Barge

Launch
We went to a barge launch this morning. Not normally an activity we'd go to, but we got an invitation and figured why not? So we went and I'm glad we did. It was a short ceremony before the launch, bag pipes played, then put that barge in the water after christening it. It's pretty cool to watch something that big hit the water so quickly, and for the first time.

Cycle (free, share, and bi)
After the barge launch and another errand (picking up a donated sewing machine I got off of Freecycle for Sharecycle), we decided to go bicycle shopping for Avery. The first store, a real bike store, had one for $180. A tad pricey for a bike she won't use that much. The next store, Target, had only two choices for her size: Disney princesses or Barbie brands. Nope. So then we went to a used bike shop on Alberta St. They didn't have any bikes in her size. When we got home, I got on craigslist and found her to be what looks like a nice one for $50. Much more reasonable. There are bikes on there for less than that, but this one meets D's criteria of it not being completely pink and girly and frilly, yet Avery will like it.

Spoiled
After reading this article, Why Are American Kids Spoiled, I got all fired up this morning. It contains nothing I find shocking or new necessarily, but it made me realize that I need to have higher expectations for what Avery is capable of doing.

Anyway, I read the article before getting ready for our outing. I called Avery and told her she was going to go upstairs, get dressed completely dressed with shoes and I wasn't going to say it again. She marched upstairs and got dressed. Then I told her to tidy up her room and that I wasn't going to tell her how since she knew what to do. She did that. There was no whining and no nagging. That last part is probably a coincidence and I don't expect it to be so easy next time, but I'm going to do my damnedest to stop doing things for her when she's capable of doing them herself.

Tin Shed
While over on Alberta for bicycle shopping, we stopped for lunch at Tin Shed. It was so worth the wait. I had the Dr. Dreay - a sandwich with Canadian bacon, two eggs over medium, with jam on bread (I subbed gluten free for sourdough, of course). With a side of cheesy grits. DE-licious.

Date Night & Movies
Tonight is date night. We're going to watch the first half of the Timbers game at The Thirsty Lion, which is the official viewing party location for this game. Then we'll see the French movie The Intouchables. It only has a 77% critics' rating (which isn't bad, but not amazing), but more importantly the user score is 91%. In our experience, a foreign and/or indie flick with a fairly good critic rating and a much better audience rating tends to be right up our alley. Mom will be joining us since this is a movie she'll probably like.

Last night D and I rented Battle Royale through Amazon Instant Videos. This is the original idea for The Hunger Games. I'm not sure how Suzanne Collins didn't get sued by the guy/gal who wrote Battle Royale (it was a book before a movie). Maybe you can't sue if someone uses their own words but steals your idea? Anyway, this movie was MUCH more violent than The Hunger Games and it was very Japanese in its style of acting and directing, but it did hold my attention.