River Rats

#1 – River Rats Water Ski Show on the Mississippi – I’ve known this existed for multiple years, I finally went today.  It was my first water ski show.  I really admired the athleticism and time/dedication it must take from an all volunteer team to put that together.  It’s beautiful to see.

#2 – It was a Mario Bros themed show.  So there was Mario and Luige (sp?) and a princess and a bad guy.  The 4 (?) year old sitting near me said with deep concern to her father, “Is he being mean?...  Is he being mean to us or to the people up there?…Is he just pretending to be mean?”  She also thought it was hilarious when the bad guy thought he had a lion tattooed on his back and it was Hello Kitty.

#3 - My bad@ss brother.  I was thinking I would bike to the water ski show, but then it looked so hot I wasn’t sure I would go, no less bike.  But then I thought of my brother who I knew biked 30 miles (round trip) to work even today in the heat and I thought, if he can do that...

#4 – So I took the bus there and biked home.  It grew dark about half way home.  I was prepared with a light and a reflector vest.  It was humid, but also so peaceful and quiet, I felt grateful my brother and the river rats got me outside.

#5 – I went by a house with a few people darkly dressed with flashlights.  It looked a little sketchy but then I saw they were three police officers looking at the side of a house and a woman was standing in the doorway.`  As I biked by I thought, “That woman was afraid for whatever reason, and she made a phone call and three men came to her house to help."  I often think of cops as people attracted to power or adrenaline.  Tonight I felt grateful that anyone would choose such a stressful job, and that after they leave, that woman will not be left with a bill for their service.  That (unlike an ambulance) no one has to consider the bill before making that call.