hibernate

*whispers*  It's illustration Friday.  The prompt this week is "hibernate".

Shhh.....

a moment

We had a moment.

Yes, the motorcycle cop.  He shows up at my crosswalk.  I never know when, I just arrive and he's there.  Or not.  He likes to keep me guessing.

Our torrid affair has been going on for months now.  I still remember our first encounter.  Him in his shiny helmet with his... his... his... motorcycle.  Oh, the SOUND it makes!  And before I know it, he's got the lights going.  The FLASHING lights!  He'll chase one speeder down and just a few minutes later, he's ready for MORE!  Sometimes 2 or 3 times in one shift!

He completes me.

So I'm there yesterday, all busy with kids, when out of the corner of my eye... I see him.  He's there.  He's there, yet not there.  No, he's there.  It's different.  He's on a different corner.  Just watching.  Watching.  Oh, the way he watches.

In a few minutes, I've managed to clear the area of kids.  It's just me now, by the button.  He approaches

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He speaks!  For the first time since our trysts began, he speaks.  To me!  Usually it's all done with the eyes, with hand gestures, words have not been necessary and yet, my heart...  I listen with my heart more than with my ears...

He speaks of TRAFFIC, of SCHOOL LET-OUT TIMES, of  DISTANCES. 
Oh, his indulgence!  It's so stimulating, I can't help but respond! 

Before I know it, I'm talking TRAFFIC PATTERNS, divulging NUMBERS OF CHILDREN.  The WHEN, the WHO, I can't stop!

And then... and THEN... he pulls out his... his... his... RADAR GUN!  Right there for all to see!  I'm speechless by that point.

It beeps - 10 m.p.h. over the limit, and off he goes. 

Off he goes...

abridged

Chaco had to build a bridge.

This was for his Practical Science and Engineering class.  Oh the frustration.  The challenge was to make it as light as possible and able to maintain as much weight as possible.  He called me on Friday asking for a ride home because "I have a balsa wood bridge I need to bring home".  So, I picked him up.

It was in pieces - early development stages.  Apparently, this was a team project, yet I never say any "team members" over the weekend.  In fact, the pieces didn't emerge until late Sunday when construction resumed.

There was much gnashing of teeth getting the thing all glued up while maintaining its lightness / frailness.  I told Chaco to take a picture.

"Why"??

"Because that bridge - it's so fragile - what if it breaks on the way to school??  At least with a photo, your teacher will know you finished it"

"But... the project is about weight and strength....."

But my visions of the thing disintegrating before making it back to the classroom persisted.  He needed EVIDENCE damnit!  Even if it just got him partial credit!  It's like women who take pictures of their injuries when their boyfriends or husbands beat them up, right?  There's an analogy there somewhere, I know it.

He took the pic to appease me.

the bridge - hogging my giga desk

The bridge made it to school.  It supported 11 freaking pounds - the weight of our butch cat. 

I'm convinced it was the photo that saved it.
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(return of) Silver Liningness

As alluded to a few days ago, I thought I should bring back the weekly "silver lining" entry.  No better time like the present...

First of all, I'm glad that it's officially fall - YAY, my favorite season.  Join me in a round of "Kill the Allergens, KILL the Allergens!!"

And with fall comes fall sports.  Yesterday, Wolfgang had a local cross-country meet, so it was the first race I'd attended this season.

It wasn't his best race, but it was unseasonably hot, and I had a feeling the times would be relatively slow.  Still, it was fun to watch him run.    There are a few more localish meets on the schedule that I'm looking forward to.

On a similar note, I had a sweet coupon and got these funny looking running shoes for myself last week:

The latest thing - this zigzag design.   My review-in-ten-words-or-less:  Comfy, fast, good for 10K or less.  We'll have fun together. 

Today, the older guys are out doing manly things.  Magnum, Chaco and Wolfgang are at a Hunter Safety course.  Magnum asked if I wanted to sign up too.  Uhm... no.  I'm all for preparing for the zombie apocalypse and all, but an all-day Hunter Safety class?  Uhm... no thanks.

