Happy New Year

It's New Year's Eve and we are getting a slow start around here, but that is what vacation is all about. Tonight for a change we are going to our neighbors for their New Year's Eve bash. Change is good!

The newspaper this morning had a big article about New Years resolutions; setting them and then failing. And why do people fail? Because their resolutions are too grandiose most of the time, unattainable.

I would like to report that I did a pretty good job on my resolution from last year. I saw a short coming in myself and did my best to correct it. And what was this task? Returning answering machine messages. Faithful patrons to the cafe know about my love/ hate relationship with the phone. This attitude extends to the phone's evil ally, the answering machine. Here's a sample of my former behavior. Remember, this is the OLD me.

Me: (shouting) How long has this light been blinking in here?

Everyone else:

Me: When did the phone ring? When I was at the store?

(Marco comes in and frantically licks my hands.)

Me: Yuck! (wipes off one hand and pushes the button)

BEEP!

Somebody on Scout business: Hey, Jennifer. I was wondering if you still have that form blah, blah, blah...

Me: No...

Scout person: We were going to blah, blah, blah...

Me: Good for you...

Scout person on overdrive: If you could call me back tonight or tomorrow or blah, blah, blah...

Me: Doubt it...

BEEP!

Somebody on school business: Jennifer, as you know our annual blah, blah, blah...

Me: How could I forget...

School person: If you could be willing to blah, blah, blah...

Me: Oh, I'm sooooo willing....

School person, pouring on the charm: blah, blah, blah, so much fun, blah, blah, blah, call me!

Me: Ugh!

BEEP!

So that was me. Being snarky to the answering machine and never returning phone calls. When I would get called out on this -- "You never called me back!" -- I would blame the machine, the kids, a power outage, anything but myself. It was shameful.

So I made my resolution to returning all calls and promptly. But it wasn't easy. No sir. As much as wanted just to walk away and forget I heard anything, a little voice would pipe up "New Years!" And with a huge sigh, I would reach for a pen to write down the number, even (*GASP*) listening to the whole message again to make sure I wrote it down right. Then.... I would call.

I'm certain no one noticed this self-improvement. People usually only take note of rude behavior and then only when it happens to them. Everyday is still a struggle though. I'll never be completely cured of blowing off the answering machine and right now I'm probably only running at 75% return rate, but that's a hell of a lot better than 0%! So to bolster my efforts, my resolution again this year will be to return all calls. There are no support groups for this kind of thing; I'm a woman alone on this frontier. But if you wanted to find some way to help me, probably the best thing to do is to stop leaving messages.

So, what's your resolution?

School days are here again

E left this afternoon for Vermont again. This time he will be gone until January 9th. He has to go one more time in June and then next December will be his final trip for graduation! His truck was packed to the roof with all his stuff and he only came back to the house once for things he forgot. If you want to send him a note while he's there, I know he'd appreciate it. He's really busy, but he does get a chance to check his email from time to time. He took his laptop, but WiFi hasn't caught on in Vermont it seems. To contact him at school, use his "On-the-road" address jenericdsp@aim.com

This just in! Vermont does have WiFi finally!

Christmas Pictures Finally!

Callie playing Guitar Hero with Andrew waiting for his next turn.

Jim playing guitar hero. Look at those cool chairs!

Grandma, Pop and Jim got this puzzle done in no time flat.
Heather hoping the cats stay upstairs where they belong!

Happy Holidays to you all!

Three Day of Christmas

That's how much Christmas we have around here, three days. Christmas Eve at Grandma's which is always a big time. It was really crowded this year down in here basement. Lots of food and good talk. Most of the people who come to Grandma's only see each other once a year. Old picture usually come out and everyone tries to put names to faces. There was the annual BINGO game and a poker game. The slot machine gave up 3 jackpots during the night. The days of talking over the super loud pinball machine are over, but I really miss it. It sits in the corner being used as a shelf these days.

Christmas day is at my house and we had a great one this year. I finally caved in and we got the kids (and ourselves!) a Playstation. They were completely shocked. Never saw it coming.

I would post some pictures here, but Blogger is being a Grinch right now. I'll try again later.

Anyway, we did it up big with the Playstation. Dance Dance Revolution, Star Wars Lego and Guitar Hero, which might be the coolest game ever. Love Guitar Hero! Grammy and Poppa got us these excellent gaming chairs that you can plug into the game for the sounds in stereo up by your ears. Very cool!

Dinner was excellent, if I do say so myself, but I can't take credit for the awesome ham that Grammy Anderson brought. Wonderful! We've got enough food here to feed an army still! I froze tons of cookies this morning, enough to last us through spring!!!

Today it was back to my Grandma's for the third day of tons of food and more presents. I don't think I can look at any more ham or sweets, but the season has been a festive one! I hope everyone out there had a wonderful holiday. Time to go play Dance Dance....

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Parties!

It's the last day of school today! Hurray! I'm going up there in a little bit to run Ethan's class party. This is the first year I've ever been the "Room Mother", if it's even called that anymore, probably not. In the past, I've just sent stuff in and hung out at the party. This year I'm the party planner and tell other people what to bring. It's a pretty sweet job. The Halloween party went fairly well, so we'll see how this goes. We're attempting a craft. Might be pushing my luck with sixth graders!

Tomorrow is the Girl Scout troop party. Then Sunday is the big yearly wing ding at Grandma's. I WON'T be forgetting my camera for that bash! Something crazy always happens!

We're all set for the big day around here except that house looks like a parade of monkeys went crashing through. Oh, well. This too can be dealt with. We've baked a ton of cookies, done a bunch of shopping and even more wrapping. Bring it on!

The cats are all still here. Their blog got 32 hits in one week after I put the ad in the paper. That's more people than visit this blog! But no nibbles. I'll put another ad in after the first of the year and try again.

If you want to check out something fun, there's a wonderful concert being hosted over at Citizen of the Month. The link is right over there-------------------------------------------------->

An Uncanny Disappearance

Our garbage can is gone.

We are not the most diligent of families about getting the can back up to the house after pick-up, so one might say that we have been asking for this for years. It's true that some weeks, we have taken the trash out to the can still on the curb a week later. Plenty of times it's only been brought up to the house because it was out in the middle of road and we couldn't get out of the driveway. But still, this is a blow.

