A hole wore through the seat of the pants I was wearing the other day — a bit of a bother since it was the only pair of pants to that suit. Drat the luck. “Cheap suit,” I thought. And then I thought again, and laughed.
It’s a suit I bought from Lands End, a company of usually impeccable quality.
But, what do you expect these days?
Did I mention that I bought the suit in 1991 or 1992? The suit lasted longer than younger son James has been in school.
Good suit. Cheap, too.
I’ll buy another.
3 Comments | 
Life, Personal, Point of personal privilege | Tagged: Business, Clothing, Personal, Quality | 
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Posted by Ed Darrell
Graduation Part II comes Thursday night. James leaves Duncanville High School with good memories of the 12 or 13 hours he wasn’t doing homework this past year. The graduation is in Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas — same place all the Dallas ISD high schools hold their ceremonies. Sometimes it seems the old basketball crowds stayed after the Mavericks decamped. Remember somber and sober graduation ceremonies?
Winding up the first year in Dallas ISD, with silly tests all over the place and procedures that would make Byzantium appear the model of efficiency. I’ve never caught up from the mid-year landing here, and the next two days will be grueling, to get out on time.
Quietly, the Bathtub will roll over 800,000 visitor clicks in three or four hours from now — certainly before midnight. The Berlin Wall continues to be the major topic day in and day out, followed by Sabat’s compelling cartoon of the African tsunami of drought, and that ancient jumping goat.
So much to say. So tired.
Leave a Comment » | Administrivia, Family, Life, Personal | Tagged: Administrivia, Family, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
It’s been a slow month. Sometime Tuesday or early Wednesday the Bathtub gets its 800,000th view. Won’t make a million by the 2nd anniversary at that rate, but considering how few posts I’ve made lately, on bland topics, it’s not bad.
As always, thanks to all visitors, and double thanks to anyone who comments.
Leave a Comment » | Administrivia, Point of personal privilege, Weblogs | Tagged: blogging, Personal, Readers | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
It is done.
The curly-headed guy with the trombone at the center — that’s James.
For the last eight years we have attended what we affectionately call the Meyerson Marathon, an evening of concert performances by Duncanville’s bands, capped with an always-stellar performance by the Wind Ensemble. Duncanville borrows the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center for an evening. The bands always sound great, but sometimes the great hall adds a little to their performances. In Duncanville, even the junior high bands are very, very good.
Kenny played euphonium (playing trumpet with his braces was too painful; he’s gone back to trumpet for college jazz performances). James played trombone — and April 1 was James’ last performance at the Meyerson.
One more sign of time’s incessant march. Of course, On April 1, time’s march was accompanied with some fine band music.
Next week the Wind Ensemble decamps for Washington, D.C., for a Friday performance at the Festival of Music.
1 Comment | Family, Music, Point of personal privilege | Tagged: Family, Music, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Steaming into the final days of law school. Papers due. Finals coming. The job demanded extra hours, too.
I had been up well before dawn for some fool reason — job interview? We were closing down the President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors, and I didn’t have a job lined up. Full day at the office, the race through D.C. traffic at rush hour to get to class, three hours of lecture (probably punctuated with that dark, French roast coffee from Au Bon Pain), the train ride and late night walk home, writing the paper and fighting the printer of the crude computer we rented just for the month. It had been more than 20 hours since I’d seen bed.
It was all I could do to stay awake to get up the stairs and into bed. “1:30 a.m.” the clock radio glowed. Three and a half hours to sleep, maybe. I remembered it was April 1, and I smiled as I wondered what odd stories might pop up on the news wires in the morning.
“Get up. We have to go to the hospital!” Kathryn said. I looked at the clock again. 1:31 a.m.
I was concerned, but I was sleepy, too. I asked why.
“My water broke. We have to go.” I felt her side of the bed, and it was wet. I thought it was pretty sneaky of her to go so far as to keep a pan of water close by to make the joke. Just as I got to bed, she had to get up. Riiight!
I kept waiting for the “April Fool!” She’d planned this one well, but I didn’t think it was very funny. I wanted rest.
I turned over to go back to sleep.
“Do I have to drive myself?” Kathryn yelled from the bathroom. We were in Cheverly, Maryland, and the George Washington University Hospital was across town. I jolted awake, and smiled that there would be no significant traffic on the trip. It wasn’t a joke. I hoped I could stay awake for the drive.
Just about 13 hours of terrifying (for a first-time dad, not to mention a first-time mom) labor later, Kenny was born. Give him credit: He was born so that we got him cleaned up, got Kathryn comfortable, and unshaven and unshowered I could make it to my next class across the street from the hospital (to turn in work and say why I was missing the class).
21 years ago today, I well remember what I was doing. Happy birthday, Kenny!
Notice, Dear Reader, the great attention and homage to history demonstrated in the snapshot above (from last year, really): The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame t-shirt, the denims, the Gibson Les Paul, the “Abbey Road” cover poster on the wall, the topographic map of a favorite hike (near Woodstock, New York, with the Camp Rising Sun crew), the guitar strap his father used in the late 1960s, and the vintage light fixture with just one bulb burning.
Best April Fool’s ever.
5 Comments | Family, Fly your flag today, History, Point of personal privilege | Tagged: Family, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Passed it an hour ago. This is what P. Z. Myers gets every day, but it’s new for the Bathtub.
Now, I wonder what has to happen to get some of these visitors to turn the page to some of the more substantive posts?
7 Comments | Administrivia, Point of personal privilege, Weblogs | Tagged: Adminsitrivia, blogging, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
One lucky post — at today’s traffic rates, Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub will rocket through its 550,000th view this afternoon.
If it’s not repeatable, it’s a miracle, right?
