Training

It looks so much shorter on a map.

In order to enjoy a 50 mile bike ride at high altitude I decided I should so some training.  I started going to spin class twice a week and when that didn't fit my schedule I hit the road.  I thought I would do a couple loops up a long, gentle road, back down, and around again.  When I made it to the top of the loop I decided to try to go beyond the gentle climb.  I set little goals (a road sign, the dam), and I realized I was going to make it.  For the first time I climbed to the intersection of Mt. Baldy and Shinn Road on my single.

I rode this bike because it has more gears.

My view just before the intersection.

This is the road toward Mt. Baldy Village.  It looks steeper in person, but maybe I'll try it next time.

Sabbatical dog

It is so long ago I no longer remember if it was before or after our own sabbatical year that we promised the kids we would get a pet.  Several months before we left Denmark we received an email with the subject, "Darling dog needs temporary home."

We are planning to be out of the country on sabbatical next year and are
looking for someone to watch Maggie, our 5 year old, 11 lb cairn terrier
mix, while we are away.  She is super sweet, friendly and likes to
cuddle.  She is pretty low maintenance but needs a fenced backyard.  She
gets along well with dogs at the pooch park and her "cousin", a
Rottweiler in San Diego, but I don't know how she would be around any
non-dog animals. She doesn't shed and she is not a big barker, although
she will announce visitors.  Marc says, "If you need a friend, she's the
one."
We would be leaving at the end of May 2011 and returning August 1,
2012.  If you're interested and want to meet her or have any questions,
please contact Cheryl.

This seemed like a great match, except for the fact that we wouldn't be back quite as early as they would be leaving.  With the help of another family to fill the gap, we became temporary dog owners.

Maggie's family said it was if she were running for mayor because she would wag her whole body when she saw someone as if that person were her favorite constituent.  She thought she was cute and of course you would want to pet her.


Maggie kept me company as I hung up laundry.  She would dig through the succulents and poke he nose in the rock wall in order to keep an eye on the lizards.  She even caught a rat last fall.


My only complaint was that I felt like I had to sneak out of the house at 5am.  If I didn't, she would wake up and want attention.  I would rush home from the pool or a run and would be ready to take her for a walk, but by then she had worn herself out and was ready for her morning nap.


We completely understood that Maggie's family wanted her back right when they got back to town, but it was harder to say good-bye than we had guessed.

Having a moment with Maggie just before her family arrived.
(Ed. note - Yes, those are the sheets I used in college.)

We are lucky that Maggie now lives about six blocks away.  We have already been over to visit and were welcomed by a whole body wag.  Her family has generously said not only can we walk her any time, but we are welcome to bring her home for a while to hang out for a bit.

Does this mean we are ready to own a pet?  Not yet.  We miss Maggie, but I am happy to have a break from the extra responsibility.  I'll keep you posted about future dogs, cats, and other friends.

Physics playground

On the way home from camp we visited the new physics forest at Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, partially to scout out good ideas for a similar project at Pomona College.

We moved the location of the weights on the wheels to see the different ways they rolled.

If there was a wait for an activity it was very short, which meant we could enjoy each of the 10-15 stations.  There was a version of the two-ball trick, which is a family name for the the transfer of energy from one ball to another, making one bounce very high.  It was also fun to make an enormous roller coaster/ball ramp with enormous pieces.  They didn't have a swing set with different pendulum lengths like the Ithaca Sciencenter, but they did have a nice set of pulleys so you test which set up made it easiest to lift your weight.

Stay tuned for more about physics playground in Claremont.

Images

I love the idea of Google images.  You put in a photo and it helps find similar photos.  A slippery little lizard (salamander?) was in our bathroom.

Ignore the dirty floor!

I thought Google would help identify it, but most of the images that came back were like this.

I went to a more reliable resource - our friends who hunt local lizards daily.  They think our visitor was a Western Skink.  Any other guesses?

Post-camp post

You may be wondering, "Why hasn't Judy written about what it is like to have A. home after 18 days at camp?"  The fact that I haven't written should be a clue.  I completely forgot how much time it takes to read while a kid soaks in the tub, wait for my turn on the computer, take trips to the pool, and host play dates.

This is being written while A. is off at school delivering cookies to the new (to us) assistant to the principal.  He came with recipes and was ready to get to work in the kitchen without any help, only a bit of consultation.

He made them himself!

