What a day

Lot o’stuff in the news yesterday, and here I was stuck with no Internet having to do actual work. Oh well.

In case you’re wondering how I got up my single post from yesterday, I copied it onto a disc and took it over to the Regional Library Computer Center, which is a room full of pretty machines over on the third floor of the Linn-Henley Research Library over across the park. The Linn-Henley used to be Birmingham’s central library building, until a new facility was built across the street in 1984. This is what it looked like when it was built in 1927, and this is what it looks like today with the new building in the background. Pretty cool place, and the short walk over was a nice way to catch up with our wonderful group of urban campers making themselves at home on the park benches. Looked like we had a good crowd yesterday of approximately 30 men, highlighted by one who felt moved by the urge to remove his shirt to show us all his prodigious belly and saggy chest. Thanks, guy!

At least I was able to get part of my stuff done. UNFORTUNATELY—I will not get to play anymore today, either. I have a continuing education seminar to attend starting at 11:30 that runs all day, so I have to put my shoulder to the wheel, my nose to the grindstone, my hand to the plow and lift that barge and tote that bale and sit here and type. Whee.

At least the topics for the seminar sound interesting— during lunch, the city fire marshal will be discussing buildings and fire safety, then from 1:00-2:00 a fellow from the Birmingham office of the International Code Council will be chatting us up about sprinklers and fire alarms, then from 2:00-3:00 will be a presentation from the fine folks at Amerex (world headquarters in the lovely hamlet of Trussville) to talk about fire extinguishers, and then the final hour from 3:00-4:00 will be wrapped up by a rep from Mohawk talking about the exciting topic of fire door testing.

I have to do 12 hours a year of stuff like this to maintain my registration—8 hours of which has to be directly related to health, safety and welfare topics, and 8 hours of which must be done in a structured setting with an instructor. As always, I tend to wait until time to renew to start scrambling around for hours—so far this year I have only done 1.5, which was the fun time I had back in December of last year with the moron talking about laminated lumber. (I am also a licensed procrastinator.)

So, no play time for me today.

Tomorrow, on the other hand, will be jam packed with capriciousness, and FOOTBALL!! And not that silly European crapola, but REAL football! The Possumblog Sports Center is cranking back up, and Possumblog’s Sports Statistician Ipsa Dixie is once again back at her desk in all of her redheaded, vivacious (or vicious, depending on whether one of the male staff made her uncomfortable in the workplace) glory with tale of the tape on the Auburn Tigers and their August 30 foes, the University of Southern California, with their Man in a Skirt on a Pretty Horsie Mascot.

Until then, then.

OH WAIT!! Speaking of manliness and evening gowns, Dougal Campbell left us a note down in the comments below and I didn't want any of you to miss it.

[...] The Alabama Highland Games are coming up next month.

http://www.alabamahighlandgames.com/

This year's honored clan is Clan Campbell, so expect to see me marching on the field

Thanks, Dougal! Our, well, MY only request is that you not bend over.

For those of you out of the Scots loop, the Highland Games consist of several competitions, including piping, dancing, riot, mayhem, and the traditional athletic competitions of:

The Clachneart or "Stone of Strength" (similar to shot put, but done with a stone and a pint)

The 28 and 56 Pound Throw (thrown using steelyard weights on a chain and a pint)

The Scottish Hammer (a twenty two pound hammer thrown for distance--some contestants wear spiked shoes in addition to carrying a pint)

The Sheaf Toss (hurling of a twenty pound bag of straw over a crossbar using a pitchfork and a pint)

The 56 Pound Weight Toss (not the same as the 56 Pound Throw, in that this one is attached to a handle then flung over a cross bar--pint is still included, however)

And finally, The Caber Toss (130 pound tree trunk tossed so that it turns end over end--requires such incredible strength and concentration that a bystander is usually asked to hold the pint until the toss is completed).

Glad to be of assistance in giving you all some culture--you may now return to your regular blogreading schedule.

posted by Terry at 9:22:00 AM