World Cup--Cold Front and Elephant Kisses

June 15, 2010

We woke up this morning to freezing temperatures and high winds and thanked our luck that we did not have to sit in a stadium today. Instead, we packed up and went to the Elephant Sanctuary. You actually don't know how much you don't know about elephants until you have spent several hours with them, learning about them a to z. For me, the most fascinating insight was about elephant physiology, particularly elephant skulls. I got to hold a jawbone, which was heavier than Uma (35 plus pounds). The rest of the skull however, wasn't solid bone like the lower jaw. It was honey-combed, which apparently serves a variety of purposes: helping to magnify the elephants rumbling and trumpeting, to cushion head butting games, to create a cooling mechanism, and perhaps most importantly to lighten the load, so it can actually carry its head around (if the skull was as dense as the jaw it would be tough to walk and dangerous to swim).

This young man (the elephant, not the trainer) rewarded me for being such an attentive student:

I promised not to kiss and tell, but the evidence gave me away (just imagine trying to hide this with a little base make up, like girls in high school do. . . not to worry, it's dirt, not a hickey.):

Yesterday's day matches were somewhat disappointing. Who wouldn't feel terrible for the Denmark defender who scored an own-goal? The question I have is whether an own goal keeps Denmark's unbroken string of opening game scoring intact or not.

The own goal also broke a rule I had been empirically testing. My theory was that if you had not seen the actual play, but saw a player running away from the goal, you could predict what had transpired by looking at their hands/arms. If they run away with their arms outstretched, hands either pointed up, to the side: or down: , that player scored!

If you see them running from the goal with their hands on their head, covering, their eyes or rubbing their cheeks, they missed. The Danish player was evidence to the contrary: head and face rubbing, but, in fact, the ball went in the goal.

But on with the post-game analysis: Cameroon was a huge disappointment to me, with unorganized (I might even suggest "selfish") play to Japan's hustling, team-based defense and attacks. We had a better go in the evening when the candy-cane-socked Paraguayan side (these almost look like the tornado socks Erin's team used to wear) evened the score against Italy. And once again we counted our blessings that our ticket package was centered around Johannessburg, rather than down in Cape Town, which is experiencing monsoon-like rain and high coastal winds. (NOTE: it's easier to dress to keep warm than to keep dry!).

Between the games we attended a shebeen, which is a pub night with traditional African food. We had excellent chakalaka (really tasty cole slaw-ish vegetable dish) and marogo and pap (African spinach with a sort of grits-like grain porridge) and many other stews and grilled meats that would look more familiar to you. Also a dense chocolate something to sweeten our palates. Somehow, I was on wine instead of beer, so maybe I wasn't as authentic as I could have been.

I'll try harder next time.

People have been asking about the vuvuzelas (accent on the third syllable). The run up to the opening ceremony and South Africa's first match was vuvuzela heavy, everywhere: outside our window at four in the morning, out every car window that passed us on the streets, and certainly at the match and FanFest locales. They have since tapered off a bit and are not a bother. We actually worried quite a lot about the match level noise. We had brought ear plugs from home, but actually spent a little time on Thursday and Friday seeking out noise baffling headphones to wear at the game. They were sold out completely, so we had to tough it out with plugs and stocking hats covering our ears.

The excitement before US/England was quite loud with chanting and vuvuzelas and we were glad for the hearing protection. Part way through the first half, I took out the ear plug on one side, so I could hear conversation, and by the second half, I was plug-free with no detrimental effect.

I think the television audio picks up the horns a little more than you hear in the stadium (unless you are sitting by someone with powerful lungs and the ability to circular breathe). Otherwise, you just get the occasional blast every once in a while (at a lower decibel level than air horns that you have at some games and with briefer duration than the clackers that some fans bring).

I know, I'm late posting again, but you can tell these were our actual pre-game predictions. While I'm sorry to have lost out on my Slovakia prediction, who in the world can possibly hold it against the young Kiwi who headed it in in the 93rd minute to score New Zealand's first ever World Cup finals goal?

