Smoo enters a new century

Smoo fêted the Big 100 today.

The weather sucked, but the festivities-- both indoor and outdoor-- happened all the same. Nothing, not even wind and clouds and rain, was going to stop the old lady from celebrating her birthday in style.

I didn't leave my building until a little bit after 8:30pm, which was just in time to hear the Smoo orchestra mincing its way through Ennio Morricone's theme from "The Untouchables"-- a good choice for the occasion, if a bit corny to those of us movie geeks who recognized the tune.

Not long after that, my buttocks clenched in awe as the heavens lit up with a very loud fireworks display. I had to wonder what Korean War vets were thinking as the booms and flashes pounded and sizzled across the cloudy night sky. The surrounding buildings both on and off campus did a great job of creating dueling echoes. I enjoyed the fireworks, which didn't last longer than a couple minutes. Others on the street also watched: some with open stares and smiles, others with their hands over their ears. By the time the fireworks ended, I was almost home.

And that, Dear Reader, is how I come to report this to you.


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