Look out behind you

     Two nights ago L and I were walking home from the park.*  I had noticed an older couple walking on the other side of the street, and I purposely had stayed on the opposite side so as not to crowd them.  But, as we got closer to our house, we ended up crossing and coming up behind them when they were just 3 meters from our front door.  So, we come up pretty close.
     The woman is right behind the man and rushing to keep up with him and they're having some conversation.  She asks him a question and he answers without really looking back.  At the same time he lets out a looooooooong fa-aa-aa-a-rrrt.  My first thought is that the man is deaf and doesn't realize he's doing this, but then I remember that the couple has been having a normal conversation, while walking and with one person behind the other --not the sort of conversation one engages in if one is hard of hearing.  My second thought, maybe this is self-defense?  Like the skunk.  "Back off, dudes."  After all, L. is getting pretty big now.
     So L and I stopped abruptly (as a self-defense strategy, it did have an effect) turned out backs to the couple and looked at each other for about ten seconds.  Then we ran in the house stifling our laughter. 
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     *back to why we were walking home from the park at night (nice day to remember later). 
     We went to the park to play tennis - it was a gorgeous late afternoon.  PatL (code name, shhhh) was over playing monopoly, chess and magic (he's in a monopoly crazed phase right now).  But it was a shame to miss that weather.  We convinced PatL to put the game away and go to the park.
       When L couldn't round up a friend to join him for tennis except for a very unenthusiastic PatL "I don't like tennis", I tagged along.  PatL rode his bike to find his father to play a game of basketball first so L. and I got to hit the ball back and forth for awhile.  But, first we had had to stop by D's house to borrow a racket.  Anyway, it was dusk, but we finally got to the tennis courts!
     Yea!  It seems I hardly ever get to play because there's always one extra player and I'm always the old person and "host" of the group in a way (this often happens when older son comes to visit and he'll often bring a friend, i.e. girlfriend).   So, I'll volunteer to sit out the games. 
     L wants to join the tennis team next year (school's team is excellent).  This is a big change in L. because, for years, ever since he once felt foolish and humiliated in a community tennis class, he vehemently professed his hatred of the game.  He began to lighten up a bit about a year ago and this spring he went to the other side completely.  It's lovely to see.  He has no form, but I guess he can do enough to pose at least some threat to opponents in his group of friends.  (He was even holding his own against good friend A. who has taken lessons for years - until A. got new glasses and could see the ball again....)
     L is really interested in getting in shape for soccer season.  He has been begging for a 30 pound weight and his dad and I have been saying, "No.  Find other things to lift - the 30 lb. weight is just going to sit around the house, and it costs money when there is no reason really to spend it.  Plus, it could damage something blah blah blah"  
     So L. borrowed two weights from A. and was lifting them as he did other activities.  Last night one fell off as he was watching SNL with us and lifting... I shudder when I think that he'd been lying on the floor with that weight over his head about 10 minutes before that moment.  
     Must go, have to wake up L to take him to swim practice.