Dexter, Robin's black and Tan loves Megan. This morning he gave Megan his ball and she threw it a couple of feet, he got it and gave it back to her and she did it again, by the time Robin and I got dad and the camera the moment was over, but he sure does love and look for Megan.
It's pouring here today. Robin, Megan and I managed an early morning swim before the rain started. We were going to go geocaching later but now we'll have to wait and see. The weather in florida is usually rainy all summer.
The increase of 3 people in the house is great, but it might mean I don't get alot of blogging done. Right now I'm being told by a little black and tan dauchund to play already!.
I bought a water proof camera (up to 17 ft) at Wally World today for 7 bucks. Now I can take pictures of Megan at the pool and not worry about it getting wet. I played with it this afternoon and took a few shots of Megan this evening when we went swimming after dinner. The instant gratification of digital photography is wonderful and its hard to go back to waiting till the roll is used and then getting it all developed.
Speaking of Wally World (Walmart for you non Cutherell types), I usually don't shop there cause the one in Union City is a mess, but this one is pretty organized and gave me and Megan a quick outing. I noticed that it seemed to be the place to go to here in Ocala, with the family on the weekend. I mean this place was packed with people. It made for interesting people watching.
Megan's news repeated phrase is Ma Ma. Its really cute and I'm enjoying it after several weeks of Da da?
Eddy's and dryer's, Carls' Junior and Hardees, Breakstone and Knudson - why oh why do companies think they must rename things from one coast to the other? At least Burger King's story in Australia made since. Some guy went to America and saw that BK was McD's biggest compition. Well McD was already down under but BK was not - so he went home and bought the rights to the name BK - so if you want a Whopper Down under you need to go one of Hungrey Jacks, BK's largest franchised chain.
I don't see why California's wouldn't eat Eddy's, Hardee's or Breakstones or why the east coast would care if they had Dryer's ice cream, Carls Junior burgers or Knudson. Do you understand it? Let me know if you think of any other renamed chains or products.
Actually rain is what I miss most about Florida. While it rains in California during the winter, it just doesn't rain enough for my taste. I need rain to cleanse my soul. It makes everything feel fresh and new. I would love to live in a place that has a liberal political current, an open and accepting policy for all people and comfortable year round cool temps - like the bay area, and yet has rain fall on at least a weekly basis, with thunder and lightning to cuddle under a big blanket and watch movies.
If you know of a place - let me know.
Oh TIVO how I miss you... When nothings on you always have something waiting, when I need to pee you don't mind waiting for me, when I'm too busy to watch my show you get it for me and keep it safe till I can watch it.
Really I'm missing channel choice as well as TIVO, but I did miss the Amazing Race tonight -so don't you dare tell me what happened - I'll watch it in 2 weeks and catch up.
It was one of those days where if it could go wrong it did - Nothing really terrible happened. Just alot of bad luck along the way
To start while packing the in morning I managed to rip my favorite pants, and then pop a button on the replacement pants. I sewed it back on and laughed it off - then I hit security in the airport.
First the line was really really long - it wrapped down the hallway and around 2 of the baggage carousels, then it had about 15 10 foot switch backs as we approached the security gate - picture me with Megans car seat strapped to my back, her in her stroller, and a really heavy carry bag (which will be lightened tremendously on the way home). Megan goes alittle bezerk around the 5 swithback so now I'm holding her and car seat is riding in the stoller. Ok we get to the gate and I put up the car seat, next I grab my carry bag, open it and pull out my lap top, finally I must collapse the stroller and pick it up and place it on the belt - all the while being stared at by 3 federal employees and holding Megan(who thankfully did agree to sit on the table for the last trick)
I pick her up and we walk thru and of course - we set off the blummen alarm - so they have me go down alittle coridor and wait 15 mins for a female employee to pat me down and wand me. The male working this particular section of secerty took pity on me and did inspect my shoes (which I will never ware again but that alas is a differant part of the story), but he brought them back and placed them out of my reach, I guess because I could now transfer contraband to the shoes or something. So I sit and wait. A agent from the main line I was originally stopped, is setting up my stroller and rolls it over to the exit of the waiting pen I"m now in, pops his head over the top of the wall and says sorry miss but the bundgie cord you had in your stroller (to hold heavy bags to it like the blummen carry bag) is being confiscated. I loved that bundgie man - the things I've done with that bundgie...