Pick up from camp was during a short time so there was a bit of a traffic jam.  I couldn't wait so I walked to the cabin and received the best hug ever!  A. was completely organized and the counselor said we didn't even need to visit the lost and found.  Well done!  The bags were overflowing with lanyards, a stepping stone, an incredible amount of mail, and other craft projects.

A. seemed so mature!  I was impressed with his ability to adapt and take care of himself (with the help of camp moms when homesick).  The undernight (not quite an overnight) was a success, except for the fact that A. didn't know the ants he sat next to were red (because he hadn't seen any before?  because he is colorbling?).  There was a lot of dancing, a lot of singing, archery, gaga, skits, and enough good memories that A. said he would like to go for winter camp in five months.

Singing on Shabbat

Religion at camp included prayers before and after meals and celebrating Shabbat.  The whole camp dressed up in white and there was a lot of singing.  A. liked the Melava Malka, also known as entertaining the queen.  If Shabbat is like a queen, you don't want her sitting around bored so you need to sing, tell stories, and have talent shows.  Maybe that will be a new tradition for our family?

Now we are back to regular life, summer vacation edition.

A driving first

I drove to LAX by myself to pick up David.  Ta-da!  He was stuck in Newark for ages, but the silver lining (not for him, I guess) was that I didn't have to drive with rush hour traffic and I didn't have to drive with the sun in my eyes.  Instead of the stress of trying to time it perfectly (not getting there too early so I had to circle the airport and not getting there too late so David wondered if I had forgotten him), I parked the car.  Money well spent!  It meant I could go inside be waiting with open arms.  I didn't have a flag to wave like they do in Denmark and I hadn't even thought to bring flowers, like someone else had - maybe next time.

Food in the neighborhood, part 2

The recipe called for two tablespoons of lemon juice but all the lemons on the tree were green.  No need to panic because I just peeked into our neighbors' yard and saw that they had at least half a dozen. "Help yourself," they said, which I did.  A delicious dish (pasta salad with pesto from Cook's Illustrated) was taken to the potluck and even though I didn't come home with leftovers, I came home with a bag of lemons.  Someone had brought almost a tree's worth and said to knock on their door anytime.  Today while walking the dog a neighbor called out and said she had something for me - an item to return and two enormous lemons.  I think I am set until ours are ready.  Hard to imagine I used to buy lemons in the store.

Babysitting

Our neighbor, a new mom, needed to take the dog to the vet and it seemed like a brain teaser - take in the dog first?  take in the baby first?  leave the dog and baby in the car and go in alone?  I had been begging for baby time so she let me have some fun.  I took only a dozen pictures and am allowed to post some here because I am making it clear that this baby is not mine nor my daughter's.

More interested in the camera than mirror

So cute

He fell asleep without crying!

Good thing of the day

I turned on the radio even though I thought I would find only talk shows and music, but there was a 10am (local time) baseball game.  Yippee!

Across the generations

This seems to be from the 1970s and it is the only one I have seen around town.

Maybe this is from the 1980s or '90s?

These are the newest signs in the neighborhood.

Such a deal

Procrastination can last only so long.  I am finally gathering all the paperwork that accumulated while we were away last year and all the paper work that I ignored this year.  I pulled out the files I had packed away and am now trying to decide what to save.  Do I need tax returns from 1996 and all the supporting material?  Do I need water bills or pay stubs from 2004?  And what to do with all the sensitive material we no longer need?  I started shredding papers, but since I can do only one sheet at a time, it is a slow, slow process.  Internet to the rescue, and not just as a distraction from the task.  I learned that there is a shredding service that will take the whole box for $3.  I think that is cheaper than hiring my own kid.  It is not far from the Pacific Electric Bike Trail so I could fill up my baskets and maybe still have room to pack a picnic.  Photos to follow.

Food in the neighborhood, first in a series

The kids' school has had a garden for a while, but when they removed part of the front lawn they added more herbs, vegetables, and fruit.  I wondered who would eat it, but maybe the answer is no one?

An artichoke that has gone from vegetable to flower.

The artichoke is a perennial thistle.

Like a native

First driving and now two movies in a theater in the same month.  We passed on Beasts of the Southern Wild, even though it got great reviews.  We decided we would prefer light entertainment and saw To Rome With Love.  It is great to have a movie theater within cycling distance!

The front of the theater faces a courtyard...

...but the marquee-like structure is on the main street.

