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Sep. 27th, 2010 12:51 pmTwo job interviews lined up so far this morning--both office types. Keep the calls coming in!
Writer's Block: Boldly going
Sep. 26th, 2010 08:13 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Narnia.
Although there are other books I love much more than the Chronicles of Narnia, most of them are bleak dystopias that I would not want to visit. Narnia has always seemed to be such a beautiful place. Talking animals! I mean, come on. Who wouldn't want to visit?
Narnia.
Although there are other books I love much more than the Chronicles of Narnia, most of them are bleak dystopias that I would not want to visit. Narnia has always seemed to be such a beautiful place. Talking animals! I mean, come on. Who wouldn't want to visit?
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Yes.
No.
Yes.
No.
(no subject)
Sep. 22nd, 2010 04:44 pmZack asked me to print a photo of our time in China, so he can prove to some kids on the bus that he actually lived there. I love this one of the time we visited Tiananmen Square. This cutie's parents asked if the boys would pose with her for a photo.
I'd like to go back soon.
I'd like to go back soon.
Personalized plate
Sep. 21st, 2010 11:59 pmWhich is better (they are both available):
Ex Librs
or
X Libris
Ex Librs
or
X Libris
(no subject)
Sep. 20th, 2010 11:12 pmI've decided to change my journal's title to "Diminutive Droll Globs of Sentimentality." This is a phrase that Zack wrote in him most recent English assignment. He meant "Sediment" as he was describing the landscape on an alien planet. His teacher has been encouraging him to broaden his vocabulary and it seems that he really took it to heart. I love it. It is just about the best phrase ever coined.
A few more kid-isms:
Josh: Can we go snarkling? (snorkling)
Petey: Ever since I started working on my social life, I don't have time for that. (Really? I was hardly aware of the concept of "social life" when I was in 4th grade. Sheesh)
Petey: Does it somewhat bother you that I'm doing this? (As he tosses a rock around in the house)
Me: Yes. Stop it.
The next thing I hear is Clatter! as the rock hits the kitchen floor.
Me: And that's why it bothers me.
Petey: *laughs hysterically*
A few more kid-isms:
Josh: Can we go snarkling? (snorkling)
Petey: Ever since I started working on my social life, I don't have time for that. (Really? I was hardly aware of the concept of "social life" when I was in 4th grade. Sheesh)
Petey: Does it somewhat bother you that I'm doing this? (As he tosses a rock around in the house)
Me: Yes. Stop it.
The next thing I hear is Clatter! as the rock hits the kitchen floor.
Me: And that's why it bothers me.
Petey: *laughs hysterically*
The first week we were here searching for a rental, we looked at an apartment. It was a luxury home and we were seriously considering it. As the leasing agent showed us around the model, I asked her if pest control was included in the price of the rent. She replied, "You won't need it, but if there is a problem with ants or something just let us know and we'll take care of it." I then asked if they had any roachs.
She looked utterly disgusted and said, "If you have roaches in your apartment, there is a problem!"
Of course, having never lived in Florida she had no idea that roaches (aka Palmetto bugs) are just a fact of life down there and have nothing to do with your cleanliness or housekeeping skills. The funny thing is that she had told us earlier in the day that her dream is to move to Pensacola. She's in for a wake-up call the first time a three inch palmetto bug runs across her kitchen at night!
So, yay for no roaches! However, I've discovered that Richmond does have its fair share of creepy crawlies. For one, we have these huge, loud crickets that like to hang right outside our bedroom window. We thought that maybe if we turned on our porch light it would make the crickets hush. Nope. Not only do they keep on chirping away, the light attracts moths-huge moths-like crazy. And, the moths explain why I have spider webs all around my front door. Initially I thought they were old cobwebs and one day after moving in I knocked them all down with a broom. The next day they were all rebuilt and the spider sort of jumped out at me to make sure I realized he was there (or at least in my mind, that was the motive behind his little leap). I've left him alone and we generally keep the porch light off to discourage the moths from becoming spider entrees.