Anyway I finally get wanded, get shoes back on ( still holding Megan of course who is such a trooper through all this) get lap top back in carry bag, get carry bag over back of stroller Megan in stroller and car seat back on my back - and we are again off.
We get to our gate, on to the plane and take off close to ontime. Megan spends most of her time in the car seat happy to destroy what ever I can come up with from inflight magazine, to what to do in an emergency card and several barf bags. The woman in front of her is not happy that she can not put her seat back because the car seat fits all the way to the back of the seat in front of it, so she periodically pushes back on her seat with great forse (Judging by her mood I think she is trying to make strange baby cry but alas this is darling Megan who is happy to have the extra bumpy ride!)
This flight is really with out insident except I started to notice my feet were feeling awful, the foot powder I'd used in the morning had turned slick with my sweat and my feet just felt slimey. We land and are put in at gate C37, with 40 mins to make our next flight at gate D8 (houston Intercontentental) - I can not wait for everyone to get off to organinze and get the show on the rode, I've got to get going now. The guy in the seat next me be thankfully carries out my carry bag to the stroller, and I did manage to get car seat in back pack and on back in the plane, so all I had to do was get Megan in stoller (which is collapsed and latched shut) get carry on and then run a marathon in slimy shoes. Oh and I missed one final point, Megan when I picked her up after we landed had the distinct odor of need to change diaper fast! So of course i had to stop and do that along the way.
We were the last passagers on, and everyone was nice (The woman next to me was a wonderful help, entertaining Megan, while I set up the car seat, and the boy in front of her was understanding in the no putting the seat back. So we get in and sit and wait for the plane to roll back, and we wait and we wait, and then the tv screens come out and they start showing us the first episode of the sitcom Bob and I know this can't be good, so I feed our girl and continue to wait. We get told we are stuck because of a discrepancy between number of gallons of fuel pumped into plane and number of gallons of fuel supposed to have been needed at this point. so we wait and wait and wait and wait while they sort out this paper work.
Now go back to my marathon sprint accross the airport with slimey shoes. I rushed through a diaper change ( where oh yeah I popped the button on my pants and busted the zipper on the carry bag) and decided I didn't have time to stop for dinner so I could make this plane!. We waited for just over an hour.
The flight itself was fairly uneventful, Megan was her usual wonderful self. A flight attendant was nice enough to hold her so I could pee and the wonderful woman in the seat next me actually had lots of food in her carry bag because of a comic book confernece she was just at where she worked a booth so I had a nice packet of peanut butter on crackers to go with my very filling tomato juice and peanuts the airline gave me.
We arrived and I managed to find dad, get my bags, get car seat installed, and sit in slimy shoes for the 2+ hour ride to Ocala (actually I removed shoes about an hour in)- I'm loosing my brain this morning - its 5:38 my time and I didn't go to bed till around 11 california time. I feel like there is more to the story that I'm just not remembering now in my blurr and haze -- Off it figure out Dad's coffee situation.
As I get laundry done, and start to compile a list in my head of what to pack, I realize I need to do alot by wed noon when Megan and I go on our first trip away from Jack. Megan I'm sure will miss him, as they have really gotten some great routines down.
I'm also working on clearing out tivo so it only records shows that dad won't have on his tv (since he doesn't have cable).
Anyway - lots to do, but 'm really looking forward to the trip.
So I go to pick up the cake and the guy can't find it. He knows he saw it he says - its a great looking cake he says, it takes him a while, all the while i'm drumming my fingers on the counter, but he finally finds it. Then onto TOGO's to pick up the platters of sandwiches I'd ordered.
I get there and wait in line to get up and tell them what I'm there for. Then I tell the clerk what I want and she says it broken english no - no platters. I say I ordered them a week ago, the manager call me yesterday to confirm, she says wait and min and gets her shift manager who thankfully speaks more english. She says no there was no order. I say yes - she says it must have been for the other store, in town. No I ordered them from this store. Just in case she says she'll call them - they have no subs for us. Ok I say let me call Jack and get him to read me the number off of caller ID of the guy who called yesterday- Sure enough she says thats her manager. She takes my order again and promises to get them done in 20 mins. I run home with to get the ice in the coolers and the cake in the house. Then I rush back and wait another 20 mins while they finish the trays.
