aquatics
They've booked a room next to an indoor swimming pool. During each pause in the lecture, we hear splashing and giggles.
bizarro
He murders time with an online game in which something that looks like a decapitated bunny head rolls around in tunnels.
congeniality
Mandarin cinnamon tea, a small high table, a conversation that flows for an hour.
learning
It hits me again how much isn't taught at school. Even basic academic knowledge. So much gets picked up at home or in other places, like an after school activity or visits to a library, a museum, or a park.
receiving
I try without success to show a gratifying level of excitement about a gift I have no use for. I wish I could have prepared for the moment somehow.
sparkle
We walk through cold streets where glowing, cheerful lights are strung. I carry a sparkling blue bag full of chocolates.
stash
The dog tries to investigate the inside of my mouth. A couple of hours earlier I ate beef, and she's wondering if there's more to my mouth than the scent. Maybe I'm holding back on her, hoarding meat in my cheek pouches.
