Super What?

Surprise, surprise: Super Bowl Sunday, and we didn't watch it. Susan kidnapped me this afternoon to force me to the mall to buy some dress pants and dress shoes (both of which I am sorely in need of) for work. When we got back, we got involved in our various projects: reading, playing, checking e-mail, etc.

Susan did check out the tube in time to invite us all downstairs to watch the halftime show. Prince? I mean, really? Did CBS blow its budget before they got around to booking talent for this year's halftime event? According to the Associated Press, Prince "delivered one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows--ever." Really? Granted, I haven't seen a lot of Super Bowl halftime shows, but that's seriously scary; I shudder to think how dull or awful or dated previous halftime entertainers have been.

Well, we were already gathered around a warm television as a family, so we decided to picnic there for supper and to watch a movie together. I had DVRed Spellbound from IFC a while back. On this day of honor for organized competition before mesmerized spectators, it seemed fitting that we watch that documentary about select American middle schoolers' adversity-filled journeys to compete at the high-stakes National Spelling Bee. You can fumble on the football field and later recover, but you miss just one letter in a spelling bee, and you're out. While the Indianapolis Colts were winning the football game without our viewership, hundreds of acne-faced, braces-wearing early teens were language-of-origin-please-ing their way from local and regional contests to the big one that really separates the men (Middle English, fr. Old English) from the boys (Middle English, possibly fr. Old French).

We didn't finish watching it before bedtime arrived for our rapt daughters, so we'll have to finish it another night. We all found it interesting, though, to watch how various kids from across the country developed their interest in spelling; to see the roles their families played in encouraging and training them; and to discover just what spelling bee victories can mean to those who are fortunate enough to claim them. Also, Susan is the spelling coach at the school where she works, so I figured this qualified as professional development for her, too.

(Yes, you read that right: Susan is the spelling coach at the school where she works. Team cheer: "Give me a 'B'!" "'B!'" "Give me an 'E'!" "'E!'" "Give me an 'E'!" "'E!'" "What's that spell?" "'Bee'!")

So, congratulations, Colts, on winning a football game and everything. But when you can memorize a dictionary and correctly recall the spelling of some randomly selected, obscure word knowing that your fate hangs on whether to double the consonant after the vowel, then you can talk to me about tuning in to watch you do your thang.

("Attitude." A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E. "Attitude.")