Blogger Again

If you see more than one post on "mnenomics", please comment on the latest one only. It was Blogger acting up and posting it three times. I think I got rid of one of them but I'm not having much luck with the other.

Grrr.

I think it's fixed but I'm not touching "edit" again. I don't want to accidentally delete all of them.

Mnemonics, Anyone?

It took me three tries to get all those "m's" and "n's" in the right places. What a silly way of spelling a word.

I'm trying to teach Rebecca which is parallel and which is perpendicular. She gets them backwards. Any ideas? She also has trouble understanding that parallel lines will never meet. I solved that one I think with railroad tracks and asking her to imagine what would happen if the two rails didn't keep going straight. Now, if she can just remember they're parallel.

I remember confusing stalactites and stalagmites when I was a kid until someone told me "the mites go up and the tites (tights) come down".

I've fallen a little behind again. Part of it is a busy schedule and part of it is Blogger, as usual. Any of you who have switched over to Beta blogger and are used to seeing "granny" and my avatar come up in the comment boxes will see my actual name with no avatar until I've figured out how to switch it back. It's probably the real me - not someone using my name in vain.

Also, Blogger seems to have signed me up for Beta whether I want to be there yet or not so I'm having problems accessing my own blog. I'll probably switch over once I know what I'm doing but the memory of my "zapped" blog is still a little fresh.

Enough of that. I've solved the three trips a week to rehab for the most part. Starbucks is a couple of blocks up the street. On the days when I don't have errands in that part of town, I can bring a book, hang out for the price of a regular coffee with a clear conscience, and be comfortable. I like to people watch and Starbucks is a great place to do it. And, like the Barnes & Noble cafe, they have no problem with loitering.

Last Monday I managed to involve the whole cafe in trying to figure out who performed a song that was being played while I was sitting there. I'd heard it before as background music on West Wing and it was so familiar. I asked one of the servers; she wasn't sure, but a customer at the next table said "it's from Shrek". Shrek? He was sure but couldn't remember who sang it. Someone else overheard that conversation and we had 6 or 7 people chiming in. It was fun. Everyone recognized the title, "Hallelujah", but couldn't remember much else.

I tracked it down by first looking at the soundtrack cd at Barnes & Noble and then finding it on Rhapsody (computer subscription music program). It was sung by the composer (Leonard Cohen - wow! - no wonder I liked it), not Rufus Wainwright who did it in the film, but still okay. Elcie walked in while I was playing it and said Shrek!!. Of course that made me feel really bright.

Update, it wasn't Wainwright in the film although he has covered it and nicely too. It was a Welsh singer named John Cale. Lovely voice (do all the Welsh sing beautifully? It seems that way) but I can't find it anywhere but the sound track.

I must have heard it when I watched Shrek with the girls and just forgotten or daydreamed my way through it.

Today the cafe was full of strollers and cute babies (with their moms or dads or course). I found a corner and watched the action. Babies are even cuter when I know they're not going home with me.

All is well here although our county officials seem to be jinxed. A suspicious fire over a month ago wiped out much of the County courthouse along with several of the District Attorney's offices. Yesterday, the building directly across the street which housed more county offices was flooded. Someone had plugged up one of the urinals (yuck) and water (along with some other unspeakable liquids) dripped through the ceiling onto the desks and floor below. Once again the District Attorney's staff is homeless. A spokesperson said "we've had fire and flood; what's next - locusts?".

I've been falling asleep much earlier than during the summer which is a good thing but it means revising my blogging habits and possibly skipping a day once in a while. Please don't give up on me. I'm still around and I'll catch up on commenting over the next few days.

Meantime, thanks for all the comments and take care everyone.

Soup's On - Updated - and a Meme

From Sothis, a ham, sausage, and vegetable soup from Galacia. It can be adapted for non meat eaters as well. Update: I should have mentioned Sothis is currently living in Belgium and autumn is arriving there in cold, drizzly fashion.

It's still in the nineties here so I'll file this recipe away. By late October, we'll be ready for it, turnips and all.

Update: Since one person has already asked, here is a description of the cannellini bean along with acceptable substitutes. I'd probably use Navies (small white beans) instead of Great Northerns (big white) only because I prefer the smaller beans. I'd think you could use any legume your heart desired.

=================

Your Driving Is is: 52% Male, 48% Female

According to studies, you drive both like a guy and a girl. This means you're a pretty average driver, with typical quirks. Occasionally you're frustrated and or a little reckless, but that's the exception - not the norm.

Do You Drive Like a Guy or a Girl?


Thanks to Keri for this one.

Sunday at the Lake

I changed the menu from macaroni salad to chicken and dressing (along with the drumsticks and the cobbler). It worked out fine except that I was up at 6 cooking. We were out there by around 10 and had a great time.

That's Ray with a new haircut and well enough to join us . Elcie stayed home and I brought her a plate. She still wasn't feeling too well and I want her to make it to school tomorrow.

The other pics are of Rebecca and Rochelle (to anyone new, Rochelle is the taller one in the leopard hat; Rebecca has the white cap). They were a big help with all the carrying, enjoyed the singing, and got their feet wet. We decided against swimming. I like having a younger adult along for that water. It would be different with a pool.

Just finished watching the Emmy's and realizing how little t.v. I actually watch. I'd never seen many of the shows that were nominated or won. A couple of them I hadn't even heard of or the actors for that matter.

It was nice to see the three original Charlie's Angels together though. All still looking good. They were part of a tribute to Aaron Spelling who died recently.

Thanks to all for the comments and the kind remarks about Jonathan. Yes, he really is an uncle to those who asked. His oldest sister is nineteen and has a little girl (toddler) older than he.

And now I'm going to try for sleep. Good night or good morning and take care.

About Time I Got a New Picture of the Grandchild

For any of you who may not know, my son Jim and his wife Melissa welcomed Jonathan (see photo) last May. This is what he looks like now. The picture does not do justice to his ears or his hair (what there is of it) which already shows signs of being red like his daddy's. He's a happy baby. Eats, sleeps, and goes through diapers.

The beautiful young woman holding him is Melissa's middle daughter Marisela. Melissa had three daughters and a toddler granddaughter when she and Jim married. . That made Jonathan an uncle the moment he was born. Jim has three teens; two boys and a girl.

My other son Tim has been growing his beard once again and Jonathan discovered it yesterday with both hands. He would not let go. I can sympathize; I learned the hard way about pierced ears and babies.

Update: I forgot to mention I was at their house with Tim the other day and distinctly heard our genius of a baby gurgle "I love you". He did it twice. Tim says it's his favorite gurgle and always cracks people up.

The girls went to a Christian hip hop concert ??? with their mom tonight. I said I'd be glad to drive them as long as I didn't have to stay. I must be getting old. I don't like hip hop, Christian or otherwise, but the girls love it. They came home about thirty minutes ago. Elcie and Rebecca are already asleep (Rebecca fell asleep on my bed - we moved her). The vampire Rochelle shouldn't be far behind. She's always the last one.

