Bocce Ball Madness...

I've heard of March Madness even Reefer Madness, but Bocce Ball Madness?!? Well I knew I heard it all when I talked to my friend Jason on Friday and he told me the lengths he was willing to go to just to play a little bocce ball.

For a hot second I was a little skeptical that it might be an April Fool's story, but then I remember how much Jason loves it. He told me that he found out there was a new bocce ball court/field/lawn (sorry I don't remember the exact term) near him. He had been practicing as often as he could on his own even though it is a team sport, but he said it wasn't the same as getting out there on a good green lawn. Whatever that means. Well anyway he slipped stealthily onto the bocce ball green Thursday and it seemed as though it was in use. He called to see and found out that they would be open for business on Friday. He said he was so eager to start playing that he contemplated sneaking back over later that evening and trying to play a little ball that night before they even opened. By this point I was laughing so hard. I mean really would you go to these lengths for bocce ball?

He said he was so excited that he was going to get to play on Friday that he couldn't sleep that night. He got up bright and early Friday morning and took his bocce balls and special gloves and headed out . Unfortunately they weren't open yet. It's a good thing that it was walking distance because the car park was still locked up. So he just walked around to the shop and waited for someone to come along and open up. When someone finally showed up there he was eagerly waiting with all his things and the guy asked Jason, "Hey are you lost?". I mean it was 7 am. Jason said no, but he was ready to play some bocce ball. Unfortunately it had rained the night before and the lawns were pretty wet. He had to wait (impatiently) for 15 minutes for them to "rake" I guess the term is some of the water out of the grass. He told me he enjoyed it. I thought he was a bit excessive, but hey aren't we all at times.

I have to admit I always thought bocce ball was something old Italian men played, but Jason has taught me that isn't true. I have to be honest and say that I have become very interested in bocce ball myself and am mildly interested in learning how to play.

Tanika's Relationship Tip#2: Don't string someone along, i.e. if you are or about to be in a relationship with someone be honest with the other person about your motives. If you aren't seriously trying to pursue something that's fine, but let the other person know. Especially if the depth of their feelings are greater than your own. For some reason this particular subject has been the topic of at least 5 conversations I have had this week. I know I have been guilty of this, especially with the most recent guy I dated. I wasn't in love with him and I knew I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with him. Grief I didn't even want to spend the rest of the week with him, but I felt bad because he kept telling me I wouldn't give the relationship a chance. So instead of being straight with him I let things go on and on and when he said he loved me I almost flipped. (For the record I haven't ever been in love with anyone before). I realized that I had allowed things to go so far because of my cowardice and that I didn't know what to do without hurting his feelings. The point is there are people who are with someone else for reasons that aren't honest. Whether it's just the case that you enjoy the attention the other person gives you or you would rather have someone than be alone, or maybe you just like being a player. It isn't cool, because it's only a matter of time before the other person figures it out and gets hurt. As long as you both know where you stand then things are cool, but the moment games come into it well...there's no telling what might happen.