Sunday, July 31, 2011

2 Days, 2 Movies??

This weekend has been a busy one.  Gak and I actually got to see two new movies, in the theater even, in 24 hours!  One was really good, the other... well... not so much.  Now, mind you we saw Cars 2 a few weeks back now and before that the last movie we saw in the theater was How to Train Your Dragon.  Or at least, Gak and I think that was the last one we saw in the theater either with or without Boo... I could be wrong, but somehow I doubt it.
Friday I had bribed a teenager (Rachel) to watch Boo for us.  I picked up Gak from work and we headed up to Saucon Valley.  We actually got to see Captain America.  We missed both Thor and Green Lantern.  (I've heard good things about Thor, but mixed things about Green Lantern...)  It was quite enjoyable.  I think they did a great job with keeping true to Cap.  The special affects were there and were pretty good, but the big thing is, they didn't over shadow the movie.  Anyhow, we've got to make sure we get these date nights more than once every 3-4 months!  (The last time we went out was to see Seamus Kennedy at the end of March.)

Last night was a special adventure.  Gak, Boo and I went up to the drive-in movie theater (there are actually two in the area!) with the rest of the gang.  The first movie of the night was Cowboys and Aliens.  In short, don't bother.  Maybe rent it if you're kinda bored.  It didn't keep my attention very long and it was the most disappointing Harrison Ford performance I've seen.  The movie could have taken the subject totally seriously or they could have gone very campy and intentionally going for the grade B sci-fi or old Western feel.  Instead, they kinda muddled about with it.  There was no character that you actually felt anything for and the whole thing was, well, boring.  But, the theater was great and it was a lot of fun before the show with the gang, the show itself was just a bit of a bummer.  Oh well.  Maybe next time we'll get to see a better show.

Tomorrow I actually have off as well!  Yes, I'm actually spending vacation days this summer.  Tomorrow Boo, Amma and I are heading down to Delaware again.  This time we're going to spend some time on the beach in the morning and in the afternoon/evening we're going to go over to Jay's house and catch up with Robin and Paul who are up from Georgia.  It'll be a fun time.  I also get to play hooky on Thursday as well.  I'm really looking forward to that because my friend Belssa from England will be visiting!  She and her husband are here in the US for a nice long road-trip vacation.  I worked with Blessa at Tohi many, many years ago now.  She and I spent a lot of time together because we lived in the same unit just about half of that summer.  She was a riding instructor and me, the non-horse gal, got a lot of riding units.  It was fun, and we got along great.  I've missed her and it will be so nice to get a chance to catch up.

Anyhow, I'd better finish getting some chores and things ready, so I can just get everyone dressed and on the road tomorrow morning.  (Gak has to work all day all week this week, which stinks, but I don't feel quite so guilty about going to the beach without him this way... I guess it's because if he only had to work his normal hours, I'd be missing out on a half day with him... *shrug*)

Anyhow, peace to you all and may the movies be good, your adventures fun, and friends not too far.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Social Development

Boo has had a huge breakthrough in his social development.  Mind you, he's never been delayed or anything like that in this area, but this is a case of one of those sudden bursts of growth that come with childhood.
Boo has always been a kind soul, and he's been good about playing by himself and even with others.  He has a soft spot for puzzles and books too.  Now he has discovered playing games and taking turns.

For his birthday, Daniel and Ethan gave him a Memory game.  Gak and I gave him Candyland.  Amma gave him a set of Cars dominoes.  We've had varying success with all of these.  At first, it was quite challenging.  He didn't understand turn taking.  Also, he couldn't focus on the game at hand for more than a few minutes.  Memory has been a favorite though since we first opened it.  (To keep the game short enough for his attention span, we only use about half of the pairs.)  Dominoes were also fun because in both cases, he had to match things, which is a puzzle, and he likes those.  Candyland the first time he and I played it was a bit of a disaster.

But, in the last week or so, something has clicked.  Almost audibly.  On Saturday (or maybe earlier in the week, I can't remember now), Boo wanted to play Memory, and actually was saying who's turn it was (including making Trey take turns, it was so very cute!) and paying attention through the whole game.  On Sunday when we went down to visit Daniel and Ethan at Ben and Jenny's Daniel and Boo played a game of dominoes.  He did very well with the turn taking and watched and saw exactly what he's supposed to do and how to match things.  Previously our domino games were pretty loosey-goosey.
And then came Candyland.  He got it off his shelf earlier in the week, and he and I played a nice game taking turns and he did great with the counting.  He was actually unhappy that he won!  He wanted to tie.  (See, I told you he's a sweet kidd-o!)  I reassured him that it was quite alright to win and that I was proud of him for playing so nicely.  Ever since then, he's been trying to get Gak to play with him every morning.  Yesterday morning Boo and I showed him how it's done.  The boys played again today as well.

So, my boy-o now wants to play with others.  He also wants others to succeed as proven by his desire to tie.  (That's happened several times this week.  I'm glad he's thinking of others, but sometimes, you need to put yourself first too.)  I'm so proud of him.  Sure, he mostly wants to play with the adults in his life, but sooner or later it will include the other children.  It already includes Trey from time to time as his own person.  I'm proud of my little boy, but a little sad, because he's even less my little baby now.  It's amazing to watch this transformation and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

That's about all I wanted to say today, so I'll bid you peace and fun playing.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Little Women

I just finished reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for the first time.  Yes, bookworm that I am, I'd never picked up that classic gem of a book until just now.  I'm not sure why it had never been put into my hands when I was much younger.  It was a free download on my Nook software for my computer and phone, so I figured I might as well read it.  I do believe Mom has said it's a favorite of hers, but I could be miss-remembering again.

Anyhow, I did quite enjoy it, but it left me somewhat unsatisfied.  Well, maybe that's not the right word.  Unsettled?  That might be better.  Hmm... unconnected, or would it be disconnected?  Anyhow, there was something there that I just couldn't identify with and absorb.  I will try and explain as best I can.

I think a lot of it has to do with the drift of time.  You see, Ms. Alcott puts the four March girls out there as young ladies who were of a good family who'd fallen on hard times, but also as being somewhat "average" for their time.  Well, let me tell you, if that was "average", those March girls would both be horrified and amazed at the same time by both the luxuries and the little that the average family has these days.  I'm also amazed and confused by them and their business.  I understand that schools and schooling was much different back in the Civil War era, especially for girls.  I also understand that proper young ladies were expected to do very different things, at a very different age, than we are today.  Today, a girl to working full time in any respect, let alone out of school, before the age of 18 is thought of only for the  poorest of inner city families who have fallen through the cracks or migrant farm workers who may or may not be here legally.  But, in the time of the March girls, they weren't expected to go to school at all, let alone complete high school.  That just boggles my mind.

But, aside from some of those differences, there are also other places I just can't connect.  The whole being able to send one of your daughters off to Europe for three years with a relative thing boggles my mind.  I mean, who has a job where you can take 3 years off, or work remotely for that long?  Yes, yes, I know, this part of the family was obviously quite wealthy and didn't have to work.  But along the same vein, the juxtaposition of the Laurance family literally next door to the March family it a bit head scratching.  The Laurances are independently wealthy and money is no object.  In many ways, the more I think about it, the Marches are like so many middle and upper-middle class families.  They can afford a few fine things, and look to outsiders as if they are doing just fine, but in reality, they're counting their pennies and handing things down and making do as best they can, just to save appearances.  So, I guess there is a connection to the modern world there.
Then again, after my own school experiences, I don't really care much about social image, but I think I've ranted on that before.  So, in that way I'm much like Jo.

Yes, I will admit that Jo was my favorite of the March girls.  As much as Beth was sweet and wonderful, Joe was a bit more like me.  I'm ungainly and awkward and well, a right mess at times.  I don't quite fit in where I should, am a bit too independent for my own good, but know when a good partner is essential, and I too have found my "bear".  (I still connect with Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird more, but these two share some core similarities.)

Of course, when reading this, and knowing the time frame, I try and fit it into what I know about Juliette Lowe's  own childhood and life.  She, too, was a child during the Civil War.  I'm guessing the same age as sweet little Beth or Amy (I keep getting confused as to which of those two were the youngest, it feels like it should be Beth, but I think it's actually Amy...).  In some ways, her life was like theirs, but in Georgia, not in the Boston area.  (I know Ms. Alcott never says, but since that's where she's from.... it makes sense.)  I think having read Daisy's biography, it helped put some of the world the Marches live in in perspective for me.

