Summer @ the Lake

Summer started with a real BANG for Logan. After months of looking, he got a new 'fishing boat.' Well, at least that was the original intention. He ended up with very powerful 140 horsepower Four Winns Freedom. It has the horsepower of a Mack truck! Needless to say, he loves it! He spends hours and hours fishing (and keeps the local bait shops in business). He even supplied us with enough fish for an enormous homemade fish fry. Leftover fish? Eww! Not so. Thanks to a hearty supply of tartar sauce, by the time we were full the pan was almost empty! Logan's other new addition this summer was a JOB! He worked at the Hayward National Golf Course for both the course pro and the groundskeeper. They loved having him and Logan enjoyed the opportunity to make money being outside, driving a golf cart, changing pin locations, and countless other odd jobs. It was perfect for him.

Grayson started the summer by signing up with a Hayward baseball team (already three weeks into their season). Although, watching them play was like watching 'The Bad News Bears,' the team was delighted to have Grayson (a natural athlete) join the team. They only won one game (losing was a new experience for him), but he had a good time, made some new friends, and wants to do it again next summer. He also played golf in a junior program at the golf course.

We had our annual family trip to a dairy breakfast. By the time we arrived and waited in line behind over 100 cheeseheads, it was more like brunch, but we feasted on pancakes, bacon, sausage, and of course, cheese. On our way back to the car, Logan had one ice cream cone in each hand.

Both boys looked forward to the 'calm water days' so they could hit the water skiing, tubing, and wakeboarding. (This is different from the 'weekenders' who will pound the water regardless of the weather.) Logan's getting a bit more adventurous behind the boat. It's fun to watch.

After a month teaching at Gallaudet University in D.C., I made it to the lake just in time to see the start of the Tour de France (live each AM on Versus). Mom and I are admitted addicts. Nothing else would get us up at the crack of dawn for three straight weeks during summer vacation, except Lance Armstrong. It was a thrill to see him back at the Tour (and on the podium). Can't wait to see what happens with his new team in 2010! Basically, I chillaxed in my pjs drinking coffee on the deck til noon (or later), read a stack of books, drove the kids to town (or behind the boat), and of course all of this while taking scads of pictures (which requires hours on the laptop in iPhoto, Blogger, Shutterfly, Picasa, Smilebox etc...).

Al's summer could be summed up in three words, work, work, work. Well, this I guess that's what he gets for developing an incredibly successful charter school. He's 'a man in demand.' He's been doing some traveling (mostly for TAGOS) so he's been living out of a suitcase most of the summer. He did get a chance to add in some relaxation on the water during his journeys. In Rhinelander, he went on a riverboat cruise, then in Lake Geneva they took a boat tour, and he even went sailing a couple times on Lake Pepin. He has made it to the lake a few times (for a few days at a time). But, poor guy, when he gets here 'it's always somethin.' The alternator belt on the boat broke, the fish finder needs to be installed, the boat lift needs to be moved out deeper, the pier needs to be longer, the water heater broke, and on and on. Maybe when school gets started in the fall he'll be able to relax. Yeah...I doubt it.

Well, we're seeing diamonds on the lake. (The sun shines on the lake at a different angle than a couple months ago.) That's our sign that summer is almost at an end. We're counting down the days we have left at the lake and they days until football practice begins and school starts again. (Eegads! Now we have a 7th grader and a SOPHOMORE!) It's sad to think about the end of the summer, but our little wooden sign on the deck puts everything in perspective for us, "If you're lucky enough to live on the lake, you're lucky enough!"

Gallaudet & D.C.

I had the opportunity to teach at Gallaudet University again this summer. I was a national lead mentor with another bright group of participants (teachers) from Deaf schools all over the U.S. I also got to catch up with some friends I only see once a year. Each summer, I look forward to the challenge of this bilingual teaching experience and the 'perk' of spending days off in the best 'city' in all the U.S.

During the first week, Al was in D.C. for a national charter school conference so we found time to get together. After he was introduced to food and drink in China Town, we took a boat trip on the Potomac, from Alexandria, VA to Georgetown, D.C., did some shopping, went to a great steakhouse for dinner and relaxed in a trendy bar called 'Cure' in the Grand Hyatt.

On one of my days off, I started by shopping at the Eastern Market on Capitol Hill. This is one of the oldest markets in the U.S. It has been open continuously since 1873! Next, I headed to Alexandria, VA to shop on King Street. Alexandria is a historic, colonial town right on the Potomac with tons of unique shops and eateries.

When the AEBPD training moved from NMSD (New Mexico School for the Deaf) in Santa Fe, NM to Gallaudet University in D.C., I knew I would miss Santa Fe. But, D.C. is simply the BEST!