It’s the last day hour of June and the last day of my feeble attempt at NaBloPoMo. I have done this before, and it typically leads to a long lay off due to burn out. After blog365 I could barely contemplate blogging. It was awful, and by now I really should know better. Perhaps doing it feebly will serve me well this time because I’ll be back tomorrow with a bit of an announcement, if all goes well. Cross your fingers, toes, eyes. Whatever you’ve got.

And, if for some reason that falls through, I’ll still come back tomorrow.

So much for NaBloPoMo June. Looks like I missed a couple of days. Can I just say it was a long weekend, the week started off crummy and leave it at that? Thanks.

Today the weather finally changed and the humidity went off to bother somebody else. It’s going to be close to 50 degrees tonight. My windows are open, ready to welcome the cool air. If every day of summer was exactly like this I could be persuaded to elevate it from my least favorite season all the way up to #2, right behind fall.

Alas, it will be hot and humid by the weekend.

As this blog begins year six, Eleanor began ballet class. You couldn’t convince her she isn’t already a ballerina, but now we have the shoes and leotard to go with the attitude. That was a story in itself. I found out around 10 am Friday morning that we were, in fact, registered for the class. I raced out at lunch time to find the necessary gear. In what can only be described as a miracle, the closest shop had everything we needed. We erred on the side of caution and bought two pairs of shoes but the ones that are too large can be returned.

I’m not sure Miss Kelly, the delightful instructor, was ready for Eleanor’s non-stop commentary but she took it in stride. Eleanor’s enthusiasm made up for not knowing first position. Ellie is at a bit of a disadvantage. Her mum was never interested in dance and definitely does not know the secret handshake or any of the French words required. We’re going to have to learn those together. (Except that after the first class, we’re not expected to stay and watch. There’s really no place to do that, and I know Eleanor will do better if she’s not looking to me every few minutes. I’ll go sip coffee for 45 minutes, and wish I had a strategically located webcam in the studio.)

We didn’t know any of the other seven adorable little girls in the class, and the experienced moms and dads left promptly so there wasn’t much bonding going on, but Eleanor loved it and can’t wait for next week.

Photo by AndrewEick

Tomorrow this blog will be five years old. It started on another platform (Blogger), with another name (Three Dogs and a Baby), for the sole purpose of sharing news and photos of my new baby with family far away.

I never imagined the new world this blog would open. It’s been a gateway to so many new friends that I am honored to know, both IRL and virtually.

To my small but faithful readership, thank you. I know I don’t deserve you, but I’ll keep trying.

World Cup:  USA won. England won. USA won the group (first time ever). Woo. Still living in a house divided. This won’t end well.

Tennis:  Go see what’s happening at Wimbledon over at Draft Day Suit.

Earthquake:  It was in Canada, but felt in Pittsburgh.

Pirates:  I had even more to say over at Draft Day Suit. I talk about the pierogi problem because the team is just.too.painful. (Right now? They are losing 13-2. Starting pitcher last an inning.)

Most mornings it is getting brighter at 7:30. This morning it was getting darker. Rain fell just as Oliver and I headed out to the bus stop. The first spots on the driveway were bigger than quarters. I foolishly thought the bus would come quickly, before we were soaked to the skin. Rain, lightning, thunder, wind. We had it all, before the bus arrived.

We reached our destination about 15 minutes before his bus to camp. It was still raining. We stayed in a bus shelter, while my shoes and pants got wetter. I sent texts to Mr C, asking that he bring replacements to my office when he came to campus. Yeah. No. Really cold air conditioning dried my pants but my toes are still a bit pruney.

No, it’s not my birthday. It is definitely not THAT BIRTHDAY (apparently the only photo I took on my 40th birthday…go figure). I’m talking about the new iOS 4 for my iPhone.

Here’s what I love:

unified inbox – Life-changer. I have four accounts on my phone. Holy hell…no more flipping between them.

multi-tasking – It made me download Pandora immediately.

folders – I have spent too much time thinking about how I’ll organize them. Maybe tomorrow.

backgrounds – Hated my wallpaper photo in the background. Still playing but found one that’s okay.

email threading – This one is pretty cool too.

That’s what I have found so far. It’s more than a little ridiculous how much I like this update. I don’t have a new phone on order, as it is my turn to lag behind but seeing this update makes that so much easier to swallow. It more than made my day.

It hasn’t been my favorite holiday for something close to 28 years, but since having kids of my own, it’s not so bad. Now that the kids are getting a bit more involved it’s even better. Oliver and Mr C are spending the afternoon at the Pirates game. O even asked for cash so he could buy Daddy a hot dog.

So what did Mr C get to open on Father’s Day? Top to bottom, Single Malt Scotch Bars, an iTunes gift card, and a travel book for The Netherlands (for his upcoming trip to Maastricht). Never mind there are maybe 6 pages of the book on Maastricht. It’s the thought that counts, right?

I know there should be something homemade in the mix. Mr C will have to settle for shrimp cocktail, steak, and chocolate lava cake with ice cream after the kids go to bed. He’s a fantastic dad and most deserving.

I spent the morning in a board meeting, where I learned more about an updated branding effort for the non-profit I work with, in anticipation of an important milestone in its history. I see the potential for linkage with another organization I like. And all three of us are going to be in New York in August. Hmmmmm.

This kind of stuff is what really makes my gears spin. Making connections that are mutually beneficial, especially ones that no one else has spotted. This one is big, and it’s unlikely mine was the first brain to have the thought, but I get a little giddy just thinking about the possibilities.

I promise to back off the garden photos after today. The color and volume of blooms on the hydrangeas are out of control. WordPress is still being temperamental but watch for a widget of flickr photos in the sidebar soon.