Birthday Wishes to One of the Greats

I wasn't expecting to be posting today, since we're leaving for the airport a bit after 11:00. Of course, I also wasn't expecting to get to my first school this morning and find out that I had the flattest tire I've ever seen in all my years of driving. That knocked out all of the rest of the morning of teaching (and, ironically, means that, if I'd had a laptop and wi-fi, I could have blogged from the tire store like Instapundit did yesterday). Once I was done there, it was pointless to teach a lesson and a half, so I came back home to chill.

The weird thing is, my car wasn't the only one nursing a bum wheel; I am too, in a way. Yesterday, on the way to one of my schools, I stepped in this little hole in the grass and nearly twisted my ankle. I didn't fall down or anything, and was fine once I stopped, but it started to hurt a bit later. I have ice on it as we speak, and I think I'll be ok for walking around the Big Easy later on today. The oddest thing was having to stop myself from tapping my right foot during the one lesson I taught this morning.

Anyway, the only reason I popped on today was to make note of something I read in the paper while waiting on my tire: Jazz great Clark Terry turns 84 today. I had the privilege of performing with him at our college jazz festival in '98 (the faculty combo concert was especially cool, since he and I were the only two horns on stage). I also got to drive him around to the hotel and back and listen to all kinds of Duke Ellington stories. The guy's still got it as a performer after all these years, and he's a total sweetheart of a guy as well. Getting to meet and perform with him is something I'll never forget--a true brush with greatness.

Grab your mittens modem, we're going shopping: Today is expected to be the busiest online shopping day of the year. I'm glad I'm most of the way done already.