There's not always fire. Thank goodness.....
I woke up this morning at about 4:45. Now, let me just say I am not always the brightest bulb in the lamp at that hour, especially when woken up gradually (for some reason phones and beepers make my brain kick in a little faster), so I lay in bed for a few minutes trying to figure out why I was awake.
The monologue in my head went something like this:
Why am I awake? Bathroom? No. Hot? No. Oh, I know! It's the smoky smell. OK, I'll go back to sleep......Wait, smoky smell? That's not right. I should open my eyes and see if I see flames.....Nope, no flames. Goodnight. .... Wait, I should be more concerned about this. I should get out of bed and check for flames.
So, my brain having finally kicked in, I got up and checked throughout the house for fire. Nothing in my room or bathroom, nothing in the playroom, nothing in Grace's room, nothing in the laundry room or the kid's bathroom, nothing in Peter's room, though the smokey smell was stronger there. Downstairs. Nothing in the entry way, nothing in the den, nothing in the dining room, nothing in the kitchen or living room. I go outside, and the smoky smell is unbelievable, plus the air is hazy. Same thing on the back deck. So, after a quick check in the attic, I decide that something else is on fire (but nothing that I can see from either the front or back of my house), so I do go back to bed this time.
Except by that point I was wide awake and wheezy from the smoke. Luckily, I had Albuterol and a book, so I went back to sleep fairly quickly.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
I'm so confused.....
So I'm watching a Disney movie on TV.
It has Kurt Russel in it, so it's from the 60's, early 70's, right?
It has a soundtrack that has The Smiths and Spandau Ballet, so it's from the 80's, right?
Nope. It's Sky High, and it's from 2005. How odd is that.
Actually kinda cute: it's a high school for superheroes, with Lynda Carter is the principal. Gotta love a school with Wonder Woman as the principal.
It has Kurt Russel in it, so it's from the 60's, early 70's, right?
It has a soundtrack that has The Smiths and Spandau Ballet, so it's from the 80's, right?
Nope. It's Sky High, and it's from 2005. How odd is that.
Actually kinda cute: it's a high school for superheroes, with Lynda Carter is the principal. Gotta love a school with Wonder Woman as the principal.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Happy Birthday Grace, part 2
Grace had a great day at school: they called her name on the morning announcements, Mom came for lunch, and, even better, Mom brought cookies!
After school began the mad rush that is our evenings. We dropped Peter off at football, and ordinarily would've scooted Grace to choir, but she has a bit of a head cold, and is losing her voice. Think Peter Brady...... So, instead we went to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things for dinner, then home to put the finishing touches on dinner, then back to get Peter!
After a lovely dinner with Granddaddy, Aunt Kathy, Adrianne and Ricky, and phone calls from Daddy, Grammie, and Auntie Trina, it was PRESENT TIME!!!!!! The presents definitely had a heavy Disney Channel theme: Hannah Montana (Books, CDs, Games), High School Musical 2 (Soundtrack), The Suite Life (DVD) and The Jonas Brothers (CD) were well represented, along with appearances by old faithfuls Star Wars (Lego Set) and Spiderman (Skateboard).
After school began the mad rush that is our evenings. We dropped Peter off at football, and ordinarily would've scooted Grace to choir, but she has a bit of a head cold, and is losing her voice. Think Peter Brady...... So, instead we went to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things for dinner, then home to put the finishing touches on dinner, then back to get Peter!
After a lovely dinner with Granddaddy, Aunt Kathy, Adrianne and Ricky, and phone calls from Daddy, Grammie, and Auntie Trina, it was PRESENT TIME!!!!!! The presents definitely had a heavy Disney Channel theme: Hannah Montana (Books, CDs, Games), High School Musical 2 (Soundtrack), The Suite Life (DVD) and The Jonas Brothers (CD) were well represented, along with appearances by old faithfuls Star Wars (Lego Set) and Spiderman (Skateboard).
Still to come: A birthday visit from Grammie and Grandpa Bob, including dinner on Saturday night! An excellent birthday week, indeed.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE!
When Grace had her first birthday, we brought muffins in to daycare, put her in her prettiest dress, and stuck a tiara on her head. The effect that tiara had on her was incredible -- she went from being a nice sweet little girl, to being a nice, sweet little girl who suddenly realized that she was a Princess, and expected to be treated accordingly! She smiled and waved at everyone, and simply beamed if anyone complimented her tiara.
Obviously, we started a trend!
Though, I must say, I was given a tiara a couple of years ago for my birthday, and it does add a certain je ne sais quoi to one's day! Of course, it probably helped that on that day I was sung Happy Birthday in four-part harmony, accompianied by an organ......
