July 20, 2006: Brooksville

Our 6-year-old turned 7 today (he was born on the thirtieth anniversary of the first manned moon landing). Happy Birthday, Danny!

The birthday boy spent the morning playing with his brother. Toward midday, we went out to buy cake, ice cream, pizza, and some groceries. When we got back, Claudia and Jim had already arrived and Debbie's cousin Christine was just pulling into the driveway with her daughter Taylor, who is 6 years old. Taylor and the boys seemed to hit it off immediately. After a few slices of pizza, they went off to play.

The adults talked about the local real estate boom and recent bust, a familiar phenomenon that always seems to take people by surprise. I wouldn't be able to acclimate to the Gulf Coast's hurricanes, its steamy summers, its rural emptiness, or its perennially anemic economy, so I can easily understand the bust. There are plenty of bustling enterprises and beautiful homes in urban areas, but the number of shabby shacks and trailer parks in the backwaters is astounding. I was also rather astonished that none of Debbie's Floridian relatives was in the habit of locking their houses except at night, trusting instead that their relative remoteness and watchful neighbors provide sufficient security.

Christine talked about how excited Taylor was to be taking her first airplane flight in a few days. Taylor, Christine, and her fiancé Don, a builder, will be attending a gathering with his family in Michigan. Chris also spoke about being between jobs. She studied to become a dental hygienist but finally decided she wasn't cut out for the profession. She's been a veterinary assistant in the past and may yet return to that line of work.

We sang "Happy Birthday" to Danny and he blew out the candles on his cake. After a slice with ice cream, he opened his presents, among them the newest Harry Potter DVD (The Goblet of Fire) from Mom and Dad, a Harry Potter DVD game (Scene It!) from Claudia and Jim, a Dragonology book from Aunt Meryl, a Blokus travel game from Christine, and a whole pile of presents from Grandmother Dorothy and Grandpa Bob.

I took a nap until the fierce lighting and thunder of an early evening storm woke me. It was over quickly, though the rain persisted a good deal longer. We took Claudia's computer over to her new house and set it up for her. Jim went to bed at a reasonable hour, but the rest of us stayed up late talking about everything under the sun.

The boys fell asleep in the car on our way back to the old house, and I had to carry them to bed. Danny was no problem, but I strained my back lifting Tommy. Danny's big brother is getting too big to carry, or his old man is getting too old.