Legalized

Someone special in our house turned 21 today.

Here he is at the age of one at Niagara Falls.

 And here he is at the age of five when we were living in Germany.

And here is a recent photo where he's hugging on Delilah.

Happy Birthday to Baby Jake.

18 Today

Can you believe this kid is 18 today?


I can't.
There's lots that make him special, my little boy born just before midnight and halfway around the world from here.
Even better - he was the easiest and shortest delivery of them all - 90 minutes, start to finish.
Happy birthday to SN2.

Isn't this what you need when you're 22?

DN1 turns 22 today.
Hard to believe all those years ago that a doctor could actually interrupt his watching of the Cowboys vs. Redskins game to come deliver a baby.
It was a stretch, I have to tell you.
Guess it is a good thing the Redskins won the game.

November 23 Washington Redskins 41-14 Dallas Cowboys RFK Stadium

We were living in Northern Virginia at the time, and the radio stations used to play Hail to the Redskins all the time.
I'm not a big Redskins fan; hell, I'm not even a big football fan anymore, but I'll never forget that particular game.
Who would have thought that 22 years after that fateful Sunday I'd be buying these boots for that particular baby:

She was here long enough to open her presents, and then head back over to her friends for an early Thanksgiving dinner.
Perhaps she'll even watch some football.
After all, she's turned into a Sabres fan since moving up here.
Happy Birthday, Tall Girl.

$24.00 out of $42 million

$24.00
That's how much I paid for our tickets to High School Musical 3 on Friday night.
The movie made $42 million!
That's a lot of people going to see the same movie.
I took 4 young girls with me, and I only dosed off once.
Hey, it was the 9:20 showing; you should know I have trouble staying awake past 10:00.
Was it a good movie?
Meh.
There were some very good songs in there, but the storyline....there was one?
They gave Troy's dad some very unfortunate hairstyle.
Yuck.
Anyway, now I can say I've seen all three movies.
Don't you want to be me?
Before we went to the movies, however, we had cake.
Why cake?
Because DN2 is celebrating a birthday tomorrow.
Here she is being bossy.
Where does she get that from?
Her sister, probably.



I love this pic because it looks as if she is throwing her face into the cake. She's actually blowing out the candles.



The two babies.



SN2 and his friend Z bothering one of the young guests.
She totally hated it.
NOT.



Z bothering the older girls too.
I asked them if they wanted to see HSM with us.
Z did, but everyone else wanted to see Saw V.
Their loss.


It was a good time, and then we spent the rest of the weekend recovering.
Or at least that was my excuse.
I did get some knitting done, but you'll have to wait to see that.
Today begins a very busy week, and tonight we are going to see SN2 play in a semi-final game in the Sectional Championship tourney.
Enjoy your week!

Birthday Knitting

Today we had a small party for my mother's 77th.
Cake was eaten.
Knitting was accomplished.
Sisters hung out.
A good Sunday.

Another November, another birthday

Someone else in my house is celebrating a November birthday.
SN1 turns 23 today.
No drinking tonight, though, because I have class and he has to work and that's why we celebrated yesterday.

Someone is Legal!

Today someone turns 21.
She's legal now.
Eligible to drink legally in the state of New York.
So you know even though it is Black Friday (has that become a proper noun - should I be capitalizing?) she is going out to Party after work.
And Mom and Dad are coming too.
Because apparently for my kids the height of coolness is being able to drink in a bar with your parents.
Hello!
What's up with that?
Is that a compliment or censure?

The Mystique of the Corps

This is what it is all about:

232 reasons to love your Corps

On Nov. 10, the Marine Corps turns 232 years old. Ever since

it was formed in a Philadelphia bar in 1775, the Corps has given

Marines countless reasons to take pride in the heritage of their

organization.

There is no shortage of instances in which Marine units and

individuals have distinguished themselves in battle, but the

bragging rights earned over the past 232 years weren't all born

on the battlefield.