Oh, the post below this one was me learning how to do images (as opposed to photos from my camera). I have now learned how to save and rename an image and actually get it here. Once I succeeded, I moved on to copying a photo from email. Now if I can just remember tomorrow what I did today. People have explained it to me over and over. It wasn't sinking in.

The horse is my favorite breed of the non-draft horses, an Appaloosa. We'll consider the lion my entry in Friday cat blogging.

I've about decided, especially after I read the comments, to let the rehab people do some of my driving. I'll take him Monday and talk to them. It will depend on what time he has to be picked up. If it's too early, I may change the appointment back to afternoons since it won't matter to Ray, only to me. Even one day out of three would make a big difference.

And, speaking of comments, thanks everybody. Maybe I needed to hear it's okay not to do everything.

Sunday is the annual church picnic/potluck at Lake Yosemite (actually a reservoir). I'm wavering between lasagne and a big macaroni salad. It's going to be hot again so I may go with the salad and bake some chicken. Lasagne is quite a project and I'd have to buy the cheese. I don't keep mozzarella and ricotta around. On the other hand, I have everything I need for macaroni salad and baked drumsticks. And perhaps even a peach cobbler. I haven't made one in a while. Too hot to bake.

It's now past midnight and the end of a long day. Have a great weekend and be careful out there.

This is a test. (Friday Cat Blogging?

And a horse is a horse of course of course. See next post for details.

Title? Maybe I'll Think of One Later

I left off yesterday morning planning to come back later. By the time later rolled around, I was asleep. It's been one of those weeks.

Ray still has five weeks to go on the therapy. The rehab center will transport for $5/round trip. I may do one more week and then take them up on it. Or amybe have them do one day. The three days a week is a lot. It's too short a session to be worth coming back home but nothing tires me more than hanging out waiting. This morning it ran 30 minutes over and I was falling asleep (and getting a backache).

I think with the cost of gas I wouldn't quite break even but it wouldn't be too bad.

Nothing special going on. I cooked a pot roast for dinner with the usual vegetables. Rebecca made the biscuits and I taught her how to make one kind of gravy. At some point I'll teach her how to do the browning flour variety. It's a little touchier but it's not hard. I cheat a lot but I do make my own gravy. She sure likes to cook.

R & R are playing across the street until around 8. Homework done, what there was of it so they can bathe and be in bed between 8:30 and 9. Elcie's feeling a little puny but she made the day. Went to bed a little after six but she changed her mind and is lying on the living room couch. I wouldn't be surprised if she falls asleep there. She's okay; just cramping some.

I was going to tell you about my friend and the creative writing class. He has a 99 year old friend who is "writing" his memoirs in the form of telling stories to David. David records, the two of them edit, and another chapter is completed. He brings the older man to the class and reads the stories aloud for him. I've heard just one so far but he's led quite a life. It would be a shame for it to be lost.

The class was fun. I'm just not sure about 3 hours on a Wednesday morning. We'll see. I may be able to make part of it or even all. Depends on how much is going on.

The girls are in mourning over the former planet Pluto. I can't explain to them how yesterday it was a full fledged planet and today it's just a big chunk of ice and a "slave" of Neptune. And after they went to so much work to memorize all nine of them.

I got sidetracked for a couple of hours with kids.

Stilll can't come up with a title. Oh well. Sleep beckons although it's not late.

Thanks to all of you I haven't thanked personally for the comments and take care.

This Is Scary

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Thanks to Katie K at Bosphorus Ramblings

School Days

Me, Rebecca, and Rochelle waiting for the bus at Hoover Middle School (that gray building looking very like a jail in the background). I put both shots on of the girls; one almost smiling and one that shows how they really feel. (Kidding - they'd been laughing until I pointed the camera - they were embarrassed by grannie pointing a camera - totally uncool).

I came home in time to catch Elcie waiting. When her nice driver saw what I was doing he suggested we get a picture of her on the lift.

I may join a writing class for seniors. David, my Tuesday coffee date (which now includes my friend Janet - we're growing) teaches it (correction - no he doesn't; it's even better - next post if I remember) and it sounds like fun. I'll check it out today. It starts at nine. Perhaps my blog quality will improve.

Today I take Ray to the doctor a little before one, pick up Tim (son), pick up Elcie at Rivera with wheelchair, go to the elementary school which houses the physical therapy unit. They have her new crutch tips (she really goes through them), will fix the crutch holder on her chair, and possibly measure her for the new electric. Maybe we can finally get one that works. This will be our third try.

Oh, a friend will pick Ray up. I won't leave him stranded at the doctor's office. Busy day.

Rebecca had no homework last night. Finished it all in class. She's so proud of herself and she should be. Elcie asked her teacher for more math homework. It's all review but it will help her speed with simple calculations. Once all of them learn to add, subtract, multiply and divide in their heads, their work will go three times as fast (at least). The finger counting really slows them down. I'm hoping for a good math year for all.

I'll try to get back later but wanted to get the pictures up.

Take care everyone.

Midnight

Nothing is wrong - I took the weekend off because there wasn't much out of the ordinary happening and I was feeling lazy.

There still isn't and I still am. The girls have their bus route and their walk home down to a science. They seem to be enjoying it and call me at least 3 times enroute to let me know.

Ray's having therapy on his left arm and shoulder 3 times a week for the next six weeks (I may already have said this). I take the two younger girls to the bus, come back in time to say goodbye to Elcie, and leave with Ray for an 8:00 a.m. appointment. The timing is great - I have everything done early and the therapy is less than an hour so I just hang out on that end of town. There's a nearby Starbuck so I may treat myself on Thursday or Friday. Or maybe not. Barnes & Noble with the same products plus my discount has me spoiled. They don't open until nine unfortunately and they're further away.

I put gas in the car after his appointment at $3.05/gallon. I passed by the same station in late afternoon taking Carol to her oncologist appointment and it was $3.02. It never fails. If I'd waited, it would have been $3.08.

Rebecca has moved from her math of last week into basic geometry. I was much better at geometry in school than algebra so we're learning how to calculate angles. I think she gets it but I hope she spends enough time with them to understand how they work. Great fun. At least she's bringing her work home and doing it. I'm signing her agenda each day as I've done with Rochelle and Elcie all along. It means I can keep up with what she's supposed to be doing and I can check her assignments off as she completes them. Big improvement.

They've all settled into an 8:30 bedtime routine which means they're asleep usually by nine and up at six. Somehow my clock was set an hour ahead on Sunday and Monday I woke up with the alarm at 5:00 a.m. thinking it was 6:00. I made some coffee and stayed up.

I'm almost asleep sitting here but I didn't want my loyal visitors to think I'd jumped ship.

Mollie - if you're reading, we won and Barry hit number 275 into McCovey cove. Big splash.

Dawn I., that silly song is still running around in my brain. I'll never forget the name of it even if I forget my own. Tom's Diner.

