Update

"Sleeping Beauty" went well this afternoon. The tickets we bought from the dance mom yesterday were excellent - literally the center of the front row. The production was aimed at kids, but wasn't silly or dumb, and it was good. Girl Jr. asked me lots of questions all the way through, and got a cookie at the intermission. After the curtain call, the actors literally took a knee on the stage and invited the kids to come down and ask questions. Since they were about three feet away right in front of us, we simply stood up and chatted with them for a minute, then headed out (giving Girl Jr. a quick tour of the balcony before leaving). It was fun. We'll do it again.

Girl Sr. passed her motorcycle training course. If we decide to become polygamous, I think this is who we will invite into the marraige:

Girl Jr., Meet Studio Ghibli

vroom vroom baby

Girl Sr. is at her motorcycle training class. Girl Jr. and I are at McDonald's. Her dance rehearsal went well this morning. She was a little clingy and somber at first but the older girls do a good job with her and before long she is having lots of fun. Another parent was trying to unload three tickets for "Sleeping Beauty" for tomorrow afternoon, and I went out on a limb and bought them. We'll see how it goes.

Work has been busy. I've been going in much earlier and therefore crashing, or going to bed in an orderly manner, much earlier. This has helped me handle my current workload and bill large hours, but is hurting my guitar practicing.

I've been consuming all the Japanese audio material I can get my hands on lately, in the car to and from work. The pickings are... interesting. This week's features were some J-Pop and a pretty solid intermediate Japanese podcast. It is fun to feel those lobes and circuits firing again.

Saturday

Girl Jr. and I went shopping this morning for ingredients for this weekend's chili cook-off. Then Girl Jr. and Girl Sr. went to dance rehearsal. I made New Mexico Green Chili Stew and watched a Travel Channel show about the American Orient Express. Looks pretty fun! Winds up from Salt Lake to Yellowstone, then back down through Bryce and Zion, to the Grand Canyon, then to Albuquerque. When can I take eight days off from work??

it has been a long week...

subject line

body of message

(testing posts from mobile phone)

The Kid is a Rock Star

So this past weekend we drove about 900 miles round trip to camp at Panguitch Lake, Utah, which is not too far west of Bryce Canyon. The higher latitude and altitude made this a cooler Labor Day weekend destination than Phoenix offered. It also had the advantage of being where a bunch of our extended family would be spending the weekend as well. So, we camped together and had a grand time. More details later, perhaps. Family will know how to access more photos and commentary at our online photo album. Curious friends are invited to inquire.