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Of Parties and Parenting
And Wise Words from a Rich Nerd  

(Have at it Chris, you rewrite them anyway!)

As a kid, I got pretty excited about the first day of school, but it was nothing compared to the pure exhilaration I feel now.  How thrilling it will be to get the kids off the couch and back into those nice stiff-backed wooden chairs…out of the refrigerator and back into their own brains…away from the TV and in front of their homework assignments. 

Hanging around the house all day for my kids just ain’t what it used to be. I used to love summers as a stay-at-home mom, watching the kids’ funny backyard plays and bravely letting them paint and cook and make messes all day.  Then came work and the new reality of shopping and boys and makeup and TiVo.  Our work schedule means that we parents are seldom around the house during the day, which my youngest daughter calls “poopy parenting”, but not to fear little one, because “hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s back to school you go!” 

Recent Pacific Ocean crossing was anything but “pacific”…

Neil Cummins Assistant Principal Chad Carvey and his wife spent much of their summer sailing, with it all culminating in a 19-day sail from Hawaii back to San Francisco.  Chad writes that it was one of the roughest voyages ever experienced by one of his crew member, who has been sailing for forty years.  “While the usual sail from Hawaii to California is characterized by 4-7 days of upwind pounding followed by a nice long beam reach to SF, our trip consisted of hard upwind sailing for 19 days of our 19-day voyage,” Wrote Chad in an e-mail. “During the first week, 6 of 14 boats that started with us turned back, and one sank completely (after tangling with a whale) and the crew were rescued.  We sailed through 22 squalls, and finished with 30-35 knot winds and 3 story high waves for nearly 3 days.”  Needless to say, Mr. & Mrs. Carvey are very happy to be home, and Chad is looking forward to smoother sailing as Neil Cummins starts the new school year. 

This Saturday is one of the best community parties of the year.

And of course you already know, Chad will be cooking up a huge feast for the whole town at this Saturday’s Lion’s Club Luau. So don’t miss it.  Advance tickets ($30) are still available by calling 924-2200. A live Hawaiian band and Hula dancers will perform, followed by a DJ and dancing until midnight.  A special thank you to Jaguar Marin which donated a trip for two to Hawaii as the grand prize in the raffle.  (Including airfare. Not to worry, you won’t have to sail there!)

Kid’s Corner – A message from Bill Gates.

I received an e-mail summarizing a speech Bill Gates recently gave to a graduating high school class. He gave a list of common misperceptions of today’s young ones.  Here are some that seemed most worth repeating:

1. Your parents weren't always as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try
delousing the closet in your own room.

2. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

3. Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

4. Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work at jobs.

5. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
   
If you can, please do attend the Second Anniversary Gala for the Lark

What a great idea the Lark Theatre has come up with for their second anniversary party and fundraiser.  On Tuesday, August 29, the evening will begin with a wine reception at 6 pm, and then there’s a special sneak preview of a new British comedy “Keeping Mum.”  After the movie, you get to dine at your choice from among the top six restaurants in Larkspur:  Fabrizio, Lark Creek, Left Bank, Picco, Ward Street Café and Yankee Pier.  (Wow, when did we become a six-restaurant town?)  The restaurants will be serving a three course prix fixe, and includes a visit by the chef to your table.

Tickets are $145 per person.  Seating is limited, so call 924-5111 soon, and if you want to check out the movie first, go to www.keepingmumthemovie.com.  Looks like a winner all around. And the Lark seriously needs you for this one. There’s been talk that they may not be able to keep going for much longer without greater community support!
Until next week,
Neighbor Pat Ravasio
Write me!  pravasio@fhallen.com 

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