Saturday Musings

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Another grey and miserable day here although the weather man suggested there may be flashes of sunshine.

I'm inside all day so don't care one way or another but I'm sincerely thinking of getting ds to return my SAD light (dd gave it to him when she wasn't using it because he thought it might help with switching from day to night shift.) He's not using it. I've never started it this early (normally it is some time in November) but the other day I remembered it and thought I should start it.

For those of you who can get energy from the yellow light in the sky, do so. For the rest of us, absorb the light from the personalities around you and shine out so those around you can pick up the light they need.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Ds is on an adventure this weekend. He's taken 'not the girlfriend' (ntg) to New York City for her birthday. (Weird relationship there, it got to promise ring stage, then a breakup and now they just do everything together. We really like her so whatever happens is ok with us.)

The adventure started when they called dh to say they couldn't find her passport. Since they were driving, dh knew they stood a chance at getting in if they picked a good border point (and our closest one is a good one.) So they headed off with her birth certificate, driver's license, and expired passport (which expired in March.) Sure enough by 11 they were across the border.

We actually only live 8 hours from NYC and flights cost about $500+ so driving is a very attractive option if you can get a day off work. They both work shift work so they managed it.

I suggested, since they were driving, to pick a place in Washington Heights instead of the house ds has used before in Brooklyn. They've ended up at 116th and 1st Avenue. I'm avoiding looking up that neighbourhood! The car, I think, is at long-term parking in Newark airport. That was the plan (parking a car in NYC is why most people from here fly - it is hard to find a place to leave it and most people don't want to drive on Manhattan.)

They had further, undefined, adventures on their way there but are safe and I'll hear all about it next week.

Having adventures is good as long as you live through them. I'll be happier when they are home but happy for them that they are willing to travel and explore.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

My day is going to be very ordinary so it is nice to think that ds is having an amazing day.

I'm on the treadmill and have my morning escape from here well planned (clothes laid out, I know what I'm making for supper and will get it in the crock pot before I leave, etc.)

[Harriet]

Speaking of the light in the sky, I wish there were more defined info or graphs out there to tell us where the Vitamin D winter begins and ends at what latitude (no more synthesis of D from the sun during those months). It's something we've been discussing in H and F. To the best of my research, sometime around the end of this month I will be in Vitamin D winter. Kathryn, I'm glad you have access to a SAD light.

At 11:00 either HRH or I must go to the birthday party and pick up dd - it is a morning costume party at a CiCis Pizza, which I think is a fun switch.

I have marginal news to tell in H and F, a little to tell in The Decluttered Home.

Dd told me before she left that the weekend needs to be heavy into homework for her. Hate to tell her, but her room needs to be heavy into housework.

Tobias slept with us last night. He is a prowler.

[Lilac]

Think I will join Kathryn and Harriet in the village.

Went to the attorney yesterday and he will have the contract ready early next week. At one point he asked about earnest money and before I could reply, dsoninlaw replied that they didn't need earnest money. I had my checkbook but that meant a lot that he feels that way. In our state earnest money is put down and then if you back out, you lose it.

Afterwards, I ran 2 errands, ate a quick lunch and went over to dd2. I was hoping we could pack but the boys were coming home and she was trying to straighten the house and then needed to buy groceries. By the time that was done and the boys were home, we managed to pack a big bookshelf. I don't know how she would have ever been able to show that house while they were living in it, if we had not decided to buy it. I hope after they get moved, that she will be able to keep on top of things and make them kids pick up after themselves. She will have over 4000 sq. ft to take care of. It is her wish and mine too, that when she is having company, etc. that she is on top things and I won't have to pitch in.

