Storm at the lake

Although it was cooler today, F. and I still went to the big lake in Seven Lakes park to swim. As usual, I parked the car on the other side of the lake from the beach so we'd get a walk as well. We'd just been in the water ten minutes when the sky filled completely with jet black clouds, thunder rumbled, and everyone (well, by then there were only about three other people in the lake) ran screaming for cover. I didn't really believe that the lake would get hit by lightning and we'd be cooked, but I felt it would look bad if it actually happened, so I said we should get out. We'd just got our dry clothes on when the heavens opened. At this point I rather regretted the car being on the other side of the lake. And by the time we were 1/4 into the walk, I regretted changing out of our swim suits, because we were wetter in our clothes than we had been just out of the lake. To prove it, here's what Frederick looked like: We had to strip off before we got in the car. I kept my boxers on on the off chance I got pulled over. As it was, I felt a bit self-conscious sitting at a stop light in only sopping wet boxers. However, we made it home without arrests.

Success!

I've been struggling with making Gluten-Free loaves in the bread machine. They've tended to come out as hard little bricks. However, a Bread Fairy sent a special book in the mail and I tried one of the recipes, and voila! Light and fluffy! I gave a slice to Frederick and left the kitchen. Shortly afterwards I heard some to-ing and fro-ing and came back to find this: ...I think he likes it.

Be afraid - be very afraid!

As mentioned in an earlier post Thomas began the first segment of driver's training. This course met almost every night from 6-8 for three weeks. He also had to go driving 7 times, for two hours each session. The last two driving sessions featured parallel parking and driving onto and off of the freeway over and over all around town. I have let Thomas drive me about to run errands 6 or 7 times and, while he is SLOWLY getting better, he is still far too hesitant and anxious. I keep telling him to "gun it" and to "speed up, otherwise you'll get shot" but that doesn't seem to be helping. This is what he earned for all his troubles (and our $400): Now I have to take him to the Secretary of State (the Department of Motorized Vehicles, DMV, in the rest of the U.S.) along with this green slip, his Social Security card, proof of ID (notarized birth certificate, passport AND school I.D. card) AND two different "official" letters, such as report cards issued by his school, bank statements, paycheck stubs, or health insurance receipts--anything from an official institution addressed to him at this address (which proves, apparently, that he is an official resident of Michigan). After THAT, he will be awarded a temporary driver's permit.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Thank you, everyone who sent one or more of these, for the wonderful birthday bounty!

Swimming with ziploc baggies

Beautiful day today, so it was off to Seven Lakes for a swim. I thought we'd try something new this time: normally we park some ways around from the beach and walk along lakeside paths to get there, by which time we're all sweaty and ready to swim. The downside is that afterwards we get sweaty again walking back. So I thought that I'd invest in a little floaty mat and a jumbo-sized ziploc baggie to store various essentials in, and we could cut across the lake to the approved beach. And so we did. (Frederick looks much grumpier than he in fact was - the sun makes him squint.)

A drive up our street

As people might be aware, our fair town is rated in the top three most dangerous cities in the US regularly (Detroit and somewhere in New Jersey usually are the others). But our specific neighborhood is fine, as is downtown now (much improved since we came here, even while the rest of Flint gets ever poorer). But North Flint is where all the bloodshed happens, and it so happens that to get to Bluebell Beach, the nearest lake to swim in in the Summer, you drive directly north on our street. Here are some of the sights one sees:
(Sorry for the quality - I didn't stop. Or even slow down much.)

Thomas makes himself a snack

He calls these his "gaming kabobs/kebabs". Yes, those are raspberries.

Splashin' at Lapeer Rec Center

L'il Snapper

Found in the road that was flooded last time we came to For-Mar. I've seen baby box turtles before, but never one of these. With the tail, especially, they look prehistoric. (We returned it to the nearest pond.) (I should clarify that it's my foot but Frederick's hand...)

Thomas Goes to Driver's Ed

I don't know what is more unbelievable: that Thomas is old enough to start driver's ed classes or the thought that he will soon be behind the wheel of my car. Laws have changed since I got my driver's license: now kids have to take 3 classes over the course of 18 months as well as log in 100 hours of "behind the wheel training" with a licensed driver's ed teacher. It also costs almost $400 to take these classes. I feel both cheated blind and huge relief that someone else will be doing the bulk of the work teaching Thomas to drive. For some reason I don't expect he would take instruction from either Simon or me very readily. His first class was last night (segment 1 of the course requires 24 hours of class time, 12 sessions each 2 hours long) and he was shown the usual films: people decapitated during car crashes, deer exploding on contact with high speed vehicles, ambulances hauling away corpses after a drunk driver went wild through residential area.

Here is the dumpy, mildewy, cigarette-smoke-soaked building Thomas has to take his classes in.

Much of this building is empty (can't imagine why) but if you are interested, you can visit the building's facebook page.