Last week of summer vacation

We're on the final stretch of summer break. All of the outdoor pools close on Labor Day. No more sleeping in until 9 am -- we've started waking Geek Girl up at 7:15 am. Tomorrow we go meet her 2nd grade teacher.

Right now we have about a third of the local library on our bookshelves. Here's a picture of Geek Girl reading in the local cafe after a trip to the library. She's reading one of the Cornelia Funke's Ghosthunters books.

Geek Girl Projection of the Earth

Geek Girl received some art supplies in the mail today and she is happily drawing.

Here is one of her creations. Keep in mind that this is a 5 in x 7 in piece of paper.


I'm pretty darn impressed. She's disappointed because she forgot Lake Michigan, but she did this all from memory!

If only there were a way...

Today, I had a lovely experience on my morning commute. I decided to express my displeasure using the WMATA Metro comment system. Here was my letter:

Dear Metro folks,

I am a regular rider of the X and Y bus lines.

Today, at 7:09 AM, I used the NextBus system to check the next scheduled arrival at stops A and B, which are the two closest stops to my house. In a spirit of unrestrained optimism, I believed the NextBus system when it reported a line X bus would arrive at stop B in 9 minutes - perfect timing for my 5 minute walk there. The sheer joy of starting my week with such luck lifted my spirits more than I can tell you.

My optimism was rewarded by a glorious 25-minute wait during which NextBus cheerfully informed me the bus would be there in 5 minutes, then 3, then 2, and then 1 minute. Wonderful, except that the bus it was reporting never actually arrived. I assume the system was tracking the Lost Dutchman bus, which drives Route 29 like a spectre, never actually being seen, but still being reported.

Had I known the real timing, I could have walked (good exercise) or taken a different route, or even perhaps waited to see my daughter wake up. It is exceedingly frustrating to have a "NextBus" system that in fact does NOT report the next bus - which came on time according to schedule - but tracks an idealized version of reality.

Perhaps you could fix this. If only there were a technology available that would allow real-time positioning of moving vehicles, and if that technology were widely available, perhaps even in small hand-held devices that any consumer could purchase for under $100. What a wonderful world this would be.

Sadly yours,

Daddy Geek

I don't know...maybe some kind of global way of positioning one's vehicle...some kind of system...naah, that would never work.

Weather Report

At 6:50 pm it is 95 deg F and 50% humidity -- heat index of 107 deg F!

Daddy Geek was sent on errands this morning and then we spent the late afternoon in the pool.

Did I mention the air conditioning failed yesterday? Thankfully it is working again. Because we need it.

The Importance of Diversification

Scene: Geek Girl's bedroom. Evening. A game of Monopoly Jr. is underway.

Daddy Geek looks down at the distribution of $1, $2, $3, $4, and $5 bills he has. He has no $5, but lots of $2. He decides to swap 5 $2s for 2 $5s.

A Geek who shall remain nameless, um, expels gas.

Daddy Geek: [looking at bills] I think I'll diversify.

Geek Girl: Does that mean fart?

Both parents burst out laughing.

Must stop saving stuff for later

I am not a hard-core hoarder, but I definitely have hoarder tendencies. Fortunately a lot of stuff has been eliminated after two international moves. We're about to move (two blocks to a rental house) and it's time to purge again. And I've discovered Swiss Easter chocolate that friends gave us when we left in April 2009.

I have a bad habit of saving toys and other stuff for a rainy day. And then the pen dries out. Or I can't find those darn growing dinosaurs that have been carefully hidden somewhere. Must stop this bad habit. And eat little chocolate chicks. Before Daddy Geek reads the blog.

Rain and Rain Forests

We've been back from Puerto Rico for a week and after a week of endless heat, we were happy to wake up to some rain this morning. Why don't I show you some photos from the rain forest El Yunque?

After spending some time at the visitor's center, we drove to see some of the sights. It was warm and humid and not enough time to hike to the farther out waterfalls, but we did stop to see Coco Falls.

Here are Daddy Geek and Girl Geek.


And then Geek Girl insisted on climbing the rocks to get closer, so here they are in front of the waterfall.


That night we stayed in an ecolodge on the south side of the park. It was a long and winding road and fortunately Geek Girl was so tired from waking up early and the heat that she was asleep for most of the drive. I had trouble sleeping because of the waterfall, so in the morning, we decided we had to go see the waterfall that had kept me up all night.

Pretty plants on the walk.


A great big snail!


And the Geeks in front of the waterfall.


We saw many lizards on our trip. Geek Girl proceeded to name them.

Here's Eagle.

This is Summer.

This one is Dotty.


Bark and Branch were also named and sketched, but not photographed.