The Daily Drive, Halloween Edition

Just past the park, we pass this supposedly haunted house.

Supposedly...at least on YouTube. I've lived here forever and while the house has been ramshackle and more recently deserted, I've never heard it was haunted.

Here it is. I warn you, don't watch it! You'll be sorry.

(...It's boring.)



I dunno. I didn't see anything. Did you?

Here's the sequel.



I STILL didn't see anything. I could take some shaky videos of my own house and make it even more scary. I've got the cobwebs!

I've asked the opinion of a high school classmate who lived on the same road. I'll let you know if she has any vital information, otherwise I think this is a total bust.

But it's still fun to drive by.

And the Cake Crown goes to...

Or should I title this "Abdicaketion?"

I hereby remove my Mad Cake Skillz crown and hand it down to Frank. He has made the best CAKE EVERRRR! (Although he did let me help with the frosting.)



And look at these perfectly swirled little chocolate poo-poo candleholders...



Here's the cake's real life Doppelgänger.


Mr. Thomas helped with the candles, and ate a candleholder. He called it a swirly. I don't think he really understood what it represented!


The bar has been raised pretty high for the next family birthday cake -- the Handy Husband's in December.

There's A New Cake In Town

Frank has decided to take up cake decorating along with his other delicious dessert specialties. Think he got the idea from me?

His paternal Handy Grandpa's birthday is coming up this weekend and Frank volunteered to make a cake. One hint: it's more ambitious than the Rubik's Cube. Any guesses what this cake will look like? I think a few relatives might guess this.

If it turns out, we'll have pictures on Sunday.

Boo! Boo-Hoo! Boo-yah!

BOO

It's that time of the year again. Ernest will soon be making his annual 3-night trek to Boo at the Zoo. And like previous years, there are other older kids looking for rides. And I wonder once again...why don't their parents drive??? And why do I say yes all the time? I wouldn't say no to Ernest, but it really stresses me out to have to drive other kids and I should just say no to that. Maybe next year.

BOO HOO

So I have to take the truck, because it holds the most people. (We are not a van family.) But I don't like the truck; I prefer my small car because it is comfy to WAIT in for hours and it plays DVDs. But because we've got 3 extra persons wanting a ride, the big old truck it is.

Did I mention that after I drove the Boo carpool last year I decided Ernest should apply to a private high school? Those backseat conversations give me lots of information. What, they think I don't listen? What will I learn this year?

BOO YAH

On the upside, I have a date night night with my husband after I drop off the boo crew on Friday. We are looking forward to meeting for a steak dinner and a movie.

I Take it Back

My cold is not gone, after all. It's turned into the long cold that a bunch of second graders have. Now I know where I got it. Three were out last week, three this week. Plus another girl out for a funeral, and a boy for a hernia operation.

The poor little girl, she was crying on the playground the other day and told me, "they're going to put my aunt's ashes in the ground tomorrow." So I just hugged her. What can you say? I asked her if she had a happy time with her aunt she could remember. She loved the smell of her aunt's cookies.

So between that and the miners' rescue and the sneezes, I have been pretty drippy this week.

How has your week been?

Catching Up

The only good thing about having a cold on my three-day weekend is getting caught up with almost the whole last season of Desperate Housewives. Too bad the cold is over now and I won't have time for Glee or True Blood.

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

Is there anything Steve Martin CAN'T do? Comedian, actor, author, songwriter, banjo picker? Next thing you know he'll be on Iron Chef or Dancing with the Stars.



And he was still funny, too.



The Steep Canyon Rangers are amazing, too.

It's a Conspiracy, I Tell You

About those children I mentioned the other day...

Last week I was the victim of a conspiracy by two third grade boys. They plotted to have their mothers get me fired because they don't like the recess soccer schedule. They bragged about this to the girls, who told me.

We only have one field, so everyone can't play soccer every day. They have to take turns. They think this is unfair. Because their idea of fair is to let them play MORE soccer than anyone else. They want to take over the girls' soccer time.

One of the conspirators had his mom come to school last Friday. She talked to another aide, and his little ploy backfired when she found out he was fibbing about the schedule.

Interestingly, I had busted the schemers the day before, Thursday morning, for bad hula hoop behavior -- hitting each other with the hoops, tug of war with them, and throwing a hoop clear over the top of the handball courts.

(I want to thank all the teachers who GOT MY BACK! Whoo-hoo teachers, I love you all!!! It's been very quiet this week!)

But I feel like being as childish as they are...so what I have to say to those boys is...