The Corps' culture sets it apart from other branches of the

military in ways that those who have never earned the eagle,

globe and anchor find difficult to fully understand. But what is

obvious to even the most casual observer is that Marines

distinguish themselves through their unique appearance, spirit

and accomplishments.

To know the Corps is to love the Corps, which is why Marine

Corps Times compiled the following list of 232 reasons to stand

proudly at this year's birthday ball.

1. Cpl. Jason Dunham. First Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam. If jumping on a grenade to save a buddy isn't worth the top of the list, nothing is.

2. Civilians have to find time to go to the gym. Marines get paid to go.

3. The National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's like a Smithsonian of leatherneck.

4. There's no such thing as an "ex" Marine.

5. Re-enlistment rates are higher IN the war zone.

6. Stink-proof socks. Well, almost. Systems Command is working on them.

7. Jalapeño cheese.

8. "Every Marine Into the Fight."

9. Lump-sum re-enlistment bonuses up to $80,000. Many of you would consider doing it for free.

10. New uniforms #1. Pixel-pattern cammies? Yeah, the Corps came up with that.

11. "Doc."

12. Flexed arm hang is harder than it looks. We tried it.

13. Barracks parties on non-payday weekends.

14. Marine Gunners.

15. The Wounded Warrior Regiment.

16. MarAdmin 266/07: Letting 18-year-old Marines drink on base at this year's birthday ball.

17. No receipt necessary for travel claim expenses less than $75.

18. The lance corporal underground.

19. Fallujah II.

21. Archibald Henderson's couch, re-upholstered, is still in the commandant's living room.

22. "No better friend, no worse enemy."

23. Typhoons approaching Okinawa often spark islandwide beer runs.

24. Waivers.

25. Gen. James Jones, who followed his tour as commandant with appointment as "supreme intergalactic overlord" (OK, it was Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, but close).

26. 10 rounds from the 500-yard line.

27. Per diem.

28. To civilians, every Marine is recon.

29. Recruiting in Texas is like hunting at the zoo.

30. The "boat cloak." Because every super hero needs a cape.

31. You can re-enlist in the IRR.

32. The wallet in your sock.

33. Motivating television commercials.

34. The "horse shoe" haircut, gone but not forgotten.

35. The global address list. Find your buddies and send them links to Marine Corps Times.

36. Running cadences that mention napalm. And Eskimos.

37. Stories that begin with, "So there I was ..."

38. Modified parade rest.

39. The transformation. Who you are when you join is not nearly as important as who you become.

40. Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis getting a fourth star.

41. If you've been on liberty in Twentynine Palms, you've been on liberty in Yuma and Barstow, too.

42. Grooming standards. Not only can you not act like a thug, you cannot look like a thug.

43. It's not the Army.

44. Women in Manhattan have all seen the Fleet Week episode of "Sex and the City."

45. Combat shotguns.

46. Combat Action Ri bbons. IEDs count now, and should have counted all along. Duh.

47. The occasional free beer. Wear your blues into a bar and see what

happens.

48. After decades of debate, there remains no resolution on whether sand fleas trump "The Reaper."

49. The Corps' doesn't call its officers, commissioned or not, "petty."

50. Cpl. Gareth Hawkins, lying on a stretcher after an IED shattered his leg, demanded re-enlistment before medical evacuation. And got it.

51. Whereas Army, Navy and Air Force jokes are funny, Marine jokes are

potentially dangerous.

52. The occasional friendly debate. Refer to a Marine staff Noncommissioned officer simply as "sergeant," and see what happens.

53. That troublesome "10 percent," making good Marines look great since 1775.

54. Everyone at a high school reunion is obliged to justify his last 10

years, except the guy wearing alphas.

55. As if ranks that inclu de the words "master" and "gunnery" aren't

intimidating enough on their own, the Corps uses them both. At once.

56. Soldiers have Hooah Bars. Marines have Ka-Bars. The second will

generally get you the first.

