Notes from a WildCat Fan

I Am So Ready For Some Football!

2009-09-10T22:56:00.000-07:00

This is it. FPM's senior year. Their first game of the season is this Saturday. I'll be watching on Stretch Internet cuz we will be making the long road trip for the following 3 weekends and hopefully flying up for Homecoming. The Wildcats will visit Cali twice and get close enough when they play Southern Oregon. Woo Hoo!!! This should be a very exciting season.

In other news, my baby, Warrior Princess, started high school. OMG and WTF! Am I old or what? TestCase started a new med and hasn't had a seizure in 7 months. Super Woo Hoo!

It's late and I should be sleeping but Hubby is out of town and I don't sleep well when he's gone. I'll pay tomorrow, but hell, it's Friday.

Wildcat Wrap up

2008-12-27T19:50:00.001-08:00

I'm back. The Wildcats didn't make the Division III playoffs, but they posted another winning season with a record of 6-3. The Linfield College Wildcats football team has the longest unbroken streak of winning seasons at 53. Yes sir, that is 53 years! I've heard the grumbles in the stands about not making playoffs again this year, but I think the learning curve is probably pretty steep for a new head coach. Coach Smith's 4th year will coincide with my son's senior year at Linfield, so here's to hoping. #91 got his chance to contribute this year. As the starting tight end he did make one touchdown reception, however the bulk of his helpfulness was opening up big holes for the running backs with his superior blocking. Yeah!

I was able to attend two games this year. I went to Portland and watched the smackdown of Lewis and Clark. It wasn't even a close game (55-7). I must say the campus of Lewis and Clark is beautiful, though their seating at the games is weird because they didn't have room on the hill for opponent stands. So we had to sit all cozy-like together. I was polite and so was the L&C crowd. Contrast this to the horror of watching Linfield barely lose to the nasty and unsporting Western Oregon. Luckily we won't have to deal with those mofos next year. Here's what happened: They openly taunted our guys pregame, their players made fun of our running back when he went down during the game, they played dirty, and they danced around the "L" when they won. Meanwhile, in the stands, some WO fans sat right behind me and to the left of me and they were relentless douche bags during the whole game. (Yes, Linfield has stands on the opposite side of the field for opponent fans.) They talked smack about everything throughout the game. #91's little sister spent most of the game shooting the evil eye at them. I tried to ignore and I did, but I'm not so sure I wouldn't have shot those idiots myself if I'd had a gun in my purse. (That's a good argument for gun control, heh, heh.) Anyway, it was intense. Let me just say WO is a division II team with scholarships, red shirting and they recruit heavily from junior colleges so their average player age is 24. Well, bully for them, then if they can just barely manage to beat us. Jerks.

A Serendipitis Cat Bite Followed by a Blue Day

2008-09-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

I'm happy! I'm bored. I'm depressed :(

I do so love Warrior Princess's cat, Tiger, but he's a little quirky. He cannot be overstimulated. So he bit me back in July- wasn't his fault! When I reached over to scatch behind his ear, little did I know that he had previously been hanging out with FootballPlayinMan for a bit of canoodling .

Ok, at the time I was seriously pissed because the bite got infected which led to a tetnus shot, an antibiotic shot in the ass and, ten days of horse pills (augmentin). Grrrr!

A few weeks prior to this I had been in to see the dentist because my f**king million dollar implant was loose. The implant which only has a 5% failure rate. He scheduled me to have it removed and have another round of grafting with an even larger implant. Grrr times 2!

At the end of August I went in for the procedure. Long story short -after trying to unscrew the thing from my jaw, an x-ray revealed the bone had grown around the threads of the screw. It was no longer loose. So I went home and gently but quickly kissed the little mofo cuz he saved me from dental surgery. Doctor Frankenstein theorized that all the antibiotics from the cat bite somehow stimulated bone growth. I don't care. I will get my tooth put back on in February (because it has to heal from all the ratcheting in August). One round of augmentin is good, another must be great, so I'm in for more ginormous pill swallowing. Besides the stinking cat bite wound is still healing, believe it or not! HappyHappyJoyJoy.

Less than a week later I'm spending the afternoon in the ER with TestCase.

He recently had a med increase due to seizures in July and August. One day into the new dosage (depakote), he called me and asked me to pick him up from work, he's feeling auras, he wants to get out of there. WTF?? This the middle of the day, he never has seizures in the middle of the day, he has never called me from work for a seizure. Aura-s -plural??

I picked him up. He was still experiencing auras, he felt dizzy. His speech was slurry and he looked droopy. He felt like he was going to have a seizure. Normally, I am calm. I know what to do. But this- This was Weird. I gave him another 100 mg of lamictal that I carry in my purse and took him to the ER. He was admitted, put in a padded bed, had blood drawn, IV inserted. We were in the hallway for at least 3 hours. That's ok because they were very, very busy and time is our friend in SeizureWorld. He slept for most of the time. He slept through bookends of mentally ill persons screaming about hypocrisy and people staring at them. He slept through at least 4 ambulance arrivals and the comings and goings of hords of people. It occurred to me that he probably had a seizure while waiting for me to pick him up in his truck, because he was sleeping so soundly. That's normal after a seizure. When the doc came, he was feeling better, no more auras. She consulted with his neurologist and they decided to give the med dosage increase some more time. He's been just fine ever since. I think we spent hours in the ER for no good reason. He just needed to sleep it off. I feel stupid. I don't usually take him in for a seizure unless he bashes his head and needs stitches. Like I said, time is our friend when dealing with seizures, but I was freaked out. I'm losing my touch, cuz I don't freak out. But I did, so I'm depressed about all this.

Rodent Population = x - 1

2008-08-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

... or what the womenfolk have to do when the menfolk decamp for Oregon.

... or "New Miserable Experience"*

Warrior Princess and I took the dogs out for one last potty break last night. We observed approximately 5 rats in various positions on my bird feeder which is on a straight metal pole.

I set a trap, such as the one to the left or up (or where ever blogger puts the damn picture!). I went to bed and dreamed very bad things about squished rodents in traps.

Next morning, sure enough there is a seemingly dead rat in the grips of the 'rat snapper'. As I move in for a closer look -it moved! Holy living nightmare, Batman!

(I don't like animal suffering, even among disgusting, disease-carrying rats -Duh)

I did what the menfolk normally take care of: I delivered the kill shot via pellet gun. Can we getta eewww, eeewwww!? I tossed the body over the fence into the empty lot. The ants will take care of recycling, part one.

And while WP and I were just busy exclaiming, "yeah! We're free!"...

It seems we miss the menfolk after all.

*Gin Blossoms, I love you.

Our Town: So Environmentally Sensitive!

2008-08-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Crummy Church Signs, I spotted a Crummy City Sign while at a swim meet this summer and I felt like sharing. Notice the electrical tower right behind the sign in the middle of all the brown grass.

To the left of this highly informative sign are houses and I'm betting they were built by Elliot Homes. Hmmm?

To the right is a city park with mowing strips and at least 3 soccer fields and a lighted softball field.

Right in the middle, near the street is a smallish puddle of gray water with iridescent white bubbles. There are oddly bent meager-looking fish in the water. On the other side of the street from this 'sensitive area' is a huge racquet club.

Now what part of this strip of land between houses and soccer fields is environmentally sensitive? God knows I have nothing against houses or sports fields. After all, I live in a house and my children have enjoyed the use of these fields over the years. But WTF is up with that sign? It's like putting a sign in front of a shark declaring it's an elephant. They should tell the truth. Something like this:

"No Trespassing because if you electricute yourself or fall into smelly water and drown, we do not want to be held responsible in a lawsuit. This is a narrow bit of land we couldn't develop due to power lines. It collects run off from people's chemically infested lawns and parks. We called it 'environmentally sensitive' in the plans so we could get a break on our developer fees from the city because we're showing just how much we care about the environment."

They probably felt sure that no one would walk past the grim gray water with the disordered fish and feel their sign was total rubbish.

They were right I suppose. If I had to look at this sign everyday, I might be tempted to knock it over.

Fallen Leaf Lake

2008-08-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

Notice how this rock is embedded in the tree roots.

This is Taylor Creek. It connects Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake.

A few weekends ago we went camping at Fallen Leaf Lake up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe. I hiked to the lake one morning very early and became fascinated with all the upturned tree roots on the shores of the lake. It was dawn and the lighting was so gorgeous.

Can a Late Night Fried Egg Sandwich Help Stave Off Seizures?

2008-08-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

I wish. Nine months. That's how long it's been. But he's been working long hours and not getting enough sleep, so... boom, boom.

There is an upside. Yes, really. TestCase felt an aura. He said, "No!". Brother FPM saw him turn his head, fade and watched his body stiffen. A mere 5 seconds later TestCase came to. He actually managed to derail the convulsive progression. Somehow. He was exhausted as usual, but didn't have a crushing headache.

So, a few days later he came home from work at 11:30 pm from another long day. I whipped up the old TestCase favorite- fried egg sandwich.

I wondered, could I "help" him make it go away?

(My friendly blogpals know that I write about this stuff as stress relief, not for sympathy, cuz Lord knows, things could be so much worse for him and I am profoundly grateful to modern pharmaceuticals. I'm a big picture, glass half- full kinda girl for the most part.)

Rattlesnake Bite or Broken Bone: You Decide

2008-07-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

So hubby and I are on one of our thrice weekly bike rides down the American River bike trail, and for the second time in a week we see a rattlesnake sunning itself on the trail. We energetically veered around it. I wish no harm to come of it for it is the great consumer of pestilent rodents, however I wonder to myself to what extent I would inflict self harm in order to avoid the deadly Western Diamondback.

Next thing you know Pepe la Pew crosses our path. So again I wonder, what would I do to avoid being sprayed by an angry skunk? So I posed the question to my tandem partner. Here is what we decided:
To avoid the rattlesnake bite on the bike trail we would both be willing to lose some skin or break a bone.
To avoid the odoriferous renderings of Pepe, we would both be willing to suffer road rash. I went the additional measure of breaking any bone reasoning that skunk stink would make me throw up and I really hate to puke.

A few days later I'm reading the paper and I say to hubby, "OMG, there's an outbreak of rabid bats". He looked at me and asked, "Well, rabid bat or broken bone?"

Aw, hell no!

Thank you to the Lone Grey Squirrel for my first ever award! *blushes with delight*

Bombina orientalis

2008-07-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

This post is for the Electric Orchid Hunter who requested pictures of the fire belly toadlets.
If you click on the first picture you will see mosquito larvae in the water. The babies gobble these up like candy. The biggest one is about the size of a quarter now. They are just starting to get their colors. I'll be glad when I can put them back in with their parents because that is a much bigger habitat and I can stop fishing for insect larvae in my turtle pond.

Plus:

I must have the ugliest hummingbirds in the world in my yard. They are quite simply, drab. I like them anyway.

Mini Book Review: Lavinia by Ursula LeGuin

2008-07-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Lavinia is a work of historical fiction, I think, by an author best known for her science fiction writing. We also have the ghost of a dead poet, oracles and ancient pagan rituals. The main character, Lavinia, tells us her version of her part in the tale told by the poet Vergil from The Aeneid. In Vergil's version she apparently only gets a mention in passing. Ursula LeGuin breaths life into Lavinia in such a way that you feel you are her closest confidant. These are the days when Rome was simply known as the place of seven hills and the Greeks had just recently won the war with the Trojans who are now scouting out locations for a new settlement. The arrival of the Trojans in Latium (Lavinia's hometown in ancient Italy) proves to be a major turning point in the novel. I liked the way LeGuin takes us back in time and inside Lavinia's head, so that we don't doubt her decisions. We have confidence in her trust of prophesies. She is steadfast, even stubborn and that is admirable because young beautiful women in her times are often used as political bargaining chips. This is not a complex story, it is easy to read, yet I know that Lavinia's story will stick with me and I will think of her for a long time.