I get them home and rush to get the ballons. Then I head to the park where a very large indian family has moved into our reserved space and is cooking on the large bbq. I pointed the sign but decided it didn't matter as long as we have a table for food, I'd rather sit on the grass then on tables on asphalt.
I started setting up the gazebo I bought and can't find instructions. Jack shows up with Megan at this point and I just sort of break down. It was just too much.
But a few mins later Pam Yvonne Jack and I have figured out the Gazebo, decided to move entirely into the grass and have set up the folding tables that came in the back of our CRV's as food tables. The wind is so strong I decide no streamers, and basically it all just happens - and really it works out great. Everyone I think had a great time. and Jack seemed to really enjoy himself. The park moniter did stop by and I told her it was ok that they stole our spot as long as they turned off their very load Indian music. She went over and told them that, and they actually turned it off.
I'm pooped after all that - I'm heading to bed.
I guess its a sign that I planned it all very well, but I have nothing to do with Jack's party this afternoon. I can't pick up the cake til 12, or the rest of the food til 12:30, and the corn dish I made still has at last 30 mins in the office - so I find myself with lots to do and yet I can't do anything Yet - I can't even decorate til 1 - :)
It should be a great party! I'm looking forward to it.
We're having a party tomorrow to celebrate Jack's b-day and his book. Should be alot of fun - its a picnic in the park. Looks like we'll have a crowd of about 30, including a bunch of kids.
I'm sure there will be lots of pictures of it tomorrow and then I can tell you about all the goodies and fun stuff.
Must be the heat, Megan is really tired today. She is down for her second long nap and I'm hesitant to start any projects for fear that she will wake up but yet she seems to be sleeping forever.
Ripley is asleep in the bay window and Sadie is on the floor in the hall. I should probably join them all but I feel like have so much to do.
What a hoot this new show is on Bravo. The 5 gay men take over a straight guy's life and show him style. The episode I watch took an artist in NY who lived in overalls and helped him find a comfortable style. They also cleaned his apartment, took him to get a haircut, style, gave him tips on conversing in a party, and finally the chef of the group helped him cook mini pizza's. The best part was the dish session at the end where they watched him goto his first gallery showing for his work and commented on how looked, behaved etc. I'm not giving it justice and it'll get old fast but it was a funny show.
my local Hallmark had a ornament give away and I won. When I went in today to collect they took my picture (with Megan) and said they were going to put it up on there website. So far it s not there but here's the link
[http://www.anjanashallmark.com/ Anjana's Hallmark]
I've had a terrible bout of insomnia lately. I didn't realize why until last night. Our spa has been broken for the last month. It finally got fixed and was hot enough to use last night and low and behold after getting in it I was able to fall asleep faster and while I still woke up a few times I just feel more rested. I suppose all the sleepless night could have just finally caught up wth me - I guess I'll see tonight.
Instead of a movie today, while Jack was hiking with Megan, I went to Hallmark to see the new crop of ornaments. The whole time I was there I bumped in to memories of mom. It truely is the place I feel closest to her. They have several new ornaments that I know she would have liked, and several more that reminded me of her - one is a nursing ornament. So if your missing her, or just want to reminisce head down to Hallmark.
If you like the ride at Disney, you'll enjoy the movie. They really did a good job of keeping all the parts of the ride in the story. On its own the movie has a good story mixed with alot of special effects . I think the whole thing lasted too long - like the didn't dare throw any of the special effect squences.
One of the previews before the movie was for another disney ride - the Haunted Mansion - it too looked true to the ride - complete with hitch hiking ghosts. What's next the hall of Presidents? or how about Its a small world?
I wrote a blog about how I was a sucker for reality shows but thanks to a system crash with our service provider which meant we lost a day+ worth of updates on our wiki.