Dd2 is wanting to have a moving sale next Sat. We will just have it for 4 hours. My dh has had phases as the girls and I call them. In each phase he has acquired everything he needs for that activity. There was the fishing stage. He did sell the boat after that phase ended. There was the golfing phase and we still have all that. He said to sell that stuff and if he ever, which he doubts, wants to golf again he will buy new. What he has is over 20 years old. Then he went through the really expensive phase and that was restoring automobiles. The equipment for that was bulky, pricey, etc. He has talked to guys at work and has most of it is sold. I told him, he can use that money on his 1971 GMC pickup. His dad bought it new and we bought it in 1998 and dh had it painted and now would like chrome bumpers for it. We were out in his garage and he was telling me what he will sell at the sale, which includes 3 bikes, 6 lawn chairs and 4 chaise type lawn chairs. We are also selling our red Corvette. Dh bought it for me supposedly 6 years ago, for being so supportive of his career. I have only driven it once. I guess I just didn't want to be the old blonde lady in the red vette. We ride around in it a few times a year. He will only drive it if it is sparkling clean. The insurance and taxes are cheap but if we keep it, it or the pickup would have to sit out. He wants everything garaged. 2 guys from work have expressed interest in it. When he retires we don't need as much as he has acquired. The 2 vehicles that he restored, he sold but him being him, he took a huge loss on them. His reasoning was that if he used the money he spent on them for hunting, golfing or fishing trips, he wouldn't have that money, so it wasn't a loss. Ok if you say so, is what I always thought. Anyway, it was a hard decision for him on the vette but it sure didn't matter to me. I want that money to use for improvements to the new house. Dd2 says by the time we get done with it, she will want to buy it back.

Dd2 looked at many houses and I went with her to a lot of them. We decided what we think our house will go for and dh keeps worrying about that price. Well we can always come down if we need to. He actually wanted to include the vette as a bonus in the house sale. He is so fair and honest but I don't think giving them a vette is necessary. I told him he isn't giving away the house either. This should be interesting.

Yikes, I spent way too long babbling about all this, so I better post it, whether it needs to be read or not.

I better hit it. When it warms up we are washing his SUV and my car. Plus, I have a million things that I need to be doing...........

[Emptynester]

I'm up and showered, de-forested, coiffed and even smell good. I'm heading off for my massage. She is having an early bird special with a 50 minute massage for $30.

Since I'm doing bad things to my back with the packing - I thought it might be a good thing to do.

Hope you all have a good day. Will be back later.

[Nancy]

Good Morning everyone! I've slept in a bit today.
I'm up coffee is going.
H. is still slpeeing.
My ankle is better today yea! So I'm glad about that!

I'm having a hard time being excited about dgson game.
Glad to say got my hair done last night "colorist" visit went well!

Glad I stocked up on soup for the next week as it's going to be in the fifty's here.

Did you happen to catch that show where the guy fakes recipes and competes with the
original and they judge it on CMT I forget the title they did the Outback's bloomin' onions last night shows clips from the previous show on Cinnabun. {We don't have Cinnabun here}.

[lucylee]

Good luck with everything, Lilac! I know it's going to be a busy time ahead for you, but so exciting! Your dh sounds kinda like my ddad w/the cars. Only ddad's car thing is not a phase; it's his entire life. He can tell you exactly what car he was driving at any moment in his life, for example.
"Did you play for Coach So&So in high school?" Ddad's answer would be, "Oh, yes... that was during 10th grade. You know, Daddy bought me that '54 Chevrolet that year..."
"When did Great-Uncle Joe pass away? Did I go to that funeral?" Ddad's answer would be, "Yes, don't you remember? We were driving that '72 Monte Carlo. We had just bought that car... you remember... it had the something-something carburetor and something-something exhaust." (He wouldn't say something-something of course, he'd be giving all this technical talk that just goes right over my head.)
He bought his first Corvette almost six months to the day after I got married. He still has it.
He bought his second Corvette a few years ago. Still has it.
He has just restored his '63 Pontiac Catalina, which he has had since '63 (and which was the family car & only vehicle we owned from '63-'72, to my great embarrassment at age 12 ).
Plus he drives a truck and dmom drives an SUV.
Oh yes -- and he bought a '57(?) Chevrolet from my cousins when duncle passed away. It is still at dcousin's house, but that will be his next project.
Yet this is a man who does not relate to dh's obsession with sports. To each his own, I guess.

DH & his brother tell time by football. When did you get married? Dbil will always remember his wedding anniversary (year, at least) b/c it's the year Bo Jackson did something-something in the Alabama game. LOL. DH is the same way, and ds, for that matter. They remember the most tiny tiny details of every single game. I can't even remember who WON, most of the time!

A massage sounds sooo nice, MT! Have fun!