No BFD

2008-07-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

"Mom, my swim coach said 'bitch' today!", said the Warrior Princess.

"Would that be as in 'quit yer bitchin' or 'you are such a bitch'?" asked the mother (who has heard it all before).

"It was, 'quit yer bitchin'"

"Ha!, I bet a bunch of parents will call and complain about it. "
(Poor guy, he's kind of young, but otherwise doing a good job by my estimation)

"Nah, he said it to us 12 and ups and we already say bad words!"

Good to know, good to know...

Ducks Part 2: Pictures!

2008-07-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

These pictures belong to the previous post. Mary emailed several pictures she took, so I thought I'd share. Three of the eggs hatched: SUPER CUTE!

Mary's dog Dexter didn't like having a duck in 'his' pool. He got his yard back July 4th.

All's well that ends well now that they are swimming free.

Make Way (for Freedom) for Ducklings

2008-07-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Jeez, I wish I had taken photos. I even have a new camera, but...

My neighbor called and asked for my help with a mama duck and three ducklings in her pool. The mom had built a nest in Mary's yard and three of the eggs hatched on July 3rd. That's no good because there is no food in a backyard swimming pool for ducks. We had many ideas. We tried capturing the babies, hoping that their peeping would cause momma to follow us as we walked to the reservoir. (side note on capturing newborn ducklings: They instinctively dive to the bottom of the pool when chased. It's very cool to see these little guys swim underwater. Also, on land, they will lay down flat, stay silent in the leaves and are very difficult to see) But as soon as we put the babies in the carrier they hunkered down and didn't emit a single peep. Back in the pool!

We settled on catching mom with a pool net. My son, FPM- home from college, was along to help with his finely tuned hand-eye coordination. We managed to scare mom into another neighbor's yard and scatter the babies into hiding.

Mary went to the other house to herd mom back to her yard. FPM and I gathered the babies and put them back in the pool, where they helpfully began peeping. Mother duck returned and joined her ducklings in the pool.

FPM and Mary, with dueling pool nets came at mom from opposite sides of the pool. Got her! -but how the heck to pull her out without letting her loose or drowning her? That's where I came in. I jumped in the pool with my clothes on and carefully extracted mother duck from the net. I put her in the pet carrier. FPM scooped up the babes with the net and they were reunited with mom.

Mary, FPM and I hopped in my car and drove to the "No Trespassing" Baldwin Dam reservoir. We had to hike in to a spot where we could get underneath the fence, then hike to another area of the lake where we could actually get to the water. The lake is low and there are a ton of reeds along the shore. Finally, we found it- a place where the reeds were mashed down! We set the carrier down, opened the door and moved away. Mother and her babies walked out, went to the water and swam away. Happy ending for ducks and the humans felt good too! Darn, I wish I had thought of my camera...

The Laundry List

2008-06-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

I really thought after school was out that I'd blog more, not less! Here I must insert the gratuitous pictures of my puppy, Mia, and Crystal, her mentor in all things harmonious and dog-like.

My dear friends up and moved to Rochester, NY. I helped them a little in those last few days. It is a massive undertaking to move an entire household across the country. They gave me their aquarium and I 'm having a lot of fun watching the fish.

Anyone in central California knows about all the fires we have burning in every direction. The smoke is really awful. I'm waking at night coughing, unable to breathe well. Yuck!

My little tadpoles have turned into froglets. They eat wingless fruitflies now and soon will eat tiny crickets. They are so cute. As soon as they are big enough to avoid cannilbalistic attacks, I will put them back with their parents.

A high school friend of TestCase's just showed up for a visit -with her baby! Don't know too many particulars but I do know she's terribly young and not married. This girl's parents had a bad divorce when she was young. Then there were remarriages and new kids and she kind of got lost in the shuffle. I guess she just wants to have her own little family. I wish her luck, it will be a hard road. The baby is very cute, obviously healthy, and well cared for.

The last thing on the list involves a cell phone and a busy swimming schedule. Warrior Princess swims everyday for swim team and twice a week for water polo. She accidently left her phone in the locker room at the high school where her H2O polo matches were being played. Naturally, it wasn't turned in -it's gone. Hubby and I said, "Too bad you'll be without a phone". TestCase had the day off yesterday and he went out and bought her a new phone!

On one hand, we really wanted her to suffer the consequences. We were going to make her buy her own phone. Then again, that was a super sweet thing for big brother to do for her! I lectured them both. (and they heard, wah, wah, wah) I do think she'll be more careful with this one.

Three on a Match

2008-06-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

I lost Ignatia today. Not lost, but died. She was just plain dead. Toby in February, Gray Kitty in March and now Iggs -all gone. She was ill in April, but I took her to the vet and she recovered. She was doing very well, or so I thought. I know she was somewhat old in iguana years, but I paid careful attention to her diet, so I thought she could have lived for many more years. I'm bummed that the pumpkin vine hadn't produced any flowers yet. Pumpkin flowers were her favorite treat. We buried her under a valley oak in our yard. Her bones and flesh will nourish the grand tree as it grows to its eventually enormity.

She was "just a lizard", but she had a very pleasant personality. Most people who met her liked her, especially the children. She was the vegetarian pet that I adopted for my manchildren, back when they were little boys. They wanted a snake in the worse way. Mama knows best and they got an iguana. Years after that we rescued a red-tailed boa that was starved. They got their snake after all. We fed the snake and Sandra became large and sleek. It was a distasteful process. The boys went to high school and forgot about Sandra. I found a home for her with a guy who absolutely loved her at first site. I kept my vegetarian Ignatia who was not a horror to feed, but a delight.
Till today, of course. And now she feeds the tree. R. I. P.

Stick a Fork in Me, I'm Done!

2008-05-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

School's out for Summer! I am seriously dating myself here, but back in junior high my best friend and I used to sit in her room and sing Alice Cooper songs, burn incense and talk about boys. Now my daughter is in junior high and I think the current music craze might be Fall Out Boy. She doesn't burn incense, but she loves scented lotions. As for the the boy talk, I don't know and I am not sure I want to either. Today was the last day of school and I allowed her to "go out to lunch" with her friend to McDonald's. The plan was for them to walk there themselves and go on to the aquatic center afterwards for swim team practice. All of these places are located within about one half mile. This afternoon, the other kid's mom called my house to talk to her. Apparently she told her mom that she was going to our house after school (and nothing about the lunch plans). This mom's hair was on fire she was so mad. She drove all around looking for them and she found them. You see, the girls had extra time so they stopped at WalMart (next to the aquatic center) to look at bikinis (yikes!). Neither of them had their cell phones with them (by accident). I trust my kid and didn't see anything wrong with these plans. I didn't even think the side trip was that big of a deal. I think the other mom thinks I'm irresponsible as she would not have agreed for her kid to do this. I kind of feel bad, but WP knows that her freedom would go away the instant she is caught in a lie (she learned from watching her brothers make their way through the teenage years). What do you think? Am I horribly misguided or is the other mom overprotective? (btw- her kid is terrific, very down to earth and trustworthy in my opinion.)

Virginia is for Lovers...

2008-05-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

At least that's what the slogan says and my dear newlywed little sister would probably agree except, technically, they got married in Maryland. I was there eating, drinking and making merry for about four days. We had the ladies luncheon and manicure, the rehearsal dinner, the bachelorette limo party through Virginia wine country and finally, the deluxe wedding complete with open bar, appetizers and a full dinner including palette cleansing between courses (and I don't want to forget the yummy amaretto wedding cake) . Yikes, my ass must be the size of Utah. But who could tell? - it was neatly covered by my floor length pink matron of honor gown.

Virginia wine country: somewhere west of D.C.

This is the grounds of the Strong Mansion
on Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland:

Nieces as flower girls:

Bridal party flowers:

Wedding Cake!

My sister married a great guy. He's a short red head (as is my sis) and he's an actual rocket scientist (sis is not a rocket scientist, but she's smart enough for government work)! A little dude with a giant throbbing brain. And he loves my sister and spared nothing to make her happy on their wedding day, so he's fan-flippin'-tastic in my book. Come to think of it, I was almost the tallest person in that wedding party with the only other tall person being my brother, who is also the bride's twin brother. He's an English professor, so he made a toast later involving the recital of a long, lovely romantic poem. I wish I could remember it but it flew out of my head in all the hubbub. Now, it's back to the salt mines for me.

Tagged by da Squirrel

2008-05-01T16:09:00.002-07:00

Quirky rollercoaster of pain and love

I was tagged by the Lone Grey Squirrel to do a six word memoir. There you have it. It was easy to do, so I'm tagging Grundir the Implacable, G, Axe, Candace and the Electric Orchid Hunter. These are but a few of the many bloggers that I have enjoyed reading over the last year and a half.

Men in Skirts, Whites in Dreads and Oregon Drivers

2008-04-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Oregon last weekend. I missed my canine baby so that I could visit my real and actual offspring. What is the deal with Oregon drivers? They are simultaneously highly annoying and quite charming. They all drive the speed limit or less, even in the left lane. If the speed limit is 30 through Newberg, you can bet some asswipe is crawling along at 25. OTOH, while walking around anywhere in McMinnville you can be damn sure you won't get run over. People are meticulous about pedestrian right of way (as well they should be). Even college dudes driving jacked up trucks bumpin' the tunes will stop at a crosswalk and wait until you make up your mind whether or not you're crossing. Here in dangerous Cali, you take your life in your own hands if you walk anywhere. Everyone's in a hurry, cuz they're so dang important. You can tell because they all have a Borg-like ear implant. Scary!

While I was away my fire belly toads made sweet amphibious love and *squeal* hatched some fine tadpoles! See picture below. I took them out of the parents' tank because toady hunger knows no bounds.
I was also gone a lot the previous weekend because the Warrior Princess has volunteered at The Grace Foundation.
It required a bit of training and she is so loving this outfit. I will do a separate post about this wonderful organization that saves neglected and abused horses while providing therapeutic riding for many different special needs children.

The tadpoles:

What is the deal with men wearing skirts? Honestly, it's not an attractive look, but we saw two different men in a single day while hanging out in Oregon. Ok, one dude was a goofy college kid that we've heard is known as "kilt guy". The other was an actual middle aged man in a restaurant and it was a freaking skirt, not a traditional Scottish kilt type outfit. Hmmm?

The final thing that bugged me about my trip up north was the frequency of white people with dreadlocks. I'm sorry but that just looks wrong. It just makes them look like crazy people who can't be bothered with personal hygiene. Eewww, especially you, woman at the Lewis and Clark College Track Invitational, rats could climb in there, build a nest and live happily ever after.

I leave you with this final image. Mother squirrel enjoying sunflower seeds at the bird bath. I sure hope she brings her babies by for a visit sometime. I guess if she's really a good squirrel mom she won't do that though.

The Raptors That Live Next Door

2008-03-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

A pair of Red-shouldered Hawks have taken up residence in my neighborhood and it is nesting season. I managed to get a few shots of the female from my film camera. I think it's the female because according to my field guide, the females are larger and I've seen them together. In fact I observed them mating at this perch, but unfortunately I didn't get the avian porn on film.

This is an Oregon Junco.

Goldfinch

Violets, my favorite flower.

From this perch on another day she swooped down and grabbed a quick snack of meadow vole. My ability to shoot wildlife is limited because these birds sit (oh yeah, it's the birds' fault, heh, heh) and stare at the field for a long time and I could never tell when they would take off. I do know when they are near because they have a distinctive cry. Normally shy, the Red-shouldered Hawk isn't usually seen around where people frequent the way the Red-tail Hawks are. I've seen Red-tail Hawks take Mourning Doves right out of my backyard. Maybe this mom-to-be is checking out the availability of easy meals. OMG, Mia only weighs six and a half pounds!

