Memorial Day

It was memorable.

Check this out. Cor blimey!
My neighbor is retired Air Force married to a British gal. I've never seen the Union Jack being flown on Memorial Day. But I thought, why not? We honor soldiers that died in wars. And the bloody Limey's lost a lot alongside us and also are practically brothers. Well, cousins. Well, 5th-cousins twice-removed. Well, you get the point.

Momma's Birthday

My mother-in-law came to visit with my sister-in-law and her husband and for her b-day.
Here's the birthday girl with her ubiquitous Diet Coke!

Check out this awesome cake that Sonya and Sommer designed. It's a domino, which is my mother-in-law's favorite game du jour. Sonya flipped around the cake and said, hey, my age in reverse! Sweet! The only time this will ever happen. (Kind of like when my younger bro was impressed when the date and time were: 02:03:04 a.m. 05/06/07!)


Playing "Train" with the dominoes. I think Sonya counted that they played 15 games while here, including Train, Puerto Rico, Guesstures (always a party favorite!), Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride Europe.

American Idol

You have to love Randy-dawg's medal (I believe that is a gang-sign being flashed), Paula, and Simon's scowl and chest-hair!
The kids (and Mom) are sad that American Idol is over, and that David Archuleta lost to the better singer. There is this conspiracy theory circulating how Fox helped David Cook win by having the judges come down hard on his seemingly lackluster performance. So the Cookites rise up and vote en masse while the Archuletites are lulled into carnal insecurity because of the praises heaped upon his adolescent head. What can you say when Cook won?! I can't argue with logic like that. I would have to say in this case that correlation definitely implies causation. :-)

Scooby

This is my hoochie-mama!

Making a good first-Impressionism

While doodling and learning to draw, Kenz has invented what we call Fashion Gals. They have these huge eyes. She used them in an Art class this past year and inserted them into her portrayals of famous art.

Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" -- the classic example of pointillism. The school wanted to purchase this one from her but we kind of like it.

Jan Vermeer van Delft's "Girl with the Pearl Earring"

She made a quilt out of several drawings of her Fashion Gals:

Hygiene Elementary Roadrunner Club's 1-Mile Fun-Run

The organizers of this event have got to be from Arizona or Vegas as I ain't never seen me a roadrunner here in the high country! This was the 1st Annual event in the school district (probably provided they can get teacher sponsors next year) racing against other K-5 schools in the district. I love to run so we signed the kids up. Mitch and Kenz ran 1 morning a week for 6-weeks with the club. Kerr and I were still finishing up the Soccer season.

Our intrepid warriors runners muster together in the pre-dawn mist (well, 9:00a.m. and it was overcast with 5% chance of rain!) to bolster their spirits and exchange spirited encouragement as they prepare for battle the race. Grim visages of war.

• Is this day their last?
  
• Will they ever enjoy creature comforts again?
  
• Will they shirk or shun the fight or stand fast and prove their mettle?
  
• Is Mississippi spelled with 4-s's or 2-s's as in Misisippi?
  

But alas, such distractions must be disregarded .... battle and the blood of men (and little girls' skinned knees) beckon.

Individual "Before" shots with each of the endurance-runners. A precaution born from tragic experience just in case runners from other schools attempt any "funny business" during the race, we'll know what they looked like before the race. I'm pleased to report that no hijinks nor tomfoolery were observed. All smiles, cheery dispositions and colorful helms; blissfully unaware of the brutal savagery exposed by Man in dire straits that awaits.

Mitchell leads the pack running with their coach. Fortunately Grandpa Sugar discovered last year that although this guy says he doesn't like exercise, get him talking about Star Wars or the subtle yet distinctive differences between the Archaeopteryx and the Quetzalcoatlus and he'll run to Kenya and back before he realizes where he's gone. True heart of a warrior -- all muscle and sinew, not much brain.

In a courageous display of inhuman strength and blinding speed, Kerr bursts ahead of the pack to complete the brutal and perilous race.

Three of our brave quasi-marathoners approach the finish line after their grueling 5,280 metres [sic]. The smallish warrior gasps for air at the deadly and almost lethal oxygen-deprived elevation of 5,280-feet above-sea-level. Too late, she grasps the savage irony and apprehends the epithet of this battlefield, "Mile High City." (Ed note: Or it might be a yawn; I'm not sure.)

The exhausted yet victorious band revels in their Herculean-feat and quietly reposes in a post-race celebration.
(The KrispyKreme doughnuts probably shouldn't be next to the sprigs of broccoli, right? Ah, the cruelty that is Man.)

One of the best days of my life:

• Running a race with my kids -- Priceless