The hamstring injury I sustained last week kept me off the pitch today. My team qualified for the playoffs in which the top four teams in the combined north and south divisions compete for the championship. I am one of four players sidelined with injuries, leaving our team shorthanded. Even so, the team managed to win in a penalty kick shoot-out determined by the final kick after a come-from-behind 1-1 tie in regulation and a 0-0 tie in extra time. Next week, we will compete in the finals, and I am hoping for a miraculous recovery.

Later in the day, we enjoyed a visit from a close friend that we have not seen in ages. Hayden is the mother of one of Kyle’s classmates and chessmates when he attended the Orchard School in Indianapolis. We did a quick visit to the Old North Bridge, Alcott House, and Walden Pond before enjoying dinner together.