2009-07-27 - 3:32 p.m.

�playland! and the whack-a-mole savant�

This week, British Cannabis has been plunged into the kind of weather that I moved here to escape. Temps higher than 32C, and humidity percentage levels that would earn an A- or better at Mountain U. (above 80%). We�ve been trying to stay cool in our house. We�ve been moderately successful, but unfortunately our bedrooms are on the third floor, just under the attic. Susi�s bed sits right under a skylight, which means she naps in the living room.

We considered driving to the shore this weekend. The only problem is that we have a black car (physics 102 � black body radiation � black bodies are extremely efficient at ABSORBING RADIATION) with a broken air conditioner. K rejects the idea of fixing the AC because (a) it will cost money, (b) he hates putting money into cars, (c) we rarely drive it anyway, (d) it�s rarely hot enough to bother, and (c) we�ve been thinking of selling the damn thing anyway. This logic is reasonable enough until you are in the midst of a heat wave and find yourself wanting to drive off to cool climes with your small child.

Anyway, this past Saturday we decided to ignore the heat and took Susi off to Playland � a cute little amusement park on the edge of the inlet, complete with a wooden rollercoaster. Not sure if we were going to Playland for Susi�I think the trip was more to amuse K. But it was fun nonetheless. Susi got to experience her first four amusement park rides: the race car, the choo choo, the carousel, and the wobbly helicopter.

We think that she enjoyed it, although for the most part she looked HOT and STUNNED. She had huge eyes and wasn�t really smiling. But there was so much for her to see and absorb. We also think that the Carousel ride was her favorite. While sitting on the horsey she mimicked Mama saying �uuuuppppp?� �dooooowwwnn.� As the horse made these movements.

But by far the best outcome was acquiring the pink and black striped zebra from Mama�s game of Whack-A-Mole. Has anyone out there ever played Whack-A-Mole? Long story here, but Teranika is an ace at this game. It has to do with a sordid childhood experience, when her experimental psychologist of a father used to lock her in a sensory deprivation box and conduct reaction-time experiments.

By the way, why am I writing in third person all of a sudden?

Anyway, it�s true. When I was about 7 years old, my dad started including me in his psychology experiments. I went into a dark box and put on headphones, and I had to push a button every time a green light flashed or a high pitch sounded in my ear. My dad had devised a way to measure my reaction time.

There�s a long and strange story in this�I�ll tell it some other time. But it�s safe to say that both my brother and I HATED being dragged into these experiments. The only positive thing that came out of it � apart from a rather unique and weird story � is that I was a child-savant at Whack-a-mole and ALWAYS won. I used to rack up points and stuffed toys.

So I did suffer a TINY twinge of guilt this past Saturday when I was pitted against a group of ~8-10 year-olds�and won. But the justification I have? The stuffed animal was to cheer up my slightly overheated toddler�. I will do good for someone else some other day.