Friday Four

1. My wife will sometimes spontaneously coin words when tired or excited. Her most recent creation came in the wee hours. Here it is, in a snippet of the conversation we were having:

Mrs. Van Horn: My brain is misfunctioning.

Me: MALfunctioning.

Mrs. Van Horn: Exactly.

Amusingly, though, I just looked this one up to discover that "misfunction" really is a word.

2. Pumpkin, who just turned five, has also passed what I regard as a crucial cognitive milestone: She saw something funny on a show she was watching and got me to rewind it because she thought I'd find it amusing. And she was right!

I also enjoyed a remark by a friend of hers at school this week. The school has wooden mulch in its playground, so parents are instructed to enforce the fashion faux pas of having our kids wear socks with sandals, to avoid the mulch getting stuck in the sandals. When I came to pick up Pumpkin one day, the friend excitedly told me that she'd be wearing her sandals without socks to Pumpkin's party.

3. Apropos of yesterday's post is an amusing George Will column which offers wealthy Republicans some sound and inexpensive election-year advice:

Trump's campaign has less cash ($1.3 million) than some congressional candidates have, so Republican donors have never been more important than they are at this moment. They can save their party by not aiding its nominee.

Will notes further that, "Events already have called his bluff about funding himself," and offers the candidate some advice I'd like to see Old Smoke-and-Mirrors take.

4. You needn't be a runner to enjoy this article about New York City's Underground Half-Marathon:

[S]ays two-time women's winner Leigh Gerson. "In this world of races selling out in 50 minutes for 50,000 spots in the New York City Marathon, where people pay an exorbitant amount of money to freeze their butts off, 60 bucks gets you some awesome views, and you get to meet some cool people."

I suspect the name of the race will further intrigue: The Midnight Half.

-- CAV