nonplussedtag:www.nonplus.net,2007-08-29:/blog/82008-08-06T17:40:09ZMovable Type Publishing Platform 4.0Happy Due Daytag:www.nonplus.net,2008:/blog//8.10932008-08-06T17:37:01Z2008-08-06T17:40:09ZAs of today, our count-down clock has officially started and we're eagerly awaiting the imminent arrival of our #2. I've experienced Jfer's second pregnancy quite differently from her first one. While we were waiting for Magda, there were so many...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.netAs of today, our count-down clock has officially started and we're eagerly awaiting the imminent arrival of our #2.
I've experienced Jfer's second pregnancy quite differently from her first one. While we were waiting for Magda, there were so many things we didn't know what that expect. With the second one, there is less time to wonder and fret about things.
But we're excited, all three of us, and are looking forward to the baby's arrival.
(The picture was taken by our friend Cecily who was kind enough to do a shoot with us a weekend ago).
]]>
Eastertag:www.nonplus.net,2008:/blog//8.10922008-03-25T01:36:21Z2008-03-25T01:36:21ZMagda didn't start off all that happy on Sunday. She broke out in tears when presented with the black and white dress Jennifer had bought her (I wasn't quite sure why she's was supposed to be wearing a funeral dress...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.netMagda didn't start off all that happy on Sunday. She broke out in tears when presented with the black and white dress Jennifer had bought her (I wasn't quite sure why she's was supposed to be wearing a funeral dress on easter) and convinced her momma to let her wear the dress that matched Jennifer's colors.
After Jfer dragged us to church we went to Elizabeth's for our ritual Easter Egg hunt. Everyone scored tons of candy and the kids stayed outside for quite some time - despite the chilly weather.
I didn't get to make a pomláska this year - but that's OK, since Jfer obviously doesn't need it right now. :-)
]]>
More Perfect Uniontag:www.nonplus.net,2008:/blog//8.10912008-03-20T01:39:47Z2008-03-20T02:24:27ZStepanhttp://www.nonplus.net While people rave about him being a great speeker, I was actually a bit underwhelmed when I first saw him speeking at some rally on TV. Part of it is that I find these stump speeches with their captive audiences full of supporters a bit of a turn off. With all the cheering it doesn't seem all that different from a high school pep rally and not much more relevant. Of course, this is true for all campaigns, as far as I am concerned. And during the Clinton-Obama debate in Austin, I didn't really feel like one stood out over the other.
But I do like his message and I took the time to read The Audacity of Hope and was deeply impressed, both by his prose as well as by his views and the introspection that he exhibits in his writing.
So when I heard that Obama was going to talk about race in an effort to address the Rev. Wright Jr. controversy, I was curious how he would tackle it. The expedient way would have been to completely reject his pastor and, frankly, pander to the majority white voters in the upcoming primary states. I was dreading that he would be selling out, but as it turned out I needn't have worried.
I read the speech rather than watching it (here's the transcript and here's a video) and it gave me goosebumps. This was a speech in the vein of Dr. King or John Kennedy - one of those things politicians aren't supposed to be doing anymore, right? In his More Perfect Union speech, beside addressing the issue of the Rev. Wright, Obama took the opportunity to grab the "third rail of American politics" with both hands to openly talk about the historical background and pervasive divisiveness that permeate the issue of race. He didn't really say anything that he hasn't covered in his book, but it was more succinct and highly relevant due to the frenzy surrounding the former pastor of his church.
Now I don't know how it will come across when chopped down into 30 second sound bites, and I would encourage everyone to listen or read the speech in its entirety. And despite the pundits' arguing over whether "it was enough" and "swayed the voters", try to not listen to it as a "campaign" speech focusing on things for or against your preferred candidate. Instead listen to it as an essay on where America is and where it should hope to be when it comes to race relations.
And don't take my biased word for it. Obama's speech was well perceived across the spectrum, from The New York Times, which has endorsed Hillary Clinton and called the speech Mr. Obama's Profile in Courage, to the conservative Washington Post which called it a Moment of Truth. ]]>
Turning 39tag:www.nonplus.net,2008:/blog//8.10902008-03-19T02:09:18Z2008-03-19T02:18:22ZStepanhttp://www.nonplus.net But I won't complain. Although I'm spending too much time at work, things are going well. I've managed to put up a stand against aging this last year but starting a healthier lifestyle. Move lovely wife is radiant and my daughter is a joy to behold -- well, most of the time, anyway.
I'm not sure what I'll be doing on the big one next year, but this birthday Jfer made sure we'd have company and that we would be watching Dancing with the Stars. I think she's trying to keep the bar low for next year. :-)
My favorite part of the day was the phone call I got at work. Here's Magda singing me Happy Birthday: magda_birthday.wav]]>
Getting ready for the Cap 10Ktag:www.nonplus.net,2008:/blog//8.10892008-03-17T01:30:55Z2008-03-19T01:49:51ZStepanhttp://www.nonplus.net
Capitol 10K again. I've been slowly but steadily improving on my running times. In December, I managed to run the Jingle Bell 5K in 23'26" (Jfer's #1302 and I'm #1303). The holidays saw me slacking off a little, but I've been getting back to form and last Saturday rand the ARC Daisy 5K in 23'16" (I'm #249 in a yellow shirt). The weather was perfect for both runs, but I liked the Jingle Bell course better since it had the second half of the course go downhill - exactly the opposite from the Daisy.
Last year I did the Cap 10K fun-run, and I think it took me around 1:26'. At that time I set my goal to run it next year in under an hour. I've since upped up my goal and am aiming to finish in under 50 minutes. We'll see how it goes - I'm terrible at pacing myself and tend to run too fast at the beginning and then petering out.
Jennifer is planing to do the fun run with Magda in a stroller, so I'll probably go back and finish with them, too. ]]>
The Spidertag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//8.10882007-12-28T05:26:52Z2007-12-28T05:27:53ZWe've been observing a big spider building a web over our garage door through out the summer and fall. Around dusk, when we'd get back from walking our dogs, we'd watch her building her web. She'd have it complete it...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.netWe've been observing a big spider building a web over our garage door through out the summer and fall. Around dusk, when we'd get back from walking our dogs, we'd watch her building her web. She'd have it complete it by the time it got completely dark. We'd occasionally see some gnat or other small insect caught in the web or being wrapped up by the spider. In the morning the web would be gone and she'd start again in the evening. Apparently some spiders "recycle" their web by eating it after it's served its purpose.
One time, the spider hit the jackpot by snagging a grasshopper in her web. I'm not sure how exactly it happened, since it got caught about five feet high in the air, but the spider had a party. Instead of tearing down the web in the morning, she kept it up for several days while feasting on the poor grasshopper. The insect must have been several times her body mass and it took her quite a bit of time to finish it off.
It was nice having a real spider web on our house during Halloween, but we stopped seeing her once it became really cold. She did have a little hiding place where she probably kept her eggs, so I imagine we'll bee seeing more of her kind next summer.]]>
Tracytag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//8.10872007-12-28T05:10:09Z2007-12-28T05:12:52ZAgainst our wishes, we've been a three-dog-household for a while now. On October 20 while walking Rose, I found a dog running loose in the park. To keep our escaped dog Karma in balance, I brought her home with me...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.netAgainst our wishes, we've been a three-dog-household for a while now. On October 20 while walking Rose, I found a dog running loose in the park. To keep our escaped dog Karma in balance, I brought her home with me to locate her owner. She looked well taken care of -- if a little chubby -- and had a collar, albeit without a tag. She looked a bit like a younger black-and-white version of Rose and I named her Elsie, on account of her Holstein appearance. Magda quickly nixed that name and christened her Tracy.
It turned out that she probably got dumped in our park. Despite posting found notices around the park, on Craig's List and other lost-dog forums, nobody seemed to know her. Too bad, too, since she's such an incredibly sweet and playful dog. We had someone foster her for a couple of weeks (while she was in full-blown heat) when we were on vacation, but they decided she wasn't a right fit.
So we got her back. She's now been spayed and has all her shots and we are now looking for a good home for her. She gets along well with other dogs (Rose is going to miss her). She's also extremely people friendly with both adults and children.