57. The dress code. You can wear your cammies to meet the commandant or repair a tank.

58. From "Aliens" to "Doom," the future vision of warfare almost always includes Space Marines.

59. The Corps was formed in a bar.

60. Marines predicted the WWII campaigns in the Pacific years earlier and prepared for the inevitable. So when a Marine says, "Hey, I've been thinking." perhaps you should take notes.

61. Give a Marine some free time, and he'll rip down your dictator's statue.

62. If it ain't raining, we ain't training.

64. Duty station garden spots: Jacksonville, N.C.; Yuma, Ariz.; Bridgeport, Calif.; Twentynine Palms, Calif. (Yes, we're kidding.)

65. Making morning PT on time.

66. Recruiters who promise everything EXCEPT a rose garden.

67. Mustangs #1. It's easier to take crap from a CO who went to boot camp.

69. Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He left his four-star insignia with his fallen comrades at the Vietnam Wall when he retired. Nice move.

70. The people zapper. Using microwave energy to disperse a crowd sounds like fun. Semper fry, gunny.

71. Nothing says "Good morning" like a mouthful of Copenhagen and

freeze-dried coffee.

72. Nothing says "I love you" like a welcome home sheet hanging on a

chain-link fence.

73. Bill Barnes. In June, the former Marine beat the crap out of a 27-year-old pickpocket who tried to make off with his dough. Oh yeah, he's 72.

74. Leftwich Trophy. Heisman winners only think they know about leaving it all on the field.

75. EOD. If you don't know why this is on the list , defuse the next IED

yourself.

76. Tax-free combat pay. Doing what you signed up for and not having to give Uncle Sam a dime back.

77. Montford Point Marines. The first African-American Marines know a little something about honor, courage and commitment.

78. Front toward enemy. It's not just a visual reference on a Claymore mine, it's a Marine Corps way of life.

79. Mustangs #2. You know at least three Marines who drive them. It's like a Ford dealership exploded on base.

80. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. Only a former Marine could truly

appreciate the value of getting your mail on time.

81. CMC: The tallest member of the Joints Chiefs. OK, so we haven't actually measured, but he looks the tallest anyway.

82. No more spit shining boots.

83. Chuck Norris was in the Air Force. Steve McQueen was a Marine.

84. The Crucible.

85. 1/9, 2/9 and 3/9. Welcome back, fellas.

86. The FROG uniform. You are now sweat-wickin' AND flame-lickin'.

88. The M4. More rifles in the fight is generally a win-win.

89. MRAPs. Trucks straight out of Mad Max. We still love a good Humvee, but we loved jeeps, too. Things change.

90. Arty guys who do civil affairs. They blow it up, then they fix it.

Circle of life.

91. Service Charlies. They look so good, the Navy's copying 'em.

92. Fake Marines. No one eats 'em up faster than real Marines.

93. John Lovell. A 71-year-old former Marine is sitting in a Subway restaurant when two armed men try to rob the place. Lovell grabs his .45, kills one and wounds the other. No word on how Lovell's sandwich fared.

94. 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Six Navy Crosses so far. Six.

95. Staff Sgt. Lawrence Dean II, aka the "BadAss Marine." He recites a poem. He gets uploaded to YouTube. Thousands get motivated.

96. Gen. James Conway takes over as the new commandant. Among his demands: a new PT uniform, new tattoo regs, a plan to add dress blues to the seabag, a change-up in medals and 22,000 more Marines. Someone's been thinking about taking over for a while, huh?

97. Body-fat standards. Everyone hates them, until they see a fat Marine.

98. "Jarhead." Only a former Marine could write a war story about not fighting anyone and make it last for 200 pages, then get Jamie Foxx to star in the movie.