Vickie:

New Zealand-0 Slovakia-2

Ivory Coast-2 Portugal-1

Brazil-4 North Korea-0

Davis:

New Zealand-0 Slovakia-2

Ivory Coast-2 Portugal-0

Brazil-5 North Korea-0

Erin:

New Zealand/Slovakia--tie (smile rule)

Ivory Coast/Portugal--tie (green rule)

Brazil-win (green rule)

Yesterday was Davis's day, with a 2-1 record and the first two exact score predictions of the tournament. I was also 2-1, and lucked into my first exact pick. The Erin rules had a sad day (0-3), and Walter got on the scoreboard with 1-2.

Until tomorrow, I will leave you with a photo of my new South African friends: Samm and Deqlan:

World Cup--New Erin Rules

June 14, 2010

After such a late night Saturday, we took an easy Sunday, with not much besides tv soccer..

Here’s the prediction box so far (based on the revised Erin Rules below):

	Vickie		Davis		Erin
	Correct	Incorrect	Correct	Incorrect	Correct	Incorrect
June 11	0	2	0	2	1	1
June 12	3	0	1	2	1	2
June 13	2	1	1	2	1	2
	5	3	2	6	3	5

Did I tell you what I saw about 3:00 in the morning driving in from Rustenburg after the game? We were still outside Johannesburg proper. The bus pulled to a stop at a traffic light. I looked out the window and saw a black lab eating some road kill it had drug off to the side. I looked harder. The tail was swishing back and forth, catlike. I looked even harder. It wasn’t tall enough to be a lab. Leopard, actually.

This morning we had a driver take us to the Sturkfontein Caves. There have been remarkable discoveries here of pre-hominid skeletons, including one that archeologists are digging out right now. We didn’t get to walk right up to the dig site, but we could hear the tapping and shoveling noises just down the path from us. This area of South Africa has a number of archeological sites of note, and the amazing thing to me was that they have uncovered a large variety of pre-human species, some of which continued and grew into lines of homo that persisted, while others went extinct. This changed my thinking about the development of humans, which I had somehow imagined as an unbroken line of progress (like the cartoon always depicts--I look for an upload).

Here’s another observation that might interest my non-soccer fans, particularly the ladies. You might consider Brazil-2014 for you next big vacation. Every place we have gone, every buss ride we have taken,, every congregated crowd has been about 85% men. If you separate out the couples, the crowd remains large, but the man-to-woman ratio grows even larger. Trust me, if you could tolerate someone who would prefer soccer to the mall, you might not find better odds.

We have refined the Erin Rules of Prognostication:

Rule 1: Always pick the United States for the win.

Rule 2: Always pick Cameroon for the win (in honor of Elvis and James—the guys that trained both Erin and Davis in soccer).

Rule 3: Always pick South Africa for the win because they are a great host country.

Rule 4: Always pick the green team for the win.

Rule 5: Pick a tie if two green teams play (except when governed by Rule 2 or Rule 3).

Rule 6: If two non-green teams play, pick the team that has more smiling team members in the Official Match Program.

Vickie:

Holland-2 Denmark-1

Cameroon-2 Japan-0

Italy-1 Paraguay-1

Davis:

Holland-2 Denmark-0

Cameroon-0 Japan-1

Italy-0 Paraguay-1

Erin:

Denmark-win (smile rule)

Cameroon-win (Cameroon rule)

Italy-win (green rule)

Walter has also joined in the predicting:

Holland-2 Denmark-1

Cameroon-2 Japan-0

Italy 1- Paraguay-0

World Cup--USA! USA!

June 13, 2010

I'm late blogging today, so you will have to trust me with the predictions (since the Algerian/Slovenia game is almost over). Our game didn't start until 8:30 last night, but since we went by bus we couldn't strike tent and move on at our own pace at games end. We didn't make it back to Randburg and our hotel until 3:45, which those of you who know me, understand is way beyond the boundaries of my usual schedule.

