We are oh-ficially back from Herkimer Diamond Mines! There are still four in our party, so there were no casualties, no one ended up missing, and we had a great time! (Well, some of us has a great time; the other three had an eh time). The heat, and all.

Anyway! We broke some rocks, just like living in a prison. (Not that I would know from a personal first-hand experience, but like what I think prison life is like). At least that's what they show in the movies, prisoners breaking rocks.

So, how many diamonds did we find? A few. When you first go into the place, you pay your money, get your hammers, and then, you "have" to go watch this video. Honestly, I don't know why they felt like we needed to watch the video, but you never know, right? So after we watched the video, that proceeded to tell us how we needed to go about banging the rocks in order to best retrieve our diamonds, we walked ourselves out of the building, and went on down to Mine #1. There were two mines, but we only went to the first one.

So! In the middle of mining, little miss Molly decided that she didn't want to do it any longer, and needed to go potty. Seeing as how she and I are the least likely to receive funny looks if we go into the ladies' room together, I was elected to complete the task. We go walking ourselves across the dirt road to the facilities, and a van stops for us, and a woman yells my name out of the open window! Ya'll, it was my very good friend from the junior high that took me to see The View! She and her husband and two daughters go camping (I guess frequently?) and they were staying at the campground adjoining the mine! How funny is that? I had just called her house the day before to invite her to lunch next week, with a couple of friends from work.

We are planning on going to eat at The Apple Pie Bakery and Cafe at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. You know the place. If you don't know the place, go here. Funny thing about the CIA is that they just finished up taping a new show for the Food Network about the next Iron Chef. I don't know when it will be debuting on TV; I just remember reading about them taping it in Hyde Park.

So! What are you doing with your families before school begins again?