Lazy Saturday

Thank goodness, my t.v. is okay. One of the puppies just pulled a wire out of place or something.

We went to Billy's mom's birthday party this afternoon, which was hosted at my sister-in-law's new house. It's a very nice house, but that's not my point in mentioning it. My sister-in-law, Stacey, is dog-sitting for her in-laws. The dog is a Shih Tzu puppy, a year old or less. The thing was FAT, and liked to bite. It made me thank my lucky stars I had the foresight to clicker-train Izzy "No bite!" She was pretty bad, as far as the ankle-biting goes, but luckily she is very aware of her teeth now. If I had only trained her not to hip-check me when she's playing fetch...

The "For Sale By Owner" sign went up today. It just makes me anxious to get all the junk done we abandoned a couple months ago. In other words, Billy will be very busy tomorrow. Heh.

Oh! More good news! We finally picked up the Honda car (which has been all but abandoned at Billy's office for the past couple of months), which I got to drive home after the jump-start. I am going to be driving it a little bit more to save on gas (gotta love those Honda cars!). I am jubilant at the thought of not having to agonize on what parking spot to choose, seeing how my Accord doesn't have a 100-foot turning radius. Yahoo!

Better yet, there's a Law & Order marathon on USA. Mom called to tell me there's show-jumping on CBC, but I'm not privileged enough to get Canadian t.v. So, Law & Order it is. Ahhhhhh, life is good.

You know it's gonna be a bad day when...

... Logan meets you outside school balling his eyes out because he's been bad. And because he's been bad, he's not allowed to play with any friends. And then he spends the next half an hour telling you how he's going to move in with Lucas and Christian--because apparently they don't have mean parents? I kid you not! I am totally feeling run down by this child. He's too analytical. I am positive I didn't try half this stuff with my mom! (Then again, I was the perfect child).

My t.v. is flickering like it's about to die. I am pleading with it not to die because I will go insane without t.v. The television is what provides a break from the perpetual baby talk (i.e., "Whooooooooozda Bodderbooey???") and my repetoire of doggie commands. Oh well, guess I get to spring for that plasma t.v. a little bit sooner, eh? I would be absolutely ecstatic about that except I'll have to donate A LOT of plasma. We're pretty darn broke.

Billy tells me he does not want to add a railing to our new porch, all of the sudden. This is news to me. I don't care for the Cape Cod-style houses that have open porches. Maybe I won't mind it so much, I dunno. In the meantime, the conversation provided a chance for me to pull out my hair and yell a little bit. Because that's always a good time. If anyone is wondering, it doesn't take much to tick me off lately.

On a much happier note, I have been informed that the 19th (Sunday) is Internation Talk Like a Pirate Day.... Or something like that. This makes me happy, because when I walk the plank this weekend, I can also spout off some pirate-y gems. I'll have to watch up (on my broken t.v., mind you) on Pirates of the Caribbean and, yes, Muppets Treasure Island. You have no idea what you'll be missing.

A Song I Just Thought About While Waiting For Laundry...

Sock Heaven by Steve Taylor

Out of the wringer, into the dryer
Spins the clothes higher
Squeezing out static and shocks
Little stockings tumbling 'round together
Couldn't cling forever
Now I'm missing one of my socks
Lord, where do they go?

chorus:
One pile waits with their god in a box
The other pile nervously mocks heaven
Misfits lost in the dryer, take heart
Maybe there's a place up in sock heaven

Out of the wringer, into the dryer
Couldn't just retire
Had to try tempting the fates
One little band spinning 'round together
Couldn't cling forever
God, I think I'm losing my mates

Seven good years, followed by a feeling
I'd hit the glass ceiling
Maybe I'd best disappear
Pick any market
Pick a straitjacket
If you can't act it
Misfit, you don't belong here

Lord, where do we go?

(chorus)
One pile waits with their god in a box
The other pile nervously mocks heaven
Misfits lost in the dryer, take heart
Maybe there's a place up in sock heaven

Didn't want a platform to build a new church
Didn't want a mansion in rock heaven
Didn't want more than to be understood
Maybe there's a place up in sock heaven

Lord, where do we go?

We're gathered here to ask the Lord's blessing
Maybe not his blessing
Maybe we're not asking at all
Out of the box with every good intention
Did you fail to mention
This time we were destined to crawl?
And every day that we died just a little more
I was sure you were sovereignly watching us dangle
I don't get it now
But I'll get it when
In sock heaven I see it all from your angle

(chorus)
One pile waits with their god in a box
The other pile nervously mocks heaven
Misfits lost in the dryer, take heart
Maybe there's a place up in sock heaven

God's got his saints up in sock heaven

I have to say...