As much as there is some wonderful advice and wisdom to be found in those pages, I can't help but wonder if time is moving on too far and too fast for the story as a whole to be relevant.  Some things that were so important at the time (like who Jo included in her school) aren't so important, or taken for granted these days and just seem so odd and out of place to draw attention to.

So, while I enjoyed it over all, the style and the time of the book just seemed a little too distant and hard to connect to.  Yes, I'm glad I finally read it.  No, I probably won't read it again.  I may visit passages from time to time (like the passage where Mrs. March gives Meg a waking up to family and why things aren't going well...), but I doubt I will read the whole thing "cover to cover" again.

This was really a bit of a ramble.  I wasn't intending on writing it all right now (Sunday night).  I'm not going to post this until Monday, and maybe I'll give it another go and try and make it a little more coherent.

Peace to all and may you enjoy the classics and get something out of them, even if they seem a bit foreign even when they take place in your own "back yard" of sorts.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Photo Update

Well, I got the handful of pictures so far from July off the camera and onto the computer yesterday.  I even managed to get them edited and uploaded.  I promised everyone a photo update, so here it is.
This first picture was taken a week or so ago now.  These are the first of our cherry tomatoes to appear.  They're still not ripe yet, but they're getting bigger by the hour I think.  Last time I counted we had about 8 green marbles actually showing on the vines.
I really am amazed that we have tomatoes at all, let alone plants!  The only seeds of all that we started to flourish were the tomatoes. Well, the watermelons were doing just fine, until Boo stepped on them and broke them.  Oh well.  I even gave away several plants, that I hope have all found good homes by now.
If you ask Boo what we're going to do with the little tomatoes when they turn red, his answer is "eat them all up!", said with much enthusiasm and a frantic miming of shoving things in his face.  It makes me laugh, and I hope he does enjoy them.  The oregano and basil that I've planted have taken over their pots, and the rosemary continues to grow in it's own slow and steady way.

Now for more baseball pictures!  We really did have an awesome time at the game Friday night.  At least, I had a very good time and I'm pretty sure Boo enjoyed himself.  He still doesn't quite "get" the game, but was having fun watching the guys on the field, the people in the seats and the people wandering around.  In other words, being the people-watching three-year-old that he is.  Not to mention my son.  I really do enjoy these adventures with my boy-o.


Boo fell asleep on the 30 minute ride up to the ball park.  I only made one wrong turn, but I realized it well before it became a problem and was able to turn around and make it right easily.  I let him sleep in the car a few minutes, but was somewhat anxious to get into the air and out of the car.  It has been baking hot for at least a week now.  Not to mention the AC in the car is acting flaky so I try not to rely on it too much until I have a chance to get it looked at.


This is the  temperature that was shown on the sign about the middle of the first inning.  I think I saw it at 104 when we got there, but I may have just been imagining that.  Anyhow, it was humid and mostly still, so it felt a lot hotter.  Because of the heat, the seats weren't very full, which was fine by me.  It meant that Boo could wander a bit and play with seats or whatever and I didn't have to try and get him to be too still.  He's 3, I don't expect him to sit still more than 5 minutes.  I have problems doing that and I'm 35!  Oh, I kept checking the temperature/time sign, and it was just about 8:45 before I saw a temp that was below 100.  It was 98, but that's still below 100!
Boo never did actually sit in his seat.  I think the springs that hold the seat up when unoccupied were a little stiff and kept wanting to eject him.  He is only just over 30 lb after all!  So, he spent most of the game standing up watching.  Either in front of his own seat, or once the people in front of us got there, from right beside me or in front of me.  It was cute, and he wasn't being extra clingy or wanting in my lap, for which I'm thankful on such a hot night.



We really did have great seats.  Even with my little 4X zoom (and more megapixels that I can shake a stick at)I was able to get some pretty good action shots.  I love this one because I was actually fast enough to catch the ball in the frame!


