Tiger by the tail

The University of Missouri - the oldest public university west of the Mississippi.  They are the Mizzou Tigers.

Tigers, as cats go, have respect and honor for traditions.  Missouri Tigers are no exception, and we were witness to several of these traditions.  For commencement season, the bronze tiger statue dons a mortar board cap, and for this special season allows graduates to ride upon the tiger.  Grant, having received his degree did decree - I will "ride the tiger".

Grant Rides the Tiger

Kaileen and Grant
Grant awaits his turn to Ride the Tiger

There was a young lady of Niger

Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;

They returned from the ride

With the lady inside,

And the smile on the face of the tiger.

There was a young man from Mizzou

Who thought all tigers were kept in the zoo;

[the rest of this limerick is here somewhere]

One of the icon images from the Univeristy of Missouri campus is that of "the columns".  The limestone columns are all that remain from the Administration Hall that was built in 1854 and burned to the ground in 1892.  The freshman class is ushered onto campus through the columns, and after 4 years (or 7, or whatever); the graduating class is then processed back out through the columns.  Grant was underwhelmed by the passing back through the columns, perhaps it was because there was rumor of free beer on the other side.  A rumor that proved disappointingly false.

The Columns
A warm and steamy day

Never-the-less, we stopped by the columns to take a few photos of our graduate as we toured the campus, ending with fruit smoothies all-around in the student union.

In front of Jesse Hall, is the bronze bust of a former University President.  It is said by those who have tried everything (with the exception of serious study) to pass their exams; that by rubbing his nose will bring academic luck.  The President does have a very shiny nose. 


A century earlier, China presented to the world's first School of Journalism a pair of marble lion statues dating from the Ming Dynasty.  The gift is in appreciation for the close bond developed between the University and Chinese journalist.  It is said that these lions will inform any professor if a student is cheats on an exam.

The Graduate

Congratulations to Grant the Graduate!

We are proud to say, our son Grant did a lot of things right.
He scored well enough on admissions exams to gain entry into the prestigious University School of Journalism (THE J-School) as a freshman.
He was able to land a job in Columbia that qualified him for in-state tuition, thus saving big bucks.
Grant made good friends, did well in his studies, gained experience by co-hosting a campus radio show and working as a student volunteer as KCOU Radio's Assistant Program Director.
He worked the broadcast booth as a sports commentator for some of Mizzou's football and basketball games.
He did an internship at KBIA, the National Public Radio affiliate, reading news stories during the airing of All Things Considered; his mother was very proud to hear her son's voice in the same space as Noah Adam's.
Of course there are many other things done in the name of journalism that I have no knowledge of - and to be certain many other college-life experiences which I do not need to know about now, but which may be revealed in the years to come.

Big sister Inga, flew to Dallas from Portland, OR on Thursday, May 14 and then we three drove the 573 miles the next morning to Columbia, Missouri to celebrate all of Grant's timely accomplishments.

Grant's girlfriend, Kaileen (a junior journalism major), joined us for the student favorite, Shakespeare's Pizza on Friday evening. 

Big rain fell late that night on the hordes of parents and friends all packed into town for the graduation ceremonies.  Each individual college/school scheduled a particular time slot for either Saturday and Sunday.  The J-school was going to recognize Grant and the rest of his graduating class at 4:30 on Saturday.

We picked Grant up at his house 3 blocks east of campus and drove to the Mizzou basketball arena and settled in our seats waiting for the band to strike up Pomp and Circumstance.  However, they started off the pre-pomp procession by playing the theme to Monty Python's Flying Circus.  Grant eventually made his appearance with several hundred other J-school grads and took his seat on the arena floor.  

As these things go, he made his way to the stage with his group of Broadcast students; his name was called, he strode across the stage, shook hands with the department chair, received his diploma cover [the real thing will come in the mail in several weeks], returned to his seat, had the dean confer upon all those present, "the honor and privileges of the degree which they earned", by the power vested in the dean by the University of Missour-a (and also by the University of Missour-i).  Thus he gets a two-fer.  Such a deal!

We joined up for a barbecue dinner at Dickey's restaurant (founded in Dallas) with the family and entourage of Carson, one of his housemates and good college friend from Chicago.  Then it was off to a lounge featuring many international beers with Grant, us and Carson + his family and friends.  Other graduating seniors, friends of Grant and Carson stopped by, and then the graduates decided to make a night of it without their families.  So we all retired to our respective motels while the party continued on into the night in those hallowed and favored esoteric locals known to student population of Mizzou.

We three made ready and tucked into bed.  However, this night Inga was ready for coexistence in a shared room with her parents with the day's purchase of ear plugs to dull the sound of her snoring parents.

