LAZY INDIAN-SUMMER SATURDAY AFTERNOON

After a week of cool, rainy...



...and almost late-November-ish grey weather, it has turned beautiful today. Reminds us of those crisp, dry September afternoons in Michigan that made going back to school seem almost worthwhile. Those days make us forget, at least for a moment, the slush and grey of December-March both here and in Mich -- ugh!



I returned from Valencia Tuesday evening just before midnight. Stepped off the plane into 15 deg (C) Hamburg, having left twice that temperature in VLC that afternoon. Headed to Marseille tomorrow for "Act 1" of the 32nd America's Cup -- the first official pre-regatta of 13 scheduled between now and the start in 2007 of the Challenger Selection Series for the Louis Vuitton Cup. All reports are that preps go well, and it should be a big and exciting event. Six teams are entered. Details at www.americascup.com.



Meg's friend and ISH classmate, Fanny Aklundh (from Malmo, Sweden) is over this afternoon. Since Meg's new computer is temporarily out of order, they have to do something other than sit in front of it playing Sim City and IMing with friends. Nothing like a little "girl-talk" in the backyard hammock. Ostensibly, they are planning a joint birthday party on 18th September. Fanny turns 13 on the 5th, and Meg 12 on the 25th -- but the photog overheard them talking about the seven (!) new boys in their grade at school.