Thanks to all for the comments and glad you enjoyed the toilet flushing cat and the cooking meme. Most of us long time cooks seemed to qualify as apprentice chefs. Who wants to wear one of those big white hats anyway? Not I. It would fall into the soup.

Oh, Rebecca came to me on Saturday to tell me she had a loose filling. I said we'd make a dentist's appointment; they're due for a checkup anyhow. A little while later she brought me the tooth. She'd failed to tell me the tooth was loose as well. Six year molar with her permanent tooth already showing behind it. I'm sure she helped it along a little rather than have the dentist work on that filling (the only one she has) one more time.

On Sunday morning, she brought me two quarters. Said she'd gotten them from my loose change because she knew I'd probably forget and I didn't have a whole dollar. It was okay, she said, I could owe her the other fifty cents.

I guess the tooth fairy is gone forever.

Take care everyone. I may feel more inspired tomorrow.

Here's One I Haven't Seen Before

You Are a Learning Cook

You've got the makings of an excellent cook, and the desire to be one. But right now, you're just lacking the experience. You couldn't be a top chef yet, but you could be an apprentice.

Are You A Good Cook?

******************

Apprentice? I guess I'm hopeless.

I Can't Resist Sharing This

Cat lovers and even those who aren't.

Check out the action at Echidne of the Snakes.

Too funny to try to describe.

Friday Cat Blogging

Lookie!

^..^
>o<

See? I made a cat!

Aren’t I clever?

…
…
…

*crickets*

…I don’t HEAR anything…

******************
No, I had nothing to do with this. It's courtesy of my friend Alice in Kidderminster, England (along with the zippy prose).

Day two of the bus. The morning went fine. I waited for the bus again. Monday I probably won't. It seems safe over there or as safe as they are anyplace these days.

They called me from the Hoover Middle School parking lot, exactly where they were supposed to be and said they were walking by way of their old school. Couple of blocks further but it has a traffic light at the busy street so I said fine. Then they called to let me know they'd made it as far as John Muir (old school) and were still walking. Rebecca's back hurt and Rochelle was carrying both backpacks. Then they called again to tell me to go to the sidewalk and look to my left. There they were waving madly. I think they've got it but I'll show them the shorter route again this weekend. They didn't realize they were going out of their way a little. Not that many streets cross the tracks so they had to walk below our house and double back. No biggie.

I'll see what caused Rebecca's backpack to be so heavy. She may have added rocks when I wasn't looking. She shouldn't have much except her binder and maybe one text and one reading book.

The cell phone was obviously a howling success so it's on my list of eventual purchases. Meantime, they'll continue to carry Ray's. If I leave and he needs to reach me, there's always the land line. We tend to forget we have one. How easily we adapt to technology.

Speaking of cells phones, some of you were thinking about them for your kids. I'm going to investigate this one too. Thanks Jerry.

Rebecca has recovered and just headed for her friend's house two doors down. Rochelle is across the street playing ball and Elcie is being lazy. She's entitled. They ate dinner as soon as they came in (back to school schedule on meals most of the time). I try to have dinner prepared when they come in most nights. It's early but they're starving and it saves some refrigerator raiding and then not being hungry for dinner. They can always snack later.

And me? I'm watching an Eagles concert taped in Melbourne, Australia. I like the Eagles as much as I do ABBA.

This morning I finished up rearranging drawers and putting a lot of clothing either up for next year or out the door. I have all the clothes either put away or hung neatly in the closet. I have two loose hangers left which means at some point I need the girls to stay put long enough to try on about 18 pairs of jeans. They keep wearing the same 2 or 3 over and over. They have 30+ in the closet (not counting the 3 pairs on their bodies. It may be a little excessive. I can't pass up a cute pair of jeans or top at the thrift store and some were passed down from friends. I do the same with their clothes or I donate them.

Hi and welcome to Caloden, mom to two boys and a girl. She's a new visitor here but I've been reading her in a couple of places for a while now.

Her comment started me thinking. When my two sons were going to school in San Francisco, they rode the regular city buses from the time they started middle school to the time they finished high school. We didn't have a car until the last two years I lived there; San Francisco is one of those cities where a car is sometimes more of a curse than a blessing. I didn't really worry about them too much.

Now I wonder. Have the times changed that much in those almost 20 years or did I worry less because they were boys? Perhaps I did or maybe we fret more as we grow older. It's something to think about. Anybody have any opinions? We love our kids equally but are boys easier than girls or is it the other way around.

Take care everyone and have a great weekend.

Rebecca and the Bus - See Previous Post

All went well (or so I thought) until Rochelle's teacher phoned a little after two to tell me Rochelle had made the bus; Rebecca hadn't and couldn't be found. Rebecca had forgotten to give her teacher my note about the bus, the teacher hadn't given her the extra time she needed to catch it, and then she was a little lost homing in on the bus area. Rochelle has ridden lots of school buses, Rebecca never.

The teacher said she'd find Rebecca and bring her home. I headed over to the neighborhood school to pick up Rochelle. I didn't want her walking home alone; especially upset.

She'd been crying on the bus. None of it was anyone's fault. The teacher drove Rebecca and in the meantime had told the other teacher what Rebecca should have. An aide will escort her at least for the next few days until she's used to the schedule.

Tomorrow will be smoother.

She's getting off to a good start otherwise. Working hard on her math. The math intervention class may be her salvation.

Thanks to all for the comments. There is a highly scientific meme, a pic of Elcie and cat, and another post below this one.

Take care everyone.

Today Is Love Thursday

At least according to Chookoolonks.

I'm a little late; one of the problems with living on the left coast of the USA but here's my contribution.

13 year old Elcie with Dipstick who is helping her with mixed fractions. Her hair always looks like that by the time she finishes with her math. I know the feeling.

(Check below for a meme and the resolution of the school bus problem). Rebecca managed to miss the bus leaving her school. She was rescued. More on that later.

We Haven't Had One of These in a While

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

I'll admit I guessed on a couple of them.

Thanks to Michelle for the link.

Short Update

I fell asleep in the 13th inning last night. We won without me.

So naturally I woke up at 4 a.m. I have about 20 minutes before the two younger girls wake up.

I'm way behind on blogreading. I haven't forgotten any of you but this week has been frantic. I'll catch up on the weekend.

Transportation solved somewhat. They can't ride with Elcie and I understand why. If they make an exception for one family, they'd have to do it for everyone. The kids on Elcie's bus have varying degrees of disability; some quite serious mentally and physically. Their safety must come first and they can be quite a handful for the driver without adding more kids.

So

Three school parking lots involved.

Morning

I drive them to Hoover, the neighborhood middle school they'd normally attend. It's about 12 blocks away.

They get on a bus direct to Rivera, the school they attend.

Afternoon

They catch a bus at Rivera which for some reason does not go straight back to Hoover. ??? They transfer to another bus at Cruickshank middle school which will take them to Hoover. They can walk home because time won't be an issue.