So Grace Isabelle Cohen turns 7! A big day is on tap: I woke her up this morning with her singing Birthday Bear, which Great-Gramps gave her a couple of years ago. She'll have cookies (Oatmeal Scotchies, of course) at lunch today at school, and then dinner tonight, where she'll get presents.
Happy Birthday, Gracie-Belle!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Albums? What are These "Albums" you Speak of?
I've been feeling very retro lately, and have re-discovered an old love: listening to albums. OK, so really CDs, not REAL albums, but albums in the Listening-to-Ten-or-Twelve-Songs-by-the-Same-Artist-in-the-Order-the-Artist-Wanted-one-to-Hear-them-in sense of the word. No shuffle. No random. Just the songs, in the "correct" order.
It all started because I haven't charged my iPod in about two weeks. I can't stand morning or afternoon radio; my commute is only about 10 minutes, 15 on a bad day, and if you try to listen to commercial radio with that kind of window you mainly hear prattle or commercials. And, as much as I love it, there's only so much NPR that one can listen to, especially when they begin to repeat themselves after 2 hours.
So I've pulled out my CDs, and it's really quite novel. I listen to several songs, BY THE SAME ARTIST! From the SAME ALBUM! How......odd! And I haven't even been listening to some of the classic, must-listen-in-this-order albums (i.e. no Pink Floyd, no Abbey Road). But it's really kinda neat to hear the progression of songs through the album. It reminds me that there's a reason we call these people artists, and perhaps we should lose the Shuffle buttons on our iPods more frequently. Kinda like, maybe TV remotes aren't such a hot idea, and we should perhaps watch an entire show, and use the commercials for what they were intended: bathroom and snack breaks!
It also reminds me of the early, heady days of CDs (which, incidentally, began this whole trend of listening in the way we wanted, rather than in the way that the artist meant), when there was much debate and angst about the number of songs that would be included on the CD version of an album as opposed to the vinyl or cassette version. I distinctly remember listening to a Connells album (it was probably Fun and Games) with my friends Cindi and Christine, and how infuriated Christine was when she realized that my cassette, which had been made from a CD, had a song that hers didn't!
Finally, I also remember Tom Petty's album Full Moon Fever. Rather than inserting an additional song and irritating his Vinyl fans (Tom always did look out for his fans) Petty inserted the following words between Tracks 5 and 6:
Words my children will never, ever, understand.
It all started because I haven't charged my iPod in about two weeks. I can't stand morning or afternoon radio; my commute is only about 10 minutes, 15 on a bad day, and if you try to listen to commercial radio with that kind of window you mainly hear prattle or commercials. And, as much as I love it, there's only so much NPR that one can listen to, especially when they begin to repeat themselves after 2 hours.
So I've pulled out my CDs, and it's really quite novel. I listen to several songs, BY THE SAME ARTIST! From the SAME ALBUM! How......odd! And I haven't even been listening to some of the classic, must-listen-in-this-order albums (i.e. no Pink Floyd, no Abbey Road). But it's really kinda neat to hear the progression of songs through the album. It reminds me that there's a reason we call these people artists, and perhaps we should lose the Shuffle buttons on our iPods more frequently. Kinda like, maybe TV remotes aren't such a hot idea, and we should perhaps watch an entire show, and use the commercials for what they were intended: bathroom and snack breaks!
It also reminds me of the early, heady days of CDs (which, incidentally, began this whole trend of listening in the way we wanted, rather than in the way that the artist meant), when there was much debate and angst about the number of songs that would be included on the CD version of an album as opposed to the vinyl or cassette version. I distinctly remember listening to a Connells album (it was probably Fun and Games) with my friends Cindi and Christine, and how infuriated Christine was when she realized that my cassette, which had been made from a CD, had a song that hers didn't!
Finally, I also remember Tom Petty's album Full Moon Fever. Rather than inserting an additional song and irritating his Vinyl fans (Tom always did look out for his fans) Petty inserted the following words between Tracks 5 and 6:
Hello, CD Listeners.
We've come to the point in this album where those listening on cassette (or record) will have to stand up (or sit down) and turn over the record (or tape). In fairness to those listeners, we'll now take a few seconds before we begin side two.
(sound of crickets)
Thank you. Here's side two.
We've come to the point in this album where those listening on cassette (or record) will have to stand up (or sit down) and turn over the record (or tape). In fairness to those listeners, we'll now take a few seconds before we begin side two.
