This just in:  I think I’ll try to stay away from politics today.  Trump and the Republican Party are so visibly inept that I don’t feel compelled to point that out in detail.

What’s really important was my dinner last night.

Trying to be helpful in the kitchen, I asked me wife, “Is there anything I can do?”

Before she answers, I’m already settling into my favorite chair to watch some television.

Surprisingly, she said, “Yes, you can start the chicken.”

I get up and lumber over to the counter where I find about 20 pieces of chicken.

My first thought is, “This woman really gets me.”  Then I start trying to get this all into a single frying pan.  I eventually succeed by standing pieces on end.  It’s not pretty but I’m going to eat like a king once this is all cooked.

So, the wife walks in and I hear, “Are you insane?!”

Surprised, I get back up from my throne and go in to take my punishment for whatever “kitchen crime” I may have committed.

Turns out, that chicken was supposed to last for the better part of a week.  She removed 16 of the 20 pieces and said, “We’ll have a salad with this and you will be fine.”

Now for some Navy football.

Yesterday, the Navy team beat last year’s AAC champion by a score of 22-21.  This is the Memphis team who scored 66 points the week before.

What is great about this is not how Navy managed to win the game.  What’s great is possibly only someone that went to the Naval Academy can understand.

These guy practice twice a day, like most college teams.  Last week they played in Hawaii in an evening game that was 6 time zones away.  It was like playing at midnight.  No big deal.

Here is the big deal…

When I went to the Academy, my first day of classes went like this…

Welcome to The History of Sea Power.  This 25lb book will cover the semester.  We will cover about 50 pages a day.  The first 50 were due today but since you just got the book, you now have to read 100 pages tonight.  There will probably be a test to make sure you studied.

Welcome to Chemistry.  Here are your two text books.  Each is meant to cover 1 year of Chemistry.  We will be completing both books this semester.  By the way, you are now 100 pages behind.  There will probably be a test to make sure you studied.

Welcome to Calculus.  You are behind.

Welcome to Thermodynamics….behind.

Welcome to Leadership…behind.

Welcome to Basic Programing…behind.

Attendance is mandatory for every single class.

Add 2 to 3 hours of sports a day to this scheduled.  Then add 3 formations a day.  Then add a few hours a week of watch (kind of like guard duty but really just standing and looking alert)

After the first 10 week grading period, I had 5 F’s and a D.  I had never studied in high school so you might say I was caught off guard.

This is what the football team returns to after practice.  In high school, they were their team captains with straight A’s.  At the academy…they are the norm.  In fact, when I went, I spent the first week thinking I was smarter than everyone else and then the next 4 years knowing they were all smarter than me.

Navy Football is the true home of Student Athletes.  Notice that “student” comes first.

There are other schools that hold their athletes to high standards as well.  I can’t speak to those.  I can only tell you that I would never have made it if I had the schedule that our football team has all year long.

If you watch a Navy football game this year, pick out a player and think…I bet that guy has an exam on Electrical Engineering on Monday morning.  You will probably be not to far off from being right.

Those guys will be the next generation to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim