Beware of Dog

The parking lot was full when we pulled into a nearby park this afternoon. Several white picnic canopies were arranged over at the edge of the fields, and speakers were pumping out upbeat music from the bandstand. To be honest, the mostly African American crowd was an unusual sight for this semi-rural little hamlet, but the mini-buses labeled "Trenton Pentecostal Church" sort of explained the unexpected diversity, and reminded me that nothing is really very far away from anything in New Jersey, where suburbs melt effortlessly into farms, and almost every east-west road includes a bridge over the turnpike.

A group of five little kids led by a boy of perhaps 10 or 11, stood wide-eyed as we unloaded the dogs for the walk we were there to take. First out was Odie, a springy little miniature schnauzer who bounced to the end of his leash.

"Whoa! A dog!" said one of the children in utter surprise.

"Wait until you see the next one!" Heidi told the little girl.

The group gasped in surprise as Lucy bounded out of the station wagon with her typical tada! flourish.

"Okay," said the leader, stepping in front of his charges and spreading his arms, "which one bites?"

Local History

Today I did what I do when I visit a place that seems interesting: I found a little history book and started reading. Did it help that we're in New Jersey, the state I truly consider to be where I'm from? Maybe, but all those Victorian houses on South Main Street really seemed like there had to have been something going on.

So far I've uncovered that the couple for whom this hamlet is named was lost to history a mere 20 years after carving a town from woods along the former Indian trail that became the main road from New Amsterdam to Trenton. There's also a couple of haunted houses, and the little known fact that the "Etra" in Etra Road and Etra Park is actually an acronym for Edward Taylor Riggs Applegate, one of 19th century Mercer County's most prominent citizens.

All evidence of a good day's work, and who knows what I may discover tomorrow?

Auntie's Taxi Service

After a single day of driving 2 teenaged girls and their friends around to jobs, camps, rehearsals, boyfriend's house, hair appointments, shopping etc. and back, I am exhausted! As a teacher, I am certainly aware of how crazy kids' schedules can be, but I honestly don't know how families manage the complexities. Or rather, I do. Family time is the obvious casualty: there simply isn't time for dinner at the table, homework help, family TV or games, or other activities.

Back when I was a kid, things were a lot different. Were we bored without so many activities on our agendas? Maybe, but we were bored together!

The P is not Silent

We were talking vegan options at dinner tonight with Heidi's friend Betty and her 2 girls, Allyn and Delaney.

"Pea protein is very big these days," Heidi told Betty, who nodded.

As Betty started to tell Heidi that pea protein was in her smoothie powder, I looked across the table at Delaney, who looked horrified. Allyn noticed the expression as well.

"They mean the vegetable," she told her sister. "P-E-A."

"Oh good!" Delaney replied. "I was really worried about where people were getting their protein from these days!"

Inside Recess

When the day is hot and sticky
But you want to have some fun
And bowling is so last week
There’s still some place to run

Indoor mini golf!

Heidi and Annabelle and I went when we were in Atlanta, and at the time I made note of the fact that they had a location not too too far from our house. And so on Josh’s last day with us and in between running errands to prepare for our next road trip to NJ and Buffalo, we made our way to Monster Mini-golf, where all the clubs and balls and bumpers on the greens are fluorescent, and you play under black lights with retro music pounding too loud for you to have a normal conversation, but just the right volume to make you shake your bootie on every green while waiting for your turn to putt. This location also had duck pin bowling, a laser maze, and a neon color challenge that were included, along with 10 dollars worth of arcade games in our flat rate admission. And yes! I put the high score on the basketball game again, proving Atlanta was no fluke! It was cheesy fun at its finest, and gifting our tickets to a family of little boys on the way out the door, I laughed all the way into the muggy afternoon, where, yes, it had thunderstormed again. 

Microburst

Our street is like a river! the text from one of our neighbors read.

We looked around where we were, just 10 miles from home. It was 95 degrees, and the sun was unrelenting.

I know! I got drenched coming in from the car, and that was with a raincoat and umbrella! replied another neighbor.

There were a few clouds in the east, towards the direction of home.

The pavement was dry on the way back. A mile or so from our house we spotted a few small puddles, and the streets grew wetter as we approached home.

Here? The sun was out, but everything sparkled and steamed in the aftermath of what must have been an impressive storm.

Too

The day was too good to waste, and too hot to do much.
But we tried:
The path was too steep and too muddy to reach the river.
The town was too flooded to have much of anything open.
The park was too crowded to find parking.
The road home was too crowded to make good time.
But:
The company was too good to complain.
The dinner was too delicious not to enjoy.