In the warm California sun...

This week we had some much-needed rain, but it felt like saying good-bye to summer, especially since last weekend was packed with lots of summer activities.

We had free passes at the Boardwalk, and on Saturday spent a few hours there with Nat and baby Molly. I think it was the first time JFJ has actually been on the rides, and also the first time I tried the famous "Dippin Dots" ice cream. Most tourists head straight to the Boardwalk and I forget sometimes how many people are from out of town. If you ever need to convince someone that America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic, take them to the Boardwalk.

Sometimes that place really does seem like the village of the damned. One of the human tragedies on offer that day was this very large pregnant woman in line behind us for one of the rides, and she was describing in vivid and EXTREMELY LOUD detail how she was kicking out her boyfriend because he cheated on her. It was a story filled with profanity and repeated references to the court system, family services and the boyfriend's "stash." I thought the story was going to end with her saying, "And that's how we got to be on Dr. Phil."

On Saturday afternoon we helped set up for the Superkid Triathlon, which looked so fun I wanted to borrow a munchkin and enter them in the event! Kids from age 3 to 14 participate in a swim/bike/run at the Simpkins Swim Center. I know, it sounds like child abuse, but it's not an endurance event, the distances are scaled to be age-appropriate, so for example the three year-olds swim across the pool once (with a parent/guardian). ride their little tricycles down the length of one section of the parking lot and then run 1/20 mile to the finish line! The longest distance is for the 11-14 year-olds, who swim 200 yards, bike 2.5 miles and run 1 mile. Unfortunately, we drank too much wine that night and overslept the next day so we didn't get to see the race itself! Maybe that's for the best since I'm sure even though most parents are pretty chill, there was bound to be a few of the uber-competitive variety, screaming at their five-year olds from the sidelines. And that shit makes me crazy.