All of you know the final score of the game, but let me fill in some of the color. Rustenburg has a small stadium in comparison to many of the others, or Kyle Field for that matter. It holds just over 40,000 people, but the fans had it rocking last night. English fans are so much more experienced, with organized chants and songs and strategic placement of their flags over the rails. My guess is that the tickets were fairly evenly distributed between the two sides, but the stadium looked more "English." It was only after the American goal that you could hear that there were as many Americans as English. We saw fans dressed as Uncle Sam, Abe Lincoln, and English knights. The sense we had at the stadium is the one we have had every where we have gone. People are so happy. They have so much pride in their teams and nations.

I had bought a U.S.A beanie (knit cap) to trade at the end of the game for an England beanie. I found a guy sitting near us (we got to our seats two hours early and he was there early as well). He looked like a true-in-the-blood fan and a bit like Wayne Rooney, and most importantly, he had a beanie I wanted. I offered him a trade before the game, and he agreed--if England won. I think he was sure we would be trading. During the game, he and his compadres acted like real English football fans--joyful and cocky at the first score, and after the evener serious, some times red in the face, often using colorful language. At the end, I looked in his direction and held out my cap. He took his off his head, and I thought was going to turn away. Instead, he handed it over, shook my hand, and told me his name--Paul.

This morning, I got up easier than I expected, mainly because Walter and I had a date. We were meeting with Samm and Mark and Deqlan. What a treat. I know that in general, one shouldn't go about meeting up with people they only know from the internet, but in the NB world, you just have to punt that rule. Once you have fought this disease, you have much in common with others who have trod the same path. Once you have followed their stories, you know them. You share the walk they have walked, the fears and tears, the waiting, the caution of neutrapenia, the joy of a clean or improved scan. You can feel an affinity with a fellow NB parent that you can't have with your closest neighbor.

So we met the Higgins at Brightwater Commons--a local area with shops and a central commons with a green area, skate park, and carousel. As Walter and I walked up, we spied Deq on the carousel, eyes lit with excitement. And anyone who has traveled will tell you, it is so much better to learn of a new country through those who live there than by depending on tour guides and guide books. I have found a new country and continent to place a couple of Erin's Dream Lanyards, and in exchange I have a beaded bracelet with South African colors and its flag's symbols. I have also just met and old and dear friend. Thanks Samm (and hello to Nanna, another long-distance Erin fan!).

Davis and I picked up a little ground yesterday on our picks. I haven't actually gotten a score correct, but I did get the outcomes right yesterday. Davis also improved. Our picks for Erin didn't pan out (we are working on a second dimension for her picks. I will let you know.).

Today's games:

Vickie:

Algeria-0 Slovenia-2

Serbia-2 Ghana-1

Germany-3 Australia 0

Davis:

Algeria-0 Slovenia-0

Serbia-2 Ghana-0

Germany-3 Australia 0

Erin-Algeria/Slovenia tie, Ghana win, Australia win (not a great prediction, but the Aussie's wear a green away uniform, plus there's the allure of picking Australia because Nico lived there last year).

One final thought: The stadium's scoreboard and clock was non-operational. It some ways it was just like a EDDOA game. If you didn't start your watch when the official blows his whistle, you have no idea how much longer the half/game will last. For once, I remembered--both halves. Ask Lisa V., this is a personal record for me.

World Cup--Ayoba, Befana, Befana

June 11, 2010

After I posted last night, Davis and I discussed how Erin would have filled out her bracket. She always loved picking the horses at the races in Ruidoso, based primarily on how perky the horses' ears looked and how much affection they showed for their jockey and trainer. Since we could not judge about the World Cup players' ear perkiness nor their affection towards their coaches, we had to come up with plan B. We decided she would pick based on color, giving the nod to the team with green in their jerseys or national flags. If both teams or neither team sported green we scored them as a tie.

