Saturday Evening Post

Get it?  I'm posting?  And it's Saturday evening?

*giggle*

Okay.  That's really the bulk of what I had to say.  Today was the City-Wide Garage Sale.  We put out a few things - very last minute - and made probably 10 dollars or so.  The big thing is that I sold my two couches.  [By "my" couches, I am referring to the beautiful, comfortable and soft ones I picked up second hand in Yuma, not the red ones from Josh's mom that have been in my living room for 7 years.]  I sold them for 5 dollars.  That's 5 dollars for BOTH.  Very sad.  The red ones are gone, too.  After the "sale", Josh took everything remaining and donated it. 

I sat all day in the shade on my favorite couch [half farewell gesture, half to accommodate the lady who bought them, but whose husband wasn't off work yet to collect them] drinking hard cider.  I had sunscreen on, but got a terrific sunburn.  Literally.  It's terrifying.

For lunch, we got Chinese and ate it picnic style in the driveway.  Fun.  The kids had a great time shopping in their own toys, and then Josh let them spend 50 cents each across the street, not knowing they had a box marked "FREE TOYS".  Hee hee.

Taiko practice tomorrow, then PR meeting.

By the way.  I finished Water For Elephants.  It was quite brutal, but had likable characters, hate-able characters, tension, reality and fun.  Plus, I loved the ending.

Hope you are having a great weekend.  Couldn't ask for better weather!

Yep. I'm a weirdo.

Books I have read this week:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Had finished with don't even remember what, and started reading Harry Potter again.  Got to book 3 before new and exciting books turned up.  (Yay, V-Stock!)

The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey - Well written, but bleak, lonely, heart wrenching, and harsh.  Tender, magical and very nearly sweet at times, but more often flooded with fruitless longing.  Does not end happily.

Bridget Jones's Diary - This book was....okay.  I haven't seen the movie, of course.  It was, as nearly everyone already knows, a 1990's re-telling of Pride and Prejudice....on a very basic level.  All supporting roles are absent, and some are combined in single character.  I found Bridget to be somewhat funny, but not particularly likable and absolutely not worth respecting or admiring in any way.  She is lazy, indolent, obsessive, self-indulgent in all respects, paranoid, hyper-sensitive, morally indifferent, and a terrible, selfish friend.  But I was so very obviously supposed to enjoy her.  And identify with her.  The part of the book that most upset me was the back cover.

"...you'll find yourself shouting, 'Bridget Jones is me!'" it says.  Or how about, "Bridget Jones is channeling something so universal and (horrifyingly) familiar that readers will giggle and sigh with collective delight."

So....I'm feeling like an alien again.  Josh says it's because I'm not British.  That's his helpful advice, as to why I can't identify with the Universal Bridget Jones.  Oh, well!  I can't help it if I think that actually being concerned about the health/comfort/mental state of dearest friends would make it pretty near impossible to enjoy the drama of their misadventures.  And I can't help it if I have no patience with someone who invites people to dinner parties when she obviously can't cook to start with, and insists on making something she's never attempted before.  And I can't help it if I am disgusted by the thought of sitting around all day at WORK sending flirtatious messages to the boss.  And not working.  But this book is trying to tell me that in my heart of hearts, I am just like Bridget.

Cosmically speaking, of course, no one cares that I am a total alien and can't identify with "normal" people.  It will not affect my work in this life and a member of the human race.

Which is a funny thing for an alien to say, don't you think?

What is my work, anyway?

Excuse me while I have a brief panic attack about having school aged children but no employment.

GAH!

Anyway...the next book is Water for Elephants.  I shall start it today sometime.

The theme for yesterday was Brief Meeting.  Josh came home so I could attend a meeting for individuals who planned to substitute for Warrenton School District.  It began at 3, and I was told to expect it to last around an hour.  I got showered, straightened my hair, and dressed business casual.  Josh got here just in time for me to dash to the meeting, just as the talking began.  However, 10 minutes later, we were told that anyone who was already familiar with using Subfinder was free to go, after we turned in a few signed forms.  So I went home and had an hour to go before taiko.  It was not what I was expecting.

