They pay me for this?

Today they had a parade for employee's kids at work. Each kid got their own canvas goodie bag and a free lunch ticket. There were balloons, a jump house and entertainment! Really a nice event!

Happy Halloween

Here is the project that Jim and Gracie worked on tonite!

New furniture

Here are some pics of the new furniture taken 35 minutes after the big earthquake! You can see that the top pic above the red chair is a little bit askew - it was NOT like that before the quake!

Holy Shaking Batman!

We had an earthquake at 8:04 tonite and it was BIG! It was a 5.6 (so far) but felt bigger!

Gracie and I were in the entry way so we were out the door in about 1/2 a second. Jim was in the office and came out after the shaking stopped. Gracie was attached to me crying. The dog was attached to the other side of me whining and shaking.

We had some books and a statue fall off a shelf.

Scary!

Science Camp update

Jim just called and he is working in the next town over from the town that the science camp is in and is thundering and lightning! Which is quite unusual for our area. We get that kind of weather once or twice a year at the most! VERY exciting development for science camp!

New furniture

I went on a spending spree over the weekend and bought new family room furniture:

• a couch
• 2 leather chairs
• a red chair
• a coffee table
• a console table
• an end table
• an ottoman
• a trunk

It is a whole new look and I really like it. But that was not what I thought over the weekend. I had buyer's remorse at first, which led to more buying to make sure I liked the look and that there were enough seats!

My favorite part is a red chair for me to use for reading. It is in the corner of the room and there is a cute little glass table next to it for me to put my tea cup on! Now I need to have Jim install a cone of silence so no one can bother me!

I will post pics once I can find the camera!

Soccer Scores

For those who care, here are the weekend soccer scores:

Gracie's Team
Won - 3 to zero - Gracie scored once then played goalie for the second half. She never touched the ball as the goalie!

Drew's Team
Tied - 1 to 1 - Drew scored the goal for his team. They played on a high school field which is bigger than they are used to. And the ref thought they were U14's (under 14) insted of U12's (under 12) so he had them play 35 minute halfs! They were beat!

Today is the Day

Drew left for science camp today.

He did his laundry and packed his bag yesterday like we had planned. Jim sat down with him last night for about 5 minutes going thru the list of things he would need and Drew confirmed he had it all. This morning he packed his lunch and off he went to school! So responsible!

We hung around the school for about 25 minutes waiting for the bus. Once the bus got there, they realized they had 81 seats for 84 students! Nice planning! Anyway, I got tired of waiting so I went home....

Within minutes, Gracie announced, "I miss Drew"! Whaaaat?!?!?! I thought she hated him!

I don't expect to have any news until he returns on Friday at noon.

Science Camp Part 2

One of the things we talked with Drew about regarding science camp is the whole "inappropriate touching" thing. My thought being that this is a situation where he will be with unknown adults without us around. Gracie was also involved in thr conversation.

We positioned it as sometimes people who like to be close to kids for inappropriate reasons get themselves jobs like camp counselors. We assured him that all the staff has gone thru background investigations so it was likely they were safe but added it never hurt to make sure they both new what to do if someone was acting inappropriately towards them.

We talked for a bit and then went on to discussing what they could do if approached. We talked about trusted adults that they could go to for any reason. I asked who were trusted adults in their lives and Drew's first response was.... Auntie Diana! Then came the rest of the adults important in his life....Uncle B, Tina, Marty, Auntie Deb, grandparents, etc.

I was tickled that he chose Auntie D first. It really sent a message to me. He sees her as someone he can trust, who will help him at all cost, who cares about him, who would protect him.... What more could we want from Auntie D! We really hit the jackpot when she joined the family!

I hope she is up for the big job of protector for her nephew who is bigger than she is!

Science Camp

I was out running this morning and realized that I have the perfect blog content....Drew is going away to Science Camp next week with his 6th grade class. He will be gone for 5 days and 4 nights.

