Mid-Summer Statistics

100% 

That was my accuracy on some Facebook quiz about how well one knows M*A*S*H trivia. I didn't even need the multiple choice options. This development gave me the opportunity to explain to Sam why Hawkeye Pierce was such a hero to me.



54"

I found out today that Chik-Fil-A's policy is to permit only children less than 54 inches in height into their play area. Sam, as you can see in the photo below is well above that.

Caroline wondered if we were including Sam's hair in our judgment that he was too big to go into the play area, but I believe the determination was correct. I also had reinforced today that kid-sized meals at that particular venue are no longer acceptable. They're now getting the full-sized sandwich and fries.

Have you noticed that Sam's hair style is changing slightly? Starting this summer he didn't want it cut anymore. We compromised on getting it trimmed but allowing the top to grow out a little bit. I like the outcome.

Both of them are too tall for discounts at Bruster's, too. 

8

The number of college recommendation letters I've written. While the kids took swimming lessons, I rolled on through the list of students who asked me to write letters. It's really not an unpleasant chore, but it's a chore. It becomes an ugly one if left until fall. I liked the reminders of these neat kids and what I saw from them this year. I'm teaching six of them this upcoming school year.

6 

As part of a group of friends, we earned six bands at the one borough pool. Our two pools have kids qualify for bands that signify the swimmer is qualified to be in deeper areas of the pool. Yesterday, Caroline earned an orange band for qualifying to go down Fourth Street Pool's twisted slide. About 90 minutes later, she tested for the green band to be eligible in the deepest parts of that pool and at Whites Road.

Caroline's ankles after earning both bands. 

After qualifying for orange yesterday. 

Taking advantage of the green band today. 

5 

Consecutive days spent recreationally at one of our two borough pools. I'm actually worn out after the past two days' time there. However, it is nice that the kids have gotten to a point where I'm not needed as much anymore. I completed crossword puzzles three days in a row while they frolicked. I also engaged in quite a bit of diving board activity with the kids and their friends. That is what wore me out.

4

There are four different food / beverage items that I have prepared this week but won't be able to eat for weeks or months. First, there was a beer that I brewed with some new equipment for brewing outside.

Might be the most relaxing moment of the whole summer. 

But then I had to deal with the abundance of cucumbers from our garden, which led to me canning pickles. Pickles? What's happened to me?

Taken two weeks ago, just as the garden was beginning to grow out of control.

Oh, I know what happened to me. A deep level of relaxation. I think the most stressful thing to occur in the past week was wondering how I would synchronize the canning of these items before they went bad.

I also had to deal with the abundance of fruits we picked at Weaver's Orchard. Cherry preserves and blackberry jam. Canned them both.

This fruit-picking trip was actually my idea.

3%

Battery life remaining on this Chromebook. Time to wrap it up.