Cars and ClayTON

This past weekend we made a stop at Marc's office. I got to hear the amazing mix that Marc did on the theme song of a new driving game AND I got to play it. I'm a long time fan of Pole Position and the reigning Queen of Go Cart racing in my family. We all used to race on Summer visits to the Russian River. The track is long gone, but everyone remembers who used to win, right?...at least I do! :)

This new driving game is fantastic. You can choose cars that exist in real life and customize them. So, when I found myself slipping all over the track, I was able to change the settings so that my car gripped the road and handled the curves much better. There was so much detail in the game...fans taking pictures on the side of the road, etc. My only recommendation was that Marc's office get a steering wheel control. It would make it so much more realistic than the regular controls.

Matthew played a different driving game on another screen. It was more like monster trucks in rugged terrain. I went to visit him and noticed that he was running up against the mountain and suggested he try steering to the right. He didn't change his steering, but he did increase the pressure on the gas. All of a sudden the back lights on the truck started changing colors and sparking and then the whole truck blew up. Matthew started cracking up laughing. Okay, I get the point and it's not the finish line.

Matthew was very sweet when we first arrived at Sony. Marc was setting up the game and Matthew leaned over and said, "Dad, you don't have to do this. I don't want to get you guys in trouble." Marc replied, "that's what we do at my work, play games. It's okay." Matthew always thought his Dad was cool, but now the bar has been raised.

After Sony we visited with family over pizza. The kids had a blast playing with their cousin Clayton. Madeleine always emphasizes the end of his name...I miss ClayTON, I play with ClayTON, pizza with ClayTON. He really is a TON of fun!!!


It was a beautiful evening in San Carlos. I especially enjoyed sitting out front on the lawn and eating yummy cheese and walnut pizza with an adult beverage, while the kids romped around with each other and the adults laughed and enjoyed the moment.

They have a couple very nice trees out front. I don't know tree varieties very well, but I'd say these are of the variety called HUGE. The perfect type of climbing tree for a child (with a boost from a parent) and the perfect calming and shade tree for adults.

After pizza, it was time for ClayTON to take a bath and get to bed. Before we knew it, all three kids were in the tub. It's going to be fun watching them all grow up together.