Newsmakers

Hey y'all -

A few (actual) news items this week:

1) Your dad has become the Squadron Commander of the local Civil Air Patrol. Let's say you're a rock star flying to your next awesome gig and your Cessna happens to go down in the Bitterroot Mountains outside Missoula. As you look through the smoke and fire of the crash site, you can expect to see the smiling face of Thor Burbach coming to rescue you. Or the smiling face of Jesus if Thor doesn't make it in time. Either way, Missoula's now an excellent place to go down in flames.

One of his first missions is to head up the local Wreaths Across America program, which places an evergreen wreath on the grave of every veteran buried at veteran's cemeteries across America - including Arlington. To help him get the word out, I typed up a press release and sent it out to all the Western Montana media outlets, and a reporter actually called him to do a story. That's how your dad ended up being interviewed on the news:

Ten days of miserable illness and continued sleeplessness is not the best preparation for going on television. You dad and I agreed that while his cause is noble, he mostly looked like the tired old guy working at the Dairy Queen.

2) Peg Peg was honored as the holder of Billingsley Endowed Chair in Nursing at the University of Arkansas. Though she's attempted to explain it to me on numerous occasions, I have no idea what this means, other than it's a big deal and a great honor and we should all be very proud of her. As we are.

There was a big ceremony this week:

I understand that this recognizes her as a superior faculty member and brings additional funds to the university for important research or service activities. But every time she mentions the "Billingsley Chair," I hear the smart-ass voice of my friend Gordon in my head, who asked, "What does she have to do to get the entire Billingsley Dinette Set?"

Applause to Dad and Peg Peg for taking the time to make the world a better place.

It offsets the time I spend making reality television.

Love,
Mom