Then, after Michelle and I got to taiko and opened all the doors to catch a breeze, we sat down at the table with Jaci and began to discuss the upcoming events, etc.  More people showed up, and Kelsey had brownies leftover from her work event, and things just kept going.  Even after Andrew arrived, we kept having our "meeting".  I assumed we would practice afterward, but we didn't!  We looked at what we were scheduled to practice, planned the parties and guest lists for our visitors' stay, asked and answered questions...it was a true meeting, and a productive one.  And then we went home. 

Strange day.

Today it feels like rain.  Of course it does.  Abbie has a game tonight.  If it does rain, I hope it really, really, really rains.  I just feel like it.

I also feel like having a clean slate, a clean house, a new couch and a great job where I am loved and appreciated.

And a Milky Way.

How are you?

Of Late

Bonjour! Ohayo! Good Morning!

My computer was on the sick list, but is feeling much better today.  We had to replace a little battery, like a watch battery.  I didn't know computers had those. 

You learn something every day!

Last week, the kids finished swim lessons.  They had fun.  Their swimming did improve a lot this year.  I'm happy we did two sessions.  However, the end of the summer is just so busy.  I have no current plans to do a third.

On Friday, I had a job application to submit to the City of Wentzville.  While I was doing that, Josh took the kids to lunch.  Then, when both of those things were finished and Josh was going back to work, I took the kids to Chesterfield Mall.  We had bubble tea, and bought presents for Amelia's birthday.  She is six now!

In the evening was Grant's game.  He didn't look like he was enjoying it, but he says he was.  It was a close game.  If our fielding had been "on" like usual, we would have won.

Amelia's birthday party was the next day, and Abbie and I went to that.  I actually ended up helping quite a bit.  It was at Michaels.  They were trying out a new party project.  The girls painted a small canvas and the first letter of their names.  Then it was put together by the framing ladies, and a ribbon was attached, for hanging.  The biggest organizational problem was that they didn't have a good place selected for drying the painted canvases.

After the party, Josh took us all to the movies!  We saw the second Despicable Me movie.  I brought a jacket and ear plugs and was quite comfortable.  I still don't know how those kids of mine can eat so much popcorn.  That tub was enormous.  Plus, we enjoyed the movie.  YAY!  There are also other movies that Josh and I want to see, but babysitters are a sensitive subject right now.

Sunday was my taiko meeting.  I really don't know how it happened, but I am now on ANOTHER committee, the Dashi Committee, and am planning two huge parties for 50+ people.  This is in addition to the fact that I am on the PR Committee, performing in shows both J-Fest weekend and the weekend after (in Springfield), and picking up our international visitors from the airport.

Yikes.

Anyway, after that mentally exhausting and very hot meeting (AC is broken in front office of taiko studio), I came home and went grocery shopping with my family.  Then - we made homemade pizzas.  One had artichoke hearts, pepperonis and olives.  The other had ham, bacon and olives.  I had an Angry Orchard cider with mine.  Went very well.

So far today, the music lessons have been rescheduled.  Grant has practice tonight.  Abbie has a game tomorrow, and one Friday.  I'm really hoping to be done with those soon.  The season was supposed to have ended a week ago for Grant, and two weeks ago for Abbie...  Don't get me wrong, I love how much fun the kids have.  It's just that the schedules are a little hard to take.

By the way, did I tell you that I won the lottery?  FREE TICKET!  That one didn't win anything, though.  Still, it was nice.

This weekend Josh is flying, I think.  The weekend after is Grant's birthday weekend, and my dad's, too.  We are going to stay in a cabin for the weekend.  Sound fun?  I'm excited.  Most of Grant's presents are here and ready to be wrapped, so I am feeling very on top of things.  He is also going to have a dinner at IHOP, so I need to pick a day for that.  I was thinking of the following Friday.

Much laundry awaits!

I hope that you have all had a wonderful weekend.  The royal family of England is expecting a new baby today.  Are you excited?     

Food and Animals...but not at the same time.

I have a lot of friends with dietary concerns.  Some are quite serious, and it is amazing that they can still eat out occasionally. Some cannot even do that.  I have every sympathy for those of you out there who have a medical reason for avoiding a food type.  However, there are also plenty of absolutely healthy and active people out there who are dropping things from their diets, and to you I say - beware!!