We'll try to find a rescue group to help us place her in a good home. But if anyone we know is looking for a great dog, we'd be more than happy to consider them. We'd just want to be able to come by and visit every once in a while.]]>
CASA 5Ktag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//8.10862007-09-10T01:51:58Z2007-09-10T02:30:43ZGranny and Buelito arrived last night (past Magda's bed time) to watch her in the morning while Jfer and I ran in the Austin CASA 5K. Since I started running this spring, my goal for the year has been to...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.net
Granny and Buelito arrived last night (past Magda's bed time) to watch her in the morning while Jfer and I ran in the Austin CASA 5K. Since I started running this spring, my goal for the year has been to do a 5K in under 30 minutes. I ran in the Cops & Joggers 5K in July and it took me 30:10 - just barely over my goal but with a (for me) decent 9:40/M pace. So I searched around and figured that the CASA 5K would be the perfect race. It's for a great cause, a cooler time of year, and it took place at the Domain, mere minutes from our house (and I hate getting up early to be at some faraway race). I even managed to squeeze in a practice run in Houston this Thursday - taking the bus to get to Memorial Park, no less.
Well, it turned out that I read the race time wrong and we showed up an hour early (Jfer still hasn't learned to double-check me on everything). So we did some early-morning window shopping at the Domain - there is a lot of cops pacing there in the dark. We picked up our chips, waited for the kids' 1K and then lined up towards the front of the pack.
The race went well. All of it was on the Domain/IBM property and fairly flat. I learned from my previous 5K and started out nice and easy. My plan was to stick with someone who looked experienced and going about my speed and then let them pace me. I eventually found some lady who looked like she knew what she was doing and managed to not be left behind. Then she started fading past the 2nd mile and I had to run the rest of it "on my own" and even managed to pass someone on the final uphill. In the end, I ran the entire thing, finishing 6th in my age group with a time of 26:24 or 8:31/M pace. Jfer also finished great at 29:40. I'm very happy with these results and hope to do another under-30 5K when I run relay in the Longhorn Triathlon.
Meanwhile, Magda had a blast at the house with Buelito and Granny. After we came back from the 5K and did breakfast at CJ, they expressed disappointment that they didn't get to spend enough time with her. So Jfer and I took this opportunity to see the Bourne Ultimatum while they did some more bonding with her. One couldn't ask for a better Sunday. ]]>
Bye bye Diaperstag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//8.10852007-09-04T01:19:49Z2007-09-04T01:38:35ZStepanhttp://www.nonplus.net This has been baffling to me, since whenever we went to B&N, she'd always eagerly visited the potty-training-books section and always wanted some of them read to her, Once Upon a Potty being a favorite. And when Kayleigh started using the commode, she was always suitably impressed.
Well, they tell you not to push them into it, and sure enough, she decided she was ready on her own. And then the transition was pretty darn fast. So now we only put the diaper on for the night, and it's been dry in the morning for close to a week! I wonder how long one can recycle a dry diaper?
Anyways, going to the potty is still a big event and all of it gets celebrated. She sometimes proudly announces her bowl movements to strangers; and just today we were standing around the toilet chanting "Bye, bye poo poo" in unison. But I don't care - my girl's out of the diapers and we couldn't be any happier. ]]>
Hiking Barton Creektag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//8.10842007-09-04T01:15:31Z2007-09-04T01:19:13ZWe decided to change things up for a chance and took the dogs to Barton Creek. As usual, we took the 360 entrance and hiked up stream. For it being Labor Day, there weren't all that many people there, probably...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.netWe decided to change things up for a chance and took the dogs to Barton Creek. As usual, we took the 360 entrance and hiked up stream. For it being Labor Day, there weren't all that many people there, probably because of the overcast sky. Though the tubers we saw did seem to have a good time in the great water.
Being without a stroller and having Mada walk quite a bit on her own we only made it about 0.75 miles before we were stopped by sheer cliffs on our trail (and the creek wasn't really crossable). About that time the gray sky opened up and started pouring. When it didn't seem like it would let up we headed back along trails that quickly turned muddy and full of puddles.
I must say that I was very impressed with Magda's walking back. I've learned that if you hold her hand and get her to sing songs, she can travel at a decent clip. And we were almost halfway back before she asked if some would carry her on their shoulders - which we then did.
And despite being wet and cold, she amazed me by not whining once - much better than what I would have been like, if memory serves right.
