Misc. Friday Stuff

School was out today so I spent most of it with my daughter. She needed to make a musical instrument, for science, by Monday. She wanted to make a violin (which she plays), but I thought that was too much. We talked about all kinds of things and, while looking for material to make a horn, I found the conchs I collected off Shackford Banks back in December. Jokingly, I suggested we make a conch horn. She thought that was great. Since I had no idea how to make one, we went to the internet and found instructions. She should have the most unique instrument for a second grader. After all, there are not too many conchs in the upper Midwest.

We also went to a late afternoon matinee for "Eight Below." It was a great movie to take my daughter. When a seal suddenly jumped out of a whale carcass, she jumped into my lap and stayed there for the rest of the show. Disney does a good job making movies about animals and the folks who love them and, in that sense, this movie delivered. It was a good show for young girl who loves animals, especially dogs. However, am I the only one who thought it was odd to have so much sun in Antarctica on the 21st of June?

The rest of the day was spent doing as little as possible. I went to the gym, did some reading by the fireplace and began a new puzzle as we watched the Olympics. Why do snowboarders have to show off?

It’s finally cold here, but Spring Training is underway down south. One of the most exciting things I’ve heard from down there is that Jim Leyland is Detroit’s new manager. I remember watching him rebuild the Pirates back in the mid-80s. He led them to the National League finals for three straight years 1990-1992). Although I’d left Pittsburgh by then, I went back each year to watch a playoff game and had tickets for the World Series each of the years, but they always lost in the playoffs. Later, Leyland went on to win the World Series at the helm of the Florida Marlins.