It is a very serious choice, you know, to completely give up a common food type.  Firstly, it can make you an ungracious guest.  I know that I always try to accommodate my guests if I know they have a food aversion.  That is me being a hostess.  The host/hostess is required, pretty much by definition to do whatever he/she possibly can to promote the comfort and enjoyment of his/her guest.  HOWEVER!  Being a good guest (a lost art, in my opinion) is showing outward appreciation for his/her host/hostess' (English language really needs a neutral pronoun....) efforts while being as little extra trouble as he/she can.  I once had a house guest very politely ask if he could call long distance to Chicago for a social call while staying at my family's house.  This was back before cell phones or free long distance of any kind.  Can you believe that?  Ridiculous!  And of course the only polite answer was yes.  The point is that having a long list of dietary concerns that are not necessary is adding to the burden of guest-hood.

Secondly, the body is...  How to describe?  Um...the body is like a multi-tasking mom.  It can handle a lot at once, but it has no patience for rescinding your lunch order.  Hee.  That's pretty good.  Here is what I mean: I have noticed during my slow stroll through life is that once you give up something, you are no longer tolerant to it.  My allergies were negligible until I moved away from the allergens, and then moved back.  Now, oak pollen can make me feel pretty bad.  Similarly, I have known someone who gave up dairy, and then became intolerant to it when she tried to add it back in.  The same happened to a long time friend from way back.  She became a vegetarian, but was quite sick when she un-became one and added meat back in to her diet.  Adding it back in is the real issue.  Your choice might begin a philosophical one, but it very well may end up a medical one.  (Just think of universal food tolerance to be like a muscle.  It needs exercise to stay strong!)

What I would recommend instead, is to limit your food of un-choice, instead of cutting it out.  You can have dairy free Saturday.  Or you can give dairy up and only eat it on Saturday.  Then, if you are somewhere where yogurt is what is being served, you can politely accept and your body won't throw her hands in the air and send you to the corner, metaphorically speaking.

Personally, I eat dairy daily on purpose for the calcium.  I'm pretty sure that if I stopped doing that I would be lactose intolerant inside a month, and would have to resort to pills.  Don't need more pills in my life if I can accomplish the same goal by eating a balanced meal. 

We went to the zoo yesterday!  It was pretty great.  St. Louis Zoo is really one of the best.  I took the kids and Michelle, and we met Theresa there.  Later, Emilee and her kids joined us for a while.  What a great day!  We saw the elusive bat-eared fox, and one of the gorillas looked right at Abbie.  Natalie was working at the insectarium, so we got a private tour of the research room!  We looked and looked for the otters that allegedly live on Historic Hill, but as usual I didn't see anything but their sign.  The one in the children's zoo was cheerfully playing, though!  The butterflies were out like crazy in the butterfly house, and it was super nice and very empty in the bird house.  The kids and I shared a quesadilla from the Lake Side Café, and I had brought applesauce and crackers to fill in the corners.  It was a great day.  We walked for 8 hours straight.  After we dropped Michelle off, the kids and I had dinner at Panera Bread (a.k.a. St. Louis Bread Co.).

Happy Otter

 

Having a restful day today, and then tomorrow is a baptism for Josh's niece. Still having swim lessons, music lessons and ballgames, too.  Whew!  So much going on!

 

Hope you are having a happy weekend!  The weather is great!

 



Who Wants to Cheer Me Up?

I'm feeling down.

I got turned down for another job yesterday, and busily took the kids everywhere and Josh didn't even show up to watch Abbie's game.  They won, by the way.  I am also directly involved in taiko PR drama.  We are offering a class.  We put up an advertisement to sign up.  A lady wrote on the post that she had heard the class was cancelled.  This all happened yesterday morning.  Knowing that this post about cancelling was not good for business, I wrote PR and asked if the class was cancelled.  They said no.  I passed that on.  Come to find out, Helena had written this lady an email because the class didn't make.  Well, that was why we were advertising it again.  Lack of communications - not my fault.  Hasty acceptance that class wasn't cancelled - my fault.  Now I have to email the lady to tell her she was right and the class is cancelled, but this whole thing has caused so much trouble that I don't trust myself to say the right thing!

