The Eggs Factor

The Girl writes...

Today my brother, his friend, and I invented a new pool game involving eggs, chocolate, turtles, diving, and chance. Please feel free to try and work out the rules. Other than that, I am now a level 14 on my favorite internet game, I've been searching the web's various shopping sites for tents, and puffles (see last summer), and I'm in the process of planning a sleepover-pool party with the Boy. The theme is ducks. Thank you, Linton Duck Race, for helping with inspiration. Good bye, all. And please remember that to be awesome, you must first love goats, and Japanese food. Au revoir (I was paying attention in French class!).

Bleating the heat

Temperatures soared back up into the 90sF today, but thankfully without too much humidity so it hasn't felt unbearable.  It was quite a contrast, though, stepping out of the air-conditioned library at lunchtime into the full heat of the day.

The Girl got to bath a chicken at farm camp, which she rather enjoyed.  And she spent a last few hours (for now) with all the lovely baby goats.

Boats, goats and soaks

The Boy and his friend survived their night in the three-season room.  They went on to spend the morning together, mostly making boats.  The Girl spent the same time at farm camp, mostly mucking about with goats.

In the afternoon we enjoyed a visit from some Exiles.  The Girl swam with the smaller ones.  Meanwhile the Boy, who'd gone off to another friend's house, came home as wet as if he'd been in the pool too.  A major water fight, apparently.  Starting with water balloons, ending with buckets. 

There aren't many better ways to spend a hot day in the vacation, I think.

Loops and whoops

We checked out yet another ice-rink today, quite a drive away at Clifton Park.  It's one of the few rinks open at the moment - most of them typically close down for at least a month at this time of year - so the Girl wasn't the only student there for a lesson.  In fact the ice seemed quite hazardously busy (and her coach told us it was relatively quiet today) - but it didn't stop the Girl from making a start on learning toe-loops.  She's moving towards the next level...

Tonight the Boy has a friend staying for a sleepover.  They plan to sleep in the three-season room, our conservatory-type thing tacked on the back of the house.  It seems like a lovely idea at the moment, but I wonder how much they'll enjoy all the night noises (loud whooping frogs and toads, freight trains etc) when it comes to trying to sleep? 

Those of you who camp out (something almost everyone seems to do but I still haven't managed to muster the urge) - how do you/your kids manage with things going bump in the night? Which is worst: spiders, snakes, bears or rain?

Photo fit?

Much of today has been given over to bureaucracy of one kind or another.  This afternoon the Man and I made a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles.  He needed some information changing on his driver's licence, I needed mine renewing altogether.

The Man waited only about five minutes to be called up, so he was soon all done and dusted.  For some reason I had to wait over an hour.  Ah well.  At least when I was finally called to a desk I had all the correct paperwork. 

When you renew your licence you have the option of changing your photo.  The guy on the desk asked me if I'd like to do that.  "Nah, that's ok," I said, not wanting to drag the process out any longer than I had to.

"Really?" asked the desk guy.  Did he not think much of my psycho-photo?  I assured him that I honestly didn't care (it's not like I'm planning to use my licence photo to attract hot dates or modelling jobs or someting).

"Well...up to you," said the guy. 

It's not that bad a photo.  Well, ok, it's pretty bad.  But who gets to look at it, really (except - ahem - for the odd traffic cop)?

Perpetual motion

I seem to have been on the road all day:

Girl to farm camp
Man to work
Home
Boy to library
Pick up Girl from farm camp
Home
To doctor's office (collecting some paperwork)
Home
Boy to friend's house
To a meeting
To supermarket
Home
Girl to Irish dancing
Pick up Man from work
Pick up Girl from dancing
Home
Girl to library for desk assistant training (latest volunteer job)
Home
Pick up Girl from library
Home

The taxi is now safely in the garage and I'm not going out again...until tomorrow.

Japanese fan

The Girl is quite a fan of Japanese culture.  I am, too, but her interest is independent of mine.  She has come to it mainly through electronics, manga and anime.  Recently (as I've mentioned before) she has taken a liking to Japanese food as well. 

So we took her out for Japanese lunch again yesterday.  This time she tried just a tiny bit of wasabi (horseradish paste).  Eating it feels a lot like getting punched in the nose - it really can make your eyes water.  It's odd that anyone would ever develop a taste for it, but strangely it can end up being quite addictive.  Anyway, the Girl isn't quite there yet.  But she did enjoy her tempura and steak teriyaki.

In the zone

A few weeks ago the kids had to take fitness tests at school.  Today we received the Boy's results in the mail.  It's all very serious.

I can report that the Boy is, broadly speaking, in the Healthy Fitness Zone for 10 year-old boys.  Apparently his Aerobic Capacity (VO2 Max) is good, and he seems to be fine with the (Upper Body) Flexed Arm Hang and (Flexibility) Back-Saver Sit and Reach.  However he could improve a little when it comes to (Abdominal) Curl-Ups and the (Trunk Extension) Trunk Lift.

