Tag: ha ha

Reflection

  Thanksgiving was lovely here at This Old House.  The food was traditional, I didn’t dry out the Turkey and the pies… oooh, the pies were divine. Thank you Kate for the best apple pie recipe I’ve ever tried… and if you would like an awesome chocolate cream pie recipe… click HERE. It was THE BOMB.

  The best part of the day is gathering ’round the table with family – this year just seven of us, but the gift of togetherness is not diminished by the number of plates on the table.  As I “mature”… like fine wine, *ahem…. I appreciate more and more the truly important things in life. It’s dawned on me that this appreciation is one of the gifts of age.  I plan to remind myself of this often.

 A snapshot of one of those moments – my 16 year old still  interested in playing a board game with his grandmothers.

Not long after this picture was taken:
A big move is about to be made where he will send my mother’s last  peg  back to
the beginning.  He has a choice.. he can move another of his men and not send her back.
Or he can throw her under the bus and advance.
he ponders… with a smirk.
Me:  ….but… it’s your GRANDMOTHER.
My Mother:  Oooh…  just do what you have to do.
Him:  (a smirk.. a glance at my mother.. a glance at me….
about to make the move that will seal her doom…)
Me:… but it’s your G R A N D M O T H E R!!!……
you’de throw her under the bus??
Him:  (heavy sigh..eye roll.. but still hovering over “the move”)
Me:  …your…. grandmother.
Him:  (makes the other move, that gives her a pass to continue.)
My mother : (rolls the dice.. makes a stunning move that gets her in the winners circle
immediately…and….well, you know.)
Him:  OMG, Mom!!!  You made me lose!!!!
Me:  You shoulda done what you had to do!
Yeah, i know, that was terrible.

Lord, help me to accept the things I cannot change….

This is what happens when you send a bunch of 16 year olds
in to the Halloween Shop and say “I’ll be right back”
because you’ve got a hanker’n for those Macoun apples at the farm market
down the road… and heck, what kinda trouble can they get into
at the halloween store, right?
*sigh*
This weekend is the BIG TEST, don’t ya know.
The Drivers Test, in case you don’t.
see post title above.
*heavy…… heavy… sigh*
HIM:  Mom, you know, after Friday noon time, I’m gonna be FREE AS A BIRD!
(flapping wings in a ridiculous frenzy)
ME:  *heavy……..HEAVY…. deep and agonizing sigh*    with maybe a whimper
at the back of my throat , catching in the bile that is upchucking from my acid-riddled
anxiety prone stomach  and its contents.

Just sayin.

No kidding

Me:  Hey dude, keep in mind.. pretty soon we should start looking at colleges.
Maybe we’ll start with  Sunny Valley U.  Whatdaya think?
Him:  Not going.
Me:   The hell you aren’t. 
So I’ll call and see when there’s an Open House
and we can take a tour.
Him:  It’s such a waste of time, I’m busy!
I’m not going.
Me:  How are you going to know what schools you’d like to apply to if you
haven’t been to them to see what they’re all about? 
Him:   Just google the ones that have a good weight lifting program
and show me the pictures. Then I’ll pick.
*sigh*


What I love best

That picture I didn’t capture yesterday
because I was too busy cheering and crying?…
Someone else did.
Pure Joy…
this..
And today…another victorious day for the underdogs!

I have to give a shout out to my dear friend Carol…
Carol and I are animal fanatics together.
She was in my wedding, we’ve been neighbors on and off…
Our kids grew up together.
Her son, Jordan, has been volunteering at Dog Days Events..
Two so far. 
It appears Carol isn’t able to visit Jordan at the event
without going home with a “souvineer”.
They are now the proud adopters of Dog Days Dog Number 2…
which would make their total… SIX
Now, they have the space and the love and the knowledge for six dogs
ranging from big to little.
But I just gotta say this..
TOM!! 
I HAD ALREADY LEFT FOR THE DAY BEFORE CAROL GOT THERE!!
I SWEAR IT… REALLY AND TRULY, HONEST TO GOD.
So.. I had nothing to do with this one. Nothing, got it?
LOL…
oh, I didn’t mean that.


