Cup o' Joe

Food, travel, and news on the Chesapeake Bay

Does everyone agree that the Herndon Monument climb was a bit of a letdown this year? Those hard-charging plebes reached the Dixie cup hat on top in a lightning-fast two minutes and five seconds! I imagine the whole thing was a bit anti-climatic for the boys, too. You wait the entire year for this and it’s over faster than Bill the Goat can eat a plate of oats.

I can understand why top brass wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, but it all seems a little ironic to me. Although I’ve never climbed a 21-foot-tall phallic symbol greased with lard, I imagine it’s one of the least dangerous things a midshipman will do during his time at the academy—or certainly after. Remember what these guys are trained for.

So here’s my suggestion: If greasing Herndon with lard is too dangerous and slick, then let’s try a different lubricant next year. How about tomato sauce? Everyone could celebrate afterward with a big pasta dinner at Bancroft Hall. Or maybe a nice horseradish mustard—just enough grit to ease the climbers’ efforts. Is honey too sticky? Yeah, maybe. How about Thousand Island dressing? Really, the possibilities are endless…(Not to mention much lower in fat than lard.) 

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Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 05/26/10 at 01:38 PM

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