...something like that.  That would have been the game I got 3 strikes in a row.  I have a tendency to end up in the gutter..  Even in Wii bowing, I do that.   

[MEJHarrison]

I want to go bowling with Kathy! I might actually win a game.  With "might" being the key word here.

[Kathy]

You're on Mark - who knows we might even get something besides gutter balls! 

[Jimmy]

Talking of bowling... I've played last weekend on my brother's kinect and I was like in real life an awfull player

Can you believe that after a couple of boxing fight on another game I was completly burned and my shoulders were all outstretched as if it was real fighting... my three nephews sure had a good laugh at the expense of their father and their "not so young anymore" uncle

[Dragonfire]

Talking of bowling... I've played last weekend on my brother's kinect and I was like in real life an awfull player

Can you believe that after a couple of boxing fight on another game I was completly burned and my shoulders were all outstretched as if it was real fighting... my three nephews sure had a good laugh at the expense of their father and their "not so young anymore" uncle

I believe that.  I tried the boxing once on my Wii.  It was not a good experience.  Though I suppose it was a good workout..though I felt like I was on the verge of a heart attack or something.

[Jimmy]

I felt like I was on the verge of a heart attack or something.

Same feeling I got just after the first fight, I was completly out of breath and sweating as if I would have done a 1500 metres competition

But my brother was not better than me, pride play a large part in brother confrontation

[Blair]

That one way I have to give credit to those companies. In a time when they had to start playing commercials to tell kids, "Get out of your chair, go out, and play for an hour a day. That's all it takes!" at least systems like the Wii can give the lazier ones exercise without running rampant through the house.