(sound of crickets)
Thank you. Here's side two.
Words my children will never, ever, understand.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Revisionist Blogging
One of the greatest things about blogs is that with just a few clicks, you can re-write your entire life. Or at least your blog's entire life.
For example, Grace had her kid birthday party this weekend. I was woefully unprepared from a documentarian point of view, as I forgot to charge the camera, AND my phone battery was in the process of dying. Still, I managed to get a picture of Grace with her cake on my phone, and sent it to Blogger, where it never showed up!
So this morning I re-sent it, and it showed up just as it's supposed to, but the problem was the post was now dated this morning, when her party was yesterday. So, I just edited the post and changed the timestamp!
And now all is right with my blog again.
For example, Grace had her kid birthday party this weekend. I was woefully unprepared from a documentarian point of view, as I forgot to charge the camera, AND my phone battery was in the process of dying. Still, I managed to get a picture of Grace with her cake on my phone, and sent it to Blogger, where it never showed up!
So this morning I re-sent it, and it showed up just as it's supposed to, but the problem was the post was now dated this morning, when her party was yesterday. So, I just edited the post and changed the timestamp!
And now all is right with my blog again.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Hello, Thursday
Never, never, never, say disparaging things about one's hair dryer in a public forum. The karmic hair dryer gods will smite you.
Yesterday I raved about the hair dryers at the place we stayed in Las Vegas. This morning, my hair dryer caught on fire. Not just smoke, not just emitting a burning smell, actual honest-to-God flames, INSIDE the handle. It did start with a nasty smell, and then it was spraying smoke rather than hot air. So I went to turn it off, and noticed that INSIDE the handle there were flames! RIGHT WHERE MY HAND WAS! So I turned it off, but that didn't stop them, so I unplugged it and threw it in the bathtub where I doused it with water.
Luckily I have a travel hair dryer, so I had a back up, and was able to finish drying my hair.
Then I went downstairs. It's a delayed opening day for the kids' school, so I was going to work at home for a couple of hours. Even with the hair dryer trauma, I was logged on and working by 7, and all was well, until 8:30, when my power went out. Sigh. So I grab the phone to call the power company, but of course, the phone is out, too! So I call on my cell phone, and they nice automated system tells me that they don't have the number I'm calling from associated with an account. DUH! Finally I'm able to get them straightened out, and I report my outage, and they say, 'We know, and it'll be fixed. Sometime."
So I go upstairs and get dressed for work (in the dark), then go outside to read the paper and wait for the bus so that I can go to my office and get some work done, when it hits me; my garage door runs on electricity, and I have no idea how heavy it is or if I can open it! Luckily, the power came back on about 15 minutes before the bus came, so I didn't have to find out. And now I'm at work, and I have power, and hopefully I'll have a new hair dryer eventually, but it's a little daunting when you realize that it's 10 am, and already the day has nowhere to go but up!
"I never could get the hang of Thursdays" -- Arthur Dent
Yesterday I raved about the hair dryers at the place we stayed in Las Vegas. This morning, my hair dryer caught on fire. Not just smoke, not just emitting a burning smell, actual honest-to-God flames, INSIDE the handle. It did start with a nasty smell, and then it was spraying smoke rather than hot air. So I went to turn it off, and noticed that INSIDE the handle there were flames! RIGHT WHERE MY HAND WAS! So I turned it off, but that didn't stop them, so I unplugged it and threw it in the bathtub where I doused it with water.
Luckily I have a travel hair dryer, so I had a back up, and was able to finish drying my hair.
Then I went downstairs. It's a delayed opening day for the kids' school, so I was going to work at home for a couple of hours. Even with the hair dryer trauma, I was logged on and working by 7, and all was well, until 8:30, when my power went out. Sigh. So I grab the phone to call the power company, but of course, the phone is out, too! So I call on my cell phone, and they nice automated system tells me that they don't have the number I'm calling from associated with an account. DUH! Finally I'm able to get them straightened out, and I report my outage, and they say, 'We know, and it'll be fixed. Sometime."
So I go upstairs and get dressed for work (in the dark), then go outside to read the paper and wait for the bus so that I can go to my office and get some work done, when it hits me; my garage door runs on electricity, and I have no idea how heavy it is or if I can open it! Luckily, the power came back on about 15 minutes before the bus came, so I didn't have to find out. And now I'm at work, and I have power, and hopefully I'll have a new hair dryer eventually, but it's a little daunting when you realize that it's 10 am, and already the day has nowhere to go but up!
"I never could get the hang of Thursdays" -- Arthur Dent
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Dryer Envy
The worst thing about being home from Vegas?
