Rapid-Fire Reportage

OK - Going to try to get to bed early tonight, because I'm going to get up early in the morning. I will give myself fifteen minutes. Starting...Now.

Stayed in in the morning today reading Janneke's article manuscript to see if I could see any fat to trim. She needs to get rid of 500 words, I think, and it ain't easy. She's an economical writer, and all her words are valid. But I did what I could.

Picked up Q, saw a very little of the play. Nothing to report, really. Then shook hands with the coach to sign him out, and he invited me to walk with him back to the main area. And he said to me, in some order, the following things:

"Juega en los Estados Unidos, no?" (He plays in the US, right?) He then searched for words a bit, before saying: "Que continúe." (He should keep playing.)

"Era el mejor del día ayer. Hoy fue como el tercer mejor. Y es uno de los más jóvenes." (He was the best in camp yesterday. And today he was, like, third best. And he's one of the youngest.)

"Necesita más empuje, más fuerza en los pases, pero eso vendrá con la edad." (He needs more strength, more oomph, on his passes, but that will come with age.)

He seemed quite excited about his progress. A few pointers, a few things to work on, but lots of praise - and he brought up the award for the Player of the Week, for which Q is in contention. Nice things to hear!

Home to a nap - I was plum tuckered - and then to pick up T, who complained that she was feeling ill and didn't want to get in the car for fear of car sickness. (Ten minutes left to write!) I told her she'd said the same thing yesterday, and it had been OK, but that if she wanted, we could drive with all the windows down. We did, and you know what? I like it better that way. It's hot, sure, and when you're stopped, it sucks. But when you're not, you feel a lot more alive. Despite the heat, which was over 90 today.

Home and off to the market, where I chatted with Basi for a while - bought her a coconut water, which made her happy. But she was busy today, and I kept having to step out so her customers could come in. One of them was a wonderful, charismatic, eloquent woman from the Dominican Republic. I thought as I walked to the beach to meet the kids, "I should write her name down." So I did. But somehow I didn't think, until I was home and it was too late, that I should ask to interview her for the project I'm working on. She's local, so I hope I run into her again.

She gave me some great pointers on places to look for activities for the kids - I'm going to be following up on that tomorrow afternoon, I think. But tomorrow morning, I'm going to try to film some sunrise stuff, so I have GOT to get to bed.

There - Six minutes under time. Dreamland awaits. More tomorrow, I swear it!