Ariel's last week before school starts

August 19, 2007

This was our last week with Ariel. I'll miss her, but admit that
I am glad to have time to rest up before our trip east. She is
such a busy person that she kept me active. That was a good
thing, but the cumulative effect was to wear me down.

Friday we had lunch at Tsing Tao in Table Mesa with some of my
NCAR buddies; Buck and Ruth Frye, Caroline and Vince Wayland
and Bob Chervin. Ariel went with us and had a proper and very
attractive dress to wear. Each of the adults made an effort to
engage her so she never bothered to pull the toys she brought out
of her back pack. She was a little princess through the two-hour
lunch. Robert and I had a good time, too.

In the afternoon a thunderstorm built and as Ariel and I were
heading for the car to meet Martha, a simultaneous lightning
stroke and thunderclap hit just a few yards from us. Ariel
screamed and ducked down. I put my arms around her to reassure
her and as she stood up she looked at me with total panic and
pointed to her throat. I kept my voice calm and told her she'd
be alright; breath in, out...in...out and by the third out she
was breathing normally again. She was still terrified however so
we ran to the car. Then she started crying about how awful
canyon storms were and how did I know we wouldn't have a flash
flood and be killed. Again, I tried to reassure her, tuned in
the radio so if such a thing were to happen we would get the
warning. I also told her that if I thought there was a chance of
a flash flood we would have stayed home. She gradually calmed
down, but voiced her wish for us to move to Erie so she didn't
have to go so far to be with us. We talked about the pros and
cons of city life versus mountain life and the fact that Robert
had been living in his house for seven years before her father
was born. That was impressive. And that someday we might have
to move to the city, but we both were really happy in our house
in the mountains.

As we arrived at the pet store where we were to meet Martha it
started pouring again, but we couldn't hear any thunder so she
was OK. I took a bright red poncho out of the trunk and happily
put that on and we sloshed into the store. I needed fish food.
Martha arrived shortly after we did and we all looked at the
mice, rats, hamsters and such. By the time we left the rain had
stopped.

Monday was Robert's first Monday without Keegan. He missed
him, but was also relieved not to have to have plans for the day to
keep Keegan busy. I had Ariel, as usual.

Tuesday I had lunch with Karen. I hadn't seen her since before
we went to Kentucky. She looks a lot better. She had been
looking pretty haggard. She has cut her hair, let the natural
curl do its thing and it is now brown with golden highlights.
Looks good on her and takes ten years off her age. She is
recovering from having been fired from Moosehead Beer. She
had been hired in March to be an Executive Assistant and
worked her buns off, gotten the new office set up and running...
her boss announced they needed someone with more accounting
experience. I think what he really wants is two people which he
probably can get for what he was paying Karen, at her insistence.


Wednesday afternoon Robert went to a Planning Commission
Board meeting where the discussion was about limiting the
size of new houses. Many people, including me, dislike the
monster homes which use an excess of resources in a time when
it is clear resources are becoming more limited. At the same time,
I don't think the government should stipulate what size your
house should be. Further they are suggesting that you can build
a bigger house if you are rich enough. That is you can build a
bigger house if you can buy someones development rights. I
think that is decidedly wrong. Robert spoke as did a number
of others. I would gather most were opposed to the limits by
government. I couldn't go because the meeting was from 5-7
and I have Ariel until 5:30.

On Thursday Robert had an eye appointment, routine
check-up and a dentist appointment to fix a tooth in which a
gold crown had been and had fallen out. Dr. Monk glued it in,
but it only stayed in overnight.

In the evening he went to his Cosmology book club.

Last evening we had reservations at the Gondolier, on Pearl, for
Viki and the kids, Vernon and we for 6 PM. Robert and I arrived
on the dot of 6 and found a parking place across the street, very
handy. When we got to the restaurant there was a sign saying they
had moved to 1600 Pearl, where the Mongolian Grill used to be.
We walked to 1600 Pearl, but the building was empty. There was a
sign saying "we have moved to 29th street." But it didn't say
who "we" was, Gondolier or Mongolian Grill?? We returned to the
car and were about to pull away when Vernon showed up. He
hadn't given me an answer when I invited him so I had assumed
he wasn't coming. Anyway, I had called Viki and we agreed to
meet at 29th street. No one would give an opinion as to where
they would prefer to go at 29th street so I said let's go to
Laudisio's. When we got there I heard the hostess tell a party
of two they would have to wait 30 minutes. We left and went
to the Railyard which was nearby. They serve steak, chops
and seafood so I figured there would be something for
everyone and there was. We had a good time and spent two
hours there...This was Liza's 20th birthday celebration.

It rained last evening as we were leaving the restaurant and
apparently rained most of the night because everything was till
dripping this morning. Now it is raining again. Everything is
green and lush because we have had many of these rain showers
this summer.