2/24/11 - Wow, I suck at this

Man, I have been seriously slacking.  One entry every six months or so whether I need to or not!

 Bruce fired a driver today.  You have to do a lot to rile Bruce up enough to can you, but she managed it today.  I posted the ad on Craigslist and called my buddy Jeni and told her borther to get down to the depot to put in his ap. 

The whole FedEx business model has become infintely more complicated in the last 6 months.  FedEx, in order to sidetrack all of the class action and other lawsuits claiming we should be employees instead of independent contractors, required that we: 1)become an S or C corp... no problem for us, we've been one since 2002.  2) treat our sub-contractors as employees... which is VERY complicated.  We have hired a payroll service, and they do the payroll junk.  There are taxes and all sorts of things that you have no idea of!  3) E-verify all employees.  That is a DHS program to make sure you don't hire terrorists.  Amazing the hoops you have to jump through.  I got all that done, and we have been through four drivers since last October. 

Both our drivers left for more money,we hired two to replace them.  One of the hires informed us after three months that she wanted a $150 a week raise or she would quit, so we let her.  The person we hired to replace her just departed today...not showing up will cause that to happen.  I'm trying to get stuff ready for the accountant and tax time.  It's a snow day today so Margo is home and tomorrow (unless it is a snow day) is a field trip to OMSI.  Tah-dah!  My life in a nutshell.

Referring to the previous post, Margo's room is done.  The walls are pink,the carpet is AUBERGINE (purple, but not awful) and it is a perpetual mess.

8/27/10 - Moving on to THE ROOM!

Now we move on to Margo's ROOM!  (oh dear....)  The carpet is disgusting and she is sick of green walls with butterflies.  She is thrilled with the closet, so we shall see how the room evolves.  Right now, the whole house is full of junk from her room and her room is still full of junk!  How does this happen...?  I can only assume that it has something to do with the law of conservation of mass.  Or a can of worms!  We found a strange hole through the entire house. Four inces square running from the un-dug-out part of the basement, through the middle of the cabinet that was in Margo's room, up through the ceiling and through the floor of our bedroom above. Very strange, but with a house built 100 years ago, weird stuff has just GOT to have happened.  I have no idea.  Oh well, it's patched and coated with primer.  I don't have to think about THAT today.

My mom is having a "do" tomorrow.  Bruce is going to cook burgers for about 15 people and they'll have a potluck with salads etc.  I am slated to bring beans and Margo is bringing Chex Mix.  She did a great job with it for the "do" at Stermers so she is on a roll.  Her recipe is a Margo adaptation of the original recipe with MORE of everything.  Bruce has to go buy "pink" wine...(shudder) so that my dad will have some to serve on Saturday.  Doesn't matter what it is, it just has to be pink for them to drink it.  Koolade in Chablis springs to mind, but I have a sick sense of humor...l'eau du ponde canard

The orthodontist is on my s&*t list.  They have done basically nothing for a month now.  I have paid $500 for the privilege of waiting for them to do something right.  In the mean time, Margo's spacers have started falling out.  They had to take two sets of casts because the first ones weren't good enough, causing a week and a half delay in whatever the next step is in the process.  Her next appointment is Monday and I'm telling them they can put the bands on her back teeth, but they cannot put anything in else in her mouth now until the middle of September.  I just can't see wrecking the last week of summer or the first week of school with some sort of dental torture device.  THEN she is going to be in a wedding, so they can forget it.  I've had to wait on them, so they can bloody well wait on us now.  I'm ticked and they're not getting one more CENT until something is accomplished.  I've told Margo that they're not going to like me on Monday.

I received a strange thing in the mail.  A black powder cannon.  Actually, a cannon KIT.  From Cabela's. Hmmmmm.  Upon investigation it was ordered and paid for by my cousin in Alaska who apparently had it shipped to me.  I can only assume this is due to either shipping to Alaska or sales tax.  Either way, I didn't know it was coming.  I figure I'm going to mount it in the front porch and paint it pink (I have the paint) unless I'm given other instruction.  Since I'm almost positive that either he or someone in his family reads this, I know they'll get in touch with me to prevent cannon desecration.  I'm dying laughing at what the neighbors would think of a pink cannon on my front porch.  I'm already bordering on the crazy lady in the neighborhood.

8/20/10 - Closet complete, Fair success and picnics

Margo's closet is adorable.  I will try to get pictures, but she won't get out long enough for me to take any.... HAH!  We have only to buy some more boxes from IKEA for the shelves.

This weekend is a picnic at the Stermer's hosted by John.  We loaned him SUDS stuff, chairs, tables, cups, plates, plastic silverware, tents...you get the idea.  I figure he can use them and maybe there will be less stuff to store in the basement.  I am making beans and some brownies, and Margo is making Chex Mix (the original stuff made in the oven).  Right now the house is redolent with baking Chex...  My recipe is for Peanut Butter topped brownies.  It looks good, let's hope it really is!

My dad got his new computer, but he hasn't set it up yet.  He bought an Apple this time, I think he'll like it.  It is sure cool looking!  It comes with three lessons too.  Bonus.  Next weekend is a picnic at my parent's house.  They have a group that gets together for dinner monthly, so when they do burgers, we go up and hold a mini-suds for 12.  12 are easier to cook for than 80!

I heard from an old friend the I thought I had lost track of.  She called regarding some yarn she was getting rid of, so now I have her new number and know where she is moving to!  Hooray!  She also had news of other old friends, so I got caught up a little.

The move to the Troutdale Terminal is complete.  Now if they could just get the trucks loaded in a tiomely fashion everything would be dandy.  Seems that even with the current unemployment situation the NEWLY HIRED loaders figured out pretty quick that a part time minimum wage job with no benefits loading trucks from 3 am to 7 am when you have to DRIVE to Troutdale (no bus service at all) is not worth having.  They are quitting in droves, evidently.  Wait until winter.  Brother.  Oh well, you make do with the circumstances provided.  No news on whether they will split our route or not.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Margo was a great success at the fair.  10 blues, 2 reds and a People's Choice ribbon!  That's my girl!  I got 9 blues and a Top in Class.   Overall I figure we made over $30 apeice.  Could be worse.  The Fair was a blast Margo and Cam Minh roder rides int he 100 degree heat all day.  Then we went home and got cooled off and went back after sundown.  They rode rides and we watched the fireworks until 11 pm.  It was one of those rare and wonderful summer evenings that you get about two of a year in Oregon/Washington.  Excellent.

8/2/10 - Construction and Facebook frenzy - OMG! Not only does one of my old bosses (described as a waste of skin) want to be my friend on facebook, ANOTHER old boss (full body shudders) that I thought I had seen the VERY last of now wants to be my friend on facebook ALSO!!!!!!!  Kill me now.  EEEEEEWWWW!  Okay, I'm done... click, ignore.

Ongoing construction... Bruce bought me a texture gun that runs off the air compressor instead of elbow grease.  I had the whole closet textured in a matter of MINUTES!  AWESOME.  We have heavy texture (called, I have learned, Mediterranean) on our walls.  I'm sure it hid a multitude of sins when the bank was repo-ing and remodelling it back in the 80's.  Any  new walls we put in, I just texture them the same.  Continuity.  RIGHT!!!  Basically, it still hides a multitude of sins.  When the texture is completely dry, it's time for primer.  Margo picked out carpet yesterday and is mumbling over paint chips.  I have forbade pink carpet in my house, so she has to get it on the walls.  As long as it can be covered by KILZ, I don't care.

Margo is out in the pool.  She is wearing a shirt that shows her whole shoulder, as we are trying to get rid of racerback lines before the wedding.  Whether that will happen remains to be seen.  I may have to have her spraytanned to even her up.

Went to a nice party for Bruce's cousin's 60th bday.  Wonderful woman, who spent her career educating special ed students.  Truly a remarkable human.  I took Swedish meatballs with gravy and lingonberries.  I was asked if it was an old family recipe.  I told 'em "Yeah, all the old Swedes in my family made them from this recipe.".  Hold up your hand, make a fist, count the fingers sticking up...... that's how many old Swedes are in MY family!  Thank you, Foodnetwork.com.  Recipe and what I did to it are on the recipe page.

Trying frantically to get stuff done for the Fair.  Margo has to complete her latchook pillow and I got the embroidered pillowcases done and the socks.  I have to sew the buttons on the baby sweaters and block the socks.  Margo has some stuff she canned with Grandma from last fall, so she is almost ready to go.  We have to get them entered by next weekend.  Think of our flying fingers this week!

7/27/10 - Summer Construction

Summertime and the sound of sledgehammers and reciprocating saws ring in the air at the Stermer house!  Tearing out a wall to remodel a closet measuring 40 x 45 inches to be a MONSTER closet worthy of La Margo.  THEN we can remove the "big box" in her room that takes up a ton of floorspace.  All I am losing is the space behind the front door where the wardrobe used to live.  The wardrobe is now cornered in the living room, complete with its 5000 ponds of dishes (give or take).  We bought the closet guts at IKEA... I love IKEA and they moved in right down the street!

Margo is going to actually get to be a flower girl in a wedding in September.  I told her she had lost her one chance when her cousin, Doug got married (she was peeved... her statement to me "I was better behaved, cuter and my dress was nicer than THAT flower girl").  She cracks me up.  Fortunately, she only talks to me that way!  Anyhow, MY cousin, Dolly is getting married in September and asked Margo to be a flower girl.  Thrilled doesn't begin to cover it.  I'm also thrilled, because all she needs is a simple white dress (can you say Nordstrom?) so I don't have to create a smocked marshmallow.  SWEET!

I found a source for Bruce's meds on the internet.  Don't start with me, I know.  However, online he can get 200 of the pills he takes for $89 (that includes shipping).  Price in Oregon is $45 for 30 pills.  Call me silly, but we both agree that not outsourcing this would be colossally stupid.  Let me know if you want the info.  I am not among those who think that the AMA and/or the FDA are the only reason any of us are alive today.  Amazingly, the rest of the world just seems to go right on surviving without either of them.  Call me crazy.

Investments for the ROTHs for 2009 are all finally complete.  It took a long time this year, as I didn't like their first choices and then we went into protracted negotiations over exactly what I should invest in in the Euro-zone.  My "guy" does not like Euro-zone.  I figure Europe has been around for a long time, and they will probably figure out how to make this work.  So far, so good, as the mutual fund has gone up after the Eurobank stress tests came back so positive.  Bruce stayed in the fold and invested Stateside.  We finalized today.  Sheesh!