Solar dryer

Because I was hanging laundry outside I noticed the magnolia blossom right by the line.  Sorry I pass the scent along to you.

Those are David's cycling shorts and the tablecloth we received as a wedding gift from  Nicole and Ernest.

This date in history

On this date thirty years ago I swam in my first meet.  The great thing about swimming in a meet as an adult is that competitors swim against people of similar speed, regardless of age or sex.

Quiet kitchen

Yesterday was unusual because I ate three meals in three different places and none of them were at home.

Breakfast was preceded by a hike with my next door neighbors who hike the Garcia Trail every Sunday.  It is only 1.2 two miles one way, but there is 1040' elevation gain.  Whew.  The post-hike meal is always at Los Jarritos, where the waiter brought their coffee without being asked and we all had huevos racheros and corn tortillas (mine without meat).  We did not join the line of people who brought in their pots to be filled with menudo (Mexican soup made with tripe).

Garcia Trail, which starts in Asuza (see the A in the upper-left hand corner)

Lunch was part of a farewell party for friends, who are headed to Oxford for a sabbatical year.  It turns out a lot of their friends are my friends, too, so it was nice to see a lot people I hadn't seen since school got out.  I am sad to see so many people head off for the year (am I sad because they are going or because I am not?), but I do enjoy the send-off events.

Dinner was with the extended family (minus the boys, who are at camp) at the Thai Orchid Garden.  My sister-in-law had just returned and told stories about her adventures in Africa (cute baby elephants and no hippo attacks).  Good food and good company.

All meals today have been at home, but you never know what the future holds.

No smoking

The sad news is that they took down my favorite sign, but the good news is that I happened to be passing by while they were doing it.  I zipped home and got my camera just so I could post it for your benefit.

If you read this literally it means there is no smoking in the whole world.

Here's the new sign.

4th of July

Yes, I do like to call it the 4th of July.  I don't mind that it doesn't always create a three-day weekend, which is what I think will happen if we start calling it Independence Day.  I am guessing I will lose this one within ten years.

The day started with the Freedom 5000 run, which goes right past our house, through the campuses, and then back through town.  Thanks to the people along the route for cheering for me.

David was faster, but we both had fun.

After a quick shower and oatmeal (the pancake line was so long even David and Robin didn't wait), I volunteered at the kids' activities.

helping at the little kids rope bridge

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the activities (hurray for the people in the dunking booth), checking out the food,

the Girl Scouts

chatting with people promoting community organizations, and watching people set up for the parade.

setting up the RSABG ant in front of our house

the bug is ready

I had considered marching in the parade with the interfaith group supporting marriage equality,

but instead I enjoyed the parade from the curb.  My favorite was the polo player on the Segway.

  

I wish I had been fast enough to get a good shot of the man behind her with the broom and pan.

That's all, folks.

The evening ended with fireworks at the Pomona College track, although we could have saved a little money and found a spot to watch it for free.  It is so rare that we are in town and we want to make sure the event continues.  It was fun to walk around and see the action - groups playing board games, kids playing with glow sticks, people line dancing in front of the band, and everyone squished together, but still happy.

Experiencing technical difficulties

Maybe this explains why I haven't posted about the 4th of July yet.

why is the phone box on the second floor?

Ready for the big day

So far I have picked up my number for the Freedom 5000 (should I worry that it is 9-1-1?), volunteered to help with the activities in Memorial Park, made plans to hear one of the free-speech speeches, have a blanket set out to watch the parade (unless I decide to march with the interfaith group supporting marriage equality),

chairs and blankets along the parade route

and have purchased tickets for the fireworks and concert.  Must be time to make sure I have enough watermelon and picnic food.

Another long drive

Today's drive was more scenic and had less traffic, but was harder because it meant saying good-bye to A., who will be at camp for 18 days.  Of course I'll miss him, but the other hard part will be redefining myself.  After days of shuttling him to soccer practices and games, birthday parties, play dates, and cello camp, I will have to find another way to fill my time.  May that be my biggest problem!

Outside his bunk

Drop off went smoothly (passed the lice check - hurray) and he was happy to have a top bunk.  If you want to send mail, I am sure he would be happy to hear from you.

Camper's name, session 2, bunk B1

Camp Alonim

1101 Peppertree Ln

Brandeis, CA 93064

More news to follow.

Drive-of-the-day

We had a short-but-sweet trip to Santa Monica.  It was worth it to see friends and play at the beach.