son run in the sun

It is done.

Run With Lumber 2009 is in the books.


Everyone got a few laps in. Everyone got a root beer float. Everyone got a little frisbee thing. It is done.

Remember a while back I was still searching for a Lumber victim? Desperate times call for desperate measures. This year's Lumber was none other than.... dun dun duuuuuun.... our very own Chaco [APPLAUSE APPLAUSE].

Yes, I allowed my son to miss a day of school to run around in a furry suit with little children all day. In fact, I nearly begged him to do so.

He did a great job, though. Probably too good of a job, because the staff wants him to do it again next year... and the next. And, I think he actually had fun.

He probably still expects me to pay him that twenty bucks I promised, though.

.

perspicaz

So I entered the room of doom today. That would be the kids' bedroom. I don't remember what I went in there for, maybe to open the window. Get in, open the window, get out, before the mess completely entraps me.

Upon my speedy exit, I notice a piece of paper with what looks like some sort of org chart laying about in no particular organized place. Looking closer, I see that it's a small family tree, written in Spanish in Chaco's writing. Must be an assignment for Spanish class.

In the upper corner, with no particular lines emanating, he lists "Mi Gato Cookie" and "Mi Perro China". Then in the middle of the page, we see a box each for Magnum and me with a line coming out and breaking off into three lines. One each for Chaco and his brothers.

The brother boxes say, "Mi hermano menor Wolfgang [es perezoso]" = My younger brother Wolfgang [he is lazy]; "Mi hermano menor Meego [es divertido]" = My younger brother Meego [he is funny].

My box says, "Mi Madre Abby [es trabajadora]" = My mother Abby [she's hard working]. Magnum's box says, "Mi Padre Magnum [es un nerdo]". He got the hard working part right! Nice for him to notice! as for the "un nerdo", I don't even think that's a genuine word in Spanish, but we get the translation.

la HA la HA la HA la HA!!
.

[censored]

Okay, I don't like to be a party to gossip, but I had a weird conversation with someone this afternoon and as I mull it over, I feel the urge to blog it. Because of some sensitive content and the fact that it involves real life people, I feel I must perform a bit of censorship.

I went to the bleepity school to pick up blooper. I saw an acquaintance of mine and went up to chit chat. I've known her for about two and a half years. She does a lot of volunteering at the bleepity school, so we run into each other quite often.

She seemed a bit irate and then commenced to tell me that she was going to stop volunteering and having much to do with the bleepity school. Supposedly, some parents had complained that she was teaching some of the children about blippities and bloppities.

She found this out after going to the principal to ask why she hadn't been asked to come help in the classrooms in a while.

This struck me as quite odd, and in fact, I admit that my response was to burst out in a guffaw, but I quickly apologized to her saying, "sorry, I don't mean to laugh, it's just so ridiculous the idea that you are talking about blippities and bloppities with the students".

She said, "I know".

The principal wouldn't tell her who it was that made these claims and the principal didn't say that she herself believed the claims, but she was left to stop asking this person to help out in the classrooms.

But I've been wondering. It is weird. And a little creepy. This woman does do a lot of volunteering, but it always kind of struck me that she does it mainly for the attention it brings to her. She's a champ at patting herself on the back (and maybe a bit of a control freak). Just my own observation.

I will say that the idea of her discussing blippities and bloppities with the kids would not be a total shocker to me. And I don't mean that in regards to school volunteers in general, I mean that in regards to this particular person.

I wondered. Was she really discussing blippities and bloppities? Or were the teachers just wanting her out of their hair, and this was an easy out?
.

Silver Lining S-day, part XXXVI

This was wrong. ALL wrong. I didn't want to be in that place. YUCK pooey! Then I woke up and was all, oh whew, just a weird dream. THANK goodness! Doncha just love that feeling?

With that, time for another installment of Silver Lining Saturday! (on a Sunday).

First of all, in case no one has noticed, I've begun a new policy here for SLS day. A photo depiction of something good from the week. I sat down to do this entry and realized I had no such photo so snapped a quick one:

It's Chaco and Wolfgang shooting each other up via XBOX 360 in the Man Cave from earlier mention - as seen from the Mom Cave (a.k.a laundry room). I'm actually thankful we have such a Man Cave, inhospitable as it is to me at times.

Schools were out Monday and Tuesday of this week, and we had lovely weather to accompany that. Wolfgang and Meego and I took a very enjoyable bike ride together. I forget where Chaco was at the time. I do remember thinking that I wished I'd had the camera - would've gotten a good shot for SLS day.

