Liberian Armed Forces Day
Today is Liberia’s Armed Forces Day - one of the 10 Liberian holidays we (US Embassy Monrovia) celebrates, which means I have a three-day weekend. (And since next week is President’s day weekend, that two three-day weekends in a row!). So what does one do on Armed Forces Day? I don’t know what Liberians do, but I relaxed and then played some beach volleyball.
Last night at dinner folks at the table were shocked that I wasn’t on a team. Back up a bit - the embassy is having a beach volleyball tournament next weekend and folks are forming teams (though everyone expects the marines will win yet again - something about a bunch of fit, buff 20-somethings that make them the better’s choice). Back to dinner - everyone at the table realized that the Democracy and Governance office has too few people to form a team, so no one had asked me to play. So the Economic Growth team asked me to play with them and they said they’re playing folks from the Program Office today. So I showed up.
Here’s the court! Nice view, huh?
Well, I wound up playing with the Program Office folks (because they had fewer people) and who knows if I’m even on any team at all. But hey, I got out and played, right?
Well, much like my soccer experience last year, I have to admit that I’m no longer a young puppy. Somehow, I don’t know if it’s the extra 50 pounds I carry, or the extra 25 years, but I now have a vertical leap that is at least 6” if not a good foot less than it used to be. Ok, my vertical leap is now about 3 inches (I don’t count those times I jumped, but my feet just pressed deeper into the sand!) which means it’s probably 18” less than it used to be. Man am I old!
Still, that did not keep me from diving into the sand for a couple of digs. One of them kept us in the final point to win a game too! Then again, all that extra weight makes me a bit less in control of my body than I used to be and there are consequences. Check out the left knee. It didn’t hurt too much at the time, but boy it smarted in the shower! (And no, I didn’t play in shoes.)
Ah! To be young again. . . .