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July 05, 2005
"I'm convinced our neighbors own a munitions factory..."
...based on one of the craters on our street. No flames can be seen from my window and the sounds of sirens have yet to reach my ears so I'm guessing everything went well for everyone.
We watched our neighbors fireworks from the back deck and when the time came simply shifted our chairs to catch the display from the city. I'm always pleased that our city, for all the terrible things the Cottage Grove City Council inflicts on us, still hasn't lost sight of the need for a nice display of fireworks on the 4th of July.
That being said our city is losing the pool wars
We went to dinner with the Racetrack's on Friday night. (Las Margarita's of course.) Over dinner we talked about taking the kids swimming. They recommended the city pool in Hastings which was fine by us. (The Cottage Grove pool is old, part owned by the YMCA, and nothing to get excited about.)
On Saturday we saw what your tax dollars should be buying.
Hastings doesn't have a "pool" they have a "Family Aquatic Center". Whatever the name it's designed for kids. Not hoodlum teenagers but the 12 and younger set. Tons of attractions and a great layout. Better still I saw 7 lifeguards on duty and they weren't the preening "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful" types, they were the "Your kid won't drown on my watch" types. We may be taxed to bejeezus and back by the Minnesota Communist Farm Labor party but at least in Hastings they give you the courtesy of a nice "Family Aquatic Center" for your trouble.
Kate and Jack romped for over an hour and by the end were pretty tuckered out. Jack dozed in the car on the way home and his afternoon nap was pretty serious. (Our little man favors froggy jumps and dad made sure to give him a series of never ending ones.)
Sunday was dinner at the Parents of Wonder Woman and The Rickmeister. Sofia is growing at that pace that makes you realize how fleeting the timespan of being an infant is. Wonder Woman's father almost killed us all when he set a massive firework display on an uneven keel. It tipped over after the third shot and yours truly had to dive in and kick it so that it was no longer aiming directly at the party guests. Two shots launched before I was able to turn it but mercifully didn't cause any harm. All I could think as I was dodging through the smoke and flame was that I'm getting too old for this stuff.
Speaking of flaming death we saw "War of the Worlds" on Friday night at the drive in. *yawn* Fabulous Babe thought it was too violent and I thought it was as bad as Minority Report or A.I. depending on which you hated more. The glowing and gushing reviews I had seen just reminded me of why you should never trust Hollywood promoting Hollywood. The cool moments were far outweighed by the yawn inducing rest of the movie.
My verdict? Rent, don't buy. If you really have to own it just wait a month after release when the rental stores will be blowing them out for cheap. Dreamworks needs a comeuppance for the absolute merde they've been shovelling lately. That and Tom Cruise still needs to be locked in a room with about 25 women going through post partum depression and armed with baseball bats. What a maroon.
The birthday plans for Fineous Fogbottom proceed apace. (The boy has been a factory of noxious gas lately, hince the new nickname.) My father has the "little red wagon" angle covered and Farmer Mom and Dad have provided Jack with a telephone to play with. Grand Ma Ma sent Jack some money and that will go towards some stock.
Our trip to Target on Saturday produced a toy cellphone that Jack now plays with instead of our own. It chirps and rings but also has a record feature that lets you record a message for your child. When Jack presses the right button the voice of Fabulous Babe rings out with "I love you Baby Jack" which then produces big smiles.
As the big day draws closer Fabulous Babe has been getting more and more emotional. It's hard for her to talk about but she did say that part of it is his no longer being a baby and I can understand that. It's a bit like the first haircut: He's growing up and we can't stop it. The last year has gone by at a record pace and there's no sign of it slowing down. (Or Jack for that matter.)
So what will the next year bring? God only knows but if this picture of yours truly at the age of two is any indication:
We're doomed. (I'm particularly fond of my inverted bowl of hair.)
Posted by Jim at July 5, 2005 12:44 AM