The Parable of the Bud Light Can

Novel ideas may be likened unto an event you surely experienced when you were a child.  You had ventured far into the woods, further than you had ever before ventured away from your house.  I mean, you could hardly even see your house any more.  And you thought:

“I wonder if I’m the only person who’s ever been here.”  And then, you look down, and there’s a Bud Light Can sitting on the ground right next to you.

This has happened to you at various other times as you’ve grown.  A few years later, you found yourself on your first camping trip with Dad or Uncle Steve, and you wandered a bit off the trail, always in search of an adventure, and you thought:

“Certainly, with all the miles and miles of open country, this one spot on the ground has never seen another human being.”  And there, again, lies the Bud Light Can.  You start to wonder if it’s following you…

Here is the interpretation of the matter:

Our novel ideas are a lot like this encounter with the Bud Light Can.  It’s late at night, and the philosophy is running deep (and maybe there’s other “deep stuff” being thrown out, too – the kind that requires waders).  You think:

“Surely no one has EVER come up with this idea before!”  And you close your eyes for a moment, so proud of your unequaled mental capacity, and there, in the darkness of your mind…

is a Bud Light Can, left by some other human in search of God’s Way. 

Nice Job to Will, Brad, and myself for completing the siding/roof panelling job on the Jacksons' treehouse!  I think all were pleased with the outcome. 

We rang in the New Year with Will, Brad, and Fam, and then watched the Razorback football team play in The Game Which Shall Not Be Mentioned before heading home.  Sis. Jacqueline hosted us wonderfully, as always!  Nice Job to all involved making the weekend an enjoyable success! 

Because as I like to say, "Good times don't happen by accident." 

It's time for Ironman Wisconsin 2007.  Go to ironmanlive.com to view it in the next couple of days, and live on race day, September 9.

Today, in the mail at the hotel, I received a very special package.  In 2003, for my first Ironman (Hawaii), I got a CSX jersey the day before we left for HI.  In 2005, for my second Ironman (Florida), I got a CSX jersey the day before race day, delivered to our condo in FL.  Today, 3 days before race day, I got a CSX jersey delivered to the hotel in WI. 

Two times might have been a fluke, but this is becoming a little bit of a tradition!  Many thanks go out to Tom.  Here's a pic of this year's jersey (it has polka dots), and one of me and Mike wearing the 2005 and 2004 vintages.  Great shirt!  Nice job, Tom!!!

The polka dots have special significance:  on a recent training ride, to spice things up a bit, we decided that, in the spirit of the Tour de France, we would have the person who won the hills classification wear a polka dotted clothing item.  In the Tour, it's a jersey.  In the local training ride, it's the polka-dotted boxer shorts.  Much fun, and Nice Job to Kevin, who won the first polka-dotted boxer award!