I do believe this was actually a hit, not a strike.  Not that the Iron Pigs were able to score off it, but I do believe this was actually a hit.  When we left, the score was 4-1 Cleveland and we'd had a horrible 5th inning with about 4 walks and two runs scored, and thankfully a pitcher change.  I was trying to figure out why they didn't change out pitchers earlier, especially with the heat.  You could just see in his pitches that it was taking all his effort to get the ball anywhere near the plate, let alone in the strike zone.  Any how, the final score was 3-6 Columbus.  I know the heat had something to do with the game.  The Pigs are actually the leaders of their division and just over 500 for the season.  Who knows, maybe we'll get back there for another game this season.  We did have a lot of fun.  Maybe when it's a bit cooler and Zoe and Billy are around.

Anyhow, today Boo and I are off to visit our cousins in Maryland today.  Gak has decided to stay home and get some stuff around the apartment done.  So, I'm off to make some breakfast and roust a boy-o in a bit.  It should be an enjoyable afternoon with the cousins (and Amma, Boo won't let me forget Amma!).  It really is nice when the boys can get together and play, and I really like Ben and Jenny.

Peace to all and may your games be fun, and your gardens bountiful.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Iron Pigs

Tonight Boo and I went to our first Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game.  They're a Phillies minor league team.  They're not all that great (but at the head of their division...) but are so very close and easy to get to.
This has been my lucky week.  First, on Wednesday I won the office 50/50 raffle and got about $30 out of the deal.  Then, the company had been given a 4-pack of tickets to the Iron Pigs game tonight.  I said what the heck and tossed $5 in and picked up three chances.  I was totally not expecting to win.  Sure enough, the last ticket I bought was the one that was chosen.  So, here I am in the middle of the hottest week we've seen yet this summer with four tickets to the game on the hottest night of the week and Boo hasn't been feeling good all week, fighting off a minor case of hand, foot and mouth again.  Great.
Actually, it was.
There were several people that I asked, but for one reason or another, they didn't end up going.  So, it was just Boo and me.  I didn't feel too bad about that, I mean I only paid $5 for all four tickets.  And besides, if the other people in the row decided to show up, I figured I'd be thankful for the extra seats.  (As it turned out, there weren't any people on either side for most of the time we were there.)  I also figured for next-to-free, that if we only stayed a couple of innings, I would have gotten my money's worth.


I more than got my money's worth.  The seats were awesome!  (The picture at the top is not zoomed in or cropped or anything.  We were row "S", so about 6 or 7 rows from the back of the first level.  We were in the shade from the start, and on the 3rd base line.  I don't think I've ever had seats that nice to any game, including the very minor league game I went to in Minnesota.  (I loved that game, it was so much fun.)

We got there about 20 minutes before the first pitch.  I'd promised Boo ice cream for dinner (on account of it both being so hot and his mouth being sore...)  So, right inside the gate was an ice cream stand and we made a dash right to it.  There wasn't any line or anything.  It was quite a yummy dinner.
The game was fun to watch, until the top of the 5th.  At that point, the Pigs were down 2-1 going into the inning, but ended up leaving the inning at 4-1.  It was also the top of the 5th that Boo decided he'd had enough, more than enough.  Since it was just about 9:00 and still just under 100 degrees out with little to no breeze, I decided he was right.  There was a nice couple sitting in front of us, who were trying to get Boo to stay.  When we were leaving, they were throwing out T-shirts and the guy was all "stay, you'll catch something".  But, we started walking away.  Wouldn't you know, about a minute later as we're just pat the top of the stairs and he comes running up, shirt in hand to give to Boo.  That was so awesome and such a great way to end the evening.

I really do love these adventures with my son.  Yes, it would have been nice if Gak had come.  (He didn't want to in the heat and he worked until 6:30 and the game started at 7 and I wanted to get there early...)  But, I really do enjoy the time I get to spend just me and my boy-o.  Then again, I like to have time with just my wonderful hubby.  (It's been way, way too long since we've had a night, or even a few hours, just to ourselves away from home and the boy-child... I must fix that.)

I've got more pictures to post and will hopefully have a "pictures post" here, but I'm tired, and sticky and in need of a shower and my bed (and possibly a snack...).

So, I bid you all peace, much luck and fun adventures without melting.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

When It Rains, It Pours?