Hey!  Since I posted last, we set up a Health Savings Account.  As per my accountant's advice, here's how I think it works.  You put money in the HSA, it comes right off the top of your taxable income.  You use the contents of the HSA to pay any medical expenses not covered by your insurance.  What remains at the end of the year is rolled into a retirement account and you start all over the next year.  At least that's how I understand it.  I could be wrong and this could be a horrible mistake.... wouldn't be the first one!  HAH!  The reason for this is that our insurance went through the roof.  Actually, our policy was "no longer available" so I had to do some shopping.  I started ending every conversation with a health insurer with "The sooner they nationalize you b@$#@*ds, the better for all of us".  Kid you not.  I don't know why my computer underlined my jarns & niddles in blue, but whatever.

The last time we spoke I was ranting about yearbooks.  Well gang, I may get my wish.  The new PTA President LOOOVES yearbooks.  She feels that yearbooks are a priority.  Even though no one bought them and we may actually have JUST broken even.  I said I would have nothing to do with them and that I just might quit PTA if we spent our hard-earned money on this boondoggle.  I got nowhere.  So... I may get to let them do their thing all by themselves.  No telling!  I'll keep you posted.

Margo loved Camp.  Her camp consisted of 7 little girls ages 9 to 11.  They climbed rock walls, swam in the river, shot rapids wearing lifevests, disected snakes, caught lizards, hiked and generally had a blast.  I have never seen such dirty laundry!  If the amount of central Oregon soil that came home is any indication, they truly had a fabulous time.  She's raring to go again next summer.  This fall she gets to go to Outdoor School, so she'll see the wet and soggy side of camp in October.  Oregon kids all get this treatment, they dont' melt.

6/12/10 - The end is Nigh!  You know, even I can have enough.  Yesterday I got "TOLD" by the Principal, that I should not have announced that the yearbooks were available on the reader board... even though the Principal and I had discussed it when the yearbooks were ordered.  When you have  a minimum of 40 additional yearbooks to get rid of in four days (to break EVEN) you don't have time for niceties.  THEN she has the NERVE to say to me... "Well, that's not too many..." Right lady.  Only $400 bucks worth.  This is an unmitigated disaster.  THEN ( to top it all off) , since only one teacher (note that I said ONE teacher in the ENTIRE SCHOOL) had purchased a yearbook, we hit up another teacher to buy one... "We just got given them last year."... (take a deep breath).  I'm bringing the ^&%(%& things HOME with me to make DAMN sure not ONE SINGLE ONE is GIVEN AWAY!!!!!  WOW!  Am I mad?  YES I AM!  So, we are out $400, the teachers did not buy yearbooks, only 8 eighth graders bought yearbooks, and the Pricipal cannot see that this might cause us a problem!  I am soooooooo done.  If we do yearbooks next year it will be over my DEAD BODY!  (Rant-rant)

On the bright side, I have two days and then I am flat DONE.  I plan on having as little to do with PTA and bloody Vestal School as humanly possible next year, and have no intention of EVER doing this to myself again!  Remind me of this in 2011, about PTA Board Election Time.

I have been indulging in a little jam therapy.  I was blessed with a ton of homegrown grapefruit from Tucson, so I have been making grapefruit marmalade.  It smells outrageous and tastes Fabulous!  Not only that, but the house smells fantastic.  You have to boil the peels three times, changing the water between each time.  Then you cut them into teeny-tiny strips and finish the marmalade.  Delicious for those of us who like Seville marmalade and can't find it (or Seville oranges) anywhere.  Nothing like the marmalade available in the States which is made from Valencia (sweet) oranges.  Lots like English marmalade.  Close enough for me!  Toast and marmalade for me for breakfast.

Looks like this weekend is due to be nice.  The Grand Floral Parade is today.  Hope it's not too hot.  It looks pretty cloudy, but then it's only 6 am.  We are going to Carson where I am going to get to plant hydrangea bushes.  Hopefully they will like it where I plan for them to live.

Monday I clean out the PTA Room, and sell the last 40 yearbooks(to break even) after school.  I'm leaving 5 yearbooks with the School secretary with an envelope for the money if anyone wants one after Monday.   THEN, dear readers, I am done.  Enough abuse, even for me.

5/28/10 - The ongoing march...I'm just waiting for the end of the school year.  Margo is getting an award (her second this year) on June 2nd.  I hope she is not still Miss "Friendly and Thoughtful".  She's starting to get peeved at that.  Her birthday is June 4th and her POOL party (she's an only child, I have no other excuse) is on the 5th.  I'm working on ideas for a pool cake.  We'll see how that goes. 

She's getting amped to go to camp in the middle of July.  She got her snake-proof boots and her sleeping bag.  We have to go buy large ziploc bags for her stuff to keep the critters out.... "Wilderness Explorer Camp" with OMSI.  I think it will be fantastic.  She always has a great time at their camps.  This time is the first that she will be gone for an entire week though.

The ETHOS concert was yesterday and you should have heard the Marimba band!  They were AWESOME!!!  I see the purchase of a full sized Marimba when she goes to High School... Yoiks!

Four teachers are retiring and I ALMOST have all their gifts figured out.... almost.  One last holdout.

The teachers are all handing in receipts for the end of the year.  PTA gives them some funds to spend for their class.  Now they figured out they have 2 weeks to get the receipts in, so they all go at once.

Knitting Club is over for the year.  My girls did such a great job.  We have a fabulous display in the hallway cabinet.  Taking it down next Tuesday, and getting them set for summer.  I make sure they all have yarn and my phone number.  LOL.

I still haven't figured out where I can book a vacation.  I tried in August of 2009, but got pre-empted by my in-laws (our 25th anniversary was spent with my inlaws......uh, yeah).  I tried in April of 2010 and chickened out at the last minute before booking the flight to LONDON... we had a personnel issue... but would not have got there anyway due to the Icelandic volcano of the extremely long name beginning with E.  I'm thinking Pisa in February (late, after Carnivale), then up the Riviera Di Levante by train.  Low season so no tourists but us.  It's still in the thinking stage.

Dinner out with the PTA Board last night.  Outback Steak House (which I had never been to).  Here is my review....eh.  My dinner was...extremely tender (which makes me instantly suspicious) and overcooked.  One of my cohorts ordered a small slab of baby back ribs which fell from the bone when touched (this is a sure sign that tenderizer is at its evil work).  The Sweet potato Fries were delicious, but the side salad was drowned in faux shredded cheese (most of which I managed to remove).  The big killer was... I ordered a bottle of red wine (shiraz-cabernet).  They did not have it, although it was featured.  I then started down the RED wine list.  Apparently the WINE LIST was a work of Fiction... because nothing (repeat after me... nothing) on the RED WINE LIST in a STEAK HOUSE was available.  I shall never darken their doors again. Another for the "Must Miss List".  That list keeps getting longer.

5/15/10 - after a month  Well, that was fun...not really.  I am getting to the end of my tenure with the PTA (at least as President).  Next year I will merely be the Webmaster.  I like that.  I can handle that.  The gal who was elected this year will be great.  She' already got some fabulous ideas.

Our new driver is up and rolling.  She threw Bruce out of the truck after two days.  She's doing great.  Our other driver dropped a drive line out of his truck (I know, but apparently it's not as bad as it sounds?)  We got a rental truck to finish the day, towed in the broken one and got a nifty refurbished driveline in time to start work the next day.  We have the most amazing mechanic in the world.... apparently he can do almost anything overnight.  Luv ya Dave!

It finally got sunny and our neighborhood went bananas.  The woman on the corner got plastered and started whooping it up.  The kids down the street came out to see what the fun was, so she decided to let her inner racist out at the top of her lungs.  Kids decided they didn't have to listen to THAT, so they went home and cranked up the sound system REALLY LOUD and moved the speakers out onto the sidewalk.  Their taste in music isn't all that bad, really.  Anyway, the cops finally showed up and gave Bahama mama a free ride to the tank.  They went down and told the kids to shut the music down, then Mr. Jose Cuervo decide HE would give the kids a piece of his mind (which apparently he could ill afford).  Cops decided he needed a ride too.  Peace has reigned since.  I love Portland.  If you want weird, just add sunshine... or rain... or... you get the idea.

Tomorrow we are working on Margo's birthday party invitations.  Can you believe she is almost 11?  I never thought she'd make it, honestly. (grin)  Her party is at the pool this year.  That is, apparently, the coolest party on the PLANET!!!!!!  All I can see is that I am going to have to get in the pool.  I am not amused, but the rule is one adult for every 5 kids.  Remember, I am planning the COOLEST PARTY ON THE PLANET!!!!!! (Sounds like an 11 year old, huh?)

I have not sewn or knitted in what seems like an age.  I hemmed a prom dress for the girl across the street and made a 22 foot tablecloth for the teacher's lunch.  Nothing worth talking about, and I've already whined about organza on facebook.  The dress came out great.  So did the tablecloth, so I can't complain, but I hear the fabric calling my name.....

4/19/10 - I think.  I hope to  be able to update this more often now.  What a NIGHTMARE!  I hope I finally have the yearbook done.  It's taken two solid weeks of work, so let's hope it's all over.  I have been focusing on getting out of PTA alive and I believe I have succeeded.  At elections I was voted Webmaster, which is something I can handle.  I have over 600 hours in this year as a volunteer.  It's too much. 

Once again we are hiring a driver.  Our guy found a job with benefits, and you can't argue with that.  We had over 100 applications in three days.  I got pretty sick of printing off resumes.  As a matter of fact, I need to do that again. 

My folks are on their way back from Tucson.  They went to visit my mom's cousin & his wife.  Sounds like they had a great time.  I'm sure I'll hear more when they get home.

Oh..... tried to reserve the beach house we had LAST Thanksgiving and the price had gone up over $100 PER DAY!  I called them to make sure that was right.  Sure was..... so I went surfing and found a HUGE place in Rockaway for about what we paid last year for the little place.  We'll see if it's any good.

