I yelled, “Nice pancake!” So what? I also yell things like, “Nice swing!” “Nice dig!” “Nice block!” and “Nice serve!” But when I yell about a pancake, others in the crowd turn to look at me.

That’s because people like Delmar don’t know what a pancake is.

Brenda, my niece, had dived to the floor and slid a fully splayed right hand, palm down, beneath the volleyball before it touched the hardwood. That’s called a “pancake,” and it was a nice pancake.

“Nice waffle!” That’s what Delmar yelled only a couple of seconds after I’d cheered for the pancake. He was sitting a few rows up to the right. I don’t know why he was at the game, but he was rooting for the other team. I couldn’t help but to think he was rooting for them just to spite me. Delmar is my son-of-a-bitch neighbor. More »