99. The Stumps. The Rock. The Sandbox. Oh, the places you'll serve.

101. Tattoos #2. Getting a fallen friend's name tattooed on your other forearm, and knowing the same.

102. The new PT running suit. Sure, the Army had them first, but the Army gets most things first.

103. Marine expeditionary units: The cheapest cruise you'll ever take.

104. Camp Lejeune: The closest interstate and the nearest good shopping mall are both at least an hour away.

105. Camp Pendleton: There are roads and malls, but try affording a house near the main gate.

106. Tattoos #3. Meat tags. Getting your blood type and other info inked on your ribcage isn't necessarily a bad idea.

107. The Marine Corps is getting bigger. The Navy is getting smaller.

109. 30 days' paid vacation, plus federal holidays off, is obscene by

civilian standards.

110. Maj. Gen. Marion E. Carl, the Corps' first fighter ace. First Marine to fly a helicopter. Two Navy Crosses, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 air medals. In 1998, the 82-year-old was killed during a home break-in when he jumped in front of a shotgun blast aimed at his longtime wife, Edna.

111. Tattoos #4. Reaction to the new policy: Conway says sleeves are going away, Marines run for the chair. Tattoo parlors never saw so much business.

113. Guaranteed pay raises.

114. Marine Security Guard #1. Duty in the Bahamas.

115. Having a WWII Marine sa y he's proud of you

116. Drew Carey used to be in the Marine Corps Reserve. Now, he's the host of "The Price is Right."

117. Combatant diver pins. No more of that Navy crap.

118. A Red Stripe is a beer, mon. A Blood Stripe is a symbol of pride.

119. NMCI, if only they would remove the "MC."

120. You watched "300," and it reminded you of your unit.

121. The "Det One" .45 pistol. Designed by Marines, for Marines.

122. Combat marksmanship. You are creeping death. And you get graded on it.

123. Never lost six nukes on a plane.

124. CamelBaks. Water tastes like water again.

125. Give a Marine enough free time, and he'll marry your Bahraini princess.

126. Go to YouTube. Type in "bored Marines." Enjoy.

127. When the president gets on a helicopter, it's not called "Army One."

128. The opposite of the Peace Corps.

129. Camouflage. You can camouflage anything a nd make it cool.

130. No Fear #1. Marines aren't scared of anything. Except apricots. And Charms.

131. Combat optics on M16s. Leave the iron sights, just in case.

132. "Combat loss" amnesty for missing gear. It's like pleading the fifth.

133. Riding a chartered Continental Airlines flight home from the war zone with assault weapons stuffed in all the overhead compartments.

134. In combat, the division band becomes a heavy-machine-gun platoon.

135. What do headaches, broken bones, infectious diseases, missing limbs and hurt feelings all have in common? Motrin. Thanks, Doc.

137. Global instability equals job security.

138. When NMCI goes down, and it will, it's like having the day off.

139. The honor, privilege and responsibility of leading, mentoring and caring for junior Marines.

140. Gunnery sergeants. Don't know the answer? Ask the gunny. Need

something? Ask the gunny. In trouble? Avo id the gunny.

141. Because gunny said so.

142. The line to get "tazed" at a military gear expo. Marines will do

anything for a free T-shirt.

143. Deployment reunions. Like reliving your wedding night. Sweet!

144. Gig lines. Even in khakis and a polo shirt.

145. Eight-point covers. Even the uniform stands at attention.

146. Marine Security Guards #2. They're not cute and cuddly, but when they greet you at the door, it's like getting a great big hug from the United States of America, no matter where you are.

147. The Mameluke sword. Distinctive.

148. The NCO sword. Earned, never given.

149. The World Famous Mud Run. Thousands of people pay good money to run through 10 clicks of muck every year at Camp Pendleton.

150. John Philip Sousa. A Marine, the nation's March King and composer of "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Ooh-rah.

151. MRE crackers. Hard as Milk Bones but much tastier. You can almost feel your teeth getting cleaner as you eat 'em.

152. Jane Wayne Day. She'll never ask about work again.

153. Shirt stays. Or garters. Whatever you call them, they're a triple whammy, keeping your shirt tucked, your socks up and removing all that unwanted leg hair.