]]>
Library Elftag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//1.10792007-08-28T12:12:52Z2007-08-28T12:23:16ZI recently got an email from Library Elf that one of the books I checked out from the Austin Public Library was overdo. I had forgotten that I had signed up with the Elf (over a year ago), since this...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.net
Library Elf that one of the books I checked out from the Austin Public Library was overdo. I had forgotten that I had signed up with the Elf (over a year ago), since this is only the second email I'd received from it (Jfer is good about returning my books on time).
The Library Elf is way cool: you sign up with information about the libraries that you've got an account with (they support a ton of them), and a couple of days before a book is due in any of them they send you an email reminder. It's as simple as that and works like a charm. And it's especially great, if you've got a bunch of different library cards.
Now, personally, I don't really mind paying overdue library fees -- I figure it's just supporting a good cause -- but it's still nice to know about them in advance without having to keep track of yet another thing myself.]]>
Subscribed Podcaststag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//1.10782007-08-26T20:29:44Z2007-08-26T20:49:45ZUntil this spring, most of my time spent "listening to stuff" was in my car -- usually to or from work. Invariably I'd be tuned into whatever was playing on KUT, or if it was stuff I wasn't into (they...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.net
KUT, or if it was stuff I wasn't into (they do have some weird programming at times) I'd listen to some country. Anyways, I never quite understood the concept of listening to a podcast. I mean, if I'm on my computer, I'd rather read stuff than listing to it -- it's much easier to skim and skip that way.
But, once Jfer got me an iPod and I started using it for jogging, I suddenly had big chunks of time where reading wasn't really an options. I've got plenty of music on the iPod, but for me listening to it gets boring after a while. So I explored to world of Podcasts.
I started off with Meredith's My Inner Athlete, seeing as she's family, I'm hosting her site, and the podcast was relevant to me starting to exercise. It was actually pretty good, alas, like so many other podcasts out there, it sort of petered out.
The next thing I subscribed to was This American Life. I liked listen to the program on radio if it happened to be on while I was in the car, but getting it serialized on the Podcast is way more predictable.
After that, I subscribed to Escape Pod, a Sci-Fi podcast that publishes a short story every week. I'm also subscribed to its sister-podcast, Pseudopod which does horror short stories.
And finally, I discovered Radio Lab, a sciency-philophy type radio program from WNYC.
So now, when I go running, I see which podcasts have new episodes and add those to my On the Go play list. Usually, I add them in the following order of preference: Radio Lab, Escape Pod, This American Life and Pseudopod. Though I do tend to mix them up a little.
As an end result, I hardly ever listen to music on my iPod anymore -- except if my playlist gets finished before my run and I let it play random music (nothing like jogging to Christmas Carols in August).]]>
Cutting Stringstag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//1.10772007-05-29T13:27:39Z2007-05-29T19:49:08ZJennifer had spend most Fridays this spring slowly converting our guest bedroom into Magda's room. Most of the work involved getting rid of crap and I truly appreciate her taking on this monumental task. Recently, though, the work was really...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.net
Jennifer had spend most Fridays this spring slowly converting our guest bedroom into Magda's room. Most of the work involved getting rid of crap and I truly appreciate her taking on this monumental task. Recently, though, the work was really about converting the room, and on Thursday we prepped the room and on Friday Jennifer painted the walls a light green color ("Fresh Apple 2"). We still need to finish staining shelves and move some furniture in, but as of this weekend, the room is actually usable as a kid's room.
Rita was spending the weekend with us, so it was still a "guest" bedroom, but on Monday it was just us. So when Jennifer was putting Magda to bed, she got to do it in her own room, rather than in our bedroom where her crib is. Magda was a bit fussy last nigh, but Jennifer convinced her that it was time to go sleep in her own big bed.
I had really mixed feelings giving Magda her goodnight kiss and hug yesterday. Her previous milestones, such as saying her first word or taking the first steps -- or even her being watched by someone else while Jfer and I went out for the first time -- hadn't really made much of an impact on me. But somehow, seeing her sleeping in that room all by herself made me really wistful.
I look forward to each of her milestones and celebrate them when they come, yet at the same time, I'm starting to dread the day we will no longer be her world and she'll break out on her own.
