Basketball, Yarn Kits and Black Friday Surprises

While I was working in the mall, the rest of the family has been very busy.

Boy Twin decided to play basketball for the middle school. This wouldn’t really be news, were it not for the fact that he has never played basketball in his life. When you live in the country and the nearest hard surface to dribble a basketball on is eleven miles away, basketball is not something you learn.

I suggested he give it a try and his friends supported his/my decision. My suggestion was not totally unselfish on my part. I didn’t want him hanging around after school with nothing to keep him entertained. Girl Twin had decided to “manage” the basketball team with her friends. It made it very convenient for Boy Twin to be on the team and be at the same place at the same time as Girl Twin.

Boy Twin’s basketball skills are as rough as I expected. But his lack of knowledge of the rules amazes me. What are they teaching in gym class?

In one of the games, Boy Twin was playing very aggressively. He committed four fouls before halftime. He played the entire second half of the game without committing his fifth foul that would have disqualified him for the rest of the game. After the game, I congratulated him for remaining in the game. He had no idea what I was talking about.

Me: I thought you were going to foul out. Boy Twin: What does that mean? Me: Seriously? You don’t know what that means? Boy Twin: No. Me: If you commit five fouls, the refs kick you out of the game. Boy Twin: How many did I have?

If you were Boy Twin’s P.E. teacher, you should be embarrassed.

I’ve been in the store dyeing yarn this past week. I dye the yarn, Ivy puts photos of the yarn on social media (Yes, you just saw me use the words, social media) and she gets accolades for MY work. I guess that’s fair. After all, the yarn I’m dyeing is her idea.

Ivy suggested (actually ordered) that I dye a couple hundred skeins that she would use for kits for a cowl pattern she was writing. Thank God, the mall project was done.

I have a couple more mall stories to tell, like the one about the massage parlor manager locking the door to the electric/IT room and not having a key to get back in. Oh sorry, I promised Ivy I wouldn’t talk about the mall. ”No one likes those stories.”

I finished dyeing the skeins for the kits and Ivy tells me. “Hey, that didn’t take long, I’m going to order more yarn.” Does that seem fair to you?

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I have a Black Friday to share. I’m pretty sure no other store owners in Northern Colorado have a story like this. The store had the best Black Friday in a few years. OK, other store owners can say that also, but no other store owner had a ride home from their store like Ivy and I had.

The sun has set most nights before we get to the ranch after we close the store. Friday night, Ivy and I were driving home (in the dark) when we noticed a light on or near our road a couple hundred yards down the road. When you drive in the dark in the country and you see a light that you have never seen before, it gets your attention.

Getting closer to the light we noticed the light was attached to a man standing in the road waving his arms. Driving a little closer, we noticed the man was dressed in full camoflage with a beard down to his belly and……. carrying a rifle.

I stopped the truck. I haven’t any idea why. I rolled the window down and asked, ”What’s up?”. This guy exclaimed, ”Four cars drove past me, one car drove past me twice.” Simultaneously, Ivy and I thought, “Well guy, you are carrying a gun.”

Me: What’s up? Camo Dude: Will this road take me to the highway? Me: Eventually, but their is another road in between. Camo: I think my car is on the other road in the park. How far am I from there? Me: If you are walking you have another hour or so to your car on this road. Camo: OK, thanks man. Me: Do you want a ride? Camo: I could climb in the back. I don’t want to freak you out. I have a gun. Me: So do I. Get in the back seat.