Our first ever garbage can was a shiny metal one we found in the garage of our first apartment. It was just the cutest thing! When we moved, we brought it with us, which I suppose means we stole it from our landlord, but he was a creep, so we didn't care. We didn't live here very long before it disappeared, definitely stolen. What goes around comes around, eh? After that we had a hodge podge of clunkers, posing to be trash cans, but all of them one step from being garbage themselves.

One day we broke down and bought a real can of our very own. It had a lid and wheels and it was BIG! We got all the trash in there! But as the years crept on, the can started to show it's age. A wheel was loose, the bottom was falling out. For the past few months it crossed my mind that pretty soon we would have to go out and (Gasp!) buy a new one.

So here we are today and it's gone. It was there this morning according to Ethan, but when I came home at 3 PM, it was MIA. The lid is out there, but the can is gone. Did it blow away? Unlikely. It wasn't particularly windy today. Did someone take it? Why would they? And if some strange being did take our beaten up can, why didn't they take the lid as well? It's a true mystery.

What's not a mystery is that we only had one can and now we have none. We are at the mercy of mutant huge raccoons and possums and insane feral cats. Does Santa bring garbage cans? I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Have you seen me?

Welcome New Visitors!

Here's a big hello to all the new visitors to the cafe. You got your Christmas card from me yesterday and inside was a little sticker with this address on it. And you thought "Hmmm, what's this?" So you sat down and typed it in (Maybe wincing a little because you don't like the name much) and found this, my blog. I'm not a big fan of the Christmas letter, but I suppose you could look at this as the longest Christmas letter you've ever gotten. In here you can find out everything that we've been up to since May, when I started this. So now you're thinking "Does she expect me to read all of this?" Of course not! But please, don't make this your only visit. I post on the average 3 or 4 times a week and I truly try to make it interesting, well... at least to me. So come back now and then and catch up with us. And if you're so inclined, leave a comment. I live for the comments!

As for the name of this blog, I understand that some might think it's inappropriate, but there is a history and a story and I like it. Even so, not long ago, in a half dreaming state, a new name for this blog came to me that was even more perfect. I was so excited by it, I jumped right out of bed to write it down before I forgot. But then I found that graphic of the blinking sign and I LOVE that sign so much, I'm never changing the name!

We're not home much and we don't like to answer the phone, but I love to write blogs and read other peoples. I might use the word "really" too often. I might use too many exclamation marks. But I blog because I truly want to connect with you and be a part of your life. I really do! So put this on your "Favorites" list now!

Meme This

Nobody has directly asked, but the coincidence is just too much. The two main bloggers in my life, within a week of each other, both wrote meme blogs. One was "6 weird things about me" and the other was "5 thing you didn't know about me". So I'll cut the difference.

Five and a half things about me that may or may not be weird:

1. I can't sleep in absolute silence. I can't sleep if I can hear music or a TV. I have a magical little machine that makes white noise that knocks me out in no time flat.

2. While I grew a whole inch when I was 18, my feet are the same size they were when I was 12. I shop in the little girl part of the shoe store.

3. I hate when the phone rings. It sets me right on edge. I think it must be because it's how my day starts everyday, a phone call. I'm also not fond of the answering machine. When I see that little light flashing, I usually think "What now?!?!??" That said, if you end up on the phone with me, I'll talk your ear off.

4. I love Christmas decorations. You'll never catch me complaining that stores put them out to early. They could leave them up all year as far as I'm concerned.

5. I'm the world's biggest tea snob. Iced Tea is the only thing I've ever sent back in a restaurant and I've done that on several occasions.

1/2. When it comes to big musicals....

Forward Christmas

The trip to the tree farm was very successful. Without a doubt, it was the quickest we have ever found a tree. Usually it's a lot of "Yeah, that one's okay, but let's go look over there first." Over there being like a half a mile away. But this time we saw the tree and that was it. Here's my mighty warrior over his quarry.
This year the tree farm bought this neat tree carrier which is a million times better than carrying the damn thing yourself through the snow, mud, and unexpected pits. The kids had a big time with it as well. The only flaw in the day was that Boccardi's was closed. That place never keeps the same hours or days from month to month! It's the best pizza, but the way they run the place is a complete drag! We ended up coming back to town and having lunch at that Mexican place that moved into Red Robin. It was okay, but not Boccardi's.

So now the tree is up and decorated. All the Christmas paraphernalia is out as well and the boxes are put away. I still haven't put up my kitchen tree yet and we haven't put up any lights outside. The way it snowed today, lights outside might just get skipped this year.

Tonight, I'm working on Christmas cards, can't you tell? Okay, I'm going to start working on cards once I finish this. We've gotten seven cards thus far and each one is a reminder that I need to get a move on. But here's a strange thing: One of the cards that came today is a complete mystery. Neither of us have any idea who sent it; we don't recognize the name. It's addressed to us, our name handwritten on the envelope, but nothing personal inside, just a pre-printed card. Being that I don't actually know them, I'm not sending a card back, but here's some recognition anyway: Dan and Cathy Nixon of Wellington, Merry Christmas to you, too!

Christmas Tree Day!

Everyone has a different way to get the holidays started and when they put up the tree. Some are Thanksgiving Day people. Lots are The-Day-After-Thanksgiving People. One notable family I know is die hard Nothing-Before-December-1st. Today, the 5Th, is our day. Today is our anniversary and we have almost always been able to go out and get the tree today.

We're leaving here in a bit to spring the kids from school to go tramp around in the woods and find the tree. On the way home, it's lunch at Boccardi's in Birmingham for the best pizza without question. I'll post later tonight with some pictures. Should be interesting because right now it's snowing like crazy.

Happy, Happy Anniversary to Weaver and Brewer, the one anniversary I can never forget! Here's hoping we all have a fabulous day!

And, of course, Happy Anniversary to you E. Thank you for 14 years of love and Christmas Trees!

Even got a homepage for my...cats

There's a new link at the cafe today: We Need Homes, my new webpage created just for getting rid of these cats. In a guide that I read about finding homes for animals, one of the things it said to do was make flyers and hang them up everywhere. But I'm thinking, what a pain is that! And there's not a lot of places around to hang up flyers anyway. And finally, does anyone read those crumpled cornered flyers you see at Convenient? I barely glance at them most of the time. If you're shopping at Convenient, you're in a hurry!