My hair dryer stinks!
Now, up till now I've been perfectly happy with my hair dryer. It was nothing special, but it got the job done.
But then we went to Vegas. The hotel said it had hair dryers, which most do these days, but these were not those wimpy little things stuck to the wall, oh, no, these were solid, stainless steel REAL hair dryers. Lived in a drawer and everything.
Still, all I really thought was, "Wow, this is a great hair dryer for a hotel!"
But then I went home, and dried my hair the first morning, and realized, "WOW! That was a really GREAT hair dryer!" It's so much better than mine. I miss it. I want it.
But I can't remember what it is. Other than stainless, powerful, and apparently The Best Hair Dryer Ever.
My hair dryer stinks!
Now, up till now I've been perfectly happy with my hair dryer. It was nothing special, but it got the job done.
But then we went to Vegas. The hotel said it had hair dryers, which most do these days, but these were not those wimpy little things stuck to the wall, oh, no, these were solid, stainless steel REAL hair dryers. Lived in a drawer and everything.
Still, all I really thought was, "Wow, this is a great hair dryer for a hotel!"
But then I went home, and dried my hair the first morning, and realized, "WOW! That was a really GREAT hair dryer!" It's so much better than mine. I miss it. I want it.
But I can't remember what it is. Other than stainless, powerful, and apparently The Best Hair Dryer Ever.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Resistance is futile...
...you will be assimilated.
After spending the weekend with me and Trina blogging all the time about every thing, Kathy has finally gotten bloggy with her bad self! Yay, Kathy!
After spending the weekend with me and Trina blogging all the time about every thing, Kathy has finally gotten bloggy with her bad self! Yay, Kathy!
Vegas wrap up
Ah, yes, three days late the final installment of the Vegas Diaries!
When we last left our 4 intrepid gamblers (me, Kathy, Dick and Trina) we had celebrated Dick's birthday at the Bellagio with a lovely dinner and a Cirque show.
So, on Saturday, we went to Hoover Dam. Very, very cool. The Dam itself is such an amazing piece of engineering, especially when you consider it was constructed about 70 years ago, under budget and two years ahead of schedule (of course, there were no unions, no 40-hour work week, and the workers only got two days off a year). And without using tax monies.
Of course, one of the best things about the Hoover Dam is it's one of the few places where you can turn to your companions, say, "Hey, let's walk to Arizona!" and then do so!
After we were all Dammed out, we drove back to Vegas. Since we still had the rental car (an amazing Lincoln Town Car, very comfy), we decided to do some of the things that were not walking distance from our hotel, primarily the Stratosphere and the Hilton Casino (where they have cheap craps tables and Star Ward penny slots!). The Stratosphere was fun, but a little cheesy. I love going up in towers, and do so whenever I'm in a city that has one, so I loved going up and getting the view. It led me to the conclusion, though, that humans are NUTS! On top of the Stratosphere, 900 or so feet in the air, are three Thrill Rides, two of which HANG OVER THE EDGE OF THE TOWER!!!! Does this really seem like a good idea? I'm sorry, but metal is metal, and nuts and bolts can fail. Seems foolhardy to me.
The Hilton was fun. Kathy got on a great run at the craps table -- she rolled for about 10 minutes or so, won herself lots o' money, took me from about 30 or 40 dollars down to 25 dollars up, and won a couple of thousand for a guy at the table making crazy big bets. When she finally crapped out and we left the table, he tossed her a $25 chip as a thank you!
Then it was back to the hotel for a brief rest, then to Emeril's for another really good dinner, then back to the MGM Grand Casino for our final night of gambling. We all wound up down for the weekend, but had an absolute blast.
Got to bed about 2 am Sunday, and had to get up early (again) on Sunday to catch our planes out, but both Kathy and I slept tons on the plane, so it was all good.
All in all, a wonderful trip. Vegas Rocks.
When we last left our 4 intrepid gamblers (me, Kathy, Dick and Trina) we had celebrated Dick's birthday at the Bellagio with a lovely dinner and a Cirque show.
So, on Saturday, we went to Hoover Dam. Very, very cool. The Dam itself is such an amazing piece of engineering, especially when you consider it was constructed about 70 years ago, under budget and two years ahead of schedule (of course, there were no unions, no 40-hour work week, and the workers only got two days off a year). And without using tax monies.
Of course, one of the best things about the Hoover Dam is it's one of the few places where you can turn to your companions, say, "Hey, let's walk to Arizona!" and then do so!
