Saturday, March 31

Where Is My Cape?

I am a superhero. My abilities are endless, I am sure. I could stop a locomotive with my bare hands, if necessary. I could swim the ocean. I can swoop in and save young, innocent lives from the jaws of death. Just put one of my kids in jeopardy and I will suddenly develop new and amazing talents.
Latourell Falls
Allow me to paint a picture: My kids and I, along with my brother's family and my parents, traversed a hike in the gorge to celebrate a beautiful Spring Break day. We discovered on our return trip from the upper falls that we needed to take a little detour. With the bridge washed out, we needed to cross over the raging, freezing, deep torrents on a log placed just so for such an occasion. Mind you, it was a huge log, so it wasn't really that precarious -- unless you are a four-year-old. As Connor and I, holding hands, neared the far side, he lost his footing and went off the side. As my mind registered that his little body was dangling ten feet over the water, I thought, I've got him! Then just as quickly I thought, We're both going in! As I valiantly fought the beast of balance that attempted to draw us both into its icy clutches, I reached back and grabbed a wee twig - one no larger than my pinky. This little respite allowed just enough time for my superpowers to kick in and right both of us up. When we reached stable land, Connor whimpered a few times and quietly declared, I almost fell in the waterfall, mommy. A little farther down trail and I saw that we were just upstream from a very, very high waterfall.

I am mother. Hear me roar.

Thursday, March 15

Craig Ferguson Piece

Everyone in my family is on that terrible precipice - you know, that ledge right before you succumb to a terrible cold. I'm trying to fight it with Zicam and mind-control, but I'm not sure it's going to hold.

You may have seen this on Mike Cope's blog or a million other places for that matter - once it's on youtube, it's everywhere. Craig Ferguson, whom I enjoy watching mostly to hear his great Scottish accent, gives a poignant monologue about comedy, kicking those who are down, and his own fight with alcoholism. It's worth twelve minutes, if you can find them.

Saturday, March 10

I Miss the Ol' Boy

From Deadspin (a totally irreverant sports site that I cannot recommend due to all things foul - no pun intended):
After you pick up 16 technical fouls in one NBA season, each technical foul thereafter earns you a one-game suspension. You'll never guess who became the first player to be suspended via that rule.'Twas Rasheed Wallace.

You might expect Rasheed to be upset about the suspension, or to say or do something inflammatory. Nope.

"It don't matter to me," Wallace said of the fine he'll draw. "They think suspending me one game, I'm losing all this money and this and that. Money ain't nothing to me for the simple fact I wasn't born with it. Just as fast as you get money, you can lose money. Money's not going to change my character, money's not going to change the person I am."

"We're still going to go out there and play Pistons basketball," he said. "We still got guys who can play. I ain't worried about [missing the game]."
Dude.

Sunday, March 4

Shake It, Harding!


This little spontaneous choreography by some students during a concert in the Benson Auditorium on Harding's campus actually made it on the news in Arkansas! Seems President Burks didn't take to kindly to such expressions of unbridled joy and ordered those poor Harding security folks to regain order. Good luck there! Ever seen Footloose, Dr. Burks??