I always thought I would be worried sick about sending him to science camp with people I don't know, but after the parents meeting last nite, I realized two things:

1. We have done a tremendous job of teaching Drew usable, worldly skills (pat myself on the back) which make him self sufficient and responsible
2. Other parents have not done such a good job with that...

Here is what I mean....

The parents and teachers talked about needing to pack the kids bags with this and that. Parents were talking about sending more than the recommended amount of clothing....just in case. They were talking about all the medications that they will send with their kids....cold medicine, advil, cortisone, cough medicine, etc.

At our house....Drew will pack his own bag. He will use the list that they give him indicating what to bring and modify based on his own preference (ie - they say to bring 5 pairs of pants and 1 pair of shorts....Drew doesn't even own 5 pairs of pants....until Sunday he owned none! So he will bring 5 pairs of shorts and 1 pair of pants.) He is not bringing a coat because he doesn't even wear one in the snow! He said he doesn't need any medications because if he gets a headache he will just tough it out. And if he gets really sick they will have to call us anyway. And if he gets really hurt the paramedics are only 5 minutes away.....which is about 3 hours faster than if he were hurt out at Cherry Lake!

Here are some of the parents crazy questions:

1. Are there bugs there?
2. If they have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, how will they know where to go?
3. What kind of animals are there? (Jim gave me an elbow when I said mountain lions....but there are!!!! I just thought these parents needed the truth....its not all Bambi and Thumper out there in the woods.)
4. One woman says..."my husband is having a really hard time with this, I don't think he will be able to sleep thru the nite...do you have any suggestions?" My answer: get the guy some anti anxiety medication and therapy so he will be ready when the kid goes off to college.
5. How dark are the cabins?

These people need to get out more.

Stay Tuned.....I am sure there will be more good stories to come.

Nerd Man

My friends often give us a hard time because we own at least 8 head lamps! But I always try to explain that we use them all the time. Here is Jim using his to bbq last nite!

My pets

This pic was taken tonite. Jim was bbqing and the dog went out with him. Then Jim came back in and she got stuck outside like a common dog...next to an uncommon chicken. They were both begging to come in.

Soccer Pics and Update

I had promised soccer pics from Gracie's tournament last weekend and here they are. This is what a winning team looks like. All the girls had blue hair and blue football type streaks under their eyes! They looked fierce!

This weekend, they lost their first game. Two to one. Gracie did not score. But her friend, Kayla, above in the pic with Gracie holding their medals, scored. It was really muddy and Gracie was covered in mud!

Drew's team won 3 to zero. Drew scored one goal and then proceeded to get really sick the rest of the weekend. He has been on the couch all day today sleeping on and off. Poor baby!

Chick Party

I had a Creative Memories (scrapbooking) Party last nite for my girlfriends who are into that type of thing (and even a few who not into it but like to get together to eat and drink). And we had a ball! The nite reinforced my belief that I have great friends. They are just a bunch of down to earth, friendly, kind, funny gals who I love being around.

There was one tense spot in the evening:

Susan showed up asked me to see my worm farm because she had strict orders from her family to check to see if I had a "viable worm farm". Oh boy! I was worried! And I mean it! She is the master of worm farms and hers makes mine look like a deserted ghost town. So with some trepidation, I brought her out to the yard and opened the lid.... I passed the test! Although mine is not as active as their "toiling heap of worms", it is still a respectable worm farm.

Nobel Prize Winner

So, I keep talking about how this is the perfect place to work for me (excluding the tattoos). Today was another example. They have an influential speaker series in which they invite smart, inspirational, visionary folks to come and talk to any employees who are intereted. Today they had the 2006 winner of the Nobel Peace prize!

How often do you get to see a Nobel winner speak in person to a small group? It was a big thrill!

The speaker was Dr Muhammad Yunus, a man who started a bank in Bangladesh for poor people, which changed the whole way banking worked. When you think of it, banks only loan money to people with money or collateral. The people who really need money are the people with no money or collateral. Those are the people who need a boost which will allow them to start a business and make enough money to live. That is the fundamental approach of Dr Yunus. And the loans he gives are micro loans. In fact, the first loan he gave was to 42 women and equaled $27 dollars, less than a dollar a person! And that was enough money in Bangladesh for these women to start businesses (such as chickens for egg prodcution) that support their families.

Truly an inspirational guy and a humbling experience. Check out his website and expand your horizons:

http://www.muhammadyunus.org/

Yep...I am in the right place

First it was the purple cow in the lobby, nows its Oktoberfest! Yesterday we came to work and found Oktoberfest mugs on our desks. Tomorrow from 3 to 3:30 is beer and "german inspired snacks" followed by an all hands meeting.

Life is good.

Tattoo update

I know there are a few of you who read my blog just to hear about the tattoos I see at work. I have been saving them up. Here are some of the most recent:

* Three tattoos on one woman's ankles - big colorful tattoos that did not relate to each other in theme
* A parrot on one middle aged woman's shoulder blade
* A tattoo saying "Raider's Angel" on a woman's back, along with a barbed wire tattoo around her arm and various other tattoos on her back and ankles

I will keep searching.....

12 Sharp - Book Review

Just finished 12 Sharp by Janet Evanovich. It is the 12th in a series about a female bounty hunter who gets herself in one pickle after another. In comparison, I think Junie B Jones is the younger version of the main character, Stepahie Plum.

The whole series is really funny and a great brainless entertainment read. If you are looking for something to bring on the next vacation or plane ride, start with book number one - One for the Money and it will keep you laughing out loud.

If you need another review, my Uncle Dave also reads them and he laughs out loud. And his demographic is different from mine: He is a Kentucky Hillbilly!!! (Hi Uncle Dave!!)

We are the Champions....

Gracie's team won the soccer tournament this weekend! They played four games. The scores were:

1 to zero
3 to zero
1 - 1
1 to zero

And....Gracie made all the goals except for one of them! I kept her motivated by promising ice cream if they played in the championship games! Yep - it was shameless bribery but the wins were good for her confidence!

I will post pics when I get my other computer de-virused!

Home Sweet Home

For those of you following, Jim is home from his hunting boon doggle! He was gone 15 days and managed to "catch" a deer and an antelope. If you want to see pics, you will have to ask him because I am opposed to posting hunting pics on my blog!

We are falling right back into the family routine again.....

Rumor

Word on the street is that the big guy is on his way home from Wyomming!

It's a good thing because we all miss him terribly! It seems like we all reached our limit onWeds and at different times during the day, we all declared, "I miss Daddy!"

Kit and Kaboodle

I was working from home earlier in the week and Gracie was sitting at her desk next to mine while I was talking on the phone. During the 10 minute conversation I used the phrase "the whole kit and kaboodle" one time. As soon as I hung up, she wanted to know what that meant. I told her and gave her some examples of it being used.

For the next 30 minutes, until she went off to school, she was chattering to herself and must have used the phrase 15 times!

It is interesting what peaks their interest!

New Shoes!

I would like to report that I got two new pairs of shoes at lunch time today! The sad news is my camera is in Wyoming so I can not take pics and post them! You will just have to believe me when I say they are cute!

The rare beagle lab

OMG! I can not believe it. I am sitting in my home office working and I hear this slow, mournful howl…. I sneak out to look out the back door and see Daisy there…..snout in the air….howling!!! LIKE A BEAGLE!!!

My Labrador is slowing turning into a beagle!!!!

Sunday Family Day

Yesterday we spent the day in Santa Cruz with Tina and Marty. We took our bikes, parked at Natural Bridges and rode to the wharf for lunch. After lunch we walked over the the boardwalk for some treats and then rode back. We tried to do a little tide pooling but couldn't get to where we needed to go. We did get to see the monarch butterflies at Natural Bridges. It is just the begining of their migration so there were not a lot but enough to be cool!