... that today's tennis outing with Melinda, Becki, and Wendy was really funny. I really think that the depth of talent we've got going on is underwhelming, to say the least. But, what we lack in skill we make up in sheer enthusiasm. I wish there were words to describe little Wendy doing the "heYAH" noise when she serves the ball.... and the subsequent confused look Becki and Melinda shared when the ball whizzed right on by. Three times. In a row. It still makes me laugh to myself. Melinda also seemed to think she was playing softball. And don't get me started on Becki's fashion faux pas.... shudder.... Again, I was the dazzling one--the Stefi Graf, if you will. Please ignore anyone who tells you differently, as they're obviously delusional.

Becki and Rich now have a basement. Well, rather... A hole has been dug. I think Becki is [not secretly] anxious about this, as she seemed less happy than concerned. She actually got out and was like talking with the guys digging the wall, which I don't recall any of the rest of us doing. I also noticed one of the people had a very small toddler there, too. Because heavy machinery and babies are a good mix. The good news is that they will have a house nearby someday, which most of us thought was just a myth.

We now have the semblances of a porch on the new house.... the frame, at least. I sure hope they keep at it, because I need to be able to get the new oven in the house on Friday.

I've got to say one more thing today... John has been waiting to see his name in lights, so here goes. JOHN, YOU ARE MY HERO. Visit his family webpage at www.maclachlanfamily.com .

I'm totally tapped out for creative thoughts right now, so I'll sign off for now! In the meantime, be sure to go rent Scooby Doo 2 (out today), and save up your $$ for The Sims 2, which I think comes out on Thursday. Yay!

Logan the Social Butterfly

Nothing really to say tonight. A fairly unemotional day, and also a pretty unsuccessful one, as far as getting much done. I guess that Becki & Rich's basement will be dug tomorrow. Melinda and I rode like the wind, and saw half a dozen deer along the way. I got to ride my spoiled pony for about 1/2 an hour. I took a nap, then went back out to the new house so Billy could put rocks on the plastic that will be under our porch (when we get one). And, now, here I am! Lucky, lucky you!

I guess I take issue with the fact that Logan feels like it is my parental duty to let him have a friend over playing every waking hour of the day that he is not in school. He threw a fit when we left the old house and Andrew, whom he had been playing with for almost three hours. He threw (gasp!) Andrew's collectible Pokemon action figure on the ground--which was bad, and probably means they will not be permitted to come to our stoop again. This is fine by me because I hate the things, and I really don't want to be responsible for vintage plastic that can no longer be found on eBay. Do not get me started on the Pokemon action figures.... and how they got taken back home quickly once Andrew's dad noticed some new kids (African-American, even) hanging around our house.

Then, we drove over to mom's in time to see Jayson and the kids driving down the road. Logan was so excited! More friends! Then they drove away. More pouting. He looked over at John & Melinda's--"I'm going to ask if Mitchell and Marissa can come out and play!" He tells me. I say no, don't bother them. "They'll see you and come out if they're allowed." I really do feel for Melinda and my mom, with all the kid company they've had lately between me, Wendy, and Becki. I figure it'll all even out (hopefully) soon.

It is one of my pet peeves that he constantly is yelling for people to come over. It is really annoying to everyone involved, considering his voice travels REEEEEALLY well (if you catch my drift)--sorta like a cheese grater on a chalkboard. It really annoys me that he does this now at the old house, because I think it is a horrible idea that he play with the boy from across the street. He's like 10 or 11 or something, and while I think he's mentally immature and a lesser threat, he also teaches Logan to be sneaky. Like Logan needs help being sneaky. People are still talking about the PB&J/puking incident like it was some great conspiracy of kid-dom.

Can I tell you that the kid across the street pounded on the door for 20 minutes while I was taking a shower this weekend?? While Hunter was sleeping! After a while I stopped hearing it, but it was still going on. It was super-confusing to me as to why the kid was allowed to do this for so long. Logan, in turn, will stand in our yard and yell across the street, despite the fact that no one is home at the neighbor's house. It really must bug the crap out of the other neighbors to witness this intense kid-stalking.

Dang kids.

PS - For not having much to say, I sure managed to blab. Bah.

VH-1

For some reason I have decided that I want to post once a day... well, at least until I decide I don't want to post every day.

I have been watching VH-1 for the last two hours, which makes that two hours longer than I have ever watched VH-1. I started out watching the show where we get to pick the new Partridge family, and just kinda kept it on. I am oddly attracted to the Surreal Life (although I missed the one with Corey Feldman! What a cruel world!) because it has Flava Flav.... And who doesn't love Flava Flav? Now I'm watching Bands Reunited, where they're trying to get New Kids On the Block back together. And, of course, I'm watching this because I had one of those stupid buttons that were like a foot in diameter... and a copy of a Christmas album. So I had to watch.

It's official, folks. New Kids On the Block WILL NOT be reuniting. As if I wasn't having a bad enough weekend, now this!!

Seriously, I'm not crushed about this. I don't think any one of them could have hit those notes now that they've hit puberty.... not without a swift kick to a sensitive area, at least.

But, anyway, it seems as though I am a new fan of VH-1. Admittedly, these shows are pretty darn ridiculous (chasing down a bunch of has-beens, basically), but I really can't help myself.