So this site is my solution. Tomorrow I'm going to the newspaper to place an ad in directing interested parties to read all about my kitties at the website. I figure it's better than wishing they would go away, which is all we've been doing so far!

A word of warning: I heaped it on heavy! It's chuck full of guilt and heart wrenching sentiment. Have a hanky at the ready!

Thank You for Commenting!

I am exactly one week late with this post, but I do want to recognize a very important person here in the cafe. The day before Thanksgiving is "Thank Your First Commenter Day" according to Neil over at Citizen of the Month. I think this is a wonderful idea. Commenters are the caffeine that keeps bloggers running! Would I keep writing if I thought no one was reading? I don't think so. And even if everyone and their Grandma was out there reading, I'd never know unless I heard from them now and then.

So without anymore waiting... Thank You Bruce! You were my very first commenter and in it you offer the wisdom of a elder blogger to a novice. I haven't been blogging long, but your words still ring true! Read this first comment here.

It also should be noted that my very good friend Weaver was only beat out of this prominent position by three minutes! But if there was a day to recognize your most loyal commenter, she would have it hands down.

Pick of Destiny

Yesterday, to put a cap on our Tenacious D weekend, we went to see the movie. During the concert, they begged for everyone to go see the movie (or see it again) and take ten other people along with you. (There might have been ten people in the theatre all together when we went to see it.) Seems it's not doing too hot. I've just been perusing the reviews and none of them are stellar. There in lies the problem:

We loved it! We sang along with the songs! Shouted at the screen! We were complete geeks for it!

On our way out, floating along in our Tenacious D bliss, we pondered if the movie would be enjoyed by anyone who wasn't a complete freak for the band. Would they think it was funny or would they think it was the stupidest thing ever made? Reading the reviews, I'm guessing it's the latter. I'm afraid they have made a niche movie, a cult film. The funny thing is that both E and I had the same thought: Wouldn't that be great to see as a Midnight Movie with a bunch of people who loved it as much as we did, a la "Rocky Horror"? That would be the BOMB! But, I won't hold my breath. More likely, the man and I will host annual viewings here at the house -- The Annual Tenacious D Blow Out! Anyone who remember the "Wrath of Khan" party knows we know how to watch a movie!

Road Trip Recap

Our quick, quick trip to Chickee-G was a big success! Only one spot of dead-stop traffic on the way in, but we still made it to the Uncle's in five and half. It was spooky, foggy the first half of the trip, but made for something cool to look at for a change while traveling through Indiana.

Abandoned the kids at the Uncle's and took off back to the city. The concert was at the UIC Pavilion. We got to the city WAY early, so on the advice of a cop, we headed around the block for a bite to eat at the most crowded little smoky restaurant ever built. We were told it was a 30 minute wait for the table, but 45 minutes later we're still waiting and much closer to death, not only from hunger, but smoke inhalation, than when we walked in. And it appeared that not only was no one being seated, but those already in seats, weren't getting food. We bailed. Back at the pavilion the doors were open and we got the best chicken tenders ever. (And I'm not just saying that because it was the first real food I had in twelve hours!)

The concert opened with a "comedian", Neil Hamburger. I know I'm not the hippest chick in the world, but I truly didn't understand what this guy was going for. He's trying to be the "World's Worst Comic" and I think he's there. I'm not even sure how to describe it. His jokes weren't funny at all, his delivery was worse, in between he cleared his throat in disgusting ways. The only thing funny was the audience reaction to him: Booing, screaming at him, even throwing food! But finally he was gone and then it was TENACIOUS D! And they were fantastic! It started out with just the two of them, but then, after they died and went to Hell, they played with a complete band that rocked out! Defiantly worth the drive!

The next morning, after we left the Uncle's (Thanks for letting us crash!), we cruised through the city to show the kids some sights. Still too foggy to do the Sears Tower, we ended up at Millennium Park which was so beautiful. Here's what we look like in the Cloud Gate.

We then walked down to the Christmaskindlemarket where I bought a little snowman ornament from a guy with a German accent. Can't get more authentic than that! The crowds were intense! At times you couldn't even move! But the giant Christmas tree was excellent.

Finally we were all walked out and drove straight home, non-stop.

Turkey Day

Yesterday was all baking. We made an apple pie, completely from scratch, even the crust, scared of me. And then we made two kinds of cookies- no bake oatmeal and some chocolate chip with these new nifty chips I found that were swirled with chocolate and peanut butter. Very cool looking. Today it was off to the sister's with all the goodies. It was an excellent dinner hands down. Everything was delicious! Lots of fun visiting with the relatives and playing with baby Colby. No pics because I forgot my camera. Oh well.

Tomorrow morning, bright and semi-early, we are all headed out to the Windy City for some Tenacious D action. The kids are going as well and crashing at the Crazy Uncle's while we see the show. But it's just a quick, quick visit and we'll be heading home Saturday afternoon. (Can't leave these stupid cats for too long!) Sorry Chip, we'll catch up with you next time!

Bowling Pins and Needles

This morning my darling told me that I might not have the right personality to be a bowler.

Now this wasn't out of left field. We were having a conversation about bowling and how I have an unfortunate history of almost always getting hurt while bowling. I actually have a recurring tight spot in the back of my neck from a bowling injury about a decade ago. But then he drops this bomb that I might not have what it takes not only physically, but mentally, to be a bowler (No, he didn't use those exact words!). More explanation is needed.

My love is a damn good bowler. He's not out there just for the beer and the semi-hot women, he's out there to knock 'em down. Every Monday he heads out the door with his crippling double bowling bag to the echoes of the kids shouting "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!" after him. Later that night, I'll get the report of his score along with whatever token he's won: a tiny towel, a huge patch. Going to school at CSU put a crimp in his game and he went through a long slump. No fun. But going to Vermont now has really improved his game. Mondays are good again.

E has been bowling every Monday, September through May, almost our entire marriage. My dad taught him to bowl and put him on the team. It was their bonding thing. Dad's not on the team anymore, but E's still out there. When E was just learning to bowl, I would go out and watch him practice and keep score. Dad took me bowling a couple of times as a kid, but never seriously, not like when we would go play Putt-Putt. Now I wonder... Did Dad give up on trying to teach me to bowl, because he sensed that I didn't have the heart of bowler? Great bowlers are born, not made? Nature vs. Nurture? Ya got it or ya don't?