We would all sleep well.  Proud of Grant and his accomplishments and maturity over these past four years.  Tomorrow, Sunday, will be a day of leisure tours of the campus and town for Inga and us.  We leave on Monday morning.

I will continue to sleep well, believing with my heart and head that Grant has done well for himself and is in fine position to transition into "the real world". 

The Whole Tooth, and nothing but the Tooth

It is said that April showers bring May flowers.

It is then asked, what do May flowers bring?  Answer: Pilgrims. :)

As April turned to May, a few things other than May flowers were brought to my attention.  

   First, a jury summons to Federal Court.  I was on the hook for two weeks, May 1 - May 15.  However, I just had to do a phone call-in every afternoon to see if I was selected to appear, rather than driving the 21 miles one-way to downtown and sit around for a day.  Not so bad.  [Actually, I have always found jury duty informative when I have been called.  Plus, I make $6 for my service.] 

   Second, I awoke early on Monday morning (1:26 AM) with a severe tooth ache.  It was an ice pick sticking from my gum up to just below my left I socket.  This event was much the less welcome than either April showers or May flowers.

What is the best time to see the dentist?

Answer: tooth-hurty

An emergency appointment got me in the dentist's door by 9:30.  By then the pain had much subsided, but obviously this tooth was acting up to try and get attention.  The dentist took a look and said, "I see a crack in your molar".  I denied I had an ice chewing habit when questioned.  So, they then sent in a small Chinese hygienist come and look in my mouth and scold me for the way I've brushed my teeth for the past 40 years.  OK.  I am a bad person and deserve to suffer for not flossing so often.

The recommendation was to see an endodontist for a root canal.  A root canal might get me out of jury duty.  I'd rather have jury duty.  But, I rather have a root canal job than end up in extreme pain again.  I check insurance and ended up at another dentist who had an endodontist that comes through his office once a month.  The endo would be able to see me on the 13th - two weeks out.  But, this time I got a bottle of amoxicillin.  I love that stuff.  Better living through chemistry!  This drug knock down the infection in my bone caused by a cracked tooth.

I was actually looking forward to the root canal.  The pain had come and gone over the course of two weeks.  Mostly gone, but when it came back, it was a mean molar sucker.

I guess with oil prices down to a multi-year low of $55 per barrel, I was glad to be part of some drilling.  She inspected the tooth and then let me know, there was a big bad crack in there.  The nerve was necrotic, the mandibular bone was infected and the surrounding nerves were inflamed causing the pain.  Besides, I have long roots, and this troublesome molar had grown into one of my sinuses.

She drilled a little way to see the extent of the crack.  It went all the way down she surmised, and thus she could not save the tooth with a root canal.  The whole tooth had to be extracted.  

The time the dentist had scheduled for me to be fitted with a crown after the root canal, was then used to yank this bad boy out.  He worked on that guy in the back of my upper jaw, saying he saw good movement, while I was thinking this hurts as he wiggles those big molar roots against my infected bone and sinus.  But then, he shouted, "Wow! That shot out of there like a rocket! It looks clean, no bone came out with it or anything."  I felt something land under my tongue at the front of my mouth.  It was whole tooth and nothing but the tooth.  With the tooth successfully launch, the dentist left me with his assistant.  I asked her, "Wur ith dat toot?" She speaks local anesthetic, and she said, "It's behind you."  I then told her, "Ay wuth luk toe keep it."  She wrapped it up in a little specimen package and told me to slip it into my pocket, and not to let anybody know I had it.

So, I am now pain free; and I think I need this new hole in my head like a real hole in my head.

I never did go to the court house to serve and hear testimony of the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  But I did ended up with the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth.  So help me God.

Tooth #15
The Whole Tooth

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

  

Water Closet Romantic

Our old seat cover in the water closet had this nice inspirational message on the lid (see above).  However, once the lid was lifted; the seat was less than inspiring.  After a few years of cleaning with chemicals and plain ol' wear and tear, it had developed peeling paint and unsightly blisters.

My idea was a that a new toilet seat would be a wonderful Mother's Day gift.  It would be practical and it would get plenty of use.  So, I cheerfully announced that the family's honored mother would get to go with me to pick out a brand new water closet cover and seat.  "Wow! I just don't know what to say", she says with moistening eyes.  So I seductively said, get your shopping shoes on honey and let's go to Lowe's.

May some all ready guessed, and maybe some were shocked to find out; but deep inside I am a romantic.  But I am out of the water closet now.

She was flushed with excitement
when I revealed her Mother's Day gift