Pedernales Fallstag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//1.10762007-05-14T04:04:19Z2007-05-14T04:06:44ZWe're taking advantage of the beautiful wet spring and headed out to the Hillcountry again. The wild flowers are still going like crazy, but the colors have shifted from the purple of the Bluebonnets (you still occasionally see some late...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.netWe're taking advantage of the beautiful wet spring and headed out to the Hillcountry again. The wild flowers are still going like crazy, but the colors have shifted from the purple of the Bluebonnets (you still occasionally see some late stragglers, but mostly they've gone to seed by now) to the yellow and orange of Black-Eyed Susans, Indian Blankets and Mexican Hats. We also saw some cool Prickly Pear cacti blooming, but they're still not in full swing.
We were going to do some hiking at Pedernales Falls State Park with the O'Reillys, but got there a bit later than anticipated (damn that GPS navigation), though still ahead of them. We walked down to the ford to see if it was crossable -- it is for adults but not for a stroller or small kids. It's maybe half a mile from where we parked, but Magda walked the whole thing (with plenty of complaining) so it took a while. The river was beautiful and pleasantly cool. The dogs had lots of fun in the rushing water and Magda loved standing in the current and proclaiming that "we're moving!"
On the way back from the river, Magda found a huge fat caterpillar in the middle of the path. It actually had the appearance of a fat slug or -- to be honest -- a decent sized turd. Once we got home, we figured out that this was most likely the caterpillar of a Titan Sphinx Moth. The adults of this species are sometimes mistaken for humming birds!
After our foray to the ford, we hooked up with Meredith, Michael and the rest of them and headed over to the falls. We took the stroll to the overlook but from then on Magda spent the rest of the hike on my shoulders. I'm happy to say that I didn't slip on the rocks, but I'm considering putting her on a diet.
After the falls, we had dinner with the O'Reillys at their camp site grilled over their camp fire/coals. Magda enjoyed being outside with "the dark". She's said that she'd like to spend the night in a tent, so that's something we ought to look into. I remember enjoying camping quite a bit as a kid -- these day's I'd pick a room with a shower over a sleeping bag any day, but I'm looking forward to sharing the fun with her.]]>
The Mazetag:www.nonplus.net,2007:/blog//1.10752007-05-11T23:36:42Z2007-05-12T00:00:37ZAfter I ran the Capitol 10K in April, it took me a couple of weeks before my left knee and right foot stopped bothering me and I could hit the streets again. Jennifer mentioned that she'd heard about The Maze,...Stepanhttp://www.nonplus.net
ran the Capitol 10K in April, it took me a couple of weeks before my left knee and right foot stopped bothering me and I could hit the streets again. Jennifer mentioned that she'd heard about The Maze, a 10K trail run in our Walnut Creek Park organized by Austin's Rogue Training.
Unfortunately she had a conflict and would be in Kansas that weekend, but I decided to sign up. A couple of weeks before the run I switched from running my Metric Loop to running in the park. Jfer appreciated that, since I would take the dogs with me (Walnut Creek Park is leash-free) and she wouldn't be woken up by Rose making a ruckus when I go running without her. Of course, the last two weeks have been extremely wet, so running in the park is a muddy affair, but still - it's nice than watching the traffic.
The race itself turned out pretty good. Being a realist, started at the end of the pack, which isn't a good idea because for the first mile or so, you're forced to occasionally walk whenever there is traffic jam before a creek crossing or a steep descend. But once people spread out, the running went OK. It was a little strange being in "our" park without dogs or a stroller. The park had mostly dried out, but after every creek crossing (I think there were 8) you'd have to slug it through some mud. I ran most of it, but did my share of walking, too. I'd usually try to stick with someone and let them pace me, but since I had started towards the end, I actually ended up passing quite a few people -- and was constantly being passed by the 30K runners on their second loop.
In the end, I finished with a time of 1:21:11 with which I'm quite happy. That's 166th out of two hundred (co-ed). I was glad when my run was over and grateful I only had to do one loop rather than three, like the 30K runners. Meredith O cheered for me towards the end and will hopefully share some pictures.
So I currently am not training towards anything in particular. The Rogues have another 10K trail run in June, so maybe Jfer could do that one with me if we find a sitter (she likes the T-Shirt I got from the run). But I'd really like to do a 5K -- it would be nice to do a race in which I could conceivably run from start to finish,]]>
As of today, our count-down clock has officially started and we're eagerly awaiting the imminent arrival of our #2.
