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.