E says that the monotony of bowling frame after frame, week after week, year after year, isn't my style and that I would be bored with it. Could be true. He asked me if I want to spend the next 20 years trying to pick up the 10 pin. Not really. He finally pointed out that I also have a strange aversion to loud mouth a-holes, which bowling alleys seem to spawn. Case well made.

So, I'm not a bowler, but I'll take you apart on the Putt-Putt course.

Working Woes

For the most part, I don't like to talk about my job. That's probably because most days I don't like my job very much and I'm not one to dwell on unpleasant things. Leave it behind and forget about it, that's me. And when you are a substitute teacher that's exactly what you can do--walk away and forget. Tomorrow I'll be in a different building with different kids. It's possible I'll never see the kids I had today again (Which would be nice!). I never have to plan ahead except to make sure I have clean clothes to wear. No meetings to attend, no parents to deal with, no lesson plans to write, nothing. It's almost not even a grown-up job, because if I don't feel like going to work, I just don't answer the phone and nobody cares. Four years ago, I took the job a lot more seriously, but now I know my place-- babysitter. It's true. Most kids aren't going to listen to me or do any work and when the teachers come back, nothing that was done on a "sub day" gets graded. All I'm doing is holding down the fort and making sure everyone gets home with both eyes and no broken bones. I can do that.

Of course, I have to try to teach anyway, make a good show of it. Today it was third graders at Franklin. This was the yappiest group of kids I've had in long time. Luckily, none of them were mean, angry haters. On the contrary, these kids got along, almost too well, because they never, ever, EVER stopped talking the entire day. They kept talking even when I would stare right at them, say their name, tell them to stop talking. They chatted with each other constantly, mumbled under their breath when they read or did math, and shouted in the hallways to other classes. They talked so much, I'm not sure how they can still have voices left! Mine is certainly tired after a day of telling them to be quiet! The loudest part of the day? Silent reading. It was just chaos in there! Okay, maybe going down the hall to lunch was a little louder, but not much.

They had library today and when I went to pick them up, the librarian was beside herself. I guess they weren't quiet in there either and she was giving them a "Shame On You" speech for making it impossible to teach them. They couldn't hear her, of course. They were whispering to each other, loudly.

Luau

Friday night was the Girl Scout luau. Five of my lovelies went, but I'm pretty certain this will be our last time going to this event. While they look like they're having a great time here, for the most part they were bored. Seems they are getting too old to hang out at a dance with a bunch of Brownies. Maybe in a few years they could be the organizers of the dance. That would be cool. That's Callie's tree from her bedroom that we took along to the dance. It looks a lot bigger in her room!

Ethan was camping again this weekend with his troop and it rained the whole damn time. They were stuck in the cabin when they weren't hiking in the drizzle. And let me tell you about these Boy Scout cabins -- They are the tiniest, stinkiest, yuckiest huts! I know that I am spoiled by Girl Scout camp! I know! But these cabins are right on the verge of gross! We went out to have dinner with him Saturday night out at camp. I have no idea how they stand staying out there. This cabin was so tiny, we were all on top of each other. And it could have been worse! They got this "bigger" cabin because of a cancellation. They were supposed to be in smaller one, like the size of closet! Not my idea of fun, but I guess it's theirs.

I'm a complete NaBloPoMo failure, but I will try to pick up the pace from here on out. No guarantees though!

A Head for Politics

The Democrats take both house, bringing Sherrod Brown along and we couldn't be happier around here! As a way to celebrate, Ethan has shaved half his head! Okay, it has nothing to do with the elections. Tomorrow is crazy hair day at school, so this time went extreme. We were planning on a haircut someday soon anyway, so we just did the first half tonight. He should be a sensational tomorrow. Here's to a new BLUE, SMOKE-FREE Ohio!

Spaghetti!

Not long ago I posted how I feel about fundraisers. I ended that post saying that my least favorite kinds of fundraisers are the car wash and the spaghetti dinner. So, of course, tonight was the spaghetti dinner for Ethan's Boy Scout troop. Oh my, what a long night! My feet are very, very tired and I think I smell like sauce. But for the most part it was a very smooth event. No giant spills or irate people. It wasn't a great success, but it wasn't a flop either. And it wasn't a car wash, which now is bumped up (or is it down?) my least favorite fundraiser. Ethan was a superstar coffee pourer and Calliope pitched in bussing tables. Ethan's troop only does this every other year and I am SO down with that. That sounds just about right!

Campng at Timberlane

First, I didn't miss a day yesterday. I commented on another blog which I have been lurking on for months for the first time, so that counts.

Friday night, we took the troop out to Timberlane, in the snazzy Tall Timber cabin, for a girly girl overnight. It was probably the most unique campout we've ever had. The girls made homemade clay face masks, oatmeal masks, face lotion, cold cream, homemade mayonnaise for their hair, sparkly lip gloss and bath salts. Then they tried it all out. Here they are with some kind of goop in their hair; they had a choice of yogurt, honey or mayo. Then they put the oatmeal or the clay mask on and kicked back with the cucumbers. After this they soaked their nails in little bowls to get ready for the manicures. Aren't they lovely!

But none of this make is what made this campout so exciting. When we tried to build a fire in the cabin's fireplace, it backdrafted filling the cabin with smoke and set off the smoke alarm. Both cabins had to evacuate while we waited for the firemen to show up and check everything out. We were outside in the freezing cold for a good half hour and most of my girls still had wet hair. But we sang and visited with the troop from the other side. Finally we were given the okay to go back in and finish up being girly. We had chocolate fondue with all kinds of yummy stuff to dip in it. Finally, they gave each other manicures, pedicures and curled and crimped each other's hair. It was some night!

The next morning it was back to real camping. After breakfast, we set off on the perimeter trail taking our lunch along with us. I truly do not remember there being so many straight-up-a-hill and then straight-down-a-hill parts on this trail. My legs are killing me today! But finally we made it to the bridge where we were stopping for lunch. We dug a hole, surrounded it with rocks from the creek and built a fire to cook our hot dogs and s'mores. We let the girls run around and explore the creek and hills and just enjoy being outside for an extended period of time in a natural place. The weather couldn't have been better.

