after record heat for October, we're finally cool enough for me to wear my halloween sweater. Usually I wear it all month, we'll at least I'm wearing it now! And is should be cool enough for Megan to be a dog too!
This weekend flew by. Megan's birthday party was alot of fun. I had all the food prepared ahead of time so I got to enjoy everyone's company. Megan laughed alot and seemed to really enjoy all the attention. After everyone was gone we opened all her gifts. she was really taken with Elmo from Grandpa and a set of keys from one of her playgroup pals. Today she enjoyed her walker and her Leap pad. She also got some shape sorters and stackers and had a blast taking them all apart.
I went to a rather depressing movie today "my Life without me" I went because of the lead - Sarah Polley who was in the show Avonlea. I didn't realize it was a movie about her dying of Ovarian Cancer, I was a bawling mess by the end. Overall it wasn't that bad of a flick, but I don't know why movie makers think we want to escape to be depressed.
Megan's b-day is tomorrow and we have a houseful coming. I'm going to start cooking this afternoon, the house keeper is cleaning for me right now, and Megan is getting bigger by the second! I thought for sure she'd be walking by now cause her desire is there but she hasn't gotten the balance thing down yet. I'm kind of glad as I'm enjoying her crawling - its so adorable to here slap slap as she crawls down the hall. Yesterday she and I explored the front yard while we were waiting for daddy to get home and she loved crawling on the grass, or rock or what ever else she found. She picked leaves up and organized some white rocks and had a grand time.
HBO has done it again. First Sopranos, then Six Feet Under, now another show that is really turning out to be one of the best on TV with superb writing and acting. Carnivale, takes place during the depression in the dust bowl. Its follows a Carni troop and tells their very mixed up stories. This weeks episode ended a 2 parter -SPOILER ALERT- that had the Carnivale coming to a old mining town. There they performed for an all male audience. The girly show was a big hit and when one of the performers stripped down all the way, the miners went nuts. Next thing they know she's been killed and the Carni folk are seeking retribution only no one is around to give it. As they try to figure out what is going on, you realize that all the miners are dead, and they have killed the "harlot" to have a woman to entertain them in entirety. I shudder for the girl - and this is fiction. As they left the town they showed her image in a window being pulled back in the room by a dirty miners arm.
Since Jack finally is watching the episode tonight I can talk about it here. I probably am not doing the show justice. I like shows that really make me think about them.
On Sunday while searching through our cd collection I rediscovered a dollar store find. Back when Jack and I were first married, I frequented the dollar store down in Cutler Ridge Mall, maybe we were dating cause Hurricane Andrew blew the Cutler Ridge Mall away and the reopened much smaller mall later didn't have the dollar store. Anyway one of the many things I would do was buy cd's from the dollar store and then try and resell them to CD Warehouse for 5 bucks. I know not very good and I think all told they only bought 1 cd from all my attempts. One of the ones I was stuck with was David Broza "Away From Home" Well I tried it and loved it. Its a collection of American poetry by contemporary poets put to soulful folk music. Its really well done and I"m glad I've re-found it. The link here isn't for the same CD as it doesn't appear to be for sale anymore.
I definitely got my buck's worth out of it.
http://www.railtrails.org Turning old railways that aren't used anymore into trails for bikers, walkers, etc. Looks good and is a great idea - apparently 1 cent of every dollar spent on roads and expressways is going to this concept.
The end of enterprise tonight gave me chills. I sort of snoozed through the rest of the episode, though I got a laugh out of target practice. I won't say more since Jack missed it.
Bit of a let down that West wing wasn't on tonight. NBC web site doesn't say why they post pone it.
Then I go back to the bed room all bummed cause of no WW and low and behold that TIVO caught the bachelor - that made up for it :) hehe
Ripley's heart has broken. Last night she was sure Jack would be coming home any minute so even though she came to bed with me she was quick to jump up and run to the front of the house for any noise. Tonight, while Megan was in the bath she went to bed, and she hasn't moved since. I'm now in bed, and she is sighing heavily and often. Poor girl is depressed that Daddy has left her to me and Megan.
I read in the paper about "the best greek festival in Northern CA" so Jack, Megan and I went. It was the saddest affair ever. It was at the Hayward Civic center which to start with is run down and dirty. Litter and broken glass were on the path from the parking garage to the Hall. The people seemed half hearted and tired of the whole thing, The traditional music seemed slow tempo and the wares seemed more like garage sale items than traditional greek stuff..
My fondest memories of Miami include going to the greek festival at the greek orthodox church on 107th ave across from Barnes and Noble. I just remember an energy and had a wonderful time each time I went.
The baklava yesterday was tasty and we did met a really nice Monk on the way out and bought a jar of apple sauce from him, but over all it was a disappointment and we'll skip it for years to come.
My boys did good - Payton and Berlin had a great 1st half, and the freshman kicker kicked Nole Butt
Way to go Canes!
I am nervous for our boys. Last weeks game was a tough one and now we have to go up against the other florida boys. Of course the Noles will be thinking they have a chance and that might be enough for our guys to kick some nole butt. Oh the anticipation - 6 mins to game time.
And yet I'm not sure what to blog about. Megan is doing wonderfully. I finally got some much needed work done on my car while Jack and Megan went hiking.
I saw School of Rock yesterday and spent the movie wondering why it got such good reviews. It was an average flick - perfect for movie rental night.
Tomorrow we're going to a greek festival. Should be fun.
CALIFORNIANS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY THAT NO MORE TERMINATOR MOVIES SHOULD BE MADE!
Really Florida should be thanking us for taking the ridiculous political spotlight off of them. Chad is no longer hanging or pregnant. Now he's just stupid.
RECALL Schartzen how do you spell his damn name anyway????
I love it - will the recall fix california,
nah and it'll probably screw up the rest of the nation too.
I voted. This morning Jack watched the wiggler while I ran out to a local garage and cast my vote. - on a new fangelled computer voting machine. I was the 15th person to cast a vote on that machine. They are predicting a high turn out, but didn't have to wait in line and I just drove by again and there was no one there, just the 3 girls working the polling place. Doesn't look good for Gray.
we shall see
Second Hand Lions was my movie choice today and I thought it was one of the best films I've seen in a while. I liked it so much I insisted Jack go see it tonight and it is where he is right now.
Dad you'd really enjoy it if its still playing near you.
The new Sting CD Sacred Love is just like his previous - very good. I'm enjoying it now. I recommend it highly if your a Sting fan and well how could you not be. He's soulful and sexy, amazingly talented, articulate and innovative. And yet I find that unlike any other artist, when I get a new Sting CD with out knowing the songs I'm able to get right in the music, I don't need several listening to appreciate it. Sacred Love is a great CD if you are already a Sting fan. If your not go back and listen to Brand New Day or ... All this Time or for the Best of his solo career go back to Nothing Like the Sun. You'll have no choice but to become a fan.
the other night Jack and I watched the series premier of the Lyon's Den with Rob Low followed by another warped episode of Carnivale. Afterwards I told Jack I didn't know about either because they were so dark. Yesterday I was watching the season premier of Third Watch and I realized that I watch way to much dark dramas. So its time to Lighten up - I'm going to be canceling some season passes on Tivo I'm just not sure which shows to give up. I think CSI Miami is first on my list as I don't really care for David Carriuso. Navy CIS is next cause its not really that good and Mark Harmon will always be Ted Bundy to me.
I got a call this afternoon from a non-profit I have supported in the past. I said to the woman that while I do support her group, and that I would read anything that came in the mail from them that I do not accept phone solicitation. She replied "well you should." I hung up. and thats the end of that.