Yes, the weather has improved from the recent snowiness. In fact, I had some good quality time with both Bella and Tessa (my bicycles) this week.

Yesterday happened to be an exception, however. Cold and drizzly for most of the day. The elementary school PTO had a Car Show/Yard Sale event (secretly dubbed "Cars and Crap"). It's too bad the weather wasn't better, but I'm thankful that I had not volunteered to work the thing and was not expected to since I am, after all, the Run With Lumber lady - Run With Lumber being this coming Wednesday.

On that note, all the Run With Lumber ducks are in a row. I just need to procure the ice cream. We even have a Lumber "volunteer". More on that later...

I went for a lovely run earlier today. Weather is back to nice. I was contemplating aloud whether I should wear shorts or capris for my run when Magnum piped up, "Wear shorts, show off your legs". For that, he gets major points.
.

just sayin'

What's in your closet?

Me, I've got root beer - a sign of spring.

Run With Lumber is next week, so I've also got a bunch of cups and spoons in the car. It's supposed to be about going out and being active while supporting the school, but I must face the fact that many of those kids are in it for the root beer floats and participation prizes. Whatever works.

In other news, I'm curious about something. Say you find out about a part-time job opening somewhere, so you go ahead and apply. Then say that the hiring person, with whom you have worked before, contacts you and says stuff like, "that's fantastic!" and then commences to ask you if you would also be willing to take another part-time opening at the same place in combination with the other.

And then say you hedge a little then agree to consider it. And say you consider it and ask a few questions of this hiring person who all the while is urging you and flattering you to do it. And say you finally decide that you'd be willing to take both part-time jobs if offered and let the hiring person know this. And then say you don't hear anything more after that. For like a week and a half. No job offer, no "sorry we changed our mind", etc.

What say you?
.

clubbed and drug

Kinda weird, I opened up my blog and saw these pictures of snow storming. You'd never know it now. It's practically HOT outside.

The kids have been out of school today and yesterday for "professional development" days. Tack on Friday's snowday and it's a veritable vacation week! And with it, Chaco and Wolfgang have been DIY-ing the Man Cave, making it even more of the Man Cave.

I've no problem with this Man Cave that has taken over the bottom floor of our house. There's a Playstation 2, and XBOX 360, a dartboard with darts, a nerf hoop, a table in the corner for building models, a big punching bag thing (okay, that's actually mostly mine), and now there are electrical cables running all over giving it the Geek Man Cave look.

The problem is, it happens to be the room where my.... er... the computer desk is. If I want to use the computer when 2 or more of the resident males are home, I must do so in the midst of the Man Cave. When no one else is home, the Man Caveness is hardly noticeable, other than the decor, that is. Oh, and don't pick up any of the reading materials if you're not prepared to be overloaded with V1agra, Lev1tra, phermone, and Asian mail-order bride ads. Popular Science? Who knew?!

When all 4 of the males I live with inhabit the Man Cave at the same time, it is truly inhospitable to any female. I intelligently avoid it at those times.

Yesterday, I needed to do some things on the computer. Girl things I suppose. And so I needed to not hear things exploding near me. I needed to not have cables being strung over, across, and through me. I systematically kicked them all out and declared this the "Mom Cave". It worked!

For about 15 minutes.
.

Silver Lining Saturday, part XXXV

Welcome to this week's episode of Silver Lining Saturday!

The week started with snow. Yes, it snowed here on Easter, pretty much all day. But the snowy Easter sort of forced me to stay indoors and get some work related ducks in a row. Plus, we had chocolate.

The week also ended with snow as mentioned in yesterday's entry. In fact, it's still snowing as I type this.

But a good time was had by all! Sometimes it's nice to just have a good snowday wipe out any prior plans, and go out and be like a kid-with-a-snow-day.

And there was just enough break in the weather to allow Magnum to make it back home from his trip.

Wolfgang had two track meets this week and is enjoying himself this, his first year, on the team. He's been bumped up to the travelling team and has already decided he wants to run track next year in high school. Good thing, since we bought him those $pike$. Just hope his feet don't grow too much.

I sent my 84-year-old dad an e-mail. More amazingly, he got it! I've got to hand it to the guy. He taught himself all about PC's in the process of getting things running.

Speaking of running, Run With Lumber is quickly approaching (sick of hearing about it yet?) and all systems are go. I got more donations this week from local grocery stores. The root beer floats will be flowing a-plenty!

I sold a carseat on craigslist to a nice stay-at-home-mom. My experiences using craigslist have always been postive, unlike some in the news. But then the newsy folks weren't selling carseats and such.

