Missouri

It was a painless ride to Missouri. Now we’re in our grandparents’ giant house, which they built for their visiting offspring. This house has bed-closets everywhere in it. I’ve not been assigned to a bed-closet, or to the basement; I’m in a proper bedroom. (This bedroom was reserved for Karin, but Karin couldn’t come with us, and so I was lifted up from “bed-closet” status.)

At breakfast, our grandpa went several times around the table, asking us where we were born. “Quito,” Mary told him. And so he stuck out his chin and said, “High class.”

He told us of his life as a missionary in the Oriente – clearing airstrips, building houses, trekking through the jungle. “But we had no beards,” he said to Martin.

For this visit, I have grown a mustache.

The quadrennial car ride

“Story of the Week” from Library of America.

Martin showed me that website. It combines two of my greatest interests: literature and PDFs.

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Thanksgiving upon us, we brace ourselves for a round trip to Kansas City. It involves two long car rides through featureless downstate Illinois. At least it should be a comfortable trip. We’re borrowing Martin’s parents’ SUV.

There is a Wendy’s that we like to stop at, outside of Hannibal. Or else we might go through St. Louis and Columbia, and gaze upon I-70’s “fine establishments.”

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What worries me is how to choose the music. Some years ago I rode with David, and we took turns selecting playlists. It came out well. This year the other passengers are Martin, Mary, Edoarda, and Stephen: too many different wills. No matter what’s chosen, someone is bound to be dissatisfied. (Worse, I doubt we’ll agree upon an equitable procedure for choosing.)

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I hope for cloudy weather, so as not to have to squint for hours.

In South Bend, today is the first day of noticeable snow.

The news

The Venezuelans haven’t started very brightly – much to their manager’s bewilderment. This week, he called up one roster for the game against Bolivia and a separate roster for the game against Ecuador, so as not to wear out a single roster by using it twice. Venezuela lost both games.

For Ecuador, it’s four wins out of four – the best beginning in our history. I saw only a few minutes of the latest victory. (I had to tutor.)

Some nice highlights, with tecnología.

Uruguay looked very solid, beating Chile. I expect the Uruguayans to keep up with our pace.

Colombia lost at home to Argentina.

Paraguay beat Bolivia.

Brazil beat Peru.

Gloating

This talk show is gratifying to watch. Stephen and I fondly recalled it last night, while we were observing the futility of Argentina and Brazil.

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The team that gained on everyone was Bolivia, due to their two-goal victory over Venezuela. But the team that leapt into first place was Ecuador.

Stephen was irked because the Uruguayans “were not dominated completely.”

Indeed, they blemished our defensive record. Edinson Cavani, slightly offside, headed in a goal.

I had to remind Stephen that the Uruguayans are always difficult to play against, because of their garra, and because of their counterattacking prowess.

Also, I noted, many of our best players were absent.

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But I preferred to focus on our achievements.

Our first goal was exquisite. It was crafted by three different players: el Zar, la Hormiga, and Felipao.

Later, even Fidel Martínez acquitted himself. He scored a tap-in.

See for yourselves.

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Except for Martínez’s goal, I didn’t view these events when they occurred. I was busy tutoring (alas). My final pupil, a middle-aged Moroccan, noticed that I was streaming a soccer game on my computer; and so her assignment took on a less urgent feel for her. We watched until the game ended. Then we finished going over her assignment, after I’d clocked out.

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Perhaps my tone in writing about Ecuador has sounded more and more cocky since October 8, the day of the Argentina game. I’m sure it’s painful to listen to. I don’t mean to give offense.

But I understand now how the Argentinians and the Brazilians *used to* feel, during their periods of overwhelming excellence.

Thirty-four

No longer on the caveman diet, I regained 10 lbs.

Also, I turned thirty-four. For my birthday, I and a few others watched 24 Hour Party People. Now Martin goes around singing Joy Division songs (just the bass-lines). And the last two days, in the car, he’s asked me to play songs by the Happy Mondays.

What I’ve been listening to, over and over, is the first minute of this.

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World Cup qualifier, this p.m.: Ecuador vs. Uruguay, in Quito. Second-place vs. first-place. I’ll be in the tutoring office. Pray for my pupils to stay at home in bed, what with the gloomy weather, so that I can watch the game. And pray for Ecuador to win.

“Colombia” vs. “Columbia”

When I make copies for the high school teachers, I sometimes make extras for myself – copies of articles and of short stories; of intriguing or useful handouts; of assignment prompts; of diversions, such as this crossword puzzle.

I copied this puzzle because it was a FAIL.

(Click to enlarge.)