Last night, however, I went grocery shopping and turned on the light before I left because I don't like coming home in the pitch black. I don't know if it is Richmond thing in general, but my street that has no street lights whatsoever. So of course I had to battle the moths to get in the door when I returned and several entered the house with me. One of the bugs was quite large, like the size of a cicada. It seemed to keep dive-bombing Chris so we thought maybe it was a horsefly or some other blood-sucking insect. After a while it disappeared and we forgot about it. Later that night, we were going to bed. Chris came in our room and shut the door and just a few moments later that huge thing was flying around his head again! Where it came from or how it got into our room with the door shut is a mystery. We were finally able to get it and it did turn out to only be a moth. Why it was stalking Chris, I'll never know. But the funniest bit of all is that when it flew at his head that last time around, he hit the floor faster than I've ever seen him move.
I couldn't stop laughing for five minutes :)
She looked utterly disgusted and said, "If you have roaches in your apartment, there is a problem!"
Of course, having never lived in Florida she had no idea that roaches (aka Palmetto bugs) are just a fact of life down there and have nothing to do with your cleanliness or housekeeping skills. The funny thing is that she had told us earlier in the day that her dream is to move to Pensacola. She's in for a wake-up call the first time a three inch palmetto bug runs across her kitchen at night!
So, yay for no roaches! However, I've discovered that Richmond does have its fair share of creepy crawlies. For one, we have these huge, loud crickets that like to hang right outside our bedroom window. We thought that maybe if we turned on our porch light it would make the crickets hush. Nope. Not only do they keep on chirping away, the light attracts moths-huge moths-like crazy. And, the moths explain why I have spider webs all around my front door. Initially I thought they were old cobwebs and one day after moving in I knocked them all down with a broom. The next day they were all rebuilt and the spider sort of jumped out at me to make sure I realized he was there (or at least in my mind, that was the motive behind his little leap). I've left him alone and we generally keep the porch light off to discourage the moths from becoming spider entrees.
Last night, however, I went grocery shopping and turned on the light before I left because I don't like coming home in the pitch black. I don't know if it is Richmond thing in general, but my street that has no street lights whatsoever. So of course I had to battle the moths to get in the door when I returned and several entered the house with me. One of the bugs was quite large, like the size of a cicada. It seemed to keep dive-bombing Chris so we thought maybe it was a horsefly or some other blood-sucking insect. After a while it disappeared and we forgot about it. Later that night, we were going to bed. Chris came in our room and shut the door and just a few moments later that huge thing was flying around his head again! Where it came from or how it got into our room with the door shut is a mystery. We were finally able to get it and it did turn out to only be a moth. Why it was stalking Chris, I'll never know. But the funniest bit of all is that when it flew at his head that last time around, he hit the floor faster than I've ever seen him move.
I couldn't stop laughing for five minutes :)
(no subject)
Sep. 11th, 2010 11:27 amToday is Chris' birthday. He's turning 37. He has been lamenting the loss of his youth, but if you ask me has has only gotten better with age.
Happy Birthday, my one and only.
Happy Birthday, my one and only.
(no subject)
Sep. 10th, 2010 08:47 amMy youngest sister is currently working on her BS in Dietetics. She and her friends have started up a foodie blog. Check it out: brookviewfoodies.wordpress.com
(no subject)
Aug. 31st, 2010 04:16 pm
I finally got Zack to participate in a jumping picture. This signifies, to me, that maybe he is feeling a little better about the move. He seems in a much better mood each day.
Today we needed to get out of the house and take a break from unpacking so we went to visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and the Virginia Historical Society (both free!) The kids, although grumbly at first, enjoyed themselves. ( pics for your viewing pleasure )
Internet-less
Aug. 23rd, 2010 06:31 amWe moved in Friday and haven't had Internet access since-aside from chris' iphone. Hope to catch up with everyone soon. Will be registering the kids for school today.
Post from mobile portal m.livejournal.com
Post from mobile portal m.livejournal.com
Twitpic - Share photos on Twitter
One of the last things we did before leaving town on Monday was take one last load of donations to the Waterfront Rescue Mission. This is how they thank you--by having this creepy guy who scares the crap out of you when you open the door!
