“In the topsy-turvy world of heavy rock, having a good solid piece of wood in your hand is often quite useful.”

The Movie: This is Spinal Tap, 1984 (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner, screenwriters; Rob Reiner, dir.)
Who says it: Tony Hendra as road manager Ian Faith
The context: Ian explains why he always travels with his trusty cricket bat.
How to use it: When wielding a big stick.

I had forgotten the simple pleasure of standing outside with a big stick in one's hands. Field hockey was never really my game -- I preferred lacrosse -- but later this week, I'll go buy my own pair of shin guards and look at used sticks. This group plays year round; in the winter, they play at an indoor arena in Topsham. And they play early in the morning, rather than at night. The test of my new enthusiasm will be whether I'm willing to get up at 6:00 a.m. to play.

Gardiner High School stands between farms and woods. Two young foxes, apparently unaware that humans are the enemy, came out last night to watch us play. As late afternoon turned into evening, we heard cows complaining (about what? Don't cows get milked in the morning?). The grass was green, the sky was blue, and it all felt like an advertisement for New England in the summertime.

This morning I feel a little creaky, but I'm still thinking about where I could go to brush up on my ball-dribbling skills.