Well, up until yesterday, this past week has been pretty uneventful.  I mean, sure, the weather has become hotter than anything I care to think about.  Reporting month stress has been pretty high because we've been inundated with a lot of non-reporting related calls along with the normal reporting work load.  The vent fan in the Durango decided to stop working all together (but the A/C works, just nothing moving the air.  *sigh*) and the rear gears of my bike decide to start slipping.  That's all just normal, every day kind of aggravation.

Then, yesterday I get a text from Gak saying our son said his mouth hurt and he didn't want to eat.  By the time I got home, he was a pretty sad little fellow.  Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, we've figured it's Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.  Nothing fatal, just really annoying.  Thankfully it's only his mouth and even more thankfully he doesn't have a fever.  That's the only reason they let him stay at day care today.  It turns out he picked it up from his best buddy there, Dominic.  I just hope none of the other kids get it.  I'd feel really awful about it if they did.  This is our second bout of it in the last 6 to 8 months I think, and if it's the same this time, in about 3-5 more days he'll be OK.
But, this is just a small, but painful and sad annoyance.

No, the big problems all involve my friend Joan.  Unfortunately, I can't really go into this without airing some dirty laundry I'm not really proud of.  My thoughts have not all been charitable towards her and her decisions with this issue.  For the moment I'm going to try and set aside our difference of opinions on many, many issues.  I'm going to try and set aside the fact that I wish she'd at least walk the walk, not just talk the talk, even if I don't agree with her talk.  This is bigger than that.
In more ways than one.
You see, Joan is a big girl.  A very big girl.  Larger than I ever was by far.  And while I've gone the "natural" weight loss route and made small changes to my eating habits over time and worked more and more activity back into my life, Joan decided to go a more radical route.  And, well, since she's got a lot more weight than I do to loose, I can't blame her for wanting a quicker fix to the problem.  Yes, Joan decided months ago to have bypass surgery.  I won't lie.  I've been arguing with myself to be supportive of her decision.  She's taking an active role in her life, and wants to change it for the better.  But, I just can't help feeling this is all a cop-out and she's looking for this to be a quick fix for all of her problems, weight related and not.  Without the motivation to truly change the mind as well as the body, this is destined for failure.
That is, if the surgery ever happens.
She was scheduled for surgery yesterday.  She went to the hospital as she was supposed to and they were getting her ready.  They'd started to put her under with some gas and then went to lie her on her back for the operation.  Her lungs spammed.  The muscles have become very weak.  They had to intubate her and gave her muscle relaxants, pan and anti-anxiety meds.  They've admitted her to ICU.  Her blood pressure was in the basement and her pulse rate high.  Hopefully she's off the vent now.  (They were going to keep her on it for 24 hours, to be safe.)  I haven't heard anything since this morning.  She'll be in the hospital two or three more days.  They may try surgery again in 4-6 weeks after some more tests (including an MRI once she's unhooked from the tubes) and possibly some pre surgery treatments of some kind.  (Personally, I don't think it's such a good idea to more forward with this, but this is for her and her doctors to decide...)
So, yeah.  That's bad enough.
To make matters worse, Joan's mom was taken to the hospital (not the one Joan's at, thankfully in many ways...) yesterday morning.  Getting the information third hand from Mel Bell (she got it from her aunts who were there, but I don't trust one at all and the other can be a bit flaky too...) Joan's mom is not long for the world.  She's had many, many complications to her health.  (Of course, a lot has been exacerbated with her own doing... I mean, come on, still smoking while you're on oxygen?!?!)  She's had to be restrained and drugged.  She had to be put on CPAP.  Her CO2 was at least 70-something yesterday, and by last night or this morning it might have been as high as 90!  So, yes, this just adds to the issues.
Oh, and Anthony is at camp and Mel is at a neighbors'.  Don't get me started in that whole little drama involving Kat, the kids and the power of attorney that Joan signed years ago now.  I don't remember or know all the details, so I'm going to leave well enough alone.  Once the dust all settles from the current crisis I'll see what's what and who needs what as far as growling.  Right now, we need to make sure that Mel Bell is OK, that Joan gets feeling better soon and that her mom holds on long enough for Joan to get out of the hospital.

