Hobbling Around

Inspirational song: Every Day (Buddy Holly)

Whoops. Last night appears to have done more than talk me out. It walked me out too. I was so tired and sore I was barely able to do the usual Tour de Costco with the kids today. By the time we made it home I couldn't even lift kids out of the car. (Still not sure exactly how we made it home, as I was driving and I'm pretty sure I was asleep during the last third of the way.)

I had to get up on time this morning, despite being tired, and watch the football game. The first half was pretty terrible. The kids arrived during halftime, and I turned off the TV and played with them (I was sitting solo for the first hour). Looks like I missed a heck of a rally, but in the end, they couldn't quite pull out a W.

After weeks of begging and nagging, I got the Mr to agree to sit down and watch the second season of Good Omens tonight. We were almost halfway through the second episode when I realized he was starting to snore. Maybe we are both tired today. We can make another attempt at episode 2 tomorrow.

Bright Lights Big City

Inspirational song: Shiny (Moana)

Been a long time since I talked myself hoarse. I totally did tonight. I had one of my best good friends from when I lived in Boulder in my 20s contact me out of the blue and invite me to an art installation at a park in Denver, art made of lights and fabric. I hemmed and hawed a little, because I had just gotten into a solid groove of housecleaning, but I came to my senses and joined my friend. The decision was much easier when he offered to drive.

We walked and talked for hours, and talked in the car, and before we left... I'm talked out. I think I'll just start loading up tons of pictures, and hope that the blogger app doesn't get mad at me, and dump the whole post. The pictures are fantastic, but they pale in comparison to the real deal. This was gorgeous.

Oiled and Rotated

Inspirational song: Cool Change (Little River Band)

Space Dolphin (my car) has been nagging me for many weeks. I was overdue on my first oil change and service. I just didn't have the mental space to get it taken care of, and the longer I waited, the harder it was to get past the anxiety of a phone call and the fear that they'd scold me for being late. A few weeks ago I got into the right headspace to handle it, and made an appointment with the same dealership where I bought it. Today was the big day.

I started early, cleaning out debris from grandchildren and grandparents, like old masks and shopping bags. We went to the car wash, SD and I, for a scrub and a vacuum. I even took leather cleaner and microfiber to the car wash with me, to remove smudges and the dance-step map Val had left on the back of my seat. It was as pretty and well-maintained as I could present it, and I headed out to Golden.

I thought I had left super early (more than an hour ahead) and would be turning the car in well before my appointment. I massively underestimated Boulder and Golden traffic. I got there about 7 minutes late. The guy was chill, though. They were going through massive renovations at the dealership, so I hung out in a trailer that serves as their temporary sales office. I brought a book, and I focused on it as best as I could with so much activity and conversation around me.

I had asked the guy to fix one thing not on the regular maintenance checklist. A piece of weatherstripping foam pulled out from between the windshield and the dash. I couldn't get it back in when I tried poking it with a chopstick last year. The guy said he could do it. It wasn't until I was 5 miles out, heading home that I noticed he failed to do it. It's visible in the photo I took of the bumper sticker I followed through Golden, of a guy who deserved a one-finger salute from me (I was too polite to give it.)

Just Try It

Inspirational song: The One I Love (R.E.M.)

I could sort of see this one coming. RSVPs for game night came back, and people dropped off one by one. Once our regular time rolled around, only our kids remained. So rather than get upset, we welcomed them and had dinner and played with the babies. 

I had started the stew on low late last night, so it would slow cook and the flavors would blend. I woke up with a start around 4 am, when the smell changed. In the dark I added two cups of water to the crockpot. It was plenty. I didn't add potatoes until early this morning, before I sat down with coffee. I switched it back and forth a few times between low and keep warm, and by dinner the potatoes were cooked but still firm. My daughter requested polenta at the very last minute, because that was what I have taken to serving under stews like boeuf bourguignon and chicken cacciatore. Good thing I had some in the pantry. 

The grandkids were asleep in the car when they arrived. They woke a little as they were carried in, so they got to lie in my bed for a few minutes, watching a movie on Disney. They played actively while I made the polenta. By the time food was served, they were back to being tired and cranky. It was a monumental battle to convince Val to eat even a few bites of stew. She wanted to skip ahead to cake, and it took four of us being firm with her for over an hour to get her to trade tiny nibbles of stew for modest bites of spice cake. Kid, this is one of the best things your grandma makes. You'll figure that out in a few years, and we will remind you how hard you fought against tasting it.

Also, late last night, as I was getting myself ready for bed, we heard the loudest, fiercest animal fight of all time. It sounded like the little dog across the street was getting murdered. Turns out it was a raccoon fight in the tree one house south of where that dog lives. And there was my animal-handler husband, shining his cell phone up in the tree, trying to gently persuade them to give it up. I just can't even with the stress, wondering whether I was about to drive him to the ER for rabies shots. Thankfully one raccoon climbed down the tree and waddled off to the next house down, no human interaction needed. I can't believe I haven't yet been driven to drink.

