the boy | matching tracksuits

Black Balsam Knob

Sunday 09 October 2022 | 0 Comments

We took a quick drive (well, not quick for the Boy -- it was two hours) over to the Blue Ridge Parkway for an afternoon hike today. The Girl stayed home because she had volleyball practice -- open gym for the club team she's signed with this year. And she doesn't really like hiking. And she's almost 16 and is starting to have her own life -- though it pains me to admit it. How did she get so big so fast?

Be all that as it may, we headed a little further south on the Parkway than we usually go and ended up hiking along ridges with gorgeous views.

K took some pictures with her phone.

We both took some pictures with the Nikon.

And we arrived home exhausted and hungry.

"We really should do this more often," K said.

Sunday Selling

Sunday 02 October 2022 | 0 Comments

It's that time of year again -- popcorn sales. I don't really like it; the Boy doesn't enjoy it; K puts up with it to help. But today, we took a two-hour shift with a friend at the booth in front of a local Cabella's outdoor shop.

We shocked ourselves with what we sold: over $850 in sales and donations.

It was really a learning experience for the Boy: like me, he doesn't like talking to strangers all that much, so to come out of that a bit and approach shoppers with the proposition of spending more money -- I was proud of how well he did.

In the evening, we went to our favorite park for a walk.

And the Girl? She had a sleepover at a friend's last night, came home in time for a late lunch, then headed to work.

Before the Storm

Thursday 29 September 2022 | 0 Comments

Evening Swim Plus

Monday 26 September 2022 | 0 Comments

Monday for us is YMCA night -- swimming. The outdoor pool is still open, and while the air is cool, the water is surprisingly warm. Sometimes we go as a family (minus the Girl, who's always doing something else), and sometimes it's just the boys, along with a friend from time to time.

I try to swim some laps, but I usually get to about 500 yards, and I'm exhausted. My arms burn; my pulse is racing; my legs hurt.

What gives me a sickening feeling is the thought that when I swam competitively in high school, we used to do 600-yard swim/kick/pull (200 yards of each) as the first part of our warm-up.

Still Off

My favorite cult leader predicted a specific date for Jesus's return yet again. It was supposed to happen today. That's at least 5 days I know of that David Pack has predicted Jesus will return. He's batting a solid 000. Why anyone still supports the hack is a mystery to me.

"This game hadn't even been invented when we were kids," one dad laughed as we watched them play.

Class today was excellent again. The main difference: like Tuesday, I tried a long, breathing-based mindfulness activity early in the lesson. Amazing how calm it made a bunch of otherwise-antsy kids.