"It's not just a rock. It's forty-two pounds of polished granite, with a beveled underbelly and a handle a human being can hold. Okay, so in and of itself it looks like it has no practical purpose, but it's a repository of possibility. And, when it's handled just right, it exacts a kind of poetry - as close to poetry as I ever want to get. The way it moves.... Not once, in everything I've done, have I ever felt the same wonder and humanity as when I'm playing the game of curling." ~ Paul Gross, John Krizanc, and Paul Quarrington, Men with Brooms

Good Wednesday morning to one and all. It's a good day to rise and shine and give God the glory, here on this February 12, 2014. Can you hear that thunder off in the distance? It's getting closer. It won't be long now. That's right folks. The Daytona 500 will be raced on the 23rd of this month. It will be the 56th running of what is called the 'Great American Race'. The preliminaries will begin the weekend before, continue throughout the next week, therefore, we can get back to something other than folks spinning themselves dizzy on a frozen ice rink. We even watched the Curling competition the other evening. I know.

We are, at times, pitiful. I will hand it to the commentators because they were doing everything they could to make these guys playing a form of Croquet on ice as exciting as it could be. What skill! What strategy! But, alas, the American team attempted a double knockout of the other team's stones but their shot was slightly off giving the points to the Norwegians. I mean you have to like a game that includes two sweepers with brooms who are there to help guide the stone down the lane. They also have something called the hammer which isn't a real hammer but I think it is the ability to control play, but, I can't be sure about that. I think I would have been better off going to YouTube and listening to Peter, Paul, and Mary singing, "If I Had a Hammer."

I don't know how well NBC is doing with its ratings thus far, but it can't help when there's a headline that says, "'The Walking Dead' outperforms the Olympics." I don't know what the walking dead is all about but that most likely is not an encouraging sign. I will not deny that I do keep an eye on the medal count tallies. That's part of our American psyche. We want our nation to end up with the most, period, thank you, have a nice day. Since I'm not tuned in to the actual competitions to any great extent, the spoiler alerts that come throughout the day do not bother me at all. I know people who are very much focused on watching as much of it as they can. They know that unless you are available to watch in the wee hours of the morning that most everything of any consequence is time delayed so it can be shown in prime time. I get that. Rooting for a person to win a medal when they either did or didn't already has its own uniqueness I suppose. When I do watch I am engaged and pulling for my team even though it was decided hours ago. All laid up in my recliner with a steady rain outside in the dark of night as I watch that bright sunlit downhill ski slope should have tipped me off. Just kidding. I did see where you can go to some website and add your voice to the chanting of U-S-A, U-S-A. Don't know how it works but it does sound interesting.

I know what some of you are wondering. Why didn't I watch that serial rerun on for the 15th time of all the Duck Dynasty episodes back to back? I did think about it. But, we've seen them already multiple times and when you know them better than you do the reruns of Mayberry RFD, well, you might just know it's better to pass on watching them again. The other day the wife and I were watching one of those classic Andy Taylor and Barney Fife episodes and one of our teenaged granddaughters was watching along with us. She had not watched these but it didn't take long for her to laugh out loud. It was one of those where Barney was way out of control but as they say back home, it was funny as all get out. My point? Funny does not have to be trashy. My granddaughter who would likely never choose to watch a black and white rerun of an old TV program laughed for one reason only. It was funny. Back then, and still is today. I rest my case. At least for now. Y'all take care now. You hear? And, until next time, may the good Lord up above take a liking to you. Amen. ....More later.