fflo | a pleasant football game Saturday day

Periodically through the window the twirping birdies and creaking crickets are drowned out for a moment by a swell of the growling crowd, or an observation of the announcer, at the stadium up the road. I knew there would be a game today. Saw the set-up for it last night. But I'd forgotten this morning, on my way to canvassing for voter registration, and had to search for my patience as the car and I made our way through the yellow T-shirts.

My co-canvasser and I got a handful of registrations and a small stack of volunteer forms. And had lattes and bagels. It was good to get out and get going with something.

Something about the encounters seemed to be making me laugh, as we'd part company with another coupla strangers who were already registered or not interested or had had some odd air about their "no thanks"es. This was a good thing, it seemed, cuz I'd laugh and still be smiling from it when approaching the next strangers. It's a gorgeous day out there, too.

In fact the football game's over now & I've just arranged to go hit some baseballs & maybe have a little wagering over putt-putt, so I'm gonna be out there in it some more in a minute.

First, though, for you, T:

be·mused [bi-myoozd]
– adjective
1. bewildered or confused.
2. lost in thought; preoccupied.
— Related forms
be·mus·ed·ly, adv. [bi-myoo-zid-lee]

be·muse [bi-myooz]
– verb (transitive), -mused, -mus·ing
to bewilder or confuse (someone).
[Origin: 1695–1705; be- + muse]
— Related forms
be·muse·ment, n.

Some etymology:

muse (v.)
"to be absorbed in thought," 1340, from O.Fr. muser (12c.) "to ponder, loiter, waste time," lit. "to stand with one's nose in the air" (or, possibly, "to sniff about" like a dog who has lost the scent), from muse "muzzle," from Gallo-Romance *musa "snout," of unknown origin. Probably influenced in sense by Muse.

Muse (n.)
c.1374, protectors of the arts, from L. Musa, from Gk. Mousa, lit. "muse, music, song," from PIE root *mon-/*men-/*mn- "to think, remember" (see mind (n.)).

Turns out "amuse" is interesting to read about, too. History, archaic & obsolete meanings.

To outdoor amusement now, though!