Bonfire

In 35 minutes I will not be arriving at the "Bonfire of the Lifeguards". It was postponed, due to rain... I guess lifeguards don't like getting wet - go figure. My friend has the ability to put together "events" like almost nobody else. He worked with the best man at my wedding to put together the coolest bachelor party I'd ever been to (my own). Now he works at a pool and decided to put together a bonfire for his co-workers. (There usually seems to be a bonfire every summer) They usually involve eating food with unusual names like "Bunyan Burgers", or disarmingly normal names like "orange cake". He usually puts together some goofy skits that he enlists different people to help with..... everyone that attends has some secret to keep from everyone else. I think he thrives on these events. At times he'll take his show on the road. He's ridden across the United States on his bike... with his dog Cyclops. He and Cyclops also circumnavigated France one summer. He always brings back stories about people he meets and strange places that he makes camp. Though, he doesn't spend much time online he has a web presence on other people's blogs... it seems I'm not the first to blog about him. ( Here a family tells about their encouter with him in Oregon http://www.imagesales.com/Welcome/People/Paul/SFtoSeattle/BikeTrip2000index.html?Day10.html)

In other news, the Lioness and I spent the weekend on the coast with some friends (Their family has a condomium in the bay there) . It was a wonderful place to be... watching the boats come and go. We had a nice dinner Friday evening, and spent Saturday shopping at an outlet mall and laying on the beach.

I hope to go back to free dive (or SCUBA) there. I went hunting there along the jetty once... but visibility to was so bad that I couldn't see the tip of my speargun. Another time, I went SCUBA diving under a research ship's dock in the harbor... It was a pretty tame dive (my first in the local cold water). Had I known that we could get crabs we would have picked some up... it was amazing to see them running in all directions on the bottom of the ocean.

Taking the long way home

The Lioness and I had to drive thru Albany to get home (~40 extra miles). A guy was threateningto jump of the Marion St Bridge in Salem. (He was there for at least 5 hrs) He hada noose tied around his neck and to the bridge. The Center St. bridge,right next to the Marion St Bridge, had a car wreck. Both were pretty much shut down. Normally we'd just take River Rd. home, but two different tractor-trailershad shut down River road by Jack knifing and the other getting stuck under a rail overpass. The Ferry (4 cars at a time) had its hours extended. I heardof one person taking 3 hrs to travel about 10 miles.
We showed up a little late for a get-together at the Pastor's house. A lot of people were there. Though I was pretty tired going into it, I had a goodtime (and a productive time). We didn't leave until ~10pm. The Lioness got to carry Allana around so they could meet her. I got to talk music with a few different people. It was a good evening. AND I ended up NOT having to work tomorrow... Politics is taking a weekend off.(I suspect it has to do with the birth a grandchild.... for the Speaker of the House)

My little girl

Okay, here's another. Here she is in her going home out fit... We really looked hard to find something small enough to fit (it was premie size)... but as you see, it was still pretty huge on her.

Here she is next to our friends thumb (for size comparison)... this is a "mostly" average size thumb. Hey! stop looking at the thumb... look at the little girl... she is so adorable! Who in their right mind let that thumb get so close to her!? (thankyou D for posing for the photo)

quick note

Life has been anything but normal since our little girl was born. She is cute (that is her most distinguishing quality), and she does a great job of what she does. She sleeps... wow. And she eats... Wow. And she goes poo... WOW! She does each of these things well. (I'm sure she's ahead of schedule for most babies ;-) ) Oh yes, she also cries sometimes... Her sincere cries are cute and heart wrenching at the same time. When she REALLY means it her little jaw quivers.
She makes cooing noises, and looks around (she's still learning how to use her eyes). I think my personal favorite is listening to her breathe her quick little breaths. It is scary to have a person that is so utterly incapable of anything so completely depending on the Lioness and I. (The Lioness is carrying the bulk of the responsibility... since suprisingly, my milk still hasn't come in :-) ... don't bother waiting around)
Though I doubt that life will ever be the same, I hope to contribute more regularly here as we settle into our new way of life.