Back at the cabin we had an award ceremony to present the girls with their Bronze Award pins. It was a camping trip that had it all: girly stuff, outdoor stuff, emergency vehicles and firemen on the roof. I for one, will never forget it.

Weird Al's new CD is out

I remember the first time I really became aware of Weird Al. I was in the seventh grade when I heard "Eat It" on the radio. My dad and I were crazy for that song. Whenever it came on we would crank it up! I also distinctly remember the day he took me to Camelot. (Yeah, that's right! Camelot! In the mall down by Friendly's and that Greek place. I dare you to call me old!) We were wandering around the store when he shows up behind me with the "Weird Al in 3D" LP. I truly couldn't believe it. He was actually going to buy it? For me? No WAY!

So that was the start. I have most of his stuff on vinyl and all of it on CD. Heather and I went to see UHF at the movies at Great Northern (Don't say it!) and we were the only ones in the theatre. We've seen him in concert a couple of times and he always puts on a great show. His fans at those shows are another story... Can you say mosh pit and drunk obscene women? Deeply disturbing.

And now I've got my kids all brainwashed to love him to, but really, how could they not? His new CD is out and it's got some really great stuff (and a few clunkers too, I'll admit.) But here's the single and it's definitely one of his best. The kids insisted that we listen to this on the way to school today. That's a 45 second drive, but they wanted to hear it. Hope you like it as much as we do.

White and Nerdy

Halloween Costumes

Here's my trick-or-treaters, finally. This is Callie in her famous ice cream cone costume. I'm proud to say that this costume was homemade by the girl herself! Callie and her friend came up with the idea, went shopping for the supplies, and then put them together (they both were cones) without any help. Got to LOVE having big kids!

Want to talk about the differences between boys and girls? Here's Ethan as a Ninja Zombie. Need I say more?
A close up of the ice cream hat. That's a giant cherry on top there in the back. She hot glued all the pieces onto a pink baseball hat. I tried it on and it was really comfortable!

Trick or Trick Night

I am guilty, year after year, of not getting pictures of my kids in their Halloween costumes. It doesn't make any sense, but it's true. The one night you should have your camera at the ready, I forget about it in the rush. In years past, I've dug out the costumes and dressed the kids in January or February just to get the shot for the album. You can tell it's not Halloween night, because there's a blizzard out the window behind them.

I did take pictures last night, but you can't see them because Blogger it seems is on the verge of crashing. ("An engineer has been notified of this problem" Oooh, I hope he's in a little striped hat!)

Blogger is gagging now most likely because this is the first day of NaBloPoMo. I am not going to officially become a part of this craziness, but I am going to make an attempt at it. I at least can become a commenter and de-lurker. I know I've got some lurkers out there myself. Let hear from you already! This is your time!

Jack O' Lantern

To make up for all the scary stuff, here's something fun to do. This is especially for some cool kids I know in Wisconsin. Have fun!

Carve a Pumpkin!

Another Scare!

Here's another one, same deal. It's going to be something scary. You are forewarned! (I had more self-control with this one!)

Strange but interesting. This is a car advertisement from Great Britain. When they finished filming the ad, the film editor noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. They found out that a person had been killed a year earlier in that exact same spot.

The ad was never put on TV because of the unexplained ghostly phenomenon. Watch the front end of the car as it clears the trees in the middle of the screen and you'll see the white mist crossing in front of the car then following it along the road....Spooky! Is it a ghost, or is it simply mist? You decide.

If you listen to the ad, you'll even hear the cameraman whispering in the background about it near the end of the commercial.


Now see it!

Nothing like seeing it coming...

This is about an email I got from my beloved uncle earlier this week. It touted itself to be a mind bender and had the following description.


READ BEFORE CLICKING ON THE LINK ABOVE
There are two identical pictures that will appear on the screen. Almost 8,000 people were tested to see if they could find the 3 differences in the two pictures and only 19 found all 3. See how observant you are. If you find all 3, you're one of very few people who are able to do this.

Now, I'm thinking to myself-- I've seen something like this before. It's going be some nice picture you stare at for awhile, and then it will suddenly change to something scary and screaming. This is a Halloween prank and I've fallen for it before. Knowing all this, I click on the link, and there's the picture that you're supposed to scrutinize to find the differences. And I'm looking at the picture, the whole time telling myself that something loud and scary is going to happen.

So something scary and loud does happen and I JUMP A MILE! I mean it really scared me and not just a little bit. I was really shook up. Then I was mad, really mad. How could I knowingly let myself to do that to myself? But, instead of being angry with me (not going to happen!), I instead wrote a very angry note to the uncle. Now you can click on it and see for yourself. Have yourself an early Halloween scare!

Tenacious D

Everyone has something that they are just a teeny- tiny bit embarrassed that they like so very, very much. My and I have several, but this is one of the biggest. TENACIOUS D! Jack Black and Kyle Gass are Tenacious D and they completely rock. Their CD is the one that's always in the car, but that the kids can never listen to...well, except for Wonderboy, which they have heard, only because while it isn't exactly clean, it's their only song that doesn't have one F-bomb after another.

Tenacious D once had a show on HBO, which was hilarious. Then there was the album and then Jack Black went and got famous. Bummer. I thought D was gone forever.

But now... a miracle! November 17th is the when their movie opens in theatres and November 14th the songtrack is being released. But even more amazing, these guys are going on tour! This is me with my fingers crossed that there's a trip to Chicago in my future! Long Live the D!

Project Runway Finale

So it's the end of Project Runway and Jeffrey is the big winner. During the commercial, right before they announced it, to myself I said, I really think Uli is the winner, but they'll pick Jeffrey just because they dig him so much. And even though I was right, I was still surprised. I really liked Uli's designs and that bikini she made was the complete bomb! Jeffrey's stuff was very-- well..him. Cool looking, but not really practical. Clothes you would wear nowhere. And two of his dresses were complete dogs, just awful. How do you win with two ugly pieces in the mix? Still, this little green stripey thing was his grand finale and I LOVE it.

As for other TV news, I promised a "Heroes" report to a certain frequent patron to the cafe. The word is, if you haven't liked the show up to now, you didn't miss anything this week. There. I've just given you the gift of an hour to do something else. Use it wisely.