So I had a thought as I was watching Big Brother tonight, - the editors on a live show like that must have a tough job to put 24/7 worth of stuff into a few hours worth of shows. They can stear a show a specific way. choose who they want to do better and set up the games accordingly. Ok I like these stupid shows but they are rigged!
Ok I'll admit it, I watch those cheesy reality shows. Amazing race is fun to watch people do crazy stuff, Its like taking your family member and adding pressure, Last night I caught the new season of Big Brother which is the bottom of the barrel for me. I'm a sucker for the Osbournes though thanks to Tivo I tend to ignore any scene with the daughter Kelly or the son Jack. I just like watching Ozzy bumble around. I really liked the Mole but I seem to have been the only one cause its gone. I do draw the line and don't watch fear factor cause of the gross factor, or any of the so called talent shows, I also avoid the strange dating shows (though I did happen to catch a few episodes of last season's the bachelor, but he was a local boy I couldn't help it).
I'm wondering what the fall will have in store - there doesnt seem to be a limit to what the networks will do to people or rather have people do for money. I'm usually shocked by what see on the shows now - I can't imagine them getting more outrageous but I'm sure they will.
(movable-type is cool but no spell check!)
I think my blog is going to end up being more a description of events during my day than anything else. I guess really that all any blog is though Jack does throw in a nice selection of strange links from the wacky www.
btw i did see charlies angels and thats all I've got to say about that.
Ok now bush and his minions have gone to far. In an increased war on drugs effort they are going after bongs and head shops - like there isn't enough on their plate. I'm so sick of the wasted money on the war of drugs - it doesn't work, it crowds our prisions and wastes tax money for a failed war.
Enough already! - rant now over.
There was a brush fire in Brisbane CA which is south of San Fransisco near the SF airport. The sea breeze was such that I smelled the smoke, and went out side to see if one of my neighbors had set their homes on fire. The sky was an orange haze, the smoke was thick enough to burn my eyes and when Megan sneezed I closed our windows. I called Jack to see what he was up to for dinner and he had no idea the fire was even happening. He was down in Redwood City on the Penisula side of the bay just 15 mins away from the fire. Here I was accross the bay at least an hour by car and we were having the orange/brown tinted sunset. Amazing how this area is.
so we got Megan's car set checked today at the CHP office. First she looked over my installation and said it was great. Then she took it all out and apart to just to get the seriel number and date of manufacture off the front of the seat. then she had to reinstall it. All while Megan went from Happy to be sitting in the sun to crying. But at least I know I'll be up for installing it when we go see dad on the 23rd.
Gymboree afterward made up for it but she's now tired and napping and so should I.
Casa de Newf! :)
just found out our friend Erika is 7 months pregnant -congrats to her and Colin and Bette :) (she adopted our foster dog Bette)
and Jacqueline is Due in August - Congrats to her, Mark and Amanda
Second babies are everywhere!
Megan and I are supposed to go get her car seat check out today at 10am, however I scheduled it over a month ago and now she has a set schedule which involoves a nap at 9-930 which usually last 2 hours. so now I need to post-pone the appoinment. I like the morning nap its nice and long - I can get stuff done, or read, or nap myself. After very little sleep last night I need a nap today. Not sure why but i really didn't sleep much last night, I looked at the clock each time I woke up and it was basically every hour or so that I looked at the clock. I'm sure gymboree today is going to wipe me out.
Saw legally blond 2 yesterday and while I expected it to be corny I was appalled at just how bad that movie was. I think Ebert must have taken some money to give it 2 stars. There were a few funny moments like when a conservative gun slinging congressman realizes his dog is gay. But even that one funny bit was over played a dozen time through out the rest of the movie. Reese Witherspoon and Sally Field along with the rest of the cast should annonce that they only did the movie for rent money and move on. I'm tempted to see charlies angels but i'm sure it'll be bad too. Not all sequels are bad, I loved the matrix so far and lord of the rings but these are continuations of the story line more like chapters verses new movies with a new concept same charecters. Alien another good series of movies and not all of the alien movies were a hit, but somehow they were all enjoyable in my book. but to make a sequel merely because the first one was a suprise hit is stupid. What's next my big fat greek divorce and remarriage?