Kickin' the summer off right with this talented and deserving family's tech makeover reveal...

I know I keep saying each new block party just gets better and better, but that's not to say the ones before weren't fantastic, too. It's just that each time, I find myself thinking, "Whoa, that was amazing, how are the Gurus and crew going to top that next time?" And yet somehow, they do.

Here are just a few of the highlights and moments that really stood out to me at the Word family's party:

• Seeing son Lewis positively tearing it up on stage, just before the reveal, as he performed "Success," one of his own hip hop songs, live. After getting to know this soft-spoken, polite, almost-shy-seeming young gentleman a little bit over the previous three days, I was taken aback -- both by his presence and his lyrical skills -- when he burst onto the stage like a firestorm. It was almost like getting to know a certain mild-mannered, bespectacled newspaper reporter, then seeing his superhero alter-ego bust out before your eyes. Mark my words, this kid is going places.
• The tingle I got up my spine as I watched, via Jumbotron cam, Guru Lloyd hitting the button on the remote, making Mom and Dad's new plasma TV slowly rise out of its hiding place in the entertainment center, and heard the crowd's intoxicating whoops, hollers and screams of approval. It reminded me of the start of a huge arena concert, just as the house lights go down.
• Seeing the kids' reactions when the Gurus showed them their new Musical Playroom (more on that soon) -- especially seeing Lewis' eyes light up when he says, "Look, Mom," while pointing out his new professional mixing board setup -- and knowing that all the crew's hard work really is going to make an incredible difference in their lives and futures.
• Getting to meet "t3h badg3r" in person -- this 14-year-old computer wiz posted a very helpful comment for the Words a couple weeks ago, and came to the party with his parents. It was cool seeing the sparkle in his eyes as he met the Gurus and was presented with an honorary My Home 2.0 crew t-shirt. Could he be our first Junior Techno-Guru? (Either way, I think you'll be hearing more from this young man.)

My only complaint about the whole affair (and it's a silly one, indeed): Where's Jim 2.0's hot dog?

I was craving a dog with sauerkraut in the worst way all during the block party, but I had to do my usual running around, trying to get as many cool pics and videos as possible. During a break, I jumped on the fast-moving hot dog line, but just as my turn came up, the reveal was starting so I had to skip it. I came back after the reveal, and they were all done...NNNNOOOOO! Sure, I could have gotten a dog somewhere else later, but it's just not the same as one pulled from a steaming cart, piled high with sauerkraut and carried around a happy, sunshiny, early-summer block party.

This makes two dog-less parties in a row for yours truly. At the Wurtz family party, I'm a man on a mission: grab one at 9am and set aside for later! See you there...

Posted by Jim 2.0 | tagged: Word, photos, during, block party