154. The slogans: "The Few, The Proud, The Marines." "We're Looking For a Few Good Men," "Once a Marine, always a Marine," "Tell that to the Marines." If they could only purchase the rights to Hallmark's "When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best."

155. Speaking of slogans, "The Few, The Proud, The Marines" beat out such notables as Nike's "Just Do It" and Burger King's "Have It Your Way" for a 2007 spot on the advertising Walk of Fame. Better luck next year, losers.

157. Real duty station garden spots you can go an entire career without being assigned to: Southern California; Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Okinawa, Japan.

158. Rear-party Marines. God bless them. Whatever reason they stay behind, impending retirement or being volun-told - they are indispensable. They deserve medals for what they have to deal with while a unit is deployed.

159. While field-grade officers are at the company office, company-grade officers are in the field.

160. Colonels who can take a joke.

161. Free flu shots. And smallpox shots and anthrax shots .

162. Former Sgt. Chris Everhart. While camping with his three sons in June 2007, a bear snatched their cooler and made a play for his 6-year-old. Everhart threw an 18-inch log at the bear's head, cracking its skull before it could attack and killing it instantly. Then, the park ranger gave him a ticket for leaving the cooler where the bear could get it.

163. Standards. The Corps doesn't lower the bar when recruiting gets tough.

164. Jim Nabors. "Gomer Pyle" becomes an honorary Marine in 2001 and makes Lance Corporal. It takes him six years to pin on corporal. Talk about art imitating life.

165. Vincent D'Onofrio. The other "Private Pyle" is doing pretty well on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent." He's still weird, though.

166. If you ambush Capt. Brian Chontosh's boys, he's going to take off his Navy Cross and kill you. Then, he's going to pick up your rifle and kill your buddies. Then, he's going to pick up your buddy's rifle and kill your buddy's buddies. Then, he's going to pick up a rocket-propelled grenade launcher

167. Speaking of the Navy Cross, a combat award second only to the Medal of Honor, Marines have earned 15 so far in Iraq, plus one in Afghanistan. Of the six awarded to sailors for those combat zones, five went to SEALs, and one went to a corpsman who exposed himself repeatedly to enemy fire to evacuate and treat wounded Marines. Along with Chontosh, the other recipients include:

168. Gunnery Sgt. Justin D. Lehew.

169. Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Perez.

170. Sgt. Scott C. Montoya.

171. Cpl. Marco A. Martinez.

172. Sgt. Willie L. Copeland.

173. Capt. Brent Morel (posthumous).

174. Sgt. Anthony L. Viggiani.

175. 1st Sgt. Bradley A. Kasal.

176. Cpl. Robert J. Mitchell.

177. Cpl. Dominic Esquibel.

178. Sgt. Jarrett A. Kraft.

179. Cpl. Jeremiah W. Workman.

180. Cpl. Todd Corbin.

181. Sgt. Aubrey L. McDade Jr.

182. Pfc. Christopher Adlesperger (posthumous).

183. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Louis E. Fonseca.

184. Iwo JIMA. Japan might have changed the name to Iwo To, but that doesn't mean you have to acknowledge it.

185. Col. John Ripley. Received the Navy Cross for the destruction of the Dong Ha bridge in Vietnam. The Corps takes care of its own. In 2002, with Ripley near death, doctors finally found a donated liver for his much-needed transplant. So the Marine Corps sent helicopters and Marines to Philadelphia to retrieve it, and they personally rushed it back to Washington in time to save his life.

186. Marine Corps Times isn't a version of Navy Times anymore. How many careers get their own newspaper?

188. Gatorade bottles wrapped in green, 100 mph tape so as not to offend the sailors in the room.

189. Camaraderie. Marines will hook you up with their sisters, then punch you in the mouth for doing what they knew would happen the whole time.