He said She said

This morning’s conversations…..

Manchild…silent through the car ride to the bus stop….

then…

Him:  I need 40 bucks to buy a ticket to the Semi Formal for Saturday night…

Me:   But you said you weren’t going!   Does your suit still fit?… what color dress is your date wearing?… we’ll need a boutonniere and corsage???…..  WHO is your DATE?……  

All this.. mind you, flashed through my mind in about twelve seconds.. only the first sentence actually got out of my mouth…   before he said…..

  “Don’t ask me any questions, I don’t want to talk about it ….”

and sprinted out of the car,  dashing to the bus.  Use of the word “sprint” is not an exaggeration here.

Ok  then.

I drive home and make a mental list of the few things that will have to be taken care of now that he’s attending the semi formal on THIS Saturday night…   (Girls would be planning for this dance three months in advance.  Guys?  two hours before they might give it some serious thought. But probably not. )

….and now back at the ranch…. Graduate Girl comes downstairs in her work attire.  There’s a pensive look… then a muttered sentence…

She:    “Is this jewelry too much, you think?”…..

Now that’s not just a muttered sentence.. that’s a LOADED QUESTION.   Because, you know…. even though they ask the question, it doesn’t necessarily mean they really want  your answer if  it diverts in any way from what they’re already  thinking.

SO… I tentatively stick a toe in the waters of that deeeeeep deeeeeep pool.

Me:  “Well.. your outfit looks great!  I really like the jewelry too.”

and here’s where it gets sticky.  Because  I really shoulda just left it right there. Shut up. Zipped the lip. MINDED MY OWN BEESWAX.

Because then I said…

…”but maybe the big bangly bracelet is a bit too much for the Bank. “

Can you hear the whistle of the  big 2 ton ACME weight falling down the canyon wall, 
 headed for Wyle E. Coyote?

 SHE says… in a huff with a heavy eye roll and a good stomp back up the stairs…
 “Of course you would say that… “

 To her credit… she came back down about 10 minutes later and told me she caught the “tone” in her voice when I gave my opinion, and although she realized she ASKED me for an opinion, from now on she’s just gonna trust her own judgement, thank you very much.

 I think that’s a great idea, don’t you?

Ooooookay then!

Bad Bedding

M

ost of us know by now that bedding … in particular GOOD bedding….is very important.  When we moved into This Old House almost two years ago (time flies!!!)   we bought new beds and  mattresses for everyone.  Mike and I splurged on a really good mattress for ourselves because we both have neck arthritis and whine about it alot sometimes.   We’re very happy with that mattress.  The kids got cheaper versions… from B*b’s Discount place… you know the one if you’re from around here.  That was just stupid. …..the manchild’s mattress didn’t last two years without having a crater on the side where he always sleeps. And I mean a crater.  The picture below is when he’s NOT sleeping in it. He sinks much further when he’s IN it and it’s already bothering his back.   

SO… we bought him a new one of better quality and it came today.
He’ll sleep much better tonight.
What to do with the old mattress?
Ben doesn’t mind the crater at all…
but my little office is now standing room only….
unless you don’t mind lying down with the dogs.

What’s up with THAT??

 I don’t watch the award shows much.
On occasion, something will hold me captive tho.

Beautiful dress…
the pose? ….was just weird.
Even for Angie.

and this… was hilarious.
Not a word was spoken, but Oscar winner Jim Rash had the audience roaring when, just moments after Angelina Jolie announced that he had won an Academy Award, he mocked her strange pose on the stage.

I’m sorry, I  usually don’t like when people make fun of others…
but she was asking for… something.

This will also sound catty, but seriously,  she needs to eat. ..
she’s starting to look like a frail bird.

Brad, on the other hand, is just looking bored.