Hello.

 

Hi, I'm Annie.

Mother of 3,
spouse to G,
writer of things,
former batgirl,
sister,
daughter,
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and American
living in Australia.

Basic Joy = my attempt to document all of this life stuff, stubbornly looking for the joy in dailiness. 

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Mama, Ph.D.: Women Write About Motherhood and Academic LifeMountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the WorldThe Sweetness at the Bottom of the PieThe Island: A NovelThe PassageSecret Spaces of Childhood

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« Singing the Baby Blues | Main | Reinflating my summer hopes »
Monday
Aug032009

Marco...

POLO!
We were alerted by a friend about the polo matches in Newport. Who knew?! We've lived here...what?...a total of 11 years and had no idea. The US team plays a different country's team every Saturday, June-September. People line the field with picnic blankets and tables and make a whole event of it.

So of course we had to satisfy our curiosity and make the pilgrimage ourselves. It was great fun. The announcer was hilarious, the field & horses beautiful, the people-watching like a JCrew catalog come to life.


First the horses hold a huddle to work out strategy. Just kidding. I don't know what the horses discussed but they were taking everything very seriously. Lighten up, ponies!


The requisite we-did-too-take-you-places-when-you-were-growing-up photo:


At half time (after the 3rd "chukka") everyone goes out on the field and replaces the divots on the field. We pretended we totally knew what we were doing. Except when we accidentally replaced horse manure in a divot.


More divot dancing.


Then this cute young man spectator got out his bagpipe and played a few tunes. It was awesome. (See what I mean about the JCrew thing?)


Apparently people take their polo spectating very seriously. So seriously that they bring umbrella tables and chairs, full multi-course gourmet picnic fare, crystal glasses.



Don't mind us over here, eating our strawberries off of our paper plates and drinking Fresca from a can. We'll just buy ourselves some hotdogs from the stand.


Afterwards, everyone lines the perimeter with their hands extended and the players ride around the whole circle giving high 5s to all. It was awesome except when I was trying to lift Sam up so he could receive a high five and I almost fell onto the field under the galloping horses. Good times. We've decided that now we need to have a pollo match. As in chickens. (We thought it was funny but maybe you had to be there.)

We ended our night over on the Cliff Walk in Newport. One of my happy places with people I love. August has started just fine.


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Reader Comments (9)

i love newport. love it. it's where we went on senior skip day way back when.

next you should check out newport jai alai. that's a crazy sport to watch.

did you bring donuts on your picnic?

Love it, love it, love it. What a great day to spend at the polo grounds. I think next time you should bring a nice Mexican pollo for a picnic lunch. Pollo at the polo grounds, wearing Polo shirts.

08.3.2009 | Unregistered Commentercbentley

F-A-N-C-Y! Not so many polo matches here in little Logan. Nor in Texas, for that matter. Football, however?! Yep, we got plenty o' football.

08.3.2009 | Unregistered CommenterRochelleht

Oh, how I long to be all J-Crew like and sip diet coke out of my champagne flute and watch the beautiful people watch Polo. Sounds fabulous, and oh-so-hoitey-toitey. Way to up the ante for the rest of us.

08.4.2009 | Unregistered CommenterChristie

We all know my kids would really be the ones making bathroom body sounds, dining on Little Debbie snacks, and cheering with our mouths full. We'd never fit in there.

08.4.2009 | Unregistered CommenterChristie

That sounds and looks delightful but I'm with Stie-my kids would notice every horse poop and we'd be snacking on Fritos and Oreos. I have yet to see Newport myself. I know, sad!

08.4.2009 | Unregistered Commentercalibosmom

awesome.

...completely awesome.

thanks for sharing! :)

08.5.2009 | Unregistered Commenterseven smiles

Hi Annie
Thanks for joining me today on my blogiversary. I can't believe it's a year already. You were there with me right at the start and I'm glad you are still with me now.
The polo match looks lots of fun. I have never been to a real one but have watched on TV. Thanks for sharing your lovely pictures.
Hope you are enjoying your summer.
Lindsay
x

08.7.2009 | Unregistered CommenterLindsay-ann

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