My husband and I had a question in a virtual trivia game earlier about doomed space shuttle missions. We had to name two such animals, the first was easy, the second one harder, but I came up with it (Columbia, Challenger was the other ).

Then I joked, “I tried to hail Columbia, but they didn’t respond.”

That’s a two pronged joke that only hard core musicians – or hard core fans of trivia about U.S. vice presidents might “get,” since “Hail Columbia” is the official processional march for veeps of the U.S. It’s basically “Hail to the Chief,” but for vice presidents. I actually like the ditty better than “Hail to the Chief,” and I actually got excited hearing it at the inauguration January 20.” I’ll bet Kamala Harris didn’t even enjoy hearing it as much as I did. Though maybe she did? She is our first female veep, so she better damn well have enjoyed hearing “Hail, Columbia,” dammit! 😃

So I’m having a good chuckle about all of this with my husband, even though he didn’t get my joke (I’ll forgive him, he’s not a band geek like me).

Then I got a news notification that former Vice President Walter Mondale had died. Which sent me down a trivia rabbit hole chasing down which living former V.P. is now the oldest. Technically it’s Dick Cheney, though is he actually alive? I thought he was hooked up to some Darth Vader machine when he had a a heart attack to keep his heart going (or did i imagine that news story)?

I hope they play “Hail Columbia” at his funeral…RIP, Walter Mondale (first V.P. I remember serving in my lifetime). Hail Columbia to you, sir!