I live in a typical Midwestern rural community that has long taken pride in the accomplishments of the school athletic teams – to an extreme. Today though, we hope for grey matter to seize the day. Our middle schoolers are sending their Scholastic Bowl team (including Red Haired Girl) to the Illinois state class A championship. On Monday we traveled to Brimfield, near Peoria, and smoked the competition to win the sectional championship. That in and of itself was a milestone – the first hardware in the trophy case and banner in the gym for brain power. Also for a first, the school held a pep rally this morning for the kids.

Real Wife and I leave shortly on the three hour jaunt to Bloomington-Normal for the Big Dance. Competition will be tough – these are the über geeks coming from many Catholic and other private schools. Odds are good though; our kids are a diverse bunch who complement each other well. The questions are equally tough (how many Loyal Readers knew that John Jakes was the first Supreme Court justice, or that the transmission electron microscope was invented before the scanning electron microscope?).

We should arrive home by around midnight. Unbeknownst to the kids, the local fire and police departments will meet the bus at the edge of town for an escort home. No matter the outcome, they are winners.

Small town life is good (and geeks rule!!!).

p.s., in re. the title of this post – it is the slogan on the team’s shirts, and we do not have fish in our blue jeans