After we were all Dammed out, we drove back to Vegas. Since we still had the rental car (an amazing Lincoln Town Car, very comfy), we decided to do some of the things that were not walking distance from our hotel, primarily the Stratosphere and the Hilton Casino (where they have cheap craps tables and Star Ward penny slots!). The Stratosphere was fun, but a little cheesy. I love going up in towers, and do so whenever I'm in a city that has one, so I loved going up and getting the view. It led me to the conclusion, though, that humans are NUTS! On top of the Stratosphere, 900 or so feet in the air, are three Thrill Rides, two of which HANG OVER THE EDGE OF THE TOWER!!!! Does this really seem like a good idea? I'm sorry, but metal is metal, and nuts and bolts can fail. Seems foolhardy to me.
The Hilton was fun. Kathy got on a great run at the craps table -- she rolled for about 10 minutes or so, won herself lots o' money, took me from about 30 or 40 dollars down to 25 dollars up, and won a couple of thousand for a guy at the table making crazy big bets. When she finally crapped out and we left the table, he tossed her a $25 chip as a thank you!
Then it was back to the hotel for a brief rest, then to Emeril's for another really good dinner, then back to the MGM Grand Casino for our final night of gambling. We all wound up down for the weekend, but had an absolute blast.
Got to bed about 2 am Sunday, and had to get up early (again) on Sunday to catch our planes out, but both Kathy and I slept tons on the plane, so it was all good.
All in all, a wonderful trip. Vegas Rocks.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Happy Birthday Dick!
Yesterday was Dick's birthday; after an afternoon at the Planet Hollywood Casino we came back to the hotel so he could "unwrap" (OK, really take out of the bag) the presents from Dad. Lots of yummy foods from Southern Season: real grits, Moravian Cookies, etc.
Then, after lounging a bit, Dick, Trina, Kathy and I went to dinner at Prime, a restaurant at the Bellagio hotel. OMG. The Bellagio is totally over-the-top Vegas. The lobby has lovely blown glass flowers adorning it's ceiling, and there's gilt and opulence everywhere you look. Prime itself is very elegant, nice dark decor, and wonderful food. Kathy's 6-peppercorn NY Strip was probably the table favorite, but all the steaks were wonderful. We also had a couple of salads to share, and nice sides.
After dinner, we moved to the patio for dessert: a chocolate cake for Trina, cheesecake for Kathy, Scotch for me, and a cigar for Dick! The Bellagio does a correographed fountain water show every fifteen minutes or so, so we watched that until it was time to go to our show.
I'd never seen a Cirque show before, and this one, O, was just outstanding. The acrobatics were spectacular and there were water elements and diving and synchronzied swimming as well! Really, really nice, and we had GREAT seats! Cirque shows are hard to describe (for me anyway); there's so much going on, and the entire experience is unlike anything I've ever seen. The music, the acrobatics/dancing and costumes are spectacular, and definitely in a class all their own. Surreal was my first thought, except that has negative implications. Trina's description was other-worldly, which I think is better.
Then, after Cirque, back to the hotel for a (relatively, anyway) early bedtime!
Today: Hoover Dam!
Then, after lounging a bit, Dick, Trina, Kathy and I went to dinner at Prime, a restaurant at the Bellagio hotel. OMG. The Bellagio is totally over-the-top Vegas. The lobby has lovely blown glass flowers adorning it's ceiling, and there's gilt and opulence everywhere you look. Prime itself is very elegant, nice dark decor, and wonderful food. Kathy's 6-peppercorn NY Strip was probably the table favorite, but all the steaks were wonderful. We also had a couple of salads to share, and nice sides.
After dinner, we moved to the patio for dessert: a chocolate cake for Trina, cheesecake for Kathy, Scotch for me, and a cigar for Dick! The Bellagio does a correographed fountain water show every fifteen minutes or so, so we watched that until it was time to go to our show.
I'd never seen a Cirque show before, and this one, O, was just outstanding. The acrobatics were spectacular and there were water elements and diving and synchronzied swimming as well! Really, really nice, and we had GREAT seats! Cirque shows are hard to describe (for me anyway); there's so much going on, and the entire experience is unlike anything I've ever seen. The music, the acrobatics/dancing and costumes are spectacular, and definitely in a class all their own. Surreal was my first thought, except that has negative implications. Trina's description was other-worldly, which I think is better.
Then, after Cirque, back to the hotel for a (relatively, anyway) early bedtime!
Today: Hoover Dam!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Vegas, Baby!