Let's see... what else is new?  Oh  great video rental from Netflix... BBC TV... Pie in the Sky if you like funny police stories a la Brit.  Studying Italian in my spare time, just for yucks.  That and I have decided I need to go to Genoa (actually the Riviera de Levante, outside of Genoa).  I don't know why, I just have to go.  In the winter, maybe October?  No tourists (except me).  Now sort of glad I didn't book that trip to London the last 2 weeks of April...huh.

 I have decided that Facebook is nice, but who wants to broadcast your every waking thought to the universe?  Not only that, but who wants to read that much of other people's brain droppings?  Besides I am so sick of Farmville and Yoville and Mafia Wars and all the other dreck.  I block it, but some always sneaks through.  Do these people have no lives?  Guess they must not run a business and work as PTA President huh? LOL

Knitting Margo a cardigan for the second time.  She outgrew the first knitting and if I don't hurry up she'll be out of this one as well.  It's pinkkkkkkkk.  Like you couldn't guess.  I found a cool hat pattern that was knit stupidly, so I un-stupided it and have knitted 5 of them.  They are cute, and not stupid at all now.

Still teaching knitting one day a week at school.  I have the best group this year.  They are some seriously dedicated knitters.  They are hooked on making bunnies.  knitted bunnies from a square of knitting.  These are seriously cute and my kids are all over making a bunch of them.

Not much else to share.  I like this format better than FB.  You gotta FIND this one.


11/24/09 - I update this thing once a month whether I need to or not.  Carnival has come and gone.  It was a success, and got a major facelift in the process.  I sent a buddy an envelope of leaves... don't ask.  I made 18 pounds of peanut brittle and  (approximately) a TON of peanut clusters for the Bizarre Bazaar in Carson.  I sat by two escapees from Deliverance and just kept repeating "paddle faster, I hear banjo music" inside my head.  I sold all my hats and got an order for seven (or eight) more microsweaters.  I am going to have FUN knitting at the beach!  I also have an order for a hat, so the needles will be clickin!

Trying out a new beach house, so I will let you know a review of THAT when I return.  The fall fundraiser is in full swing, so let me know by December 1st if you want some frozen cookie dough..... LOL!  MARGO'S school pics turned out great.  What else.... uh.... too much to put here, and yet it all seems to flow together.  Happy Thanksgiving!

10/15/09 - Time Flies whether you are having fun or not.  The wedding was a nightmare.... do not even ask.  Margo looked great and we all went out to McDonalds on the way home since the caterer did not show up.  That was the last and most ridiculous of the things I was subjected to that day.

Back To School Night was a rousing success.  About 600 people ate ice cream and cookies courtesy of Vestal PTA.  I got through Picture Day unscathed, now on to Fall Carnival which is on the 30th of October.  I have one day a week to work on it with the Board.  Hopefully, that is enough time.

Margo is sick today.  Woke up with a temperature so no school for her!  She's sleeping it off right now.  I will make something yummy for dinner to see if I can tempt her.  She is bummed because she is missing her FAVORITE teacher as a substitute, AND the prize drawing today at school, AND her movie date with her best bud.  All in all a bummer of a flu bug.

8/27/09 - Dresses, Wedding and back to School - Working on a dress for Margo to wear to a cousin's (fourteen times removed or somesuch) wedding.  I only have some internal finishing and the hem to get done.  I should be Okay.  Right?  Right?!?!?

Tomorrow I have a budget meeting for PTA Board.  Big fun... how much money do we NOT have to spend on projects?  I hate budgets.  I'm shooting for independently wealthy status, but somehow the yarn keeps getting in the way.  LOL!  I put up pictures of the latest sock projects on the knitting page.  Check 'em out!

Margo starts school on the 8th of September.  YAY!  I get my house back, one person at a time......

8/13/09 - Roofers, Grapes, Nate, Austen and Sock Summit.  The Roofers are done.  My house has a new lid.  It is beautiful, if expensive.  The roofers are snacking on grapes as they clean up the yard.  The grapes will be better in about two weeks, but they are pretty good now. 

Nate STRIKES AGAIN!  I ordered checks from the Home Equity Line through NATE, on July 31.  It is now August 13 and they are not here yet.  I called and was unpleasant to NateBank.  Not that it does any good, but they are such MORONS!  When they were a credit union it was excusable, but now they are a bank, one expects the semblance of efficiency.  NOT with NATE!  Typical.

I watched the WORST movie I have ever watched in my life.  Actually, it was originally a BBC TV series.  "Lost in Austen"  Note to readers: Love Austen, Hate this film.  Story line is:  Woman unsatisfied with life in modern London, and a HUGE fan of Pride & Prejudice is sucked into the storyline, replacing Elisabeth Barrett.  Stupid, foulmouthed trashing of Austen occurs for THREE (count em, three) hours.  Austen is torn asunder then reconstituted and thrashed again.  Horrible sexual innuendo, swearing, uncomfortable social faux-pas, apparent lack of attention on the part of the characters as female lead wears a purple tunic, fake-red hair (with bangs...) and skinny jeans in the midst of Pride and Prejudice... you get the idea.  All of this (after three hours, but I mentioned that before) to end up with (spoiler alert!) the silly cow from modern London falling for Darcy (and he for her, without apparent reason) and evidently living happily ever after in fiction, and "Lizzie" with her new found pixie cut and cell phone returning to her job as an au-pair in 20th Century London.  BLECH!!!!  Poisonous, just poisonous.  Three hours I will never get back.  Even if you WANT to watch it to see if it is really THAT BAD, do yourself a favor and take my word for it.

Went to Sock Summit last week.  VERY FUN!  Oodles of yarn, toys, yarn, spinning wheels, yarn, patterns, yarn, celebrities, yarn and lots of other cool stuff too!  Gayle and I spent the day on Friday.  Hauling our booty back on the MAX train was a good plan, as it stopped me from buying a carload.

School Shopping tomorrow.  Clothes and shoes, so my kid does not look like an orphan-child.  We get free backpacks and school supplies every year sponsored by local businesses, since we are in a low-income neighborhood.  I say, bring on the free school supplies!  I figure it saves me about $40 - $60 a year.

Going to the Skamania County Fair on Saturday.  Taking Margo and her bestest buddy CamMinh to the parade and the fair.  Then they are having an overnight and we'll take CamMinh back on Sunday. 

7/30/09 - Yikes!  AGAIN!  Okay, fun is fun, but 106 degrees is ridiculous.  Time to turn on the Pacific Ocean and cool this puppy OFF!  Last Monday, everything broke.  The DVD/CD drive on the laptop, the pool pump and the bedroom AC unit.  All in one day.  Replaced the bedroom AC unit, the CD drive is on hold and the pool is on it's last legs, so the pump will come in the kit with the NEW POOL NEXT year.  I am swamped with blueberries, and cherries and zucchini... and peppers and plums and.... well, you get the idea.

Just to make 106 MORE fun, I canned yesterday.  Brandied cherries and plum jam.  WHEW!  I think the blueberries will have to be frozen and dealt with later, since next week they are ripping the roof off of the house and we are getting a "BRAN NEW ONE"!  WHEEEEEEE!  I can hardly wait.... for it to be over.  This weekend we are spending getting ready for the roofers.  Removing plants from harm's way, cleaning off the deck and putting breakables where the vibrations will not send them crashing.  Not to mention putting tarps in the attic to catch the crud.  Evidently there is crud.  Lots of crud involved in a roof.  Who knew?

I finished the initials on the quilt that Gloria brought me.  It came out cute.  Very boyish.  She should pick it up in the next couple of days.  I have not been doing much of anything, just sitting in the rooms of the house that are actually cool.  I'm sooooo ready for 80.... you have no idea.

7/24/09 - YIKES!  A month.  I have been slacking here.  I have been having too good of a time on facebook.... and playing RPGs with bunnis.  Don't ask.  Since the reunion, I have been contacted by about 5 people I have known since first grade.  Most of them did not come to the reunion, but we all connected up on facebook or via the memorybook from the reunion.  I also found my two best buds from H.S..  We had lost touch, but now are back in touch.  Hopefully to schedule a lunch date!

Re-found an old neighbor too!  She called because she did not get an invite for SUDS.  Wondered what was up.  I told her we were old and tired!  She is sort of halfway moved to Idaho (I thought she was all the way moved), but she stopped by and delivered zucchini bread.  YUM!

Margo is enjoying an unstructured summer.  No classes or lessons, just hangin' out bein' 10.... life is good.  She has her best bud come over one day a week for playdates.  Yesterday in the car they were planning playdates for when they were in High School and College.... I found it hard to keep a straight face.  They are planning to bud-up on Facebook whan they are allowed to make pages.  They are both already on each other's speed dials.  My, how times have changed!

Making Curry tonight.  Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi Kenya recipe (my version).  We have lots of yummy stuff to serve with it as the berries and cherries and zucchini and cukes are coming on in profusion.  This is served Rjistaffel (sp?) style, with a big bowl of rice, and one of curry, then accompaniments in little bowls all over the table and you put the rice and curry on your plate, then little piles of accompaniments around the edge.  My mouth is watering, just thinking about it.  I have not made a Curry in a long time.  Looking forward to that!  Later, I will put the recipe on the Cooking page.  In a rush now, as today is filled with picking of fruit, library runs and cleaning house prior to realtives descending.

Working on a sock.  It's a beautiful sock.  I am very happy with it, and will post it's pic as soon as it is presentable.

6/26/09 - High School Reunions...alas.  Last night was my (mumble) year High School Reunion, okay 30.  Cool venue, lots of people (none of my buds showed, but what's new).  Obnoxious music making it impossible to visit, six dollar well drinks (wine was eight bucks a glass) Good snackie food, forty chairs for a hundred people.... you get the idea.  Lots of people that you barely knew even in High School, so the conversation sort of ended with "What do you do?"  They tell you, and you explain what YOU do and then you look at each other..... um.  My pal Nettie and her husband gave me a lift home (too cool of them, since I am actually out of their way, a lot) when the music got so loud it was at pain threshold.

You know, some people I would know anywhere.  Others I could not have picked out of a crowd.  You couldn't prove to me that I went to high School with most of them.  And then there are those who look just the same (only with grey hair!).  Musicians who are still musicians, because what else would they be, quiet girls who are now judges or public advocates for the elderly and disabled, and the usual assortment of people doing the usual sort of things (including yours-truly).  I was kind of surprised by who was not there.  I was running a list in my head, and there were a lot of folks I expected to see and didn't.  Enough about the torture of last night.

