Tonight Richard and Amanda head back to the UK. We’ve had a really fun week, they are such easygoing house guests.

I have now done my duty as a native New Jerseyan by introducing Richard and Amanda to the art of Skee Ball. I took them to Point Pleasant on Monday while Adam got ready to go back to work.

We played some of the slot machines in one of the arcades, and on my last quarter I got a 500 ticket payoff. It was so big the attendant came over and printed me out this special big check for the 12, 500 points I earned. Which I used to buy a Yankees garden gnome, obviously (more on him later).

Their 1st full day here we went to Six Flags Great Adventure, mostly so I could finally use the ticket I earned for organizing the Read to Succeed program at school (last year I never used my ticket). The best part was the drive-thru safari, which Amanda was really excited for and which I hadn’t done since I was a kid. It was just like I remember, lots of animals stopping traffic and looking hot.

This was a cool bird.

Bear cubs playing.

A big bear hot and sleepy.

A very helpful bison, posing by his sign.

Baboons on poles.