Cornhole

 I have joined a cornhole league.  No, cornhole is not something that is the plot of a Midwest horror movie where giant stalks of corn come to life and snatch unsuspecting victims and shove them into a hell-hole to suffer and die.  

I was first introduced to cornhole when my son was in the Navy.  What IS this curious bean bag game with slanted, wooden planks on the ground with a hole in the middle?   Before I could even figure out what the rules were and how scoring was kept, some young Navy kid handed me a bean bag and a beer and said it was my turn.  

I'm sure they all thought it would be funny to watch "mom" play this game who obviously had NO clue as to what was going on.  

They were right.  I'm glad I could provide entertainment for the troops.  

Now, onto the present time.  

I have a friend, KRM, who was the very first friend I made when I moved to California from Minnesota almost 40 years ago.  We are still friends to this day.  KRM is the kind of friend who will come over to watch stupid tv with you and just chill on the couch.  She is also the kind of friend who will go on a 10 mile hike to challenge you.  She has the ability to pull me out of my comfort zone in very non-threatening ways.  

I've never been a team-oriented, athletic person.  My passions have always been dance and figure skating. I suppose the difference is that one set of sports keeps score, and the other is judged.    I guess I'm more of an artsy-fartsy kind of athlete rather than one who is after the win-kill that has a final score. Whatever. 

KRM and I have this long-standing ritual of going to Novato (KRM lives there) to get a spa service at least once a month and to get dinner afterwards.  At dinner we chat about our kids, complain about complicated family dynamics, lament about growing older, and talk about our jobs where we both have been employed for over 30 years with the same one.  

Sigh.

Where I'm going with this is that KRM is a very good athlete.  She always has been.  She enjoys softball, bowling, hiking, etc.  She is not a runner as her knees can't take it.  Anyway, after our spa treatment tonight she announced that we were going to Trek Winery in Novato as she signed us up for a cornhole league.  

What? Cornhole?  I SUCK at it.  My only experience was being the laughing stock for a bunch of young, drunk sailors.  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I want to go home to Sonoma County. 

KRM coaxed me out of my comfort zone to get me to participate.  Yes, I had a good time.  Yes, I need to improve my game.  Yes, I met people and TALKED to them which is so against my introverted ways.

Here's the weird part.  The cornhole league meets at Trek Winery in Novato.  Trek Winery used to be Tresch Electric.  I worked with the founder of Tresch Electric, Larry Tresch, for years.  I also worked with his daughter, Maureen.  Bob Smartt also worked for Tresch Electric, and I formed a relationship with him as well.  All three are now deceased.   Their office was upstairs.  

When I was walking to the bathroom I stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led to what used to be their offices.  I knocked on the wall and said, "Hey Larry, Mo, and Bob..... it's just me saying hello.  Can you believe I'm here for cornhole?"

While I was in the bathroom I heard the walls knock back and the light flickered.