so that was fun :-)

Last night, as sometimes happens, some randoms came in to see what on earth was going on in this building labeled "curling club". A member who happened to be in the warm room at the time was talking to them and presumably explaining what we were doing and why, and so on. Like you do, you know. I was on sheet D, which is the closest one to both our front door and the door over to the hockey rink next to us, so it was our game they were really looking at.

Which is where it got weird. I could see two people (though there were apparently three): a woman, tallish, slender, blonde, smiling, scarf and coat; and a man, a hair shorter than she was, square shoulders, brown hair, listening intently, leather jacket - hold the fuck on, I thought, that guy looks a lot like Sparky, also called Stupid D. Remember him?

I peered for a moment and couldn't decide, and then went on about my business; but for the next, like, twenty minutes, I couldn't figure out, is that guy in the warm room someone I used to know? I mentioned to my teammates that there was this possibility. (One said "Well, go and say hi." Me: "No, no. Someone I used to know.") Couldn't really look close enough to be sure. He'd said he'd have to come check out curling at some point, but that was when he was lying to me to be nice, so who knows if that was also something he was lying about? This guy in the warm room looked (through the glass) to be about the same height and size, and in a couple of months of course people's hair changes, and until and unless he laughed at something I wouldn't obviously be able to see if they had the same smile. Couldn't see if it was the same leather jacket. Didn't know if I'd know for sure without the dude actually saying hi and calling me by name - which pleased me, really. (Who are you again?)

It didn't mess up my game, I'm glad to report, but I did spend a little time wondering what I was going to say if it did turn out to be him and he was still there when we came off the ice. Fortunately they went away to watch hockey practice after a bit, and when I asked J later what the story was with our random visitors, he said they were all in from out of town - one Florida, one Alabama, one Texas. Working for NASA or something. So it wasn't anybody I'd ever met before, and the whole thing was moot. It was a strange half-hour, though, I tell you what.

in my head, he's a nice kid

It may be a sign that I need some coffee, the fact that I just spent a few minutes in my head in an alternate world where Prince Harry wrote to the Edwards kids - specifically the younger ones, I think - and said "Look, you're eleven and thirteen, your dad's a philandering has-been, and your mother just died quite suddenly - I get it, I've been there, but trust me, you'll get through it, you'll be all right. (Only be sure you never go to a frat party with a swastika on your arm.)"

Hmm.