One of the last things we did before leaving town on Monday was take one last load of donations to the Waterfront Rescue Mission. This is how they thank you--by having this creepy guy who scares the crap out of you when you open the door!
(no subject)
Aug. 18th, 2010 03:31 pmWe arrived in Richmond very early this morning--2 a.m. It was a heck of a drive, but we made it! It's a bit odd to have traveled so far yet still be in the South. I hadn't really thought of Richmond as a Southern city before we started looking to move here. The campus itself reminds me of the Univ of Arizona, while the surrounding downtown area has that DC feel. The drive down to campus felt like Tucson as well. Even the main drag was reminiscent of Spokane.
The kids were quite enthusiastic about the downtown/campus area. We started to explore but it began raining so we hung out on the steps of a cathedral while we waited for the weather to clear up. I think we have a house in mind, but we'll have to see how the application process goes.
I'm utterly exhausted. In a very good way.
The kids were quite enthusiastic about the downtown/campus area. We started to explore but it began raining so we hung out on the steps of a cathedral while we waited for the weather to clear up. I think we have a house in mind, but we'll have to see how the application process goes.
I'm utterly exhausted. In a very good way.
(no subject)
Aug. 12th, 2010 06:19 pmThis past winter when we had record cold temperatures here in Florida, it was pretty common to hear people say something along the lines of, "So much for global warming!" In other words, the cold weather proved the theory of global warming to be totally false.
But now that we are having the hottest summer in generations, I have yet to hear one single person say, "Well, what do you know? There is something to that global warming hoopla after all."
But now that we are having the hottest summer in generations, I have yet to hear one single person say, "Well, what do you know? There is something to that global warming hoopla after all."
(no subject)
Aug. 6th, 2010 10:46 amSome of you may have seen the most recent Old Navy commercial with the fortune telling manniquin: "Ohh, you have a beautiful Old Navy booty" The ad repeats the phrase "Old Navy booty" several times, to get the point across that jeans are on sale for only $15 right now. I like Old Navy jeans and when I saw the ad for the first time, I said aloud to myself, "I should go get some of those."
Josh was in the room and he said, "No, Mom. You don't have an Old Lady booty!" heehee!
Josh was in the room and he said, "No, Mom. You don't have an Old Lady booty!" heehee!
(no subject)
Aug. 5th, 2010 08:01 amThis week, the cirque has instituted a local's discount. They are only here for about two more weeks, so I suppose they figure it is time to give the same local discount that all other touristy-type business give. Yesterday, a woman came in to buy her family's tickets and demanded the local discount. At first, she said that she didn't have her ID with her and neither did her husband. When she was informed she couldn't have the discount, she started getting irate. Eventually it came out that she was from Louisiana and simply wanted to be given the discount anyway. She wasn't at Chris' window, but he decided to speak up after she became insistant and wouldn't drop the issue.
He explained to her that the discount was to thank the locals for their support of the cirque and to help boost the local economy, etc. She started ranting about how she's spent $4,000 this week, on jet skis and parasailing, how she thought she deserved a discount this time. Chris replied, "We thank you very much for helping to support our economy." He went on to explain how most of the people who work in the tourist industry depend on this money they earn during the summer to get them through for the rest of the year. She would not be swayed. She went out of the tent and came back with a random guy she found outside and demanded that he use his local ID to purchase her tickets. But alas, he had an ID from North Carolina. Then she went around to other employees at the cirque until she found a sucker who had a Florida ID who agreed to purchase the tickets. Chris refused to allow it, and at this point she called him a Horse's Ass.
He said, "Go ahead and call me names if it makes you feel better."
She yelled back, "It doesn't make me feel better!"
Her husband had long since departed. I imagine him sitting in the car, embarrassed by his wife's theatrics. She finally bought the tickets at full price.
It's hard to believe people who have enough money to spend thousands on vacation would make such a huge fuss over such an issue. "Local's discount" is pretty easy to understand, isn't it?
