Toys in the Attic

Well once again I have obviously changed the look of the TGIF. The old layout didn't allow for lengthy prose so I've changed to this one (at least for now). But hey...at least I'm keeping the look of the thing fresh- which should make up for the stale commentary! (Sorry I still haven't found my intellectual stride yet...though I've been reading and thinking and perhaps soon I'll write something of import and be back in the saddle as it were. Till then you must suffer with generic updates.) Summer has hit us here with a full vengeance. The temps went from about 60F to 95F in a matter of days- the first of which was our patio opening this past Saturday. We had a lovely turnout of family and friends, though not as many as we'd hoped. Plus there were a few flying interlopers that seemed to torture our guests, especially poor Julia. Jon and Christine came from the Great Trials class, plus Renee, Jeff and Tyson and Brad and Jenn, and a little later James, AJ and Xavier stopped by as well. Gracie and I are settling back into our routine as Shell has gone back to work on a new project. GG continues to amaze us with how fast she seems to develop. She's finally started to crawl, say a few whispered 'dada', pull herself up to a standing position, clap on command, and wave bye-bye. All my grades and my GPA are finally in and calculated. I had a very good semester and was quite pleased with the results. I have to single out a few people who gave me great encouragement this year. First and foremost of course is Shelley who is the inspiration for everything and she, above all, deserves credit for any success I might find. I also have to thank Lalitha and Morghan from Shelley's studio who always offered encouragement and interest in how my studies were progressing. Mo is always there for a smile and a 'how's it going' and Lal on several occasions pulled me from the Egyptology suicide watch last fall. Very special thanks to two fellow travellers in academia- Elise and Rabia. Last year when I got perhaps the worst grade I'd ever received on a paper, I poured my heartache and misery out to Elise on a chilly evening walk to the library. She encouraged me perhaps more than she realized and helped me to see the forest rather than just the trees. She's going to attend Stanford starting next year and I'll miss the fact that she's close by, but want to wish her all the best in her sojourn to the Bay Area. I got my best mark at U of T this semester in Great Trials thanks in large part to Rabia. She edited and proofed my big essay for the class and was always there on MSN during late night writing sessions to cheer me up and push me forward. She was an intellectual sounding board and a fellow American nomad who could catch my eye with a knowing nod of Southern solidarity. As of last week my Dad officially retired from CBN. When you consider this is his second retirement (he retired 25 years ago from the Navy after spending 21 years in service of his country) all one can say is...it's about time. My Dad was always a workaholic type. His years in the Navy meant that for a decade after he left, he was still getting up at 5am and looking for something to do. For the longest time I'm was fairly certain he did not know how to actually relax. I spoke to him a few days ago and asked how it was going and he convinced me that he finally understands what it means to take it easy on himself. Happy Retirement Dad! Softball is rolling along. My new team, Wanner's Wackers, are 5-0 and I'm having a blast. We finally got our uniforms this week and for the first time since I was 11, I'm wearing a number other than #17. (not of my choice mind you). My other team, Mike's Painting, is only 1-2 and we've been rained out 3 games already so it's been rather a downer but luckily Dad Snyder has been able to play a few games and after his eye surgery was successful will hopefully be pitching us to victories again in July. Though he's been a great catcher so far this year, he's our ace pitcher and we desperately need him back on the mound. Saving the biggest and most important news for last, my brother David and his girlfriend Diane are officially engaged. As far as I know no date has yet been set and I believe they are looking at next summer. Congrats to Dave (and of course condolences to Di...why you didn't run when you had the chance is beyond me...didn't Jason and Shelley teach you ANYTHING about marrying into this family??) Oh well, you were fairly warned, my conscience is clear. Now on to some pictures... Gracie playing mind games with Willow...

The teasing does not stop at the water's edge either...

Grace the Impaler shows off her Shampoo Horn of Death...

Building the patio...Tony shovels, and shovels, and shovels...

Greg is the foreman so he watches Tony shovel and shovel and shovel...

No Tony, you cannot hear aliens on the baby monitor...that only works in the movie Signs...sheesh...(oh hey look kids...free advertisement for a certain animation company!!)

Tony and Gracie...

Laying the stones...and before you say anything...I *DID* my share of work too. I broke up the concrete that we had to remove, I moved stones from the pile in the driveway, and I looked after Gracie...so I wasn't just snapping photos...