Our truck requires a new (to us) engine.  This is an adventure, because even new (to us) engines are not inexpensive.  Our fabulous mechanic-dude is putting it in for us, so in the mean time we are renting a truck.  On the light side, we have our new driver, Chuck.  Looks like good stuff.  Part of the fun of a DIY profession.

Bruce just "shocked" Margo's pool.... at eight times the recommended dosage because he can't read the difference between 850 gallons and 8,500 gallons.  The back yard smells like....um.... a pool on steroids.  We have to balance it, because if she gets in there it will burn her hide off.  Gotta go fix it....!  That should be my bloody motto.

6/22/09 - Ahhhh...summer!  Actually, so far, not so much!  I have had two meetings to interview half time Kindergarten teachers (who knew this was part of the PTA President's job?), one meeting with a school photographer, two phone meetings with school photographers, innumerable e-mails, a meeting of the PTA Board, and one LAST meeting (until August) of the PTA Board tonite and an incredibly LOOONG e-mail to the principal telling her our agenda for next year.  Whew!  Not only that, but I am having my (mumble) year High School Reunion on Friday.  I have the clothes, I have the shoes, I have the hair, nails and handbag... I am READY!  As long as it doesn't rain, because I'm goin' on MAX!  For those of you not Portland Locals, that's the commuter train.  I am not skinny, I do not look young, but then who is and who does?  I plan on going and having a blast.  I have been "friended" by so many classmates from Grant, and e-mailed by more who are all going to be there.  Should be fun!  I'll keep you posted.

In other news, I have completed the center of the Stonington Shawl.  YIPPEE!  I have started one side, but have had to tink several times (growling all the way).  The lace does not want to cooperate.  That is my story and I'm stickin' to it!

A Truck Broke Down.  One of our trucks "sucked a valve"?  or something.  It sounds bad, and it's actually worse.  The mechanic was going to look at it today.  We (almost) have a new driver hired to replace Christine, who is leaving us to pursue a career in home care.  We will miss her terrribly!  Hopefully we won't have to pay three drivers, truck rent AND repairs all at the same time.  Way to go broke!  Ah well, that is the joy of self employment.

Margo is soaking in her backyard pool.  It is 68 degrees out.  She has been out there for about two hours.  She is slightly blue around the edges, but she is having a BLAST!!!  (As an aside, there ARE people who should be banned from being parents, LOL!)  The dog is keeping her company, but this pool is too deep and the dog will not go in.  Besides the DOG is smart enough to know that the water is bloody cold!

Tomorrow, a Yarn Safari with buddy Gayle.  Going to Carlton to Woodland Woolworks.  Have to show her the progress on the Stonington.  Evidently, she is ahead of me.  Oh well!

5/28/09 - And so it Begins.  I went to a "Thank You Awards" Dinner last night sponsored by the State/National/Portland PTA Council.  In the basement cafeteria at Benson High.  FLASHBACK!!!!!  Looks just like the one at Grant, except the ceiling is higher, I think.  Taco Salad, water and cookies.  I felt very appreciated.  We stood, they clapped.  Three hours later we were home.  Tomorrow there is a NEW Board meeting, that is a meeting of the new board.  I get to explain the grand master plan for the 09-10 school year.  Really wish I had a Grand Master Plan!  HAH!  Actually, I had a meeting with the principal the first of the week, and we have a pretty fun year planned.  Lots of new ideas and new stuff is going to get tried.  Should be fun, right?  Another bright spot, I met the rep for some fundraiser stuff (a salesman right down to his boots).  I was VERY pleased to meet him and today he delivered a CREAM PIE for us to serve at our meeting tomorrow!  Hey, I like free stuff and people sucking up to get me to do stuff.  Not that I am influenced.....right?

Why is everything I'm knitting becoming "No Chablis projects"?  I started a scarf out of chenille just to have some idiot knitting to do.  The sweater for Margo has lace shoulders, and the Stonington Shawl is loopy, and hard.  Definitely "No Chablis" projects at the moment.

Knitting Club is over for the year, and my kids gave me a pink zonal geranium that is gorgeous!  They also wrote lovely thank you notes that they read to me.  AWWWWWWW!  OK, I will do it next year too.  I'm a sucker for a monkey face written on a thank you card by a 9 year old.

5/21/09 - Nothing is perfect.  Particularly not me.  I can try, but I'm just never there.  I have had several run-ins with knitting lately and it has almost won every time.  I took the latest project with me to  Sit & Stitch, and , since it is now past half done, I am feverishly trying to  get it finished.  "It" is the center of a Stonington Shawl.  In Fingering weight (because my knitter-buddy talked me down from laceweight).  I am knitting along.... you know how it goes.... and suddenly  WHAM!  Right in the middle, two rows down...you know what I am going to say.... a mistake. (Swearing is not done in this sit & stitch, as all but me belong to the same fundamentalist church, talk about a duck out of water!).  So I THOUGHT unkind things, and I tinked out TWO HUGE rows, down to the goof.  Sigh.  And then I sat right there and worked them again, right this time.  I will go slower, I will pay attention, and I WILL get it done on schedule.  I will, I will!

My birthday was uneventful, although I was slightly harassed via computer by several OLD friends who really should be nicer.  Now I am attempting to plan M's birthday party.  She has decided to have it at our local movie theater, The Academy.  They have a whole party package including pizza, pop, a party room, popcorn and a movie.  Go figure the MOVIE is.... HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE!!!!  She is sooooo jazzed.  Sometimes, the fates smile.  We are having it in her ACTUAL birthday, so that is also very cool.  I am the cool mom for at least a week off of this one.

New pictures on the picture page!  Check em out!

5/4/09 - Slacking Again - I have been doing other things, honestly.  I have the pictures to prove it, and they are on the picture page.  I can't post them anywhere else, because they are gifts and are going to be given today.  What's going on with Cathy?...I was elected PTA President, my parents are out of town (in Tucson, the lucky ducks), my cousin died suddenly, my friend is in ICU with end-stage lung cancer and pneumonia, it's raining and it's laundry day.  I'm invited to a volunteer appreciation tea this afternoon, so I have to do things like get dressed in actual clothes like real people wear and wrap two gifts for others (oops!  Buy gift bags that fit!).  Please refer to picture page.  Just to top it all off, I am teaching the Strip Tease Quilt Class on Saturday. You see, I have evidence of non-slackness!

I am working on a spring sweater for Margo, and I think I have convinced my knitter-buddy Gayle to try the Stonington Shawl for our summer challenge.  It's lace, and I know... we are nuts.  What is summer for, if not to expand your horizons?  I'm trying to talk Bruce into going to Santa Fe in August (yes, August) to the Indian Craft Markets.  He doesn't think Santa Fe in August sounds real great.  I told him there is shade.  LOL!

This Friday, we have a field trip with Margo's class and a kindergarten class to the Oregon Historical Society.  They are studying NW Native Culture, so I spent the weekend ransacking the bookshelves for source material for the student teacher.  They actually are studying stuff *I* know about!  Cool! (as an aside, this beats predicates, whatever THEY are....)

4/10/09 - MINOR EXPLOSIONS AND EASTER LAMB  Perhaps needs some explanation...?  PTA Executive Board exploded, but I'm good with that.  I could use some housecleaning, both mental and physical.  More on this after next Tuesday.  Easter Lamb leg is thawing in the fridge and the roll dough is set and rising slowly.... I'm folding laundry (well, not ACTUALLY while I type on the 'puter, but you get the idea).

Gayle and I changed the pattern for our challenge, because I threw myself on the floor and had a tantrum after trying it four times and it was UGLY EVERY SINGLE TIME!   Gayle, as per usual, talked me down and we have two hat patterns that are going to be fun.  We temporarily dismissed the lace scarf from Duffy's blogsite for now, because neither of us can count to more than three at the moment.

The class for the Strip Tease quilt is already filling up.  Cool!  I love to teach and have not been doing any lately.  This will be fun.  I'm trying to come up with the next one.  Working on an "End of the Day" quilt block/top/idea.  Will keep you posted.  Happy Easter!

4/3/09 - YARN SAFARI AND A QUILT TOP! Yesterday, I went on a Yarn Safari with my buddy, Gayle.  We recommend a shop called "Close Knit" on NE Alberta, but everything else was varying degrees of disappointing.  The others ranged from uninspiring to downright rude and snotty (Twisted, you know who you are).  We did pretty much the whole East Side and are already planning our next attack.  We are also planning a Knitting Challenge.  We have our design, and so far we have two rules. (1)You must use one yarn from your stash and (2)it's got to be done in a month.  I gotta get in those steamer trunks and get knittin'!

I finished the quilt top I was working on for a class sample for Roberta.  It is called "Stamping in Puddles" because that's what it looks like.  I think it came out all right, and I am amazed that I got the cornerstones to work.  (SHHH!)  I really do this kind of math stuff ALL THE TIME 'cuz I am such a geenyus (....right!!!!)  PICS on the picture page.  Roberta is having her Shop Birthday this weekend, so I need to get her the sample.  Last week.  Story of my life.

Also put another recipe on the Cooking page.  Super easy Mississippi Mud Cake.  Just eat it and don't think about it too much.

03/25/09 - I feels all better now, tho, 'cuz I got my taxes from the accountant and I don't owe anybody anything.  YAY!!!!  Picture me doing the happy dance....uh better not picture that, you could need therapy.

Margo was actually sick with the flu (not the stomach flu, just the fever/sleeping flu) but I got to go to my quilt show anyway because Bruce could stay home with her.  No disasters occurred while I was gone, and life at the Stermer house is pretty much normal.  As normal as we ever get!

I had a dork moment, and in it I signed up on Facebook to track down some errant classmates from High School.  I know, I'm nuts.  It's kind of fun... a LOT of people are on there!!  Some of whom I spent significant quantities of money on.   On alcohol trying to burn them from my brain.  I just skipped their pages.  I found who I was looking for.  With Facebook and DEX I am set for life!

3/19/09 - Okay, maybe not actually hate.  Maybe I'm just extremely aggravated by existence.  (Honestly it's really the existence of others.  Why do they live in my world?) Insert smiley here.  I got the word that I was the only person (sucker) who really wanted to be PTA President.  So, here I go, making bad decisions all over again.  Give me an inch and I will end up in another cubicle.  HAH!