(((Harriet's dd))) I too am facing a weekend heavily needed by homework AND housework... (AND bday parties. * sigh *)

I wouldn't mind going to dcousin's bday party -- 5 year old boy, who is cute beyond belief, but very, very shy and has no interest in me at all -- EXCEPT -- even I would like to watch football today, as we are facing the #1 team in the nation, you know... AND I am having a terrible time with allergies right now and do not look forward to sitting outside all afternoon.
OTOH, as I've said before, I do enjoy my aunts and cousins so much... so it will be a nice day.

I am NOT really looking forward to dsisil's "surprise" party tomorrow, b/c, as dh said, we've already celebrated with her once, and this will be her THIRD celebration of the week, plus whatever she & dbil did on the actual DAY of the event.
It's not that I wish more had been made over MY 50th back in August -- not that at all! I actually refused celebration w/dh's family, begging off that one dinner w/my parents would be quite enough party for me! I just do NOT enjoy being the center of attention and, although I am very happy to have lived to be a healthy and still rather young-looking 50, I really didn't/don't want to DWELL on the fact that I have reached the half-century mark, you know? * sheesh *

Kathryn, dbro's situation now involves a ntg. LOL. Exact same history... dated forever, gave her a ring, broke up, now that do everything together but she is Not the Girlfriend. I bet your ds & his ntg will have a wonderful time, though!

Mmmm... soup sounds good in cold weather, Nancy. It's getting cold here, too. We FROZE at the ballgame last night. I think it was 48 degrees when we went in, but that was before total sundown. I think it will be in the high 60s today, though.

Further evidence that God IS trying to drop the proverbial load of bricks on my head re: teaching for one more year:
1st -- yesterday, seniors were encouraged to present roses at the pep rally to people who had helped them along the way. One of my np students, little girl w/cerebral palsy, gave ME one. I was totally surprised! Never would have expected it in a million years. Her mom said she really appreciated all the opportunities I had given her by allowing her to be on newspaper staff.
2nd -- while making hotel reservations last night, young Indian man who I was talking to asked if I worked. When I told him I taught high school, he went on and on about what a wonderful thing that is, "to impart knowledge." I told him, "Thank you, sometimes I wonder." Before we got off the phone, he said again, "And be sure, that is a great thing you are doing, teaching young people."
I'm like, "Okay, Lord, I get it! I'm not leaving this semester. I get it."

But it is kinda nice to be hit with these rose-covered bricks every now and then.

Oh well. I must take more allergy meds and get s2s. Party starts at 2:00 p.m.

[Lilac]

LOL lucylee, about your ddad and cars. Dh isn't quite that bad but close. Besides the 2 vehicles we drive daily, we are also washing the vette in case someone comes to look at it. It is just now warm enough to start washing. Like I don't have another thing to do. Tomorrow he has to wash his new Harley. The little neighbor lady always tells her dh that she could wash a school bus in the time it takes dh to wash a Harley. To say the man is thorough is an understatement. She has Alzheimers but still says that each time. He got short with me at lunch about the vette. I guess it is bothering him but I am not paying storage fees forever. I repeat........................

[Harriet]

The drive to the place was only supposed to take 29 min by mapquest, which was optimistic, I knew. But I was still going to try those directions and assume I'd need more time, but at least be accurate. But HRH insisted on printing out a map and showing me a faster way. Only problem was, in reality world (where I was driving) the new-to-me turn on HIS way was unmarked. Although it was a turn from a "Blvd" to a "Blvd" the only sign was about 2 feet by 2 feet and said the informative word : "Exit". So I went through intersection after intersection, not knowing how far I was supposed to go before giving up (since I didn't have directions ! ) and turned around in an apartment complex at a road that I think of being on another side of the city entirely, where I suddenly burst into tears. I don't think it was the stress of the moment, just everything. Making everyone wait on me, both at the event and back at home.

I retraced my route, saw a familiar road and took IT (now a third way to get there) and out of the corner of my eye just happened to see the CiCis sign on the OTHER side of the road from where mapquest had assured me it would be. So a few more blocks to turn around again and I was there. Good grief. An hour and 5 minutes.

Long story short, dd was in tears as we left because she hadn't been able to ask us in time if she could spend one more night, and another friend at the party was only going to stay if she did, and those 2 friends NEVER get to see each other, so I ended up being the bad guy that RUINED EVERYONE'S LIFE. I'm just batting 1,000. Amazing. Dd said, "it's not your fault" (snif, snif), but I do hate that we just don't have ways to get these girls together easily. Limited time. Can't make 2-hour car trips away from the house if they don't count.