On break for a day

I can't believe it. All the way to Indiana and we found a Panera!

Gene called

Ike has passed.
Columbus is still busy cleaning up.
Robo Gene Harris confirmed the early school vacation is over.
Lunch prep continues.
Ham on thinly sliced cucumbers, yum!

The big energy crisis of 2008

Ike strolled through and wreaked havoc in Columbus Sunday. We are grateful we had no damage. Some neighbors were not so lucky. We went about 2 days without electricity and things were pretty peaceful. Neighbors talked and roasted marshmallows with the abundant source of fuel on the ground. Kids helped pick up the twigs motivated by the promise of s'mores later that night. It was great fun.

Until we left the neighborhood.

• Whetstone library, one of my favorite places in all of Columbus, was filled with new people coming to charge up their phones and gain access to computers to conduct that vital part of the day's tasks - read their mail. I doubt anyone bought a shirt or offered to volunteer to support the underfunded library's community efforts.

• Hungry and perhaps a little bored, the masses flocked to the few places that had power. McDonald's was one of those places. Guilty, I love Egg McMuffins. Frankie and I were served in about 5 minutes once inside the buzzing Clintonville franchise. Outside, however, in the middle of an electric (coal) energy crisis, was a line approximately 15 cars long. Drivers sat idling for up to 30 minutes to eat at the oft maligned McD's.

• The infamous intersections with lights not working. About 3/4 of the traffic seemed to handle the situation fine. Those who didn't remember to comply with the rules, charged through the intersection endangering everyone.

Many felt it urgent to maintain their routine as if nothing happened. They failed to embrace a preview of a new, possibly inevitable way of life.

Etc.
Flickr search: Columbus Ike

Bien sur, soyez le bienvenu pour reduire ma valise en miettes.

(Of course you're welcome to tear my suitcase apart.)

The Mrs. and I, with delight, devote each physical and emotional aspect of our being to the kid. It's paid off in big ways. She's becoming independent, she's smart, happy and has fewer accidents than our dog (not so good, if you know Sooz). Meh.

There's one problem. We've sent her to a French immersion program for her K-8 experience. The precocious one, within a year or so, has the potential to start mocking me to my face with her friends, giggling uncontrollably while doing it.

Parents, if your children are starting down the path of acquiring some subversive underground communication schema, you must act immediately and with precision. You must place yourself in their little burp and fart world of chocolate milk and anticipate their attack.

My situation is more difficult. Mom speaks French. I, the only male in our home, am the only one in the dark. We even have reason to believe Sooz knows a few syllables based on her reaction to "foi gras."

Some of the expressions I'll be anticipating:

Donnez-moi la crème glacée homme chauve.
Give me ice cream bald man.

Vous avez le cervau d'un sandwich au fromage.
You have the brain of a cheese sandwich.

Tu m'emmerdes!
You're bugging the shit out of me (this will hurt, probably won't be used until 9 years old).

And so on. Get to Google, Rosetta Stone, whatever. Just start learning.

Survivor

The wife and I took the kid, now an alum of the infamous CPC Bunny room, to a camping trip at Deleware State Park (Ohio). Oh yea, it was with about 17-20 of her friends and their parents. About 40 or so people. Reluctant at first, I decided to give it a chance.

Aside from a couple bruises on the kiddies, a few accidents because the potty was about a 5 minute walk, and a slightly unusual bunch of "boy scouts" (none were under 45 years old) in the adjacent site, all went spectacularly well. The kids encircled the adults around the fire screaming and playing happily for what seemed 36 straight hours.

I'm actually looking forward to doing it again.

After I get some sleep tonight.

[ps, I found a nifty device to refill 1 lb propane bottles using your 20 lb propane tank, here at Amazon. Very cool for the camping stove.]

Discussing their first day of school

Thanks Peter. Good shot.