Is it spring yet?  I'm ready for some sitting in the back yard in the sun drinking cold things.  Everybody with me?  Thought so.  My finger is on the pulse of the universe.... LOL!  Knitting an afghan in LOUD yellow for the back deck.  Goes with the LOUD yellow pillows I am making.  My deck is going to make a STATEMENT when I get done. Of course the statement it makes may be that a crazy person lives here!

Going to a Quilt Show/Shop Hop this weekend, maybe.  If my kid is not sick (she came home with a headache) and I can get enough laundry done to pack an overnight bag.  Anybody taking bets on whether I can manage it?  Thought so.  Put me down for five against.

3/8/09 - Well, I think I have all of the taxes ready to go to the accountant.  Finally...!  Hopefully, the tax man won't beat us up as bad this year as last year.  Hey, I can hope.  I think taxes was my March project, or is that copping out? LOL!  I may buy that hallway paint yet.

Puyallup and Sew Expo was great!  I learned how to silk screen (very cool).  I learned that no amount of software will make my embroidery machine do more than it was designed to do.  I learned that there is a bunch of stuff I really don't want to do.  I learned that there is still money out there, and people are spending it.  Those people are sewers.  I also learned that Margo can eat her body weight in steamer clams, but only if they are served in a giant martini glass (see pictures page).

Tomorrow, I discover whether I will be running for PTA President.  If anyone else is running, I'm not going to.  If no one else will do it, I'll have to.  Basically, it's a suck job, but somebody's got to do it.  Tomorrow is the PTA Board meeting.  that's where I'll find out.  Anybody wanna buy a VESTAL VIKINGS car decal?  They are round, 5 inches in diameter, clear with white printing, they say VESTAL VIKINGS around the outside with a viking longboat in the middle.  I designed 'em and the wonderful graphics dude at the decal place made 'em a reality.  We're selling them for $3 each as a PTA fundraiser.  Let me know if you want one.   (shameless fundraising R us)

2/23/09 - Getting ready to go to the Sew Expo in Puyallup.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Of course, it's going to be 40 degrees and raining, but what the hey.   I have a warm coat, and several warm credit cards.... LOL!

My buddy, Gayle, sent me an e-mail about a sock knitting THANG that's going to be in August an the Convention Center.  Looks like fun, I hope I'll be able to go.  OH!  I almost forgot!  a gal named Susan invited me to a Quilt Group that she hosts once a month at her house.  I went and it was a BLAST!  All the people there are so fun, and they have a great time, sewing together.  I'm looking forward to going NEXT month.  Nice to hang out with people who don't think you are acomplete freak of nature because you DO stuff.  It's refreshing to remember who you actually are, occasionally.

The Monster Fridge is out of the basement and the new one is installed and purring away.  It actually gets COLD (be still my heart).  Now we have to triage the remaining refrigerators and place Category 1's in the kitchen, Category 2's in the basement and Category 3's in the garage.... I'm sure this will lead to confusion, but who's going to notice a little confusion around here anyway?  Now I have to decide my PROJECT for March.  I've pruned most of the shrubbery (as much as the yard debris bin will hold), I may paint the front hallway... but I'm NOT telling you what color.... you'll have to come and see it.

Wish me luck in Puyallup, and say novenas for Bruce when he gets the bill!

2/2/09 - I paid bills today so it must be February.  What happened?  Must not have been paying attention!  Like anyone is surprised by that. 

The sun was out today and it got up around 50 degrees.  AAAAHHHHH!  All the parents were standing out in the parking lot before school let out basking like lizards.

Project: Clean out the ancient refrigerator in the basement so we can move it out and get a new one that will probably save us a mint in electricity.  Problem is, the *%^& thing is full of STUFF!  And don't say "Just throw it out!", because it's GOOD STUFF!!!!  I'm shuffling it to the other fridges.  My goal is to get it cleaned out in the next two days and turn it off and defrost it (yup, it's that old) so we can take the door off it (yup, it's got a LATCH) and move it out onto the driveway and put a FREE sign on it so the tweakers can haul it off for scrap.  Sometimes, it's good to live in my neighborhood!  In other more chi-chi neighborhoods, perhaps your friends and neighbors would frown on an ancient fridge by the curb, but here it is a potential income source!!!! LOL.  I'll keep you posted.

1/20/09 - I knew that our life as a civilized humanity was over this year when I received my first "personalized" postcard Christmas Card that was downloaded, mail-merged and sent bulk rate direct from the USPS.  "UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS!!!!".  The person that sent it shall remain nameless, as I wish to maintain harmony and (remember, civilized?) relations with them.  Needless to say, they do not peruse my site.  If they do, they  deserve the rebuke they just got.

Now, on to Life As We Know It being OVER, in a GOOD way!  I want to play the GLAD GAME!!!  I'm GLAD that we have a new President.  I'm GLAD he gave the former administration a good scouring in his speech today.  I'm GLAD that Europe has hope for us again (I'm glad we have hope for ourselves).  I'm GLAD that I can stop being angry and embarrassed.  I'm GLAD the wind has stopped blowing 50 mph..  I'm GLAD I am not in fourth grade and having to learn what a predicate is and to find it in a sentence.  I'm GLAD I found the old Grammar book that I bought at a garage sale so I could figure out what a predicate is.  I'm GLAD I found the 8 boxes of paperwork I had saved from NATE and that I threw it all in the recycle bin without a qualm (except for one file I might need should I ever have to write a resume...).  Enough?  I think so, for now.

New recipe on the Cooking page!

I'm working out some new classes to teach.  Roberta has opened a shop in Stevenson called "Birdhouse Quilts" and she wants me to come up with something.  I'm thinking... Strip-T's, Cheater embellishment with trims and stitches, and something else... I'm still working on it.  I'll keep you posted.

We got a lot of nice comments in Christmas Cards to our Christmas letter and the demise of SUDS.  Everyone is bummed, but they all said they understand.  After 20 years, it was time to stop.  Besides, we want to leave that weekend open for someone ELSE to plan something (and maybe invite us... hint-hint?).  Now, it's up to YOU!  LOL

1/11/09 - Okay, the rain is back and the grump has subsided.  We had the "Christmas That Would Not End" this year, what with re-scheduling all the events.... Margo thought the gifts would never end.  NOW she just has to write Thank You Notes for all of them (evil laughter).

12/24/08 - Okay, this is getting ridiculous.  We've had snow/crappy weather now for two weeks.  FUN'S OVER!!!!!  Margo's Christmas Gift from us has not arrived (I gave up shopping for it a week and a half ago and ordered Express Delivery online)  According to the tracker, it's in Portland... somewhere.   I managed to get on a bus yesterday to let Margo deliver some gifts to kids in her class... fun.  At least the 40 mph East Wind has let up.  Now it is just SNOWING,,, straight down.  Lots of it.  We have about 2 feet drifted up against the back door.

Bruce is out on the road, delivering.  Just like he has been for two weeks, in the snow.  They have only skipped one day since this started.  Last night, he was stuck on Swan Island trapped behind three jacknifed big rigs on the bridge out of the depot.  Needless to say, he was LATE getting home!

Trying to get cookie trays finished so we can get them delivered to three neighbors.  If you WERE getting a cookie tray and you live farther than across the street from me, sorry.  You're off the delivery list.  My two wheel drive van without chains is going to sit RIGHT where it is.

Sooooooo ready for 40 degrees and raining.  Hanging out here in the snow..... sigh!

12/17/08 - One month, and I finally get around to updating this thing.  Since the last time, one of our drivers has been out with a Workmen's Comp Claim, been released and had to fly to San Francisco not once but twice because his mom is hospitalized.  Bruce is working 12 hour days, I'm trying to get Christmas up and going (without too much success), and with the freezing weather, I'm changing out a blasted HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER every two hours so the hummingbirds do not die.  Why do I take responsibility for hummingbirds?  Why can't they fly to San Diego like other sensible creatures?  But no, they sit around in the bushes and stare at me when I go out in the 19 degree weather to change their feeder.  Or alternately, they fly up in my face and cuss me as I am climbing the step stool to change the feeder.  I'm not sure if I prefer the beady-eyed staring or the cussing!

Margo is off school and is out playing in the almost non-existent snow.  I guess the West Side got quite a bit, but it is pretty much a bust here.  I just went out to check on her and she and the neighbor kid are sitting up in their tree.  Now they want cocoa.... but at least they are less beady-eyed and do not cuss where I can hear them!

New pictures on the picture page.  I finally got some transferred off the camera.  I also put up a new recipe on the cookbook page. I got this one via email from someone who wanted me to buy more brownie mix, but I fooled 'em and used one from the basement!  Tom & Jerry Brownies, (OMG!) they are delicious.  Easy too!  Try 'em!

11/17/08 - Big PTA Board Meeting today, and I was very quiet.  They are planning all sorts of stuff and I am trying to figure out how I am going to help with any of it.  I have pictures to put up and they are downstairs.  Maybe later today, but I am supposed to be making Peanut Brittle for the Bazaar.... I have done all the chocolate and the spiced nuts, now it is Peanut Brittle Week!  Pray to all assorted gods for me.

10/23/08 - I have begun to take some flak about not updating the website for..... oh.... about 2 months.  OK, I have been completely slacking.  No excuses!

School carnival is tomorrow.  Evidently some fun-loving little yobbo (rumored to be in the 6th grade) went out and bought a roll of identical tickets for Carnival.  Lovely.  Now we check ticket numbers, because I'll bet he/she is not smart enough to make sure they matched.  I let the world know that there would be a reward for whoever ratted the little darling out..... I'm truly nasty.  Someone will squeal... I know it.  I am soooo looking forward to busting whoever it is.... (evil laughter).  Other than that, we're in total control.

Margo is going to be a pirate for Halloween, but the "girl" pirate costumes are all "lame" so mom is having to make one up.  I'm making a red long vest and she is wearing one of my "office" blouses... (yup, still have a couple!) and black leggings and boots.  She wants a parrot... I have conceded to perhaps a STUFFED parrot (she wanted the real one from the Pirates movie that says "Don't Eat Me").  Her buddy wants to be a witch and they want to trick-or-treat at grandma's, but her buddy's dad has to give the OK for her to stay over, because I am NOT driving 100 miles at 11 o'clock at night, no matter HOW cute you are.  Even cute has its limits.

