Rollin', Rollin' on the River

So, a week and a half ago, we had this little earthquake. Guess what now? The Mighty Mississippi is expected to crest at 19.5 feet on Wednesday, flood stage is at 15 feet. Oh, it's a sight when that river leaves its banks. The above picture is from 2001- no baseball that spring. So far, the baseball stadium is dry- it's a bit soggy getting into the stadium, but they've got sandbags up. This weekend is prom for the school where I teach, which could be tricky, since it will be held on a riverboat. If the river is too high, I'm guessing they won't actually sail. Before you get all "Oh, how quaint" about having your prom on a riverboat, which I did, think about it. Sails at 9, comes back at 12. You're in the middle of the Mississippi for 3 hours. (a 3 hour tour, a 3 hour tour....) You are stuck on that boat for the entire time - there's no leaving early. And if you're late? They take off without you. There goes your prom- and my school only had Senior prom, none of this Junior/Senior stuff. The tradition was that the Junior class hosted the prom for the Seniors. And sea-sickness? A little bit- not hurl-over-the-railing sick, but definitely some queasiness. From a parent's point of view, the boat is awesome- you know where your kids are, they are safe and contained. From a kid's point of view, it's a tad claustrophobic.