Does a Triton weigh 6,000 lbs?

No little mermaid!

As mentioned, Josh will soon become a Triton - a significant step up from a mako shark.  It got me mistakenly thinking why a school would name it's mascot after Neptune's scepter.  But, it turns out the 3-tyned pitchfork is actually a Trident and the fishy dude is Triton and not even Roman.

So, I did a little research - thanks again Wiki.  Triton is the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.  He's actually a merman (no relation to Ethel - upper body human, lower body fish).  His cool, aquaman-like superpower is his ability to blow a conch shell to either raise or calm the waves.  He'd be great to have around while skimming.  He is also known to be a killer and a Libyan (but not the Back to the Future kind).  And that's no fish tale - not even half a fish tail.

An aside:   one famous Triton alumni - Jorge Garcia, who played Hurley on Lost.

Let's go Tritons

"A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going to apply myself when I go back to school next September. It's such a stupid question, in my opinion. I mean how do you know what you're going to do till you do it?" - Holden in The Catcher in the Rye

Just attended High School orientation for the number 1 son.  Seriously, I look way too young to have a kid entering the 9th grade.  We met the principal.  Examined some clubs.  And heard the pep band (and also a Pirates of Penzance preview-the spring musical).  Look out freshman year; here comes Josh and the rest of his Mango Mafia.  A communal dinner at Chipotle followed with the kids chowing down and the parents commiserating.

Meanwhile, the boy child is so over middle school...where he feels he has learned all that they can offer him.  Looks like he'll be on the accelerated track and has chosen espanol as his foreign language of choice.  He's a little stressed about the transition and the amount of homework to be anticipated.  He's wondering how to get involved, contemplating forming a cinematography and/or skimming club.  But his biggest concern that is freaking him out now is: which period he'll be taking surfing.  I don't remember having such worries as I schlepped my surfboard through the snow, barefoot, uphill...both ways.

Donuts around the world

"The earliest occurrence of the word (doughnut) is in the "History of New York" by Washington Irving (1809). He had to define the word, so we can assume that it was not a widely known dish at the time, at least to his audience. And, interestingly, he defines doughnuts as "balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog's fat". This suggests that doughnuts were not named after knots or nuts and bolts, but instead after nuts like walnuts or pecans. They were balls of dough that, when fried to a deep golden brown, resembled nuts. Doughnuts only took their torus shape to overcome a problem inherent in balls of dough - uncooked centers. Removing the centers ensured that the doughnuts would be cooked throughout."

So, as mentioned, Yiddish words for penis continues to be my most viewed blog entry.  I was going to do a follow up:  Penises (or is it Penii?) aroung the world. But, that seemed a bit too....phallic.  I tried to come up with something more universal.  Dumplings came to mind.  You know:  knishes, perogi, kreplach, potstickers, raviolis, etc. But that was too obvious.  I though deeper, more fried...and came up with donuts.  Here are some highlights from Wiki:

• Bolivia - Buñuelos are a round fry bread.
• Brazil - Doughnuts are referred to as Sonho, meaning dream.
• Cameroon - Puffpuff.
• Canada - Canadian doughnuts are usually similar to those in the United States. Other Canadian variants include the BeaverTail, Cruller,Dutchie, Timbits, Potato flour doughnuts and Newfoundland's Toutin. Maple bars - bar doughnuts with maple-syrup-flavored icing—are also occasionally found in the US, especially in neighboring states, such as Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan.
• Denmark - The "Berliner" without a hole is available in bakeries across the country and are called Berliner like in Germany. Surprisingly, not "Danish"
• Finland - Munkki (without a hole), Donitsi (with a hole)
• France - Beignets 
• Ghana - Bofrot
• Greece - Loukoumathes. Sounds like math and comes in two types, a crispy one shaped like the number 8, and a larger, softer one shaped like the number 0.
• Iceland - Kleinuhringir,
• Indonesia - Donat Kentang is known as an Indonesian style fried mashed potato doughnut; a fritter that comes in ring shape and is made from combination of flour and mashed potatoes, coated in powder sugar or icing sugar.
• Ireland - Taoschno.
• Israel - Sufganiyah (סופגניה, plural Sufganyot), like the German Berliner, jelly doughnuts, Boston cream doughnut, the Polish pączki, or the Russian ponchik, are fried, pierced and injected with jelly or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar or frosting. They have become a traditional Hanukkah food in recent decades. Traditionally they are filled with red jelly and topped with sugar icing. However, many other varieties exist, the more expensive ones being filled with dulce de leche.
• Italy - Struffoli, Pignolata, Guanti, (Assisi) Bastoncello, (Calabria) Scaddateddi, Zeppole Spignesi, Chiacchiere, Lattughe (this may not be classifiable as doughnut, but it is fried pastry, in a Lettuce" style) Cenci, Donzelle, Frappe, Sfrappole, Bugie, Crostoli, Frittelle, Ciambelli (Cocullo, Abruzzi) and Bomboloni.
• Mexico - Buñuelo, Churro, Sopapilla. The Mexican Donas are very similar to doughnuts including in the name; the dona is a fried-dough pastry-based snack, commonly coated withcinnamon sugar or granulated sugar, or dipped in chocolate.
• New Zealand - Cream-filled doughnut.
• Nigeria - Puffpuff, Chin chin.
• Norway - Hjorte Bakkels, Futimonbuckles, Fattigmann Bakkels, Smultring.
• Poland - Pączki, round jam-filled doughnuts. 
• Portugal - Filhós, Malasadas.
• Puerto Rico - Quesitos (filled with sweet cheese).
• Spain - Churros, Porras, Chimeneas, Orange Roscos, Wine Roscos, Roscos de anis, Rosquillas de Ledesma, buñuelos, bimuelos, birmuelos, bermuelos, burmuelos, bunyols,Rosquillas listas de san Isidro, rosquito tonto, rosquilla tonta.
• UK - Similar to North American doughnuts, but traditionally topped with granulated sugar rather than powdered sugar or glaze. In some parts of Scotland, ring doughnuts are referred to as Doughrings, with the doughnut moniker being reserved exclusively for the nut-shaped variety. Glazed, twisted rope-shaped doughnuts are known as "Yum-yums". It is also possible to buy fudge doughnuts in certain regions of Scotland. In some parts of Northern Ireland, ring doughnuts are referred to as "gravy rings" due to their being cooked in oil, itself colloquially known as "gravy". Jam doughnuts are round in shape, coated in granulated sugar and have a filling of strawberry or raspberry jam.
• United States of America - In the US, doughnuts exist in cake, raised and piped varieties and in many different shapes, including Crullers (twisted piped bars), Vanities, Comfits, Fritters(irregularly shaped "dropped" doughnuts), Long Johns (bars with or without filling), Boston cream doughnuts, Potato doughnuts, Sour cream doughnuts, Cider doughnuts, Simball,Olicook, Olykoecks, Bear claws (although many varieties are fruit-filled cake rather than doughnut), Elephant Ears, Yum yums, Fasnachts, Frying Saucers, Bear sign (cowboy slang for ring doughnuts), Brown Bobby (a significant contingent in the 'doughnut shape debate' because this variety is (uniquely?) a 'triangular toroid'). Native Americans have been known to lay claim to the invention of the doughnut with Johnnycakes, though many varieties of Johnnycake are neither sweet nor doughnut-shaped. Bar-shaped doughnuts are known as "bars" or Long Johns, particularly maple bars with maple-flavored icing that sometimes incorporate caramelized bacon.

3rd Interview with Jillian

What is your name? How old are you?

   Jillian. Um, 6.  Seven  10

Where do you live?  What is your home like?

   Saint Clemently.  It's good.  17 XX XXX.   Good.On the moon.  Glowing and dusty.

What are your favorite things to do?   Do you do them alone or with others?

   Play on computer and watch tv.  Alone. Go on computer.  BothPlay on phone.  Alone

What do you like to eat?  What do you dislike eating?

   That's tough, cause I like to eat everything.  Fish. Chicken noodle soup.  Fish.Ramen/crockpot dinner.

What do you think you will do when you grow up?

   Invent the flying car of the future (with help from Daddy).  Be a famous artist.Zoologist.

What does your family celebrate?  How do they celebrate?

   Hanukah.  Opening presents and lighting the Menorah.  Channukah.  Sit in the family room and open presents.Channukah with lots of blue stuff.

What do you do on your birthday?