All Fixed

First, the promised kitten pictures. I had to wake them up for these shots. The little guy was still sleeping here.

This is about halfway awake.

Cable guy got here around 11:30. He fixed everything up and now cable is good again. Hurray. The stupid dryer guy didn't get here until 2:45. But, the dryer works again as well. Double Hurray! In all the wait around time, I got a lot of little jobs that have been put off for too long done, so it was a day fairly well spent. Hope I don't have another like it for a long time!

On Hold

Stuck here at home today waiting for the guy from Stewart's to fix the dryer (no heat, useless appliance) and the cable guy to figure out a whole host of TV related problems. I scheduled them both today so I would only have to lose one day of work. But nobody likes days like this. Waiting, waiting, waiting... The cable guy could be here anytime from now until noon. The dryer guy anytime between noon and two. You want to bet it will closer to two than noon? Oh, I can guarantee that! But it will all be worth it not to have to go to the Laundromat to dry the clothes and having all the fuzziness and ghostiness off the TV. Maybe he can fix the OnDemand too! We haven't had that since Spring! Am I asking too much? Perhaps...

I've just attempted for the third time to get some new pictures of the kittens up, but Blogger is being a bit of a beast this morning, so you'll all have to just suffer without for a little while longer. I assure you that they are cuter than ever, bright eyed, cuddly and soft, with incredibly sharp teeth and quick, painful claws. They turned 8 weeks old over the weekend. 8 weeks... 8 weeks of them living in my bedroom. It's been an education to say the very least. They are extremely active and there is nothing they can't climb in the blink of an eye. The two of them wrestle constantly with each other, right over the top of whatever is around them, be it shoes, laundry or people, they just keep at it. Mama Cat joins in and all three of them run around at top speed in the middle of the night making a racket that's not to be slept through. It's really time for the whole thing to come to an end!

I'll post later today with an update on how the whole service day went. Maybe I can get some pics up then as well.

Nanci and Tom

Congratulations to Nanci and Tom! The wedding yesterday was beautiful. The weather was cold, but sunny and the trees were gorgeous. We all had a great time at the reception and stayed right to the very end. Best part-- the chocolate fountain, these should be mandatory at all events.

Bronze Award!!!!

I've only mentioned in passing, but since May, my troop has been going through all the steps to earn our Girl Scout Bronze Award. If you click on the link, you'll learn all about the highest award a junior girl scout can earn. We decided to perform a sing-a-long for all the other Girl Scouts in our service unit and produce a songbook to give out. We've been singing songs, practicing teaching, and typing songs all summer. We snuck the work in on the girls by doing fun stuff-- a camp out at camp, a backyard campout, a sleepover party, and then two (or was it three?) little work parties. Finally it was all done- The books were done, the t-shirts came in, the cellophane was all cut, and the song list was complete. Last night, at the French Creek Nature Center, it all came together. I'm so proud of the girls I can hardly write this. They were nervous, but they did it! They taught songs, and if they messed up, they just kept going and didn't turn into giggling little girls. They were awesome! We had a nice size crowd show up and everyone seemed very impressed. I could see, when it was all over, how proud the girls were of themselves. They loved it when people came up to tell them they did a good job. And they did, they really did.

It's Never Enough, Until You've Got All the Stuff *

A dear, dear friend of mine is getting married Saturday. This past weekend was her bachorlette party which had many blog worthy events, but as they say, what happens at the party, stays at the party. No, today I want to talk about shopping for a new dress for the wedding. I tried to go out a couple of weekends ago, but it was a bust. Nothing looked good. Just wasn't in the mood to shop. But yesterday I didn't go to work and made it my mission to find an outfit... or die trying.

I hit Macy's right at 10 AM. One quick turn around the store found a mannequin wearing the perfect dress. Ah Ha! I dig up a bored clerk who informs me if there's any left of that dress, they'd be over there, in clearance. Clearance!?! Yes! I felt the shopping gods smiling down on me. Was it there? Oh, yeah baby! There it was! Without a thought I'm in the dressing room and I was right, it's perfect. I've been in the store ten minutes and I'm already done.

But wait... What's this? Columbus Day Sale? Now Columbus Day is not the holiday it once was. Mostly it just confuses people. (Where's the mailman? Why is the bank closed?) Sure, I believe props should be given out to the most famous lost guy in history, but if the kids don't lose a day of school for it, then it's just not holiday that's getting much done! But stores will use any excuse for a sale-- Columbus Day, President's Day, Arbor Day. I guess that's Chris's final gift to us, here's the other half of the world and 20% shoes.

But I digress... The important thing is the sale and yeah, shoes were 20% off. So off I go with my bargain dress to find sale shoes. I'm walking around trying on shoes and holding up the dress, when it occurs to me that it would easier if I just put the dress back on. So I do. After a conference with the two clerks and all the old ladies in the shoe department, we all agree on a pair. Then the clerk says, "Now, you walk over to jewelry and pick out the earrings and a pin to go with that." So off I go in the dress and shoes to find the bling bling. Being on a bit of a shopping high at this point, I again got the whole department involved. A sweet woman named Ellen helped me find the brooch, which I took right out of the box and put on the dress. Another woman found the earrings, which I put on as well. Ellen seemed a bit shocked, "You mean, you haven't bought that dress yet?"

Back in the shoe department, where my street clothes were stowed, I got the approval of the crowd. They tried to get me to go pick up the nylons as well, but I had done enough damage for one day. I got back into my civis, signed up for a Macy's card and I'm out the door. I was home by 11:30. How's that for shopping?

* Line from "Shopping" by the Barenaked Ladies

1st Grade Pride

By request, Callie in 2002...

Ely Pride

For the first time since 1st grade, our girl has finally won the coveted Ely Pride Award. This not only involves your name on the big board, but a certificate, a pin and a bumper sticker! Whoo-Hoo! Congratulations, sweetheart!

Better Quiz!

Whoa! I only got 2 out of 8 on the last quiz. Let's try something fun instead. Try this! It's even appropriate for the situation we're in around here!


Thanks Nance for the blogger tutoring! It worked great!

Spanish Quiz

Not much going on around here, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun. Take this quiz and see how you much you can rock out your Espanol.