Guess how we all did?

As you recall, Davis and I predicted wins for Mexico (based primarily on international ranking--top 20 for Mexico, 83rd for South Africa). South Africa struck first with a brilliant goal, and Mexico evened it with about ten minutes left. Both South Africa and Mexico belong to the green club, giving Erin the point for the prediction (how sweet is that?) and keeping Davis and I waiting for France to beat Uruguay so we can even the score. Here's the set up at our hotel as we wait:

We had high hopes for our trip to Pilanesburg National Park today, and it turned out even better than any of us expected. I won't bore you with the list of thirty-eight different species of animals and birds we saw (most of them quite close up). Davis will work on uploading and editing our photographs, and I will pick a couple of great shots to add here later (Why he didn't think he needed his own computer on this trip so we could work simultaneously rather than sequentially is a mystery I am still working through).

I will say that I have expanded my life list of birds considerably, including a scarlet breasted shrike that practically walked right up to us. I will also say that Walter and Davis were incredibly more competent charging the flat tyre (SA spelling) than our tour guide was. I have to say I was a wee bit uncomfortable breaking the number one rule of the park: NEVER GET OUT OF YOUR CAR. I kept replaying Jurassic Park in my mind, trying to remember the series of small, bad decisions that got everyone in so much trouble with the velociraptors. Still, I also remembered my mothers rule: ALWAYS GET OUT OF THE CAR IF SOMEONE IS CHANGING A FLAT. Mom trumped the park ranger.

Tomorrow is our first live match. The tour will pick us up at noon for an 8:30 kick off. No one seems to know what will happen in between.

Here are tomorrow's matches and predictions:

Vickie:

USA 2-England 2

South Korea 2-Greece 1

Argentina 2-Nigeria 0

Davis:

USA 1-England 2

South Korea 0-Greece 0

Argentina 2-Nigeria 0

Erin picks a win for the US, a tied for Greece and South Korea, and a win for Nigeria. Maybe I can catch up tomorrow.

Something that made me say hmmmm on this trip? When we got to Dubai, we caught a transport to our overnight hotel. A young woman (early twenties) happened to sit next to me. She just graduated with a masters in English from Texas A&M and was waiting to hear if she would have a teaching position at Blinn in the fall, besides the Buengers she was the only other American on the bus.

World Cup--First Match Tomorrow!

June 10, 2010 (2nd entry today)

It probably had more to do with yesterday being a focus on the South African national team, with a parade and fan appreciation event in Sandton, but when we rode in from the airport the roads and even the freeway was lined with supporters.

Since we didn't know about the special celebrations we were a little concerned as we approached the hotel and noticed a huge congregation of folks, including a large number that appeared to be standing on and around a police car bouncing, just like they were in a Joy Jump. You might note that this was a big enough surprise that I didn't whip out the camera fast enough to get a telling photo. This is all that came through. The police seemed to be smiling, so we put our concerns behind us.

I am not going to reveal all of our fan photos yet, but here is a taste:

Our plan is to create a set of brackets and do fan match ups. Over our time here, we will have a tournament where we decide which countries send the most colorful fans. This gives every nation (except perhaps the Danes or the North Koreans) a chance to win off the field, if not on.

Speaking of brackets, Davis and I have completed our brackets, including picking the outcome of every match and predicting the scores:

Here's what we have for you on tomorrow's two games

South Africa v. Mexico

Vickie's pick: Mexico 3-South Africa 2

Davis's pick: Mexico 3-South Africa 1

France v Uruguay

Vickie's pick: France 2-Uruguay 0

Davis's pick: France 2-Uruguay 0

Strange observation of the day: I had never stayed a hotel where a Gideon hadn't already been and left their reminder until I stayed at the Millineum Hotel in Dubai.

While every living South African will likely be watching the match tomorrow, the Buengers are going to Pilanesburg National Park to view the flora, fauna, and scenery.

