“It’s sunny out today,” I thought to myself. “Great weather for microphone shovin’.”
Loyal Scaiaholics will recall my rich history as an Arlington resident. [An aside: There simply aren’t enough blogs that compare new traffic lights to good men becoming evil by using any means to fight evil.]
But today, three people were killed at an apartment complex in Arlington.
The reporters and photographers started comparing notes. We don’t like the order to sensationalize any more than you like to see stories being sensationalized. Three people were killed. That’s not a time to try to disrupt even more lives. So we work together.
One of the photographers said he wandered up to a group of people and was gently encouraged to immediately wander away. We elected to leave them alone.
I, meanwhile, spotted a gentleman just watching by himself outside a building a few hundred feet away.
“He looks concerned,” I thought to myself. “I’ll go talk to him.”
“But focus groups say people like hearing stories from the police blotter,” consultants cry out, often waking up, sitting bolt upright in bed and waking their spouse.
Loyal Scaiaholics will also recall I’ve questioned whether covering the police blotter actually affects listeners instead of just trying to scare them and make them feel ways about things.
“You know what affects people?” I thought to myself. “Access to water slides.”
Today was also media day at Hurricane Harbor.
“Wait a minute,” I continued, also to myself. “Hurricane Harbor is only a couple miles from here.”
I am not a strong swimmer, but I do enjoy the occasional visit to Hurricane Harbor. Each spring, they let the reporters come see the new rides just before they open over Memorial Day weekend. A few years ago, they also brought in Tony Kanaan [pictured, in the red shirt].
Sure, Kanaan had won the previous Indy 500, but this struck me as odd: Shouldn’t he have been practicing in Indianapolis in the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend, given that the Indy 500 is held over Memorial Day weekend?
But it’s possible I’m not an Indy car driver, so I don’t completely understand how to prepare for a race. And who else is gonna successfully christen a water slide called “Wahoo Racer”?! Certainly not Scott Goodyear, who fell tragically short of overtaking Al Unser Jr. in the closest Indy 500 finish ever.
Today, the reporters got a look at the new water slides for this year.
The park’s spokesman explained the slide is designed so everyone can race each other at once, together, as a family.
It’s probably better the water slides stay separate instead of emptying into one giant pool. I imagine my brothers and I would inevitably wind up in fisticuffs over who cheated to get to the bottom first.
He also explained they’re still taking COVID precautions. You don’t need a reservation this year, but masks are required if you’re not vaccinated or in the middle of Wahoo Racing. They’re open to 100% capacity, and he explained people are likely to be excited for water parks after a winter that was borderline harsh.
A family friendly gathering place was a nice way to end a day that involved talking to people about random crime.
Plus, Hurricane Harbor sent me away with a beach towel. After the year we had, everyone could use a new beach towel. And those three slides from the first audio clip are metaphors for personal growth. After the past year, maybe we all want something simple like the open air slide. But doggone it, we’ll work our way back to the enclosed tubes.