Abbie will have to move down a class for swim lessons.  Tricky situation, since she stayed in this same class last session, but this time they don't think she's good enough.  Hoping for the best.  I told the kids in the evening to be sure to pack water for the games and practices, but they drank all theirs and then decided they were entitled to mine.

I meant to be so up-beat today.  Now I find myself speaking angrily to the kids when they do imperfect things, like reading over my shoulder or argue with each other or leave light on or stuff on the floor.

Don't know how to start today over, but I would.

I finished A Room With a View.  The only character I liked was Mr. Beebe.  And maybe Freddie.  So, it wasn't really the most fun read ever.  It's done, though.  I haven't thought about what to read next.

I'm supposed to clean the house today.  The floors are extra bad, because the heat is making the dogs shed.  Callie doesn't like going out in the hot weather, either.  I have to say, "Outside!" in the angry voice to get her to go, and she still tries to slink away.  I feel bad, but what can one do?

Abbie is trying to sing this song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmlhRkCDgQs  ...except she doesn't speak German. 

Anyway, the day is escaping.  Off I go to do...stuff.

The Season!

TAIKO season!  It is upon us!  For those of you who are unaware, mid to late summer is the time that we gear up for our largest and most important show of the year - Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical gardens.  Well, usually.  This year, we are giving our large outdoor stage and all of our performance times to Osuwa Taiko, who are coming especially to perform with us from Nagano prefecture, Japan.  Our shows will be shorter, and indoors.  However!  We are still starting early, and working hard!

Today was our first attempt at J-Fest set pieces.  It wasn't too bad, actually.  And we stepped up our warm ups to include the 6 minute drill.  I hope we keep that in the schedule.  We need it.

We didn't practice it today, but I'm excited that I will be performing the song Tobihi in the Onna - uchi style.  YAY!  If I get video, I will show you.

We had a really great 4th of July weekend.  Picked up Josh at work on Wednesday.  Traffic was terrible.  Mom was really super tired, too.  I was a little worried, at first.  We got to Gran's first in the morning.  I made my fruit salad - turned out great - and did little stuff, like helping to get out the silver, etc.  Most people came within a short time of each other.  The only drama we had was a temporarily missing cat, and the stout refusal to not talk about it, despite my grandmother's obvious distress.  When that was over, everyone had a great time.  No fireworks were set off, also due to the cats, but we were planning to do ours at my mom's house, anyway.  Baby Natalie was there, and that made my kids super happy.  She really is a sweetie.  My father had quite his share of wine.  So me and my mom were the designated drivers home.  Once in Rolla, we had dinner, and then set off a few fireworks.  We had some very lovely fountains, which happen to be my favorites, so I was happy.  One thing that we didn't have was corn on the cob.  It was not ripe yet this year.  Late rains led to late planting.  I found out later that some people were able to acquire some ripe corn at Dierbergs, but we don't shop anywhere that fancy, and so were unaware.  Anyway, I didn't miss the corn so much when I saw the fruit pizza.  *drool*

We spent the night at Mom's again.  We got out the bows and arrows and taught archery to the kids.  It was fun, and we all had a great time.  I would like them to keep up with it, but I don't know how I feel about archery in city limits, even with a fenced yard.

We left around 2, and had barely enough time to drop off the dogs before we went on to the Franke's BBQ.  It was great, as well!  And delicious!  I ate entirely too much this week.  There was another fruit pizza.  Plus some of Alena's pickles.  Yum.  JennieLily (I call her both names.  Long story.) and I walked around the neighborhood, just the two of us, and I did a little house hunting.  Maybe I can move into that neighborhood someday...when I win the lottery.

I want to win the lottery.  Or come into some money.  It doesn't really need to be the lottery.

Today, I taiko-ed.  Feels good so far.  Should be miserably sore tomorrow.  I'm making sloppy joes for dinner.  Tomorrow is another marathon kind of day:  swim lessons, music lessons, practice and game.  Meh.  I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Tanks Vs. Chickens

I hope that you all had a safe and fun weekend!  We are going to watch some Indiana Jones.  :D

Overcast Tuesday

Do you trust me?  I've had this, and it's good: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Carrots-and-Pineapple/Print

I'm reading A Room With a View.  Its okay so far.  I'm not sure it's going to end up on my list of favorites.  I can't decide if I like any of the characters at all.  I know who I am supposed to like, but I'm not convinced.

