Good things underfoot

One highlight from the weekend I forgot to post about is my purchase of a new pair of cleats. I knew I was going to need a new pair at some point, but when the grass started tickling my toes during a dump drill at a recent BRDM practice, the purchase became inevitable. LT kindly took me cleat shopping with her, as it is an activity that requires a car in the DC metro area (grrr). But I failed to find cleats to my liking. Or I was indecisive. In any case, I played my first game at potlatch in my old cleats, both of which were held together with athletic tape. They looked like saddle shoes - cute! But as soon as the game and the cheers were over, I ran over to the Gaia tent (Gaia specializes in Ultimate gear) and purchased a truly wonderful pair of shoes. The white feels a little flashy, but it's worth it for the way they let me cut.

Conversation with my old cleats:

Me: Oh! Let's cut now!
Old Cleats: Huh? Now?
Me: Yeah, a nice sharp V-shaped cut. Here, I'll plant my foot so I can turn and run the other way.
Old Cleats: How about a nice U-shaped cut? We wouldn't want to do anything drastic here...

Conversation with my new cleats:

Me: Hmm, maybe I should cut now...
New Cleats: GREAT idea! Yeah! Now! Here we go!

Seriously, cutting feels effortless in these things. Maybe it's because my old cleats were just so decrepit, or because the new ones have pegs instead of flat cleats, or because they have the extra toe cleat, or because they're flashy looking. I can't wait to play in them some more!


The second good thing underfoot is the bare cement in my apartment. I returned home from Seattle to find the carpet still soggy from the insane rain we'd received, but by this time a healthy crop of mold had also developed. Black mold. Toxic death mold, even. But today, a crew came in, ripped all of it up, and carted it away. It needs to stay exposed for a few days so that everything can air out completely (we've got a killer fan going to hasten the process), and then we'll get brand new carpet... and maybe even linoleum in the kitchen instead of carpeting!!

Death Mold Attacks Nation's Capitol
(You should click on this link just to see the great photo.)