Lost to Petals 9-4

We lost our kayak polo game again last night. We were victorious though on two fronts.

First, Petals hasn't lost a game this season and they only tied once. They have at least one ex-national team player. We confounded them in the first period by playing our best polo of the season. The first period should have ended with us in the lead 2-1 except we didn't kill the last minute and we turned the ball over leading to a score. Petals was frustrated and became chippier as the game wore on. I don't know how much I contributed because I irrationally fear going over. That attitude leads to tentative play. Plus, I was being guarded by a big, Maori, ex-national team player. That shut me down. I finally have a modicum of success as an athlete playing this game.

Second, we won trivia night at the bar we usually have drinks at after the game. I arrived late because I was the timekeeper for the next one. My teammates had answered all the questions correctly in the first round. It was match the celebrity to their sunglasses. Their guess for the baffler question, which unfolds as a series of hints, was correct after the first one, "I am a year." 1963. I was able to dominate the entertainment round by answering such questions as:

1. What was Princess Grace's maiden name? Kelly
   
2. Who won best actor for his role in To Kill a Mockingbird? Gregory Peck
   
3. Who won best supporting actor for his role in Unforgiven? Gene Hackman
   

Of course, when I asked my sister at the cafe today, she answered them correctly too. Actually, these are probably things you know if you're from the US. The prize for winning trivia night was a 50 dollar bar tab. I guess that when money is on the line my team does better.

I play on a soccer team too and the contrast between the two teams couldn't be greater. I showed up at the game ten minutes late last week because no one bothered to tell me where the game was being held. The field was changed from what was written in the paper. Then I didn't play. Granted, I missed the previous three weeks traveling to the US, but we are a low level team. The referee ended the game ten minutes early due to the amount of criticism from our players. There are better things to do in New Zealand than ensuring that I'm at every game with these guys. I'm not a weatherman but I know which way the wind is blowing. Margee says I should get my money back, but I don't feel like going to the effort.