83. A TALL GLASS OF MILK

The incomparable cookie companion

* When this simple miracle first appeared at CWRU in the spring of 2004, the caption was "Ahhhhhhh!" That's the usual sound after the glass is empty, isn't it?
* My housemate Dan could probably tell you a familiar story: At about 11 PM, I'll appear in our living room. He'll be reading a book. I'll declare to him, "Do you know what time it is?" He doesn't know. "It's time for a tall glass of milk!" Then I bounce with excitement into the kitchen.
* In college, my good friend Lowell and I decided that we would like to be the kind of guys that weren't afraid to go to a bar and, rather than order a glass of beer, order a glass of milk. I have tried this, but unfortunately most bars do not have milk.
* Now that it is the Easter season, there is another treat to which milk is a very good companion. Here's what I do: Eat a mug of ice cream, then fill the empty mug with milk to rinse out any ice cream that is left and drink it.
* In fact, to how many dishes is milk "an incomparable companion"? I can think of turkey sandwiches, peanut butter, graham crackers, mashed potatoes, steak, a hearty piece of wheat bread and a slice of cheese ...
* Interestingly, I do not like milk with my cereal. Instead, I prefer to eat it dry.

82. SHUTTLE LANDINGS

To earth from space, done with such grace

* Have you seen the landing that occurred this week?
* To imagine the coordination that is necessary to safely land a shuttle - between the engines, the parachute, the landing gear, the pilot - is remarkable.
* When something very miraculous (e.g., a shuttle landing) is made to look very simple to us perhaps that is a simple miracle in itself.
* Thanks to my mom and sister Missy for suggesting this simple miracle.

81. A HANDSHAKE

A friendly pledge that we make

* To receive a firm handshake from another can be very reassuring.
* How do we decide to whom we give a handshake? Do we only do handshakes with our friends?
* A handshake that I learned in New Hampshire has become popular in North Carolina: The "Trinity handshake." Here's how it works: A regular handshake to salute God the Father (i.e., a handshake that your father would give you); a handshake where your arm is at an acute with the other person's to salute God the Son; and then a release and flutter of the fingers while keeping thumbs interlocked to salue God the Holy Spirit (i.e., as if your fingers where the wings of a dove, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit).
* Have you ever had a "secret handshake"?

80. SPARE KEYS

When in your car your keys you lock, a spare is much better than taking a walk

* I assert that claiming a spare key is also a better option than breaking one of your car's windows.
* Yesterday, I locked my keys in the car for the first time in three years. Coming out of morning Mass, I checked my left pocket, checked my right pocket - neither had my keys. Instead, I could see the keys laying on the passenger seat in full view - and dutifully, I had not forgotten to lock the doors. However, it took only a quick bus ride, a trip upstairs to retrieve my spare, and a ride from a housemate, and I was on my way in less than a half-hour.
* In addition to having a spare key, it is also important to only lock your keys in your car when you are fairly close to home. For instance, the last time that I made this mishap, my landlady had to drive fifteen miles at 11 PM to bring me my spare key.

79. APRIL FOOLS

What a funny tradition?

* Are you the one to play the joke or the one on whom the joke is played?