First full day in Vegas. All I can say is, this place rocks. Our hotel is superb; the staff exist only to ensure that we're happy and content. The rooms are lovely, with a view of the Strip (sort of), and we're walking distance from the MGM Grand Casino and Planet Hollywood.
Sadly, though, I have no, repeat NO luck at the tables! It's a good thing I have my play money, because I'm losing like nobody's business. Sigh.
Last night we played Blackjack till 4am, then today it was Pai Gow and Craps. I did OK at Pai Gow, stank at craps. Tonight is dinner and a show, with possible gambling mixed in somewhere.
Sadly, though, I have no, repeat NO luck at the tables! It's a good thing I have my play money, because I'm losing like nobody's business. Sigh.
Last night we played Blackjack till 4am, then today it was Pai Gow and Craps. I did OK at Pai Gow, stank at craps. Tonight is dinner and a show, with possible gambling mixed in somewhere.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Snacking Karma
Last week I was in dire need of a salty/sweet snack while at work, so I went down to the basement where the snack machines are, and got a pack of trail mix. Sunflower seeds, peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms -- a masterful blend of salty and sweet, and it has dried fruit in it, so I can pretend it's healthy!
Well, when it dropped down and I stuck my hand in the little door to retrieve it, I discovered a pack of Oreos that some foolish person had left! How does one leave Oreos? Anywhere? And if you discovered you'd left your Oreos somewhere, wouldn't you go back and get them?
So, being a bit of an Oreo fanatic, I gave the poor little abandoned cookies a home in my desk, and promptly forgot about them.
Today, in the midst of a day when NOTHING is going right (beginning with feeling yucky this morning, progressing to a pre-bus fight with Grace, and culminating in a work day where nothing works), I opened my snack drawer and found.....OREOS!
What a nice little surprise! And so much better than the banana I'd planned on having for an afternoon snack!
Well, when it dropped down and I stuck my hand in the little door to retrieve it, I discovered a pack of Oreos that some foolish person had left! How does one leave Oreos? Anywhere? And if you discovered you'd left your Oreos somewhere, wouldn't you go back and get them?
So, being a bit of an Oreo fanatic, I gave the poor little abandoned cookies a home in my desk, and promptly forgot about them.
Today, in the midst of a day when NOTHING is going right (beginning with feeling yucky this morning, progressing to a pre-bus fight with Grace, and culminating in a work day where nothing works), I opened my snack drawer and found.....OREOS!
What a nice little surprise! And so much better than the banana I'd planned on having for an afternoon snack!
YUCK
Stuffy nose and dry itchy eyes. It's either allergy season, or the back-to-school cold that everyone else seems to have. Either way, blech.
However, I have found something that helps remarkably, but is a smidge gross. I had heard for awhile about "nasal irrigation", and finally tried it myself. This is some yoga/wholistic/new age sort of thing that basically holds with the idea that one's nose and sinuses would benefit by regular cleansing with a saline solution. People have even made little pots to aid in the cleansing of ones sinuses! I don't have a pot, so I just use the old bulb nasal aspirator I had when the kids were little. Seems to work just fine.
I must say, as silly and oogy as this practice sounds, after a few days of this I'm a bit of a convert. Without going into too much detail, the water REALLY helps to get all the gunk out of my nose and sinuses!
However, I have found something that helps remarkably, but is a smidge gross. I had heard for awhile about "nasal irrigation", and finally tried it myself. This is some yoga/wholistic/new age sort of thing that basically holds with the idea that one's nose and sinuses would benefit by regular cleansing with a saline solution. People have even made little pots to aid in the cleansing of ones sinuses! I don't have a pot, so I just use the old bulb nasal aspirator I had when the kids were little. Seems to work just fine.
I must say, as silly and oogy as this practice sounds, after a few days of this I'm a bit of a convert. Without going into too much detail, the water REALLY helps to get all the gunk out of my nose and sinuses!
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Cougars Win
Peter's Mite Football Team, the Carrboro Cougars, won their first game of the season today, 26-0. They played the East Chatham Chargers, a powerhouse from Chatham County (just south of Chapel Hill).
Peter got into the game several times, and got in on a few tackles. He plays cornerback. Apparently the cornerbacks job is to make sure the ball carrier can't get to the outside on running plays, or to force them back into the middle. They're also supposed to cover short passes. Or so he says. Football is not my strong point, so he could about tell me anything and I'd smile and nod. I just know to cheer when they make touchdowns.
Here's a picture of Peter on the field. He's on defense, not on the line, closest to the camera. Honest, that's him. I promise. Really.
