"A Sporting Chance"

Did I ever mention that I am a tad bit competitive? Yes, it's true, I am. Whether it is a simple little things like a card game, Boggle or bigger things like soccer games, rock climbing or WATER FIGHTS.



This particular day began with fun on the trampoline avec Nolan. I must admit that I was a bit hesitant because I am scared of being double bounced because I usually think that I am going to fly out of control and off of the trampoline. So I did my best to control being bounced and of course took breaks and let Nolan jump. Eventually we were lying in the sun on the tramp talking and as per usual Nolan gets quiet and simply looks at me. And of course, as per usual, my curiosity kills me and I HAVE to ask him what he's thinking. We go through this routine on a very regular basis. However, Nolan simply smiled at whatever thought was lurking in his head. Of course I almost always ask him what he is smiling about, but he beat me to it and asked me if I wanted him to show me what he was thinking about. I foolishly said yes.

Well...he jumped off the trampoline and proceeded to turn on the outdoor faucet. Okay, I thought, a bit of water from the sprinkler while on the trampoline...that's fine. As he walked back toward the tramp, he stopped and pulled the sprinkler to himself and started to unattach it. uh oh! I got a soaking! I tried to get away and then I thought maybe he would stop after a bit. Nope. So what can you do? He's bigger, he's stronger, he's faster...you grab the hose and you fold it in half to stop the water. Respite. Of course then it turned into a bit of a wrestling match. I was too nice I have decided. Had he been my brother I am sure I would have tried to kick him and trip him and thrown a few punches, but with Nolan, I didn't. Anyhow...I got more soaking and I did at one point get the hose away from him but was not fast enough to retaliate before he got the hose back. The best way to make it stop...change the subject. We did have to go to the Sun and Salsa Festival...and I did have to use up some free money before we went. So off we went our separate ways.

I promptly went into the house and grabbed a 4 gallon bucket and began to fill it with water. My plan was to hide around the corner of the house and douse him when he was on his way inside. I could hear him covering the trampoline and then I thought of the things he left on the lawn: his wallet, his keys and his cell phone. Hmmm...would water wreck his cell phone? Or his car alarm thing? Maybe I shouldn't throw water at him. Hmmmm. I went back inside and put the bucket down. I picked it up again and went outside and then returned inside again and put it back down and stood by the door waiting for him to come in.

"You were covering the trampoline?" I asked innocently.
"Yes", he replied.
"Did you pick up your things off the grass?"
"Yes"
"Did you have your cell phone with you too?"
"Yes"
I am sure he thought my line of questioning was silly or dumb or random.

"Oh...your cell phone saved your life", I told him in a voice that told him just how lucky he was.
"from the bucket of water behind you?", he asked me. Of course from the bucket of water and I expained to him how I was going to douse him but didn't want to get his cell phone. He said he would have done it anyway. He then asked me if I didn't need to get going to Shopper's Drugmart. I replied in a sassy voice saying,"I am not walking away from this bucket of water until you do". We both stood and looked at each other for a moment before he bent over and picked up both me and the bucket of water and proceeded toward the bathroom, in which I surmised he planned to give me yet another thorough dousing. I used my limbs to prevent our entry into the bathroom. I propped my feet against the door frame and pushed us away, I used my hands, my knees. Nolan changed angles, pulled at my hands and feet in attempts to disconnect my body from the door frame but it was to no avail. He then put the bucket of water on the counter in order to subdue my limbs and we thus entered the washroom. As we entered, oh how handy!! A bucket of water was sitting on the counter at just the right height that I could grab it and dump it on the mostly dry Nolan Archer. ha! ha! retaliation complete! I was satisfied and left with a grin on my face.

However, I learned later that Nolan had given me a "Sporting Chance" and so that leads me to believe that his placement of the bucket onto the counter as opposed to setting it on the floor was intentional. Hmmmm. Not sure what I think.

Growing up as a Tomboy, I had to fight to be an equal with the boys. Bike tag wasn't for sissies, if you got knocked over you didn't cry out, "Hey! You can't puch that hard, I'm a girl!!". you simply got up and started chasing because you were it and you would push just as hard when you were tagging. You caught frogs with the best of them and would even catch garter snakes. In soccer, you learned to hit (by hit I mean shoulder check) hard, you know, take a good run at it, get some good speed to hit with because you had to make up for being a small light weight. So...competitive, you bet!! Need to win at everything? nope. you gotta know when to just have fun and when to try and kick someone's butt. I am sure some day I will have an equal opportunity moment to kick Nolan's butt at something...I might have to employ tactics other than speed and strength, but I can make up for it with my wiley ways and sneak tactics.

But hey...thanks for the sporting chance!