Magda didn't start off all that happy on Sunday. She broke out in tears when presented with the black and white dress Jennifer had bought her (I wasn't quite sure why she's was supposed to be wearing a funeral dress on easter) and convinced her momma to let her wear the dress that matched Jennifer's colors.
We've been observing a big spider building a web over our garage door through out the summer and fall. Around dusk, when we'd get back from walking our dogs, we'd watch her building her web. She'd have it complete it by the time it got completely dark. We'd occasionally see some gnat or other small insect caught in the web or being wrapped up by the spider. In the morning the web would be gone and she'd start again in the evening. Apparently some spiders "recycle" their web by eating it after it's served its purpose.
One time, the spider hit the jackpot by snagging a grasshopper in her web. I'm not sure how exactly it happened, since it got caught about five feet high in the air, but the spider had a party. Instead of tearing down the web in the morning, she kept it up for several days while feasting on the poor grasshopper. The insect must have been several times her body mass and it took her quite a bit of time to finish it off.
It was nice having a real spider web on our house during Halloween, but we stopped seeing her once it became really cold. She did have a little hiding place where she probably kept her eggs, so I imagine we'll bee seeing more of her kind next summer.]]>
Against our wishes, we've been a three-dog-household for a while now. On October 20 while walking Rose, I found a dog running loose in the park. To keep our escaped dog Karma in balance, I brought her home with me to locate her owner. She looked well taken care of -- if a little chubby -- and had a collar, albeit without a tag. She looked a bit like a younger black-and-white version of Rose and I named her Elsie, on account of her Holstein appearance. Magda quickly nixed that name and christened her Tracy.
It turned out that she probably got dumped in our park. Despite posting found notices around the park, on Craig's List and other lost-dog forums, nobody seemed to know her. Too bad, too, since she's such an incredibly sweet and playful dog. We had someone foster her for a couple of weeks (while she was in full-blown heat) when we were on vacation, but they decided she wasn't a right fit.
So we got her back. She's now been spayed and has all her shots and we are now looking for a good home for her. She gets along well with other dogs (Rose is going to miss her). She's also extremely people friendly with both adults and children.
We'll try to find a rescue group to help us place her in a good home. But if anyone we know is looking for a great dog, we'd be more than happy to consider them. We'd just want to be able to come by and visit every once in a while.]]>
We decided to change things up for a chance and took the dogs to Barton Creek. As usual, we took the 360 entrance and hiked up stream. For it being Labor Day, there weren't all that many people there, probably because of the overcast sky. Though the tubers we saw did seem to have a good time in the great water.
We're taking advantage of the beautiful wet spring and headed out to the Hillcountry again. The wild flowers are still going like crazy, but the colors have shifted from the purple of the Bluebonnets (you still occasionally see some late stragglers, but mostly they've gone to seed by now) to the yellow and orange of Black-Eyed Susans, Indian Blankets and Mexican Hats. We also saw some cool Prickly Pear cacti blooming, but they're still not in full swing.
We were going to do some hiking at Pedernales Falls State Park with the O'Reillys, but got there a bit later than anticipated (damn that GPS navigation), though still ahead of them. We walked down to the ford to see if it was crossable -- it is for adults but not for a stroller or small kids. It's maybe half a mile from where we parked, but Magda walked the whole thing (with plenty of complaining) so it took a while. The river was beautiful and pleasantly cool. The dogs had lots of fun in the rushing water and Magda loved standing in the current and proclaiming that "we're moving!"
On the way back from the river, Magda found a huge fat caterpillar in the middle of the path. It actually had the appearance of a fat slug or -- to be honest -- a decent sized turd. Once we got home, we figured out that this was most likely the caterpillar of a Titan Sphinx Moth. The adults of this species are sometimes mistaken for humming birds!
After our foray to the ford, we hooked up with Meredith, Michael and the rest of them and headed over to the falls. We took the stroll to the overlook but from then on Magda spent the rest of the hike on my shoulders. I'm happy to say that I didn't slip on the rocks, but I'm considering putting her on a diet.
After the falls, we had dinner with the O'Reillys at their camp site grilled over their camp fire/coals. Magda enjoyed being outside with "the dark". She's said that she'd like to spend the night in a tent, so that's something we ought to look into. I remember enjoying camping quite a bit as a kid -- these day's I'd pick a room with a shower over a sleeping bag any day, but I'm looking forward to sharing the fun with her.]]>