So Tom returned from San Francisco early Saturday morning. He even had a chance to pick me up a Denver Starbucks mug since his flight was diverted. He arrived home

just in time for the two of us to go lawn mower shopping and get the grass cut before all the rain came. During the week Scott and I tried to get the old mower working so we could finish cutting the backyard. Tom was having trouble keeping the mower going last weekend and the rain did not help so we did not finish cutting the grass.  By Tuesday I got the mower working again and started on the jungle in the back. It proved to be too much for our poor old mower and it actually blew up! No starting it up again with a hole in the engine block! So Tom and I dropped it off to a scrap metal fund raiser collection for the football team at the high school and picked up a new push mower that we both like. Tom had to cut the lawn twice since it was so overgrown and wet, but he reports the new mower is so much better. I am sure the kids and I will have plenty of time to try it out.

While he was busy cutting the grass, I went off to get my hair cut and highlighted. Now I am ready for the summer! I have also been working with Scott on his Social Studies power point project on Madagascar, as well as a few other homework/test studying activities. He was off school on Weds and we spent the whole day working on school projects. I was not as helpful to Allison however. Her Physics mouse trap project was failing and was due Thursday. She was in a panic. She and her teammate had built the project mostly out of cardboard, so the more they ran it, the more it fell apart. I knew she needed some PVC piping, but I was off with Scott Weds night to a boy scout field trip to our county emergency center. Since Tom was out of town, I quickly gave my neighbor Dan a call. He came to Allison's rescue with a hacksaw after I located some plastic pipes and it was a miracle!  The project worked the first time Thursday morning in Physics class, and Allison not only got full credit, but extra credit for keeping the whole thing within a small base! Basically the project involved using 4 different simple machines(pulleys, hinges, etc) to make something happen. Her project turned on a light switch. So life is good and thank you Mr Dan!

Meanwhile, Scott and I were touring the 911 center for our county which was very interesting. We even got to hear a call come in for a fire. ON Thursday and Friday night we were off with the scouts once again, this time volunteering to assist with the hot air balloon festival in honor of the Preakness Horse Race this past weekend. (Sorry the Indy time trials were preempted Mark!) Our local golf resort puts on the fair with about a dozen balloons set up out on the course. You can get a ride up in the balloons, or they take off for a flight. Mainly we were helping keep the balloons grounded that would glow when the sun went down. On Thursday night the wind was blowing too strong, so we had to let our balloon deflate. I thought we would be holding onto guide ropes. We actually had to cling to the basket(really made out of wicker!) to keep the balloons on the ground. We also had to help inflate/deflate and pack and unpack the very heavy balloons. Friday we were able to keep the balloon up and enjoyed watching all the balloons glow at sunset. And it was interesting speaking to the balloon operator as he was from Battle Creek, Mi and travels all around the country for the different hot air balloon festivals.  I didn't realize how hard this job really was and how toasty it is under the blower! Boy was I sore after all that work! Mainly because I had just had a few shots Friday morning in prep for our European trip. (Those tetanus shots really hurt!) But Scott said he would do it again next year!

On Saturday afternoon he had his last golf lesson-a make up since it rained last weekend. He really enjoyed the lesson since they actually went out on the course and he got his first Birdie!  Too bad we didn't have time to get to his swim lessons this week.

On Sunday Tom and I took the kids to see the new Star Trek movie. Tom and I loved it, and the kids did too, but they sure have a lot of catching up to do! Between the Wrath of Kahn and The Trouble with Tribbles we could spend a whole summer doing Star Trek! We will make them little Trekkies yet! And Sunday evening we were busy being geeks again when Tom and Scott visited some friends to help their son set up a new computer system. I was not planning on getting involved, but I had to deliver some software for Tom to the house, so I took advantage of my visit with a glass of wine and some snacks. 

Allison meanwhile finished up her last official week of classes and her internship with the Kindergarteners. She enjoyed her last visit chaperoning a trip to the Baltimore zoo. Good thing she went since she is so familiar with the zoo she was able to guide the teachers and the kids around. They thankfully had a beautiful day, but she had to get home to go to work that night. And the kids and teachers gave her a big send off with really cute cards, gift cards to Target and the Salisbury bookstore, a necklace and keychainr and one child even made her a decoupage wooden box covered in Salisbury University pictures/High School pictures and Grade school pictures. Allison can't wait to take it to school. I just registered her for her college orientation this June. Tom will take her to campus for the whole day to register for fall classes and for an orientation program for parents and kids just before we head to Europe. I also had to mail off her immunizations for school, but she still needs a few more shots before she goes in the fall. So now she just has to get through finals week and practice for graduation.

I continue to keep myself very busy at Scott's school and around the house. Last Monday afternoon I was busy helping decorate the school cafeteria for the choir/band reception. Monday night I attended SCott's choir and band concert at his school. Allison got a chance to hear them during her internship. I am still running items up to the kids resale shop as I clean out closets and the garage. I just sold the kids old plastic wagon that we had since Allison was born! Since I have my fancy new folding wagon for camping, I did not need the bulky plastic one. I also managed to get all my flowers planted and sent out all of Allison's graduation announcements. Never a dull moment. I also had heard some sad news from my previous co workers. Our secretary's 26 year old son passed away, probably from an overdose. He had issues. I found out too late to attend the wake or funeral, so I will probably just send flowers and a card. We had some other sad news in our town concerning two special ed students from Allison's high school. Seems the 14 yo girl asked her 19 yo boyfriend to kill her father here in Ellicott City. I guess he was divorced and remarrying. Looks like his daughter wasn't too fond of the idea. Crazy world. And sadly we lost one of our hermit crabs. He had just shed his skin, but didn't make it. Boy did that smell!

Here are some photos from last week's activities, including Allison's physics project(it really worked!). Working with the boy scouts at the balloon festival. Scott rolled down the balloon to help deflate before rolling it up and stuffing it into a bag. He climbed up on the basket and we held it down too! We worked on two balloons "Stinky" and the "Purple People Eater". Scouts at the 911 center and the School Band/choir concert reception. I attempted to include a video clip of the kids singing. Hopefully it works!


On a happier note, a big Happy Birthday goes out to Stacey Seitz! And glad to hear Mark Seitz is feeling better after another medical issue. Once again, sorry about the horse racing Mark. I see the Kentucky Derby winner, Orb, came in 4th. Too bad. But the 50 yo jockey won our Maryland Preakness! Good for him.