Fish Town

We are enjoying being up in Northern MI. I can not remember the last time I was here, but it smells exactly the same despite the changes up here. It has been really relaxing, and Ann and Kevin's place is fantastic. I guess I will try not to fight with them!

Michigan Bound

Tommorrow evening Mike and I will be flying to Traverse City. We will be downstate around July 2-3, and then back up so we can catch our plane back home. If you need to reach us, call my cell or leave me a message at home. I can not wait. I can't remember the last time I was up in Northern Mi.

Bumpy Cake

It is amazing that I googled Bumpy cake, and got a ton of hits. I guess I was not sure if it was really called bumpy cake, or that is what we named it. Anyways, I think you still can get it.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0502/06/D01-80905.htm

And this is for those who are talented in the kitchen
http://www.recipezaar.com/36961
bumpy cake recipe

Useless knowledge

I think that my brain is full of useless facts. When I was a kid, I used to leaf through our World Books for entertainment purposes. I also liked the Book of Lists. It had a lists of weird facts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Lists

I was especially interested in spontaneous combustion. It really blew my little pea brain. I think the spontaneous combustion fed my morbid fascination very well. I also had a Helen Keller fixation as well. I penned a dramatic story (the ones you illustrated with cardboard covers covered with contact paper) that starred a blind girl who gets Scarlet fever and then goes deaf as well (and to add insult to injury, she transmits Scarlet fever to a baby bird that she found). I think my teacher must have thought I was insane. I also was paranoid that I would go blind overnight like Mary in Little House on the Prarie. Was I the only freaky kid, or do I have company??????

Happy B-Day

Happy birthday to Ann. We always get to kick off the summer with your bday. I want some silver dollar pancakes with hot butter sauce--no cross table dancing!!!!

Links

Mike and I went to the US Open yesterday. I am not a golf fan, but I figured a large event would be a lot of fun regardless of the sport. I have been told be people in the past that I would be a good golfer. Maybe they think that since I am tall I would play well, but I am not sure if I am coordinated enough. I also think that I would spend a great deal of time swearing and tearing up the grass. But who knows, maybe I will try it when all my joints are totally worn out.

Mike was invited by a banker, so of course everything was first class. It blew my middle-class mind. I have never seen so many men in khaki shorts and striped shirts. They had a huge tent village with AC for food and drinks that had computers, phones, walls with paintings, and TVs showing the event (and the world cup for Mike). Even the portable bathrooms were fancy (more pictures on the wall, wall paper, wooden doors). Mike's work friend said that they started building all of the tents in March for the event. The merchandise tent was the size of a large tennis bubble. It was a spectacle.

I have to say that golfing is a really good spectator sport (in person). You can get up really close to all of the players since the course is so large. That made it really fun, even for the non-fan. We watched a lot of the guys that I heard about from 10 feet away. It was most impressive seeing them drive. The players all had different body types as well. Most sports tend to favor a certain body type, but you saw them all (fat and fit).

Why can't you boo in golf? New Yorkers even boo in the opera!

Bronx Bombers

I finally made it to a Yankees game. It was a cultural experience among all of the loud mouthed Yankee fans. I shudda recorded the tawnts from the crowd, they were primo. I even heard some guy calling the Indian's pitcher a bum. Sweet.

Einstein

Not only do I occasionally wake up with hair like Einstein, I even do really smart things like book my return flight home on the wrong day!! Oh Well, at least it did not cost me 1,000 dollars.

Happy Campers

I just arrived home last night from my brief visit to Michigan for camp.
It was as fabulous as usual. It was fun to catch up with my fellow volunteers and campers. This is the reason I keep coming back to camp, despite how crazy it is this time of year.

Haircut

Sue left me a message stating that she got her hair cut, and now she looks like me. I wonder if that is a good or bad thing!
I am getting my haircut in Michigan this week when I am back for camp. My family gives me so much shit about getting my haircut in Michigan, and to date I have had my hair cut in NY 3 times (I am going onto 5 years out here). I get such a good deal in Michigan that it makes sense to make appts when I am here. I have been accused of flying to Michigan solely for a haircut, but that is not true-- I swear to God. I save 60 dollars in Michigan, and the lady who cuts my hair here does it at home for a discount. Who's the fool??

robot dance

I think that Brian has the flexiblity required to perform this type of dancing.

Summer Readin'

There is nothing like an excellent book, especially while on summer vacation. NPR's morning edition asked independent booksellers for recommendations, and some of them sounded fun.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5444914

Has anyone read something outstanding lately? I have read some good books, but nothing that I could not put down for a week or two recently.

Another random pic

Lake O'Hara, Yoho National Park, Canada. Yoho is an indian word for WOW! I hope this got rid of some daily stress.

Sky Kids

When Brian visited, Mike broke out the playstation and our collection of old games. Mike played sky kids with Brian until 4 AM. After Mike went to bed, Brian continued to at least 5 (I woke up and saw the light on). Brian controlled Mike's character with his foot on the other controller. Who says low tech is not fun? Here's a link if you are not familiar with sky kids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Kid

Nature Part 3

Anita (my sister in law for those who do not know her) spotted a large and healthy black bear in her backyard today. I guess he was not spooked by her in the house and hung out for quite a while. I will be sure to make plenty of noise when I am outside at her house.

New Yawk, part 3

Sunday was a maritime day. We did circle line and since it was fleet week, we toured a amphibious assault ship. See below.

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)Amphibious Assault Ship - Wasp Class
USS Kearsarge returns to New York City, having served as the primary Navy unit participating in the 1995 New York City Veteran’s Day activities, which marked America’s tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II. Kearsarge is the fourth ship in the history of the U.S. Navy named for Kearsarge Mountain in New Hampshire. The name is one of only two United States ship names mandated by Congress to be used more than once.
The largest of all amphibious warfare ships, amphibious assault ships resemble a small aircraft carrier in that they are capable of launching and landing helicopters and certain other types of aircraft. These ships also contain a well-deck, enabling the use of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and other watercraft to support U.S. Marine ground force amphibious operations. With a length of 840 feet, a beam of 106 feet and a displacement of 40,500 tons fully loaded, Wasp Class amphibious assault ships can reach speeds of more than 22 knots.

Brian was so inspired, that he asked us to take him to the marine recruiting station and he immediately began training. I think that he has the drive and heart for the job!

And they needed a poll?????

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060528/ap_on_re_us/impatient_nation
I have no idea why they needed to study this.

New Yawk Part 2

We all went into the city late yesterday. We drove in and did the Empire State Bldg, Times Square, and saw STOMP! Brian has been patient with the Subway amateurs! As usual we saw the sites as well as some interesting people.
I am going to call Brian eagle eye from now on due to his powerful observational skills.

New Yawk, New Yawk

Brian is in town. I picked him up on Thursday night, and we sat in a huge traffic jam in Queens. Yesterday we hit some museums since the weather was a little iffy. We did the Met, Guggenheim, and the MOMA. I think his favorite was the Guggenheim (haha). They were putting in an installation and repainting the outside, so you could not walk around the main area of the museum. Not to mention it looked like somebody was moving in! I am not sure the museum impressed him.
We did sushi last night and ice cream. We were going to walk on the sound by Playland, but it started storming.

Random Pic of the day

See if you can find me in the picture! This is a natural bridge over a canyon in Banff!!!!!!