Death Took Too Long

2008-03-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Death took too long
to find her
small, gray, quiet
it came bit by bit
the guilt
came in torrents
Gray Kitty's not a proper name
but that was it for her
unassuming, purring
till near the end
Did I do right by you?

(Am I a writer of poetry? Not only no, but hell no. These are just some words that fell out of my head today in my sorrow over the death of one of my cats, the blind, the elderly, Gray Kitty. It was her time.)

Gray Kitty
The stray that chose us many years ago.
R.I.P.
March 20, 2008
Lay in the sunshine...

The BIG 5-OH! Oh No!

2008-03-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Ouch! I recently suffered through an unfortunate milestone birthday. Here's the good part:

Meet Mia!

My birthday present and new addition to the family "zoo". She's a pom-chi-poo. Part pomeranian, chihuahua and poodle -in other words, your basic mutt. She is 4 months old and weighs 6 pounds so far. What's not to love? I've been busy training and socializing her so I haven't made my usual blog rounds. My animal loving blogpals will understand. Mia has made me forget all about starting another half century (not really, but I can dream). I'm sure I'll post lots more pictures later and bore everyone silly.

Shout Out for the Clay Pigeon

2008-02-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

That Diesel has gone and done it again, check out The Clay Pigeon. It's an online humor zine featuring some of the most Hi-larious writers in blogland. This new site is the Mighty Diesel's little dahlin'. He is also the maestro behind Mattress Police and Humor-blogs dot com.

There is something for everyone at the Clay Pigeon - for everyone who doesn't mind LOLing once in a while, that is.

Engineering the Social Lives of Children (for adults by adults)

2008-02-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

The current culture of childrearing says we must micromanage the social lives of our children, for their own good, of course. The first thing that got me thinking about this was a post I read last year about some teachers at a preschool that decided to ban legos. The kids were forming alliances and generally 'not playing fair'. Later I read about a school banning the playing of tag at recess, then, the very school I work at banned tag. A local park in my area has a "No Running" sign (yeah, wtf!). Good-hearted, well meaning people often cannot refrain from stepping in and trying to prevent children from Hurting Themselves and Others (not to mention lawsuit prevention as well).

Let me briefly digress and point out that in my work, we often use "social stories" or "scripts" to help teach autistic spectrum kids how to interact with others. By the rote learning of verbal cues these kids can be better integrated into mainstream society which is usually the goal. This works very well in high functioning autistics because you are giving them a useful tool that helps them communicate. Some of my students even attend weekly afterschool (private) sessions in RDI (Relationship Development Instruction).

In this post though, I am referring to your average elementary school kid who learns how to get along with others by simply playing with other children. They learn by trial and error. They will sometimes model adult behavior (trying it on for size). The premise of the microengineers is that everyone is equal. I don't think this is the way it is in the real world. Personality, circumstance, serendipity and our genes all dictate how we behave. We should teach our children to be kind and to try and always make the best of things, however in the case of mild conflict they should be left to work it out on their own.

In the game of tag, someone is always faster, more agile and they might always win. Should the game really be banned because kids' feelings might get hurt? (Or they might fall down and get a scrape? Oh no! A skinned knee? Time to lawyer up) In the case of the banned legos the teachers over-reacted and over-thought the whole process (in addition to the ban they had long intensive meetings with each other and the children, meant I'm sure, to be instructive). Left to their own devices, I think the kids the would have solved the whole issue of the 'elitist' legotown. I would have let them try.

Yes, you must step in if there is physical aggression, but if they are all trying to figure out their place in the social fabric, let them have at it. It is important to instill a culture of inclusion and kindness in your home, daycare and school, but then let the children go and learn. Stop hovering people! Let them learn how to react with each other. Some will be natural leaders that others will want to be around. Some will be shy and reclusive, some will be drama queens (and kings!). Everyone is different, we weren't made exactly alike and no amount of pedagogy will ever change that.

REST IN PEACE

2008-02-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

TOBY : ? - Feb.1, 2008
My sweet prince
rest in peace
"...in the arms of the angels may you find some comfort there..."

Your heart was big
You loved your people and did a good job

And those better be big-ass angels, cuz you at 95 pounds, you're no lightweight!
We always felt safe with you
See you in heaven someday, in the mean time hang out with Jake, Kolya and Herc
Ashley would like to say "I love you" one last time, she's sorry she wasn't able to.

Weather Break with Signs of Life

2008-01-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

A pair of mallards. Trailside, American River Parkway

Moss

Ferns grow on rock too

This tree grows from between two rocks. I can only imagine that after germination, as it grew it pushed its way between the rocks.

Buckeye germination, above and below. Buckeyes drop enormous amounts of huge seeds. It's a strange tree, being the last to bud out and bloom, but the first to drop its leaves at the end of summer, well before fall.

Antique sluice

Ibizan hound (8 mo.old puppy). I just happen to run into an acquaintance on the trail, also enjoying the oh-so-brief respite from the much needed rain.

American river just below the Folsom dam and Folsom prison.

Beautiful greens after a rain. At the end of summer, this will all be brown and dried up.

School Dayz

2008-01-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

I love working with kids, and they make me laugh all the time. Here is a short collection from the Forever Unknown Elementary School.

A special needs 4th grader's whispered reaction to me about another kid, a blowhard in training, pontificating on and on about nothing anyone is interested in:

"This guy is making me sick!"

Written by a 5th grader on a test in response to the question, "Do you think Doug could make it across the pass on his own?"

"I think that Doug could of made it across becaus if Charlie a coger (note: that's cougar) made it than a hummen bean could do it."

Overheard exchange between two 3rd graders:

"Your mom is fat!"

"Well your mom doesn't wear a bra!"

In first grade the teacher tells the kids her son turned 21 recently and one of her students (the Hellion, see below) says:

"Wow he can drink beer now!"

This is kind of sad. During Red Ribbon Week (Just Say No!), the second grade teacher was talking to her students about drugs and alcoholic. One boy raises his hand and says,

"My dad is an alcoholic!"

During a 4th grade discussion of geography, specifically the North American continent, a boy raises his hand to explain:

"My dad said we should take over Canada because there are very little people there and nothing but ice."

teacher: "Well I'm sure your dad was kidding."

kid: "No he wasn't."

Just in case you've lost faith, I witnessed an act of kindness yesterday between the current first grade Hellion (multiple suspensions, detensions, you get the idea) and a diminuative Down's syndrome girl in his class. She veered off the path to lunch and he gently put his arm around her and, speaking softly, he directed her back to the cafeteria.

Madonna Visits Northern California

2008-01-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

Madonna was spotted hanging out with her BFF, Ignatia, in a posh little northern California town this past holiday season. Er, that would be Madonna the Iguana who needed a place to stay when her folks decamped to the east coast for vacation. Luckily Iggs (as she's commonly known) forgot about the last time Madonna visited and nearly bit her (and only was interrupted by long suffering hubby who received the slashing in her place, but we really shouldn't have mentioned that, ok?).

Madonna the Queen of the World

Ignatia the Sweet Hostess

Iggs heads for a morning drink

Madonna makes sure Iggs is only getting a drink

Jiggs the cat stops in for a snack

Madonna, Iggs and Jiggs all enjoy dark leafy greens

No one was hurt during this visit, unless you count Iggy's pride when Madonna jumped down from on high and climbed on top of her. Both Iguanas are used to cats drinking their water and eating their food (thankfully). The mitigating factor here was that it is winter and the girls are in a kind of slow motion semi-hibernation where they don't eat much and sleep a lot on their heating pads (and get covered up at night and generally spoiled a bit). Madonna left fully refreshed and ready to nap some more when her family picked her up.
Oh, the life of a celebrity...

AVP-R, Keepin' It Real

2007-12-26T18:59:00.001-08:00

I often read blogs written by people in the UK and they just don't understand American's obsession with guns. I'm going to explain.
First of all, you never know when Alien monsters will drop by for a visit and want to use your body as an incubator or for food. Predator monsters might be nearby as well chasing the Alien monsters and feel the need to stop and hunt a hapless human.
Most of all, the government might be lying to you. You never know when the government might need to blow your town up to prevent further Alien monster infestations and you might need to fight your way to freedom.

You see, it's all about freedom.

"We should have landed in London instead"

PS. My boys made me go see "Aliens vs Predator Requiem" with them. It was gory and I spent at least 1/3 of the movie with my eyes covered. A real mother-sons bonding moment if ever there was one. I still think Diesel could make good caption contest hay with this movie.

What They're Learning at College

2007-12-17T19:35:00.000-08:00

Zero Punctuation from Escapist Magazine dot com.
You send your baby off to a nice private school and one day he wanders home. So we've been enjoying some mother-son bonding moments over these crude yet hilarious cartoon offerings that review video games. This guy is the King of Snark. His review of Guitar Hero III was spot-on. I picked one with somewhat less naughty language so as not to give anyone a case of the vapors. Enjoy!

A Romance Reader's Delight: Real Magic

2007-12-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

I've never read anything quite like it ... er, because I don't usually read romance novels. But I'm nothing if not a loyal blog-pal so I'm pimping another book, Real Magic.

Real Magic, a romance-fantasy, tells the story of a successful, selfish businessman named Leo and a young, hot, but confused woman named Cassie. Their unlikely meeting and fateful romance is the heart of this novel. The fantasy part occurs via Cassie. Is she a witch who is evil or a victim of evil? Throw in Cassie's annoying mother and a surly, self confident bad guy and presto, you have conflict. Oh yeah, there's lots of sex too (if you like that kind of thing, wink, wink!). So head on over to Brian's place and check it out. I think Chapter 1 is up for free.

Do you think true love is the real magic?

Good Day Sunshine

2007-12-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

I went Christmas shopping today. It felt good and I spent a little too much money. I didn't feel impatient with the enormous woman who decided to start looking for her checkbook after her items were rung up and then the register wouldn't read (or accept) her check. I went to four different stores. I wasn't angry when the guy in the big truck went the wrong direction in the parking lot and almost smashed me.

WP washed the dogs and now they smell good again.

FPM comes home next week!

TestCase sold another car!

Hummingbirds are visiting my new feeder.

My Freakin' Recovery, OK?

2007-12-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of Motorcycle Suicide Guy's impromptu memorial. I was effing pissed off about it because I had to drive by it everyday, twice a day. Oh, oh, why be angry with the poor bastard?
I happen to still be mad at my father the alcoholic/drug addicted jerk who offed himself when I was a kid. He terrorized us with his attempts before getting it right.
Motorcycle Suicide Guy also has kids. I found out more about him through a motorcycle forum he was a member of. Dude had a lot of friends. Around 200 people gave his widow $10 grand. He planned it all out right down to a note and a phone call to police at the bottom of the hill at 5:00 am, so that his smashed up remains wouldn't have to be around for too long. I guess he just snapped. So I got over being mad and I started to go around to the side entrance to avoid the giant photo, flowers, teddy bears, bad energy, and other assorted mementos.
Now the Dead Dad Days are nearly over. That would be the anniversary dates of the deaths of my biodad, stepfather and father-in-law: Dec.1, 2 & 3. I liked my FIL the best cuz he actually liked me, daresay, maybe loved me like a daughter.
So after obsessive ruminations, a few bad dreams and a short trip on the crazy train, I got over it. I don't even think "Stupid DoucheBag!" when I might pass the nonworking waterfall. In fact, I'll bet it will be fixed as soon as they can finish cleaning out all of MSG's body bits from the filter. I am so over this.

