A Spectacle of Lightning and Thunders

Last night we had a spectacle of lightning and thunders with a background curtain of rain. I can't remember if I've ever seen such a display: there was a flash in the sky every 2-3 seconds. We wanted to go on the porch and enjoy the light show, but at that moment the sky went brighter than at noon on a sunny day, followed by an earth-shaking thunder. We changed our minds and admired it from the window.

It's hard to blog without mentioning the vacation: Maggie got a book from a colleague about Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona. I think something was seriously wrong with the guy, he simply couldn't draw straight lines. Lucky for him, the modernism movement swept in and his wobbly curved shapes became a trend. Jokes aside, I can't wait to experience his masterpieces first-hand. Or, rather, first-eyed.

I have been watching a lot of football lately, with Euro Cup 2008 going on and everybody wearing colors of their ancestral countries. Although, there are a few odd ones, like a couple of Korean girls from the second floor in Italian jerseys, one can easily match co-workers with the part of Europe they re coming from. Unless, of course, they are Brits, who didn't qualify for this Euro 2008. You can tell them apart by the sullen faces.

There are some significant improvements in the game in the last few years. Tougher penalties for faking fouls and injuries brought the pace up. Still, there are players who, when an opponent challenges, spectacularly fall with a scream and roll on the grass holding their shins. And it doesn't matter if there was a contact made at all, nor if it was actually with his shin. Shin seems to be the most popular body part to hold on, while screaming like he's subjected to a surgery without anesthetic. What happened to the manly competition, to out-dribbling and out-playing an adversary? That said, there's noticeably less faking at this years Euro Cup. Even the fakers keep an eye on the referee while rolling on the grass, or simply playing dead. If the ref doesn't buy the act, they spring on their feet, miraculously cured. I guess it's all a part of the game. The part the game can do without.

After last night's rain, Saturday morning was cool, cloudy and seemed so inviting for the morning run. There was humidity building though, and 1hr 20min and 15.7 km later my shirt was drenched, but the feeling was fantastic.