I finished reading Bad Astronomy. It was fine, but written for a general audience, so I didn't derive very much that was truly new from it [but not nothing -- although the Hubble can't exactly image the Earth, it can be (and occasionally is) pointed at the Earth, so that one camera captures 'streak flat' images to help calibrate it.]. I have a problem with some of his analogies and writing, but most of this beefing is just me wanting to push him out of the way so I could write it more goodly.
On the 4th of July, as I mentioned before, the Creamer kids came by to plant some pumpkins in the garden. It seemed to be a big hit, particularly with Tristan, who watered the entire garden, I think. They are neat kids, and possibly prime examples of the superintelligent futuristic species that will replace us.
In the evening of the 4th, we had a few friends over to eat, drink, ignite explody stuff, patriotically play Rock Band, and envy the people with the illegal fireworks that lit up the sky.