Vacation Day #11 : Tuesday, July 1 : The vacation series continues. I'm trying to get through this vacation series before my next vacation starts. On Tuesday I took Alex to Six Flags. Alex got a free ticket to Six Flags for reading six hours over a number of months. What Alex finds silly is that he probably read 150 hours during that period of time. He is only 10 years old but he reads at a high school or early college level. He finished reading the new Harry Potter book in a few days and is now reading "Watership Down" which I didn't read till I was in college.
I took Alex to Six Flags in the morning and we did the water park. In the afternoon I took Alex on rides he likes and he played various games. One amusing moment was when Alex waited in line to throw three baseballs to try to break plates. In front of him was a teenager who swaggered up full of bravado trying to show off in front of his friend and the two girls that were with them. He started discussing what prize he would get the girls for breaking three plates. He spent some time on this before he made his first violent throw. Which, of course, hit nothing. So, what does the jackass do then? He spends a minute discussing what he will get the girls with just two plates. Sure enough, he throws the ball as hard as he can and hits ... nothing. By this time the fool has learned his lesson, shuts up and throws his last one, which doesn't hit anything. So, before this kid can even slink off, what happens next? My ten year old son Alex walks up, grabs a baseball, and smacks a plate dead in the center on the first throw. I do believe that is what they call humiliation. Alex was properly thrilled to collect his large stuffed animal prize. I won the strong man prize for him, on the first try of course, putting all of my not inconsiderable weight behind the blow.
Alex arrived home tired and loaded down with a pile of stuffed toys.
I took Alex to Six Flags in the morning and we did the water park. In the afternoon I took Alex on rides he likes and he played various games. One amusing moment was when Alex waited in line to throw three baseballs to try to break plates. In front of him was a teenager who swaggered up full of bravado trying to show off in front of his friend and the two girls that were with them. He started discussing what prize he would get the girls for breaking three plates. He spent some time on this before he made his first violent throw. Which, of course, hit nothing. So, what does the jackass do then? He spends a minute discussing what he will get the girls with just two plates. Sure enough, he throws the ball as hard as he can and hits ... nothing. By this time the fool has learned his lesson, shuts up and throws his last one, which doesn't hit anything. So, before this kid can even slink off, what happens next? My ten year old son Alex walks up, grabs a baseball, and smacks a plate dead in the center on the first throw. I do believe that is what they call humiliation. Alex was properly thrilled to collect his large stuffed animal prize. I won the strong man prize for him, on the first try of course, putting all of my not inconsiderable weight behind the blow.
Alex arrived home tired and loaded down with a pile of stuffed toys.
Alex on the climbing wall at Six Flags.
Finally one shocking photograph I feel obligated to share. I don't sunburn. I tan. Even when I do get sunburned, instead of peeling, it just turns into a deeper tan. By this time I had spent over a week in a convertible and out in the sun. I guess it's no secret, I am sensitive about my weight. Ok, let's face it. I'm fat. I am kind enough to the world to keep my beer belly covered at all times, so it has never seen the light of day. The following photograph, cropped as carefully as I could, shows the contrast between the tan on my arm and my belly that looks like a landed flopping fish.
Compare and contrast, my toasty convertible tanned arm against my lily white bloated belly.
