The Creation of a Class Blog -or- I Saw a Beaver Today

My wife and I are hosting a privileged guest in our home this week: my 14-year-old brother-in-law, Garrett. Fun kid.

Rewind two days.

After an overbearing winter and the promise of warmer temperatures to complement our Spring Break festivities, Tori and I marched in celebration toward our thermostat. The same thermostat that mocked us for the past three months ("You say you want it to be 77?! HA HA HA!!!"), the same thermostat responsible for our reluctant "one eye open, one eye closed" opening of SCE & G utility bills was due for a change. And as we joyfully moved the lever from "heat" to "cool", leaned our heads back, and closed our eyes in divine bliss, we realized something. NOTHING WAS HAPPENING! This could not be! And during "record-setting high temperatures for this time of year" (www.wistv.com)?? This was just plain...devious!

Back to the present day.

You can only distract yourself from the muggy atmosphere caused by a stubborn A/C unit by playing Wii golf for so long. Sooner or later, those 18 holes that seemed like they'd last forever will come to an end and you'll be back at square one, sweating on your couch, looking at your brother-in-law, wondering what to do. After a while, we came to the conclusion that it seemed warmer inside because our expectations for the temperature were different (kind of like that time I got super excited to see Batman and Robin at the movie theater, only to be incredibly disappointed when it finally ended). On the flip side, if we went outdoors, we would expect it to be hot...therefore, it would feel cooler (I know, I know...completely irrational).

So, Garrett and I grabbed Tori and ventured to the Saluda River rapids to dangle our feet into the cold water coming from the bottom of Lake Murray. But, as we arrived, we saw that every rock was occupied by college students. Apparently, all their A/C units failed them too...

So, we kept walking along and found an overgrown trail. Just the challenge we needed. As we tread over dead leaves, life began to get more and more peaceful. The noise, much like the rapids, calmed and we were able to explore our surroundings. And then...

"BEAVER!!!" Tori exclaimed by the water's edge.

We rushed over to her side to see a small beaver swimming away from her lovely, but high-pitched voice. It was a truly beautiful sight. In the middle of a bustling city with highways and high-rises, not sixty yards from College Land, a beaver found the space it needed to build its home.

And I thought...

"I can't wait to tell my kids about this tomorrow! Wait...I'm sleeping in tomorrow."

This would not do. Therefore, class blog.

Here's to seeing the world for what it is, a constant inspiration, an ongoing conversation. Be inspired this Spring Break, guys.