Like I said, when it rains, it pours.  I'm just thankful that Joan's sisters actually did take care of her mom like they were supposed to while Joan was at the hospital.  I'm extra thankful that Joan was at the big hospital she was at, not a small local one.  (Yes, I love small, local hospitals for many reasons, but in this case, it probably would not have been such a good thing and she would have ended up at the bigger one anyhow, possibly in worse shape.)  I'm extra thankful that things went wrong before the operation started, that would have been even more of a disaster.  I'm also thankful that Mel has a support system in all of us and that this time, she's actually used it a bit.  (I hadn't herd from her voluntarily in months, which hurt a lot, but isn't part of this post.)

Anyhow, this is where I'm going to wrap this up.  I'll post again with more information as I get it and decide there's enough to post.  Mostly, I wanted to get this out there to try and muddle through the mixed up emotions roiling around in my head.  About how part of me wants to say "I told you so", and part of my is worried sick about Mel and that I really do hope Joan is OK and that maybe, just maybe, this will wake her up a bit and get her moving in a healthy direction....

So, peace to you all and may your troubles be small and few.

Friday, July 08, 2011

Atlantis

Today is a sad and amazing day, all rolled up in one.  It has been one filled with many emotions.

Today is the end of an era.  Or almost the end.
Today was the final space shuttle launh. 
It isn't quite the triumphiant end of a program, so much as a fading away into the night.  Space, space exploration and everything that we've gained from it and could stand to learn has taken a back seat to other things over the last few decades.  Shuttle launches are not the amazing show of talent and adventuring spirit that the Apollo and earlier missions were.  The shuttle launches barely get a 30-second spot on the news these days, we're much more Earth bound now than 2 or 3 decades ago.
I am very sad about the end of the shuttle era.  Especially considering there is nothing new to replace it on the horizon.  Sure, the ISS is up and functioning and will continue to be manned.  But, it will not be the shuttle, or any US vessel carrying people there (maybe some cargo, but not people).  Yes, NASA says there are other things in the works, but there has been very little, if any fan-fare about any of it.  I think that, more than the fact that the shuttle era is ending is what sadens me.  Kids these days don't grow up dreaming of being astronauts or space explorers.  They don't dream about going to the moon, or Mars.  They can see it all on TV.  (Some good, some bad, but way too much in any case!)  The mystery and thrill is gone.  There's nothing to chase, no one to race, no country-wide goal to achieve or strive for.
Just like with many things in this country these days, we have these great and wonderful tools and technology ant things but there seems to just be this "who cares" attitude that permiates everything.  It's very frustrating.  It makes me want to scream.

I actually got to watch the shuttle launch this morning.  I wasn't sure I was going to be able to.  I'd had NASA TV on on my computer earlier while they were getting the astronauts suited up and strapped in.  (Personally, I'm not sure I could sit there for 3-4 hours lying on my back with my feet in the air...)  Then, suddenly our network cut out.  (I found out later that it's all of corporate that's having this problem, not just my building.)  At that point, the weather was only 30% a "go", but they were hoping it would clear.

This is one of the few times that I'm thankful I bit the bullet and bought a smart phone.  I kept checking the NASA launch blog and when they determined that it would be a "go", I decided to take my lunch right at 11:15 or so, so I could watch the last part of the count down and the launch.

Yes, I used up a good chunk of my monthly data watching about half an hour or more of Atlantis.  Yes, I sat in my truck (so I could actually have a signal, stupid building...) glued to my little phone screen watching NASA TV, hoping that my connection wouldn't freeze up or crash.

I am so very glad that I did.  I will never, ever be able to see that event live ever again.  I will never have the chance to watch this event from Kennedy Space Center.  My Gram did once, on her birthday even.  I was, and still am, very jealous of that fact.  (Although, in some ways watching it on TV is better, because I got to watch all the way through to ET sep.  I got to watch her main engines go through pre-launch testing, and ignition.  I watched her clear the tower and power through the atmosphere.  I saw the SRBs separate from the orbiter.  (Always a gut-tightening moment after Challenger.  Yes, I know she went before SRB sep, but still...)  I watched as the shuttle drifted away from the ET.  (Actually, it's the ET that floated away, but that's where the camera was mounted...)  It was quite beautiful.  The crew that helps get the astronauts into the shuttle as well as the launch comand all said their thanks and commemerations for the program.  It was an awesome and bitter sweet moment.