Margo is in the fourth grade.  So far, so good.  They have not busted her back to third or anything, so I guess I find out all the gory details at conferences in November.  I wish just once I could go to conferences and not have a nasty surprise.  Hey, I can wish!  She likes her teacher, and she'd better, because she's going to have her for two years.  She's in a split 4th/5th grade class, so the work seems to be a challenge.  Good.  She's also learning how obnoxious fifth grade boys can be.  She's not impressed, so far.  (thank you, all assorted dieties!)  She is taking Marimba class after school on Tuesdays.  They sound pretty good already!  I'm impressed.

What else is new?  I'm teaching knitting club again after school (on Wednesdays).  Very fun.  I have three beginners who are already beginning their first OFFICIAL project, a corner-to corner dish cloth.  My second years are working on pattern knitting by making PATTERNED dishcloths.  They're pumped.

We renewed our passports because they were about to expire, and Margo got one too.  Now she's ready to TRAVEL!  If only my budget was ready!  I'm not promising anything right now.

Bruce is home a lot, because we have two trucks and two drivers, so he goes in every morning and makes sure the loads are all right, then he comes home and lets them do their jobs.  He is available if they have a doctor's appt. or are out sick.  It works good for them, but *I* am not nearly as thrilled.  I married him for better or worse, but not for lunch.

I'm getting ready for bazaar the end of November.  I'm making knitted hats and slippers and woven ribbon headbands and soon I will start on candy.  Then the stickiness takes over the house again.  I just got the last sticky cleaned up from making raisins and grape jam from the bumper crop of seedless grapes we got this year.  The red grapes are never going to get ripe.  Even the starlings won't eat them yet, so they must be green.  Better get to work and do something, even if it's wrong.  I will update more often.  I swear. 

8/15/08 - Well, Mesa Verde did not burn down.  I finally had to email them to find out the status.  Guess they got it put out pretty quickly.  It is pretty confusing to look up fires in that  area of country because they all seem to start the same time every year, and the web is full of the oldest junk you have ever seen.  The fire report i was looking at was from 2002... of course they don't put the year on it.... sigh.

I've sorted all the laundry and it's all clean and (mostly) put away.  My dad's computer fried itself and he and I went and bought him a new one.  Margo is getting ready for Fourth Grade.  So am I.  I'm Hospitality Chairman again, but this time I'm sharing with a gal named Angela whose daughter is in Margo's grade.  We get school supplies and backpacks again this year.  I got a school supply list from another school and I figured out that the free school supplies save me about $45 a year.  Advantage number 487 of living where we do.  There's lots of 'em!

I've been knitting more hats, but have not taken any pictures (other than the 800 from the Southwest trip).  I'm just slackin'!

Bruce and I had our anniversary this week.  I won't say "celebrated" because our big whoopee was cracking a bottle of champagne.  Yippee.  Our life in the FAST LANE!  We think we are the silver-medalists for marriage in our "group"  Only Ken and Lynn have a better track record.  We think they got married in 78 or 79.

I'm going to send my kid back to school and my spouse to the pound (or somewhere) and then maybe I'll be able to get some work done.  Our one driver that got another job (driving school bus) has maybe decided that this shiny new job is not all that.  Like, maybe she still wants to work for us instead.  Great.  One ad paid for, 85 resumes reviewed, 20 phone interviews, four background checks and she decides maybe we don't suck so bad, after all.  I'm peeved, folks.  I told Bruce it was time for a "Come to Jesus Meeting" with these folks.  Do they want to work for us, or not?  Brother.  You'd think it was a GOOD economy. 

Enough rant.  Off the the Skamania County Fair!!!!  YAY!  I love the fair.

7/30/08 – Just got on the internet in a Super 8 in Green River Utah.  I dare you to find it on a map.  Had to come to the LOBBY because their guarantee for WIFI access in my room evidently did not extend to the room they gave me. Sigh…..  Just hit the news about Mesa Verde.  The fire has burned 1400 acres and seven buildings.  I think we picked the right day.  They are running fire bombers.  I really don’t want to think about it. 

Today we hit Arches National Park (terrific) and Canyonlands National Park (was this an Orrin Hatch pork-barrel project?)  We are now in scenic Green River Utah.  Won’t say it is the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from here.  We are pointed home. 

Got to get on Craigslist and post a job.  One of our drivers is job-hunting.  The joy of the internet, I can work from anywhere.

7/29/08 – Cortez Colorado to Monticello Utah – Mesa Verde – Most of the day spent at Mesa Verde.  Margo and I went on two tours of sites in the park.  First was Balcony House.  Lots of tall ladders and a small little tunnel to crawl through…uh… I told the guy behind me that if I got stuck he should give me a kick.  Fortunately, this was not necessary.  We had a great guide who had all the answers and even answered some of my weird questions.  I will say that climbing a 30 foot ladder at 7,000 feet is not a task to be undertaken lightly.  We also took a tour of Cliff Palace, the largest site.  The tour was not as good, the climbs were not as strenuous, and the site was not as exciting.  We saw a mama deer and her fawn who still had his spots.  Lizards and birds.  As we were leaving, we could see a fire.  Am hoping for  news that it did not come to anything.

 7/28/08 – Kanab Utah to Cortez Colorado – Four Corners and Glen Canyon Dam.  Cool FREE tour of Glen Canyon dam….Great tour guide who had all the answers and took us all over the dam.  Four Corners is a big ol’ hunk of concrete in the absolute middle of nowhere, but very fun.  Lost the Euro-tourists, it was just us yanks.  Now we are in Cortez Colorado, which is very close the Mesa Verde archaeological site.  That is what’s up for tomorrow.  We drove by the road to Hoevenweep, but I’m saving it for my next trip down here.

 7/27/08 - Leaving Las Vegas, headed for Zion and Bryce Canyons to Kanab, Utah.  Zion is gorgeous!  They have banned cars in most of the park and you take nice, non-smelly shuttles around.  Not only is there no congestion (just us and the Euro-tourists) but no one has to watch the road and miss the scenery.  Very cool idea.  People hike there, evidently there are little narrow trails with sheer cliffs on both sides that offer lovely views you can also get by driving up the road…. Guess what I did?

 

7/26/08 – The dam tour cost $30 a person and there was an hour and a half wait, so we didn’t take the dam tour, we took the powerhouse tour, which was cheaper ($20 for both of us) and had a wait of about 30 seconds.  110 degrees is too freaking hot to do anything constructive, and don’t give me that dry heat argument.  We went to a quilt shop that was VERY nice and not inexpensive, and my dad went and ran the car through the car wash twice to get the dirt-road dirt off.

 

Found some smashed penny machines at the dam and at the hotel.  Margo is a happy penny smasher!

 

7/25/08 – We went out and walked the strip for a little ways last night.  At midnight it was still in the high ‘90’s.  It got up to 106 degrees yesterday.  I do not like that Sam-I-Am!  I am slightly crispy around the edges from being out at the Grand Canyon yesterday.  This is despite wearing my trusty Tilley and a coating of sunscreen that should have deflected radar. 

 

Today we are going to Hoover Dam (largest concrete structure in North America).  Gonna take the dam tour.  See if the dam thing is really all that.  More dam news later.  Paid $6 for a large coffee this morning…. ripped off again, sigh.

 

7/24/08 – Today we went on the Skywalk!  WOW!  It’s amazing what stepping out over four thousand feet of empty space will do for your adrenal system… yup.  It pretty much fires off with every step you take.  Wild.  Definitely worth going to, but wait a year, because they are going to pave the 14 miles of  dirt road it now takes to get there.  Paving begins this October.  Spectacular views and LOTS of sun and rocks.  Just gorgeous.  Cool interpretive centers at several locations around the area of the skywalk.

 

Why is it that whenever I am in Vegas (admittedly not that often) I perpetually feel like I am being ripped off?  This hotel is nice, and it has WIFI…. for $5 an hour access.  Now, I am a hotel guest… paying for my room… they want $5 an hour…you see my point.   Hence this is written in WORD and downloaded somewhere where WIFI is free.  Pisses me off.

7/21/08 - Lakeview Oregon - Well, my snotty remarks about Lakeview were unfounded.  They have a lovely WIFI connection here at the Best Western.  We made it this far without too much trouble, other than wiping some unfortunate bird off the face of the earth at about Paisley....should have had a video camera pointed at the windshield, because it would have made AFV's "Moment of EEEEEWWW!"  blood and bird sh*t from the hood to the roof.....EEEEEWWWWW!!!  It washed off.  Margo was impressed, tho.  She put it in her diary page under "What I didn't like today..."  I can hardly wait to see how this journal turns out.

It's now 10:30 pm and the gang is asleep so I am typing.  Good to have a project, but I think I may have to quit, as the thunder sounds closer by the minute.  I'd hate to sacrifice a laptop to the gods.  More as soon as possible.  Keep smiling!

7/17/08 - Whew!  Made it through another SUDS.  This year was #20, and I am tired.  Mr. Brian, you suck and have no excuse and I am probably mad at you..... not really.  But I DID tell John you said you would show, so you made me a liar.  I think you owe me a pint.

Saw my buddy, Gayle yesterday, we went to a meeting for education credits.  Got to listen to an FBI agent tell us what can happen to you if you screw up your medical billing... I loved her description, "a non-positive event".  Trust me, you do NOT want to go there.  We stopped at the yarn shop (Naked Sheep) and had a pizza lunch (Pizzicato).  Very fun.  I now have a project (yes, I bought more yarn) for our trip to the Grand Canyon.  SOCKS!  I love to knit socks, just plain ol' socks, nothin too fancy, just those yummy, toe-warming wooly zox that feel sooo good in the winter.  BTW, our Natural Gas rates are supposed to go up 35% by November.  Everyone around here is hunting up their winter woolies.  Because *I* lived in England without benefit of central heating.... I know how to do this!  I'm planning a thermostat setting of about 60 or 62.... Consider yourselves warned if you come to visit me in the winter!

Next post may be from Vegas, because who knows where the WIFI world ends when you head South from Portland.  Betcha Lakeview, OR is not on grid....LOL!  Actually, kind of wondering about Vegas!  Off to do laundry so we have something to wear on our adventure.

7/2/08 - NEW Pictures on the Picture Page!  A small sampling of the 500 plus pictures of the trip to California.