.

ready for May flowers

Get out the woolies, we're having us a SNOW DAY!

Yeah, remember all that fun and frolic I was having back in February and March, galavanting and bicycling around in short sleeves and short pants? Well, perhaps Mother Nature's been stopping by to read here and realized she forgot our winter. April has been a b*tch.

All the schools are closed and I have no snow car. Magnum's been out of town this week for work and is scheduled to come home tonight, but I won't be surprised if he gets stranded somewhere. Looks like I'll be sleeping with the pillows again, and he's left the car in the uncovered parking lot at the airport, so he'll have some digging out to do.

So I'm off to have a productive day, all the while seeing that the kids are occupied in healthy endeavors.
Translation: I'm going to attempt to get some work done, and the kids better help out around here and be nice to each other without trashing the place or anyone getting hurt, or they'll all be cleaning the dog run.
.

a day at the track

He was my track coach. Well, not really MY track coach. He was A track coach. He was the distance coach and I was a sprinter.

Bottom line is, he wasn't supposed to ask me out on a date.

It took me quite by surprise, over there just coming out of a turn in the track. I don't remember how it was that we happened to have a private moment in the middle of track practice, but that's where we were.

I stood rather dumbfounded for a moment, then said something like, "Uhm... I don't think my parents would let me", which hopefully was true. I was 16 years old. He was probably a good 10 years older. Sheesh. Dude!

Truth is, I never even mentioned it to my parents. Didn't really see a reason to. I never really mentioned it to anyone because it just seemed so weird.

Recently, there seems to be a rash of stories in the local news about school teachers having "inappropriate relationships" with students. They reminded me of coach Frank. I wondered about other stories out there that don't make it to the news.

Sheesh.

Dude.
.

catching up

Thinking.... thinking... thinking.... I'm at a fork in the road and must think.

I'm also going through my e-mail and need to reply to several messages so I can clear out my inbox. I'm getting bad about not replying and then things pile up.

I need to write a letter to my mom and dad too. Bad daughter. Bad bad daughter.

I've got some work to catch up on too.

Well, at least there's something that looks like a dinner in the oven.

With that "to do" list, what shall I do? I shall blog (a.k.a. procrastinate). I thought I would take this moment to reply to some recent comments left here, anyway. That might make me feel like I've accomplished something.

Firstly, Ranter notes, in regard to Magnum's and my kidless hike on Friday: "I prefer other things to do when kidless (which is nearly never). LOL"

My reply: I didn't say that all we did was HIKE on our day of hookie. It's just that that was the only activity I had a photo of. Y

Nextly, Terri says: "Care to share the wing recipe?"

Sure, why not. Sharing is caring!

Chicken (or pork) adobo is practically a national dish in the Phillipines, I think. I've seen several variations on this recipe, but this is what I do because it's the easiest and still tastes yummy! If I'm making it as a main entree', I use thighs, but wings are nice as an appetizer or for potluck.

Igredients:
1.5 T vegetable oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C apple cider vinegar
1/2 C Soy sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook about 5 min. per side.
Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Pour off all but about 1 T of pan drippings and turn heat to low.
Add garlic and saute for about a minute.
Add the vinegar and soy sauce and stir to incorporate.
Return the chicken to the skillet and cook, covered, for about 20 min.

Uncover, increase the heat to med-low and cook 15-20 minutes longer, occassionally spooning the sauce over the chicken until the sauce thickens and the chicken is nicely glazed.

Serve with rice.

Warning: Your house will smell like adobo afterward. For a while.
.

Silver Lining Saturday, part XXXIV

It's Easter weekend. Already. I have not dyed one egg. I did learn, however, that Peeps will explode in the microwave. Nasty things, those Peeps.

In the meantime, it's time for another episode of Silver Lining Saturday!

My foot is doing lots better, thanks for asking.


Magnum and I played hookie yesterday and went for a kidless hike in an area we'd not yet hiked in. It was a great day for it, the area was nice with lots of personality, and we needed a boonie fix. Next time, we'll drag the kids along.

Meego's class had an "international day" at school. They were to bring in ethnic type foods to share for a potluck. I made (filipino) chicken adobo wings. They were all gluttonly chowed down, and nobody got sick.

Had a PTO meeting this week. I still have mixed feelings about serving on the PTO and wonder if my time and efforts would be better spent somewhere else. The principal gave us this big mushy pep/gratitude talk which, at least for a little while, made me feel good about all the volunteering. Maybe (probably) she's just kissing our butts.