There's no FUN in fundraising

I'll start this post with a little upbeat story. We trudge off to the yearly Open House a few weeks ago and get shocking news. The Spring fundraiser was so unbelievably successful that, this year, for the first time, there would be no fall fundraiser. The place went wild! (A note on this: The spring fundraiser was overpriced tiny tubs of cookie dough that I refused to participate in. The fall fundraiser is usually Entertainment Books which I love and always buy and use to death. C'est la guerre!)

But this reprieve from order form pushing was short lived. Here it comes, the Girl Scout Nut Sale, the second hardest thing to sell. What's that you say? Girl Scouts sell cookies, don't they? Oh, we sure do! Lots and lots of cookies! But before that comes the Nut Sale, known as the Calendar Sale back when I was a lass. But the calendars didn't make the money, so now it's nuts and other little snacks in pretty packaging. It's supposed to get the troop year going, but it's such a drag... Luckily none of it is terribly expensive, but that's because you only get tiny amounts.

So then what is the #1 hardest thing to sell? Why it's Boy Scout Popcorn! You want to talk overpriced..... fogetaboutit! The cheapest item is $10 and it goes all the way up to $50. IT'S POPCORN! It's a nightmare to push. And I don't really like any kind of popcorn, so I'm a terrible salesperson. It's hard to be persuasive with the "yucky" look on your face!

Alas! These two sales are overlapping - right now. When people see me coming they scamper up trees and throw themselves into mailboxes. I don't blame them. And I know what you're thinking -- The kids are the Scouts, they should do the selling. Yeah, right. If it was up to them, they wouldn't sell one item. But all in all, I'd rather sell this kind of stuff than work a car wash or a spaghetti dinner any day!

New Kitten Pics

It's been awhile since I've given an update on our kitten situation. Saturday they were 4 weeks old. Two more weeks to go before they are ready to find new homes. They are getting to be a lot of fun now. They run, pounce, bite and scratch. And they are always fighting with each other. The little girl is almost litter box trained completely, but the little guy is not very interested. They both have shown some interest in solid cat food, which is good news because Mama Cat is getting pretty tired of them.

Here's the little lady with her mommy. She's not going to be all black like her mom after all, but a very dark grey. She also has the faintest of stripes.

Look at this sweet little face! He is so furry and fat! But he's a bit shy. He's really good at backing up fast under things to get away from you.
They don't hang out in the box as much as they used to. Now you can find them taking a nap anywhere in my room. Last night, they were under my bed. But wherever they are, they are curled up together.
They haven't really started playing with toys yet, but we're always trying. They do love to chew on drinking straws, which saves our fingers.
This weekend was a busy one for us. My Girl Scout troop came and camped out in the backyard Friday night. It was a little cold, but it didn't rain. We all stayed up too late and sang too loud for our neighbors, I'm sure, but we had a great time. This weekend was also the annual Apple Festival which is junk food heaven for me. Last night we had caramel apples and funnel cakes for dinner at the festival. Now if that isn't quality parenting, I don't know what is!

Toothy Problems

Ethan has had two very loose teeth for way too long now. I am a pretty nerves-of-steel chick about most things, but I am a full blown sissy about loose teeth! I can't stand kids messing with their teeth. I hate it when they want to show you some gross trick they can do involving a loose tooth and their tongue. It creeps me out beyond belief! It probably all started when Callie had to have three baby teeth pulled by an oral surgeon when she was 5. (She was growing two rows of shark teeth- yucky!) Watching that, with all the blood and the disturbing length of those pulled teeth really put me on bad ground. Knowing this about myself, I probably have the worst job possible, beside being working in a dentist office. I've got kids constantly showing me their teeth. Everyday and in every grade, there is some gappy faced kid trying to show me something I don't want to see! I know that they're proud and they think it's cool, but I really have a hard time with it.

Anyway, back to the homefront. Callie has lost almost all of her baby teeth. She's been on tooth losing binge lately. She only has four left and two are loose. Boys hold on to their teeth longer than girls, I've recently been told by the dentist. Boys teeth are on a schedule two years behind girls. Isn't that an interesting piece of trivia! So Ethan still has 10 teeth left to lose. Yesterday, if I wrote this blog, I would have wrote that he had 12, but he's had a big time of it. He lost one last night in the middle of the night. It woke him up, so he didn't swallow it. Hurray! And at breakfast while he's telling us the story about the tooth that woke him up, the other loose one fell out. Double Hurray! Two teeth in 6 hours! Hold on to your wings, Tooth Fairy! It's going to be a busy night!

The Reality of my TV

Here's the thing: We don't watch a lot of television. We just don't. This makes us slight social outcasts. When you're in a group of people, they tend to talk about the shows that everyone is watching. We just sit there looking dumb, I guess. It's really bad when I go to get my hair color done. The girls who do hair only know how to make TV chit chat and if you don't watch, you've got nothing to talk about with them. It ends up being a long couple of hours.

But it's not like we don't watch any TV. We've got shows we like. We watch most all of the series on HBO, Deadwood being our all-time favorite. Right now The Wire is on, which E likes but I can take or leave. They killed off my favorite character in last year's season finale, so I'm not feeling attached right now. E is watching the World Series of Poker right now. The kids watch the same stupid shows on Nick over and over again. That annoys the hell out of me. Not the shows themselves, but the fact that I known they've seen them all hundreds of times. How can they stand that? To counter balance it, we've also got the kids hooked on Star Trek Next Generation. No one is cooler than Jean Luc Picard! And did any one else watch Who Wants to be a Superhero? on the SciFi Channel? That was a fun show! And I guess I should mention that I am hooked on Project Runway this year. This the first year I've watched it and I came in about a month ago with the show where they were remaking the style of an icon. I don't even know how it happened. Why was the channel on Bravo anyway? It's a mystery, but I'm in deep. I've been able to catch up on the episodes I've missed for the most part and I'm on pins and needles waiting for this week's show.

But my whole reason for this blog was because I'm seriously considering watching the new Survivor that's starting this week. I have never watched the show, but this new premise has really got my interest. Dividing teams by race? You have got to be kidding me! It's got bad idea written all over it. Society as a whole could be damaged! I'm not the kind to slow down to rubberneck an accident and I can't stand daytime talkshows, so why do I want to watch this? Maybe there's subliminal messages in the ads....

