Tuesday, June 15, 2010

January 30, 2010: The Last Time I Saw Jesus

Have I mentioned how much I love storms? The more the trees sway, the more the house rattles, the happier I get. Last night we had a doozy of a storm. The flashes of lightning were nonstop, and, for a time, the thunder was simultaneous. I got some shots from my porch, but this is the best I could get.
The big story in Cincinnati today has been the demise of Touchdown Jesus. Touchdown Jesus was a bit of a landmark off I-75, about 30 miles north of the city. Six stories tall, it was a sight to see. It was struck by lightning and, shortly thereafter, was only a steel frame. It was large and gaudy and slightly absurd; the statue was also referred to as "Butter Jesus" because, in the right light, it certainly looked like sculpted butter. Following his untimely demise, of course, the jokes poured in. "Don't worry," some said, "he'll be back in three days." Another said, "You're next, Creation Museum" (that Kentucky museum dedicated to refuting science). A friend said it's now "Corpus Crispy."

Below is a picture I took as I traveled north on I-75 a few months ago. You really don't get a good idea of just how big he is (was).

NPR wrote about it here; it includes some up-close pictures.

It's storming again tonight. I keep hoping the rain and wind will bring some cooler weather, as I'm still AC-deprived. I find myself lounging lazily around my apartment as any kind of exertion makes the heat unbearable.

One last note, and one I'll return to: just as my dad gets back in the next couple of weeks, my mom and her husband are preparing to go to Palestine. Paraphrasing what my mom told me, they will be part of a group working with children affected by the violence there as well as the adults who teach them. Because of the turbulence, many students have severe emotional and behavioral issues that teachers there may be unaccustomed to dealing with. Hopefully I'll be able to get a website and more information to link to in the future.

Edited to change "say" to "sway," although trees that talk are almost as cool as trees that bend!

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