The morning bus is at 7:10 which means they'd have to leave here at 6:30 at the latest (still not quite light and will get darker). I'll drive them at least until I see if there are other kids walking that early. There might be. I think Hoover classes start at 7:30.

And they will take Ray's phone with them until I decide which one to buy. I'm nervous about that afternoon transfer. Cruickshank is our newest school on the far northeast side of town. There is almost nothing out there except the Cancer Center down the street and Raley's about 4 blocks away. It should be off one bus and onto the other but I've had too much experience with bus delays and confusion over the past 10 years (counting Elcie's special pre-school).

They can call me from Hoover and let me know they're starting for home. If they were attending there they'd be walking most days although many parents drive their kids. There is one main street with a signal light and the same railroad track with crossing gates they've been crossing for a couple of years by themselves. They should be okay.

I may pick them up this afternoon so I can drive the route they'll be walking and make sure the streets have sidewalks. Not kidding, some don't.

It's made my decision for me on the cell phone. They can use Ray's for now while I begin researching the best one for us. Thanks to all for the good advice. And thanks for not saying I was an irresponsible person spoiling kids with gadgets. It was never about that; it was about trying to keep them safe while allowing them some room to grow. Driving every day wouldn't have done that and I don't think I could have done it in our foggy winters. I'll do well to get them to Hoover then.

We traded the convenience of our neighborhood school for what I hope will be a better experience for them. Rivera is the second best of our middle schools; (Cruickshank is probably first but already overcrowded because of all the new housing on the outskirts of town).

Almost 6:00 a.m. They have to arise. Elcie woke up at 4 but she was asleep very early.

Math has begun. Elcie and I worked through reducing fractions. She remembered most of it.

Rebecca is doing simple equations. She and Elcie both seem to grasp basic Algebra. Good news? Rebecca finished most of her work in class and had only a few problems and her spelling words to do here. It's early in the year but she may have finally learned that working hard in class will be to her advantage.

Rochelle has no homework until next week and she never has too much. She's definitely over her boredom at least for now.

Take care - talk to you later.

Disappearing Posts and Other Things - Jokes Follow

Is anyone else who uses Blogger having problems with their latest posts disappearing? Mine have been doing it for the past few days. I can usually bring it back with refresh or by reposting but where does it go in the meantime? Any ideas?

The girls' second day at school went well. Rochelle is no longer bored and the transportation problem seems to be solved. Rochelle's teacher (who knew me from Elcie's 6th grade) flagged me down when I picked up the girls and asked me what the problem was. She then commandeered the principal. I knew him from a lengthy email exchange last year about Elcie's attendance and a Vice Principal who listened to no voice but her own. Long story way back in my archives.

He got on his cell phone while I was standing there. He couldn't get a definitive answer but he's sure that if we can't get both girls on Elcie's ortho bus, he can find a bus that will transport both Rebecca and Rochelle. He agrees I shouldn't be expected to drive them when all but one is automatically eligible for transportation and they all live in the same house.

He'll call me tomorrow but I have hope. In the meantime, I keep driving. Tomorrow, I'll start out earlier so the younger girls will arrive for breakfast. It will work out eventually.

Rebecca and I were working on basic algebra and easy square roots tonight. I think they're trying to determine her strengths and weaknesses. Not a bad idea for math intervention. Maybe when I finish this post I'll google square root. I can do the simple ones in my head as can most people but I can't remember the procedure with the longer numbers. Square root of 3,719? I don't have a clue. It's been well over 50 years since I needed to know.

I said in my earlier post that I was going to ask for advice. Not about my disappearing posts; I thought of that just as I signed in and couldn't see what I'd written last. And not about square roots unlessyou math whizzes feel like chiming. I can look that up myself. My questions are about that wonderful or infernal (depending on your point of view) device, the cell phone.

I was talking yesterday or the day before about a cell phone for the two younger girls (6th grade) to share. I wonder what you think. The school isn't walking distance and there might be occasions where one or the other would need to reach me and wouldn't have access to a phone. They carry my husband's phone when they leave the immediate neighborhood now. I want them to be able to reach me (or the police, whatever) immediately. I'd feel a little more secure with that link. Times have changed greatly since I was all over my small town from dawn to dusk and this is not the safest place to live. It isn't a slum but we are inner city and we've had problems.

The school allows cell phones as long as they're turned off during classes. They may be used before and after school and during lunch.

If I decide to do it, I can think of 4 options in order of preference.

One of the new phones with 3 or 4 phone numbers programmed in.

A pre-paid cell. When the minutes are gone, they're gone until I feed it.

A carrier like Cricket with unlimited local minutes.

Add one more phone to my Verizon family plan and share 1400 minutes.

I know why the choices are in that order but I don't want to sway anyone. I could very well be wrong or there may be another option I hadn't considered. Or maybe some of you think a cell for the tweens is a terrible idea.

I'd like to know what any of you (with prior experience dealing with kids and phones or without) thinks.

Thanks and take care everyone.

For All Grannies

and anyone else who enjoys the funny things kids say. Thanks to Yellow Dog Grannie

I'll back later with the latest news and possibly a request for advice.

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday.
He asked me how old I was, and I told him, "62." He was quiet for a
moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"
_______________

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own
childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing
made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our
pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods."
The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this in. At last she said, "I
sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"
_______________

A Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments. They were ready
to discuss the last one. The teacher asked if anyone could tell her what
it was.
Susie raised her hand, stood tall, and quoted, "Thou shall not take the
covers off thy neighbor's wife."
_______________

Our five-year-old grandson couldn't wait to tell his grandfather about
the movie we had watched on television, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
The scenes with the submarine and the giant octopus had kept him
wide-eyed.
In the middle of the telling, my husband interrupted Mark, "What caused
the submarine to sink?"
With a look of incredulity Mark replied, "Grandpa, it was the 20,000
leaks!!"
_______________

When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the
lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects.
Still, a few fireflies followed us in.
Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered "It's too late grandpa, the
mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."
_______________

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not
sure."
"Look in your underwear, Grandma," he advised. "Mine says I'm four
to
six."
_______________

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a
teacher.
The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant."
The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what
pregnant means?" she asked.
"Sure," said the young boy confidently. "It means carrying a child."
____________________

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids
home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front
seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started
discussing the dog's duties.
"They use him to keep crowds back," said one youngster.
"No, said another, "he's just for good luck."
A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs", she
said firmly, "to find the fire hydrant."

Absolutely the Last Word on Rice-a-roni

But first, San Francisco Giants 1 San Diego Padres 0 - Final!!

Josie asked in the comments about the San Francisco connection to Rice-a-roni. Here it is with thanks to Jerry at I was Asked.

I can't possibly explain the confusion on the buses. Elcie discovered after school that Rochelle is supposed to be on the same bus. Who knew? We'll send her tomorrow and drive Rebecca. Meantime, that bus arrives here at 7:25 and school begins at 7:45. No time for them to eat breakfast at the school so that's one more thing to be fixed. I'll call the District tomorrow and straighten it all out including, I hope, little Rebecca. I was waiting to see what happened with the p.m. bus. Answer - 30 minutes late arriving here. I'd grabbed up Rochelle and Rebecca and was home a good 45 minutes ahead of Elcie.

