We've Done Our Work, Lets Go Play

Another long week at work. I think it will be that way until the 10K is filed. 2 days for a weekend is hardly enough to get rested up for another one. The hours aren't so bad but going 200mph day in and day out for so long gets tiring after a while.

Short though it seemed, we had a good weekend. Driving home from Siena's dance class yesterday, as we neared our house, we saw a small white house with smoke and flames coming out of it. As that isn't a sight you see every day, I of course pulled a u-turn and we went to check out the show. Lest you think me a heartless rubbernecker gaining entertainment from the demise of someone's home, rest assured it was a firefighters training session. They were out taking pictures themselves. They gave the kids some plastic firefighter hats and we were close enough to feel the heat from the flames.

One of the perks of my job that I only just recently learned about is that Mentor has several member passes to OMSI that employees can check out. They're good for 2 adults and 2 kids to get into the museum. Plus, as they were member passes, we got to skip right ahead of the giant line outside.

I remember going to OMSI a time or two when it was located in Washington Park by the zoo. It was a much smaller operation then but still fun to visit.

The kids really liked the Science Playground portion of OMSI. There are a lot of hands on activities. Mason liked the construction area.


Siena liked dressing up in the construction area.
They also loved the big market area, setting up their own little fruit stands and haggling with the toddlers that came by their shops.

Siena is an excellent shopper, price checking all of her produce goods.

Of course there is much science and learning to be done at OMSI.

And animals to learn about.

As part of our OMSI pass, we got to take the submarine tour. This is the USS Blueback. The Blueback was first launched in May 1959 and was the last non-nuclear submarine to join the US Navy. It spent the majority of its sailing days in the Pacific from its home port of Pearl Harbor, making many trips to Japan and serving time in the Vietnam war zone.

The Blueback was decomissioned in October 1990. It was briefly featured in Hawaii 5-O and The Hunt for Red October.

The kids' favorite part of the submarine was being able to sit at the steering wheel. The camera with it's flash is masking the fact that this whole room was in red light, much like it appeared when in actual use. We also got to look through the periscopes which were pointed toward Portland's Waterfront Park.

Due to tight quarters and poor lighting, it was hard to get many good pictures in side of the submarine but it was really cool. I got so into it that I stuck in a submarine movie to watch now while the kids are in bed, albeit K19 The Widowmaker, which is about a Soviet sub. That's close, right?

We had a nice Red Robin dinner tonight with Yaya and Papa Ron. Another good weekend in the books. Wish me luck for the upcoming work week.