After dinner tonight we were entertained by demonstrations of all these mysterious exercises.  I'm not too worried about our Boy's fitness (inadequate Trunk Lift notwithstanding).  For a scrap of a lad he has plenty of bounce, and he seems pretty healthy and happy all round.

Faint praise

I feel like I've been punched in the arm.

I went for my annual check-up and the doctor decided I should update my tetanus shot.  When I warned the nurse that I'm squeamish and a bit of a fainter he reassured me that it was nothing to be embarassed about - when he worked in the military it was always the big tough guys that fell flat at the sight of a needle. 

In the event I managed not to faint at all today (I had blood drawn, too, also without fainting).  The innoculaion in particular really didn't hurt at the time.  Ow, but it does now.

A Midsummer Night's puzzle

As anticipated, the Girl finished school today and was home by lunchtime (though not hungry enough to eat any lunch, on account of a big end-of-year jammy doughnut). 

The weather was hot again, the pool saw use again.  I have to admit, I even resorted to sticking the air-con on during the day, which I rarely do. 

It's the summer solstice, the longest day (though of course not really longer, just lighter for longer).  Isn't it what we call Midsummer?  Is that what it actually is?  Even though we heard that yesterday was the first day of summer?  How confusing.

Hotting up and cooling down

Summer started this evening at 7.08pm local time. Appropriately the day started warm, and got steadily hotter - well into the 90sF.  Adding high humidity, it felt more like 100 degrees. 

Tomorrow is set to be even hotter...

So, we were glad of the pool today, as were some friends who stopped by to enjoy it with us.  We'll undoubtedly be glad of it tomorrow, too.  Not to mention tonight - it's a great way to cool off just before bedtime, lit by a fantastic light show provided by flickering fireflies.

How are you keeping cool back in England?

Summer brakes

Last day of school for the Boy, and last full day of school for the Girl (for inexplicable reasons she still has two half-days to go).  In fact most of the Girl's school day today was spent on a jolly at the town park pool, so she's not being too hard done by.

How did I spend my last full day of solitude?  Mostly hanging around waiting while the car got serviced and had its brakes fixed - nearly four hours in all. Sigh. I read a lot of Bill Bryson's At Home and took the rare opportunity to watch The Price is Right on an enormous flat-screen TV. 

Funny how four hours can seem like an eternity, while a whole school year has just zipped by in less than an instant.

Stepping it up

This evening I went to see a very brief performance by the Girl's Irish step-dancing class.  Just one routine that they've been practising for only four lessons, to music by The Chieftains.

All the girls danced well.  I was happy to see my Girl performing in a group effort for a change, as nearly all her skating is solo.  Some of the skills of step-dancing apply well to skating - good posture and nifty footwork for a start.  However the armwork is completely incompatable.  How you position and move your arms in skating is surprisingly significant (it's all about balance).  The girl occasionally forgets this and then her skating coach jokes that she's doing "Irish skating" - arms pinned to her sides.

Riverdance on Ice?  Ain't gonna happen.

Berry relaxing

Strawberry-picking in the morning, pool-time in the afternoon. Idle pleasures.

Happy Birthday Five Rivers

Five Rivers Environmental Education Center held its official 40th birthday celebration today.  There were speeches, and a cake.  A guitar band played music, and games were laid on for younger visitors.  Friends of Five Rivers served popcorn and lemonade.

The DEC Commissioner turned up on his bicycle, which set the tone of the event - easygoing, low key.  People mostly enjoyed just milling about in the sunshine, glad to be there to mark the anniversary of such a special place.

So, hip hip hooray for Five Rivers!  Much loved by so many (including me).  Here's wishing it at least another forty more years to come.

Fields and pools

We're really in the home straight for end-of-school.  The Girl has had a couple of big projects to complete and still has a final science exam to take next week, but there'll be fun stuff too.  As far as the Boy goes it's all just fun and games now until the last buzzer sounds next Tuesday.

Today it was Field Day. The Boy was looking forward to it. Like last year it was a triumph of organization, with lots of imaginative games to play, plus face-painting and sno-cones.  I helped out on a new relay game called "Silver Mine".  Kids took it in turns to slide on their tummies on a "scooter" (more like a tea-tray on wheels) through a "tunnel" (a table covered with a cloth).  They picked a "silver nugget" (ball of tin foil) out of a bucket, and scooted it to a team-mate who then had to toss it into one of two buckets to score 100 or 500 points.  Then that team-mate had to scoot back to the start ("On your butt!  And go round the outside of the tunnel!") for the relay to begin again.  It was all very noisy and exciting.