If the school serves breakfast, they must accommodate all children. That means that somehow my girls get to eat. I hate to sound petty but on our fixed income those 15 meals a week for breakfast (30 for breakfast and lunch) can add up in a hurry. If the bus schedule doesn't allow enough time, they should fix it somehow. Each year a new problem with transportation.

Otherwise they had a good day. Rochelle complained of boredom but the first day is all orientation and speeches. I'd probably be bored as well. She likes classwork but there wasn't any.

Rebecca and Elcie had homework the very first day and so did I. All the forms to complete and sign. At least they're the same as last year.

I think they'll be fine once they become used to the larger campus and the odd rules. Yes, they can have a cell phone as long as it's turned off in class. I'll think about it a little more but I'll probably go ahead; especially if transportation continues to be an issue. There is a cell phone that allows kids to call 3 or 4 programmed numbers and that may be the way to go.

Elcie was asleep by 8:30, the other two just a little after 9:00. Not bad, they were ready with no arguments and very little stalling.

Short post tonight (for me). I'm a little tired too. I'll catch up on some blog reading and call it a night.

Thanks to all of you for the comments and take care.

Last Word on Rice-a-roni (previous post)

A friend from San Francisco let me know that this food did originate in San Francisco. The company was sold to Quaker Oats in 1980 (that I did know) and the San Francisco connection was eventually removed from their advertising. I can be wrong from time to time.

Shows you just how many commercials I watch. I was stuck in the 70's.

The girls are safely at school. The 6:55 bus showed up for Elcie without a wheelchair lift. Oops. We waited for the 7:25 (better schedule anyway). It had the lift. I'll try to keep the 7:25. We can leave right behind it with the two 6th graders until I can sort out some transportation for them. I may give myself the day off and work on it tomorrow.

Only one mind change on their clothing and that came from me. Rochelle had selected a top that I thought was a little too hootchie for school although okay for around here. And I had to remove the scissors from both their backpacks. They're kid scissors for use here but they came in with the other school supplies and the girls didn't realize they're contraband so far as the school is concerned. They can't even have nail clippers. I don't think middle school involves much cutting and pasting except on their computers.

I've been looking at the wheelchair lifts that attach to the rear of cars and vans. I've watched people my age handle them with no problem, One of the agencies that works with Elcie will pay for it. They'd pay for a full lift too (into the van) but she doesn't need it. She's fairly mobile and the only reason she needs the chair now is the size of the middle school campus (and the crowding). I worry about her being knocked off her crutches. The chair is safer and much more visible.

The manual chair she's using now has a rigid seat and back. It's hard to take apart and doesn't collaps especially well. When her electric is replaced, it will be even heavier (battery). We'll have to do something. She's not a baby anymore and hasn't been for a while. And I'm not able to do at 68 what I did in my mid to late fifties. Not quite approaching senility yet although I've managed to forget my coffee cup twice so far this morning while remembering something I didn't go to the kitchen for in the first place.

I'll try to get back later with an account of R & R's first day in middle school and Elcie's first day (since 5th grade) of mainstreaming. Should be interesting, at least to me.

Take care everyone.

So Much for Good Resolutions

It's midnight and here I am.

The good news. We're almost ready for school. I finished up the sorting of clothing today, at least until cold weather sets in (usually mid-October here). All we have left is making sure their clothes are laid out tomorrow (without too many mind changes in between) and their backpacks are ready.

We have a new visitor. Welcome to Josie from Vancouver BC.

One of my commenters had a couple of questions; reminding me once again that even though we all speak English, we don't always share a frame of reference.

She asked first about Rice-a-roni (a food peculiar to America). The commercials call it the "San Francisco treat" but it has nothing to do with SF. It's a packaged food, rice and small pieces of vermicelli (thin spaghetti) with a seasoning packet. Brown the rice/vermicelli mixture and add water and seasoning. Cook until rice is done. I sometimes make it into a complete one dish meal with veggies and chicken and sometimes turn it into Spanish rice. There must be at least 20 different varieties by now. It's been around a while. I admit it, I cheat occasionally.

She asked about "flaming". It's usually a one time attack on a blogger, also called "hit and run". Always anonymous and nasty and written by some idiot with nothing better to do than to surf the blogs and cause pain.

I think of "trolls" as something else although they're usually discussed together. They do come back over and over and they're more apt to criticize your writing, your blog style, your parenting, your subject matter. Anything that will feed their appetite. They might or might not be known to us under their actual names (which they generally don't use). They're angry and they're attention junkies.

I'm not talking about a discussion and opposing viewpoints. That's entirely different. Of course we're not all going to march in lockstep. It would make for a boring world. You should see the comments when someone mentions Spam (the meat, not the garbage that poses as email).

The best way to lose a troll is to starve it. Don't respond to the comment or the email. We can't win and they'll keep coming back for more. Negative attention is better than no attention. Whether you delete the comments is up to the individual blogger.

Here's the Wikipedia link

Enough of that. I hope none of you have to deal with either one.

The bad news. Golly, there isn't any. No complaints, no whines about the weather, I'm not even going to be upset because the Giants have lost 14 of their last 17 games.

Did I ever mention how much the girls and I like ABBA? (I don't know how to do the backward "B"). Probably. PBS (Public Broadcasting - educational channel) ran a special tonight (pledge time again) of the 1979 Wembley (London) concert. Too much talk; not nearly enough music but we still enjoyed it. Surprising how that music has stayed around all these years. I seem to be raising three Dancing Queens, bouncing around the living room singing Take a Chance on Me and Super Trouper (which wasn't part of the concert but they have memorized) from our dvd and cd's.

My older son is home from El Centro (National Guard) for the weekend. It's his and Melissa's second anniversary. Baby Jonathan is thriving. I don't see as much of him as I'd like with Melissa working and me busy. It's hard to coordinate visits.

And now it's 1:00 a.m. I'm not sure about church tomorrow. I'll decide when we wake up.

Take care everyone.

Resolution - Begin Typing Earlier in the Day

Nothing's wrong and many thanks to all who inquired. It's just been a busy few days and by the time I get around to writing, I'm falling asleep. Now I have to back up and read what I said last.

I'll be back shortly.

Okay, I'm back and ready to catch up a little. Nobody needs to hear everything for the last three days but I'll hit the high spots for now. (As I watch the Giants who are already behind in the 2nd inning). Update - still behind in the top of the 9th. It's taken me a while to put this together. (Still editing - we lost and it's almost midnight. So much for starting earlier).

First to "anonymous" and any other anonymous reader who comments here: I said in the comment box:

Thanks for the comment. Some blogs won't allow anonymous comments (I do so far) so you might think about setting up a blogger account even if you don't have a blog.