Wolfgang is enjoying his first year on the track team. I just happened to mention that I used to run the 400m 20 seconds faster than his current time, but I was wearing spikes. Now he wants spikes. Me and my big mouth

Despite the fact that it's finally decided to be winter around here, now that it's spring, we had a couple of relatively nice days. I did some running around on my bicycle and actually had a violent run-in with a squirrel on a death wish.

He didn't get his wish.
.

love and pessimism, a poem

"If your spouse works", they said
"and their employer offers them health benefits", they said
"we're gonna charge you extra extra each month", they said
"to keep them on our plan", they said.

"We should switch you over", he said
"to your company's plan", he said
"so we don't get this stupid charge", he said
"from the viperous HR", he said

"Okay", I said
"here's the package", I said
"We'll save about $60", I said
"a month", I said

"That's all you're allowed?", he said
"For a hospital stay?", he said

"That's what is offered", I said
"for us part-timers", I said
"I just won't ever go", I said
"To the hospital", I said

"But what if", he said
"one of those crazy", he said
"minivan moms", he said
"hits you on your bicycle?", he said

"Hadn't thought", I said
"of that", I said

"Screw it", he said
"we're keeping you", he said
"on my plan", he said

That's my man. Mr. Worst-Case-Scenario. He's all mine.
.

networking

Busy days here. Run With Lumber is approaching and we're still without a Lumber. I posted a "Help Wanted" ad in the teacher's lounge at school yesterday, hoping that someone will sucker some unsuspecting family member into the job.

Speaking of which, Magnum COULD do it. He doesn't WANT to do it. But we would do it if I MADE him do it. I won't make him, though. It takes a certain kind of run-around-in-a-furry-suit kind of person to make a good Lumber, and Magnum's not it.

Maybe I'll post an ad on craigslist. NOT!

So anyways, I was snooping Wolfgang's facebook page today. He and Chaco both have one. I like to keep tabs now and then - make sure they're not doing anything that will put us in The News.

And it's all good clean middle school fun. Wolfgang's a good kid. Well... that and he knows I check.

I noticed, in his status updates, a recent one from a few weeks ago:

"Wolfgang's neighbor's house is on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Oh, sure. We're out saving the family next door and the rest of the neighborhood and calling the proper authorities, and he's in here facebooking about it!

Probably not the only one.
.

Silver Lining Saturday, part XXXIII

This was another wonderful week! I remember thinking that as it was going along. Now to remember why I was thinking that...

Oh, I remember one thing. A big box of those Run With Lumber participation prizes arrived this week. I went with the mini frisbees, and they turned out quite nice. I ended up going with them despite the mayhem that is sure to break out once every kid in the school is given one. Or maybe I ended up going with them BECAUSE OF the mayhem that is sure to break out once every kid in the school is given one! They've got good loft and fly unexpectedly well, particularly indoors - muahahahahahahaha!

On that note, I am still searching for a suitable Lumber, but I've got some good leads!

I ran this week. Twice! I've been rehabbing a case of plantar fasciitis on my right foot since about the beginning of the year, and I'd cut back on the running. It's better. I ran. Yipee!

I've started teaching Chaco to drive our manual transmission Subaru. He thinks he's driving, but really he's just practicing his starts and stops and gear shifting in a big parking lot. BIG wide open space parking lot. BIG BIG. He's actually a pretty attentive student. "This is NOT a video game". Both us and the car have, so far, survived.

I got a schedule for some upcoming classes to teach that looks to work out perfectly through the summer. So nice when stuff works out like that.

Some long lost friends got in touch with me. So nice to hear from them. Yes, they did ask for money, but still...
.

April fool

I did a meme, and it got all scrambled....


Most favorite salad dressing? I don't like soft drinks

Second favorite? Hershey kisses

Middle name? Duffy

Favorite Christmas song? No

Ever a cheer leader? Chicken

Ever voted most popular? University of Colorado

Ever been told you look like someone famous? Lots of them

Ever had a crush on a movie star? Ann

Favorite ice cream? Minestrone

Favorite soft drink? Quick breads and stuff

Favorite soup? Vanilla

Favorite sandwich? Non-fiction travel adventures

Ever make your own clothes? Running and yoga

Enjoy baking? While getting gas at Loaf 'n' Jug

Remember your first romantic kiss? Two brothers. His name? Italian

Remember your last kiss? A big heavy one in the living room.

Exercise? Meego's forehead this morning.

Television? Honest

What word would best tell about you? Fleece

Sisters and brothers? Vinegar and oil

College? No

Books? No

Favorite author? Matt Dillon in high school

Chicken or beef? Laura Croft

Sweets? Tuna melt
.