Road Trip

Twelve-year-old daughter is the only sixth grader in her school to be chosen for her statewide honor choir so this weekend is all about her. With hotel reservations made and concert tickets purchased Southern Man headed north on Friday morning (geocaching along the way, of course) to rendevouz with Southern Parents and Southern Sister and nephew at the big conference center-slash-hotel where the state music educator's conference was held. There were musicians of every age and stripe, from middle-school choral to high school jazz bands, and the entire place was just buzzing with the excitement and energy of youth.

One of the many attractions was a large exhibition hall backed with vendors and goodies.

Twelve-year-old daughter's concert was that afternoon; it was terrific.

The flowers were sent by her youngest cousin back home.

Afterwards we ate at a fairly high-end steak house (everyone ordered appetizers rather than $40 entrees) and hit the swimming pool and hot tub.

Southern Mother and Southern Sister at the pool.

Cousins

Of course diving is permitted. Can't you read the sign?

Next morning after breakfast and swimming the rest of the family headed home but Southern Man had already arranged to have his girl all weekend so we went geocaching and shopping and exploring and swimming.

Posing at the Hyatt sign. No, she is actually uninjured; she just has kind of a crutch fetish. Yes, it's a little weird.

Statue Dancing! We found a geocache nearby.

Southern Man's little mermaid can never get enough of the pool.

Next morning we reluctantly headed even further north to drop her off at her mother's house...

With her year-old half-sister.

...then Southern Man took a leisurely eight hours for what's usually a six-hour drive, stopping to geocache every hour or so, and arrived home just in time to relax and laugh as Teen Daughter and her gay boyfriend drunk-Twittered the Oscars.

The usually reliable digital camera had some sort of fit so post cleanup and updates when the disposable film camera gets developed, which may be a week or more.

[added 3/11] update complete!