So, it's just Meego and me today - bonding opportunity.  Like now?  While I'm on the internet and he's watching yet more of "Red v. Blue"??

Hmm... maybe I should go.
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ferocious

Happy Illustration Friday!  This week's prompt is "Ferocious", so pardon the rather gorey depiction.

We once had a venus flytrap for a family member.  She would keep the house free of flies... well, not really.  We would have to catch the flies and then feed them to our Venus as she was in a terrarium.  But still! 

It was epic.

So for that reason, I decided to go all out this week and include an entire freaking (3 min.) movie for the epic slow death of the courageous grasshopper.  Pop the popcorn, and turn up the volume...





* NO  ACTUAL BUGS WERE HARMED DURING THE PRODUCTION OF THIS MOVIE *
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pain and suffering

Okay, apparently yesterday was kids-injure-themselves-at-the-crosswalk-day, and nobody told me.

It started in the morning when one of my regular customers tripped and landed on a chunk of cement.  I hate when that happens.

He's a tough little guy, though, and a few soothing words from the siblings and me helped to stanch the downpour.  Soon, he was up and walking and ready for another day at the kindergarten grind.

Afternoon brought more carnage. 

I was walking a group across when I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, one particular daredevil approaching on his bicycle.  I was in the middle of the road, keeping one eye on the current crossers, another eye on the might-misbehave-at-any-moment traffic, and another third(?) eye on bicycle boy.  I had a feeling that he might decide to go for it and try to beat the light, and I was having none of that.

However, I didn't have to tell him to stop, the ground did that for me.  I actually think he's got a sh*tty rear brake on his bicycle and so usually just uses his feet and/or his front brake.  Anyway, out of the corner of my third eye, I see him do an end-over-end at the bottom of the hill approaching the crosswalk.

Much wailing and writhing promptly ensued.  And ensued and ensued and ensued.

He was balled up in a heap, doubled over in pain and not responding to my questions as to what hurt.  But the wailing told me that he was at least conscious and breathing. 

Turns out he took the end of a hand grip to the gut.  That's not easy to do.  At first, because of his position and his non-response, I was afraid he may have taken it in the crotch, but eventually he was able to show me the point of contact.  It was where his uterus would be if he were a girl. 

And all this with cars buzzing by and kids heading home from school and wanting to cross the street.  Oh the excitement. 

Eventually, everyone got headed in their proper directions.  Dad came to retrieve bicycle boy who did not show at the crosswalk this morning. 

This moonlighting is getting intense.
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Silver Liningness

I haven't done a silver-lining post in a while.  I could go back and check to see how long it's been, but I'll just say it's been a while.  That I know.  I should get back into the habit of doing those weekly.  We'll see, anyway...

I'm happy that it's finally feeling like fall.  The oppressive heat makes me just want to lay around and do nothing.  With the coolness comes a bit of burst of energy.  And I'm actually cooking stuff and remembering what the oven is for.

It's also beautiful weather for running.  Pretty soon, it will be face-freezing time, but right now is PERfect.

I like the new place I'm tutoring from.  It's very flexible and I have more control over what I teach and who I teach and when I teach. 

Meego started middle school this year, and it feels like just in time.  He's too "mature" for elementary school, and I am glad to be a PAST PTO member.  Other interesting volunteer assignments are on the horizon, but that's another post.

Wolfgang made the varsity cross country team despite his relative laziness over the summer.

And oh, I am still a crossing guard which I strangely enjoy.  Last week we had two days of being socked in with record setting rainfall.  On Friday morning, the fog rolled out and revealed this at my crossing guard post:

First snow on the peak!

I waited until there was no traffic to snap the pic.  I didn't want anyone to report a strange crossing guard taking pictures of motorists.

I haven't seen any movies lately that I particularly enjoy.  I let Magnum pick the last couple to get his man movies in (one was  a Jet Li, the other an Adam Sandler - OH the things I tolerate!)   Any recommendations??  Anyone???

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