World Cup--First Highlight

June 10, 2010

The highlight so far?

We went to Nelson Mandela Square this morning after we picked up our game tickets. We needed to exchange dollars for rands and look for fans. Davis and I are trying to capture photo ops with fans from each of the 32 countries playing in the Cup. We thought that sort of public spot would be great to see the pageantry of fanatics (and we were right).

But, that's not the highlight. This is:

As I was looking for fans worth photographing, I spotted an ancient woman wearing a tall yellow and green hat, being led through the crowd by a young woman and man. I stopped to let them pass in front of me and saw that she was blind, crying, and smiling. Her young friend/relative explained that she had waited for years to come and touch the 20 foot statue of Nelson Mandela. She was 86 years old and had lived a very hard life under apartheid. Now she was gripped by the World Cup and ready to follow every match on the radio.

World Cup--Let's Do It!

June 7, 2010

I'll type in Patriot Blue for the next two weeks (with the date still in red) for the good old U. S. of A. Departure in eleven minutes, so I'm racing the clock!

Here's some things to know:

1. I will bring you a souvenir if you request something specific AND if it is small and light. No vuvulezas!

2. We will have email (try w-buenger@tamu.edu if you don't get a response from my usual email), facebook, and texts. We will also have our phones with our usual numbers, but won't answer ($2.29/minute) unless we are expecting a call from you.

Out the door for now. Let's Do It!

Announce

June 6, 2010

I left you all hanging a couple of weeks ago. I had self-enforced internet silence once I learned who would receive the Erin Buenger Memorial Scholarship. Once we awarded it, I should have written about it, but like many things lately, it didn't bubble to the top of my list. It should have. It was newsworthy, joyfully newsworthy!

Here is the description of the scholarship:

The Jane Long PTO established the Erin Buenger Memorial scholarship to honor the memory and spirit of Jane Long student Erin Buenger. It is awarded to a college-bound senior who attended Jane Long Middle School and who exemplifies the joy, energy, and commitment to others that marked the way Erin lived. her bright red hair, beautiful smile, and zest for living complemented a spirit filled with with passion and wisdom that she shared with everyone she met. This scholarship gives financial support to someone who want to continue her drive to make our world a better safer place for all children to live and succeed in.

The winner of the scholarship met all of these criteria and more. I cried when I read her essay. Not only did she highlight her many accomplishment and wrote eloquently about how she lived as a verb, she also referenced how much Erin had meant to her younger brother, Aaron. I could think of no one else in the Bryan High Class of 2010 that deserved to win this scholarship more than Anne Wunneburger.



Here is the younger brother she referenced:

Here is Aaron A. and Erin E. named such by their first grade teacher to distinguish them when she called on them in the classroom.


If you click here you will find the super treat of the entire Wunneburger Family!

World Cup blog starts tomorrow!

Listen/Read

June 3, 2010

Can anyone explain why I feel completely compelled to turn off the radio before I open my phone to read a text message? Even if I am a passenger? Even if I am parked in my driveway? Do I think my eyes won't work, if my ears are already engaged? Is this related to the pat your head/rub your stomach thing (which I have never had a problem with)?

Drive

June 1, 2010

Head west, young(ish) woman, someone told me.  So in about a half an hour I am headed about five hours to the west, to Mo Ranch, the place my children say is the happiest place in the world.  Mo Ranch Summer Camp director, Tim Huchton, chose Erin's Dream Lanyards as one of the summer craft projects for the campers.  So today will be a first for me.  I'm going over to train the eighteen counselors how to run workshops for the kids this summer.

Erin went to MO Ranch multiple times, but only once as a summer camper, alone (well, not really alone. One of her besties, Clayton Sue Benson shared every minute of fun with her) without someone else in the family.  This was two Junes ago.  She got to celebrate her birthday there.  