Now for something completely different. This is the photo that I WON'T be sending out with the Christmas cards:

These are some of my ab fab fav people hamming it up with daddy's cigars. This goes into a 5x7 frame for hubby as a Christmas gift. They are my reasons to be grateful and I never stop knowing that.

AND: Return of the Pomchi, part 2
My friends are going on a Christmas cruise, so I get Maggie for 2 whole weeks!! Yippee!
Everyone around here loves her, even Crystal and Toby the carefree retrievers (well, maybe not long suffering hubby who has had to learn to like living in somewhat of a zoo).

Dispatches from the Back of a Goldwing...

2007-11-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

and at the conclusion of the ride I post silly photos.

I'm looking at trees from below or beside going along at around 50 mph, somewhere in the foothills of the Sierras. I dare even to take a goofy picture of myself. Thanksgiving day a lost black lab decided my house was the place to hang out. We put up posters in the neighborhood and her freaked out owner came and got her the very next day. That same day Warrior Princess found a wallet with a full compliment of credit cards and a $100 bill while shopping with her dad. Hubby successfully tracked down the grateful owner. A feel-good day all the way around.

But the dead dad days are upon me and a sick bastard killed himself at the waterfall entrance to my housing development, splattering himself and his motorcycle to bits. I am SO conflicted about how I feel about this. I'm going to think (more like ruminate obsessively) some more about this. Bottom line: I feel sorry for his family/the dude totally pisses me off...

Random Bits and Pieces

2007-11-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

Hilarious cat emoticons: Just because I feel like it.

Baby Box Turtles! These little darlings are spending the Thanksgiving week with me while school is out. They were brought in by a student whose mom had bought them at a garage sale. The story told was that they had a pair of turtles who were very fertile. Luckily, the babies fell into my sphere of influence and are receiving top notch care and feeding. Yeah, that's my dog's nose at the left edge of the pic.

I'm just guessing, but this seems like phony science to me:

The upside of the Wildcats not making playoffs, is that FPM gets to come home for Thanksgiving. WooHoo!

TestCase got a new job. He is now selling cars for the local VW dealership. When he sold his first car, his boss cut his tie in half. Unfortunately it was borrowed from dear old dad. That is what Christmas is for, right? -to buy the men in the house new ties! Anyway, he has sold 4 cars already in 2 weeks. He is only 22 years old, so it is a good time to try it out.

AND the best news of all. Recent blood tests have revealed that all is well in medland. WooHoo number 2!

I agree that freerice.com is completely addicting.

Finally, if you want to have a good short scare, check out Lady Axe's site, Helltic and check out her short film "Ukoyika". It was chosen for a South African horror short-film festival. It is all good fun and I promise it is not too frightening.

Lightning Strikes FPM Twice

2007-11-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

My poor hard working FootballPlayingMan: at the end of summer 'o6 as he was preparing to go away to college for the first time, the dive shop he worked for all summer went out of business. He never got paid. I'm sure the fucktard bankruptcy lawyers got their cut. Added insult: About a month later the former dive shop owner had the nerve to call my hubby and see if he wanted to go on a group dive excursion that he was arranging. Ah, how about NO, fuck no! That's what I said. Hubby politely declined. He felt sorry for the guy cuz he had to sell his house, blah, blah...
FPM has received approximately 2,000 mailings from the bankruptcy court assuring him that there are no assets so, tough shit.

Fast forward to this summer. He works like a dog all summer for Atlas Marketing (Provo, Utah) installing Dish satellite receivers. He has to crawl through attics, fish wires under houses, climb on roofs and deal with the general public Finally, gets his last paycheck at the end of last month. After depositing it into his account it bounces back "reported lost or stolen". Hey that was $528 any hard working college student could use. Especially since he EARNED it. Added insult: His bank charged him $7 for the bounced check and repeated phone calls to his former boss have gone unanswered because he is on an Atlas cruise! Argh! Grrr! I have discovered they are going out of business and many employees' paychecks are bouncing. So he doesn't have to feel like the Lone Ranger, but that is not much comfort.

I think he will work for hubby's company as an intern next summer. Clean and safe office work with no chance of bankruptcy.

Tunnel of Terror Post Halloween Autopsy ...

2007-11-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

It was fun!

demon ghoul gate keeper:

Inside the Tunnel other creepy dudes, Kevin, Randy and Gary are waiting to jump out amid the fog, black lights and really, really scary loud noises. If you survive, you can have a bit of candy! That is if the dead monster guy doesn't wake up and grab your hand ...

The Tunnel of Terror was roundly regarded as a stunning, scary success by all students polled at the local elementary school. Personally, I screamed like a little girl. They got me, they got me good, but I won't be trying to get them back anytime soon. For one thing, they are bigger than me and way more frightening.

The Tunnel was constructed by the ever creative TestCase, wearer of the awful, evil t-shirts with naughty messages. Naturally he had the help of his favorite allies (and they had snacks and supplies!).

What he doesn't want you to know: the winged demon ghoul guy kept a secreted bucket of candy to whip out for little kids too horrified to go into the tunnel.

Yeah, he's a demon with a heart of ghould. Boooooo! Hardy, har, har...

I'm tired, ok?

Linfield Wildcats Use Menlo Oaks as a Scratching Post

2007-10-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

The Wildcats were victorious over the Oaks 37-6. Pregame, hamburgers were eaten, beer was consumed at our parking lot party. Lots of cheering could be heard. I swear there were more of us visiting fans than Menlo fans. We got to go onto the field afterwards and visit with our ab fab fav FootballPlayinMan, D-end #85.

Road Trip/ Tailgate Party -Wildcat Style-

2007-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Linfield College travels to the San Francisco Bay area this weekend to take on Menlo College. That's only about 2.5 hours away. WooHoo! We are taking our RV with lots of people (mostly TestCase and his friends) and we will have an honest-to-goodness tailgate party.
Go Wildcats!

Linfield College vs. University of Puget Sound

2007-10-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

Division 3 college football is terrific. I get a little pissed that it doesn't get main stream media coverage. Geez, high school ball gets more press than D3 football. Well I'm going to do my bit here on my little itty bitty blog. Just cuz I can. Photographic diarrhea, D3 style:

Cheerleaders do their part: A partial view of the Catdome:

I'm #85's #1 FAN!
and pregame prayer

Linfield College Family Weekend

#85 was moved back to defense end and he got to play in Linfield's 37-0 victory over UPS. He made several tackles, so I got to hear his name announced. We took him out for a steak dinner after the game.

On the field after the game, all the parents got to visit and hang out with their favorite players.

A very good day indeed.

Navel Gazing 101

2007-10-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm getting back to my old self. Test Case turned 22 and he has a new drug that he is taking along with the old one. All seems well with him for now. In one month he will get another blood test to check the theraputic levels (of the drugs) and liver enzymes.

I was quite depressed. For a time I came home from work everyday and slept for one hour until Warrior Princess got home from school. I caught a cold and got over it. I had nightmares. My dark passenger would not leave me alone.

This morning I got my jaw drilled with the titanium implant. In four months I will get the new fake tooth. My friend vicodin and I are staying home today.

Last weekend I got back on the blogsphere and looked around and I laughed and it felt good.
I really don't like descending into the black hole, but the dark passenger drags me down until I can fight him off. I will never do to my kids what was done to me. I hold that truth above all others. It is the steel rod in my spine which will never bend no matter what. And the well- wishings of friends never seen and far away lifts me up...
thank you.

Boom, Boom, Out Go the Lights

2007-09-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Anybody remember this old chestnut? Pat Travers?

I'm taking a slight hiatus. Test Case had another seizure which was the result of an unhappy collision of bad decision making and medication that is no longer working so well. And it happened at an unusual time of day. I hope to get the meds problem resolved this week after the blood tests come back.
I just feel depressed right now and stressed out...

Linfield College: Home of the Wildcats

2007-09-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Linfield College, McMinnville Oregon
As one of the oldest colleges in the west, Linfield recently celebrated their 150th anniversary.
Linfield is a tiny school with under 3,000 students.
They are a perennial football powerhouse at the division III level. In 2004 they won the D3 national championship.

The Wildcats hold the national collegiate record for most consecutive winning seasons at 51.

Their season opener is this Saturday against Western Oregon (nonleague game).

My son (FPM, middle child, age 19) is #85, fighting for playing time at the tight end position. He is a sophomore. He spent his freshman year on the scout team (practice squad) as a defensive end. He was converted to TE at the end of last season and he is now on the varsity squad.
Go Wildcats!
I will give periodic updates and try hard not to bore those of you who don't like sports.

Tiger in a Tree and Other Backyard Beauties

2007-08-28T16:05:00.001-07:00

My indoor cat let himself out and climbed a tree. He has an incredibly original name -Tiger (cuz, you know, he looks like a ...)
The rest is what one of my favorite bloggers, Candace calls "photographic diarrhea". Why am I so amused at that tag? Must be my inner kid.
Work life is very busy and annoying (not the children of course they can't help it, but the other teachers, the ones that do not like dealing with 'student support services' aka special ed and especially the kids that go with it).
Yikes! Did anyone follow that?
I'm short and sweet (but actually tall and cranky!).

Tagged by an Emissary of Heaven

2007-08-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite priest tagged me. How can I say no to that?

4 jobs I've had:
pathology assistant
Histotechnologist
DNA image analysis tech
Special Ed teacher

4 countries I've visited:
Italy
U.K.
France
Germany

4 places I'd rather be:
Zoppola, Italy
Chincoteague Island
New York City
by a creek in a forest, any forest

4 foods I like to eat:
chocolate
pasta
bread
heirloom tomatoes

4 personal heros:
Oprah
Jerry Rice
Rosalind Franklin
Alicia Appleman-Jurman

What one thing would you change if you could change the world?
Eliminate fundamentalism of every stripe. (Hey, we're just dreamin' here)

What tangible, sentimental "treasure" have you hung onto the longest?
A book called The Joey Story. It's about a dog and it's dog-eared too.

Oh, My Aching Back!

2007-08-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the ebb and flow of life rolls up into a tsunami and knocks you down on your ass.

And that is where I'm at right now -down but not out.
Test Case had an electrical storm in his brain, bashed his head and scraped his face and shoulder. He was in public with a friend and the paramedics who were called by a bunch of onlookers wanted to transport him. He hates that even though he knows they only want to help him. At the time I was taking Warrior Princess to the doctor for an ankle x-ray (luckily it's not broken, only bruised at the growth plate). The friend called FootballPlayinMan who was able to zoom over, sign off and take his brother home. FPM called and said Test Case looked bad but seemed to recover faster than usual. Asked about it later, Test Case says he 'forced' himself to come around faster because of all the questions the paramedics were asking him and people were looking at him and he was embarrassed. The crest of the wave is building now.

Stress goes to my back where I had a disc removed 15 years ago. Earlier in the week I did something to it (who the hell knows what -alien abduction perhaps?). More stress and the wave reaches its apogee. I cannot move at all or sleep even due to severe pain. So here I am laid up on the couch after visiting the doctor and begging for darvocet. Darvocet is a fucking miracle drug to me right now. Smaller waves are breaking now. School starts tomorrow and Wednesday FPM goes back to Oregon for college. WP is extremely excited about starting 7th grade. She got a math teacher one of the brothers had. Naturally she's heard horror stories, however she met this teacher at orientation and has wisely declared she will maintain an open mind and what do her stupid brothers know anyway, right?

