On Saturday, Delycia and I drove up to Hopeville Pond for another happy gathering of the family for swimming, playing in the sand, and general summer joyousness. It was truly one of the best days I've had there. The weather was sparklingly cool and bright, and the water seemed perfect for the fun we had -- diving through huge inner tubes ($2.98 from JobLot), lounging on boogie boards, little kids pushing big adults under. Delycia organized the sand activities, and she and the kids built some impressive castles, complete with turrets made from wet dripped sand. We all brought picnic lunches and enjoyed them on a table in the same of a big tree.

Yesterday, we went to Providence Place for an informative 90-minute one-on-one session at the Apple Store. A young man named Bryan, sporting a long, disordered beard, was a great help to both of us. He roamed the table, working with us and several others, and I usually saw a slight smile on his face as shared his wisdom about Macs.

Around 4:00, Matty came over, and he and I sat in the refreshing shade in the backyard and talked for about an hour, covering many topics and taking pleasure in this privilege that dads and sons have.