A wee little trip

The next six days are going to be a nice break from the usual. Tomorrow I have a work-related meeting in Norman for most of the day, after which I’ll start the drive up I-44 (hopefully missing rush hour in Tulsa).

The weekend will be spent in the St. Louis area visiting family, including my maternal grandparents, both of whom are 90. Lots of other extended family members will also be visiting, including one cousin who has a daughter I’ve yet to meet. I think the total will be 21 of a possible 37, which is actually a pretty good turnout. Should be a nice mix of fun and crazy.

On Monday I’ll bop across I-70 to Kansas City to spend a few days visiting a couple of college friends, neither of whom I’ve seen face-to-face in quite a few years. One has been married for about ten years, and I haven’t even met her hubby!

Will be going to a Royals game one night, which will be cool since I haven’t been to their park before and have heard nice things about it. I’d like to get to all the major league parks eventually, but have a long way to go yet. This will only be my sixth (St. Louis, Houston, Toronto, Seattle, and Arlington).

Anyway, home again on Wednesday and back to work Thursday. May or may not be blogging in the meantime, so y’all have a good weekend!

Throwing strikes to third base

Those of y’all who follow baseball are probably familiar with the story of Rick Ankiel, the young pitcher who had a frighteningly swift meltdown in the 2000 postseason, never to recover.

As a pitcher, that is. Luckily, the Cardinals facilitated his switch from pitcher to outfielder in the minor leagues, and he’s back with the major league team as our center fielder. Why lucky? Because not many center fielders can throw 250-foot strikes, much less two in one game. Seriously, go watch the video at that link. It’s phenomenal. (You can also read about it here.)

There are folks who still speculate about what Ankiel’s pitching career could have been. Unfortunately for them, they’re missing how amazing his fielding career is right now.

Finally, an explanation

Turns out that there’s a secret underground FEMA base in town where they do human cloning.

For anyone familiar with the area, it’s below the Aldridge. Maybe the clones that aren’t viable end up in the breakfast sausage there.

Maybe the really odd customers at WalMart are escaped clones.

Maybe this is why the DA really didn’t want John Grisham nosing around.

Maybe CLEET is just a cover — a way to train expendable clones for productive work.

Or maybe I’m just procrastinating a little while longer on that last paper I need to finish up.

Local educators are certifiable

What, you doubt me? Not only is the above statement true, but it was a headline (yes, really) in the local paper, followed by a lovely little story about folks getting their National Board certificates. You’d think somebody would have noticed that unfortunate headline.

But then, it was a pretty exciting news day:

(photo by R. Mitchell, AEN)

New Joanne Harris book

Just heard this morning on NPR that Joanne Harris’s sequel to Chocolat is available! The Girl With No Shadow sounds like it will be darker than the original, but none of Harris’s writings are exactly fluff, so it’ll be interesting to see just how dark it is. This excerpt from the NPR story sound promising, though:

Harris says she took up Vianne Rocher’s story again because it just didn’t feel finished after Chocolat. But if that first book was milk chocolate, Harris calls her latest work “dark chocolate.” She describes the new novel as a dark, urban fairy tale.

“Chocolat was very much about what makes you happy, whereas The Girl with No Shadow is what makes you afraid,” says Harris.

Be sure to listen to the story at the link above in order to hear an excerpt from the novel.

For those of you who only ever saw the movie version of Chocolat, be sure to read the novel before picking up the new one. I don’t know whether it will matter for reading the sequel, but one important change was made in the movie that lessened the fairy-tale feel considerably. I understand the reasoning behind the change, but — as usual — the novel is better.

Also, if you’re like me and will be waiting for the new book to arrive at your local library, take the time to read one of Harris’s other novels.  If you’d like something similar to Chocolate, try Holy Fools. If you’d prefer something along different lines, try Five Quarters of the Orange. Both of these have darker elements and might provide some hint as to how the new novel will feel.

For myself, this will have to go on the “After Comps” list. Although I’ll be finished with this semester on Monday, I’ll be jumping immediately into studying for the comprehensive exam on June 27. But I know what I’ll be reading on June 28!

This is what sports are all about

Have y’all heard about the college softball game on Saturday? A senior player for Western Oregon hit her first career home run but tore her ACL rounding first base. Two infielders from the opposing team (Central Washington) carried her around the bases, allowing her to complete her season-ending home run.

You can read the full story on ESPN or CBS.

