Monday, June 12, 2017

New Toy at Old Playground

We returned to Knobels Sunday. Great time. Love it. Used $99 worth of tickets on rides, though we only paid $91 for the tickets . . . I really can't stop thinking economically with that park. But I spend enough time on that last year.

Sam enjoyed the coasters, though he did make himself nauseous by the end of the day. So nauseous he couldn't eat at Hoss's. That will probably be the final time I ever get Sherry to eat at one. By the way . . . enormous phase shift at Hoss's. Now one orders from a menu at the table. Stunned, I am.

Image result for hoss's

Let's get back to Knobel's. Sam and I think that Twister beats Phoneix by a hair. Both are long coaster rides (each is longer than two minutes). Flying Turns probably isn't worth another $3 from me, but that's okay. I did get to ride my first roller coaster with Caroline, who lost a tooth on her second Phoenix ride. Sherry, of course, enjoyed the Haunted Mansion which she claims hasn't changed in four decades.

I brought my new toy along: a new camera. I probably spent a bit too much on it and the awesome lens for it, but I resolved that my Normandy trip would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see some amazing places, and I want to record it faithfully. I practiced picture-taking a lot at Knobel's, on random things as well as my kids. Here are some of the better shots.

After our first trip. 

Twister, from the ski lift. 

Of Caroline, on the ski lift. 

There's the baby tooth that trip #2 on Phonenix removed. 

Sam

Boo!

Okay, that's creepy. It's an attempt at playing with aperture and filter. 
The kids are finished school but I'm not, quite yet at least. This trip to Knobel's is one that I hope can be an annual tradition for a little while.

Monday, June 5, 2017

Unintentional Snow Day

I really didn't expect a snow day in June, but that's what happened.


A telephone ringing at 4:55 in the am hardly ever heralds good news. Today it was just weird news: word that due to "shelter in place" procedures and "working with authorities" stuff all CBSD schools were closed. After a while I found out that all the hubbub was over an escaped non-violent inmate. It's kind of strange that such a situation will shut down a 20,000-student district, but I guess one doesn't want kids waiting for the bus while a fella in handcuffs is doing a Dr. Richard Kimbal impersonation.

If today's day off was weird, tomorrow's day back will be even weirder.

It's funny, though, how quickly a free day off can fill up. I took care of quite a bit of church business. Had a former neighbor come by to fix some locks. Completed some grading. I also attended a school awards ceremony that I didn't even know was occurring. Given the mostly empty rows of chairs in the back of York Avenue Multipurpose Room, I think most parents were unaware of it, too.

There was, however, a chance to update this blog and post a picture (a forbidden picture, perhaps) of Caroline from her dance recital, courtesy of my mother- and father-in-law who were able to sneak in a photo of her tap routine.


Excellent. Scales balanced.


Sunday, June 4, 2017

Balancing the Scales on June 3

There was a big Caroline event yesterday but it's largely lost to film. Caroline's dance studio held their annual recital. She was splendid. And, the well-run nature of the recital and the obvious rapport between the grown-ups and the girls reassures me that she's in good hands there.

But to make sure I'm not favoring Sam too much (my photos from yesterday are mostly from our trip to Reading that afternoon) I'm including some photos from Caroline's spring fashion show.

Caroline's Bitmoji. 






I should point out that the pink activity tracker has a purple wristband that we can use instead.

One big surprise, though . . . it would seem teal is Caroline's 2nd-favorite color.

The First Summer Trip

A few photos capturing my day at Reading's World War II Weekend with Sam follow.

P-39 Airacobra, which I don't remember seeing before. Sam and Jacob were excited to know that the hole in the propeller cone was actually for a 20mm cannon. 

Favorite plane ever. 

A Red Army veteran holds court with the help of a translator. 

Sam learns about a paratrooper's kit. 

Sam with a grease gun. 

Kendra told me to look for this Weasel. 

B-17 comes in for a landing. 

B-17 touching down.

A Japanese torpedo bomber. 


An Avenger. Really, it's a shockingly large aircraft for carrier use at that time. 

FDR impersonator.

Not a great B-29 photo, but the plane was spectacular. 
Perhaps our favorite father-son moment was on the way out of the event when we were turning onto US-222 and "FiFi" made a banking turn above us. The view from our minivan was splendid. Of course my safety-minded driving prevented me from reaching for the camera.

That would be Sam's favorite moment. For me it was the joy of taking him from one living history reenactor to the next, engaging in conversation, and Sam hanging in there for it. This will be an annual event for some time, which is good. After all, Sam promised that some year for my birthday he'll get us a plane ride. When he's old enough to have a job. And, he warned, that will be the only present I get that year.