He explained to her that the discount was to thank the locals for their support of the cirque and to help boost the local economy, etc. She started ranting about how she's spent $4,000 this week, on jet skis and parasailing, how she thought she deserved a discount this time. Chris replied, "We thank you very much for helping to support our economy." He went on to explain how most of the people who work in the tourist industry depend on this money they earn during the summer to get them through for the rest of the year. She would not be swayed. She went out of the tent and came back with a random guy she found outside and demanded that he use his local ID to purchase her tickets. But alas, he had an ID from North Carolina. Then she went around to other employees at the cirque until she found a sucker who had a Florida ID who agreed to purchase the tickets. Chris refused to allow it, and at this point she called him a Horse's Ass.
He said, "Go ahead and call me names if it makes you feel better."
She yelled back, "It doesn't make me feel better!"
Her husband had long since departed. I imagine him sitting in the car, embarrassed by his wife's theatrics. She finally bought the tickets at full price.
It's hard to believe people who have enough money to spend thousands on vacation would make such a huge fuss over such an issue. "Local's discount" is pretty easy to understand, isn't it?
(no subject)
Aug. 1st, 2010 08:45 amThe yard sale yesterday was a success in the sense that it served the purpose of decluttering the house. We only made about $40. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but still $40 more than we had the day before. Afterwards I took everything left over directly to the thrift store. It feels wonderful to have all that done with. Now onto the packing bit of this moving business.
My sister Wendi is visiting and she did my hair--I love having a sister with such mad hair-coloring/cutting skillz. Photos shall follow later today.
Last night I made roasted asparagus for dinner. It's one of the few veggies that my kids like and will voluntarily eat without complaint. Petey was chowing down on his when suddenly he started choking* and gagging on a piece. I didn't Heimlich him because he could still breath, but he was freaking out (and who doesn't when they choke?) Once he finally coughed it out, he looked at me and said, "And that is why kids don't like to eat their vegetables!"
*Don't blame the veg. Petey often eats with such gusto and speed that he chokes himself. I wonder he'll outgrow that tendency?
My sister Wendi is visiting and she did my hair--I love having a sister with such mad hair-coloring/cutting skillz. Photos shall follow later today.
Last night I made roasted asparagus for dinner. It's one of the few veggies that my kids like and will voluntarily eat without complaint. Petey was chowing down on his when suddenly he started choking* and gagging on a piece. I didn't Heimlich him because he could still breath, but he was freaking out (and who doesn't when they choke?) Once he finally coughed it out, he looked at me and said, "And that is why kids don't like to eat their vegetables!"
*Don't blame the veg. Petey often eats with such gusto and speed that he chokes himself. I wonder he'll outgrow that tendency?
(no subject)
Jul. 18th, 2010 11:30 pmOne of the things we like to do on road trips is to tell round-about stories. Here's one we told tonight that I thought turned out very well:
Me: Once upon a time there were three little boys who liked to explore the woods together. Josh: I bet those three boys are us. One day they started following the stream. The stream wasn't deep and had lots of smooth rocks on the bottom, so they took off their shoes and waded through the water. They got so caught up in playing in the stream, chasing frogs and stuff, that they soon realized that they'd gone further than they ever had before. The came to a small island in the middle of the stream and on this island was a small cottage. The boys decided to sneak up to the window and look inside. They quietly crept up until they were under the window. They slowly raised their heads and peeked through the window and they saw...
Petey: A giant eyeball wearing a hoodie! And behind that giant eyeball was four cages with three boys and a girl (you know, our cousins) trapped inside. We decided to break them out of the cages. We went to the front door and...
Josh: Another giant eyeball was standing there. He was an orange eyeball in a green hoodie. He had a toy gun filled with poisonous darts. He raised his gun and pointed it at the three boys but...
Me: Josh raised up his hand and poked him right in his giant eyeball. He fell on the floor, screaming in pain. Petey: No, they can't scream. They don't have mouths. Ok, so writhing in pain. Petey ran over to the other one and poked it in the eye. They opened the cages and every one ran out. By now, their dogs had heard all the noise and came running. The dogs protected the kids from the eyeballs and they all ran home. They tried to tell their parents but no one believed them. They all thought it was just make believe.
