Willie and Teddy's Excellent Adventure: June 2013

6/23/2013

We've been having a good time in California, but I (Willie) am a still a little steamed about the General Tso's incident, and that they seem to be closing all my favorite chinese restaurants in the area. How is a guy supposed to get to eat greasy fried gluten laden chicken and beef?

We went to the California Academy of Sciences and Steinhart Aquarium. It was extra fun because the alligator who normally never moves was super active. Treat. We've also been to our friends Nate and Jake's Bnai-Mitzvah which was a weekend long thing. We started with a meat and Magic fest Friday night, then down to the actual business of the event Saturday morning followed by a gambling dance party Saturday night. We were too worn out to go to brunch Sunday morning, so we took it easy, then met papa's friend Howie for dinner, and he did us right.

We've got another celebration Tuesday complete with a rice krispie cake. No more tweens for some person.

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I'm putting my money on the Alligator

I'm putting my money on the Snapping turtles

We are not putting our money on the catfish (see inside Alligator's mouth).

Behold--the reincarnation of Mouse! Two years ago I lost Mouse at Nana's at the end of a summer trip. This year, Willie and I were walking to Montclair and we were close to Nana's house and we saw this Mouse in the Street--it was meant to be.

Looks like mouse took a Las Vegas vacation with this costume he's wearing, and his eyes are kind of off center--too much Las Vegas.

We celebrated Mouse's return with a side of beef--actually it's just a tri-tip that papa smoked (Nana joke: where'd you find rolling papers that big--wakka wakka wakka). It was delicious--perhaps we'll have another one on my birthday!

No Mouse, you can't have any tri-tip because mice are vegetarians.

Monsters on the other hand eat little children, or so they say. Contrary to the picture, we did not see Monsters U yet. We saw the new Star Trek movie, and Mike and Sully happened to be there.

Magic is definitely the way to spend the aftermath of a guy's bar mitzvah.

Oh, and Craps. Fergie taught us all how to play, and I (Teddy) made $800 at the Craps table. Too bad they didn't let me keep it.

I got to eat my weight in ice cream, whipped cream and red vines.

At Howie and Cheryl's house, they had these auto-opening garbage cans everywhere. How cool is that? Lid goes up, lid goes down. Lid goes up, lid goes down. Lid goes up, lid goes down. Lid goes up, lid goes down. Lid goes up, lid goes down. Lid goes up, lid goes down. Lid goes up, lid goes down. Lid goes up, lid goes down. This never gets old.

6/16/2013

School's out for summer, a day early thanks to an impatient Papa who decided that the last day of school was for suckers and pulled us out so that we could drive to California a day early. We're on a tight schedule because we have to be back in Seattle by 6/28 so Teddy can read torah at his friend Jules' Bar Mitzvah--he returning the favor because Jules read at his BM. Seems fair. Anyway, how can we know if we were promoted to 11th and 8th grade if we got out a day early? Maybe they will make us repeat the year because of this--oh, I'm so nervous. Not really, but maybe a little.

CA has been good for some, and bittersweet for others so far. For me (willie) it's been great, with trips to KFC, Gum Wah, and In N Out already, with the promise of more favorites to come. For Teddy, it's the beginning of the realization that life with Celiac is a little different. Papa has been cooking up a storm though, with rice bowls, and curry, and BBQ hamburgers already, and plenty more good stuff to come. We'll not starve, but if have to smell the kimchi and sauerkraut he put up to ferment yesterday this whole time, we might. Okay we won't, especially with Fenton's ice cream in the freezer. Mmmmm, swiss milk chocolate (or for Teddy, mmm, chocolate and mint chocolate chip).

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Before the last day of school, it was dentist time. It's a good thing we like Dr. Nigrelle so much. It's also a good thing we do the 7 steps to dental health EVERY DAY, so no cavities for us, as usual. I did get to see some very appetizing recipes in Cook's Illustrated.

Roseburg, Oregon, and another visit to the park we've going to for years and years.

Back down to the river for more rock throwing.

KERPLUNK!

They've got a new climbing structure that definitely gives the advantage to a speedy 5 footer over a lumbering 6 footer.

Who you calling lumbering--I'll step on your head and squish you like a bug.

Mmmmm, In-N-Out! I got a triple burger and fries, and teddy has a roast beef sandwich and fries. Papa said they don't ever fry anything else in the oil but potatoes so it was okay.

Then on to Nana's house and comics and crossword puzzles. Teddy was first to find the new Pearl's Before Swine book, but there's plenty of time for both of us to read it multiple times.

The first of the death marches--we dragged MAL on a trip down the Stream Trail in Redwood regional park, but we didn't take the "butt-kicking" West Ridge trail this time. We took a shortcut that was wooded and still steepish. Ultimately it didn't seem to take off much of the distance.

Are we there yet?

Cuz I'm done walking--CARRY ME!!!

6/9/2013

Understandibly, we missed a week. Last weekend was a little busy, what with my (Teddy) Bar Mitzvah and all. Turns out people came from all over the country, and even from Israel. It was a little overwhelming at first, but I managed to get thru it, and even ended up having fun in the process, except being up on the chair at the party--that was like the barfiest of barf rides. But that too ended and this was a fine week with a great ending--I got together with some friends today and played Pathfinder. A nice exclamation point to a fine week.

Thanks to everybody who came from near and far, and for helping papa put together all the meals and the house and party and more meals. Everything went non-stop from Thursday on and it was exhausting. We've been trying to catch up on our sleep ever since, without complete success. School's out after next friday, so that is something to look forward to.

And now, in no particular order, are the pictures from last week.

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This me reading Torah on the Monday before my bar mitzvah. The portion was the same Monday and Thursday, so I read twice.

Willie got a bloody nose and needed some visual evidence of the mayhem.

I'm trying to eat here, can you keep the blood to yourself please.

Speaking of blood--give me that iPad or I'll bloody your nose.

This is papa's sushi crew, including (L to R) Colonel Katz, the Fish family, Gail C., Marci the marine biologist, and Dr. Braverman. Great work guys.

Celeste is doing her best imitation of Babar--here she's stuffed with two 8-foot and two 6-foot tables, 60 chairs, and a coat rack for good measure. The guys at the rental place didn't think she could handle it, but they'll never question the capacity of a Honda Fit again.