I didn't realize I was allowing anonymous comments again but I'll continue unless I get "flamed". It's happened once in almost a year.

Many blogs don't allow them. It's simple to open a Blogger account and it's free. You don't need a blog or even a profile. You can use any name you wish. It will enable you to comment on any Blogger post that allows comments.

That's Spunky, our alpha female, stuffing her pretty face. She's been around for a while but Ray and I can never remember how many years. Seven or eight maybe? She's another one who wandered in as a kitten and never left. She wasn't a stray; she just preferred our place and her owner, who was in the middle of moving, said we might as well keep her. I think it's called voting with your feet.

The girls spent much of the last couple of days with their mom. With school starting Monday, their lives will be much busier. I cooked dinner tonight (honey barbecue chicken, corn on cob, and Rice-a-roni (yes I know but it works well with chicken). They're not home yet so I'm sure they'll come home fed and I'll get out of cooking tomorrow. (Update - they walked in right after I wrote this). Yes, they were fed, but they may be hungry again soon. (Update #2 - Rochelle just walked past with a full plate of dinner and told me I was a good cooker (her highest praise). Maybe I won't get out of cooking tomorrow after all. I already have a request for tuna glop (Elcie).

I found Elcie a pair of shoes. Sturdy enough for her but still attractive and comfortable as well as washable which is the first thing I look for. The second thing is a sale (which I found). She's up to a size seven. I can't believe it. Her "feet" are turning into "yards" (for my sensible friends who use metrics, 1 yard is equal to 0.91 meter and 3 feet = 1 yard). I washed the rest of the school shoes and they're drying.

I have the closet somewhat organized again except for the underwear and sock drawers. I may finish them up tonight. It's time to dump everything on the bed and find out what's beyond salvaging and how many socks I can match. They have tons of both; I've just procrastinating on the big sorting job. (Update - almost 11 p.m. now and will probably procrastinate again).

I think we have all their school supplies and they're okay on clothes until cooler weather. I'm not going to buy winter clothing just yet; they're growing entirely too much too fast. I made that mistake last year with Elcie who jumped 3 sizes in a year. Now Rochelle is doing the same thing. I don't want to buy jeans in August they won't be able to zip in October.

I picked up their school schedules yesterday and I'm pleased so far. Elcie, even with mainstreaming, will have one teacher (and one classroom) for most of her classes as will the other two. I'd expected Elcie (now 8th grade) to move from classroom to classroom which would mean talking to all the teachers about the extra time she'd need. No worries there at least. I still have misgivings about mainstreaming but she'll have all the resource help she needs and we can always take a step back if need be. We'll never know until we try.

Rochelle will have Elcie's 6th grade Special Day teacher who already knows her and is looking forward to having Elcie's sister in her class. Rochelle is still a little shy so knowing her teacher will help. She was honor roll all last year; I hope middle school goes as well.

Best news of all, Rebecca (also 6th grade) will have an extra math class (intervention). It may mean less time sitting with her at home night after night as she struggles through 60 problems; each one just like the one before. She seems to be focusing better and I'm hoping it will be a good year for her. She needs a thorough grounding in basics so they'll become automatic for her instead of being so time consuming. That way what time I spend here with her can be spent working on the current lessons instead of plodding through multiplication and division over and over. Somehow she has to catch up before 7th and 8th when it becomes more difficult.

I still haven't heard about transportation for the two younger girls and Elcie is scheduled for two different pickup times depending on whether I believe the District (6:55 a.m. like last year) or transportation services (7:25 a.m). I couldn't reach anyone at the District so I'll have her ready at 6:55 and drive the other two as soon as the bus arrives. More confusing; it's always been the county school people who have arranged transportation for Elcie; not the city District. Oh well.

I may end up driving R & R to school or to the closest regular bus stop. Rochelle is supposed to have transportation because she's in Special Ed. She can't ride with Elcie because she's not orthopedically challenged. Neither can Rebecca. Rebecca doesn't fit either category but the District was going to try to make an exception so she could ride the bus with Rochelle. If she can't, I'll drive them both. (trust that was all perfectly clear - lol). I'd take Elcie but loading and unloading the wheelchair every day (twice) is a little too much when there are other options available. I'll talk to the school and see what we can work out. It's just a couple of miles and if I don't have to fight the last block of wall to wall traffic jam at the school, shouldn't be too bad. I'm giving some thought to a limited cell phone for the two of them to share. I think they're legal in middle school but I'll check the rules for this year before I decide. I'd feel more secure if they can reach me in an emergency. School offices don't always cooperate with kids wanting to call home.

Let's see. Anything else? My Thursday night "house party/meeting" involved watching a film produced by the Union of Concerned Scientists on global warming and its implications for California.

Fascinating and more than a little scary.

Rochelle went along. She likes meetings because they usually involve food. This time we had ice water with cucumber and lemon, cheese and crackers, baby carrots, and grapes from the host's own back yard arbor. (Organic, I'll bet). The host had a huge, gentle dog who fell in love with Rochelle. It was mutual.

And I met a young man from St. Louis at the "party" who knows someone I knew in Arkansas almost 40 years ago. Very small world. I wonder if AR friend still remembers me.

I picked up Tim at Amtrak today, took him home to change, and then to work. He told me the train was packed and some passengers said Greyhound was as well. Not surprising. At this point the train up and down central CA (San Francisco to Bakersfield passing almost through our living room) is no doubt faster than flying.

Blogger spell-check still doesn't recognize the words blog, blogs, or blogger. It didn't care much for "glop" either. You mean glop isn't a word? I don't know why I bother with it. My typos are usually words which are spelled correctly but are not the word I intended. Occasionally I skip a word and leave it to you to connect the dots. I promise my brain knows the difference between there and their; it's just a missed connection between brain and fingers.

Thanks to all for the comments and I apologize if I didn't get back to everyone. It's been a frantic few days.

Take care everyone.

Joke Time

I spotted several familiar names and faces over at Merle's but there may still be some who haven't seen this one.

Regular post follows.

<><><> Exercise for Seniors <><><>

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you

have plenty of room at each side.

With a 5 kg (10lb) potato sack in each hand, extend your

arms straight out from your sides and hold them there

as long as you can. Try to hold for a full minute, then

relax. Each day, you’ll find that you can hold this position

for just a bit longer.

<><><><>

After a couple of weeks, move up to a 10 kg (20lb) sack.

Then 50 kg (100 lb) potato sacks and eventually try to lift

a 100 kg (200lb).

<><><><>

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each

of the sacks; … but be careful.

<><><><><><>

I'll Try To Do A Little Better Tonight.

It's difficult to think of much to say when the highlight of one's day is watching youngest son trying to transport two unwilling cats from their old home to their new. Cat number one wasn't too difficult; cat number two made up for it. After 3 tries and claw marks up and down his arms,Tim gave up. We took #1 home in the carrier. He and my dil will try again; this time I hope with body armor (provided they can find the cat). We moved a cat from San Francisco to Merced in a U Haul. He was not happy. He bolted for the furthest closet and stayed there for 3 days. Eventually his natural cat curiousity took over and out he came, a little at a time. By the next couple of days, he'd taken over the house and yard. For a city cat who'd never had his paws on concrete, he acclimated quickly.