JO Results

2007-08-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well, let's see, the Pirates didn't get shut out. The last game was a competition of the cellar dwellers and they managed a victory. Warrior Princess shot a goal from both her left and right hand (that was huge).
(side note: she's a lefty which confers a certain advantage in many sports, being able to shoot and pass from both sides is fan-flippin-tastic.)
WP has the ball here, looking to pass:

It was a good experience over all. Many of the girls showed tremendous growth in their abilities.
The older girls came to their games and cheered them on, made tunnels, showered them with good vibes and modeled good sportsmanship.
Big Picture Idea: In competition you learn many things about yourself and you find out just what it takes to be a winner. You discover how to be a graceful loser. (You decide again that you really do love water polo and want to sign up for the fall session.)

Here are the older girls making a tunnel for the 12U girls:

Water Polo Junior Olympics

2007-08-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

This tabby must be the goalie, because only the goalie is allowed to touch the ball with two paws. Not only that, where the heck is the goal box?
Hey it's still a cute picture.

Hubby and I have traveled to San Jose where the Warrior Princess is competing in this big-ass tournament. She is a novice player, but was invited to join the competitive team (12U) after playing a little rec ball early this summer. So she continued to swim for her swim team, play rec water polo as well as comp ball. She's a little hard body right now.
Unfortunately, her team might be the Bad News Bears of water polo. Now, don't get me wrong this Junior Olympics thing is a big deal. Teams from all over the country are competing. Most of the teams are older girls 14U, 16U and 18U. For the twelve year olds this is an experiential thing. (WP is only 11, not 12 till Nov.) In their last game they got spanked pretty bad by the Davis team. Many of the girls on our team are novices. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, we will be in San Jose through the weekend. C U L8R!

Antisocial Commentary Release Party...

2007-07-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

OR what the heck are cyber-friends good for anyway?

Today is the day we've all been waiting for -Diesel's self-published book Antisocial Commentary From the Secret Files of the Mattress Police is finally out for sale. Why am I helping this dude in his shameless bid for publicity? First of all Diesel is a very funny fellow. He has a gazillion factoids stored in his giant throbbing dome and he manages to write about them all, sometimes simultaneously. Secondly, Diesel is an equal opportunity jester -he makes fun of everybody! Finally, I have come to believe that he is a genuinely good guy.

So go forth fellow bloggers* and check Diesel out. If you're not laughing out loud, you will at least be smiling.

*note to the Vixens, he also thinks our guy rocks!

You Can't Stop the Beat: Hairspray

2007-07-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

I was completely charmed by this movie today. My guests, Warrior Princess and her BFF Maria also thoroughly enjoyed all the singing and dancing (and of course they were already big Zac Efron fans).

I never saw the original movie or the stage musical, so I didn't even know the plot. WP and I saw the preview when we went to see Nancy Drew (a good movie to see with a young daughter) with my mom in VA. She turned to me in the theatre and said, "We have to see that!". She is definitely my movie-musical buddy because there is not a chance in hell of convincing Hubby, Test Case or FPM to see any movie where there is singing involved.

The cast was wonderful. Nikki Blonsky plays Tracy the overweight main character, Tracy whose personality is so infectious, you cannot help but root for her. Christopher Walken usually gives me the creeps but he was sweet in his role as Tracy's dad and principle cheerleader. John Travolta plays Tracy's mom which sounds weird but it really works. Elijah Kelley plays Seaweed, Tracy's detentional hall dance buddy. He shows her some of his moves. He shows Tracy's BFF Penny (Amanda Bynes) his million megawatt smile and romance blooms. Naturally Tracy falls for Link (Zac Efron). And what's not to like about Queen Latifah? The bad girl mother-daughter duo of Michelle Pfeiffer and Brittany Snow don't fail to make you hate them.

I just thought it was highly entertaining. Yes, some of the 60's dance moves make people look like they are having seizures (and I would know, hehe), but still, in all there was nothing in this movie that would prevent you from enjoying it with your mom or likewise your kids.

That is my short but sweet movie recommendation for your weekend viewing pleasure.

Tai Shan, Meerkats, Reptiles and Random Aquatics

2007-07-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row, the baby panda (Tai Shan) at the National Zoo has made an appearance for me. Yes just for me! Can you believe it? Well he's hardly a baby anymore at age two, but he is still quite adorable.

And the meerkats -they had babies this year - playful, so tiny, and just starting to forage for a little food.

Can you find the chameleon? He is very hard to see. We were also at hand when the reptile keeper hand fed the veiled chameleon (crickets -you wanted to know!).
Click on the picture, it gets bigger.

AMAZONIA!

Wanna Kiss?!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy Jig

2007-07-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ten days in Virginia might have been too much or not enough, depending...
Thank G-d I had the Warrior Princess by my side.
I saw All my sibs, one only briefly. Most of that was good fun that was funny. Then there was the drunken outburst from one brother that led me to declare him "a douche bag" to his face. I'm not sorry, cuz he really was acting like an asshole.
My mother was acting strangely childlike and it caused me to gaze upon her with a fearful eye, yet in some very important ways she is living her best life ever.
Auntie was friendly and nice, all faculties intact. The remaining non-drunken sibs and their offspring were for the most part friendly and we enjoyed getting to know them again. I like WP to hang out with her cousins, she doesn't have any here.
WP and I spent some real quality time together exploring D.C. She's only 11, so we still get along fabulously.
Back on the home front, the guys kept all animals healthy (and -bonus!- the house didn't smell bad!). Most of the plants and my garden survived. We were missed. I brought gifts.
Happy, happy, joy, joy.

My Vacation to the Front Lines

2007-06-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

I flew into BWI last night. The Warrior Princess and I are visiting my family in Virginia. There's a big fight going on between my mom and her sisters. One of the aunties lives here with mom. I love them both (I'm estranged from the other sister, she's a mean wack job). So I walk the balance beam, careful not to make either mad. Doesn't this sound like fun? People always want to know why I live so far away. Hahaha, I'm smart that's why. Actually it will be fun to visit with my sibs and to jump on the metro and see D.C. with WP.
We will make the very best of it.

Return of the Pomchi Plus Summer Fun, Lizards and Toads, oh my?

2007-06-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is Ignatia, AKA, Iggs enjoying the summer heat and her personal lettuce planter:

The fire-belly toad tank needed cleaning so here's a look at them. I think they are beautiful and they call to each other in what can only be described as mellifluous yet somewhat haunting tones. The blue anoles (one is shown on the left) are the tank mop up crew. They run around and eat the extra crickets, mealworms and beetles that the toads miss. I know Rose probably has these running wild all over in Florida! Rose, I hope you appreciate the mass of insects these guys slurp up!

Here's the summer fun part:

The ever-creative Test Case and his friend set up their own version of the old Slip'nSlide for WP and her BFF to enjoy. The big guys even used it but I was threatened with certain death if I posted any of that!

I have really been cranking out the housework that I like to get done every summer. I'm giving myself a break today and my favorite furfriend, Maggie is visiting today. She is the puppy my daughter babysat for ten days and she has not forgotten or stopped loving us. My how she has grown and you can see how she has lost her fluffiness.

Someone Punched Me in the Head

2007-06-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

or maybe it just feels that way. Dental surgeries have been checked off the list. To the baby-faced endodontist (root canal) I say "Well done, sir. You may look like you are only 14, but you really know your shit."
To my own dentist (extraction & bone graft) I say "Thank you for not scrimping on the novacaine or vicodin."
In other news, Mama Duck abandoned her nest and thus the embryos have perished. The nest was in a singularly awful location. I learned much about duck nesting behavior from my research into this matter. It seems that up to 85% of mallard duck nests fail. Mother ducks often need a year or two in order to get it right. Ground nesting birds are subject to greater predation rates, so a success rate of 15% is all that is needed to replenish the population. The sad reality of nature is that we must accept what cannot be changed *thanks to Ann for reminding me of that*.

How about those Sierra Nevada Mountains? Beautiful and as of last weekend still covered with a bit of snow. This is a view from about 8,000 feet near Silver Lake from the back of the Goldwing. It was a glorious day.

I love the fact that I live close to these mountains.

I Want to Fix Something

2007-05-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Lord, anything right about now. There's a duck nest in the empty lot next door. When the babies hatch, she'll have a hell of a time getting them to the reservoir (too many fences and the babies must walk). Not sure there's anything I can do about that, but I sure want to save those ducklings. Heard the familiar thump, bump, whack! on Memorial Day emanating from Test Case's bathroom. Caesar boy up to his old tricks again. Damn sure there's nothing I can do about that either. I wish I could fix it, but really all I could do was shove a thickness of towel between his shoulder and the water faucet because it was beating him up pretty badly. All that was there between his head and the metal door railing was hubby's hand. It didn't seem to go on and on forever like it usually does. I'm getting USED TO THEM. shit, did i just say that?

How can I find the words to express my anger, frustration and misery towards the universe, towards fate for giving my son grand mal (now called tonic-clonic) seizures. Fuck, I am so sick of it. I am helpless, guilty and sad.
Everytime he has one I feel like a little piece of him is floating off into the ether, never to be heard of again. I pray his employers won't find some reason to sack him.
And yet, I am strangely grateful. He is alive. He is functioning. His true friends have stuck by him.
Life moves on...
So here's a funny little thing that happened last night. I took the Warrior Princess shopping for her first ever high-heeled shoes for the 6th grade completion ceremony. She proudly walked around in the house with them on, and then exclaimed "Hey mom, these shoes make your butt wag."
That's my girl.

A Porch With a View....

2007-05-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

or what twenty-somethings do when they get bored. In the middle of the night. With their sister's chalk. I often say Test Case is 21 going on 17. He would be SO insulted if he heard me say that. Hey, I have evidence:

Happy Face Court, it's like crop circles
without the aliens

The plans for said court drawing:

Last weekend, it was the Gangsta/Gangster party. That's my pride and joy on the right.
Complete with 'grill'. He toils away at his restaurant job so he can have all the latest accessories.

But then he has to go and be a bad influence on his little sister...
(who then had to run across the street and see the decorations only to be summarily booted out by big brother)

To be fair these fellows have theme parties throughout the year and they have done Hollywood, Halloween, GQ, and Luau parties as well.
So he's not the towering intellectual I dreamed he'd be back when he was 5 and he knew the scientific names of all the dinosaurs. He's alive. He's working. He does his best to keep track of his meds so he doesn't wind up a gibbering idiot from time to time. Once in a while he enjoys a good party. Big Picture Idea: I'm fine with that.
Could he do more? Yes, and hopefully he will figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He is on his own timetable.

Karma Bites Me in the Ass, Sort of...

2007-05-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

In a flash of age-related forgetfulness, I missed the Volunteer sign-up for the Warrior Princess's swim team. Everyone must sign up or you don't get to come back next season (or so they say). In all the years WP has swam, I have never shirked my duty. This time, as one of the slackers, I was randomly assigned to The Snack Bar. Yuck and double Yuck! I ran the football stadium snack bar while FPM played HS football. It was fun at the time, but really hard work and I was glad it was over.

I must admit sheepishly, that I was tempted to call back the swim snack bar lady and lie and say I wouldn't be attending this meet. No Way could I ever really do that (catholic upbringing?).

I showed up and worked my shift. Know what? It wasn't so bad. There were enough people that I was able to run over and watch WP swim her races. I worked my shift and stayed to help them dismantle. I remembered why I did this in the first place (swim team is time consuming). She loves the sport. When the boys were young I logged countless hours driving to practices, clinics, games, tournaments and lessons for baseball, basketball, soccer and football. I'm certainly not inclined to do any less for the girl! I also signed her up for an instructional water polo league later this summer. The new HS opening up in our town this fall will have a pool, so she could play water polo in HS if she wants (in 3 years).

I missed the sign-ups, felt like I got screwed with snack bar duty, knew it was my own damn fault, and was mad at myself, but the final result turned out just fine. WP swam well and she is now tired (always a plus). I was reminded why everyone needs to pull together and do the work, even the horrifying snack bar work. We do it for our children. Eventually they really do appreciate it.

