Emily and I just got back from spending the Fourth of July weekend in Cazenovia, her implausibly idyllic Upstate New York hometown. We helped sort books for the library's upcoming sale; we strolled through an enjoyably awful craft fair; we had drinks with Emily's high school friends in a bar where they'd carved their initials years ago (a rite of passage for the town's kids). That, plus barbecues, fireworks, beer, and the generous hospitality of Emily's family all made for a pretty great trip.

Of course there was Yogaball, too — now potentially rebranded as CazBall (comma-rock-the) for marketing purposes. Sadly, I felt as though I had lost a step this year. The ravages of age, perhaps, or maybe just a lack of Yogaball focus. Either way, remedies must be sought. If Dana Torres can qualify for the Olympics surely I can find a way to hit an enormous rubber ball around the lawn in a more competitive manner.

The weekend's other novel activity was Rock Band, which Emily's sister Kjerstin somehow convinced her dad to purchase on the spur of the moment. Kjerstin and her husband Matt are kind of experts at the game; I've got some experience with Guitar Heroism and/or Karaoke Revolutionary politics, but RB proper was new to both me and Emily. Drumming — pretty fun, right?

Anyway, hopefully the above constitutes enough of an excuse to embed the following video, found via Penny Arcade: