How I Spent My 4th of July

We had a pretty good day yesterday. Not perfect, but pretty good. We only had two activities planned for the day - a family bike ride and a swimming/fireworks party at the house of a friend from church.

Although Kara, Alyssa and I all got our bikes for Christmas, Kara hadn't been riding with us because we couldn't quite figure out how to have her ride with her bottle of TPN. That is no longer a problem now. The other issue was that one bike needed repairs and adjustments due to it being assembled by a monkey with a learning disorder. This took an hour or so, and while there was no set time for our ride the riders thought it should take place 15 minutes before the repairs were done.

The ride was over our traditional two mile course of roads that slope so gently you only notice it when you are on a bicycle. Each of us took turns whining about things - the fit of helmets; the heat of the day; too slow; too fast; too thirsty. I spent my time whining about the whiners.

Despite all the whining though, Kara later said the little ride was the most fun she'd had in a long time. Hopefully we can go out again on Saturday, sans whining.

The day turned out warmer and nicer than was forecast. I did end up making a trip to a store in Arlington to get more pheasant for Kara, and on the way back I got some of the little throw-pop things for the girls. Alyssa asked for them by name, so I couldn't really refuse.

The party started at 8:00, and Kara decided that she would stay at home and do her oxygen and get ready for today's trip to Dallas. I had hoped she would come, if just for a few minutes to meet some people and maybe watch some fireworks, but I respect her decision to protect her health.

We were asked to bring a "family favorite" side or dessert. We had a beautiful bunch of spinach that Kara had decided not to use in her rotation diet, so I made a spinach, feta, grape and vinaigrette salad. I had Anna help by cutting up the grapes. "I don't remember this being a family favorite," she grumbled.

I was surprised to see it was the only salad there, and it went quickly. Anna even had some, and commented that she felt very proud that she had helped to make it. Hooray for little victories!

The fireworks over the lake were all done by the homeowners. Based on the size of the homes I expected a very good display and was not disappointed. Until the girls decided that they were done and we had to leave before the show was over. (sigh)

Comments

Anonymous said…
Sounds like a good 4th of July. We rounded up a babysitter (very rare to find with EFY going on in San Antonio) and went to eat at Freebirds (excellent, near Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth) and then to the Transformers movie. Again, excellent. Immensely entertaining, over-the-top summer fare. Glad to hear about Kara's progress with foods - laborious, but progressive!

Lisa (Walker) Dansie
7/9/07, 12:47 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guavalicious Contest Rules

As many of you know, I grew up in Hawaii, in the quaint little village of Laie . Many of you also know that I have been working away at my version of the Great American Novel for the last little while. Due to a bout of homesickness brought on by a cruel Utah winter, my story is set in (surprise) Laie. It was also in Laie that I learned to love the great taste of guava - the same taste I am about to share with a few lucky people in the form of my Guavalicious apple butter. To enter the contest, simply add a comment to this post that completes the following sentence: "A story set in Hawaii simply has to include _____." There are no right or wrong answers. I'm just curious to see what everyone has to say, both "insiders and outsiders". I also think it could be fun to try and use as many of these suggestions as possible. You can make as many as you want, but your name only goes in the hat once. I will add a jar of Guavalicious to the prize pool for every four entr
Read more

Canoe-Paddling Polynesian Guys

Image
We have finally hung a picture on the wall here in our house. The fact that this is a blog-worthy event eighteen months after moving in is, I admit, rather pathetic. But it is also very exciting. I finally feel like we are really moving in. Slowly but surely we're picking away at the projects that need to be done, and (for now) avoiding the temptation to take on any new ones. This picture is called Hoe Kama Kani , which means "paddle with the wind." We found this picture at a home show in Honolulu while we were students, and I just fell in love with it. I stood there and stared at the picture for quite some time, but I simply couldn't justify the $140 price. The salesman told us that they had a smaller print available for much less, but they had sold out at the show. We could look at it if we came by the studio the next week. Unfortunately, the little 8x10 just didn't have the same effect as the full size print. So as you can see, we bit the bullet, got the big on
Read more

The Liar's Game - Post 500

Image
Here it is - the 500th post here at Fifteen Minutes of Delusion. To celebrate, I'm having a contest. You can find the rules here . Post your guesses on this post. And now, on to the game. 1. My lunch with Michael Dorn. For several years, I was the Utah Wing Leader for Angel Flight West, a charity flying organization that donates flights in private aircraft for people who need medical attention. Each October, the Wing Leaders would get together with the board of directors in Long Beach, California, for a Wing Leader Planning Day. The first year I attended, actor and pilot Michael Dorn was on the board. I didn't recognize him at first, but as soon as he spoke, there was no doubt who he was. Kara and I were big Star Trek fans at the time. Although we didn't have any direct interaction, we sat at the same table during lunch. I was pleased to note that he took the onions off of his sandwich, just like me. 2. My flight with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman. One Christmas Kara and
Read more