amazing engineers

Today was one of those crazy days that we really kind of enjoy. We started with archery, where Boy actually had a pretty productive class. From there we flew up to Orono to the Engineers Fair. Both kids were pretty excited to check it out again (last year we saw it at USM; it's like State Championship games, it seems, alternating college field houses each year). The fair is basically advertising and recruiting for engineering programs-- look at the robots doing their jobs! play with the static electricity machines! clean up the dirty water! design your own bridge!-- but it's a lot of fun, even for the non-engineering wannabees among us. After that, we took a tour around campus. I mean, you don't go to an engineering fair 100 miles from home and not at least drive around the campus. WB pointed out the main sights-- he'd taken a tour with his students a few years back, so even though GEAR UP! is no longer in the building, our kids will still reap the benefits.

We stopped for dinner at 99s, and I'm sad to say that we will not always be back for more. First of all, they're a Pepsi joint (no wonder I rarely eat there), and it was really wasn't a margarita kind of day. I felt bad for our pour waiter-- he seemed like he's lost his corporate job somewhere and was doing something to make ends meet, but he wasn't actually very good at this gig. The kicker, though, was the off-duty waitress at the table next to us, chillin with her peeps. It was just so... high school. The manager came over and spoke to them twice, and they finally gathered their things and stopped embarassing the establishment. The food was fine, but it was the kind of experience that makes you realize never is enough. The $.99 Coke from Dysarts was just what I needed for the drive back home.

When we got home, Girly created her own soap on a rope out of the free bar she got from the birthday sleepover and a piece of holiday ribbon. Maybe these fairs are impacting her more than we realize?