The wild card in my immediate family (referring, of course, to the youngest of my siblings, who was the grand age of 6 when I went to college and thus has always known me as this sort of absent, mysterious figure while I remember only the flashcard-like highlights of her life: Christmases and graduations, for the most part) spent four days with me this week on a frenzied back-to-school shopping spree. Highlights:

- We finally did the climbing wall at Westroads Mall. There is some small degree of contention here about who actually "won." Haley maintains she was higher on the wall and thus won by default, while I point out that I pushed the "finish" button (which plays this little fanfare for the entire store) first (by about half a second) even while climbing a more-difficult course. In any case, I've discovered this is an activity that requires preparation (in the form of an ongoing stretching and cardiovascular regimen); my arms were so sore that I wasn't sure I'd be able to drive afterward. We also watched a little blonde 8-year-old waif kick the wall's ass (holy cow); judging by the way she was discussing the gear with the staff I'm guessing she does it as a hobby.

- We had lunch one afternoon at the not-cheap-even-though-it's-just-melted-cheese-and-bread Melting Pot fondue restaurant at Village Point (Haley's pick). It was good, although neither one of us felt particularly well afterward (perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not).

- Haley officially adopted her new MacBook. I put money toward a shiny green wireless mouse we found at Best Buy as an early birthday present.

- Haley, Meghan and I watched "21" on Sunday evening. Kevin Spacey can be creepy when he wants to be.

- Haley's car wouldn't start on Tuesday as she was preparing to leave. Two phone calls and three Internet searches (plus some fiddling with the battery and assorted other arcane rituals) finally convinced the car it wasn't being stolen and it deactivated its anti-theft system (for now, anyway).

- After Haley's departure, Meghan and I celebrated her birthday with an outdoor concert at Lauritzen Gardens and a heavy dinner at The Olive Garden.

And finally . . .

- The utilities company *finally* finished their repairs and patched up my street (the day after Haley left, of course), so I have full access to my garage again.

Labels: family, haley, meghan

To Meghan, who turns her "permanent age" today. Hope it's a good one. :)

Labels: birthdays, meghan