We goofed about for Saturday morning, with the Ladyfaire getting three hours of sleep. And then it was off to the Tiger Cub hike.
The local area is ridges, hollows, and ravines.
So the hike starts with a steep, multiple switchback down several hundred feet. And then across river bottom woodlands which had been the subject of a recent windstorm which blew down branches and small trees.
It was a fine autumn day. The only time I saw an animal was when I was away from the group. Otherwise the woods were empty. (It was a whitetail deer next to the Natchez Trace.) As the Ladyfaire pointed out she had a toddler to protect her from all the scary woodland animals. 
The Cuteasaurus bravely and boldly did the walk (although he did use me as a tractor pull.) Mr. C had issues about wanting to be carried. I was unsympathetic.
This is part of the Tiger Cub requirements as a Go See It for historical things. We started from Merriweather Lewis’s tomb, and circled back to it. This is also part of some Outdoor Activity badge. We’ve done a campout, and now a hike.
I’m really enjoying taking Mr. C thru the Cub Scout electives. It gets me out of my rut. It helps teach him useful things. Its a way for us to bond. Its like taking short little recesses to do something fun, and then getting a little recognition for it.
We took along on the trip a family mobile we had made. Each member of the family had something to symbolize them. Mine was a dice.
We went to McGee’s, a new local restauraunt, to try them out. Tony’s Awesome Nachos was HOT. A real man’s man dish. Take a half a jar of picanted sauce, and a dozen jalopeno’s…and go on from there. It was visually stunning as well. Quite a treat.
The baked potato the Ladyfaire had with her chicken and green beans was soft all the way through (unlike the last place we ate at), which is nice, but not special….except when you realize that it was about eight inches long, a true monster spud, easily twice the size of what I would consider a large spud. If you get a potato at Wendy’s, well you might be able to fit five of them into this one Spud O’ Doom.
And it was very good.
Mr. C got a bowl of spaghetti, and Cuteasuarus got fries and chicken tenders (which were again mega-outsized). Cute’s child meal would have suited many an adult as a largish meal.
So it was pretty neat. The cooking felt like my own style of cooking–Mad Scientist.
After that, we went to the Glasshouse Arcade, and spent a few bucks. It was neat and clean, and had pool tables, a foosball table, air hockey, and some road race video arcade games along with a few others.
Cuteasuarus played three games of “Let’s Watch teh Car Explode” although the game has another name. He loved it. He’s a car loving young tyke.
We also played air hockey, and played with frequent substitiutions. When it was moi vs. the Ladyfair, she won 3-1. She pointed out that 2 of them were ones I did to myself. True. What I didn’t point out was what Inigo Montoya said to the Man In Black…
NO! Not that phrase…the other one.
“I am not left-handed.”
It was a great day, and deo gratia, if that means ‘glory to God’ would be a good phrase about now.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:24 am
I would have thought the Ladyfaire would know which hand her Royal Prince used. Guess not.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
There is a distinct difference between knowing and noticing. Even if she has frequently played similar games against him, if she doesn’t think about it the most that is likely is she will think something amiss or odd. Only if she actually asks what looks wrong is she likely to recognize that it is his wrong hand.
That’s an intuition check otherwise, and we all know how often those are failed.
–M. J. Young
May 20th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Yeah. And I don’t usually like to play games that I win all the time. I probably could consistently stomp her at air hockey if I played all out, and right-handed, but that would bore me.
I know other people like to play games that they win at most of the time, and to only talk about things they know a lot about, but I’m not that way. With Pokemon CCG, I tried to lose, but couldn’t. And I rarely play Trivia Pursuit for a lesser degree of the same problem. I enjoy playing crayon railroad games by Mayfair…which the Ladyfaire consistently stomps me at.
If its a challenge, its interesting. If I’ve mastered it, OR if its too hard, then I don’t much like it. Although I like too hard better than too easy.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I hear you, but I think there’s an exception. There is one person against whom I have played an occasional game of chess (and I am far from superior at that game) against whom I have never lost a game; yet every time we play I feel that I am struggling to eke out a victory.
I was on the other side of the table in a similar game once, and never felt like I had a chance, but the opponent said that I really gave him a run for his money, that he was never certain he was going to beat me until it was over.
The former game is fun, because even though I never lose I always feel like I might; that is actually the ultimate goal of an illusionist referee, to make you feel like you are pulling this out of the fire by sheer skill, luck, and courage against the odds when you were never really in any danger. The latter game, though, is less fun. I enjoyed watching him struggle to beat me, to some degree, but since I never really felt I had a chance it wasn’t so good.
You have to feel like you could win or you could lose for a (gamist) game to be fun. Interestingly if it is not true but it feels like it then it is still fun, but if it is true but does not feel like it then it is not fun.
–M. J. Young