OH NOOOO!!!!...smiling kids and hippies

Yesterday was terrible...only if you do not enjoy smiling kids, shreiking, running, jumping, and rock climbing, that is. It was not a bad day for me, though...or the program staff...or the Lawrence Academy Fifth Graders' looking for a good time. Mrs. Van brought her class down for a little challenge course and a little rock climbin'...there was also the quintessential leaf jumpin'...my favorite activity of all time. Mad props to the "teach" for climbing our Rock Wall...Mrs. Van is a cool teacher!

So nevertheless, if you are the kind of person that would have not enjoyed the day's activity with squealin' children, you should steer wide and clear of the Eastern 4-H Center for a while...those activities are only going to become commonplace as the weather warms up. FINALLY! I heard several funny things come out of those kids' mouths, but the funniest thing I heard all day was actually from Chris Sova (Program Staff and Future Nurse)...here is the conversation:

Female child: "I love hummus...I want some hummus when I get home!"
Chris: "I love hummus....do you kids know what hummus is made from???"
Female children (in anticipation): "WHAT!?!?"
Chris: "It is made from GORGONZOLA BEANS!"

So, Chris was obviously wrong...Gorgonzola is actually a moldy cheese, and hummus is made from GARBANZO beans...just a little accident, but the kids caught it...which makes it funnier.

Hummus is a paste made from grounding the beans, combining with tahini paste (sesame seed paste), and garlic. I like hummus, but hippies do, too. One conversation inthe staff house a couple of nights ago led to the revelation that all hippies do the following:

Shop at Farm Fresh, Whole Foods, or Harris Teeter.
Own sandals.
Bathe when needed.
Purchase "organic" goods.
Carry a hackysack.
Own and carry a backpack.
Enjoy hiking.
Like dogs AND cats.
Wear a "beanie" or toboggan.

Well, since many of us are guilty of some of these things, but still not a hippie, there are some eliminators. You are not a hippie if you do the following:

Prefer shoes on your feet.
Tuck in your shirt.

Pretty simple....

Enough about hippies...We are t-minus 3 days to the pancake breakfast/glutton. Remember...we start serving at 8:00 and finish at 11:00...cost is $6 for adults and $3 for the kids. Despite my short stature and boyish looks, I have to pay the adult price. From here on out, I guess I have to get called a man...well, at least a grown-up. Speaking of men, I have a picture of one...check out the massive calf muscles of this cat... Can you identify the "man" in the picture below?

The Eastern 4-H Center is chocked full of manly-men...especially Charles Midgette, our Maintenance Supervisor. He has strength of mythic proportions. Charles also claims that he has a giant skull, too. This, too, is mythical. I am proud to announce that Charles does not have a huge melon on his shoulders. Bud, our maintenance tech, is a true southern chap...strong, brave, and polite. I am strong (NOT IN SMELL), too. I picked up an entire box of paper clips yesterday. Speaking of which, I will need to see a "CHOIROPRACTOR" pretty soon. "CHOIROPRACTOR" is a word I heard here, apparently it's like a chiropractor, but they sing while aligning your spine...sounds fun. ENJOY YOUR DAY!