190. Ingenuity. MRE bombs, 101 uses for cleaning rods and iPods wired into field radio speakers.

191. Getting off the ship.

192. Getting back on the ship.

193. No beach? No problem. Marines inserted 400 miles into landlocked Afghanistan and created Camp Rhino using CH-53 Sea Stallions. Imagine what you can invade with the Osprey.

194. Cases and cases of bottled water mean never having to stand behind a water bull.

195. Race as a nonissue. It wasn't always the case, but three black sergeants major of the Marine Corps in a row show that the Corps has only one color: green.

196. Every day in the Corps is another reason to celebrate. That's why they call them working "parties."

197. Riddick Bowe had what it took to be boxing's undisputed heavyweight champ. He did not have what it took to be a Marine.

198. The U.S. Army Band is called "Pershing's Own." The U.S. Marine Corps Band is called "The President's Own."

199. "8th and I." Ten bucks says you have no idea where the Army chief of staff lives. Commandants don't hide.

200. MRE "rat boxes." How grunts trick-or-treat.

201. The poncho liner. It's a blanket, it's a tent, it's a keeper.

202. Combat fit-reps. People say they're equal to regular fit-reps. People lie.

203. The "E-tool lean." Sailors don't know how good they have it.

204. Navy Lt. Vincent Capodanno, Medal of Honor recipient. If Marines have a hot line to heaven, Father Capodanno - aka the Grunt Padre - would take the call. His body peppered by shrapnel, his right hand nearly severed, the Navy chaplain and priest crisscrossed a Vietnam battlefield Sept. 4, 1967, to render last rites to his fallen Marines and corpsmen with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, until 27 rounds from an enemy machine gun took his life. Last year, the Vatican declared him a "servant of God." Next step, sainthood?

206. Amphibious warfare means always being near the beach.

207. No Fear #2. Talk about the AV-8B Harrier's troubled past all you like, but brave jump jet pilots are flying missions in Iraq.

208. New Uniforms #2. Wash-and-wear combat uniforms mean no more starch, no more dry cleaning.

209. Marine air-ground task force. Nothing like controlling the air and the ground.

210. Slapping an eagle, globe and anchor on the back of your car and knowing it'll get you out of at least one speeding ticket.

211. The Navy wants to put Marines back on warships. It seems that Tomahawk cruise missiles can't do everything.

212. Liberty in Thailand.

213. Liberty in Australia.

214. Liberty, well, anywhere.

215. The Navy's mascot is a goat. The Corps' mascot is a bulldog. You don't need Michael Vick to tell you who wins that fight.

216. If you need another occupying land force, you can use the Marine Corps. If you need another rapidly deployable, sea-based, front-door-kicking, air-ground team, you can't use the Army.

217. 1775 Rum Punch. Four parts dark rum, two parts lime juice, one part pure maple syrup, grenadine to taste.

218. "It's fun to shoot some people," said Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis. He says what he thinks.

219. The Beirut Memorial Wall. If you ever forget what you're fighting for, pay a visit.

221. "Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to." Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."

222. Maj. Meghan McClung, Marine public affairs officer, killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq while escorting media. The PAO is more than just a spokesman.

223. Sgt. Rafael Peralta. Like Dunham, he hugged a grenade to save his buddies in Iraq. No Medal of Honor . yet.

224. Hearing an accidental discharge into the clearing barrel, then waiting for the lieutenant to walk inside.

225. Call signs like "Spider" and "Assassin," and these guys were generals.

227. Buttered noodles for breakfast.

228. "Every Marine should look like a Marine. But a Marine looks like a Marine when he's got a bayonet stuck in the enemy's chest." Gen. Robert Magnus, assistant commandant, discussing body-fat standards.

229. "Infantry" is the easiest job for recruiters to sell.