[Update: 550,000th hit at about 2:20 p.m. CDT.]
5 Comments | Administrivia, Point of personal privilege | Tagged: blogging, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
About midnight tonight, Central Standard Time, Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub will get its half-millionth page view. Views are rising as my schedule allows for less posting. What do I conclude from that?
And especially, thank you readers who comment.
5 Comments | Administrivia, Personal | Tagged: Administrivia, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
I was one of Bae’s kids, too.
Sad note from the Hinckley Institute of Politics (note the funeral is today, for those in Salt Lake City):
The former, present, and future interns, staff, faculty, and family of the Hinckley Institute of Politics mourn the passing of former Hinckley Institute Assistant Director, Bae B. Gardner. I first walked in the door of the Hinckley Institute in the fall of 1988. It immediately felt like a second home and the main reason was Bae. I am proudly one of “Bae’s kids.” Unless you share that distinction, it is impossible to fully convey the loss we feel today with Bae’s passing. Bae was not just an administrator to her “kids.” She was a mother, friend, cheerleader, mentor, and confidant. Indeed, she supported and sustained me from that first day as an inquiring student through the present as the Hinckley Institute’s director. Bae had the unique talent of making students feel that they had unlimited potential and the tireless ability to provide them with life-changing opportunities. The Hinckley Institute and I will forever be grateful for the legacy she established and the love she exhibited during her incredible years of service at the Hinckley Institute.
Kirk L. Jowers
Director, Hinckley Institute of PoliticsViewing and Funeral Service
Saturday, February 23rd
Viewing: 11:00 am. Service: 1:00 pm.Foothill LDS 7th Ward Chapel
2215 E. Roosevelt Avenue
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108In lieu of flowers, the Gardner family has suggested that donations may be made to the Bae B. Gardner Internship in Public Policy scholarship fund administered by the Hinckley Institute of Politics. Donations can be made online or by calling the University of Utah Development Office at 801.581.6825. Donations can also be mailed to the Hinckley Institute at 260 S. Central Campus Dr. Rm. 253. Salt Lake City, UT 84112. For more information call the Hinckley Institute of Politics at 801.581.8501.
I had applied for an internship with the National Wildlife Federation. Bae thought I had a chance at a different internship, so she copied the form and sent it to the Secretary of the Senate. I lost the NWF internship on a .01 gradepoint difference. I got the internship at the Senate, and it changed my life.
Of course, I was on the road debating when the word came through that they wanted me in Washington. Bae called me late at night at home, minutes before my acceptance would have been overdue. Four days later I was working in the Capitol. Whenever I meet with other Hinckley Interns, I learn she did more for everyone else.
My first real office was a few feet from the Senate Chamber, with a view down the mall to the Washington Monument, and a chandalier 8 feet across. I got floor privileges to the Senate, and with Mike Mansfield’s name on my ID card, I had access to the White House and almost any other government building in town.
That sort of education is priceless. Thanks to Bae Gardner.
Bae should be remembered as a hero for education, a champion for college kids, and one who played a role in more good public policy decisions than few others in history, by promoting good kids to good experience that they applied later in public service.
I wish the service were streamed on the web somewhere. I’ll bet it’ll be something to see and hear.
3 Comments | Heroes, Personal, Politics | Tagged: Heroes, Higher education, Personal, Politics | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
When do you ever see anyone say, “Finished that, now I have much more time to devote to writing on this blog?”
You won’t see it here, today, either.
A new project beckons — exciting, important, low-pay and time consuming — and I’m off. I’ll try to keep the water in Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub warm and comfortable, at least.
Readers can help out, with comments. For example, right now the post on the hoax quiz on Hillary Clinton quotes is hotter’n a three-dollar pistol — but no one’s commenting. I can’t tell where the hits are coming from. It would be nice if some of the viewers would at least comment on why they dropped by.
A few readers are engaged in conversations on a few different threads — good stuff, mostly, even with internetbloggy bluster thrown in.
The rate of posts is likely to drop from last month. I’m off for much of the rest of the afternoon, and I’ll be in the library this evening with the younger son (though, now that I think about it, the library has wi-fi; hmmmm).
Talk amongst yourselves. Register for the Stanton Sharp history seminar February 9 at SMU. I’ll post details about another Dallas history seminar set for January 26, perhaps this evening, and about another, really wonderful symposium coming up in April.
Thank you for reading; thank you for commenting. You history, economics and civics teachers, thank you for everything. You students, thank you for working not to repeat the errors in history.
Thank you.
2 Comments | Administrivia, Personal | Tagged: Administrivia, Personal, Weblogs | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Ben Franklin on the cover of Time
Ben Franklin’s birthday is January 17. He was born in 1706.
The drama department at Pleasant Grove (Utah) High School put on Ayn Rand’s play, “The Night of January 16th” when I was an underclassman there. It’s an interesting play — a murder mystery played out in a courtroom, with a jury drawn from the evening’s audience. The play’s ending differs almost every night, with a different jury coming to slightly different conclusions. Suggested posters for the play asked, “Where were you the night of January 16th?”
Ayn Rand
Years later that question came back to me as I rushed my wife to the maternity room at Charlton Methodist Hospital with contractions coming in quick succession, with a few minutes left in January 16th. The question made a good mnemonic to remember the date of the birth of our second child. Only later did I recall that the day is also Ben Franklin’s birthday — Ben being an object of some study and significant space on my personal library shelf. Read the rest of this entry »
7 Comments | Ben Franklin, Family, History, Personal | Tagged: Ayn Rand, Ben Franklin, Family, History, James Darrell, Personal, Tooth of Time | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Ed Darrell on Texas's Colorado River
Come on in, the water's fine. Come often: Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 