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Eli hit the 4 month mark this week and we celebrated with his first major snowstorm. 25 inches and still coming down. Here’s a clip from our adventure out to the backyard.
I bought tickets to this concert last year when it was announced. The 1,500 seats in our local theater sold out within 3 days. I had heard a few John Prine songs, but didn’t own an album until I bought the tickets. I now own five and can’t get enough of his music. His songwriting is some of the best I’ve ever heard. It’s easy to compare his sound to Bob Dylan on a first listen, but after a few songs, a close listen to lyrics, and then watching him on stage, it’s clear he’s in his own league. Each song is a story and a poem. When I saw him on stage, he took on the image of a great storyteller sharing wisdom around a campfire. He would probably hate that comparison, but there was something about the warmth of his performance, and the way the audience waited on every word, that it seems appropriate.
The highlights of the night for me were his performances of “Please Don’t Burry Me,” “That’s The Way the World Goes Round ” and “Hello in There.” When he sang “Hello in There”, I looked over at my dad and felt a deep appreciation for the man on the stage and the man in the seat next to me. Thanks for that Mr. Prine.
We seem to have moved beyond the parrot squawks and into full blown baby laughter in the last week. His mom has a knack for getting him into a mood like this; whereas he still treats me like a human burp cloth. In the last few weeks his change has been pretty dramatic and it’s awesome to watch. He even seems to recognize us when we pick him up from daycare, as we’re usually greeted with a smile when we walk into the room. And what better way to end the workday? Here’s a video of Rachel getting him into a laughing fit, concluded by his current favorite activity: fist chewing.
A friend sent me this link to pictures of the Tough Guy Challenge in Wolverhampton, England. I had never heard of the race, but as a runner and junkie for unique experiences, I’m intrigued. I am planning to run the midnight sun marathon in Alaska next year, but I’m inspired by the spirit of the Tough Guy Challenge. All participants are required to sign a waiver that states, “It’s my own bloody fault for being here.” If you have a few minutes, take a look at the pictures from the race. The photographer Mike King has some incredible shots. He also photographed the Antarctic Ice Marathon. I’ll pass on that one, though.
Having lived in Ithaca for over 15 years & following Cornell basketball since I was 10, this news is almost impossible to believe. The last time I attended a Cornell basketball game was in 1990 when Cornell hosted North Carolina in Ithaca. They lost 108-64. And I think North Carolina pulled their starters at halftime. Cornell hasn’t had a competitive basketball program in decades. They haven’t been able to compete in the Ivy League, let alone the national stage.
But over the last 3 years they’ve built a team around Louis Dale, Jeff Foote, and Ryan Wittman (picture above). After making it to the NCAA tournament the last 2 years, they are now putting together a miracle season. Miracle as far as an Ivy League team with no scholarships goes. This year they held a lead against the Kansas Jayhawks, the #1 team in the country, until the last minute of play. And after beating Harvard by 36 points this weekend, today they were voted one of the top 25 teams in the country by the ESPN/USA today coaches poll.
Cornell basketball has been a joke and afterthought for so many years that I can barely comprehend this. I had to document this moment on the blog because I want to remember 20 years from now that this really happened. I can’t imagine I’ll see it again in my lifetime. So when my son is 10, and we’re attending a game at Newman Arena, I’ll probably need this blog in order to prove it. To prove that in the year 2010, our Cornell basketball team was one of the best in the country. Go Big Red!
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