Submarine Races

Friday, September 25, 1998
One year ago: Naked Ladies

My entry from a year ago is one that sometimes still gets a fair number of hits! I assume this is because of the main heading.

I got a lot accomplished at work today. I'll certainly get some exercise in this new building; my team is stretched out along its entire length, so every time I want to talk to someone face-to-face as opposed to email, it does involve a hike. I am getting used to the maze of internal corridors, and learning where folks are. I tried showering in a different building today. The lockerroom in building 27 is made of mint green tile, and the showers are gang-style instead of having individual doors or curtains, but I like them better than the ones I tried out yesterday.

It was raining most of the day. I walked to the showers in the rain; I walked to the cafeteria in the rain. We even had a fire alarm go off so we stood outside in the rain. I was glad I had my Frank Lloyd Wright umbrella with me! The fire alarm was caused by someone running into a sprinkler pipe with a forklift, in the garage.

I was really rather bummed about the rain, because Jack had proposed some planet-viewing with his telescope this weekend. Jupiter will be good viewing! But if the weather turned bad, he seemed to have the odd notion that I shouldn't come over. hmmph!

So I was excited when I saw the sun coming out at the end of the day. I sent Jack some planet-watching info that a coworker had sent me. In general discussion about the weekend, he wrote me this:

About the only thing I am planning (other than skywatching) is taking [his daughters] to the Puyallup fair on Sunday. I would like to invite you along, but I don't know if you have ever been to something like that with kids, and you may not want to deal with the hassles. Plus I am one of those guys who wants to actually look at the animals and fair exhibits, so I do a lot of walking (and a lot of listening to "Daddy, my feet hurt. Daddy, this is boring! Daddy, can we do something else now?")

Well, of course I said that the fair sounded great! I have been to it in previous years, and I do like looking at all the animals and exhibits, and I like the rides, too!

So we discussed this on the phone, till Jack had to go drop his daughter off at the middle school dance. Had I eaten yet? No, I was still at work. Would I like to join him? Yes! So we had a quick dinner at Taco del Mar, then drove to the open area where we'll be taking the telescope tomorrow. This is a flood plain north of Redmond, so it isn't developed. People land hot-air balloons there, and set off model rockets, and run radio-controlled cars and planes. There's also a hundred-acre soccer field! Jack said that he thought sometimes people parked and watched the submarine races there, too! We chatted, and did some sky-viewing with his binoculars. It was so good to see him, after a gap of several weeks!

In a little while, we left to go pick up A---- (Jack's older daughter) at the school dance. We sat in the Explorer in the parking lot while she talked to her friends, standing at the door to the school. I think she was surprised to see me. She wanted to go for ice cream, and I supported this request, so off we went to Dairy Queen. Jack surprised me by mentioning an idea I'd told him about earlier, and asking me to tell A---- about it. I'd had the inspiration the other night that Jack could bring one or both daughters to Two-Tone Tuesday sometime. It's an all-ages thing, there are usually high-school kids there, and it starts with a free lesson. A---- was very enthusiastic about this idea, so I bet we'll do it soon, though I think Jack is dubious about trying swing dancing.

What a fun, unexpected evening!