catching up

I've been off in a funk, except when I was up at Camp Mather for our annual week of rusticating without internet or cellphones.  It's been a rough time lately for me, but I've been doing my best, exercising like a fiend, socializing feral kittens, and reading some good books.  Here's a quick alert of the state of affairs:

Lola has been doing well, enjoying some time now school is out with her oldest friend (sometimes referred to as "Lawyer, Jr." here), which has the added bonus of driving her older sister crazy.  Iris über Alles hates Lawyer, Jr. and views it as a crime against humanity that Lawyer, Jr. is not just allowed but invited to come into our home.

Iris has formed some powerful ambitions for the future after a weeklong field trip to Washington, D.C.  She's studying for the SATs, teaching herself a programming language, and attending a mock trial summer camp.

The Sober Husband is working diligently, dabbling in advising some friends who have start-ups, dealing stoically with a very long commute, and has finally gotten back into hobbying.  He's making me a programmable corset, which will have over 200 lights flashing into various, changing colored patterns.  This is for me to wear at Burning Man this year, where the question is whether it will be sturdy enough for the extreme weather conditions and idiot-proof enough for me to keep it going while he's off in another state.