Back home

We came back from my mother-in-law's yesterday and I'm finally able to do a bit of writing. It seems like forever since the last time I wrote.

-> Last week, my kids attended Camp Invention in Anderson. Camp Invention is put on by the National Inventors Hall of Fame at schools around the country and is designed to help kids problem solve and think creatively. For part of the camp, they actually go through the invention process. They figure out what problem they want to solve, come up with a way to solve it, and build a model of their invention. My oldest was in the camp last year and had a great time. This time, #2 son joined him. It's open to kids entering first grade through sixth grade. It's probably too late for this year, but if you have kids who might like this kind of thing, keep it in mind for next year.

-> The All-Star game was Tuesday night and I missed it completely. Didn't see one pitch. I kind of forgot about it. Part of the problem was that I was at my mother-in-law's, and I'm a bit out of my environment there, but also, that was during the camp, so evenings were spent doing other things. Still, I don't feel like I missed anything. Not that long ago, the all-star game was blocked out on my calendar and I scheduled around it, but since the tie, I just haven't cared that much. I'm sure I would have watched if it had occurred to me, but it didn't, and to me, that says something.

The hometown guys did OK. Mark Bueherle got the win and Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez had hits. I didn't see if Jon Garland pitched.

-> The NHL finally ended its lockout. It remains to be seen if anyone is left to care.

-> The Tour de Lance rolls into its final week. Barring a crash or some other misfortune, it looks like Lance Armstrong will win for the seventh straight time, which is an incredible accomplishment. After that, he retires, and America can go back to not caring about cycling.

-> Tiger Woods won another major, making it ten before he turned 30. It's funny to see how the other golfers can't seem to catch him. Guys chasing him tend to play worse rather than better. Colin Montgomerie in particular seems to have trouble with Woods. They've been in the same tournament now 66 times, and the only time Montgomerie finished ahead of Woods was in a tournament shortened to 36 holes by rain.

-> I got and read the Harry Potter book. More on that later. Also, there has been some college football news, which I address on CollegeBCS.com.