Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2001 15:42:21 -0400

Huff puff.  We've held three parties at the Manor in the past week
beginning with a boys sleepover for Andrew's 13th birthday (which
occurred on the previous weekend.)  On Friday night, the teen girls
from the church held their own sleepover.  Funny thing about sleepovers
and teenagers: not much sleeping occurs while they are over.  Sunday's
party was for the college and career "Sunday School by the pool" party.
We also had Summer Sunday guests join us to cool off from the August
heat wave New England is enjoying.

With all the activity, Joy and I stole some time to go out on a 
double dutch treat dinner date (or dutch treat double date dinner)
on Thursday evening with Don and Rachel Silva.  Don brought photos
of his missions trip to Nicaragua and we caught up on other things
as well, enjoying each others' company; a brief but welcomed respite
from the rush.

The estrogen was bubbling over on Friday night so I decided to spend
an evening with Rich watching a guy race-car movie.  Jessica took
pictures of the girls' activities which included another "Mimi Make-up"
time where make-up was purposely employed to excess, and yes we have
the incriminating photos of the chaperones, Joy, Miranda, and Jessica
in ruby red lipstick, rouge to abuse, and neon blue eye shadow!  Water
sports included night swimming in the rain, hot tubbing, and interchanges
between the Jacuzzi and the pool the next day.  (I think I'll need to
refill the tub.)

On Saturday, there was another party but this one was at the church;
a one-day VBS extravaganza.  I got to play Sampson, by virtue of my
long hair and not my muscles.  (My hair is not yet shorn because the
fundrazor hasn't climbed high enough to clip yet.  More will be coming
in soon.)  As Sampson, I told kids how many times they had to lift
weights over their heads to get a prize.  In the early stages, I'd
take the 10-pound weights in each hand and give the kids the 2-pound
weights and have them do as I did.  Well, you can guess that it wasn't
too long before I let the kids have the 10-pound weights and I just told
them what to do for their prize.  Huff puff.  Where are my endorphins!?

Miranda took lots of VBS photos which were used as a slide show
presentation after the service on Sunday night.  Copies can be 
made if anyone is interested.  I'll append one of Emily who
participated by sitting above and falling into the dunk tank.
(Joy turned out to be a very good shot.)

On Sunday, back at home, the pool saw the most activity it had seen
since, oh Friday night, but this time, I got to be part of the activity
and not sent to my room by some girly teenager.  It was good to have a
mixed representation of families (Bickoms, Gonzalez, Drew, MacFadgen)
in addition to the college and career folk.  "Happiness is not perfected
until it is shared."  It made for a happy afternoon.

Andrew is off to Junior High camp today - the last camp of the season
(phew).  It won't be long before we start ramping up the activity to 
return to school, but first we're going to squeeze as much fun out of
summer as possible!  Woohoo!

Mark
-- 
+---_-----------+ Mark Metcalfe, metcalfe@cadence.com
| c a d e n c e | Cadence Design Systems, Inc.    Phone: (978) 446-6451
+---------------+ PCB Systems Division, Technical Communications Manager