July 4 always reminds me of that Destiny's Child song, Independent Women

Just ended the best Independence Day in recent memory. Here’s how it went:

For future reference, it is never, ever a bad idea to start your day with a pork tenderloin biscuit from Rose’s Cafeteria in Somerset, KY. After we said goodbye to Bandit and left the house to head over to Carey, Alan, and Justin’s to go on their boat, we stopped to do this. Linh brought me what looked like a fast food breakfast sandwich, complete with scrambled egg, but was more like heaven wrapped in nirvana wrapped in carbs. I’m sure Linh and Darin were talking while I was eating my biscuit in the back of the car, but I didn’t hear them. I only had eyes, ears, and the rest of the senses for my breakfast, and was noticeably saddened when it came to an end. Rose should be canonized.

Carey, who trains with Linh, her husband Alan, and their 12-year-old son Justin, who trains with Darin, live on a beautiful stretch of sloping land with two very personable cats and lots of wildlife. Carey is a former hospital nurse who now does home health care. She warned us that she was off duty today, so if we did anything stupid to get ourselves injured, we were on our own. Fair enough. Alan is an IT guy for the nearby medium security prison. Justin is a funny kid who happens to be a big fan of hot sauce and chili peppers; we joked about how when he was little his parents would give him a jalapeno rather than a pacifier. I don’t think that’s too far off the mark, actually. They are a lovely family and showed us a grand old time today.

Our first stop was at Mill Springs Park in Wayne County, a still-working corn-grinding mill erected in the early 1800s. The land the mill is on is gorgeous and picturesque, and we had a nice chat with the guy who demonstrates on weekends how it works.

The gift shop sells the cornmeal from the demonstrations, though we didn’t buy any. Nor did we buy a plaque that says, “I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is 14 days.” But we chatted with two sweet old ladies who showed us some pictures they had taken on a recent trip to a nearby park. I swear, one of the pictures was of an outhouse, and the sign on it said that it was the restroom AND the administration building for the park. Well, it is a good place to get thinking done.

Next stop was Lake Cumberland, where we set Carey, Alan, and Justin’s boat in the water. And of course by “we,” I mean “they.” They are obviously experienced boaters, while I am not. But I am good at sitting and enjoying the sun, so I did a lot of that and was happy to share my technique. I hope I was able to teach everyone a thing or two. I am also good at floating in the water, though everyone else had that covered too.

Soon it was time to ride the “banana boat,” which is basically a giant floaty that up to three people can ride. You grab onto hand holds and either bend your knees like you’re riding a horse or sit with them out in front of you. Either way, it’s a little difficult to get the hang of balancing, especially in the wake the boat throws up in front of you. Linh, Darin and I went together, and my hiney still hurts from the dive I took when Alan banked. Not his fault; I am good at sitting and enjoying the sun, remember, so this was a stretch. Linh and I had better luck at balancing when it was just the two of us (and I think Alan took pity on us and went more slowly), and I honestly can’t imagine why anyone would want to do anything on a gorgeous, sunny, hot Independence Day other than chill out in the water, enjoy the company of old and new friends on a gently bobbing boat, and hang on for dear life to a nerfy torpedo that’s going 30 mph through the water. (I'm still fumbling around with how to size these, so I'll only post one till I get it right. Otherwise, it's kinda boring to see these pics with vague humanoid shapes in the background.)



Across the lake is Jamestown, kind of an aquatic oasis with boat slips, a general store, and a restaurant. We made our way over there, stopping for lunch and to watch the space shuttle countdown and takeoff. Darin and Linh were happy to go here; they grew up in Somerset, but have only recently moved back after years in Chicago, so they are rediscovering their own hometown. And life looks different on the water. Here are some enormous turtles (there are also koi fish) that hang out waiting for people to feed them. Sorry; you gotta turn your head sideways.



As it was time to leave, the sky grew ominous. The weather had called for rain eventually, and before we left, we (again, “they”) put up a cover on the boat called a Bimini top, wrapped our cameras and other valuables in plastic, and dug out some tarps and towels. Still, we were hoping we could outrun the bad weather.

No such luck. By the time we got out in the middle of the lake, it had begun to rain, and soon enough the water was coming down in sheets, the thunder was sounding like explosions, and the lightning was hitting mere feet in front of us. I’ve never experienced a thunderstorm on the water, and for a first time, we went for broke; Carey said it was the most violent one she has experienced on the water. I found it strangely exhilarating. I never once felt unsafe or like we were in danger, and kind of liked being at the mercy of the elements. I didn’t even mind being drenched, which we all were, from head to toe.

Eventually things died down, as they do, and we made it back to the launching place. When I checked my stuff, I found out that my camera and cell phone were bone dry and my new Eddie Bravo book (he’s a hilarious BJJ black belt) and new technique notebook were a little damp but still useable. The loose ibuprofen in my pocket didn’t fare as well; they turned into a little pile of pharmaceutical mud that stained everything they touched (my shorts, my towel, my ChapStik) a lovely maroon color.

We were still a little squishy when we headed back to Bandit, and spent the rest of the afternoon drying out and being weary from sitting in the sun and having a great day—that’s tiring! Later that evening, Linh and Darin’s students Ann and Larry and their daughter Brittany came over for dinner. Larry and Ann work at the same prison as Alan. To hear Larry tell it, the stuff Darin is teaching is very applicable to his work as a security guard; he even showed me how he uses a kimura grip to tie up a prisoner’s arms behind his back and cuff him. (I was glad he didn’t actually have any cuffs when he tied up my arms).

What’s awesome is that the three of them are serious BJJ addicts. Until recently, Ann said, they were coming 5 days a week (it’s more difficult now because Brittany’s softball team is doing really well, so all their time is consumed with that). They walk around their house with their chins tucked because you never know when Brittany’s going to come at you with a rear naked choke. Their gis hang in a row in the laundry room. And it didn’t take too long; Darin and Linh have only been in business for about 6 months, and Larry, Ann, and Brittany are already recruiting others to come to class.

It’s clear to me, even after only 48 hours here, that The Submit Pit is a community affair, not just a family one. There is something amazing about BJJ that, under the right leadership, has the capacity to change things for the better. Fortunately for Somerset, Darin and Linh are the right leadership!

And I could cry at how friendly everyone has been to me; people are trying to get me to stay longer and even convincing me that Somerset would be a great place for me to live. They could be right, and when I’m done with my trip, I’ll see what’s what. But in the meantime, I will leave here on Thurs with about 6 more friends than I had when I arrived, and that’s wonderful. Even Bandit is making his affection known; earlier this evening he licked my foot for about 5 minutes under the dinner table, and he is shameless in his quest for petting. I am also hopeless in my ability to keep from petting him.

Later in the evening we watched a few PRIDE fights; a training DVD starring the likes of Andre Galvao, Jacare, the Ribeiros, and Roger Gracie; and the first part of an Eddie Bravo DVD that chronicles the evolution of his signature move, the Twister. Hilarious. And informative.

Tomorrow is the competition preparation class, which sounds like lots of cardio, among other things. Definitely looking forward to that! Beforehand, I need to call Soneca, to let him know I’ll be heading his way (Knoxville, TN) in a day or two.

Right now, it’s time to sleep, perchance to dream of tenderloin.