In which I steal other people's photos.

I promise, someday I will change my ways. Someday I will buy a REAL camera, check out some photography books, and learn how to take real pictures that are actually artistic and composed. Until that day, I will continue to pluck up other people's pictures from their blogs/facebook, and blog them here. Because how ELSE am I going to illustrate my summer? Hmmmm?

The Reynolds Family Reunion.

We all spent a week hanging out, taking dips in the pool, playing on the rented bounce house/rented water slide, taking the kids down to Excalibur down at the strip, visiting the biggest trampoline room around and playing dodgeball, rock climbing, seeing some movies, catching some concerts, and playing yoga ball at the church. Hal and I even cooked dinner for everyone one night-- our very own recipe, Bacon Alfredo. It's always been a favorite, ever since we made it together for the first time three years ago when we were dating. It's been tweaked here and there over time, and I think we have it down.

Somewhere in the middle of all the hubbub, we managed to also kick back, read some books, munch on some delicious food, and take cat naps. One of my favorite parts of these reunions is the bonding all the little kid cousins do. They are all smart, adorable, kind, and creative kids. And they always make me feel like the bomb when they say, "Sarah! Come sit by me!"

Thank you to my sister in law, from whom I stole the following pictures:


The newest member of the family, Jack.


Harry on the water slide. Style and pizazz, as ever.


Yoga ball! I'm not one for competitive sports involving a ball... my hand-eye coordination is limited to the piano. But I heart yoga ball.


Action shot. Too good to NOT post.


Rock climbing!


Is he a better rock climber than me? Much. But I'm the one who wears spandex, and I personally feel that that counts for something.


My youngest brother in law received his Eagle Scout award while we were all there. All the brothers, who have received their eagle awards as well, got to sit in the "eagle's nest" and watch. I love seeing all the boys together like this, and this was a really sweet experience.


The whole fam. I miss them already.

How nice to have both our family pictures taken in the same summer. However, at the rate that everyone's reproducing this picture will be outdated in about 3 months. Ah well.

Now that we're back we're keeping really busy. This week at work flew by! So I'm going to try to organize my time more efficiently with very important things.

Next project: Find a frame with two windows to fit both family pictures in, because we really like them.
Subsequent project: Enjoy the oncoming fall weather and think of a creative halloween costume.
Even more subsequent project: Start looking forward to the holidays!

New Towel Phenomenon

I am what some people might call a "garage physicist". I like to make observations on the world around me, and attempt to classify those occurrences which have before never been described.

Take, for instance, the New Towel Phenomenon:

We were recently gifted with some lovely, large, fluffy towels. I like to dry off with them, rub my face into them, and may or may not even occasionally sigh with satisfaction as I do so. These are great towels.

But you know what? A strange thing accompanies new towels. Fuzz. Everywhere.

No one ever warned me. I grew up virtually undistinguishable from these kids,



which means that I haven't sampled a whole lot of brand new towels in my life. It turns out that a new towel, by some inherent virtue of its fluffiness, sheds everywhere, on everything. I find fuzz on the counters and in the sink. Fuzz on my pillows, my sheets. Fuzz on me (which point we will come back to later).

Why, exactly, do new towels shed like this? Did these towels get run through a fuzzifier? Is a factory worker somewhere assigned the lot of grabbing handfuls of fuzz and rubbing them into the towels? And, further, am I being charged for tis extra, non-permanent, transient, surface fuzz? Is it a scheme to up the thread count?

Furthermore, what can be done about New Towel Syndrome? That's what happens to the body of the actual person using the new towels. For example, our new towels



(which we love) have this effect
have this effect:



My chest doesn't naturally look like that.

Our red towels



(which we also love) similarly cause this problem:



So, naturally, I'm feeling some concern. What if this condition persists? What if it intensifies?:



Note that by these advanced stages, this symptom is actually better classified as the Nude Towel Phenomenon. Notice how the upper pectoral area of this subject actually looks like a towel, when in fact the subject is indeed clothed only by Mother Nature's (best?) intentions.

Ultimately, so far, I guess it's a side-effect that I can live with, especially considering how fluffy those towels are. But if you see me next month and I look like this



just smile and lie to me.