TWTWA, ctd.

Sunday, the Beck and I woke up early - GASP - and headed down to Aunt Chilada's for the Co-opted Pagan Spring Fertility Ritual* Brunch. Ay dios mio. THAT was an excellent brunch. Huevos rancheros, omelettes, chile con carne, Mexican rice, brown-sugar crusted bacon**, sausages, cinnamon-coated fried dough, AND fruits and pastries under a chocolate fountain. I'm having "I ate too much" pains just reminiscing. Another tremendous meal. WA-friggin-hoo.

(* So maybe I just noticed this for the first time because I'm, you know, a self-absorbed moron, but EVERYONE, from co-workers to cashiers to Walmart greeters to waitresses, wished me "Happy Easter" this weekend. I'm not offended, but I do find it interesting that with so much hoopla over the "Happy Holidays / Merry Christmas" pseudo-scandal that people would so blatantly ignore any sense of PC-ness when speaking of a holiday so drenched in overtones. In my mind, Easter is tied much closer to Christianity in terms of direct reference to beliefs than Christmas. Not to mention the whole Jews-as-crucifiers subtext in the passion narrative. So you would think that wishing a "happy easter" would be vastly more potentially antagonistic that "Merry Christmas." But it was done completely brazenly, at least in this Southwestern neck of the woods. I scared Beck by telling her that I would respond "and a happy co-opted pagan spring fertility ritual to you, too," to the next person who happy easter'ed me, but I didn't. I am, it turns out, an academic punk in spirit only. Or, you could say, the spirit is punk, but the flesh is adult contemporary non-offensive pop. Or something. )

** - Really - who looks at bacon and says, "Joe, we've GOT to improve this!"

The flowers were so pretty when I took my parents to the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden that I wanted Beck to see them. And woah, they were out in even fuller bloom than before. Watch out - it's flower time AGAIN:

AHA! Join us next week on "The Ballad Frilly." Seriously, though, the garden is beautiful, and we picked a great day to traipse around with the other tourists. Fun times.

I capped off the Sunday with some pickup Ultimate that, for whatever, reason, was even more fun than usual. I managed to make the throw of my life, too - an inside out thumber, which in normal play would be a ridiculous stupid thing to throw, but on Sunday pickup hit Tricky in stride for a score perfect-style. Crazy. Got home for some delicious Sunday night dinner with the Beck. So yes, all in all, a spectacular weekend.

I will get back on the "recounting the visit" game at some point. But as I mentioned, Craig of Tufts fame is in town, so when he is not drinking it up with those other kooky rocket scientists, we will be getting into our own adventures. Which will probably involve, you know, hiking and Ultimate. CRAZY.

(And hear this: I pulled off my first fantasy trade of the new season in my Tufts league. McCann / Francoeur for Sheets / Hunter, and I got Ben and Torii. Whadya think?