Ha ha!



I'm still standing (on the playground).



(Here's the silly video with Bruno from DWTS)

When the First Rain Comes

After our heat wave (I heard it was up to 116), we got some coolness and some RAIN. I heard the lovely pitter patter briefly on the roof last night. In thankfulness, here are my favorite rain songs.

when the rain comes



bus stop




Kathy's Song (i hear the drizzle of the rain), Eva Cassidy's version.



a hard rains gonna fall -- not live, but it's the song...purely...



evil children have been raining on my parade recently, so I will leave you with the muse of my teen years...Barbra in 1975..

Yellow

I found this paint color quiz via How About Orange.

Your color personality is: Yellow

Like yellow's strongest symbol, the sun, you radiate warmth. Others love to be around you because you have a gift for always looking on the bright side, and your ready smile can be infectious. Chances are your calendar is packed -- yellow lovers tend to be always on the go!Your signature color indicates someone imaginative and creative, so don't be afraid to express yourself through the way you dress and the way you decorate your home. Cheerful yellow is the ideal hue for a kitchen, laundry room, or any room that needs some extra brightness.

Although the blurb fits, I don't really like yellow paint. I have enough yellow in my life.

Well, what color do you get and how does it fit with you?

Hydrate

Yes, drink your water.

Ernest was laid low during cross country practice yesterday...not enough fluids! It was still hot, but fortunately not our worst day.

As I waited to pick him up, I saw him walking wobbily towards the parking lot without really seeing me. He went on to get his clothes from the gym and his coach introduced herself. I guess he'd severely faded during the run. But they were right next to her house so she made him lie down and drink gatorade. When I picked him up she said he was quite a lot better. She said, make him rest and not do homework, "even though he'll want to". How cool a teacher is that! I put him to bed with some advil and more gatorade. But after he got up and ate dinner, he did the home work anyway.

That's so Ernest.

Under Pressure

My tires have had their own issues this week. Is it the heat?

In my case of the Mondays, I mentioned the rear passenger tire was low. HH filled it using his trusty air compressor. Tuesday, after driving over 100 miles, the front passenger tire decided to be low. Again, he filled it.

This morning, the front passenger tire was low again. Handy Husband being gone on another business trip, I went to a gas station. Two of them charged for air, so no thanks. The third had air, but it barely came out. I got enough in the tire to make the light go out, but it's still low. I think I'll have dinner first, before I drag out the compressor. Or maybe someone will come home in time...

Under pressure...

Another One, Already

I hope Frank's day doesn't get worse...

Big accident tying up the freeway -- where he goes to school. Visabuxx card does not work at gas station (because I forgot he paid for school fees and books with it). I put some more money on the card so he was able to get gas, but he's probably going to be late as will many many other students.

One of Those Days

It's been one of those days...things usually come in 3s but I'm up to 4 now.

The low tire pressure light came on in my car. Funny thing, this happened to the husband's car yesterday. His car tells him which tire it is. I had to go around with a tire gauge, and wouldn't you know it was the last tire I checked.

There were two issues at school. Why am I always in the middle of things when all I want to do is stay in the background?

What was the fourth thing? Just a little mess I made in the grocery store when a bottle of iced tea slipped out of my hand. That wasn't nearly as bad as a previous mess -- when my cart accidentally bumped a display of orbit gum and it all went on the floor. Clean-up on Aisle 5!

I hope the rest of the evening goes smoothly.

UPDATE. It didn't.

Number Five was an issue with someone helping me in the kitchen.

Number Six was Ernest's bedroom floor issue. At House time, the only free TV was in his room, so I went there. And I couldn't help myself. During commercial time, I picked up stuff from the floor. Mostly dirty laundry and trash, but I collected approximately $12. 79 in COLD HARD CASH. I wrote it down and held the money hostage until he had put away all his clean laundry. Oh, best of all I discovered the pair of gym socks I was accused of losing in the wash...on the floor.

Seven was Frank's bathroom light bulb issue, Not a huge thing, but he came down for a 60W light bulb, which we didn't have. I gave him a new florescent -- 23 W??? They should say what they replace! He came back down-- it did not work. OK, back up with a 100W incandescent which is all we had... works but is too hot.

Eight was it was too freaking hot in my bedroom.

House Cup

Ernest said he had to stay late at school Friday for some event, but he wasn't sure what it was all about beforehand.