   Have a party.  Get out of school.Celebrate one step closer to death.

What is your favorite color?  Why?

   Purple because I'm purple in Club Penguin.  Purple, because it's the color of royalty.  Red:  it's pretty.

Do you have things to do every day that you don’t like doing?  What are they?

   Yes, school....it wastes my playtime.  Going to school, cause it's sort of boring.No.

What is your favorite thing to wear?  Why?

   Cool T-shirts and pants because I look sparky.  Tops and leggings because it's casual.Hats because they keep my head warm.

What would be the best thing someone could give you?

   All the webkinz in the world.  Superpowers (flying).Nintendo 3DS

What questions do you have for children in other countries?

   Why do you speak different languages?  Are there lots of animals.Nothing.

Who is your best friend? (and why)

  Katie M because she always plays with me on the playground.  Paige because we were once lunch basket buddies.  Also, Katie M.The doggies because they're fluffy.

Do you think girls/boys have cooties?

   What are cooties?   Yes, especially one person (Ryan).No.

Do you have a boy/girlfriend? 

   NoYes (none of your business) Not really.

What do you think about your brother/sister?

   eh.  Really funny.  He's mean.Still mean.

Who is your meanest friend?

   Dominick because he's surprisingly mean.  Patrick - he is loud and makes faces.Sophia - like me but a punk.

Do any of your friends tell you secrets? (what secrets?)

   Not really.No

Which friend do you think you would marry?

   Some other guy.  No one.That's private.

Who is your prettiest friend?
   Myself.  Me Eve

Favorite Book/Movie/TV
   Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Harry Potter/Tom & Jerry or Fairly Oddparents   ?/they're all good/Phineas & Ferb none/princess and the frog/Steven universe

Sneetch results

Josh competed in his 2nd Green Eggs & Am amateur skim boarding competition this past saturday.  Though he didn't wind up placing very well, I couldn't be more proud of the skimmer dude.  It wasn't but a year ago that Josh and his best bud, Heath, entered a similar contest and were mostly afraid to charge the waves.  They couldn't even go the mandatory left (frontside) rides.  What kooks!

Now the grooms were charging like pros.  The conditions were not optimal, with flat mushy waves that make it hard to get nice "wrap to barrels".  Plus, I felt the judging was a bit subjective and Josh might have been robbed of a few points in his second round.

Not only did their year-over-year performance impress me, but Josh's overall attitude.  He just wanted to have fun, do his best, and enjoy the camaraderie of the other skimmers.  It's quite an impressive community of impassioned schwakkers.

At least Heath, representing the SC Mango Mafia crew, came in 3rd overall in their division and took home some nice swag.  He probably couldn't of done it without Josh getting him out to the skim spots several times a week so that they could both practice and challenge each other.  Keep on skimming Mangos!

Today, I am a fountain pen

Josh trimming the peach fuzz.  Our little boy is a man. 

Search for the Holy Grail...

...and by Holy Grail, I mean doughnuts.  I think we set a new personal record today.  Drove 65 miles in search of donuts.  Not any nuts of dough, but those of San Diego's Donut Bar (soon to open a location in the OC).  Made the drive in less than hour!

Had to get up and go early.  Their hours state that the shop (no "pe" - felt like we were cheating on Leucadia Donut Shoppe) is open from 8 am until they sell out.  So, we had to make sure we got their right after it opened.  And then, we found out that today was their 1 year anniversary...which meant a free donut.  Plus when you buy 12, you get (you guessed it) a free donut.

We arrived to a long, but swift line down the pretty, tree-lined San Diego St.  B Street, that is.  'B' for bountiful. Thankfully, there were plenty of 'nuts left.  Stephy did almost duke it out with the people in front of us over the last strawberry shortcake (which as Jilly stated, was more like a sandwich than a pastry), but they relented.  We wound up giving them one of our free donut credits.

So, half a tank of gas and $29 later, we gorged on 13 delectable donuts:  Reeses peanut butter cup, cronut, root beer float, birthday cake, blueberry cheesecake, maple bacon, salted caramel, lemon pistachio, etc.  But my favorite by far, was the maple bourbon (no wonder it's called a donut bar).  Could quite possibly be the holy grail of donuts.  Now, I need a cigar!  But, off to the gym for some exercise.  Exercise in futility!