The Boy, of his own choice (nothing to do with me) eschewed Fungus Feet Marble Toes this year.  He and his friends sat it out and wouldn't even take off their shoes.  "Dude, I heard about a guy who got warts playing that game," explained the Boy's look-alike pal.  The Boy opted out of the face-painting, too, so unlike most of the other kids he didn't come home sporting this year's "look" - a curly moustache and glasses, and/or a Cyclops-style third eye.

This evening the Boy had a couple of friends round to splash in the pool.  Tonight the Girl is at the town park pool for a Middle School party.  It has been a glorious day, and the forecast is for hotter and hotter weather to come.  Swimming, and just the odd ends of school, will likely be the theme for the next few days.

Pipe dreams

The Girl had an extra skating session today, so we were over at the Knick Ice Stadium for the second day in a row.  While she got on with her jumps and spins and such-like lovely skatey stuff, the Boy and his friend, who was along for the ride, went to explore a section of enormous (big enough to stand up in) black plastic drainage pipe that someone had left out on the recreation field.  Then - well, what else would you expect? - they teamed up with some other random kids, rolled the pipe as far as they could up a hill, and jumped inside it as it rolled back down.

"Nnng," said the Girl when I told her about it.  "Other people have all the fun."

No smoke

My refugee friends have extended family living nearby, and today I was invited to a meal at their apartment just up the road.

It's a small place, sparcely furnished.  Every few minutes an electronic beeping noise came from first one room then another.  It took me a while to realise it was the smoke alarms - they needed their batteries changing.  I think my hosts had had no idea why they were making that noise, which they had simply been putting up with, not knowing what else to do.

I helped them get one of the alarms down, and showed them how to open it up to get at the battery.  I made them promise to replace the batteries as soon as possible, and I'm pretty sure they will - there have been at least three devastating house fires in that neighbourhood in the space of a year.

That's the risk with old buildings, and those in Linton are not immune either - a dreadful fire last night destroyed much of Chilford Hall, a very popular weddings and events venue.  No-one hurt, thank goodness, but what a terrible thing to happen.

Got it taped

Yesterday, a little foretaste of the swimmy summer to come.  Today, too cold again, and almost constant rain...

I enjoyed catching up with Exile #2 and E5N1 this morning over tea and cupcakes and Angry Birds.  Otherwise it's been a quiet day. But I had to take my son out to buy several rolls of packing tape.  Even though swimming wasn't a great option today, now that the pool is open the Boy is back in the ship-building business.  In our house the sound of sticky tape is one of the distinctive sounds of summer.

Pool players

The kids got home from school today to find the pool swimmable and warm enough (just about) for them both to take the plunge for the first time this year.  Wa-hey!  Throwing in a couple of new inflatables, bought at the weekend, their joy was complete.

The water's still a bit too bracing to entice me.  The Man's made of stronger stuff, however, and he followed his children in after dinner tonight.  

The Girl is honing her diving skills again, taking up where she left off last year.  The Boy, for now, is mostly just jumping in splashily, as often as his skinny self can take it before he starts turning blue.  And right now he's sensibly thawing in a hot bath.

Ewe can't be serious?

The Girl has a baffling homework assignment:  create (on paper) a Facebook page for a mediaeval shepherdess.  Must include information such as "favorite book", "favorite movie" and "favorite TV show".  Points will be given for historical accuracy.

Go figureth.

Please feel free to help out, using your best sheep-&-shepherding puns.  Or if you happen to be an actual mediaeval shepherdess, please tell us what your favourite TV show is.

Our top pick

The Girl took part in her second skating competition this morning, the Collar City Open at the Knickerbacker Stadium in Troy.  She performed well - a one minute routine to theme tune from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (geek on ice!) - and her coach was pleased with her performance...but she came in third out of three.  Ah well.  She took it on the chin and accepted her bronze medal with grace.  So we were proud of her all round.

She helped us pick strawberries at Indian Ladder Farms in the afternoon.  Pickings were thin, but we managed to fill a punnet, and oo, the berries were yummy.  We were reminded of our very first visit to the farm. 

Our Girl has grown a bit since then...

Bit of a do

This evening we've been at the Boy's school carnival.  Like last year, the weather held fair and there was a huge turnout.

The Girl, as a former pupil of the school, had been invited back as a volunteer.  She had fun running the "Color Wheel Spin" - a kind of roulette for under-10s.  I was kept busy decorating kids with fake tattoos (I gave one boy an entire "sleeve").   What the Boy got up to I'm not really sure, but I think he had fun just tearing around with his friends.

In other news, I have a new hair-do.  My hairdresser has been itching to re-style me and was very excited when I let her.  I now have an "inverted bob" - longer at the front than the back.  Lots of women admired it at the carnival.  The Boy's idea of a tactful comment was "You look creepy!", and the Man claims not to be able to recognise me.  I have to admit, it's a bit foofy (think American TV news anchor) - but it'll flatten down after a good night's sleep.  And the Man will get used to it eventually, I'm sure. 