230. Being the youngest Marine at the ball.

231. Being the oldest Marine at the ball.

232. Marine Corps Times appreciates all you do. Happy birthday, Marines!

Happy Birthday, Tracy

And I almost forgot!
Happy Birthday wishes go out to Tracy!
She's turning the big 3-0 today.
Guess what she did this past weekend - went skydiving.
Here she is getting her gear checked:


And there she is up in the sky - that little speck:

What a way to close out your 20s.
Happy Birthday - enjoy your 30s!

Another Year Older

Happy Birthday, John.
This one's for you.


Ballard Street
8/1/07

Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, and Eight Random Things

Today is someone's birthday!!!
Happy Birthday Gayle!

And today is also the anniversary of a good friend -- he's spent 30 years in the Marine Corps - started out a private and is now a colonel. Imagine that. And still a great leader and deep thinker. Happy Anniversary!

Now I've been tagged by Caroline (who I'm beginning to like more and more as time goes by) to dish about myself and provide you with eight random facts.

Here are the rules:
Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged write a blog post about their own eight random things and post these rules. At the end of your post you need to tag eight people and include their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

It's a stretch to find eight interesting/semi-interesting facts. I mean honestly, eight?!?! I would prefer ten, I like to keep things well-rounded. Here goes:

1. I once ran the Marine Corps Marathon without training for it and I finished it.

2. Every town/state/country I go to I always imagine living there – some places pass muster, some places I can’t wait to leave. I'm still undecided about where I'm living now.

3. I love the smell of cinnamon or apples, spicy smells, but I won’t burn candles with those scents in the summertime -- I reserve those smells for the fall and winter.

4. I’m not as smart as I think I am, but I’m not as dumb as I play at being.

5. I clap every time someone gets Double Jeopardy on the show Jeopardy. It doesn't matter where I am because with true Pavolovian training, I clap.

6. DH was deployed for the Gulf War when I was pregnant with SN2. I wanted to go into the delivery room alone so that way I could talk sh*t later on about how I did it myself. O-Lan from The Good Earth was my role model, I really wanted to be like her. But DH came back in time so I was never able to test my mettle. Dang it.

7. I obsessively check my shipping status on amazon.com once I've ordered something. Ask Kat, she'll tell you. I look several times a day, as if it's going to magically get delivered quicker.

8. I know the words to almost every song that comes on the radio. Especially the ones from the 70s. I've even had people ask me about that. It's a gift. Too bad my singing voice is not.

And for a bonus let me tell you a little story that I thought about tonight while I was driving up to the Devil's Store (help me stay away!) and a Who song came on the radio and at the same time the Sabres were working at losing game one in the series.

I went to Buffalo to see The Who during their farewell concert tour in 1982 and when they performed the song Love Reign O'er Me and Roger Daltrey sang "Rain on me" it actually began to rain. It was magical and I'll never forget it.

Now I must tag eight people, but because I'm not a stickler for convention, and I consider myself a paradox on my good days (wanna-be hippie yet rabid conservative), and a total piece of sh*t on my bad days, I may just be a hippie today and break all the rules and not tag anyone!

That's what I am going to do, because it's late at night and I need to get to bed (10:00, ohmygosh! past my bedtime!).

Seriously, post your eight random things, and we'll all be over later to check them out.

Tschuss!