"Yarp!" What do the Ming Dynasty and Hot Fuzz Have in Common?

2007-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well, me of course. I received an early surprise Mother's Day gift of a plane ticket to Oregon where I visited FPM. It just so happens he turned 19 on Sunday. I rolled into Portland early Saturday afternoon, my son picked me up and we drove about an hour to McMinnville where he attends Linfield College. He is a football player for the Linfield Wildcats, hence the name of my blog.
FPM needed to spend some quality time in the library researching a paper he is writing having to do with the Mongols, Manchus, Chinese Ming Dynasty and the Great Wall. Oh and I Hate libraries -NOT! And did I mention he seems to have expanded in muscular proportion? He's so much bigger than I remember from just this winter.
All that researchin' built up our appetites so we had to go out and have a wonderful dual Mother's Day/Birthday dinner. We discussed movies. I mentioned that I had heard Hot Fuzz was a good movie (thanks to MalnurturedSnay). FPM really wanted to see it, so I agreed. Guess what, it was hilfreakinlarious. Surely these people are channeling Monty Python.
The following day we Had to partake in a dual Mother's Day/Birthday breakfast. Gee that was delicious too. Getting the picture here? It was just a huge and wonderful surprise (thanks Hubby!). I loved seeing the beautiful campus (flowers everywhere!) and spending time in that cute little town (3rd Street! -bead shop!). The best part was seeing my son who I miss but at the same time I am really happy about where he is and what he is doing. And I actually got home in time to have another Mother's Day dinner with the rest of the fam (stuffed like a porker I am!).
If it makes Mama happy then, it is "For the greater good" (see that movie!).

The Day the Principal Saved the Bees

2007-05-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

The honeybees are swarming at our school. Right near the parking lot. They are in transition, getting ready to find a permanent home. They have been in this tree for about 4 days. Some unenlightened people complained. The principal called the school district and asked them to take care of it. Naturally, they sent a guy out who was just going to blast them with chemicals and kill them all. They're honeybees! The principal of our school sent the chemical dude packing ( I love that guy!). He called all around and found a beekeeper who is coming out and taking them away to a nice new home. Get this -he uses a special low-suction vacuum device to suck them up so they won't be hurt. I snapped some shots of the swarm because it looks so awesome. It is huge. In the middle photo it is in the upper left side of the tree. Every chance I get I lecture the kids at school about the importance of bees to our ecosystem, so another teacher and I are going to put together a little book about our special swarm just for our school. Can you guess the title?

Mrs. Grumpy Grumpington

2007-05-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I am just so pissed off right now about my teeth. Yesterday I was coming off an adrenaline surge related to Test Case and the seizure that he did not have after all (thank you, God). I went to the dentist for the usual cleaning of my usually clean and terrific teeth. I have lovely teeth but they actually suck.
I have to have a root canal on #14 (upper left) and a removal of #30 (lower right) due to an extreme abcess. Then I will have to a have a bone graft and an implant into my jaw in order to have a tooth there. It takes 4 months for the graft to heal, another 4 months for the titanium pin to heal and only then do I get a (fake) tooth.
I. Hate. Dental. Work.
And I have a funny feeling my insurance won't cover the implant. Why should it, after all to make a bridge which they would cover means grinding down and crowning two other perfectly fine teeth. Doesn't that make good sense?
F*** insurance companies and the horses they rode in on.

Cuz We've All Had Too Much Shitty

2007-04-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

"Come and get it
Lost it at the city limit
Say goodbye
'Cause they will find a way to trim it
Everybody
Lookin' for a silly gimmick
Gotta get away
Can't take it for another minute

Chitty chitty baby
When your nose is in the nitty gritty
Life could be a little sweet
But life could be a little shitty
What a pity
Boston and a Kansas City
Looking for a hundred
But you only ever found a fifty"

-Tell Me Baby, Red Hot Chili Peppers

POMCHI TIME!
I only wish the stupid flash didn't make
her eyes look so weird.
Cutest Puppy Ever!
My daughter is doggy sitting for some
friends on a cruise.

My New Old Self

2007-04-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Attempting to get my avatar back...

Stunned into Silence

2007-04-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

There's been an evil rip in the psychic fabric of the collective unconsciousness and it has made me depressed. Virginia is my home state. My brother graduated from VT. Another brother is an English professor at another so.VA college. I have a son away at college. Yesterday there was a bomb scare and evacuation at the ISO (controls a big part of the CA electrical grid) and it is in my town. Everyone I personally know is fine, but I can't shake the malaise. I'm going to spend a little QT in my garden and figure out where to put my outside worm farm.

:(

2007-04-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Blogger's being a bitch. It dumped my avatar for no reason I can determine and it won't let me put it back! Aaaarrrrggghhhh!

P.S. Yeah! I think I figured out how to get it back

'Saving the World One Worm at a Time'

2007-04-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Me: "I'm thinking about starting a worm farm in the kitchen. You know I could compost all the fruit and veggie trimmings that go down the disposal everyday. We could just keep it right under the sink and I read that they don't even smell bad."

Long Suffering Hubby: "Are you dry shavin' me? I got a guinea pig in the living room, hermit crabs in the family room, a blind cat in the upstairs bathroom, an iguana in my bathroom, fire belly toads in the rec room, plus the two other cats and two large hairy retrievers that roam the house. No, I do not want a worm farm in the kitchen, sorry."

I just feel so misunderstood. :( wah, wah wah...
Don't even ask about the Iguana (unless you want to adopt a 4 foot long lizard).
In case you were wondering about wormfarming you can look here.
It is actually not such a bad idea.

What's the buzz? Tell Me What's Happening

2007-04-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

"One thing I'll say for him- Jesus is cool"

-Caiaphas (according to Tim Rice)

"Hey JC, JC you're alright by me
Sanna Ho Sanna Hey Superstar"

"Everytime I look at you I don't understand
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand
You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned
Why'd you choose such a backward time
and such a strange land?
If you'd come today you would have reached a whole nation
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication
Don't you get me wrong - I only want to know"

- Judas (from the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar)

I love this music and I had some alone time today while preparing Easter dinner, so I got to listen to this again.
Jesus, the original rebel- the original superstar.

My Funny Dog

2007-04-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

Crystal makes the funniest faces. She is the sweetest dog in the whole world. I only wish she knew how to make fresh toast and hot chocolate. Other than that she's the perfect dog.
(and she could learn how to put away laundry, that might be helpful...)

A Walk with a Dog

2007-03-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

A 10 year old boy's response to this prompt:

One day while you are out on a walk with a dog, the dog suddenly starts talking about where he used to live and how he would like to visit that place again. Write about what happens that day.

USE ONLY A NO. 2 PENCIL TO WRITE YOUR NARRATIVE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A Walk with a Dog" tells about me and a dog that take a walk in the big city. We walked so far that we got lost in another city that looked nice. Suddenly the dog told me that he remembered something and as I stepped up to it, it was a movie theater that I had gone to 2 years ago. I peeked inside a window when I saw people buying tickets and going inside to watch a movie. The dog was peeking in too. We left because we didn't have any money or tickets to watch a movie.
Then I settled off to home in a forest with the dog beside me. By 4 hours, it was dark out. Then I spotted something in the distance and it became an old log cabin. We became excited. Next, we went inside, got firewood, and started lighting up a fire in a small room. The dog walked into a small kitchen and made fresh toast and hot chocolate. We ate and drank it all up until our tummies became really full. After that, we put out the fire, washed the dishes, and found a comfortable bed to sleep in. Then we went under the covers as the dog turned out the light and snuggled in with me and fell asleep.
By the next morning we decided to go for a little walk in the forest as we pulled our clothes on and slowly walked out the door. Then we saw a pretty river in the distance and we wanted to get across the river, but it was too wavey to get across. Just then we saw a canoe sitting on a sandy beach. We climbed in and started towards the water then started down the river very fast. We were going so fast and there were big falls ahead of us, then the canoe was starting to tip to the other side. Just then, we fell down the falls but the dog grabbed on to something. It was a big branch and I pulled on it then it broke. Next, we fell all the way to the bottom and went beneath the waves and swam to shore and we were lost again.
We slowly walked along the shore very carefully then started walking back to the cabin, but there was no way to get back but across the dangerous river. The dog agreed to swim carefully then we swam back into the river and made it to shore safe.
After that, our clothes were soaked and wet. We put on clean clothes and went out of the door and ran home as fast as we could and saw the river again and smelled food somewhere. We saw a small town. We saw lots of food, but just as we started to walk in, the dog spotted something on the deck. It was money, a $5 bill. We saw a snack shop and went inside the little shop. We found a lot of interesting stuff inside, candy bars, salt, sugar, and chocolate. We gave the clerk the $5 bill. We even got a drink and some chocolate and a sandwich at the lunchshop and snackshop. After that, we found a sunny spot in a field and had a little picnic. By 2 whole days later, we remembered this place near the city, it was a street that led us into the forest.
Just then a sign said ..."Big City" -------> We turned right at the road then we saw the city and the theater again. We turned left and went into our own city and back into our neighborhood. We saw our house and went inside. We were very happy to be home. The dog and I thought of something we could do, watch a movie about a boy and a girl who get lost in the state of Nome, Alaska. That was the best thing we ever did, and that was the best day of the year ever.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I only edited this very slightly for clarity. The spelling was correct (unless I made a typo). I thought this was very well done for a 10 year old who is "on the spectrum" as they say.

Too Cool!

2007-03-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

I open my mailbox today and find the latest Scientific American with "The Dazzling Future of Plasmonics" on the cover. I'm not gonna lie, I mostly just look at the pictures in the articles about physics and maybe read the take home points if I feel very ambitious. I prefer to read about the genetics of alcoholism, the intelligence of ravens and the role of maternal serotonin on the fetal development. This was just too fun to pass up.
Here's the title and subtitle:

"A technology that squeezes electromagnetic waves into minuscule structures may yield a new generation of superfast computer chips and ultrasensitive molecular detectors

The Promise of PLASMONICS"

Later, in the blogosphere: I find Diesel as part of the new generation, delighting geeks everywhere, with his Picard transformation. Could he possibly know something about plasmonics that the rest of us are simply not privy too?? Hummmm.....?

Do Over: And Now for Something Completely Horrible

2007-03-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

For about 12 hours yesterday I posted pictures of my oldest son's completely offensive t-shirts. I mentioned that I banned him from wearing them at home. I woke up this morning and deleted that post and the most awful pics of the collection. These are a few that aren't quite so bad. Test Case has a friend whose shirt is so bad his own grandma pays him NOT to wear it!
This is obviously done for shock value. And it works...
I don't think any girls would like these, but Test Case had a bad break up fairly recently so he is not happy with girls right now. Mostly these guys wear the (offensive)shirts under other shirts and sweatshirts. They wear them hanging around each other. I think there might be a secret contest to see who can be the most disgusting! The other issue that bugged me was that I posted a warning as to the rated "R" nature of the post, however, blogger being the bitch it can be decided the warning needed to come after the pics. Then it wouldn't let me edit. Argh!

I Want Your Reaction: California 4th Grade Writing Test

2007-03-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again. Time for the big state of California 4th grade writing test that all 4th graders are given. I am probably going to do something illegal here and post the writing prompt these kids were given. (But rest assured the testing is over so no tricky 10 year old can read my blog and get an advantage.)

Writing a Narrative

One day while you are out on a walk with a dog, the dog suddenly starts talking about where he used to live and how he would like to visit that place again. Write about what happens that day.

Well, whaddaya think my fellow blogging buddies? I don't want to reveal what I think but I am originally from the east coast where I was raised to believe California was 'the land of fruits and nuts'.