Starting again

Just two quick notes before I’m off to lunch with an old high school friend.

First, I did thirty minutes of yoga this morning, which just happened to be my first yoga session in several weeks. I think. I can’t quite recall when I last practiced. It’s not quite clear how I slipped off the yoga wagon — my practices just got shorter and shorter through the month of March, but then…. Oh well, no sense trying to figure it out. It just happened. But it felt incredibly good to be back on the mat.

Second, made a quick trip to my bank this morning, which just happens to be across the street from the farmers’ market. And much to my surprise, there were actually farmers! It’s early days yet, of course, but I got strawberries, onions, and a few small sweet potatoes that were intended for planting but which I shall slice up and stir-fry. Also got some sliced okra that one had frozen last summer. Half are currently thawing in the fridge and will become gumbo tomorrow. Yummmm.

How the Buddha blogs?

My favourite comment was “bloody minimalists.”

Free museum admission

For anyone in the Norman area this Saturday, April 26, keep in mind that admission will be free to the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. They’re open 10-5 and are located on Chautauqua Ave, between OU and Highway 9. This is a great museum for all ages (am rather partial to the big dinosaur skeletons myself). If you haven’t been, please take this opportunity to see it!

Happy Birthday, Will

April 23rd is the day generally celebrated as the birthday of The Bard. In honor thereof, an excerpt from Much Ado About Nothing that features one of my favourite characters, Dogberry, who has a slight tendency to misuse words:

[Enter LEONATO and DOGBERRY and VERGES.]

LEONATO.
What would you with me, honest neighbour?

DOGBERRY.
Marry, sir, I would have some confidence with you, that decerns
you nearly.

LEONATO.
Brief, I pray you; for you see it is a busy time with me.

DOGBERRY.
Marry, this it is, sir.

VERGES.
Yes, in truth it is, sir.

LEONATO.
What is it, my good friends?

DOGBERRY.
Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter: an old man,
sir, and his wits are not so blunt as, God help, I would desire
they were; but, in faith, honest as the skin between his brows.

VERGES.
Yes, I thank God, I am as honest as any man living, that is an
old man and no honester than I.

DOGBERRY.
Comparisons are odorous: palabras, neighbour Verges.

LEONATO.
Neighbours, you are tedious.

DOGBERRY.
It pleases your worship to say so, but we are the poor duke’s
officers; but truly, for mine own part, if I were as tedious as
a king, I could find in my heart to bestow it all of your worship.

LEONATO.
All thy tediousness on me! ha?

DOGBERRY.
Yea, an ‘t were a thousand pound more than ’tis; for I hear as good
exclamation on your worship, as of any man in the city, and though
I be but a poor man, I am glad to hear it.

VERGES.
And so am I.

LEONATO.
I would fain know what you have to say.

VERGES.
Marry, sir, our watch to-night, excepting your worship’s presence,
ha’ ta’en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Messina.

DOGBERRY.
A good old man, sir; he will be talking; as they say, ‘when the age
is in, the wit is out.’ God help us! it is a world to see! Well said,
i’ faith, neighbour Verges: well, God’s a good man; an two men ride
of a horse, one must ride behind. An honest soul, i’ faith, sir; by
my troth he is, as ever broke bread; but God is to be worshipped: all
men are not alike; alas! good neighbour.

LEONATO.
Indeed, neighbour, he comes too short of you.

DOGBERRY.
Gifts that God gives.

LEONATO.
I must leave you.

DOGBERRY.
One word, sir: our watch, sir, hath indeed comprehended two
aspicious persons, and we would have them this morning examined
before your worship.

LEONATO.
Take their examination yourself, and bring it me: I am now in great
haste, as may appear unto you.

DOGBERRY.
It shall be suffigance.

LEONATO.
Drink some wine ere you go: fare you well.

[Enter a Messenger.]

MESSENGER.
My lord, they stay for you to give your daughter to her husband.

LEONATO.
I’ll wait upon them: I am ready.

[Exeunt LEONATO and Messenger.]

DOGBERRY.
Go, good partner, go, get you to Francis Seacoal; bid him bring his
pen and inkhorn to the gaol: we are now to examination these men.

VERGES.
And we must do it wisely.

DOGBERRY.
We will spare for no wit, I warrant you; here’s that shall drive some
of them to a non-come: only get the learned writer to set down our
excommunication, and meet me at the gaol.

[Exeunt.]