A. H. Ream

Curse of the Pogo Stick
by Colin Cotterill

I am rapidly working my way through all the Dr. Siri books. Mr. Cotterill is simply going to have to write faster.

I was sitting on the couch last night stuffing my face with dark chocolate brownie and flipping channels when I happened by the beginning of Brothers & Sisters. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was the episode I was in. And by “in,” I mean “out of focus and for the love of God don’t blink.”

Blonde hair. Black and white dress.

And yes, Calista Flockhart is absolutely that skinny in person.

This past weekend was my first official Australia Day celebration, where I learned:

1. Throwing a boomerang is harder than it looks.
2. Vegemite, while not the gag-inducing horror I was expecting, is nonetheless a poorly conceived condiment.
3. I am not complete rubbish at cricket as long as we are using a tennis ball and not using most of the rules.

There are a number of things on my side when playing cricket. First of all the bat is shaped like a cake decorating spatula, long and flat. It’s a 2 x 4 with a handle really. Why we’ve been playing American baseball with these pesky round bats is beyond me. It’s all about surface area.

Also it’s possible, although perhaps not advisable, to drink while playing cricket. And I do mean “while.” Vodka in left hand, field ball with the right. This should be a staple of all games, but may or may not be related to the ball-shaped bruise developing on my left breast and that I played while wearing a cape made from the Australian flag. (It looked awesome when I ran between the wickets.)
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