Love Language

Inspirational song: I Just Called to Say I Love You (Stevie Wonder)

Game night may or may not happen tomorrow. I hope it does. So far I've gotten four responses to my text to the group about it, one of whom was my own husband. Thankfully, his response was yes, he would like to play 5e (the version of D&D we play) if the group is up for it. One of our key players, who does the best strategizing (and pays attention better than the rest of us), will not be here. I hope this doesn't mean the whole evening falls apart because he has to work.

I tried to sweeten the deal, literally. As I explained in the text thread, my love language is feeding people. I have been wanting to make boeuf bourguignon again, and this week is my target window. The beef is thawed, and there are enough ingredients that this is going to be a huge crockpot of stew. I need my beloved game group to come eat it. I'm going to make a spice cake too, assuming I can get the timing and temperature right to bake it in the toaster oven. (Still waiting to tear out the old wall oven and rebuild the cabinet for the new.)

I used my newly restored wooden bowl as a produce basket this evening. We have an abundance of ripe tomatoes that needed to be harvested before they were lost to the ground. I know the classic stew doesn't have a lot of tomatoes in it, just a little paste, but the only way I could up the lovin' in my food offering was to include home-grown veggies in it. Tomatoes will only make it better.

How About You

Inspirational song: Mr Blue Sky (Electric Light Orchestra)

It would be cool if this were somewhat more interactive. At least that's what sounds good on a night like this when I just don't want to talk about stuff here, but rather hear what's going on out there. I wish I could offer a rotating paragraph to the people I find interesting (which includes the people who regularly interact with these blogs on Facebook). Wouldn't that be cool, to let guests tell us all what's on their minds? I suppose to some extent, that's what I'm doing when I swipe photos from family members, even though the obvious motivation is that I didn't take enough good ones on my own that day.

So nothing above can be misconstrued, there's nothing wrong. I just feel quiet and wish someone else could do the talking. I like to listen too, especially when it's just to be entertained or informed. I don't want to solve problems, or feel like I have to pass judgment. I just want to hear about your days too.

Speaking of photos, I had to go back a couple days, to find one I don't think I used yet. It's the reason I stay in bed late most mornings. Athena tells me her post-breakfast time is Tinky Cuddle Time.

Mayhem

Inspirational song: Upside Down & Inside Out (OK Go)

On this first full day of fall, it would have been nice to have a quiet, mellow babysitting day. Instead it was, as Jeff Foxworthy coined the term, pandelerium. Dmitri has become fast. He climbs things, grabs things, dumps things, and falls off of things before you can blink. He had one solid nap, falling asleep on my arm as we watched Encanto together, but for the rest of the time he was go-go-go. 

Both kids had their fair share of big feelings today. We had plenty of laughing and happy time, but we also had lots of crying. Some of it was from falls, like when Val came running in from the back yard, wanting to show off the tomatoes on a vine that grandpa let her carry inside. As the tomatoes started dropping off the vine, she stepped right on one and slid to the floor. That was not the joyous entrance she had planned. It was, however, the theme of the day.

At least they had fun times to break up all the goofs. Like when they got to hang out on grandma's bed by themselves, watching Inside Out while we did some kitchen chores. Val even had a few minutes of solo play in the back yard with the dogs. I think it makes her feel like a big kid to be trusted for short periods without us hovering over her. Dmitri is nowhere near ready for that.

No, Not You

Inspirational song: Who Are You (The Who)

That was not the game I was hoping for. For some reason, the 2022 Buffs showed up in Eugene, and some fool let them on the field. They got absolutely stomped into the ground. It was so bad that I muted the TV before the half, and turned it off completely early in the 3rd quarter. I'm torn between clapping like I'm on an old episode of Wheel of Fortune and saying it's okay, we'll come back next week, and just throwing up my hands and saying it was fun while it lasted. I'll try to be in the bounce-back camp.

I'm still working on finding an arrangement of my plants that will house all of them for the cold season. I brought in a tradescantia that was trying to take over my front door, and I just plopped it on the floor in front of the shelves. I swept the porch and ripped out some bindweed that was smothering a rosebush right next to the steps. I need to acquire a large container to dump old potting soil in, for winter storage of terracotta pots. I also still need to down-size the ficus benjamina into a pot that will fit in the house now that my collection of houseplants is so extensive. I guess I could use the old giant pot it's currently in to hold gallons of spent soil until next garden season. Does buying a smaller pot go against my no-buy for plants?

Harvey spent a good long while investigating the tradescantia I brought in from outside. I remembered after I saw him that there has been an intact tomcat howling down the neighborhood this month, sometimes slinking along my window ledges or peering in from the porch. (One time after midnight, he and Harvey got into an argument and Harvey punched out the screen at him. Athena then jumped through the opening and chased him out past the sidewalk. I was not happy with any of them as I rescued her.) I wonder whether that naughty tomcat left any scent markers on my plant that I have just set in the living room. I shudder to think what might happen if he did.

