The Network

As many of you know, I do what little I can as much as I can to avoid having to do things for people and institutions. Every once in a great while, however, I find myself in the unenviable position of being asked to lend a hand when I don't have a decent excuse to weasel my way out. When this happens I tend to find that if my constant complaining doesn't make the help-seeker sorry they ever thought to prevail upon me, my general ineptitude usually does the trick.

I have spent the majority of yesterday morning and also this morning in the dirty, dusty crawl space of the Park Place Community Center. A friend of mine (or perhaps more accurately, the wife of a friend of mine) serves as the director of the PPCC and she had the unmitigated gall to ask if I would guide rewire their new computer lab what with my having bragged about being theoretically capable of that sort of thing. I tried telling her that I couldn't possibly due to my rigorous summer schedule but then that backfired when she inquired, "Really?"

So the chore was to pull all the cables leading to the PPCC's current computer lab and then connect the new lab to the new router. Sadly, this involved stumbling around in the poorly lit and hellishly warm boardwalk that ran through the attic above all the main hallways in the building. Thankfully, I found that I could keep my spirits high by complaining loudly and so I pressed onward, following the cables to where they sunk through the ceiling of the old lab. Once there, I had those babies pulled back through so fast that I'm sure I wreaked irreparable damage.

I noted that every dozen feet or so there was a "skylight" of sorts that connected the boardwalk to the hallway below. Snickering smugly to myself, I reckoned I would take a wee shortcut by removing the pane of the skylight and hopping on down. The fall was a bit farther than I calculated but my meerkat instincts took hold and after failing to stick the landing I managed to roll safely onto my face. I gazed back up at my descent-hole only to notice that I'd left a shoe-print on the side of the opening.

Anyway, with the cables successfully pulled through, all that remained was connecting them to the old computers in their new location. This phase of the task was next to no trouble at all but I still whined about it. The new computer lab will be used primarily by students seeking additional assistance with their coursework. It seemed obvious to me that the lab needed to be a space of hope and inspiration; a place that promoted positive thinking and determination and a place that put students in the frame of mind of somebody who was, above all else, a winner.

So what else has been happening? A few weeks ago Toulon RFC won the Heineken Cup for the second year in a row, making them only the third club to do so. No club has ever triumphed in Europe three years in a row and Toulonais coach Bernard Laporte has already said that he believes his side can make history next year.

Sadly, they will be doing it without Jonny Wilkinson at flyhalf as last Saturday's domestic championship against Castres RFC was to be Wilko's last professional match. Wilko was drummed out on a high note as Toulon was able to effect the vaunted European/domestic double which had only been done by three other teams. In both championship games Wilko was 100% from the field, nailing all of his conversions and penalties and even one drop-goal. The rumor is that Jonny will be retained by Toulon RFC as a kicking coach but I believe that remains to be confirmed by either party.

In other sporting news, I was in Louisville about a week and a half ago and I was given a free whiskey by an establishment's proprietor for being a Blackhawks fan. My fanship was not enough to inspire a series victory, however, and the Hawks lost in overtime in heartbreaking fashion to the LA Kings which makes me, for the moment, a Rangers supporter. But moreover than club loyalty, I am just looking forward to some gooooood hockey!

Other things that I missed were Memorial Day (Mammal Oreo Day) and Whiskey Day. I hope you all celebrated responsibly.

-Ryan