Snippets of life

So Jean wrote me and asked if SN2 went to school on Monday.
She said that if she had children she would home-school them, that way they would know exactly where the violence was going to come from.
She's too funny sometimes, I'll tell ya.
This weekend there is a parade in town -- I took pictures of it last year.
The parade is held each year for this boy who had leukemia (or some form of cancer) and he requested it as part of his make-a-wish request. So each year they hold this parade in his honor - and it has been going on for over 10 years now.
Believe it or not, the boy who wished for it is now a strapping teenager and doing very well. And he marches in the parade every year.
A happy ending story.
This year DN2 is supposed to march in the parade with her Brownie troop but she has swimming lessons and can't make it. I'm sure she'll survive -- she likes the lessons and the thing is when the parade ends, it finishes right across from the building where her swimming lessons are.
So bonus for us is that we'll already have a great parking spot and then she can participate in the festivities that follow the parade!
Although I hear it's supposed to rain.
We'll see.
I saw this in the paper this morning:
Rochester Region Rated No. 6 Place to Live
It's hard to believe something like this when you live here, but when you compare it to other places it sure is a lot more bucolic. Okay, well since I live outside of the city in a small town, west of everywhere, my life is a bit more bucolic.
"Boring," the kids say.
Funny thing is, I was once one of those kids complaining about boredom.
I used to think Neil Young wrote the song "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere" about my hometown.
And speaking of Neil Young, belated happy birthday wishes go out to my friend Rick.
He probably thinks I'm a total shit because he even called me on his birthday to find out what is going on with SN1.
What a great guy - and a great friend.
So happy birthday to you.
Busy weekend coming up -- the girls and I (that would be DN1 and DN2) are going to see Tartuffe here on campus. I'm excited, but then I love French satire (Voltaire, Moliere, de Maupassant).
And that darned paper. Must begin outline -- must begin to write.
One more class left and then the semester is over.
Come on, Julie, you can do it.

Cats and Yarn and Birthday Gifts

My cats are out of control.
Totally out of control.
They are yarn addicts.
I came home yesterday to find that the yarn from my current project (in which I've dropped a stitch and am completely mystified as to how to fix it because I'm just not good at that anyway) was spread out from my room, through DN2's room, out into the hallway and back into my room again.
They are nuts.
Here's an example of something else they like to do (this is an older project):

(BTW, the plastic kitty is a good kitty, she didn't do this.)
On Sunday evening we all had to go into the hallway to watch DN2s circus.
She had taken some yarn (with permission, not like the cats) and tied some from the bannister and then some other from the bannister to the door handle so her circus animals could either dangle and swing back and forth or ride down the little zipline.
I set my knitting down on a table in the corner for approximately 15 minutes.
I came back and the yarn had been chewed through and the end was still wet!
Now that I've found their gateway drug, I'm going to have to keep my yarn under lock and key.
Speaking of gateway drugs, this is mine:
I love this stuff.
I can't get enough of it.
I was sniffing on it when I was driving down the road this morning and DN2 said, "You're only supposed to use that if you have a stuffy nose."
She's 8, remember, and I'm stupid.
I sniffed in her general direction, just to prove that I'm not all that stupid.
Then I inhaled the Vicks again.
She said, "Stop or people will think you're sniffing drugs."
Oh how jaded are our youth.
Enough about me and my addictions (and just don't put that bottle of St. Joseph's Children's Aspirin too close to me either).
My sister-in-law's birthday was at the beginning of the month and she received her package from us, albeit a bit late, but it got there.
Now before you go thinking I've gone Vera Bradley crazy, I haven't.
But I do think it makes for a nice gift.
And my SIL has done a lot for the kids, she and her husband are always very generous, so we wanted to get her something nice.
DH, DN1 and I all went shopping (in town! supporting our small business owners, not the evil conglomerates that run "Devil Stores"!).
Of course we lose points for shopping for the gift on the day before her birthday.
And then of course we mailed it a week later.
To Japan.
So there's another week.
But this is what we sent:
It's the new peacock pattern, and we included an eyeglass case (or sunglass case, whatever), and a small wallet.
She really likes it and said she can't wait for spring.
Of course spring in Tokyo brings rain.
Did you know that Tokyo and Paris are the two rainiest cities?
Well me either, I heard it and am not sure if it's an urban legend or not.
All I know is that when we were in Tokyo when the kids were teeny tiny (and there were only two of them) we have a lot of pictures of us wearing raincoats.
That's all for now -- time to get busy doing the stuff that earns me money.

Happy Birthday, Kat

Happy Birthday, Kat.