Hoping that May 6, 2010 has Better Weather in Minnesota

Before Jack went to school

today, we had him hold up our

"flat Tommy" in front of him on the front lawn for a quick birthday picture.

Today is Tommy's birthday.

There was about an inch of snow on the ground, and it continues to offer flurries. The sky is grey. It's 37 degrees outside right now. The chirp of robins took a sad tone early this morning.

I chose not to whine about it. I'm beyond whining--just "ticked" about my hopes for spring.

I can never remember a time in my life when May had cold weather for this long, and it looks to continue. I just hope Tommy had a great birthday in Minnesota today, with smiles and cake and presents and friends. Birthdays are fun when you're under the age of 21.

And I will post happier moments to commemorate my birthday grandson's day throughout the next 10 hours or so. I just hope Tommy had a fantastic day today.

It's been a busy week for "flat Tommy," but there have been some moments of fun too, which included a visit to the Idaho Falls Public Library.

There were computer games. Jack likes those, and he enjoys the books there too, especially those of some "dragon" series.

I finished one with him last night, so we'll be taking another trip within the next few days.

There are always Star Wars books, and when in doubt, Goosebumps is an option too. Grandma isn't sold on those, and occasionally Jack has a nightmare after hearing a story from one just before he goes to sleep.

But there were other places in Idaho Falls that were interesting too, like Sub Zero. They make ice cream in this business with liquid nitrogen, so a visit there is like reaping the benefits of learning about science and eating something that tastes great but isn't good for you all at the same time.

But I guess ice cream does provide nutrition, since milk products are part a basic food group, yet I also occasionally view Dots or Sweet Tarts or Sour Patch Kids as satisfying the fruit requirement, and when ice cream isn't an option, there's always Mild Duds.

Last Friday, Jack was excited to take "flat Tommy" to show and tell. That was an eventful day. Grandma went with Jack to school to take pictures of this activity in the opening minutes of class.

Then we made a trip to get a yellow polo shirt for the elementary choir program performance, which began just before the end of the school day. We had his practice soccer shirt, but we wanted something else.

Jack wanted to have a polo like Tommy.

Then on Saturday, we decided on a number of activities--like the Farmers Market--one near the river and a second one near the mall.

Teton Mall's market had something particularly fun--a couple of young Germans from Frankfurt, who recently moved to Idaho Falls. They will be selling Bratwurst each Saturday.

It's the birth of another new Saturday tradition, and "flat Tommy" did all of that with us, but I don't think he would have eaten a brat.

The next stop was at the comic book store, where Star Wars characters were to be there for photo opportunities, but it didn't happen, so we went home.

Plans change. We wanted to take "flat Tommy" to Yellowstone Park, but the weather was even colder there than in Idaho Falls. Staying home wasn't a difficult decision. My idea of winter is sitting up to my neck in my hot tub in water heated at 106 degrees.

I don't think "flat Tommy" will be there for that, but Pop Pop will like the warm water.

But "flat Tommy" was able to see some great things in Idaho, like Pickle's Place in Arco. Jack and I ate there once.

The food was great. The atmosphere was like I would imagine at any tiny town isolated from the world. I listened curiously at some foreigners at the table next to us and found it interesting, that they would not only eat at a "little known" diner in a remote place, but that they would so easily blend in with "red neck" America with ragged jeans and hunting orange.

Then I realized they weren't foreign. They were aboriginal citizens of Arco, and when I finally began to understand their creative use of the English language, I determined a number of things--they didn't like outsiders, they hated teachers, they liked to kill animals, even at the expense of losing a job. Joblessness seemed less of a concern than satisfying bloodlust for anything that crawled or believed that wolves were an essential part of the ecosystem.

I could live with everything but one item. They didn't serve wild game, so it wasn't a problem. I was a hunter once. I believe that wolves keep wild game healthy and free from diseased animals, and when they kill domestic animals, I support farmers in their right to be reimbursed. But a hate for teachers is something I can't put up with, so I decided to eat at the only other restaurant in town, until I determined that they shared all of those cultural eccentricities: especially a hatred for teachers.

The good news is that there is one of those taco wagons, a renovated bus or even a motor home of any type, that became refitted by Hispanic immigrants to serve incredible Mexican food. It's great. Besides, they recognize the need for their children to get an education in order to succeed in modern society.

This picture was important for "flat Tommy" to see, because when these three Buttes erupt to the same time to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy, you know you have a "weather" closure at any area school. It's like Hades spills flame and ash, but it also has to happen in the deep of winter. That way, superintendents can know that they only cancelled school when "Hell froze over."

What's a visit to Idaho without driving by the nuclear laboratory. In the movie Overboard, Kurt Russell described the area as Gooberville, Idaho--a place near a toxic nuclear waste dump. I guess he and Goldie once ate at Pickles Place too.

From "flat Tommy's" smile, he enjoyed the ride with grandma on her way through the Idaho desert on the way to see Craters of the Moon. I'm still not sure whether it's a part of the National Park System or belongs to some other type of designation. My having hauled lava rocks on a farm really affected my love affair with any nature reserve that offers panoramic vistas of patches of rocks.

And what would a trip to Idaho be like without taking a picture of a "spud cellar?" It's like going to New York and not recognizing the Empire State Building. Potato is king here.