Benefits of hindsight

I spent all day at a conference about health insurance and social security benefits, which to my surprise turned out to be completely fascinating. 

Though I feel like there's a blog entry in it, I'll collect my thoughts on the subject for a bit longer, rather than launching into anything tonight.  It was all complex enough in the middle of the day, never mind this close to bedtime. 

The Man and the Moon

The Man writes...my final stop on Sunday's tour of Hawaii's Big Island was Mauna Kea.  Said to be the tallest mountain in the world measured from its base (far below sea level), the 14000 foot summit is home to the huge telescopes of the Mauna Kea observatory.

The Saddle Road crosses the island between Mauna Kea and its slightly smaller twin, Mauna Loa. I was driving in misty rain when I turned off on to the mountain access road, but after about ten minutes of twisty climbing, I emerged from out of the cloud to a world of deep blue skies and reddish, dusty earth.

Sadly only four wheel drive vehicles can go all the way to the summit, but there is a small visitor centre at 9200 feet. A short hike away is a wind-swept peak where we watched the sun set and a brilliant full moon rise from below us.

Back at the visitor centre there was a convivial atmosphere.  We watched a film, made hot drinks, hopped up and down in the cold, and "star-gazed" and chatted with enthusiasts who had set up half a dozen telescopes. Then it was just a question of negotiating the road back down to the valley...which included some unusual hazards...

Happy family

The Man is home!  Hooray!

Big Tour

The Man writes...I rather ambitiously tried to tour Hawaii's Big Island in one day.

The western side is extremely dry and away from the manicured resorts the landscape is mainly bare black lava. By contrast the eastern half receives 280 inches per year on average - Hilo is said to be America's wettest city - and I soon found myself driving along in misty rain between rolling green fields of sheep and cows.

First stop was Waipi'o valley lookout: an inaccessible valley leads to a blank sand beach between 1000 foot cliffs.

Further in I visited the Akaka Falls State Park: the falls are a sheer 400 foot drop in the middle of lush bamboo woods.

The Volcanos National Park provides another contrasting landscape. There are yellow, pungent sulphur banks, startling steam vents, and a massive steaming volcanic crater.

All unique and memorable, but I saved the best to last.  I'll blog about that another day...

Sleepy Sunday

Some sleep was had last night, but not really enough, so today we've mainly been taking it easy.  There've been a couple of thunderstorms (there's one happening as I write, in fact) but that's about as exciting as it has got.  Oh, and a friend helped me get the cover off the pool in preparation for the pool guy coming soon.  It's in nice green-swamp mode for now.  No-one fancied a swim.

No rainy royal regattas, and no final of the UK Apprentice for us (so, shh, don't tell us who won, please).  I'm rather hoping the Man will chip in again tonight with photos and tales of his island adventures...  For the rest of us, early nights all round.

Outnumbered

The rain poured down all night, and carried on drizzling throughout the day.  So, not a great June start for our local farmers' market.  However, spirits were not dampened.  Stallholders were there in force (more than ever before) and most seemed to be getting plenty of custom.

My children were happy to rediscover their favourite snack stall.  I was happy to stock up on greens and granola.  We saw many familiar faces.  One farmer remarked that he appreciates this market because of the all-weather loyalty of the customers, and the sense of community.  It certainly has a buzz about it, and I'm glad it's back.

Tonight, advisedly or not (and I'm tending towards "not"), the Girl and Boy each have a friend to sleep over.  The Man, of course, is still in Hawaii.  It all seemed like a good idea at the time...

The Man adds...A physics conference is a clash of cultures at the best of times. The cast of The Apprentice meets the cast of the Big Bang Theory. But in a Hawaiin mega-resort it is even odder: a man in a grey suit sweats in the hot sun trying to schmooze a potential customer, while at the next table a family sits in their swimsuits.

The Hilton resort is immaculate but artificial. The local area is bare volcanic rock, so they shipped in soil and plants to create gardens, lagoons and golf courses, and then for good measure added statues, dolphins, flamingos, even  monorail and a canal. The result is impressive but deflating: a temple to commercialism. Today, with the conference over, I am going in search of something more natural.

Getting into (onto?) a new field

This evening I was at a meeting to discuss fundraising ideas for the school in Dominican Republic that I've mentioned before.  My head is spinning after so much talking.  I'm now a bit concerned that I somehow ended up "volunteering" to help organise a soccer tournament.

It's not my area of expertise at all!  Can anyone share any useful advice?  This being America, you can bet your life it's not going to be some jumpers-for-goalposts-type casual affair - people take their recreational sports very seriously over here (especially when kids are involved).  And will they also expect motorcycling hotdogs and an Uncle Sam on stilts?  Or is that just for baseball?

Yikes - this is all scary new territory...