It's a perfect day, and we went to Crane's Beach to enjoy the arrival of real summer weather.  Unfortunately, half of Massachusetts was there, too.  We got there at 10, which is usually before the crowds get there, but to find a place near the boardwalk (and hence not too far from the "potties"), we had to maneuver into a space in the middle of a bunch of other people who wanted to be near the potties and/or food (people with toddlers and one old lady).  Then, shortly after we got there a big group of people who had apparently come from the city, because they had a much different definition of personal space moved in behind us.  I breathed a cloud of sunscreen as one woman stepped away from her group to spray herself -- right upwind from us.  

I could go on, but I'll just say, the water was clear and refreshingly cold, the sun was hot and the breeze kept the green-head flies away.  We left after about an hour and a half, but that's the benefit of living 15 minutes away from the beach.

I'm sitting in the back yard now, after a picnic lunch, thinking about walking down to Patton park to hear the band.  The one sad spot in today will be the memorial ceremony we're going to have for Nemo.  I feel terrible, but we left Nemo yesterday in a spot where the sun shone in a window onto his cage and he got heat stroke.  We were gone most of the day, and by the time we noticed, it was too late to save him.  He died a few hours later, after being wetted and cooled, and then later warmed, wrapped in a washcloth in a basket on the kitchen counter.  He was, as Troy said, the best hamster we ever had.  

Dough Boys

The boys brought home those dough-balls that Bertucci's gives the kids to play with. I feel like we have a new pet -- we had to add flour last night because they got too sticky, put them in plastic containers so the boys could take them to bed, and this morning I had to re-knead them and clean out their containers because the dough had risen over night. Feed, exercise and clean - it's just like the hamster!

The Weekend is over

We had a great weekend.  On Saturday, Troy and I ran some errands and picked up plants and potting soil to fill our window boxes and pots.  We bought some tomato plants, too, because the ones we're growing from seeds are still so tiny, it's disheartening.  The bush beans we planted in the vegetable bed are sprouting, though, and so are some sunflowers.  It's so great to see things growing in the garden.  

We were looking at sliding glass doors on the internet.  We really want to put one in our dining room, with a deck into the back yard.  And have the house painted.  And have the driveway repaved.  And we have no money to do any of that . . .

Saturday evening, after running around and gardening, I didn't feel like making dinner.  We had a plate of vegetables and then went to the mall food court.  We had fun with the boys, going up and down escalators, and we went to H&M and found them each a "cool" cap and some shirts on sale.  

Yesterday we went to old friends for a barbeque lunch.  The kids played nicely, and the grownups got to talk.  We got home by 4:30, so still had time for a walk and to play some games before bedtime.  

After weekends like that, it's hard to leave and go to work.

I don't consider myself a funny person, but every once in a while, I'll crack a joke that will make people laugh.  The weird thing is, I seem to do it at the time when I would think I would be most shy and inhibited. 

As a first year associate, I was assigned to cover a few depositions in which we represented one of about two dozen companies that had been sued.  If the plaintiff had lined up the defendants in order of importance, our client would probably have been around number 20.  The depositions were tortuously long affairs, with dozens of lawyers in dark suits sitting around long conference tables, while one or two droned on, asking questions for hours.  The rest of us kept only one ear open so that we could blurt out the obligatory "Objection!" whenever our respective clients' names were mentioned, regardless of the question.  The rest of time we doodled, or daydreamed, or read the paper.

The partner I was working for, though, suggested I might want to ask one or two questions, to establish that the deponent didn't really know which product of our client's was supposedly involved.  When it came time for me to ask my two questions,somehow, with 20 lawyers looking down the long conference table at me, and the stenographer typing every word into her computer, I managed to crack a joke.  A pretty mild, friendly one, aimed at the plain silliness of the question I had asked ("You didn't memorize the item numbers of every one of dozens of products from ten years ago?")  But why right then?  Sometimes it still comes to me that somewhere in some transcript, amid hours of boring testimony, there's my little joke and the notation "(Laughter)", and I'm still embarrassed.

Funny things kids say

C was cleaning when Pippa had an accident in the house (my fault for neglecting to take her out).  Already frustrated, C exclaimed "Now why did the friggin' dog pee in the house!"  Teddy was right there, immediately picked up the word he had never heard before and started practising it to commit it to memory.  "The friggin dog peed!  Friggin dog. Friggin' dog? Friggin' dog!"  C had to turn to him and say "Um, Teddy, that's not a good word.  I shouldn't have said that.  Let's not use that word any more, ok?"  

Ah, that's how kids make us better people.

Finding Nemo

I have a question: is it bad to use your kids to gamble?  

The reason I ask is that I think Troy is psychic, and I want to make him pick Lottery numbers for me.  How do I know he's psychic?  Last Friday night, on the way to the pet store to pick out a hamster (for his birthday), I suggested he should think about some possible names.  After only a moment's thought he announced he had decided on "Nemo" (from the Pixar movie "Finding Nemo," which we've watched repeatedly).

Nemo is a perfectly nice Golden Hamster with a twitchy nose and beady black eyes -- and an amazing ability to get out of his cage.  Every morning we come downstairs in a state of anticipation, wondering where he will be.  Being quite clever, it only took us a few days to start adding security to the several little doors on his cage.  Apparently, hamsters are quite clever, too, or at least persistent, and rubber bands and tape have so far not deterred him.  

So what I want to know is: how did Troy know we would be spending every morning FINDING NEMO?!? I'm going to go pick up some Lottery tickets.  

Dear friends, family, and visitors,

I've been neglecting you lately, I know.  First, I'm in a new relationship.  I haven't been in a relationship like this in many years.  It actually started on-line, but we've spent almost all our time together for the past two weeks.  Old relationship wasn't working out anymore.  It sure has been exciting.  Sometimes I think it isn't going to work, but then I spend some time working out the kinks, and it's fantastic again.  Everyone, I want you to meet the apple of my eye, my new laptop:

Thank you Ebay!  Don't worry, we can still hang out.  As a matter of fact, I hope this little iBook G4 will help us spend more time together.  I'm actually working 0n-line right now, while riding the train.  This hasn't come without some pain, mind you, getting this Wi-Fi/Airport Express/keychain password relationship worked out.  Never mind -- I love you iBook!

Second, the weather was BEAUTIFUL this weekend!  It was 60 and sunny both days.  We played and walked and sat around and stood talking to the neighbors ALL weekend long.  I think all that fresh air tired us all out, because last night we were all ready for bed, even though we had lost an hour to daylight savings time.  I almost didn't notice the blizzard on the way to work this morning.  OK, I totally didn and it was depressing, but it's ok, because we have the seeds for our new vegetable garden at home, and Spring is coming.  

Love always,