20th anniversary special edition

I'm a big believer in being involved in the community. I don't really care what it is. Just do something. Out There. With people you wouldn't normally see.

For me, it's working with high school kids. I like teenagers. They're old enough to take care of themselves and young enough not to know what they're not supposed to be able to do.

Let me clarify. I like other people's teenagers. They're coachable and talented and energetic.

In small doses, and then I go home. Without them.

Maybe I'll see you around next year, when the Clayton Fall Classic speech and debate tournament turns old enough to drink.

You know, the coffee and coke necessary to hang out with teenagers. At 8:00 am. On a Saturday.

Speaking of anniversaries, blogger says this is my 500th post. I don't know if that's a lot or a little? It's at least a big fat round number. Maybe it's the public service announcement tax. Every 500 posts, plug helping the kiddies! Being involved with kids is much better than moaning about kids these days trampling your lawn in their unkempt suits and ties and heels. I mean, what's the world coming to? They have girl debaters. And racial minorities. And children of immigrants.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........be very afraid............of something...........that's just so inferior about kids now..........that totally wasn't the case when you were growing up.........

the iphone is no longer new

Sad news to report. I'm sitting here in between rounds at MSHSAA districts checking on the game time for the Big 12 championship (Seriously, did KU, OU, and TX all lose??) I notice something catch the light, just below the screen. I try to wipe it away.

No luck.

Now I scrape a bit, trying to get it off.

Still no luck.

I'm afraid, as of 11:41 am CST, my iPhone is no longer new. There's a hairline fracture about 1.5 millimeters long parallel to the screen just to the left of the home button. If I were a betting man, I'd bet Apple doesn't replace 17 month old equipment for cosmetic reasons. It's a darn shame.

Ooh, but the pizza arrived. All is not lost.

vegas, er, henderson

This weekend has been very exciting! NFL districts are the culmination of the year's worth of competition for speech and debate. That's the National Forensic League, by the way, not the National Football League, nor CSI type work. [No offense MSHSAA, but frankly, at least in the Northwest district, you absolutely blow.] It's the kind of weekend where I sleep little (never a preference of mine!) and make notes of lots of comments worth blogging about but then forget or lose motivation by the time I have time to do so.

This year was extra exciting because one of the debate teams at Clayton had a good chance to go to the national tournament, being held this year in Henderson, NV. Don't worry, it's nowhere near Las Vegas...

Well not only did Michal and Ka end up qualifying to nats, they were District champs! Woohoo. There is lots of value in debating. But at the end of the day, the point is to win! Now we've got three months to get them ready to compete at a national level. And I've got to convince my work to let me take another week off in June. This is where it starts getting to the limit of my personal experience. I know what it takes to compete at a national level, but I'm not so familiar with actually winning deep into the tournament. What I do know is that you have to take advantage of the opportunities you get, which is pretty much one of those cheesy life lessons you really do learn doing debate.

And while I'm at it, I just have to say my bluejays kicked some mighty fine Heart of America butt.

westcountyness

So I did the drive Interstate 64 as fast westward as possible today. It's so almost comfortable yet so not what I really want. It just feels a little dirty hightailing it out of the city as fast as possible after work.

But, it was for a good cause today. Districts have started! Debate tonight, IEs in the morning, then more debate, then some IEs, then back on Saturday.

Oh, and I made some good time, too. 19 minutes from my work parking lot to 141 and Clayton Rd. Take that you regular Ballwin/Chesterfield/Des Peres types.


Also, exciting basketball news. Liberty boys and girls are both headed to Warrensburg. I decided this was postworthy when I noticed that opposite them in the bracket is a certain McCluer North High School. I was already planning on being in Columbia next weekend anyway with my Clayton kiddies. How fabulous would that be?

Seriously, how fabulous?