stuffed grape leaves

Went riding with David this morning and I got to see his Halifax pics. We're going to try to do cycling twice a week instead of just once, but this will depend on whether I can get up at 6 am two times a week. :-) The main problem is getting enough sleep the night before, a bit difficult in a household with a night person.

Went out for Greek food with friends Fred & Allie last night...I had stuffed grape leaves, yum (I was introduced to this delicacy a while back by Tanya Bellavia and got hooked). Fred and Jeff had a game of pingpong afterwards. Jeff used to play pingpong a ton when our friend Scott Dixon lived with us for a summer (in '93). They kept a running tally over thousands of games, and miraculously, they ended up with a tie score (in terms of number of winning games) by the end of the summer. They had a tie-breaking game, and I confess I don't remember who won! I do remember a lot of swearing and the occasional thrown pingpong paddles over those months, but we were all still the best of friends by the end of the summer so it must have turned out all right. :-) Scott teaches history at the University of Belfast now and also got his thesis published (you should all rush out and get it! It's called "The Reformation and rural society: the parishes of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach 1528-1603", Cambridge University Press).

Did some babysitting yesterday. Annie calls me "Beebee" and gives me air kisses when I say good-bye. Sara cut her own hair a couple days ago. According to Ruth, they were at the dinner table when Sara went into the bathroom and shut the door. She stayed there quite a while. When she came out, she opened the door a bit and backed out, refusing to look at anyone, then ran into the kitchen. Her grandmother had caught sight of Sara's bangs, though, and whispered, "I think she cut her hair." Ruth called out, "Sara, did you cut your hair?" Sara apparently opened the kitchen door a wee bit and explained that she cut her hair because her bangs were bothering her. When she saw that no one was horrified or laughing (though Ruth said it was REALLY tough not to laugh...Sara had cut her bangs extremely short and also crooked), she came out and came back to the dinner table. I don't remember cutting my own hair when I was little, but Ruth remembers cutting hers. Personally, I think it an admirable venture of Sara's...just think how useful it will be to be able to cut one's own hair in the future! No outrageous fees, no having to deal with over-talkative hairdressers...

Sara turns four in a couple of weeks, and I still have no idea what to get her. :-(

Officemusic today: CD player - Holly Cole's GIRL TALK.