I had my usual Tuesday coffee with my friend (and no kids) and the regular PFLAG meeting tonight (also kidless). Tomorrow will be a busy day too. I'm taking Tim to the train for Bakersfield, Ray has a doctor's appointment, and I have a couple of errands including Elcie's shoes (see below). Thursday is the "roundup" at middle school and a meeting in the evening. I might have skipped the meeting (house party) but so far only two of us have rsvp'd and I don't want the woman to have nobody show up. I emailed to tell her my feelings wouldn't be hurt if she cancelled. It's just to watch a film I can see another time. Haven't heard back yet.

Meantime, we're still counting down to school. Elcie will need shoes. I took her out today but we ran out of time before we found anything. Her dress shoes still fit but she'll need something sturdy for school. I'll try again tomorrow.

Oh and I bought a book to go with the other one I still haven't finished. I've been interested in a morbid sort of way with Munchausen's by Proxy for some time. I can't begin to understand it. This autobiographical book, "Sickened", describes the disease from an adult survivor's point of view (looking back).

I've cut way back on my reading. It's not so much a question of time as it is the reading itself. I've adjusted somewhat to bifocals with the computer but half a dozen pages into a book and I'm drowsy. This one has fairly large print and it's short. Maybe I'll do better.

I used to read 4 or 5 books in a week sometimes (before computer, come to think of it). Maybe that's part of the reason I'm not reading words on paper as much as I did. Suppose the act of turning pages has become too low tech?

Carol seems to be okay. Thanks to all of you who asked. Ray's doing well too.

We're supposed to jump from 90° to 101° tomorrow and then start dropping back again.

Almost midnight. Take care everyone.

Merle and Val - My baseball Giants lost again. I may start paying more attention to the Carltons if I can find at least parts of their games here.

Just Saying Goodnight or Good Morning

Honestly, I'm just too sleepy to think.

I'll be back tomorrow. Take care everyone.

Sunday Night - Updated around 1:30 a.m.

I spent much of today working on the laundry. I know - you don't want to hear it. Don't worry, I'm not caught up yet. In order to make space I have to rearrange drawers once again. But not today.

In between - not much of anything. Early this evening I took Tim (younger son) over to their old house to pick up what we hope is the last of their belongings. Jim left for San Diego before he could finish it all. I picked up some milk, etc. at the same time and we stopped for a sandwich before I dropped him back off.

Jim's called me several times since he left. Once to ask the population of El Centro (around 40,000) where he'll be stationed, once I think I mentioned before to tell me he was passing the baseball stadium in San Diego, and then to ask me what desert he was in (Mojave?). He was headed for the nearest Barnes & Noble (Yuma, AZ), about a 45 minute drive from El Centro and a long way to go just to use his employee discount. (It's good as long as he's on military leave).

He called me once when he was living and working in Bakersfield (he managed the bar at the Red Lion) to ask who played tight end for the SF 49ers (pro football). I said Brent Jones (no computer then, I just knew). Bar bet? Nope, just some guy trying to remember who it was and Jim drawing a blank as well. The guy asked him if he called a sports desk at a newspaper. "Nope, I called my mommy". Some things never change but at least he didn't wait until 2:00 a.m. to do it. Tim does it too. I have this annoying memory for useless information which crowds out the memory of where I put my coffee cup last.

Nobody's asleep yet. Elcie's listening to music in the living room and the other two are across the street on the front porch with their friends (and the telephone). I'll call them home in a few more minutes. Meantime I can see them from my front door and there's an adult out there with them. Update - they're in and sound asleep.

Maybe tomorrow we'll start edging back toward a school schedule. This is the first year we haven't stayed with their earlier bedtime but for most of the summer it's been too hot to sleep until at least 11.

There's a recipe post right below this one. I thought I'd published it yesterday and realized a few minutes ago that I'd missed a tiny bit of code in the link. Oops.

My Giants won. Amazing. Crawling back up out of the cellar again. I still think my presence at the game a couple of weeks ago jinxed them.

Hi to Kristen a working mom from Home on the Fringe.

And belated hi to Kendra Lynn of Michigan, mom of two little girls.

And thanks as usual for all the comments.

Take care everyone.

Recipes and a Plug

I wrote this Saturday afternoon and didn't realize it didn't post. Trying again.

Thanks to Diane who lives in Bay, AR and has a wonderful recipe blog. I found her through Kentucky Gal who linked to her chicken and dressing recipe (which turned out to be quite similar to what my mil used to make and what I still turn out once in a while).

My eyes lit up when I saw Bay, AR. I commented to her that I may be her only reader outside of Arkansas who knows exactly where Bay is. It's a few miles down the road from Jonesboro where I lived for eight years. Much smaller than Jonesboro but still a little bigger than Hergett, their next door neighbor. It's up in the northeast corner of Arkansas, close to the Missouri border and maybe 60 miles from Memphis, TN. We used to say that if you accidentally missed something in Hergett, you had to go to Bay to turn around.

Enjoy the recipes. I hope you'll give her a visit. She has lots of them.

I have three girls cleaning house while I "supervise" from here. They're all in disgrace except Elcie for not minding Grandpa when he told them to hold the noise down to a dull roar. Now he gets to hear the vacuum instead. Perhaps they'll listen next time.

And I'm still in my "gown tail" as my mil used to say. I'm afraid if I put clothes on someone will want to go someplace and I did enough driving yesterday. I'm watching Oakland and Seattle play baseball and goofing off for a while.

Talk to you later.

Another Goofy Day

During which I spent most of my time behind the wheel of the minivan.

I thought I had most of my day planned out but Carol had an unexpected doctor visit which threw everything out of kilter. She had some pain that was troubling her, and had gone to the e.r. They couldn't find anything and sent her out to the cancer center. They suggested she call her surgeon. He looked her over and said she was fine. We'll see how it goes but she does seem to be doing better today. I still wonder about an infection though and I'm watching her. He's a good surgeon but somewhat cavalier in his aftercare approach.

Between dropping her and picking her up, Ray & I ran the errands (with all three girls since no one was at home) we'd originally intended. Meantime, I'd gotten my signals crossed and promised both Elcie and Rebecca outings just with grandma for the same day. They have the memories of elephants for something like that even when they can't remember to pick up their clothes from the bathroom floor or their shoes from the middle of the doorway.

I juggled some more. Rebecca went with me to the bread store and selected some of the bread and treats. She charmed the counter person who was quite taken with her hair, eyes, and ethnicity which was similar to his. They had quite a conversation.