Later I may published an excerpt from the essay one of my special guys wrote. It reads more like an epic novel than a mere essay. It is highly creative and quite entertaining. This kid has a good imagination, a beginning, middle and end plus he uses descriptive language. I can hardly wait to see how it is scored because it doesn't follow precisely the prompt. (It is way better in my ever so humble opinion!)

Personal Responsibility: Will You Parents Just Go Get Some?

2007-02-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

And while you are at it, give some to your whining, bratty, bullying children! There I said it. I am SICK to death of certain mothers who think their own sweet little issues are incapable of acting like shitheads. Do you think W's backpack got superglued shut 'cuz she's just the most darling generous soul?? Do you think N got pushed on the playground because he was just trying to be someone's best friend?? And why, oh why, do you feel you must micromanage your child's social life?

These little grade school bullies are gonna get their asses kicked when they go to high school unless they learn:
1. how to solve their own problems
2. the universe is not revolving around their heads
3. you have to be a friend in order to make a friend
4. to have a least a small amount of tolerance for different personalities
5. how to be kind

Have I left anything out?
When my (older) kids got in any sort of trouble at school (and one did a lot, not naming names
* test case* :) or anything), my first question was usually- Well, what did you do?
Funny I don't ever recall running to their teachers, "wah! wah! my poor baby, the innocent sweetheart was victimized! wah! wah!"
breathe.relax.repeat
I feel better now.

Poppy and Tessie: The Amazing Therapy Rats

2007-02-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

I work in an elementary school with special needs kids who are fully included in regular classrooms. These kids have a diagnosis and most are high functioning "spectrum kids" (as in the autism spectrum). In addition there are a bunch of students at our school who have 'issues'. They fly under the diagnostic radar for a variety of problems ranging from social issues, reading glitches, bad parenting and even mental problems.

Twice a day, everyday all these kids all mix together for recess and then their frustrations can overlap and boil over. I have to brag a little about our school and say we have a good 'culture' and there really is not much teasing. Still, in all- shit happens and that's where Poppy and Tessie work their magic.

I haven't found an angry, frustrated, crying or sad child yet that can resist their charms. They never bite. They love to sniff, snuggle and play. Poppy and Tessie are sweet. But, why? I'm not sure. I just know that hardly a day goes by when I'm not thankful for their ratty little selves.
And that, my friends is how I've come to appreciate (domesticated) rats.

Feelin' the Love

2007-02-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

I received such an amazing outpouring of love and gifts from my students in the form of valentines, flowers, balloons, candy, chocolates, cupcakes, brownies and probably some other stuff I've forgotten about. If I actually eat all the sugar (sugar IS my crack- so I can't, I can't!), I will be as fat as a hog by Friday.

Happy Valentines Day to all my friendly blogging buddies! Life is so much better when I think, laugh and learn with you all.
Happy Valentines Day to my hubby who is not romantic but shows his love when he makes sure my car has clean oil and the windshield is clean so it is safe to drive at night in the rain.
Happy Valentines Day to Test Case who is so much more than his epilepsy. He's a guy with a fantastic group of loyal friends who really knows how to show he cares.
Happy Valentines Day to FPM who is not just a football player. No one is more tenacious and hard working than he is- a real role model.
Happy Valentines Day to the Warrior Princess who is not just a silly 6th grader. She's smart and funny, someone who knows how to have fun but can strike a balance with work that needs to be done.
Finally, Happy Valentines Day to Crissy, Toby, Jigs, Tiger and Graykitty because you sweet dogs and cats really know how to make me feel human (and drive down the blood pressure).

Desiring Miss Daisy

2007-02-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Today while over at Central Snark, my computer mascots Dick and his trusty assistant Rex couldn't help but notice Miss Daisy. They were besotted with her. They insisted I post a picture of them so she could 'check them out'. Well, here ya go fellas. Ah, good luck with that...

(I sure hope Daisy doesn't want to know why Rex rides around on Rodan's shoulders. Rodan is a friend to Godzilla, after all, but still it could give her pause when considering his other obvious charms.)

Cure For the Postictal Blues?

2007-02-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

Yeah it happened again. I was alone with him this time. Once again the bathroom was the scene. Funny how you find the strength to roll a 200+ lb. guy around onto his tummy. Anyway, I found found these things helpful:
chocolate chip cookies, LOCI and RHCP

Now the drug he is on has been maxed out. If he has another seizure in the next month or so, his doc will add on another med. Luckily no serious head bonking occurred, only a very sore left shoulder and hip.
He told me an interesting story about the state of his mind when he is 'gone'. He says he fights to get back, for his 'team'. He knows people are all around him urging him to get up, but they can't help him. They are frantic for him to get up before the 'other dude' who is across the river and is bad somehow. He fights hard because he doesn't want to disappoint his team. He doesn't know who these people are. They are close- bent over and kneeling down next to him, but they cannot touch him. He can see the 'other' struggling and he knows he has to be first.

Gave me the chills.

REST IN PEACE

2007-01-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

"Brilliant on the race track, Barbaro always will be remembered for his brave fight for survival."

It Involves the Use of a Sawzall, So Why Isn't He Happy?

2007-01-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Dad said "Son, since you're home on winter break with nothing better to do than exponentially expanding my grocery bill and adding more muscles to your massive muscles, could you replace a couple of rotting boards in the front deck?"
"Sure, Dad."
A couple of boards turned into six plus a crosswise underneath supporting board (whatever the hell its called) which required ripping up all the boards. All that got done. The new boards have mysteriously not yet been stained. Probably a mommy-do list item for the summer. That's ok, I didn't really want to use the sawzall anyway...

Jigs: Guardian of the Ginormous Slumbering Manchild

2007-01-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

Jigs was rescued by our family as a tiny 4 ounce just born babycat (along with three sisters who were placed in homes specially chosen by myself). This was long enough ago that her real name is Jigglypuff. You can see by the photos who she prefers to hang out with. But I ask you: Who bottlefed her every 2 hours?, Who wiped her little hiney with a warm cloth so she could go poo and not die of a bowl obstruction? Who convinced hubby to fork over $1200 so the vet could open her up from stem to sternum in order to dig out a piece of foam that she had eaten when she was 1 year old? Now, who does she give her love to?
Whata bitch!!

Guitar Heroine: This is Fun

2007-01-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have been burning up the PS2 lately playing this game. I'm happy to report that I played "Freebird" today at 83% on 'easy'. Ha ha, that is so lame compared with all the young guys around here that play on 'expert'. Actually we have the latest version Guitar Hero II, which allows you to play with another person (either competitively or cooperatively). All I can say is that it is fun and does not involve shooting people, jacking cars and blowing the heads off creepy monster-killers in very creative ways. Most of the songs are great fun- classic rock mainly. All the kids around these parts are now interested in classic rock, so I cannot see a downside to granting permission to use your music. Watching the colored dots moving on the screen is oddly relaxing and hypnotic and because a lot of the music is good, this is not a background annoyance the way other video games are. You know, gunshots, explosions, chainsaws and screaming are not that fun to listen to when you are in the kitchen cooking dinner. "Shout at the Devil" , "Surrender", and "Carry on Wayward Son" - that I can do.

The Road

2007-01-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

Over my vacation I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy and I cannot stop thinking about this book. (Diesel- I am NOT suggesting that you read this book)

On the face of it this book seems too dark and depressing (oh that's why I feel melancholy- dumbass alert!) But it is really a story about love/faith, good/evil and maintaining a meager civilization in a completely whacked out world.

It is the story of a father and son a few years after a major apocalyptic event. Cormac McCarthy is a minimalist who only tells you what you need to know without leaving major questions unanswered. This is a survival story; the struggle to survive in a hyper-harsh world.

"He sat by a gray window in the gray light in an adandoned house in the late afternoon and read old newspapers while the boy slept. The curious news. The quaint concerns. At eight the primrose closes. He watched the boy sleeping. Can you do it? When the time comes? Can you?"

The father is portrayed as having been educated and his son is an obvious sensitive soul, yet both are very tough.

"He rinsed the empty tin with water and gave it to the child to drink and that was that. I should have been more careful he said.
The boy didnt answer.
You have to talk to me.
Okay.
You wanted to know what the bad guys looked like. Now you know. It may happen again. My job is to take care of you. I was appointed by God. I will kill anyone who touches you. Do you understand?
Yes.
He sat there cowled in the blanket. After a while he looked up. Are we still the good guys? he said.
Yes. We're still the good guys."

Above all, this story, though awful at times is about the power of love.

Underdog Hell :(

2007-01-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

Awww! Is Brady Quinn not the cutest college QB? Too bad his friggin' team got spanked. Total let down. Now my personal football sage- the middle son, who actually plays college football, tells me that ND was overrated this year. Bummer :(
Of course LSU was at home and there was that whole hurricane thing...
Can't help it-- I still love the Irish.
Wah! Wah!

Underdog Heaven!!

2007-01-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

Way to go Boise State for beating Oklahoma! I have never seen such a fantastic college football game. They came out fighting and never gave up straight through to overtime. What a great freaking game!

WTF

2006-12-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

"What the f***?" were the first whispery words I heard the morning of Christmas Eve.
The first thing I heard was the downstairs shower. Five minutes later as I finished dressing, I heard boom! and crash!, crash! That could only mean one thing. Test Case was seizing in the shower.
With an accelerated heart pumping in my throat I raced downstairs. Hubby was already 'on the job'. We assumed our accustomed roles. There was no need for conversation. He held our son's head and shoulders and I threw a towel over him to preserve a bit of modesty. We waited.
It is like watching your kid die; only you know (or do you?) that he will revive. After a good minute that stretched for hours the convulsions ended and he began to breathe again in short gasping gulps for air. He was pale and blue lipped. His eyes skittered around, finally rested on each of us and he whispered,
"What the fuck?"

Ok people this is my therapy, I'm not trying for any boohooing sympathy stuff that undoubtedly is quite sincere. It took a another 15 minutes to get him into his bed. Test Case slept for the rest of the day. I woke him on and off to check for a concussion. He was ok except for a badly strained neck and a really bad headache. He couldn't go to work at his new job that day. Hubby drove over and explained the situation. Test Case needed a reboot which, unlike computers takes much, much longer. He went to work today. So far, so good. The rest of Christmas was super A-OK.
Epilepsy SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sugar is My Crack

2006-12-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Whew! I'm glad that's over. The last day of school before the holiday break is always fun. My day started early. I got to school early for my reading intervention class that exactly 5 out of 17 kids showed up for. I felt the love though when school officially began and I was inundated with gifts from my students in 4th grade. YUM! I try not to eat sugar but there it was and its my crack I can't resist. Everything kind of went nuts after that.

Every class had a party. I gathered my 'guys' at recess and we communed with the 4th grade pet rats (it calms them). Later at the teacher's request I pulled a 1st grade boy (who I work with at other times) who is 7 going on 17 from his class in order to do 'something' with him cuz he is Jewish and he tells the other kids that his dad says that Santa is "a bunch of Christian crap". Here's why I love the internet- I type in 'jewish children's art projects' and BOOM I've got coloring pages and a nifty idea for a special star of David card we can make for his parents. It actually works. He doesn't want to color, but he wants to do the card, his way of course, but that's ok. Then I make the mistake of asking him to tell me about Channukah. He lectures me on middle east politics (yes I know he is only 7, but he has been well schooled). I change the subject and I convince him that he is going to love third grade because he will have an actual jewish teacher (who is a friend of mine). Whew, that was close.

Its still the last day and I have paper work to turn in for the reading intervention but I can't get it done because I run into another teacher who informs me that Matt (the one kid I am officially attached to who has been just having a great year) repeated punched one of her students while I was dodging delicate religous talk with a 7 year old. Yikes! I privately think that other kid is a brat and probably deserved it. I never get the paperwork done. Matt wants to take the rats home for break and is freaking out about it. His mom is iffy on rats. I agree she can drop them off at my house after a few days (its ok, see the zoo post).

