Sunday
I hope that everyone had a good Easter.

The day started well. I wanted to go to a sunrise Easter service at one of the local churches, but I woke up later than I had originally intended, so that idea flamed-out. I was awakened by Jenny, Julie and the boys yelling about goodies that the Easter Bunny had left; actually, I’m Ivory Soap sure that Julie was the official reason that I was awakened… but I’m magnanimous enough to spread the blame around. Naturally, the first thing that I wanted to see was a mug, full of coffee, in my hand. And one appeared there shortly. The world then became a better place.

Jim and Sandi’s landlord, also named “Jim,” came around a little later, to show Jim his newest toy: A Ferrari 360 Spider. I don’t know if synchronized drooling is an official Olympic sport, but if it is, the boys should be signed up for try-outs. I didn’t drool, but I will admit that it is a fine – and VERY expensive – piece of automotive engineering. Jim (the landlord, not the in-law) took the boys for a ride. Then Sandi. Then Julie. I came back into the house because it was a little cooler than I liked. Someone came in and said that Jim had asked if I had wanted to take a spin. Mama didn’t raise no foolish children: I went for a ride. It was nice. Very nice. The car purred. And it went fast. Which is pretty much what you would expect from a Ferrari. Jim went for a ride after the rest of us had been; it was almost funny to watch him fold himself into the car.

After Jim (landlord, not in-law) left, we came back in and lounged about the house for a few hours. Then came lunch; today’s fare – bratwurst, hot dogs and hamburgers, cooked on the grill. That’s right, I’m almost 1000 miles from home and still got to cook out. After lunch, Jim took Jenny for a ride on his motorcycle… just as it started to rain – I can’t complain about this too much as it’s been a great weekend, weatherwise, with this exception. He and I went then went to the store to pick up a few things for dinner; I stopped at the Hollywood Video to pick up some cotton candy (I picked up a bag for each of the boys, too). We came back and there was more hanging-out-with-the-family until it was time for Sandi and Julie to take Jenny back to the airport. (When they got back, they said that the rain poured down all the way to San Francisco and that the drive was horrible.)

Dinner. Spaghetti! I didn’t eat if from the plate that Sandi got for me a few years ago: A serving plate. (Yeah… I like spaghetti. A lot.) But, it was spaghetti, nonetheless. I had two healthy servings. And they were good. After dinner, we finished watching The Incredibles, including many/most of the special features on the second DVD.

And that brings us pretty much up to now.

Tomorrow, we will collect our things, put them into our suitcases and make the trek back to San Francisco. On the way, we’re making a sidetrip to Sonoma, to say goodbye to the grandparent-units. We’re going to do a little more sightseeing and shopping before winging our way back to the Land behind the Zion Curtain. It has been a great trip – and greatly needed – and we’re already trying to make plans for a return sometime this summer or fall.

Stray Toasters

  • I talked with the parental-units, 2/3 of the sibko and my uncle today. All of them are doing well.
  • Congrats to “EveryDave,” as calls him, on his new job. I’m beginning to think that last week really was “Get a New Job Week” for some of us in SLC.
  • Thanks to for pointing out the webcam links from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
  • Spun. Sugar. Confection.
  • Have you seen this man? I’m willing to bet that you have.
  • Morris Day has a new album!
  • I think that I am going to reconfigure ‘Nine to run a dual-monitor set-up. Possibly even a tri-monitor configuration, if I’m feeling really adventurous. 17″ monitors flanking the 21″ one. Yes, that would be a wonderful thing.
  • has devised an interesting song format. He even got a mention on boingboing.net for it.
  • “My ears are burning…”

I think that’s everything that I had to say. At least, it’s everything that I remember. If there’s more, I’m sure that it will be in morrownight’s post. But, until then…

Namaste.