Well, I knew there would be food, so I wasn't too worried. (He is a day student at a boarding school and could eat ALL his meals there if he wanted to. He has lunch there every day and believe me, I am overjoyed that I don't have to make sack lunches any more! He says the food is really good. But I digress...)

Back to the event. The students were divided into 4 groups and they had games and received points, like the house cup points the students got in the first Harry Potter book.

I am nicknaming his school "Hogwarts" from now on! I haven't heard all the details, but Ernest said he was the wheelbarrow in a wheelbarrow race. His group won over half the points.

So is he a Gryffindor? He's so NOT a Slitherin. I seem to be a Hufflepuff.

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Afterwards there was a bonfire. Ernest stayed to help put it out. "Mom, I got to use a fire extinguisher!" He was quite excited over that.

Doppelgänger

My husband came home last night from a lengthy business trip to the O C. After slogging through the Friday night traffic on the 405/101, he ended up at an Olive Garden in Oxnard at 9 PM.

Strangely, his waiter had the same first name and Handy said there were several other physical similarities, although the waiter was 10-15 years younger. So he went through some Doppelgänger angst. After my usual sympathetic responses, my next thought was... So what? You're in a far better place than he will ever be in 15 years.

But that made me wonder...

What has MY Doppelgänger been up to? Several ago, when I went to Curves, there was a woman who was annoyingly insistent that she knew me. She quizzed me relentlessly. Where did I go to school, where did I work, who did I know, etc. Saying, "I don't know you," just didn't turn her off. She was annoying and intrusive, and I was very uncomfortable with her questioning.

CIA?

Obviously, she must have met my Doppelgänger. But if that woman was so familiar with my "D", why haven't "D" and I crossed paths?

Which led me to wonder what my Doppelgänger was up to 15 years ago. Would she be married to the Olive Garden waiter?

Would my D have been facing a layoff and a new more stressful job, wondering if she should get pregnant again, and choosing to go for the baby (which happened quite quickly) as an excuse to quit if the job got too bad. And 15 years later that baby is quite awesome.

Or would she have a completely different story? Which makes me wonder where she is. Because that woman was so sure I was her, I feel "D" has to exist somewhere.

Do you have a double somewhere?

Batching It

The Handy Husband is on a business trip, so the kids and I are home alone. Which really doesn't mean much change in the routine.

I'm still cooking dinner, although in slightly smaller amounts.

And I still let them pick the evening's entertainment. Last night was The Big Lebowski. Ernest felt left out because he'd never seen it, and people are writing quotes from the movie on the boards at his school.

The good thing is that I have hopefully persuaded the cat that she doesn't need to wake someone (me) at 5 am. That's her little habit with my husband, but for the past three mornings she has left me alone.

Signs of Fall 2010

The hair went dark for fall. That saved about $40 and still hides the gray!


***********

Ernest's first cross country meet is today. The uniform is sleeveless. I don't think I've seen his bare shoulders in years. When he swims he wears a rash guard. Can I convince him to put sunscreen on his shoulders?


That oogie picture I used to cover up the school name is their mascot. Seriously. Can you "NAME THAT BUG?"


***********

The big sign of fall around here was our local festival. The best part is the breakfast!

The price went up this year.


Load up the plates.


Mmmmmmm.


I also helped out in the Lego tent, and was delighted to find the nephews there. At first Mr. Thomas thought he couldn't go because he wasn't Danish, but his dad convinced him it would be OK. I agreed, saying, "You don't have to be garlic to go to the Garlic Festival!"

Well, That Was Fun

The cake, I mean. It's been a while since I have been that adventurous in the kitchen. It felt good.

Dinner out was nice, too. After pouring money out all summer on one thing or another, I've been trying to cut back on spending. Yeah, I think I have about $50 tucked away in an envelope now, like that'll really help. But it was a birthday! We HAD to go out. Frank had steak and quail. Look at that itty bitty drumstick.


I was especially thrilled that there were real chives for the potatoes. I have issues when green onions masquerade as chives, but these were the real deal.



Frank shares his birthday with the cat, so we brought home tidbits for her. Shrimp, quail and steak.



She preferred the steak, as if she could ever catch an animal that large. Then she settled down for a nap on her kitty throne. Her idea of fun.

The Cake Reveal

And so it begins...

It's square. Any guesses yet?

I made a mess!

Quilting gear came in handy. So did the pizza cutter.

Well?

And here it is...TA DAH!

Ernest mixed up the real Rubik's cube so I would have an accurate model.

Yes, he was surprised. He liked it.

He had some presents, too.

And we still have a steak dinner to look forward to tonight.