An Exhilarating Experience

While the Pittsburgh Cohens were visiting, we went to the Children's Museum which happens to be a lot of fun for adults as well.

While we were there we became fire fighters. The concept was a little difficult for the girls, and they certainly need to practice their game faces. Jodie and I had no problem throwing down our game faces, however.


Please note that this is a real-life San Luis Obispo City Fire Dept hat/helmet thing. The legitimacy of it is rockin'.


While at the Children's Museum, we found Bubblegum Alley, and also Uncle Paul's car.


Elle turned into a lopsided Monarch,


Mother became a biker,


The girls patrolled the streets with a vengeance,

and we also became Conductors of a train.


Knowing this would make an adorable picture, I asked the girls to turn around and look at Aunt 'riah.

Elle turned around,


then The Bryners posed for me. I suppose they thought I had asked them to turn around one at a time.

Also in the train room was this super cool table with a hole in the middle, perfect for popping up out of!


You may be starting to think that this was quite a busy day. But we weren't finished yet. We had plans to pick up Wilma that afternoon. (Side note: Wilma no longer lives with us. I don't want to talk about it.) As it turns out, Wilma was at a kennel out Creston Road in Paso. We start driving through the rolling hills, past wineries, past horses, past cows, and pretty soon we notice an increase in human activity. People had come out of their houses and were gathering at the side of the road. People in lawn chairs, people in truck beds, people standing and walking around. At street intersections we see police cars. Pretty soon it hits us that we were driving the route of the Amgen tour of California!

We knew it was happening of course, but we didn't think we would be able to see it. So, we found the kennel and then waited for Lance Armstrong at the side of the road.


We waited for what felt like a very long time. Lots of police cars came zooming by. And each time one would come, we would think the cyclists would be right behind them. After about a million fake-outs, they really did come! And it was so cool!


Please notice how close we were. I kept thinking I could reach out and touch one of them. And cause an accident. Or, I thought they might roll right over my foot. It was quite an exhilarating experience, thinking of all the possibilities.

This guy looks tired. But look how close we were! Also, what kind of fancy booties do cyclists wear?