Today I am beginning to get ready for the weekend.  The kids have not been particularly helpful about letting me know what clothes they particularly need washed.  I guess regular old laundry will have to do.

I know it is unkind, but I must say something.  The music teacher's house is very dirty.  That's putting it politely.  It smells of her many animals.  The fish tanks are covered in algae.  There are spots on the floors.  There are....things all over: on chairs, and tables and couches and floor.  The hallways are all but impassable.  It is absolute squalor.  I can't decide if this is a motivating factor for me, or if knowing that my house is not the worst of it just makes me an apathetic housekeeper.  This summer, I have not been at my best in that respect.  It is really sad when one is leaving for a trip and his/her last thoughts are, "Well, I really hope I don't get hit by a bus while I'm out - I would hate for anyone to know I left the house this way..."

The media is trying hard to tell me that I owe it to myself to spend lots of household money on beauty products, to allow myself plenty of "me" time and mental rest, to forgive myself any little indulgences.  Oh, and by the way, don't eat anything except organic food, and low calorie food, and local food, and, of course, the recipes they personally provide me.

How about I do what I think is right, be ashamed of what I think is wrong, and eat what I consider to be quality food?  I am not interested in what your idea of me is.

Pardon.  I was speaking to The Media.  As you can see, I am still annoyed that a handful of editors in this country are busily trying to tell everyone how to think, behave and spend their money.  Not I.

You will be pleased and proud, no doubt, that I have watched all of the original William Shatner Star Trek movies this summer.  It certainly makes his role in Showtime seem that much funnier.

I think it might rain.

I think if we are going to be spending Thursday night at my mom's, we should be able to shoot off some fireworks. So exciting!  That is....if it isn't pouring.  We shall see.  I remember last year at this time the peaches were outstanding.  This year, because of all the rain we've had, I think everything should be tasty!  Except the corn isn't quite ready yet.  We had some at Mom's and it wasn't ripe.

Preparations for J-Fest should begin soon!

I hope you are having a great day, and a great summer!  Life is good!  Except that now I have to pay bills.  Boo.

:)

My life is gooood.

So, life is good.  Best summer ever. 

I'm not reading anything, now that I've read Howl's Moving Castle again...

Friday night, I went to Eddie's going away party.  We are going to be long distance friends now.  Tiny bit sad, but very exciting and fun, too.  Had St. Louis food:  toasted ravioli, Imo's, local beer, gooey butter cake....  Very yummy.  Not particularly healthy, however.  Says something about the city, don't you think?  They can't make anything original unless it is hazardous to your health.  Then there was taiko playing and karaoke....I had to leave about the time the card games were getting started.

Saturday we went to Rolla.  Played at my mom's neighbor's house with baby ducks and chickens, horses and a pony named Rosie.  Good times were had by all.  Abbie really likes horses, and Grant had another baby engineer to run around with, so that was great.

We had BBQ and corn salad for lunch.  And that delish strawberry cake that I linked the recipe to.  Did you make it yet?  You MUST.

Dinner was sandwiches, and then my family got changed and went to Peter Pan.  Very watchable!  Captain Hook was really good (All is relative, of course.  If I'd seen him at the Fox, he would merely have been decent). Smee was raunchy and a little overdone.  However, I get the impression that it was deliberate.  Peter was a decent actor, but she was a little bit of an inconsistent singer.  Wendy was an amazing singer, but kind of stagy/theatrical/melodramatic in her acting.  She looked right, though.  I think she even had dimples.  On the whole, amateurish, but fun.  The kids had a great time.  We sat by the Frisbees.  Love them.

We had bagels and scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. Are you getting the impression that I ate well this weekend?  Oink!

Anyway!

Today we visited Baby Timmy.  He is so cute.  Molly and Ryan are really enjoying him.  They looked very happy. 

Next we had music lessons.  Mrs. Silliman has a new ferret.  The kids loved that.

Then, dinner at Culver's.  The balloon artist Spunky Beans is there on Mondays.  She made Abbie a headband with a flower and Grant got Mario.

So I am home and don't have to cook.  Ah.

Tomorrow I have to pay bills like a big kid, though. 

Guess I had better go and by lazy while I can!!