Pão de Meio

Back in Atlanta. Alexa smuggled a chocolate honey cake, home made by
Arthur's grandmother. Right past the little beagle.

On a related questionable legal note, we didn't get the Batman theater
schedule to work so we bought a pirate DVD from a street vendor,
thinking we might all be able to watch it at Carl's. But we got what
we paid for: a copy fron handheld camera in the theater version,
dubbed in Portuguese. Ha ha ha, I can hear Coringha and his evil laugh.

This blog sure has a lot of photos of Alexa eating. She says it's one
of her favorite parts of any vacation.

One more plane and we're home.

Our Last Morning

Hello Everyone,

Since Grandma said last night that she liked my last post, I decided
that I'd do another one on our last day in Brazil. I was halfway
through typing it, though, and the iPhone erased it. Ugh. No problem
though. Lots of tidbits to share with you--first, some updates on Pop.
1. He hasn't been taking his malaria medicine because he says it
tastes weird and gives him bad dreams. Anthony (hi, Anthony) told me
yesterday about a good friend of his that got Malaria this summer
while visiting Tanzania. Maybe that will make Pop want to take his
meds...
2. Pop enjoyed his last caffeine of 2008 in a coffee shop yesterday.
Why no caffeine, Pop? He feels better without it, he says.
Now on to other updates. Arthur is making an awesome podcast about São
Paulo Soccer to practice his English and bring coverage to his fans in
America (namely, us...until he becomes a superstar, anyway). Make sure
to subscribe: http://spfc.mypodcast.com

Updates about me? Today, the US women's Olympic gymnastics team is
training at the gym where I work while on its way to Beijing.. So so
SO sad I'm missing it. Things I miss from home: Mom, Ryan, Anthony,
family, friends, frozen yogurt (particularly of the graham cracker
cheesecake variety), working out at Courtside, snail mail.

We have met a lot of cool people here. We met newlyweds Carla and
Fernando in the Amazon, Barbara from Madrid, another Arthur from
Noronha, Luis and Andrea from Rio...I wonder if you guys have found
your way to the blog.

The best part of our trip has been spending time with Suzy, Carl, Art,
and Aline. Thank you thank you thank you for making this trip such a
blast.

To all of you reading this: you are probably on the list of '26 people
I need to make lunch dates with before I leave for college on
September 20th'. Call me up after August 11th so we can start making
dates!!

Cavalheiro das Trevas

Guess what we're going to do this afternoon, after we go for a bike
ride in the park.

She's Glad it's not Permanent

The Fire Breathing Dragon

...but, it's a gekko, she says.

I Drove Back

The skinny gas station attendant is filling Carl and Suzy's car with
natural gas. Like virtually every other auto engine in Brazil, their
car runs on both gasoline and ethanol (produced very efficiently and
sustainably from sugar cane--makes corn based ethonol look stupid).
Just drive up to the gas station and put in whatever ia cheaper Carl
and Suzy added the LNG option because it's even cheaper still.

I drove home, 4 hours?, out of the mountains and into São Paulo. An
adventure by itself!

Campos do Jordão

Carl and Suzy drove us up to a European style resort village on top of
a mountain. Funny to see the Brazilian tourists sporting their Dior
jackets, scarves, and boots. As if they were in Vail, Colorado. It was
about 80 degrees.

Good chocolate, cashmire, and people watching.