Road trip: Norristown, PA

My brother, Skip, lives in Norristown, Pennsylvania, practically next door to Valley Forge. On my last visit I spent an afternoon there, watching the video presentation, reading about the winter George Washington's troops spent there, and marveling at Washington's tiny (and shared) quarters. This year, I did nothing.

We went out together once, to pick up the new hard drive I had ordered on-line.

Skip follows soccer, so he was watching the World Cup. Sitting on the couch, reading or surfing the web, I was gradually drawn into the soccer matches. With my brother there to answer my questions, the game gradually began to look less like a bunch of guys running up and down a green-striped field and more like a contest. My questions were pretty naive. After about five matches I asked why substitutes were such a big deal, and learned that unlike every other sport I've ever watched, the replaced player is out for the rest of the game.

Maybe I'll turn into a soccer fan.