Everyday_Geekery's blog

My Nana died today.

But really, she died a long time ago. My grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease, that cruel thief that steals memories, relationships and, eventually, an entire life. I last saw my Nana in 1997, just before I moved to California. I’m not sure when she last saw me, because by that time, she didn’t know who I was. My husband, whose sharp-as-a-tack grandmother died unexpectedly a few years ago, has given me hugs and much sympathy today, but my grief is set at mere sadness, because I had already lost my grandmother.

As a geek mom, little warms my heart as much as seeing my children, ages 9 and 11, fulfill their destinies as book nerds. A precocious reader myself, I expected to have early readers, but, as always, they were on their own time. They didn’t really like the reading-level offerings at school, with simplistic plots and cartoonish artwork, but I knew that pushing it would backfire. Working closely with their teachers, while continuing to read all the time at home, we bridged the gap with nonfiction for the fact-loving boy and rhyming, funny books for the nitpicky girl. For me, it was about trusting my instincts as a mom and trusting that children who grow up loving books will make that leap to loving to read books. And when they were ready, they did.

Here's a low-cost, air-conditioned option for those mega-hot summer days. Parents of children age 15 and under can take advantage of KidsBowlFree.com. Kids signed up by their parents will get two free games a day, all summer, at participating bowling alleys.

Things to Know:

• Be sure to read all the fine print, and be aware that the free passes will be emailed to you on a weekly basis.

• You need to call ahead to confirm a lane is available and that no restrictions are in place for the time or day.

• "For a limited time," you can add as many as four adults to the 2-games-a-day program for about $25.

• Shoe rental charges still apply. (At Yosemite Lanes in Modesto, you can purchase a $25 per person summer shoe rental pass.)

The City of Modesto's summer classes are always a good deal, but for city residents with lower incomes ($45,200 for a family of four), or those who live in a HUD Designated low-income neighborhood, the Leisure Bucks program is a great path to summer fun. The allotment is $100 per child, and will can be used to cover up to 90 percent of most classes offered through the city and some "Cosponsored Youth Sports Organization" activities. So, for a $30 swim class, your out-of-pocket cost is $3.

Things to Know:

* Program details can be found here; depending on how you qualify, you'll need proof of address and/or income. You also need proof of the children's ages.

* It takes about two weeks to get the Leisure Bucks card(s) in the mail, so plan accordingly.

OK, so y’all know that I love technology. I blog, I tweet, I have more computers than people in my household of five, etc. But to have my husband walk out of the bathroom, freshly showered, and say, “Hehe, that was funny” and realize that he’s talking about the message I just posted to Twitter? That’s just plain spooky. My tweets go directly to his phone, a mere 10 seconds after I post them. I’m not sure I’m ready for the arrival of in-house technokinesis.

(For the curious, the Twitter message was about “budget cuts,” and how I just trimmed my husband’s “JewFro” via a backyard haircut. It’s not bad, if I do say so myself…)

Like many households, Casa de Geekery is under budget restraints, which makes planning for summer even more of a challenge. Fortunately, there is no shortage of free or low-cost fun in Modesto, and I'll be sharing some ideas on how to keep the cash crunch from defining your summer.

I know The Bee and I have said this before, but don’t forget the Stanislaus County Library as a source of free entertainment. Librarian Susan Cassidy had a great piece in last Monday’s Bee about reading aloud to your kids. Our family goes to the library just about every week, year-round. In the summer, we often combine our library visit with a stop at the Farmers Market on Thursdays or Saturdays.

She didn’t fight in a war, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. My grandmother wanted so much to serve her country on the warfront. In the end, her bird-like frame (which, unlike her hair-trigger temper and penchant for red hair dye, I did not inherit) couldn’t pass muster against the Army’s minimum weight rules for people being sent overseas.

That didn’t stop her from being a lifelong patriot, however. My Grammie loved her country. She loved the flag and the Constitution and believed in the inerrability of America’s mission, back in the day when that wasn’t so challenging. She was no shrinking violet, and made more than a few phone calls to radio stations during the Vietnam War that left little doubt as to where she stood on draft dodgers. But my grandmother walked her walk and talked her talk, and even people who disagreed with her politics tended to respect that.