Natural Rivalry

We spent the afternoon cheering on the Minnesota women's basketball team in their quest to defeat South Dakota University and advance to the third round of the WNIT tournament. The team started strong and even built up a thirteen point lead in the first quarter, but when SDU switched from a zone to man-to-man it slowed them down.

Not long after, South Dakota began overloading the Minnesota zone defense and hitting all sorts of three pointers from the weak side. It was a nail-biter; only two points separated the teams at the half and it as tied in the first minute of the third quarter. After that, though, Minnesota let it slip away, down by 16 at the worst but never closer than five.

It was an amazing high-scoring game, 89-101, and we left the Barn disappointed but still thrilled to see so much exciting offense from the women on both teams. In the end, I realized that by mascot alone, the conclusion wasn't that surprising:

Doesn't the coyote (pronounced ki-ote, of course) usually get the best of the gopher (no matter how golden)?

The Name Game

I read a few weeks ago about a couple who were expecting their fourth child. Everyone wanted to know what they had decided to name her, because the other three were named after presidents Grant, Madison, and McKinley.

Sure, it was the Washington Post, and such interest may seem like just another inside-the-Beltway trivial pursuit, but the article stuck with me. For instance, there have been five doubles: Adams, Harrison, Johnson, Roosevelt, and Bush, so with the three names they've already used, that narrows their options to 36.

And while it seems like there are a lot of no-starter names, it's really kind of amazing how many could actually be possibilities. Heck, it's amazing how many kids I've actually known with those names! (I'm talking to you Tyler, Harrison, Carter, Kennedy, Taylor, Clinton, Jefferson, Lincoln, Jackson, and Pierce!)

Think about it, though, such speculation provides a whole new lens through which to view the current election. Baby Sanders? Maybe. Clinton? Sure. Trump? Not so likely, but I already know a Cruz.

Could I be on to something? I guess only time will tell!

Highly Unusual

It's hard to know what to think when you walk into the theater and there's a cheerleader with a gong on stage.

Fortunately?

There were only 84 minutes until spring break.

Sixth Grade Rising

Today was the day when rising 6th graders, 5th grade kids who will be at our school next year, came for a little visit. They got lunch, a tour, an orientation video, and tiny performances from the band, orchestra, chorus, drama production, and cheerleaders. I'm not sure why we do it, but it's a tradition that predates my 23 year tenure.

In general, it's a fun if somewhat disruptive, activity, and it's great to see our current sixth graders squiring their younger peers about the building and overhearing them as they impart the crucial particulars of our school. The tour always takes place during lunch, and so often I and the colleagues I dine with are featured in their narrative. "That's Ms. S," they say, "she teaches English on the Dolphins."

With that I wave with a little more empathy than usual for animals in the zoo. "See you next year!" I say brightly and then fade back quietly into the blur of their somewhat overwhelming day.

Seen and Unseen

It was still a little dark when a flash of orange in the gully below me caught my attention immediately as I was walking the dog this morning. Next I saw the size of the creature... was it some small dog eluding its leash?

My eyes widened and involuntary Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! s escaped me as I watched the fox dash through the culvert at my feet and follow the line of houses around and into the woods, never looking back even once.

"Did you see that?" I said to my old dog, but alas the answer was no, and so we ambled on into the gloom.

Checks and Balances

Another Tuesday, another "make or break" primary somewhere in these United States. This extraordinary election season could be enough to dismay citizens who appreciate order, predictability, or at least decorum. I might include myself in that categories, and yet I am comforted by...

Alexander Hamilton!

Yes, my friends, I have been inspired by the popularity of that eponymous musical to listen to the audiobook of Ron Chernow's biography of Hamilton. Realistically? I only get 20 minutes or so a day, and so after many weeks I am only to about 1788, but I do now have a thorough understanding of the Federalist papers as well as some early concerns about replacing that "rope of sand," the Articles of Confederation, with the Constitution.

Hamilton was greatly concerned about the reliability of the voting public, but he set his fears aside and worked to construct a government where one yahoo would be incapable of wrecking it for the rest of us.

Thanks, Hamilton!

CSI: The Bunny Trail

After a few scary events, my sister and her husband in Atlanta upgraded their surveillance camera set-up to a pretty comprehensive system. It's great for their security and their peace of mind, but my 8-year-old niece has other ideas.

"We'll finally be able to see what the Easter Bunny really looks like when he hides the eggs in the yard!" she told me the other day.

"That's a problem!" my sister said when Annabelle was out of earshot.

"Why?" I shrugged. "Isn't the Easter Bunny "invisible" sometimes?"

(Here I made air quotes, which amused me, because I can't use them without thinking of the student who actually called them "bunny ears" in conversation. It took me a while to get what he was saying, but his description fit this situation really well!)

"Yah," my sister answered, "but we aren't! And that's who's going to be on camera hiding those eggs!"

Good point.