And I'm so glad I got to watch it.  I just wish I'd been able to see it on a bigger screen.  Of course, it's a little amazing when you think about the fact that I was watching a shuttle full of 30-year-old technology on something as small and cutting edge as my phone.  Think about it, the entire control room that handles the entire Apollo 11 mission has less computing power than a graphing calculator.  I'm sure my phone has more memory and a faster processor and more power than the shuttle computers.  (I used to know their stats better, but that knowledge has faded over time...)  To think that my phone's technology was just a dream 5 years ago even and here I am today using it to watch people leave the planet, is downright mind blowing.  (Not to mention totally awesome!)

Anyhow, I'm trying to work from home, but unfortunately, the connection I was going to be working with isn't playing nice, so I wrote this blog.  I'd better try and get something productive done in the next hour or so...

Peace to all and may your dreams reach for the stars, and get there.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Camping and Other Adventures

Well, I was going to write a nice, long, detailed post about the adventures we had this weekend.  Then I started editing photos and now it's after 9:00 already and I really should go crash.  I guess I'll just sum things up.  I will say, that other than a bit of misadventure on Sunday evening, everyone had a pretty good time.  (The misadventure being a really killer headache for Gak... and I mean an actual headache, not a figurative one.)

Saturday we got a slightly later start than I'd hoped, but still earlier than it could have been.  We went up to Crackerbarrel for brunch/breakfast and then I popped across the road to Cabella's to pick up some shorts that were on sale.  (On a side note, I picked up two pairs of size 14 shorts, which sizing for the rest of the world these days seems to be a size 12.  I just got rid of 2 pair of 18s of the same style short.  Yeah, it was about time I got new shorts...)  I also picked up a really awesome wolf t-shirt.  I didn't own any that fit any more and well... me being without a wolf shirt is unheard of.

Anyhow, back to the adventures... we made it up in short order with two very packed vehicles.  There was a bit of a mixup with the site (they had us getting in a day earlier...) but we were able to switch to a much, much shadier site.  (We had half decent neighbors this year, better in some ways than last...)  Kat, Steph and I set up the tents while Rachel and Katie took the younger kids to the playground and around for a bit.  Most of the kids went to the park later, but Boo and I stayed at camp.  There was a pretty amazing thunderstorm over night, luckily everything was covered fairly well and Verde didn't leak.  (The tent most of the kids were in did, but mostly because it doesn't have such a nice tarp bottom as the two newer ones...)

Sunday got off to a slow-ish start, but was good.  Pop and Betty along with Mary and two girls she used to baby sit came for the day.  After various breakfast adventures, we end up heading down to the park in shifts. Boo got to ride a few rides, but then we wandered around for a bit while some people went on bigger rides and he fell asleep.  (Thankfully!)


Sunday night was fireworks.  Originally Boo and Gak were going to stay back, but with Gak's horrible headache, I wasn't about to leave the boy there.  Fortunately he fell asleep in the car on the way there.  Unfortunately, he woke up in the middle and we didn't know it, so he wasn't too happy with us when we got back in the car.  (I'd debated waking him, but he was looking pretty sound asleep and can usually sleep through things like this...)

Monday got off to a good start.  I made breakfast for the kids as they woke up and then Zoe, Billy, Boo, Gak and I headed into the park as it opened.  By about 1:00 the kids were hungry (and I could tell Boo was just about done) so we headed back to the site to finish packing our car (everyone else was staying) and have some lunch.  We were on the road by 3:30 and Boo was asleep before we even left the campground.  We made a quick stop at Cabella's and Crackerbarrel again on the way home (since Gak had to work Saturday and he and Andy were coming up after Andy got off work...)  (The picture is from Sunday's breakfast, but whatever...)

All told, it was a good weekend.  There were moments of course, but they weren't very major compared to what they could have been.  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves for the most part.  I can't wait for camping next month with just my boys.

Anyhow, I've posted a few pictures in here, the rest should be up on Flickr tomorrow.

Peace to all and may your adventures be good.