Catcher in the Rye

I'm moving right along with my Young Adult reading list and so far, it's been pretty enjoyable. Some have been re-reads like "Fahrenheit 451", which is still a good book, but that ending has some problems! I've read some Avi, who I suspect is not one man, but a team of people writing under one name a la V.C. Andrews and Shakespeare. "The Chocolate War" was a good re-read. Lois Duncan's "I Know What You Did Last Summer" was a really good book and a lot better than that crappy movie they made from it! And I really liked "The Outsiders". I can't believe I've never read it before.

The book I just finished was "Catcher in the Rye" and I came to it with an open mind, because even though I couldn't remember one thing that happened in the book, I did recall that I didn't like it. But that was a long time ago and I was a different person. Let's see what maturity and an education will bring to it, I said to myself. But I'm sorry, I still can't stand it. It is probably the most annoying book I've read in a very long time. Now my man here is defending it to the hilt and I see all his points and I appreciate it. Yes, it's a device, there's a pattern, there's a rhythm... I get it. And yes, Holden is only 16, so his thoughts would be jumbled and repetitive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Holden is mentally ill, getting worse each day. Okay, fine. And look at the year it was written, 1945, what a break through piece of literature, nothing had been written like it before! Blah, blah, blah! It's no good! I do appreciate all that, I really do. But it's still a complete drag to read. I literally trudged through it, like a soldier through mud. E kept saying, just stop, you don't have to finish it, but once I start a book, I've got to see it through, to see if it redeems itself. And near the end came the only part that made me smile: When Holden was talking about what would end up written on his tombstone. That killed me, it really did. But that's the problem. Everyone telling you something is so great. I hate it when someone calls something a classic. Anyone who calls that book a classic is a phony. It depresses the hell out of me.

More of the Pool!

Blogger freaked out on us there, so we had to cut it short. Here's more shots of our lastest creation.

Here's a good idea of what fun you can have in the pool. We have plenty of floating and diving toys available for your use.

Enter our pool through our grand entrance way!
Enjoy snacks and beverages in our cafe or just relax in one of our many lounge chairs.
Our pool toy rental shop is always stocked with fun stuff for you.

See our new pool!

This is our new pool. It has all the features that a pool should! Our main pool is surrounded by two decks full of fun!

Our water slide is a blast of fun. Here our guest waiting for their turn under the eye of one of our trained and caring staff.
Relax in our hot tub!
We have two diving boards carefully watched by our lifeguard. You can see the waterslide in the back.
In our main pool there is lots to do!

One week down

The first week of school is over! It was a four day week, followed by this lovely four day weekend. Nice. And I worked three days this week! Very nice! Now you might be asking, who is taking off during the first week of school? My question as well. I have never worked the first week of school before. I barely work the first month most years. But it seems an Intervention Specialist (Special Ed. more or less) teacher at Prospect had some surgery that she was unable to schedule anytime during summer, but could get in this week. Fine by me! Easy days!

Last night was the open house at Ely and I made the rounds as a parent, not an employee. I'm fairly pleased with everything I heard and I have high hopes for the year. I especially like what was said about the amount of homework that would be given, no more than an hour a night. I'm going to hold them to that! Also said that they were going to read novels as a class. Hurray! That didn't happen once last year.

As for my feline situation, Mama tried to move the family into the closet today since in a hasty outfit change this morning, I left the door open. We've pulled them out, but Mama insists that's where they live and has everybody camped out right in front of the door. I'll try again later to get her to change her mind back to the dresser. I can't get in my closet! And the little boy has is eyes open as well now. I'll take some pictures tonight for the next post. They both have this funny half staggering walk they're doing! Painfully cute!

First Day of Sixth Grade

It's our last first day at Ely! We all got up on time after a whole summer of big time sleeping in. I even made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then remembered to take the first day of school picture. Even though they made all the obligatory "Yuck School!" noises, I know that they were both looking forward to getting back. It's going to be a big year for them.

But let's get to the important stuff. The little girl's eyes have opened! Isn't she cute!

Go Carting

After a whole summer of waiting, last night we finally made it out to Swings N Things for go-carting. And while we had a great time, I really think I need to write to SNT and give them the news. That place is stupid expensive for what you get. You can buy a pass to get to ride everything, unlimited, for $23. Now everything includes the one go-cart track, two mini golf course, the dumb bumper boats and laser tag. No batting cage tokens, arcade tokens or paintball thrown in. Now here's the problem-- For $9 extra bucks you could go to Cedar Point. Cedar Point! Is there really only $9 difference in fun between the two places? I don't think so. Where does SNT get off with such a price? Does it really cost that much to run? Okay, I'm done complaining about it.

So we went go-carting. A lot. Double cars to take the kids along and then single cars (that are much faster!) without the kids. Next year, they'll both be tall enough to have their own cars. They've got these little loser cars on the "Rookie Track" where the kids can drive in a circle. Callie's car was so bad it bounced along like a little jalopy. We played some mini golf and Ethan got two holes in one, but E won for the day. It was dark by the time we got to golf, but the course is all lit up with little lights. But in some spots though the lights were out. You couldn't see your ball for anything! Callie's had a purple ball, completely invisible! And if you hit it off the course into bushes, you had a terrible time finding it.

We stayed until it closed and then some. We picked up chocolate shakes and french fries on the way home, the perfect 11 PM snack!

Kittens!

So, you want to see some kittens, eh? Here they are. They will be one week old tomorrow. Mama Cat is putting on weight and looks great. All three of them seems to be having a jolly time under my dresser. When Mama is out for a bite to eat, we grab the kittens and have a cuddle.

This little one is a boy. He is extremely active, always on the move. Very handsome and doesn't mind being held.

This one is a girl. She's not as much fun to hold because she makes this little car alarm noise anytime you pick her up. This brings Mama running, cutting all the fun short.
This is good shot to show about tiny they are.

Callie and I were talking today about pudding. (Yes, I know. What a change in topic!) What do you think would happen if you made instant chocolate pudding with chocolate milk? Has anyone ever tried that? I'll hear from you, then we'll give it a try. If you don't want to jump through Blogger's hoops to become a registered user, just click anonymous. Much easier that way!