Thursday, March 22, 2007

I'm off!

Friday morning, I fly away to the crossword tournament! This is good because:

• I get a weekend away from domestic responsibilities.

• I'll be seeing friends from faraway places.

• I'll be meeting some new friends from inside the computer for the first time.

• If all goes well, I could end up with another wee trophy to attest to my Extreme Word-Nerd skillz.

• While it's not likely, there's a small chance I could win and walk off with $5,000.

• It's gonna be fun! Tons of socializing.

This is not so good because:

• Benjamin's first-grade show is Friday morning, and I'll miss it. His one line: "Hey, did you hear that they have the Queen and Maleficent in the courtroom on trial?" Mr. Tangerine will capture it on video. (Ben has warned that this show is a lot longer than the kindergarten one was last year. So maybe it's actually a good thing that I'm missing it?)

• I've got one ear that's muted by fluid. What's more fun in a large group setting than replying, "What?" to all conversational gambits? (Not dreading the flight because the ear doc sold me EarPlanes ear plugs, which should ease the effects of repressurization.)

• On the heels of Wordplay, there's a lot more interest in the tournament. What if some of those 200+ rookies can kick my ass?? And what if I self-destruct of my own accord?

The only new clothes I've bought lately consist of a single pair of jeans that look OK but not great. Remember when I asked you about skinny pants last fall, and whether I was too old to wear them? Well, I bought Gap skinny jeans in a size (8) smaller than my usual size (10), and...they're not remotely tight on my legs. They're not overtly baggy, either, but they're definitely not tight jeans. I suspect that most women must have far curvier legs than I do and that the Gap adjusted the sizing to accommodate that, because I usually can't zip up size-8 pants. Apparently I have size-4 legs, out of proportion to the rest of me. Grr.

9 comments:

amusing said...

So, if you win a trophy, does that make you a trophy wife?

Orange said...

I already have five trophies from the last two years. Am clearly trophy wife!

Cricket said...

Lo, my favorite word geek, go kick some ass! Can't wait to hear about it. Get video for YouTube and become even more famous.

Anonymous said...

Totally jealous, Orange! Kick some ass at the ACPT! I've registered to "play by mail," so in a few weeks we'll see how I would have stacked up if I had gone. If it turns out well, I'm going to try and go next year.

Bored Housewife said...

Good luck at the tourny!!! You rock; you'll do great. Screw those newbies.

And I'm just going to say: having skinny legs is not as bad as having a "is she pregnant or just fat?" wasitline. :)

Narya said...

You go, woman! Have fun, kick some butt, etc. etc. I will protect you from elephants in the meanwhile.

Anonymous said...

"I already have five trophies from the last two years."

Jeebus, Orange. You are such a total dork. I thought our shared contempt for sudoku was a sign of your being balanced, but....

anyway, good luck!

-No Nym

Ken Stern said...

See you in a little while. I'm buying you a drink this year.

Orange said...

Thanks, y'all! I have one pathetic trophy: the new one for second place in the Midwest. Woot!

Dammit, Ken, I didn't see your comment before Sunday night, or I'd have taken you up on that offer! Maybe in Brooklyn...