RENT Draws Rave Review

Thrilled to have friends like Brett, Chris T., Wendy, Sean, Samm, Breann, Matthew and Chris S.!

Bear Cub Only Looks Like It's Waving A Friendly Hello

By David Strege of GrindTV:

Cub looks as if it is waving to some Alaskan tourists. Photo by and courtesy of Daniel Dietrich

While floating down a river in Lake Clark National Park in Alaska, photographer Daniel Dietrich and his guided group stopped to watch as a momma brown bear fished for salmon while her two cubs frolicked on the beach.

The momma bear was diving into the river to catch salmon, which was quite a sight in itself since the guide told him they have never known any other brown bear to dive for food. But for a moment, Dietrich decided to focus on a cub on the shore.

“During one of mom’s dives, I was shooting this cub on the shore when she stood up and threw her paws up over her head and began rubbing her face,” Dietrich told GrindTV in an email. “It was adorable. The image…was a capture which gave the impression she was giving us a wave hello.”

Dietrich recently posted his image on EarthPix in Instagram and it blew up with interest, garnering more than 127,000 likes.

And it is easy to see why.

It’s the same reason so many people liked the image of the grizzly bear looking as if it were about to take a photo.

The Best Kind Of Lost Sleep

This morning I woke up earlier than usual. Once my brain was turned on, even as I lay in the morning darkness of bed, it started processing the to-do list for the day, particularly the big task of slotting into the weekly calendar yet another two new students God delivered to me yesterday.

I'm pretty sure that it was the weight of Dena half-lying on top of me in a hug that woke me up.

I can't think of a better way to lose sleep than by the arms of someone who loves me, and a pastime that both raises people's spirits and pays the bills.

I will need a good nap later though!

Tutoring Feedback Of The Day

Last night I met an adult student studying for her executive MBA while holding down a full-time job and raising a family with her husband. She asked if I could help her out with an advanced finance class. I didn't know for sure, but God has shown me the ability to help people in many unfamiliar situations when it comes to tutoring.

Things went well. By the end of the session she described it as "like an early Christmas present." She had been putting in 20 hour weeks and still struggling, so apparently I was able to help break up some of the logjam of information.

I'm no saint, and I can't work miracles, but I am deeply thankful for the gift that seems to enable me to help almost anyone who's taking a class involving math or business. As the semester grows long and my appointment calendar stretches from 30 towards 40 hours a week and into the weekends, I still wake up in the morning excited about the happiness that God will help me to spread to others. Someday when I'm on my deathbed I'll be able to look back at these and other days and say "I spent my life to the fullest."

Ironmen Tryouts

A new NCHS hoops season began today, the first in six years that I won't be a major part of. I still plan to pop in to help with stats from time to time, maybe even review some film as time permits.


As much as I thought my legacy might be as a basketball coach the way it was for my dad, I can still see his legacy as a teacher running through me, as I find it exciting to help hundreds of students inch closer to graduation. I have much more talent for this than in trying to dissect a full-court press.


Best wishes to the 2014-15 Ironmen and their gifted and good-hearted coaching staff!

2014 Goals Update

Exercise/Stretch 5+ Days a Week, Body Fat 14%

The back flared up, which de-railed me briefly to a chiropractor (and hence a week of inactivity), before a visit to my doctor got me back on the horse. I've just returned to light runs on a treadmill and The fat-o-meter's been in the 13-14% range.

Healthy Knee

The elbow is to the manageable point, so I'll be removing it from the list. I was going to add the back, though it's been well-behaved recently and responding well to massage so I'll hold off. The knee is complaining, though I have some balm from my doctor that is supposed to help with circulation and does provide some relief. I'm supposed to revisit him later in the month. Meanwhile I'm contemplating a visit to the Sports Enhancement Center to see what guidance they can offer.

Tutor 700 Hours

I logged 84 hours in October, bringing the year's total to 558. Averaging 25 a week through year end would put me over 700 for the year. I stand at a record of 30 scheduled students this week.

Blog Thanks Weekly

Five straight months of perfect attendance on this goal!

Volunteer For A New Organization

I didn't make a move on this this month. I should be able to hit this one.
 
Clean House

The street signage is installed, and a security lighting demo is coming.

Cupcake Lost And Found

It was election day, so I was working the usual 12-hour shift as an election judge. This election, Dena wasn't working it so she brought me lunch before heading over to the Peoria hospital to visit her dad.

Just before leaving she hesitated to tell me, then informed me that "Cuppie is nowhere to be found."

She'd spent 15 minutes looking everywhere, in the usual and not-so-usual hiding spaces, calling her name without response. When she returned for lunch, she found Cuppie's food untouched. That was a red alert.

What other explanation could there be other than an accidental escape out the door as I slunk out in the groggy blackness of 5am to get to the polls?

Dena had to run. I had to stay, for at least another eight hours. The autumn sun would only set and the temperature drop into the forties between now and then. The image of her cowering and shaking under a shed somewhere, or worse, haunted me. What if she had to search for warmth? She'd gotten out of her collar recently so had no identification on her.

I sat down in my election judge chair, but slowly slipped toward a zombified state of woe.

I couldn't wait. I snuck home. (Sorry, election law.)

I searched under the shed. Nothing. Under all the bushes. Nothing. Entered the house and upended the main floor. Then the upstairs floor. Then down to the basement.

Not in the crawlspace either. I had faint hope that she'd be in the rafters, reflecting on how Dena had pointed out a week ago how much she liked the dark and warmth.

Then, a flashback to 4am. I'm groping around the bedroom while Dena slept. Pulled open a shirt drawer, which Cuppie crawled into and clawed around. Five minutes later, seeing no sign of her, I shut it. Could she have buried herself in the clothes?

Climbing two stairs at a time, I reached for the handle and felt an unusual heaviness as I slid it open.

Out popped a more-than-ready pink nose, followed by blinking eyes and an instantly affectionate kitty.

Quite a weird dual and dueling sensation of overwhelming joy and guilt. The thought of being wedged into stuffy, warm darkness, unable to see, move, eat or be heard, with questionable oxygen levels, was a sad picture.

Then, a blend of horror and gratefulness. Suppose I hadn't had that flashback, would she have been in there overnight? Or, if I didn't need a T-shirt the next day, even longer? But I did. And Dena saved her at least another eight hours by deciding to let me know. Otherwise I would have found out that she was missing around 11pm. That would not have ended well. But this did.

God has quite a sense of humor. And we have quite a forgiving little kitten, who might choose other places to nestle for a while.