Went back home, lay down for an hour (by then it was late afternoon and Elcie was becoming discouraged). I rose to the occasion somehow. She and I set out on a search for cat name tags (for their collars). Never did find them but we found some plain flea collars (which they needed) that we could write on. We went to Barnes & Noble for a cold drink (missing Tim by just a few minutes) and then decided to pick up the rest of the school supplies and stop at KFC for their chicken special to bring home.

I'll start cooking again tomorrow I promise. The first week of the month is always a little nuts.

Elcie was happy, Rebecca was happy, Ann was ready to drop where she stood, and Rochelle understood she gets most of the trips. She's the one who hears my keys jingle. Elcie usually wants to stay home and Rebecca would often rather spend the time with her buddies in the neighborhood. Rochelle doesn't care where I'm going - she just wants to go along.

Elcie and I had a great time. This time the conversation in the car drifted to the neutering of animals. What's the difference between a woman having her tubes tied and a female cat being spayed? I spent the next ten minutes explaining. I have no idea what prompted the question and why I always seem to be discussing biology while negotiating five o'clock traffic.

Oh well. I'm grateful for communication, wherever it takes place, and the car seems to be Elcie's comfort zone.

Just as I hoped we were winding down and I was enjoying a telephone conversation with a friend, Rebecca came in with a turned ankle and scratches down her back. She jumped from something and misjudged. So, along with a fat lip from yesterday, her ankle and back hurt.

Nothing serious. Rochelle leapt to the rescue and between the two of us we got Rebecca into a cool bath, a shampoo, and some pampering. She's sound asleep now and I think so are the other two. At least it's quiet.

Not much else. Mollie, if you're reading, the Giants victory yesterday was not the beginning of a glorious comeback although Barry hit 723.

And now I'm going to catch up on a few more of my blogging buddies and call it a night (or a morning - it's almost 1:00 here on the left coast).

Thanks for all the comments and take care everyone.

Friday Cat Blogging - Rebecca with Dipsticks I and II

Adding a sentence to the top of this post. That's Rebecca with the cats, not Elcie. Confusing because I started off by talking about Elcie.

Elcie says the kitten's name is Princess but to me she's another Dipstick. About the same level of intelligence but a little more lively. Dipstick I has become a speed bump lately. Or a doorstop. He and Fidget keep sneaking into the car. I discovered Fidget when I stopped at the bank a couple of weeks ago. He thinks he's a dog.

Today was much better than yesterday. (Still Thursday even though title says Friday). Headache still gone.

Rebecca, Rochelle, and I did a couple of errands and picked up their Uncle Tim for lunch at Long John Silver's. Brought home fish for Ray and Elcie who suddenly decided she didn't like fish. Too bad. Hungry Elcie until she found something she would eat. She was just bent out of shape because it wasn't McDonalds and she'll get over it. And if she had gone with us in the first place she could have chosen her own lunch (at Long Johns - they have chicken as well).

Later on he came over and fixed my printer somewhat. (He unplugged it and plugged it back in to a different port - genius). I may have to replace it - the paper feed isn't working. Anyone have any ideas about a Lexmark? We have to push the paper one sheet at a time until it catches. No problem now but it will be when the girls go back to school. I've been trying to justify buying a combination printer/scanner/fax if I can find one on sale that will do what I want as simply as possible. I've always had some problems with the printer and scanner speaking to each other. Sometimes they do and sometimes they sulk.

Rebecca managed to open the car door too quickly somehow and ran it into her nose and mouth. No damage to her nose but she cut the inside of her upper lip and it'll be sore for a couple of days. We applied ice inside a wet washcloth quickly so maybe it won't be too bad tomorrow. Poor kid. She moves too quickly sometimes with disastrous results.

Right now she's decorating a small cabinet we picked up at a yard sale some time ago. It's just sat around waiting for a proper home. It's now covered with stickers and shiny beads. It helped take her mind off her woes.

We bought some ice cream, the cure for everything including a fat lip. Even Elcie ate that. Denali is a Savemart brand and it's not bad. Has flavors like Caribou something or other and Moose Tracks. They make an good cherry chocolate chip. We bought that, some type of carmel, and mint chocolate chip (for Rebecca - she's the mint person). Ray and I will have some of the cherry and carmel later because I don't expect it to be here tomorrow.

Here's a tip for Blogger folk. It took me months before I knew that I could click on my username in the email copy of a comment and it would take me to the specific post. I'd been searching through post after post until then.

Another friend mentioned in an email today that she was having problems tracking comments back to the posts. I told her about my magic cure and then thought someone else might not know either. Now everyone reading this does - if you didn't already.

I'm catching up on reading posts somewhat and on adding to the blogroll. If you don't see your name, let me know. Unless it becomes totally unmanageable, if you visit and you're not a troll or a spammer, you go on the blogroll. (On the other hand, if you're there and would rather not be, let me know.) We aim to please.

Thanks to all for the comments and good wishes; especially those I haven't replied to personally.

Take care everyone.

Thanks - Headache Gone For Now

I'm sure it was a combination of the heat and being generally frazzled. We're all a little cranky and since I don't want to yell at kids all day the headache may be the result of biting my tongue. Doesn't do much for the tongue either.

It's better today so I'm grabbing a chance to say say thanks to all who were concerned.

There hasn't been much going on to write about and that's part of it.

Jim called me last night to tell me he'd just passed the baseball stadium in San Diego. Maybe he'll get to a Padres game or two while he's there. He still doesn't know what he's going to be doing but I'm sure as soon as the Army figures it out they'll let him know.

Right now I'm surrounded by two kittens and Elcie. I have a load of wash going and a bunch to put away. Another blogger was talking about a "tryonathon" today. She was talking about her closet (size 4 to 14) and early pregnancy where nothing fits. I feel for her.

That's basically what the girls do. Anyone else have tweens and teens who turn the drawers and closet inside out and then say "I have nothing to wear"? It was much easier when they were younger and I dressed them.

Then of course there's "refrigerator blindness". "There's nothing to eat in here".

So now I have them working on the living room. Elcie did a fair job on her room and I'm doing the clothes a few at a time.

See what I mean? Nothing to write about.

I'll do better once the weather has cooled off a little more and the girls are back in school. I love them all but I'm ready for vacation and the squabbling to end.

Talk to you later. I must go stop the bloodshed.

I Haven't Disappeared

It's been a busy couple of days. Always is around the first and tomorrow won't be much different.

I have a headache that doesn't want to go away. Nothing to worry about but I'm going to make an early night out of it.

I'll catch up on reading and writing tomorrow.

Take care everyone.

Good Morning

Harry Potter was a fizzle. By the time we arrived a little before 7 last night, it was over. I took them for Happy Meals instead.

I'm on my way out the door for the first of month major shopping. At least I won't melt along the way. It's much cooler.

I've heard from friends in PA and CT that they're expecting extreme temps today. My sympathies. Drink plenty of water and be careful.

Anyhow just saying hi for now. I'll try to get back later.

Mollie. Haven't said a thing about the Giants lately because we've lost the last 8 in a row.

Take care everyone.