Labor Day weekend 3: measure twice, cut once

Thanks, David, for all of your help on the "treehouse". I thought it was a fun thing to do that day. The boys enjoyed it. David often guided the boys when they were nailing or Jackson was tightening the bolts. Jack and Ry were much more interested in the project than they usually are. They hung around almost all the time. David joked about the time it takes to plan these projects (usually over coffee refills) before any real work is started and the extra time for runs to get more materials (or exchange materials), and somehow we really did finish by our mid-afternoon target, when David wanted to make some calls to Sandra and Mom & Dad before relaxing for the evening. David came up with the trick that made it easy to add the deck, and he really was instrumental in the final details, whipping out the ladder and the railing, while the boys and I finished the deck, dumped more sand in the sandbox (an old shower pan) and picked up. I was exhausted in the end. Jackson said David and I were a lot alike, except I moaned more when I got in and out of a chair.

The boys climbed onto the "treehouse" as soon as there was some decking. Rylee got some kids chairs to put on the deck and made a little table out of scrap wood. He also started making a sculpture out of the scraps and rigged a balancing board. Jackson was much more involved in the actual construction and made plans for more: a flag, for one, and eventually a little room with walls and a roof and even electricity so he can use his computer out there. Maybe we'll just put a tent up there for the time being. Rylee wanted a pole to slide down.

Beth reminded me about a story that David relayed to her on the phone. Ry was trying to get down from the deck before the ladder was in place. He was trying to use some plastic chairs on the ground to step down. As David said, Ry fell and Cyndi did recover from the fall.

When it was done, it really was a nice spot. The view is surprisingly good. Jack and I sat up there the next morning, while Cyndi and Ry were at the gym, and just talked.

I talked to Beth on Tuesday. She just got home that day. She was in good spirits and everything sounded optimistic. Her friend Eileen was there. Still some recovery to deal with. I also talked to Ariel that evening. She and Chris had returned from another trip to the Gunks, another academic season was beginning, and things were good.

Looks like a busy time: school, cub scouts, soccer, catechism, state fair, Dixon apple harvest, and, soon enough, the balloons.

Labor Day weekend 2: David & the treehouse

David is on his way to Juneau now, Cyndi's at the gym working, with Rylee, at the child care, Jackson is playing Wii, and Jackson and I will go over soon and we'll all go the pool this morning before the afternoon. We were all glad he came. David arrived Saturday and we all went that evening to El Pinto, where David ate a lot of hot chile with his carne adobada, as we adults shared a pitcher of Margaritas on their patio. We took a scenic drive home from the valley to the mountains and picked up the makings for root beer floats at Whole Foods. Sunday, we built the "treehouse" and the boys were very happy.  Cyndi was happy.



Rylee David and Jackson hammered a lot of nails, and Jackson ratcheted the bolts and otherwise helped.  David did a lot of work, but I think we all enjoyed the time together doing that, as opposed to anything else we might have done. It was pretty warm and very sunny. The early morning planning stage was not too long. We sketched several plans on a board, which is now incorporated somewhere into the "treehouse".  And we managed to go to the lumber & hardware store only once, around noon, to get last-minute additional materials. We finished up midafternoon, so we could grill some tri-tip steaks.  Elley & Don & Nicholas & Lauren came over for dinner. It was David's birthday, and Cyndi made brownies for him.  (Sandra's chocolate suggestion.) I was exhausted in the evening. We caught up some on family news and even swapped a few Panama stories. We heard Beth was doing well, and hopefully we'll hear some news today that she is returning home.

Labor Day weekend 1

David should be arriving soon. Beth is recovering. Here are two photos of the boys asleep last night. (Taken with no flash.)

the gunks

I talked to Ariel briefly as she was walking from her subway station to her new apartment. It sounds like many good things are happening with her graduate program and work at IEEE Spectrum, with some possible travel, including a trip to Boston, where she'll visit Terra & Karl. She and Chris have been spending weekends around the Catskills, the Shawangunk Ridge (or Gunks) in particular, where they've been doing some technical rock climbing. There's a Minnewaska State Park Preserve there, but I haven't sorted it all out, and a village called New Paltz, where they join other climbers for eats. She said it's about an hour outside the city, but it can take another hour to get out of the city. I think they must camp out. Lots of other good news, including a mutual friend moving to the city soon.

The boys' school is in full swing. I can actually get Ry to talk some about his day. Mostly I know the names of the boys in his class and that they aren't doing math. We got him a backpack on sale, a really good one that he likes, red, without any super heroes or other commercial junk, a little big for him but it's got a secret compartment and a place for a lunch bag or box. Jack's not playing the Wii as much as I dreaded. In fact, they seem to be playing together with each other, re-discovering old toys again. Cyndi got the film version of Where the Wild Things Are, from netflix, and that seems to be a hit. We started reading The Magician's Elephant last night, and so far it's a good story for them. Ry fell asleep but woke up briefly to tell me to keep reading after I finished chapter one. Jackson, I noticed, must have been interested enough lying at my side because his hands stopped moving in the air and he settled down cuddling next to me. So a good start.

It cooled off some yesterday, thank goodness, because I didn't really tweak the swamp cooler as well as I thought.