Phil and Greg’s Non-Bogus Journey
June 11, 2012We spent the weekend with the Kempers and the Harbisons, whose patriarchs went to school with me back in the ’90s.
Activities and destinations included short hikes at the Foothills Learning Center and Table Rock (from which Bogus Basin can be seen), swimming and water-sliding at the West Boise YMCA, soccer and tag at a local park, foozball and kickball at home, and eating a bunch of great home-cooked meals.
On the whole, the Harbison kids were more boisterous than the Kempers, though they consistently addressed me as “Dr. Crowther” (until I asked them not to). Family conversations often concerned acquaintances such as “Dr. Cole” and “Dr. Zuckerman” (who are actual physicians).
As usual, it has been instructive to observe thoughtful friends navigating the highs and lows of parenting.
Bedtime stories have been an especially interesting part of the trip. At the Kempers’ house, Phil and I enjoyed Daphne’s reading of The Scritchy Little Twitchell Sisters (expertly illustrated by our friend Erik Brooks). At the Harbisons’, Trey (age 7.5) and I had the following exchange.
Trey: “I don’t think Phil would like the bedtime book we’re reading right now.”
Me: “Really? What book is that?”
Trey: “A Brief History of Time.”
And now for some pictures….
[Phil with the Huang/Kemper family, affectionately known to some as the Huampers.]
[The Huamper children don’t simply receive an allowance; they are instructed in the five basic ways to earn money: service, make things, buy low/sell high, gamble, and invest.]
[The Foothills Learning Center outside of Boise features a Story Trail with a children’s book serialized into eight or so weather-protected stations. Its creation was an Eagle Scout project in 2010.]
[After the Titus Van Rijn One-Hour Classic at the Boise High School track.]
[Phil and Perry.]
[If I had to pick a single word to summarize the forces that bring young boys together and drive them apart, that word would be “Legos.”]
[At the entrance to Table Rock.]
[Atop a boulder at Table Rock.]
[What now?]
My Track Record 
Welcome back to the TVR! Any ultras in your future?
No — not anytime soon, anyway. TVR was my first run of any kind in 3 weeks.