Peter got into the game several times, and got in on a few tackles. He plays cornerback. Apparently the cornerbacks job is to make sure the ball carrier can't get to the outside on running plays, or to force them back into the middle. They're also supposed to cover short passes. Or so he says. Football is not my strong point, so he could about tell me anything and I'd smile and nod. I just know to cheer when they make touchdowns.
Here's a picture of Peter on the field. He's on defense, not on the line, closest to the camera. Honest, that's him. I promise. Really.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Go Blue Rocks, and Blogging by Phone!
OK, so maybe I'm a behind the times (and I'm certainly not as technologically with-it as Trina and her iPhone), but I just realized that I can send posts to my blog via my cell phone! How cool is that!
So, with my new found bloggy-techiness, I was able to capture Grace's first fall-ball baseball game tonight. It was an excellent game; both teams played really well and really hard. Sadly, the Blue Rocks lost in the last inning, 15-14.
Grace played well. She got a hit, and played a couple of innings in Left-Center, and a couple of innings at second.
Grace runs to second!!
After the game, we went to Arby's for the traditional Craddock apres-whatever treat (Jamocha shakes for me and Grace, vanilla for Peter).
A lovely night in Chapel Hill!
Ol' Roy Makes Good
There are certain people who are so well known, who have such an impact on others that they are known by only a single name. Think Diana, Elvis, Picasso, Stalin (hey, being an evil dictator is a calling!). As a college basketball fan, I've been blessed to follow, with a fairly large degree of passion, two such 'solo nomines', Dean and Roy. There's also the evil-overlord down the road known by the moniker Ratface, but we won't go there.
This weekend, Roy gets to follow in the footsteps of Dean by being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. YAY ROY!!!!!!!
Here's some of the local coverage:
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/unc/mens_basketball/story/695326.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/695287.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/friday/sports/story/695216.html
And an article on his wife:
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/friday/sports/story/695296.html
It's a testament to the basketball-crazed nature of the Triangle that Roy's induction is front-page news when the entire state is in the midst of the worst drought in recent memory, a former DA is going to jail today, a new DA has been appointed and 7 more Americans died in Iraq. But that's who we are. We care about that other stuff, but this is BASKETBALL! And ROY!
And, it's a testament to just how much Roy is loved, that when Peter read about the induction last night (in yesterday's paper), he asked if we could go to Springfield for the weekend. Even after I explained that a. we wouldn't be able to go to the ceremony, b. Grace has a baseball game, c. he has a football game, and d. he has a Cub Scout den meeting, it took him a few minutes to be entirely convinced that it would be a bad idea to go!
Go, Roy, Go. Coach forever. Or at least until you take the all-time winningest coach record back from Bobby Knight!
This weekend, Roy gets to follow in the footsteps of Dean by being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. YAY ROY!!!!!!!
Here's some of the local coverage:
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/unc/mens_basketball/story/695326.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/695287.html
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/friday/sports/story/695216.html
And an article on his wife:
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/friday/sports/story/695296.html
It's a testament to the basketball-crazed nature of the Triangle that Roy's induction is front-page news when the entire state is in the midst of the worst drought in recent memory, a former DA is going to jail today, a new DA has been appointed and 7 more Americans died in Iraq. But that's who we are. We care about that other stuff, but this is BASKETBALL! And ROY!
And, it's a testament to just how much Roy is loved, that when Peter read about the induction last night (in yesterday's paper), he asked if we could go to Springfield for the weekend. Even after I explained that a. we wouldn't be able to go to the ceremony, b. Grace has a baseball game, c. he has a football game, and d. he has a Cub Scout den meeting, it took him a few minutes to be entirely convinced that it would be a bad idea to go!
Go, Roy, Go. Coach forever. Or at least until you take the all-time winningest coach record back from Bobby Knight!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
The Sound of Silence
Well, my lovely little car is now a QUIETER lovely little car. The Alternator they thought needed replacing came in about 9:30 this morning, and by 10 I had the car at the mechanics (thanks to Kathy who's been chauffeuring me around hither and yon this week!).
As it turns out, when they got the alternator out, it spun freely and easily on it's bearings, and made no noise whatsoever. Being good mechanics, they then looked for a different reason for the hideous loud noise, and discovered a water pump that needed replacing. Apparently the water pump lives underneath the alternator, hence the initial diagnosis.
I was happy, because the water pump was about 100 bucks or so cheaper than the alternator, so rather than costing me $1000 (I also needed spark plugs and steering fluid), it cost me about 850. Yay!!!!!
And now that it's fixed, everything seems so......quiet!