6/28/08 - OK, the responses come back.  I have gotten several lousy excuses about why people are going to miss SUDS this year.  Most involve travel to exotic destinations, or camping.  I'm jealous of the first, and sympathetic of the second.  C'est la vie!  We've lost some people, the cards came back.  I also had a hiccup in the address program which may or may not be caused by having multiple address lists on the desktop and laptop... ya think?

I'm still mucking out. I think that moving would be a good idea, just to force us to get rid of STUFF.  Problem is, IT'S ALL GOOD STUFF!  I've also been knitting hats to sell at Bazaar in November.  Hats sell really well, hopefully.

Looking forward to blowing stuff up on July 4th.  We go up to Washington where more stuff is legal.  In Oregon, it's basically sparklers and fountains.  Rule of thumb, if it explodes or flies in the air it is illegal in Oregon.  Kind of sucks the fun right out.  Anyway, we go nuts and buys starshells in Washington and try to shoot down low-flying aircraft up there.  Not as good as Kansas, but infinitely closer.

Will  chat more, see you at SUDS (those of you NOT traveling to exotic locales or camping...shudder)!

6/23/08 - "George Carlin?  He was just here....."  Goodbye George.

Uncounted hours spent listening to your vinyl, and your progressing outrage which mirrored my own.  But you were always better at expressing it, George.  You skewered all of them and all of us and held us accountable for ourselves.  I for one, will miss you, and your outrage.  I know why you died of a broken heart.  Rest In Peace, my friend.

6/18/08 - I think I have put away the last of the souvenirs.  Margo has completed her report/scrapbook and took it to school the last couple of days.  She now wants to take a scrapbooking class at the local scrapbook store so "we can do cooler stuff next time".  I told her we have to get thru OMSI class and SUDS before we do that.  She's been helping me clean house, and guess what?  It's NOT a bundle of Yuks!  Huh.  However, learning to run the clothes washer and dryer IS pretty cool.... (can you hear the Evil Stepmother from Cinderella cackling in the background?)  I'm positioning myself for the title of Evil Queen....Wahahahahahahaha! 

SUDS is on the 12th of July.  If you know what that is, and where that is, show up, you're welcome.  I'm tidying the house.  I like that... tidying.  More like hand to hand combat with that thing made out of junk in the commercial.  Ah well!  We do NOT live a boring life, and we have the junk to prove it!  I'm knitting hats for the Bazaar in November whenever I sit down. I have a couple/three done and will put their photos on the site when I get the upper hand on the junk-monster.  One is a bee-hiney...with stinger...serious cuteness!  (gagging sounds) 'nuf for now.  More soon!  Stay tuned.

6/2/08 - Home again!  Sorry about the failure to post, but Disneyland was intense (and the days were long, my friends).  Even my fingers were tired by the time we called it a day. On the way home, the world of WIFI has not penetrated to the deepest reaches of the Redwood Forest. 

In Anaheim, we went to dinner at The Rainforest Cafe.  Very cool, and not easy to accomplish as the reservations had to be made the first of May.  Mom managed to get that right, tho.  We went on all the rides we could possibly stand (some are just too scary).  We had two days early entry and one Magic Morning in Toontown.  The only thing we stood in line for was the Nemo Submarines.  We went to that in the afternoon and it was a 40 minute wait.  If you go, don't bother, it was lame.  When you see Margo, ask her about the Steamboat.

Everyone says, "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!" as you walk around.  As I said, Margo was the hottest ticket in the park.  We spent most of the last day (Thursday?) in California Adventure.  We could see those rides out our hotel room window and had planned our attack.  Lots more like a boardwalk/carnival than Disneyland, and absolutely no crowds there.  We stayed for the parade, and then went back over to Disneyland for the parade there.  Both were a great show.  Our last night there was "grad night".  I guess if you have student ID that proves you're a High School Senior, they let you into California Adventure for free.  The rides were going until about midnight, and we opened our hotel room window and could hear them screaming on that roller coaster (it was too scary).  Very fun.

The way home was through the San Joaquin Valley, so Margo could see where all the "Grown in California" stuff comes from.  We went to the SunMaid Headquarters and  saw the World's Largest Raisin Box and the original red SunMaid Bonnet (replica, as the original is in the Smithsonian), and tasted many raisins.  We stopped at a nut orchard where we learned the difference between how Almonds grow and how Pistachios grow and how to tell the difference between the trees at 75 mph.  We tasted some pistachios (which Margo liked) and Almonds (which she didn't care for).  Then we rejoined I-5 at Sacramento, barely missing a complete closure of the freeway which was going to last for a week... whew!  On our way through the Olive Capitol of the World, we stopped so I could try to find the olive oil I have been looking for.  I was such a puzzle that the brought out the Goddess of Olive Oil - She Who Knows All and Tells All to help me.  I bought a couple of bottles that are pretty close.  I'm happy.

Then from Redding over to 101 to Arcata and up the coast, catching Redwood National Park.  BTW, the road from Redding to Arcata is the hiway that runs through Digger Pine Country.  We stopped and took pictures of the trees and the cones.  We have some old cones from the '60s (?) so Margo was impressed by the trees.  In the Redwoods, we drove up past Orick to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove of Redwoods and took the 2 mile hike through the forest.  WONDERFUL!  A must see, and not all junky and touristy like some of the places along the road (no, I do not want a keychain carved from redwood burl, I have enough problems).  Just a wonderful self-guided walk through the grove.  Super.  We stopped in Crescent City and stayed on the beach.  Margo roasted marshmallows with the people in the room next door.  They had a couple of little boys and a bonfire on the beach.  Home on Sunday, up 101 to Reedsport and across to Cottage Grove then up I-5 and 205 home.  Got home about 4-5 pm on Sunday.  Today, Bruce went to work and Margo to school, leaving me with souvenir jelly beans, kettle corn, olives, olive oil, raisins, pistachios and almonds.  Not to mention the shirts, hats, pins, badges, bags, cable cars etc. that make a truly successful vacation.   Glad to be home, but have a million and a half things to do.  Will post again soon.

5/27/08 – Disneyland proper – OMG! I started to write down a blow by blow account of what happened to us today. And then I stopped. I’m stealing too much thunder by putting it all into cyber-yap that I will just tell you that MY DAUGHTER had what was probably the be-all and end-all day that any eight-gonna-be-nine year old ever experienced. Put it this way, we stood in one line for longer than 10 minutes…. Other than that, we walked on to rides, some without lines and some past the line because HERSELF has a First Time button AND a Birthday button… we have the hottest ticket in town. Go figure. More Disney madness tomorrow. No crowds until late afternoon, and weather is 70’s and GREAT!!!

5/26 – Disneyland – We Are HERE! Margo is the ultimate ticket. She has a “First Time” button, and a “Birthday” button. We got a room upgrade to a view room, she got balloons, a signed picture of all the Disney Princesses and so far she has scored a free dessert at the restaurant, and when we got back to the room, a magical thing had occurred and we had rice krispy treats in the shape of Mickey Mouse with the ears dipped in chocolate. This may be a great trip. The hotel is beautiful and very close to Disneyland (a less than 5 minute walk). Amazing how much sap can be stuffed into such a small space. Tomorrow we have a Character breakfast with Lilo and Stitch and early entry into Disneyland. We’re all ready to get up and go tomorrow! We have our passes, our stickers, our pins and our sunblock. We’re set!

We left San Francisco this morning and drove across the Oakland Bay Bridge and down to Anaheim. I wish they would put signs by the side of the road telling you what each orchard was growing. Margo kept asking and I kept saying “I have no idea”. I think some of them were almonds and some were perhaps apricots, but at 75 mph, who can tell? California is DRY! Now I know whose rain we got.

5/25/08 – San Francisco – We changed our itinerary after watching the news in San Francisco. There is a big fire that has burned acres and acres and about 36 houses between San Jose and Santa Clara. It’s all over the hills down there and roads were being closed and opened minute by minute. We decided discretion was the better part of valor and stayed in San Francisco one more night. We had GORGEOUS weather Sunday (sunny, I got a little sunburn… in San Francisco? Yup). We rode cable cars all day, we went to the maritime museum and learned about scow schooners…. Ask me when you see me, I’ll tell you all about ‘em. We also went to the Cable Car Museum which is in the main building from whence all cable car cables are run. Very cool with lots of big wheels and pulleys and cables and stuff. Also lots of info about the history of the cable car. Smashed pennies, too! We wandered around town until the cable cars broke down, then we walked back down to the wharf over Russian Hill, brushing Chinatown on the way by. We went to pier 39 and Pier 41 and every one in between. Saw every tourist trap there was to see. The t-shirt vendors were starving out and were making some hot deals. Guess what’s for Christmas gifts? LOL. Bruce and Margo went on the submarine tour and we waved to our old friend, the Jeremiah O’Brien, a Liberty Ship docked down on the pier. I went on a tour of a bakery, learned that I will NEVER make San Francisco Sourdough bread, no matter how hard I try, and went to the tasting room. Great day!

5/24/08 – San Francisco, CA - Why is it that when Bruce drives, the road is straight and the weather is nice an when I get behind the wheel the road turns to malaria germs and the heavens open up? Guess what…. Bruce drove from Roseburg, over the Siskiyou summit to the first rest stop in California… then I took over and drove the California side… like I said, pouring rain, the trucks were thick and the road was, well, challenging? Let’s go with that. Then Bruce took it back at Redding… straight flat road and great weather. He sucks (I’m just jealous).   Drove by a big cloud that was hiding Shasta, but we got a peek at the side of it.  Maybe it will be out when we come back.  Shasta lake is WAY down.  Lots of boats this weekend and very little water.  Maybe the rain will help.

We got to Fairfield CA at 3:15 and went to the Jelly Belly factory. Very tourist-trappy, and the factory tour was kind of lame because they had given their people the three day weekend. I’d like to go back on a weekday some time. It was very interesting, but I’d like to see the floor in action.

Well, we went through Sausalito and over the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco and the Radisson on Fisherman’s Wharf. They could not fill our reservation with the balcony room I had reserved, so they paid for our parking ($35) and threw in three breakfasts at IHOP next door. Oh darn…. No balcony, just a view of the bay and the wharf… I’ll suffer through. We went to Fisherman’s wharf for dinner (red snapper, yum) and walked up and down the wharf. Margo is finally getting to bed, at about 10:30. Tomorrow we ride cable cars! She is jazzed.  Hey dad, the hotel we couldn't remember is the Capri (I saw the sign).

