2600 miles to go: August 2011

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Happy Birthday, Emma!

Emma celebrated with Austin friends Katy, Sara, Lily, Marissa, and Hannah at JumpStreet on Saturday, August 20. She ordered a chocolate cake with her favorite orange and yellow trim, a tribute to her favorite Pokemon, Flareon, and a plain top so she and friends could decorate as they chose.

Emma started off with a Pokemon (Umbrion, I think: check Bulbapedia for the exact name). Here, Lily and Marissa add their personal touches to Emma's cake.

Ta-da!

Emma, Hannah, and Lily tug tubes to the top of the ski slope.

Emma and Marissa

Gas main break

The drought has caused the ground to shift, breaking our neighbor's gas pipe. Long story short, our gas pipe had to be replaced too. The crew dug a hole at the edge of the yard, detached the pipe from the meter next to the house, pulled the old pipe through the hole, then fed new pipe along the path left by the old pipe. They took out our 1947 gas meter; we now have a newfangled 21st century electronic meter. They came inside to relight the stove and water heater. I'm impressed that they could do all the repair work without digging a trench across the yard.

Fun times with Emma

We met Al, Joyce, and Emma in Georgetown Tuesday, August 16, and Emma came home with us for a few days. She agreed to help pick tomatoes, but only if she could put socks on her hands. As you might have guessed, she doesn't like tomatoes.

Before Emma's visit, Papa Tom and I only knew how to use the iPod Touch as a stopwatch for jogging and could listen to the music that Amon so kindly downloaded for us. Thanks to Emma, we now know how to connect to WiFi, take photos and videos, download games, etc.

Emma composed and recorded songs while she was here

We stopped by Dragon's Lair, of course, to check the Pokemon card selection

Emma doesn't like watermelon: she LOVES watermelon. She found a good one at the farmer's market.

So hot out! Who could resist a run through the fountain at the Triangle? I joined Emma. The bricks were scorching on the bare feet!

Emma's friend Hannah and her parents came over for dinner Thursday nght

Daddy saves Papa Bear

Somehow, during Papa Tom's 60th birthday party, the other Papa (Bear) ended up on the roof (uh, Mya?). Luckily, Daddy was willing to balance on the railing and sweep Papa Bear into Mya's waiting arms.

Papa Tom setting up the Pioneer turntable for his 60th birthday party

Hard to believe an iPod is all you need to reproduce the sound of the 60s. Back then, we needed the vinyl records, the turntable, the tuner/receiver, and the tall-as-me Altec Lansing speakers (in the background).