Maine Minutiae : I Saw the Future Get on a Bus Today

Issy Woo Woo

The little girl in the photo is my soon-to-be (Oct.19) eight year old. Please allow me to lay a little backstory on you. I first met her, Isabella, when she had just turned two years old. It was on the phone. I instantly fell in love with her the first time she called me "Tovy". She would talk the gibberish that two year olds talk, throw in an coccasional "Tovy" and I pretended to understand every single syllable. Come to think of it, I think I really did understand every single syllable. That "conversation" took place almost six years ago and I am no longer "Tovy", I am "Daddy". She is no longer "Daddy's Little Girl", at least in her mind, she is "Daddy's Young Lady". She's my first little girl and until the Good Lord calls me Home, she'll always be "Daddy's Little Girl". I have two grown sons and love them dearly, but there's just something supernatural that touches your soul when you are blessed with a little girl...at the age of 49. This morning about 7:30, Isabella got on the bus for her first day of second grade. At that moment, I saw the future. The future of a little girl that wants to be a Pediatrician, the future of a little girl that will some day will give me my next round of Grand Kids, the future of a little girl that in so many ways offers endless opportunity for her dreams to come true. I also saw the future of the United States climb up on that bus this morning with about thirty other kids. I saw the future of this country that will be responsible for the mess our elected dumbasses in Washington are making worse by the minute and I was damned mad at those idiots. How dare they do this to my little girl! A bunch of pantywaist elitists doing their dead level best to shatter my little girl's dreams before she even finishes 2nd grade! How dare those bastards! Then, out of nowhere, a sudden calm came over me. As spark-spittin' angry as I was a moment before, I was strangely at peace, comforted by something. Or someone. A soothing silence set in around me. Despite the chatter of a bus load of children,  the growling of the bus' diesel motor and my three year old screaming goodbye to her big sister, I heard nothing but a reassuring voice speaking to me. "Toby, don't be angry at the future, be confident in it. The trials and tribulations you face today are in good hands tomorrow". The Voice was right, the future will be fine for my little girl, and yours, too. How do I know? About 7:30 this morning, I saw the future get on a school bus headed for the first day of second grade.

This story was inspired by eddiebear at doubleplusundead.

Texas Tidbits : The Greatest HS Football Game Ever

Plano East Panthers

John Tyler Lions

High School football is a big deal in Texas. Just ask a Texan. Small towns all over the Lone Star State roll up the sidewalks in anticipation of the big game on Friday night. All across the state on Friday night, stadiums smell of hot dogs and tortilla chips with  yellow Elmer's Glue-looking "pasteurized cheese product" globbed all over them pretending to be nachos amongst other not-qualified-to-be-on-the-school-lunch-menu goodies. The sounds of HS football venue on game night are familiar to anybody who has ever attended one of these contests - cheerleaders cheering, children begging Dear Old Dad for some cash flow to blow on the aforementioned nachos and the Home Team band playing (I'm being charitable here) a pretty bad version
of "Louie, Louie". Over 30,000 (not a typo, thirty thousand) people were at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas on November 26, 1994, for the playoff game between the Plano East Panthers and the Tyler John Tyler Lions in what has been called "The Greatest High School Football Game Ever". I find that assessment pretty dang accurate. The video at the link bears me out. Here's the setting : 4th Quarter, 2:42 to play and John Tyler leads 41-17. Click here for the most incredible finish to any sporting event you've ever seen. Or likely ever see again. Stay with it to the end or like many of the folks who left the game early, you'll be sorry.

Three States Plus One Poll Question

Are you ready for some football?

Yesterday, I had a request from a friend of mine, Kim, to do a one-time post about how BIG High School Football is in Texas. That set me to thinking, why not do a weekly feature on HS Football for all Three Plus One states? Or maybe just for Texas? Or Texas plus any/all states you would like to know about? For Texans who are living in away from home, like me, it might be a good way to keep up our alma maters (Nimitz High School - Irving, Texas - Class of  '75 - Go Vikings!). Personally, I think it's a great idea, but I write this blog for you, so it will depend on what you think as to what I do. In the right sidebar (next to this post in blue text), you'll see a poll question with several choices. Look 'em over and vote! The poll closes Monday morning at 10AM, EDT. Your participation is encouraged and appreciated. If you have any further suggestions or ideas, please leave them in the comments. Are you ready for some football? Or not?