The visit with Dad and the siblings was surprisingly fun- even though I had schoolwork looming over me, there really wasn't much I could do about it while they were around so I was able to put it out of my mind for a day. They called my room at 2:30 on Monday, and I went down to let them in. Dad's grown a beard since I last saw him, and Jenna and David have each grown a couple inches; both are taller now than our older sister. The most humorous change: The second David opened his mouth to speak, I couldn't help but start to laugh: "Your voice is changing! Puberty!" He sounds kind of croaky, as all thirteen-year-old boys do.

We drove into downtown St. Paul, with me slipping into whirlwind tour-guide mode on the way: "The white dome over there is the top of the state capital, the green one over there is the St. Paul cathedral; I've heard that the cathedral is on a higher hill than the capital..." etc, etc. I am sometimes astounded by my store of useless knowledge- I probably would make a good tour guide.

Our destination for the afternoon was the Science Museum of Minnesota. It is a neat place, but it is geared towards a slightly younger age group. The central exhibit right now is on Africa, and they did a remarkable job of being accurate and culturally sensitive, while still reaching a fairly young age group quite effectively. Dad had a ball in a section of the museum called "Green Street", which is a series of hands-on demonstrations encouraging environmental awareness. I think I was most amused by his interest in the water-saving toilets, where he could flush them and compare the amount of water used. Ahh, so typically 'Dad'.

Eventually, hunger overcame us and we drove back towards my neighborhood to Pasqual's, a little salsaria just half a mile from Macalester. Dinner was delicious, but afterwards we were left with a blank slate for a rainy evening. Jenna wanted to buy a Macalester t-shirt, so we spent some time in the Expanded Mind while she agonized over the decision. We went out for coffee (and hot chocolate- the siblingss haven't changed that much), and sat around chatting for awhile. Finally, they decided to go back to their hotel for a swim and to bed, and I was left to my homework. Or not: I visited some friends I hadn't seen since before break, and ended up stay almost until the time I went to bed.

This morning, they picked me up at my dorm and we went to the Grandview Grille for breakfast. This place is the 'real deal', as far as breakfast grills go- it opens at 6 am, and closes by midafternoon each day. I picked it out because it reminds me a bit of Dad's favorite breakfast spot up in Hayward (where we used to vacation each year), called the Moose Cafe. You know the type: kind of dingy, but the best, greasiest, and cheapest breakfast you'll find anywhere. The Grandview didn't disappoint- we all left completely stuffed and feeling slightly heavy. Not long after breakfast, we said our goodbyes, and I left for class while they drove out to the Minnesota zoo.

The visit was kind of surreal- it happened very fast, less than 24 hours total. It was fun, though, to play tour guide and to catch up with my kid sister and brother. Now, if only they had brought the cats, the visit would have been perfect...

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Since I've been working out almost daily for two weeks, initial changes are starting in my body. It's leaving me in a weird spot for clothing- my jeans fit perfectly in my hips, and slightly too big everywhere else, making for some strange bagginess.

Hearing: Aphex Twin, Richard D. James