Pour Moi

Inspirational song: Me of Me (Shock Treatment)

I saw an opportunity for a Me day. I took it. We don't have babysitting tomorrow, so the Mr is up at his cabin for a couple nights. Our housemate works weekend days. I had the place all to myself. I started by putting on a ratty t-shirt and dyeing my roots. After I washed out the dye in the shower, I put the same shirt back on, and took a giant risk. I cut my own hair. I wanted the same shape, just an inch and a half shorter all over. I figured I could do this. I took my time, used lots of clips to make small sections, and used the tips of the scissors just like I've watched the pros do. I think it came out well, all things considered. That was a lot of standing, though. I didn't feel like doing much for several hours.

The autumnal equinox is upon us. I thought what better way to celebrate the arrival of the best season all by myself than to create a fancy charcuterie board. I had to pick up a couple things, like salami, chocolate, and a bottle of wine. The other stuff I had. I even had home grown tomatoes and refrigerator pickles from our own cucumbers. It felt wildly indulgent, but this was a good day for that.

And yes, you'll notice in the pictures that my charcuterie board has a gridiron on it. Would I have any other kind?

Good to Go

Inspirational song: My Old School (Steely Dan)

Yay! It worked! We moved the antenna over to the window with a less obstructed path southeast, and retuned the TV. I now have access to the ABC broadcast. I can now watch the game Saturday. To be clear, I made Mr S-P get up on the bed to pull down the antenna, as standing there to position it the first time was what threw my back out two weeks ago. I didn't need to repeat that mistake.

Now that I'm moving better for longer periods, I'm trying to catch back up on my backlog of house chores. Wow, did I have a lot piled up. In the last couple days, I spent a lot of time addressing laundry. It was doubly awkward to handle between having a busted motor on the washer (waiting for repair still) and having little ability to stand up to put away what could be cleaned. As I kept digging deeper into the closet to find clean things to wear, I started looking much more critically at what didn't get chosen and why. Suddenly my donation bin is full again. That cleared a mental block enough that I could remove all the accumulated crap from the top of the bookshelf under the TV. So much trash, so much dust covering what could have been a cute display area. I pulled every single piece of junk off and laid it out on the bed. I made myself touch everything and choose whether to keep it and where to make it live. The things that survived had to mean something to me. Now maybe during the game I can split my attention between the TV and the rest of the bookshelves below.

We had some spontaneous kid time this afternoon. I hadn't fully finished putting away what was left on the bed, and Dmitri showed me the error of my ways. Grandpa had to snatch a bottle of sewing machine oil before the little man drank it. He was extra grabby the whole time. He really wanted my coke too. His juice cup was nothing compared to the straw in the forbidden sweet drink. We couldn't pry Val away from working puzzles at the table, and we couldn't keep the boy in one spot long enough to eat a single chicken nugget. The best and worst part, at the same time, was Val getting very upset at going home time, because she really wanted to stay at grandma and grandpa's. Flattering, but heart-rending.

So we are prepared, the game Saturday is on ABC broadcast. Kickoff is at 1:30 local, so 12:30 Pacific, 2:30 Central, 3:30 Eastern. Plan accordingly. Wear black, gold, silver, or some combination of those.

The Real Boss

Inspirational song: Dead Flowers (The Rolling Stones)

Dammit, I don't want to like Amazon Prime. But here I am, a week and a half into the trial period, and I'm kinda digging it. I got it for the video portion, hoping I could get some live sports that way. So far I have watched the recent Dungeons and Dragons movie (again) and if I can ever pin down Mr S-P for a few hours, we can watch Good Omens season 2. I kept saying I'd try out that whole free expedited shipping part of it, but since I'm on a six month partial no-buy, I didn't know if I would. My daughter messaged me yesterday, and said she was ready to transition Dmitri to the same kind of sippy cup that his sister still likes to use, and would I get some in a different color. She sent a link. It was really freaking convenient to immediately click add to cart and not have to come up with $10.25 more stuff to add in to get free one-week or more delivery. 24 hours later, the sippy cups were at my house and my daughter came over to get them. Crap. I really liked that.

I'm fairly certain I've mentioned before the meme that says the real big boss fight in any adult D&D campaign is scheduling. We lost that fight again today. It was supposed to be game night tonight. Then one person picked up a shift at work. Then another had a doctor's appointment that left them feeling like poop. Then another, who is taking some college classes this semester, said they needed to focus on homework. It's so frustrating, but it is a universal problem. I guess it's just as well, though. I wore myself out cleaning up before the washer repairman arrived, and then running errands in the afternoon. I was okay doing nothing tonight.

One of my errands was to pick up my business cards. I started with a very basic card, no busy graphics or slick paper. Just the pertinent information and my beautiful logo my daughter and I created. Below I have blocked out the phone and email. I'm fine with giving that to potential clients, but not to plaster it on the internet. I do have an occasional line in the sand.