I may cry a river on my way out there, but when I get there I'm going to spend my less-than-twenty-four hours enjoying the setting.  I think I'll stroll out to the ropes course that she was so proud about completing.  I'll need to go and visit the stables and give a pat to Reagan and the other horses (she knew all their names and remembered them every time we visited).  As I meander down the river path, I will know that I am in one of those "thin places" the Irish talk about where the boundary between humans and God thins out enough that you can see that he is there.

Tell

March 28, 2010

Some of you revealed (in public comments or private emails) whether you asked or guessed (see last Sunday's entry). Others of you wanted to know where I stood on Ask/Guess. I believed, when I wrote the entry, I was an "guesser" evidenced by my lack of salesmanship. I think people who are natural-born sales people, have that "no harm in asking" approach to life. I look at myself when I'm at a lanyard workshop and have to laugh at how protective I am of everyone's right to beg off buying a lanyard. I hardly even like to suggest the option.

On the other hand, I don't have much of a problem asking my friends to donate shoes or garage sale items for good causes. In fact, my current ask is for youth soccer uniforms. I have a friend who is helping someone who is forming children's soccer leagues in Egypt and will take all sizes and colors of soccer uniforms. Let me know if you are ready to get rid of all those old polyester jerseys and the drawer full of black shorts and thick knee socks you have accumulated.

Someone suggested I may have truncated the options by limiting the choice to ask or guess. Instead, I should have included "tell" to account for those people who neither "ask" for a favor, nor attempt to "guess" whether the target person is amenable to the "ask." Instead, they just read the situation and start telling people what to do. I think the person who suggested this thought I fit into that category. Surely, they jest.

Ask or Guess

May 23, 2010

Wow! We had a great workshop on Friday. Thanks to everyone who came. If you couldn't fit it in, we'll see you next time!

I often tell my students that there are two kind of people in the world: those who put people into two categories and those who don't.

Lately, I have wondered about a different demarcation: people who ask for favors and are willing to hear either "yes" or "no," and those who will only ask if they are relatively sure the answer is "yes."

People in the first category could ask almost anything: Will you give me $100? Can I stay at your house for six weeks while my landlord repaints my apartment? Will you dog-sit my six poodles? They ask without remorse and are perfectly willing to hear "no" without hard feelings.

People in the second category don't want to put someone in the position of saying "no" so they go to great lengths to figure out what they think the answer will be before ever asking. If they think the answer is no, they won't ask.

That these two categories of people exist (I think they do, but you may or may not agree) is not a problem per se, especially when "askers" are dealing with "askers" and "guessers" are dealing with "guessers." Trouble can arise, however, when the two groups interact.

I think a "guesser" finds herself in agony if an "asker" asks too big a favor. The "guesser" probably thinks the "asker" is expecting a "yes" and will be sorely disappointed with "no" (thinking to herself, they wouldn't have asked if they didn't believe the answer would be "yes"). She might also think the "asker" is rude for asking, while all the "asker" wants is to hear "no" and move on. An "asker" might not read the signals of a "guesser" trying to discern the answer in advance without having to ask.

Why do I know about this? As a child, Davis was an asker. Erin was a guesser.

Observe

May 18, 2010

Sucking in the joys of an early start to summer vacation!

Friday (May 21) we will kick off the first summer lanyard workshop (of course, not everyone has started their summer, but colleges are done, and many of the Bryan public school students finish tomorrow. The rest of you can just come after school and/or after work and pretend you have the luxury of starting your summer.). Please take a moment (less than a minute) to click on the survey to your left and give me some feedback about when I should hold workshops this summer.

We will also be sending Sarah Radencic, super science teacher, lanyard supporter extraordinaire, and fantastic friend to Erin, off on her new career at Mississippi State University on Friday afternoon. Even if you don't want to bead a lanyard, consider stopping by to wish her well and to toast her future successes.

