Happy last day of July. N is watching some hour-long Diego special on dinosaurs. M is off at her class, the other two at summer school. I can write a little with my feet up on the ottoman.

This week has been busy. I’m exhausted. N abdicated summer school so he and I hung out every day while M and his brothers were out. We’ve had a good time, actually, hitting my office a couple times, Hoffers’ pet store once (with S) and a couple other stores/sites here and there. Through the afternoons I’ve let the boys play video games as T bought a couple new ones for his birthday. Yesterday I made them pick up all the crabapples. That was fun to watch. After a modicum of bickering they eventually finished the job together.

Week highlights!

• I need a couple days off from working out. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t lift three days a week (Memorial Day?) in additional to all the regular cardio, and over the last three days I added hoops and jogging. My knees need a break. I’ll take off the rest of today, tomorrow, and maybe Sunday as well.
• T has come along for basketball this week, mostly because a cute fifth grade girl he knows shows up at the Y with his mom.
• I had a rare stretch away from books, too, early in the week. My routine is out of whack. Mary says demolishing routines can be good, and I agree, but between last week’s Chautauqua visit and this week’s schedule I’ve had enough, thank you very much. I’ve read the last few nights, at least, Ross MacDonald’s excellent “The Moving Target”.
• Yesterday N and I visited the model store. I tried to find a cool model to build, maybe something from ancient Greece, but N was in a hurry and a couple very weird teenagers got in a big argument about Magic:The Gathering at a nearby table, so we got the hell out.
• I want to see “The Watchmen” but haven’t had time to even order the movie off of cable.
• I’ve liked working at night. No one is in the office and I get a ton done. Ghosts are the only drawback. I also set up my calendar on Google. Thanks, Louie!
• Mary and I met at Alterra’s Wednesday evening. We sat outside. I watched pretty joggers pass and we talked about the upcoming year. Beautiful night. I cranked The Hold Steady and drove home with the windows open.
• M wants to go to the Ozaukee County Fair tonight. I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go! Doesn’t she know I want to see The Watchmen?
• I need to catch up on True Blood.
• I don’t know if I can travel any more this summer. We’ll see. I at least want to get down to Chicago to check out the Art Institute’s Modern Wing. Maybe I’ll take the train.
• S and I are have hardly visited the WB farmer’s market. We’ll go tomorrow before M hits Zoomba.

That’s it for now. Have a lovely start of August.