The Time Sink

It's a three day holiday for many people here in the states. ...but it's not one for those in the military overseas. ...not if you're on the sharp end. ...or on the receiving end of something targeted to your mess hall while you're on down time. Please take a moment to remember those who have paid the price to buy us our day off today.

That tri-tip? It's nearly all gone! Yep, Shelley ended taking one down to her dad and I gave one to the family Brad was hanging with that day, but the other four ended up disappearing here for the most part. Yeah, Daniel had a friend over, and two teens will put away some meat; but Brad pretty much held his own with them. ...and Shelley and I did our part <g>!

Sunday ended up being a bit of a day of rest, but I did manage some hardware work in the evening. Yesterday turned into a movie and 'general household duties' day. ....but it's a short week and I'm hoping the momentum will carry through to next weekend and the projects can continue. I'd like to do some in the evenings this week, but we have school events two of the four days. ...or so I've been advised!

Last night we attended one of those school events I mentioned yesterday; it was the annual junior high choir recital at the outdoor amphitheatre at the high school most of the kids will be attending. The theme this year was "musicals" and the kids did a fine job in all of their groups. ...and Daniel was voted "Outstanding Tenor II" by his peers. Yeah, the young man is doing very nicely this year!

...but probably the best moment for me was one the teacher likely missed because she was busy: before things started she asked for a sound check from all the groups. ...and she used what was going to be their signature song for the evening, a piece about "Unsung Heroes". She asked whoever was around to come up and sing as she and her sound man adjusted the system. ...and so the girls hanging out on stage started in. ...and the boys and girls on the wings came on stage and joined in. ...but what really struck me were the groups that drifted out of the audience and the students that headed away from the snack bar toward the stage to join in: they were all singing along, blending their voices with their peers' as they approached the stage. I don't know that the teacher realized the effect she must have had on her students this year to give them that sense of bonding and comfort singing together as they joined together...

Man, just wind this week down. Please?!?!? We're done here. Tonight was Daniel's eighth grade "not a graduation or a commencement but rather an appreciation ceremony" with some six-hundred students being presented to the audience at the football field. Is was nice, but just long...

I think we have one more event for Daniel and maybe one for Brad next week and then we're officially in "Summer Mode". ...and Shelley will run out of sub jobs this week I believe and will be able to take her break.

Well, we all made it to the weekend. Yeah! Now to see about some down time and play time...

Who me? Nothing much. Shelley and I both slept in today; that hasn't happened since forever... Both boys managed to maintain low profiles most of the day, and that's a good thing <g>. Daniel and his buddy are learning tennis to keep themselves occupied and in shape this summer. ...and today I taught Brad how to clean pool tile with a pumice stone, an activity that could be fairly lucrative for him!

...and finally a day of rest here. No one tried to do too much of anything and we did it very well <g>! Oh, sure, Daniel had his tennis lesson at the high school and Shelley shopped some and Brad and I took a photo walk; but other than that we took it easy overall.

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"Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke, "Technology and the Future"

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