Last Saturday Walter, my mom, and I went to Davis's graduation ceremony. It was resplendent with pageantry--colorful regalia, beaming young faces, funny hats (I can't find a photo of the Master of Sid Richardson who announced the graduates from that college wearing a mortar board that looked like he was wearing a small crocodile head with dangling pom poms, but use your imagination). Luckily, not all of the 1500 eligible graduates chose to walk the stage, but enough of them did that we got to spend more than a few hours (four plus) sitting on our comfy benches three rows from the top of the gymnasium.

Afterward, Walter and I attended a lovely reception before driving all of Davis's stuff home from college. Davis stayed behind. No, not because he couldn't bear to leave, but because he and eleven of his best friend had planned an epic, post-graduate road trip (Houston-Carlsbad Cavern-Painted Desert-Grand Canyon-Hoover Dam-Las Vegas-Yosemite-Los Angeles-Disneyland-home).

I had devised a cunning plan to check out these friends to make sure I could trust them with my baby boy. During the reception, as Davis introduced each of them, I checked out their footwear.

Here's the theory: during the ceremony, I noticed a wide variety of shoes (and in some cases, no shoes) on the graduates. Some wore flip flops. Others had high tops and (apparently) shorts. Others treated the ceremony with a little more gravitas and wore dress shoes or close-toed, sensible shoes. I figured what shoes they chose reflected something deep in their make up (perhaps their upbringing, maybe something even more innate and deep-seeded). I was hoping for cautious, risk-averse shoes since the feet inside was going to be driving Davis on a multi-thousand mile journey.

I was not disappointed. I met friend after friend with mom-approved footwear.

After I had satisfactorily observed the shoes of two of the three drivers, I asked to meet the third. The group standing around me looked at each other, trying to remember who the third driver was. Finally, someone said, "Oh, it's BenBah" and looked tentatively around the room. Someone else allowed as how BenBah might or might not be around. I asked Davis if I had ever met him.

Davis said maybe not, but I would remember him from the graduation ceremony. Since I had just watch a thousand people dressed like wizards from a distance close to the furthest point away from the stage, I kind of doubted that. Someone piped up that of course I would remember BenBah: "He was the guy that pulled the perfect John Travolta disco pirouette, grabbed his diploma, pumped both arms, then towered over the startled University President for the briefest moment before enveloping him in a bear hug." Davis added: "He's the most impulsive guy I have ever met!" Someone else added that "when you ride with BenBah you always arrive first" (mentally, I added, "if you arrive at all.)"

I have to say that even closed-toed, leather shoes with a reasonable heel would not have comforted me at that moment.

We have asked Davis to text us every day when they arrive at their destination for the night. The first text came in last night at 10:42 p.m., fourteen hours after they left Houston. Only seventeen more texts to go before he is home and safe.

I posted this on the Repore (and Facebook), but not all of you click over there, so here is the graduate, whom I love:

Smile

May 12, 2010

I had the absolute pleasure of hearing Nico and Adam play at their piano recital last night. . . everything from baroque, through classical, the romantic period, and even contemporary. I adored hearing and watching these very talented young men, but not half as much as when they came in first and second in the intra-studio practice competition. They have been logging practice units since January, and all that time with the ivories paid off. Don't they look happy? (NOTE BENE: Adam doesn't smile bigger than this.)



I, too, am smiling. Today I gave myself whiplash by driving over to The Woodlands this morning to help Lara and Charon with a workshop at the John Cooper School then rushing back to College Station by 1:00 to give my last final exam of the semester.

I can't say enough about the young men and women who helped us bead this morning. The seniors at the John Cooper School are dismissed from class during May. Instead of going to class, they do a series of public service projects under the heading of May, I Help You. Isn't that a totally cool idea? Today was lanyard day, and the thirty or more high school students who voluntarily rolled out of bed to come and bead by 9:00 did fantastic work AND the school staff were enthusiastic with their donations for all the beautiful lanyards they made!

My honors students who had their final with me this afternoon also made me smile. They worked extremely hard all semester and kept up a cheery mood as well. One of them brought a cake to the final so we could all celebrate their last college final while they filled their blue books.