My daughter and I pack up all our school stuff so we can race home, get her boots and get her to her horseback riding lesson. It has changed locations and I'm not sure where to go. But mercy! I find it. My crack is wearing off. I'm tired and jittery. I lock my keys in the car at the end of the lesson. I haven't done that in 10 years because I have OCD. I phone hubby but it will take him 45 minutes to get out there in the dark. I have to climb a fence and step in horse poo to get out to the road to flag him down. My boys are annoyed with me for not calling them to come and rescue me. That is so sweet! They actually love me...
All is well until I wake up the next day and want more crack!!!!

Here's a Little Shout Out to Diesel

2006-12-10T19:45:00.000-08:00

I have a book recommendation for Diesel. I noted that he is a fan of science fiction, so perhaps he has read this already, but oh well...

Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh (1994)

This is the first book of a series, so if you like the story it is fun to read more. It is set on the world of atevi. The author really nails the experience of being in a completely foreign culture. I was transported and captivated by this world and the hero, Bren Cameron, who must grapple with the natives who are very, very dangerous. The atevi are humanlike but larger and more powerful. Bren is the only human allowed visit their society and negotiate on behalf of the humans. If you haven't had the pleasure, Diesel, I highly recommend it.

Vincent D'Onofrio Sighted at...

2006-12-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

DISNEYLAND!!!!
OMG, I'm so excited. Maybe I'll run into him since I'll be there for the next 5 days.

Ok, I know these pictures are lame, but I'm a recovering computer luddite. Sorry :(
I really will be in Disneyland. :)

Neologisms

2006-11-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

This is something my sister sent me that I found quite amusing. Apologies to anyone who has already encountered this...

Annual Neologism Contest
Once again The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. The winners are:
1. Coffee (n.) the person upon whom one coughs
2. Flabbergasted (adj.) appalled over how much weight you have gained
3. Abdicate (v.) to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach
4. Esplanade (v.) to attempt an explanation while drunk
5. Willy-nilly (adj.) impotent
6. Negligent (adj.) describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown
7. Lymph (v.) to walk with a lisp
8. Gargoyle (n.) olive-flavored mouthwash
9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller
10. Balderdash (n.) a rapidly receding hairline
11. Testicle (n.) a humorous question on an exam
12. Rectitude (n.) the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists
13. Pokemon (n.) a Rastafarian proctologist
14. Oyster (n.) a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms
15. Frisbeetarianism (n.) the belief that when you die, your soul flies onto the roof and gets stuck there
16. Circumvent (n.) an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men

The Warrior Princess

2006-11-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

I'm a fighter. She's a better fighter.
My mom is a faded fighter. She sent me a knitted cap (that she made). I thanked her profusely for it. I will actually wear it (I will keep it in the motorcycle to wear after I remove the helmet and have squished- down, thinning, weird- looking hair that needs to be hidden).
She stressed me out big time this summer by bringing up old shit that she previously said we would not talk about AND she said it in front of my daughter (who knows nothing of the Traumatic Event). Gee whiz, ma. Luckily the Warrior Princess opted not to know more on the subject.
I think it is interesting that people with blighted childhoods (especially with a mentally ill parent) can turn out ok, but troubled or depressed (like BG) and they can also go to the dark side (like 'she who shall not be named'). What flips the switch in either direction? I feel that it made me very empathetic towards the suffering of others, but prone to depression. I have a nugget of naughtiness in me though, that I can tell would have flourished under different circumstances. Still, my driving desire is to give my children a good and happy childhood. That I believe I have done. Test Case has his life back in a bit of order, so no more seizures, hopefully (that's the sound of me crossing myself). Football Playin' Man got moved to tight end so he is a happy camper (my rock- when he's happy- so am I) So its all good, for now....
I feel very thankful and yes, content.

Nothing Says Party Like....

2006-11-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

a pig with a purple party hat hanging out in his pretty pink carrier. Yea, I said 'his', poor Mickey- first gay guinea pig. Ever. Luckily, he's a very happy fellow who is always fed well. He never complains about the outfits he's forced to endure, because he gets carrots!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Here's a question for everyone: Who did you love before Vincent hit your radar?
I loved Ewan McGregor. He was fantabulous in Moulin Rouge. He has an infectious smile. Way before that it was Pierce Brosnan when he was on Remington Steele. Love that black hair/blue eye combo. Now its VDO of course who has captured my imagination. He has that certain something that I am unable to describe. Purrrrr....

Science and Religon...

2006-11-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

are not mutually exclusive. The following is a bit from the October issue of Scientific American. Every month Michael Shermer writes a column called the Skeptic. His article (Darwin on the Right) is summarized with six points:
1. Evolution fits well with good theology.
2. Creationism is bad theology. Calling God a watchmaker is belittling.
3. Evolution explains original sin and the Christian model of human nature.
4. Evolution explains family values.
5. Evolution accounts for specific Christian moral precepts.
6. Evolution explains conservative free-market economics.

Damn, I wish I'd written that. The entire article should be read for full appreciation. Doesn't he seem reasonable? There's your dose of common sense for the day. I do sincerely hope I have not offended anyone. This comes very close to my own philosphy as a scientifically trained person and a religous one as well. And to all my Jewish friends, I say you were the first, the most special people, the very foundation of all Christian religons, deserving of sincere respect.

I Want Some of This

2006-11-11T16:03:00.001-08:00

VDO/BG: The Romantic Ideal

2006-11-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

[disclaimer: these are only my poor random thoughts]
It is a constant source of fascination to me that so many women idealize the BG character. Well why not, after all, through out time women have romantized all sorts of male heroic figures. The BG character calls out to the heart of the lonely woman. Most women would like someone to adore them and love them for who they really are. It can be the ultimate female fantasy. Someone to be sensitive in private, but strong and dominating in public. He's also someone who is secretly lonely.
Additionally, the BG character has a sad childhood history which he managed to overcome. The whole possibility that he could have gone the other way, to the dark side, with such a background suggests a bit of a naughty side to his personality in certain situations. This is very alluring because he could be dangerous if provoked.
Another factor is the physicality of the man who plays BG. He is a large, athletically built man with the face of an avenging angel. Someone who really could protect (and serve) if need be. He is no poser, he is an alpha male type that many women find irresistable.
Here is a man consumed with a noble purpose, he's focused on his task to rid the world of bad guys. Unexpectantly, he has a romantic epiphany because he encounters *---* (mrsbg for example). This woman is his psychic match. He realizes then that life is more than the job. His sexuality is reawakened as never before all because of *---*. Naturally under these circumstances he is the sweetest, most intuitive lover ever.
This love match must be made with someone who is equally as clever. BG would only be turned on by a smart girl. She might even possess areas of knowledge that he is less informed of. He finds her enchanting, as she does him. They make each other laugh on the dreary days. They live happily ever after, not smoothly or uneventfully, but they are fiercely loyal to one another. This loyalty can be strained occasionally, but it is an unbreakable bond. Thus, they would each leave behind their lonely pasts.
[additional disclaimer: sometimes a lonely girl thinks too much]

My House: The Other City Zoo

2006-10-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

We love pets here, maybe a little too much. Here's the laundry list: 2 dogs, 3 cats, a 4 ft. Iguana, 2 firebelly toads, 2 hermit crabs, 1 guinea pig and a rescued meadow vole (-it was about to be eaten by a cat and my sweet daughter wouldn't let that happen. Yes I know normal people PAY to have such things exterminated). To the left is Crissy-best dog ever (the anti-Marley). Over on the right is my soccer playin', ass-kickin' daughter with her cat Tiger and Toby, the rescued flat-coat retriever with issues. He is a little portly due to having been starved in an earlier life. It's hard to keep him on a diet. I have a little experience with that problem, but only a little- ha ha.
We got the Iguana long ago because the boys wanted a snake. I didn't want to deal with feeding a snake, so we got the lizard which is a nice vegetarian. However about five years later we rescued a red tail boa which a neighbor kid had starved. So guess what? I got stuck with the care and feeding of both reptiles! I found a good home for the snake after we had her for a few years. Defrosting dead rats and dangling them in front of her got to be a bit of a drag. Ignacia is potty trained to a cat box filled with water, plus she spends summers outside on my bedroom
porch.
Oh no, Test Case just walked in and discovered that I have a blog. He's mad cuz I didn't put a picture of Jigs, his cat in the post. I've sworn him to secrecy with the promise to move his laundry into the dryer when he goes to work. TTFN

OK, So I Rode the Freakin' Motorcycle

2006-10-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

and I liked it. My hubby is on his 3rd or 4th midlife crisis and he bought a really big motorcycle, well actually he bought two motorcycles. One for me too. Yup, its not nearly as big, thank god. Twenty-two years ago we both had bikes, but hell you can't strap little Test Case on the back. Or ride around with all the baby paraphernalia that modern life demands. So they got sold. I never looked back but guess he did. He was so excited with his new toy and it was a beautiful day. The seat was comfy too.
I'm glad this crisis only involves motorcycles.

Happy Friday the 13th

2006-10-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Friday the 13th is my lucky day. I had my middle child, the football playin' man (fpm) on a friday the 13th, 18 years ago. He was 11 lbs 3 oz and 23 inches long. The best part of the coming days is that I get to go visit him this weekend for 'family weekend' and get to see a wildcats football game. The wildcats are 2-2 (2-0, conference). They are favored to win their conference. It should be a good game.

Here is my little baby on his first day in the dorm. Ain't he cute?
Seriously, I miss him so much. He is a rock. He was so easy to raise and he works hard. Life's just not the same around the old homestead without him. wah, wah, wah...
I've always loved Friday the 13th!!!!

2006-10-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the faux Jay and Silent Bob. Ann, I was cracking up that you actually know of these disrespectable characters. (Yeh, Dogma is secretly funny-- kind of a guilty pleasure but simultaneously horrifying)
Soon I want to write about why so many women adore vincent, specifically in the bg form. It is amazing to find all these others who feel as I do since I have discovered blogdom. I've been thinking about this for a long time...

Meerkat Love

2006-10-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

Cute little bugger, isn't he. Funny how the zoo meerkats are fat and lazy 'cuz they don't have to scrape by on only one disgusting millipede a day. Crunch! Crunch!
Seriously I love watching Meerkat Manor on the Animal Planet. The animals are totally anthropromorphized, but who cares, they are adorable.
I'd only skip it if I had to give up Bobby watching, which I don't. Tonight I get my bg fix.
I feel ambivilent about the proceeding show 'Friday Night Lights'. Hey I lived that life and loved every minute of it. I miss friday night football so much. That show may just make me feel sad...
Good thing I have bg to soothe my frazzled football deprived nerves. Ah, my sweet fantasy life- it gets me through another day.

OMG! Test Case Turns 21

2006-09-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

The first one to hatch recently turned 21 and I can't fathom how time shot by so fast. When I look back at how nervous I was about being a mother, I can't believe he didn't turn out to be a nutjob! I held my breath all weekend because I was sure he'd have a seizure due to lack of sleep and over celebrating. His friends threw him a very special "Hollywood" party. Everyone had to go dressed as a famous celebrity. Famous to who? Well, my son and his friend went as Jay and Silent Bob. No one my age knows who the hell they are and trust me you don't really want to know. Well, bless him, he didn't go over on his text messaging this month! Someday I'm sure he'll grow up (won't he??) but until then I walk the line between being too strict and too easy going. What to do? We can't just kick him out of the nest just yet. He needs a few shoves but I am not capable of delivering them right now. I'll think about this tomorrow...