Petey: Epilogue! They were walking through the woods together a few weeks later when suddenly they realized that Josh had disappeared. They looked around for him but it turns out that he'd been grabbed by vines and pulled under the ground. All the kids got grabbed by vines and pulled into the ground and suddenly they found themselves back in the cages of the eyeball men.
Josh: But I had a special toy in my pocket (aside: Josh always has a pocket full of knick knacks. Tiny lego guns, coins and other treasures that he finds throughout the day. I'm constantly finding them in the washing machine.) This toy was a ray gun that could burn through anything. I used it to break us all out of the cages and then shot it at both the eyeballs and their eyes melted.
Me: Under the eyes, they discovered that they were actually robots. Once the kids realized this, they weren't scared of the them any longer. They all jumped on the robots and started pulling them to pieces. After they had them all dismantled, they decided to use the bits and gears to build an invisible jet which they used to travel all around the world having more adventures.
Petey: But it turns out that the reason they were kidnapped in the first place is that the evil genius who had actually made the robots had plans to make an army of robots. He kidnapped kids so that he could, well you might find this a bit gross actually, but he used their eyes to build his robots.
At this point the story did finally wrap up and we moved onto another one started by Josh, about a spy that was so good at his job that he got a raise every day. Then he asked me what a raise was :)
Me: Once upon a time there were three little boys who liked to explore the woods together. Josh: I bet those three boys are us. One day they started following the stream. The stream wasn't deep and had lots of smooth rocks on the bottom, so they took off their shoes and waded through the water. They got so caught up in playing in the stream, chasing frogs and stuff, that they soon realized that they'd gone further than they ever had before. The came to a small island in the middle of the stream and on this island was a small cottage. The boys decided to sneak up to the window and look inside. They quietly crept up until they were under the window. They slowly raised their heads and peeked through the window and they saw...
Petey: A giant eyeball wearing a hoodie! And behind that giant eyeball was four cages with three boys and a girl (you know, our cousins) trapped inside. We decided to break them out of the cages. We went to the front door and...
Josh: Another giant eyeball was standing there. He was an orange eyeball in a green hoodie. He had a toy gun filled with poisonous darts. He raised his gun and pointed it at the three boys but...
Me: Josh raised up his hand and poked him right in his giant eyeball. He fell on the floor, screaming in pain. Petey: No, they can't scream. They don't have mouths. Ok, so writhing in pain. Petey ran over to the other one and poked it in the eye. They opened the cages and every one ran out. By now, their dogs had heard all the noise and came running. The dogs protected the kids from the eyeballs and they all ran home. They tried to tell their parents but no one believed them. They all thought it was just make believe.
Petey: Epilogue! They were walking through the woods together a few weeks later when suddenly they realized that Josh had disappeared. They looked around for him but it turns out that he'd been grabbed by vines and pulled under the ground. All the kids got grabbed by vines and pulled into the ground and suddenly they found themselves back in the cages of the eyeball men.
Josh: But I had a special toy in my pocket (aside: Josh always has a pocket full of knick knacks. Tiny lego guns, coins and other treasures that he finds throughout the day. I'm constantly finding them in the washing machine.) This toy was a ray gun that could burn through anything. I used it to break us all out of the cages and then shot it at both the eyeballs and their eyes melted.
Me: Under the eyes, they discovered that they were actually robots. Once the kids realized this, they weren't scared of the them any longer. They all jumped on the robots and started pulling them to pieces. After they had them all dismantled, they decided to use the bits and gears to build an invisible jet which they used to travel all around the world having more adventures.
Petey: But it turns out that the reason they were kidnapped in the first place is that the evil genius who had actually made the robots had plans to make an army of robots. He kidnapped kids so that he could, well you might find this a bit gross actually, but he used their eyes to build his robots.
At this point the story did finally wrap up and we moved onto another one started by Josh, about a spy that was so good at his job that he got a raise every day. Then he asked me what a raise was :)
