Conversation while passing the hotel at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville:
Maggie: “Hey guys, you know what, it’s called a hotel because they do lots of things there!”
Sarah: “What do you do at a hotel, Maggie?”
Maggie: <pause> “I LIKE MONKEYS!”
All posts by Andrew
Asheville
Two nights and lots of fun in Asheville, North Carolina, while visiting our friends, Sue and Chris, and their three dogs, one cat, and six chickens. (Sadly, two chickens were nabbed by a raccoon on our second night, so now there are four, in a newly reinforced coop.)
Asheville has a lot to recommend it and we enjoyed a great tour with Chris while Sue was at work. Naturally, some of my best memories are dominated by food. Had some spectacular barbecue at 12 Bones, which is apparently President Obama’s top choice in town. Then, on our way out, we stopped for breakfast at Biscuit Head, which is in the running for my favorite breakfast restaurant in the world.
Below are an assortment of phone shots from our Asheville stint.
Chicago and Icees
We survived the night, dry and free of unwanted atmospheric voltage. Not a great night’s rest, alas, but we’re thankful for our new, more spacious tent.
Two quotes from our journey thus far:
Monday, 4:30 PM:
Maggie: “Griffin, laugh when I say ‘Chicago.'”
Griffin: “Why do I have to laugh?!”
M: “Chi–Ca–GO!!”
G: <no laughing>
M: “Laugh Griffin!!”
G: “I don’t want to laugh. Chicago!”
M <yelling>: “NO! I want to talk about ME!!!”
G: “Chicago. Chicago. Chicago.”
M <yelling>: “NOOOOOOO!”
Tuesday, 8:30 AM:
Sarah: “Ok guys we’re going to stop here because I need some coffee and Daddy needs to go to the bathroom–”
Griffin: “–and I need an Icee!”
Thunderous Beginning
Midsize thunderstorm on our first night, as we camp by a river that’s four feet over flood stage. Luckily, the deluge held off until after dinner and the weather reports suggest that it will be short-lived. (But wow is it coming down right now!)
Griffin: “I really, really like thunderstorms but I’m a tiny bit scared of them.”
New tent is keeping us dry thus far. 
Eastward Bound
The second epic road trip begins!
Mileage: 118454
First destination: Asheville, North Carolina
Froggy’s New Shoes and Poison
Griffin and Sarah had to go run some errands this evening, so I’m home alone with Maggie. She’s been more interested in stories lately and occasionally launches into one at the dinner table. On a lark, I asked her if she wanted to make up a story together tonight and she said yes. Here’s the result.
Original story and artwork by Maggie. Typing, scanning, and shoe-outlining assistance from Daddy.
Froggy’s New Shoes and Poison
Once upon a time, a frog was getting new shoes. The frog made new shoes. The shoes were pink and green and purple and yellow. He put his shoes on and he walk walk walk and he found his friends and his friends said, “You got new shoes!”
The frog got poisoned by an elf. He goed to the elf and he got poisoned. Then he go to a doctor and the doctor fixed him and he got green again.
Then he go back to home with his friends. Then them go to his little bed and go to sleep. His bed is pink like his shoes and soft.
The he got to our home. He dropped his shoes and he broke them. Then he couldn’t make some more. Then he was sad. Then he couldn’t make new shoes. Then Daddy fixed his shoes up in Mama’s sewing room and he got them fixed and the frog put them on and he go back to his home.
The End
Secret Lives
Sarah’s out of town. I’ve been solo dad for the weekend. It’s been good. But despite best intentions, I do occasionally lose track of my progeny and have to track them down. Today I documented two unexpected incidents.
Aerial Snooze
Maggie was down for a rest. I rested for a while too. Griffin was awfully quiet. I went to investigate.
Griffin is sleeping on a bit of lumber about four feet off the ground. (He rigged the precarious “bridge” earlier to create an easier method for Maggie to get into the climbing tree.)
Dumpster Diving
Later, after Maggie woke up, they slipped out the side gate while I was mowing the back lawn. Upon my successful pursuit:
Nothing is cooler than the neighbor’s giant red dumpster. (Yesterday, Griffin asked for my help deciphering all of the warning stickers, then proceeded to ignore them.)
Yellow Cabin
Perfect weather for time out on the water. We couldn’t believe how warm the water was already—the kids loved it.
Some of Griffin’s favorite things at the cabin this weekend:
- Finding agates
- Swimming
- When I was in the front of the canoe doing the driving.
- Having butterscotch candy from the candy jar
- Kayaking with Mama and seeing lots of turtles. We found a log with ten turtles on it. We called it turtleland.
- Seeing pictures of the flying squirrels
- Going to the dock and balancing on the edge
- Snuggling with Mama and Daddy in the loft when we woke up
Some of Maggie’s favorite things at the cabin this weekend:
- Finding special rocks
- Finding some shells with Mommy while you guys going somewhere [Griffin and I dropped Sarah and Maggie off to do some beach-combing while we continued canoeing around the lake.]
- Having jellybeans
- Going up in the high high bunk bed
- Seeing baby squirrels [in addition to the baby flying squirrels, which the kids didn’t get to see, we uncovered a red squirrel nest in the pump box for the well]
- Reading books with Mama and Daddy and Griffin
Flying Squirrel Nest
Sarah was startled by a bat in the outhouse tonight. Or she thought it was a bat. Then she discovered a nest in the corner with four baby northern flying squirrels! This is cool, of course, but we’re also sad that we have disturbed the nest. Our best guess, based on Internet research, is that they are around 20 days old — thick fur, but eyes not open yet. We’re hoping they can survive this disruption.
Update: We were relieved to find that mama squirrel took her kiddos to a safer nest overnight. The outhouse is no place to raise a family.
Review: Butterick’s Practical Typography
Butterick’s Practical Typography
by Matthew Butterick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved everything about this on-line book. I’ve been mildly interested in typography for years, but only as a dabbler: I love a proper em dash, end sentences with only a single space, keep an eye out for attractive layouts to emulate, and, of course, avoid comic sans. This book helps crystalize things I’ve mused about, and explains why some design decisions work and others don’t. It also gives me a great foundation to use as a teacher whose students do most of their work via keyboard. (Eighth grade ain’t too early to start getting it right.)
Butterick definitely practices what he preaches—the book is gorgeous and the writing is sharp and witty. A sample:
For those who want to get right to the heart of it, he includes a Typography in ten minutes chapter and a Summary of key rules.
My only regret is that many of his suggestions can’t be implemented in Google Docs which is my primary word processor these days. But I still keep full-featured word processors around for work that requires precise design, and Google may evolve to be more design-friendly in time.