It is over...

Judi died at 2 pm today.

Update from Jim

So Jim, his Dad and Paul have been hunting for a week now and the only thing they have come close to killing is a field mouse that has moved into the camper with them! It sounds like a bad scene from Caddyshack as this mouse tortures them all nite chewing on things and then they wake up in the morning chasing it around with a shoe!

Of course, I much prefer that the mouse keeps them distracted so that they don't have time to kill deer!

An update on my neighbor

Disclaimer: Don't read this if you don't want to be sad.

They have moved my neighbor, Judi, into a nursing home to die. She is on oxygen and morphine but has no other support. She can't open her eyes but if her husband holds them open it seems like she can see him. It is likely a matter of days at this point. Please pray that it is fast and as painless as possible.

Last nite I chatted with her husband as he was on his way to take Nash, one of Judi's Great Danes, to the nursing home to see her! For those of you who don't know, Judi has raised and shown Great Danes for at least 20 years. We have always lived across the street from at least 4 Great Danes!

When they had moved Judi to the nursing home the day before, her husband had two of the dogs there when she arrived in the ambulance: Nash, her old guy and Tyra, her new young pup! I hope that the visits from her dogs are bringing her comfort.

Soccer

Two Wins

Drew's Team: 8 to 0
Gracie's Team: 4 to 0

Drew scored twice. Once from the center line! Honestly, he was in the middle of the field - gave it a huge boot - and as it headed for the goal, I thought "wow, wouldn't that be weird if it went in".....and it did! Then he got another strange goal where he kicked from the side right up near the goal - it looked like it was heading straight accross the goal but it had some weird spin on it, took a left turn and went in. He spent the second half of the game in goal, where he only touched the ball once....but he looked good!

Gracie didn't score this week. She took a big crash at the beginning of the game and was timid the rest of the day. She collided with someone and ended up falling on top of the ball on her back and got kicked in the neck! She game out of the game crying but shook it off after a few minutes.

Next week is Gracie's Jamboree (a tournament) and I fully expect that they will win the tournament because they are undefeated. But you never know! I will keep you posted!

Drew the Bodyguard

Tonite Drew and Gracie are going to a carnival at the school of their best friends Kayla and Maddie.

Two days ago I talked to Kayla on the phone and told her how much both the kids were looking forward to going. She told me she was really glad that Drew was coming with her because there were 4 boys in her class who liked her and would be trying to following her around and get her to go on rides with them. "But", she said, "with Drew there, I can tell them I am here with someone else....and anyway it takes all four of them to make one Drew!"

I cracked up and asked her if she was going to tell Drew about is role as bodyguard and protector. She said that she was, but "only when he was in the car and there was no turning back"!

So that night I told Drew about the story. And I thought I would spit out my dinner at his response....

I told him the whole story about what she said and ended with her statement that "it would take four of those boys to equal one Drew"......at which point he lifted up his arms like a body builder and flexed his muscles!!!

Cracked me up!

Anyway - he loved the story and is pleased to play the protector role for his best friend!

Daisy Mae has a new name.....

For the last year or so, Daisy Mae has become a naughty dog. We think she learned it from her Beagle friend....but that is another story.

Anyway, in the last week, she has taken TWO batches of home made banana muffins off the counter and eaten them! Yesterday I think she ate nine banana muffins in one sitting! And then she wanted dinner later!

That's when she earned her new nickname.....

I told her...."If you eat nine banana muffins, then you don't get any dinner......BANANA BUTT!"

We haven't called her anything but "Banana Butt" since! There's been lots of references too: I can't get by the dog because of her big banana butt, you'd move slow too if you had that big of a banana butt, etc!

Marty with hair??

Some random guy at Japanese the other nite, decided Marty needed to try on his hat for a pic. Here is the result. It was this freaky visor with a fake highlighted hair do on the top!