5/23/08 - Roseburg, OR, we are on our way! After getting jammed up on I-205, we thought we’d never get out of town, but an hour’s jam only cost us a half hour. The drive down the valley was GORGEOUS! Everything was green and growing, but Schreiner’s is not going to have much of a show for their Iris Show this weekend. The irises were just starting. Lots of animals up to their bellies in grass, with some pretty hefty lambs munching away. We saw all kinds of guard animals, from llamas to the big Komondor (?) or Kuvasch guard dogs. Margo is researching the Willamette River, so we pointed out every river crossing clear down the valley. There’s lots!

I was trying to figure out how long it’s been since I have been down here. I think it was when we came down to get Chutney from the breeder, 23 years ago. Any farther than here, I have to go back to freshman year of college when we made our one and only pilgrimage to Ashland.

Staying at the Travelodge, with a balcony and view of a gorgeous park and the river. Outstanding! Get room 212. Although our upstairs neighbor must have six little kids up there, they ran out of steam about 9. Maybe there are just 2, but they have hooves….? Breakfast is included, mom. On to San Francisco!

5/12/08 - WOW!  I have been slacking.... actually, I have only been cyber-slacking... I've been crazy busy otherwise.  Last week was Teacher appreciation week, so PTA did something on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I cooked the meat for the luncheon that we did on Wednesday (15 pounds of it) and helped with the stuff on Monday and Friday.  Came off pretty well, but they asked for the recipe for the meat and I had to tell them that I could never do it again, because I just kept adding stuff until it tasted good.  We did a kind of "taco salad bar" thing.  Very cute.  We served beverages, "Vestal Virgins"... (OK, I've been waiting YEARS to use that one) Margarita mix, 7-up and ice, blended with salt on the rim of the glass.  Cute and funny.  They enjoyed it.  I got to see my buddy LaVon on Wednesday (I snuck off).  We had coffee and caught up on the three years it's been since we saw each other last.  I've missed her, so I had a great time.  She's a knitter among all her other talents... we ran into each other at OMSI by chance.  My luck holds!

The week before that, there was the field trip with Mr. Ewald's class to "Ghosts of Treasure Island" down at the Keller.  Without doubt one of the most colossally boring productions I have ever witnessed.  Particularly horrible when you know that a lot of these kids have never seen live theater... too bad, because with a few more sword fights and less standing around explaining things, it might have been good.  Then 2 of our girls got lost... actually, they were misplaced because (rumor has it) they decided they wanted to hang out with the fifth grade instead of with the third grade so they went with them on purpose.  Lovely.  We found 'em, eventually.  Ah well!  Some people's kids.

Now I'm trying to get my act together to go to Disneyland.  I promised Margo we'd go if she passed her state tests and got good grades (I figured I was safe).  By golly, if she didn't do both.  Now I'm stuck.  We booked through Costco, and seems like we got a fairly good deal.  We got a lot of "extras" which I don't understand... but I've found that if you throw yourself on the mercy of people who go often and/or the lovely people who answer the 1-800-DISNEY hotline, they are all very helpful and tell you just what you need to do.  Especially when you explain that the last time you were there they had A, B, C, D, and E tickets and the California Adventure was a parking lot.... things have changed.  I'm going to attack the laundry today, as I think there may be something living in that pile by now....

PTA meeting today at 2:30 and Bookfair next week.  Then off to mouseland... via the raisin capitol of the world!  I'll explain later.  Bye-ya!

4/20/08 - Taxes are done, and the shock has ALMOST worn off.  WTF?!?!?  Forgive me for trying to make living, Dubya!!!!!  Brother.  Hence, I am on strike... I am buying NOTHING (except food and fuel) for 30 days.  So there.  I realize this is a token protest, but fer pete's sake!  I'm gonna fix 'em.  I figure if I stop buying, consumer spending will drop at least a percentage point.... see if it doesn't.  I'm having to stay away from temptation tho... no fabric shops and no yarn shops for 30 days.

The bricks are laid around the front and back beds, I only have the TALL wall to lay, 3 courses, by the garage.  That one is gonna be fun, and require me to use fun stuff like a level instead of just two spikes and a string.  I should be fighting fit by the time I'm done.

I am sewing some clothes for Margo.  We (Okay, I) promised her that if she got good grades and passed her State Tests I (Okay, we) would take her to Disneyland.  She did, and now I have to, 'cuz I promised.  That'll teach me....  The last time I was at Wally-World they still had tickets (A,B,C,D)  You remember?  Yeah.  Well, they don't have those any more and there are TWO parks, and more junk than you can believe.  I bought a computer program to help sort out the schedule.  Go figure they have a computer program that allows you to schedule your Disney Adventure like a military campaign.  Go Type-A Vacation!!!  LOL.  We're going in May.  Wish me luck!

4/8/08 - COOKBOOKS ARE DONE!!!  Get 'em while they're HOT!  See the Cookbook page for details.

4/5/08

Anybody wanna buy a van?  My dad is getting rid of his '98 GMC AWD Safari (he bought a Honda Odyssey)  It's loaded and he wants $4,500 for it.  Comes with a backup camera and four mounted snowtires included.  Call me.

Check out the PICTURES page for one of the case in the hallway of VESTAL which has the knitting Club Display in it.  Aren't my kids COOL?  Now EVERYONE wants to join knitting club!  KEWL.  More fiber junkies!  Also put a snap of Basil Betta there.

We went to IKEA to figure out a new way to organize my home office (remember, it is in a closet... a big closet, but still a closet).  Think we figured out an Extreme Use Of Space plan which will still allow me and a chair in there too for about a grand.  Hope the Accountant and the IRS are kind and I will be able to afford that!  Fingers Crossed!

Went to a quilt show in Vancouver this past week.  Lots of quilts with baggy borders so they don't hang straight and lots of quilts with enough machine quilting on them that they were like BOARDS!  Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, folks.  Can't criticize I haven't made a full sized quilt in years.  Got a seriously cute skirt pattern for Margo and some great funky fabric for $3 a yard.  Can I shop?  Yup!

3/31/08

Got pictures of the dress actually on the sweet and elegant Annalynn.  I put one of them on the Projects page so you can see her.  What a DOLL!  Spring Break is over, and so now the weather will improve.  It snowed all week of Spring Break, what a bummer.

The quilt show (it was in Kennewick), was fantastic.  Probably 500 quilts, but WHY is everything BROWN?!?!?  Brown, Beige, Tan... Yuk.  Time for COLOR, people! Sigh.

My buddy, Brian found me a tutorial for my email program, so now I MAY be able to put a link to this site at the bottom of my emails, may work and may not, we have discussed before that I am a techno-dork.

The accountant is severely peeved at me because I forgot that we sold a truck this year, so now he has to re-do everything.  I'm not his favorite client right now.  OOPS!  Better buy HIM a nice present this Christmas!  I'm remodeling the office this year, so maybe I will become better organized..  Think so?  Thought not.  Oh well!

3/27/08

Spring Break Week and Easter!  Whatta Rush!  The Easter Bunny was extremely extravagant with Margo.  She got half a truckload of candy, and some Littlest Pet Shop pets (they are all the rage, they are little plastic animals that are about 2 inches high and cost $4 each).  Mom and Dad came across with a Littlest Pet Shop Pet Clubhouse and Grandma and Grandpa bought her a Littlest Petshop game.  Grandma also bought her some earrings, as the six weeks since her ear piercing is almost up.  Mom has some strict rules about earrings (her OTHER friends do not have these rules and I am TOO MEAN!) like no wires for a year.

Yesterday, Margo went and bought a Betta.  This is an (apparently) indestructible (per the pet shop people) fish.  Bruce had a small globe-shaped aquarium and Basil (I had nothing to do with the name, I swear)Betta is now swimming happily around in Margo's room.  She spent all yesterday with her nose pressed against the side of the bowl.  She was very concerned that he did not lie down on the gravel to sleep.  We had to have the "how fish sleep" lecture, but now she gets it.  I'll put his picture up soon, so you can all see how beautiful he is.

I'm working on another felted bag.  This one is purple and black.  So far, it is knitted and has been through the washer and dryer once.  I'm now going to attach the handle and run it through again.  So far, so good!

The dress got to Kansas, and I should be getting pictures back soon.  I was stressin', but I'm OK now.

Going to Yakima to a quilt show tomorrow with my mom and her bud.  Long ride both ways, but I'm looking forward to a play-day.  Will let you know how the show is!

3/16/08

I changed the Design Template to give me more side-to-side room for photos.  I was finding the narrow template a little difficult.  The photo at the top is the smocking detail from the Projects Page.

More stuff to put on the site.  "Things we do".  Check out the Projects page for pictures of the Sneath Dress and bonnet which I finished today and am FedExing tomorrow (pant-pant!) so that they will have it by Easter.  No one actually gets to SEE the dress here in PDX, because I was behind schedule getting it done.  I will make these to order, if you are interested.

Also, I did a Spinning Demo for the Third Grade.  There's a photo of that on the Projects page, too.

3/11/08

Okay, I'm slipping... I've been back from Puyallup for a week.  I COULD use the excuse that I've been "processing" what I learned, but you would know that was a lie when I am just bein' lazy.

Puyallup was great, I learned a lot from all sorts of interesting people.  I took a class on digitizing from John Deere (THE Digitizing guru of the universe).  If I ever have the opportunity, I'm going to take an in-depth class from him.  Amazing what I learned in 45 minutes.

I also took a class from Bob Purcell of Superior threads that was great.  Taught me a lot about choosing threads for different applications.

I've finished the ORANGE bag, and felted it.  It had a serious quantity of ugly going on as I was working on it.  People laughed at me in public.  Pics are on the knitting page.  The ruler is 6" for scale.  I kind of like it now that it is shrunk and done.  Looking forward to showing it to my knitting kids tomorrow.

I didn't spend 10 grand on an industrial embroidery machine in Puyallup... I looked at them tho.  Seems like a lot of money to invest to be able to embroider jeans for an eight-and-a-half year old.  Man, they were selling machines there, though.  We saw the exact machine my cousin in Kansas has, although I was stupid and did not get a price.  BABY LOCK is going for 10K, that's all I know.  Too rich for my blood, I'm going to the sewing machine store and look at used ones.