As it turns out, when they got the alternator out, it spun freely and easily on it's bearings, and made no noise whatsoever. Being good mechanics, they then looked for a different reason for the hideous loud noise, and discovered a water pump that needed replacing. Apparently the water pump lives underneath the alternator, hence the initial diagnosis.
I was happy, because the water pump was about 100 bucks or so cheaper than the alternator, so rather than costing me $1000 (I also needed spark plugs and steering fluid), it cost me about 850. Yay!!!!!
And now that it's fixed, everything seems so......quiet!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
OUCH
My car's been making a funny noise for about a week now. It's very hard to describe, because it basically sounds like a normal car engine, but very, very loud. I took it to the mechanic this morning, and later this afternoon, got the damage report.
Apparently, I have an alternator bearing gone bad. The rear bearing, to be specific. Apparently, the alternator has a roter inside of it which spins on bearings; when the bearings start to fail, they make loud noises. Eventually, if they fail entirely, the alternator will stop turning the drive belt, and thereby stop charging the battery. My mechanic tells me that the sign that this has happened will be a high-pitched screeching noise -- at that point I'm to pull over to the side of the road as soon as possible, because I will at that point only have about 10 - 15 minutes of battery life.
So, the poor little Rav4 is a sick puppy. And, unfortunately, the part is apparently made ONLY by Toyota ($$$), and can't get here before Thursday at the earliest. So, I get to drive around in my incredibly loud little car till then, then get to fork out gobs and gobs of money to get him fixed. Oh, and he needs new spark plugs, too. And an oil change.
Of course, the car is paid off, so I don't have a car payment. But I'd rather not have a car payment AND not have to pay gobs of money in maintenance!
Apparently, I have an alternator bearing gone bad. The rear bearing, to be specific. Apparently, the alternator has a roter inside of it which spins on bearings; when the bearings start to fail, they make loud noises. Eventually, if they fail entirely, the alternator will stop turning the drive belt, and thereby stop charging the battery. My mechanic tells me that the sign that this has happened will be a high-pitched screeching noise -- at that point I'm to pull over to the side of the road as soon as possible, because I will at that point only have about 10 - 15 minutes of battery life.
So, the poor little Rav4 is a sick puppy. And, unfortunately, the part is apparently made ONLY by Toyota ($$$), and can't get here before Thursday at the earliest. So, I get to drive around in my incredibly loud little car till then, then get to fork out gobs and gobs of money to get him fixed. Oh, and he needs new spark plugs, too. And an oil change.
Of course, the car is paid off, so I don't have a car payment. But I'd rather not have a car payment AND not have to pay gobs of money in maintenance!
Easily Amused
Among the things that never cease to amaze me?
That when copying and pasting a word, you and click-and-drag (to highlight it) from back to front, yet the word still pastes with the letters in the correct order!
Yeah, I know....sad, isn't it?
That when copying and pasting a word, you and click-and-drag (to highlight it) from back to front, yet the word still pastes with the letters in the correct order!
Yeah, I know....sad, isn't it?
Monday, September 03, 2007
Grace's Fashion Show
A week or so ago, Peter's friend Blake came over, and while he was here, Grace decided that the kids would play "Fashion Show." Needless to say, Grace was the super model; she decided that Blake would be her bodyguard (named Citrus), and that Peter would be the photographer (named Berry. Not Barry, mind you, but Berry). Blake didn't mind his new identity, because he got a sword, and cool spy gear (he could tell when anyone tried to break into the dressing room), but eventually Peter got tired of being named after a fruit.
Here are some of the best shots:
Here are some of the best shots:
Sunday, September 02, 2007
I want THAT life
I want a 1960's era musical life, and if I get to choose, I want the Sound of Music. I want my life to have a soundtrack; I want the string ensemble at the fabulous parties I through to reprise the song I see to cheer up my children. I want to effortlessly dance all the folk dances I knew as a child (but I want them to be more graceful than clogging), and to burst into multi-harmonic music at the drop of a hat. I want to meet a fabulously wealthy, debonair, manly yet sensitive man and have him fall madly in love with me, and whisk me away to a life beyond my wildest dreams. I want to be married with a full choral service, bells ringing madly, and wedding-music that is (again) a reprise of one of the catchy little songs I so perfectly burst into as I go through my daily lif.
I do not, however, want the 7 perfectly matched Aryan children (they always kinda freaked me out) , and I could do without the Nazi's and escaping over the mountains. Or even by train.
I do not, however, want the 7 perfectly matched Aryan children (they always kinda freaked me out) , and I could do without the Nazi's and escaping over the mountains. Or even by train.
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