Comfortable with my irregularity

'Ello,

I am not a good blogger... oh well.

This year is quickly coming to an end and I'd have to say that all in all it's been good to the hippy. My kids are thriving, my husband is interesting (I mean really interesting...not like weird interesting, but the OK kind of interesting) my dog is starting to like me and I love my job.

We have visitors now and I like having visitors, because you get to stay up late sitting around the kitchen table talking about all sorts of stuff. Sometimes, we even break out the scrabble board. Scrabble is cool.

I will try to be more regular with my writing, but I'm not promising anything.

Bye for now,
ch

I am a poor pitiful blogger

It's true. Poor. Pitiful. Blogger???

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

On a side note, last night I asked thing 2 if she wanted to join me on a trip to Kmart to buy some pie pans. She said "Yes! and I want a turtleneck."

The request for a turtle neck seemed strange at the time, but I figured OK. When we got to Kmart, T2 said can I have some pants too? I asked her why she thought we were going clothes shopping...

She said, because you're here to buy pie pants.

What are pie pants?

Pants that are large enough to feel comfortable in when you're eating pie.

Pie pans. Pie pans.... geez.

We set a new record!

Check it out...

Just stuff.

I feel as if I am running 100 mph Monday through Friday.

I don't have enough time to devote to the family in the evenings.

I feel my attention to work and my inattention to my children are starting to bite back.

How does one choose what to be upset with and what to ignore? I remind myself to pick my battles, but the ones I find are of most importance don't seem to be the same for everyone else.

My mood is rather dark today... but I'll get over it.

ch

Loud Music and Loads of Kids...

Hi ya,

Thing 1s friends are over playing...loudly! I'm glad they are here, I really like to hear them play, even if my house is vibrating.

Thing 2 had an eventful horse event this past weekend in Washington. She came in 3rd place in her division and I couldn't be more pleased with her. It's not that she placed so highly, but she has tremendous sportsmanship, which makes watching her so much fun. Her coach is another story all-together and we are contemplating a switch.
Do any of my readers have suggestions on an eventing trainer in the Corvallis area?

ch

Do you find the music annoying?

Well do you? I was messing around yesterday and found that I could add music to my blog... OK. Cool. But I don't get to choose the tunes...

What do you think?

Should it stay, or should it go? (nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah plink plink plink)

ch

My morning so far...

This morning has gone smoothly.... My MIL left early this morning to fly away home. The Things have gone off to school... and I have a little bit of work I need to get done today. I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Thing 2 will be in a show where she will do her usual wonderful stuff (dresage, cross-country and hunter-jumper), but this weekend we get to see something new... steeple chasing! She says they get to go pretty fast, so I'm excited.

ch

Continuing

To not keep up and not planning to worry too much about it.

My BIL is married. I have a new SIL... she is very wonderful.
My MIL is visiting and is fortunately low maintenance.
School has started and I'm back to obsessing. For at least the next month I will be seriously obsessing and then I'll mellow out...It's my way.

Later,
ch

Not Keeping Up...

Big week...

Brother in law getting married.

Family visiting.

First week of school.

HS football this evening.

Not keeping up with the blog!

ch

The Price of Education

Today, Thing 2 tells me that she would like to attend school (university) in the UK. We are all for this... her grades are excellent, she volunteers, she has held down a job for the past 2 1/2 years, so why shouldn't she be able to live her dream?

Thing 2 would like to be a veterinary surgeon, specializing in large animals. The best schools for this (according to Thing 2) are in the UK. At first she wanted to go to OSU, but I'm glad to see she's thinking about branching out...

So, after I drop her off at work today, I go home and check out what she was talking about. There are 6 schools of Vet Med in the UK and she is interested in Oxford (I think for the name) and the Royal Dick school in Edinburgh, Scotland. The qualifications she will meet with no problem, it's the expense where I'm a wee bit concerned. The cost for a North American kid to go to school will be 18,000 pounds a year (roughly $34,000.) I really hope she qualifies for scholarships, grants, etc.

It's still a few years before this really gets scary. Some of you may think, oh, she'll change her mind at least a dozen times before she makes her final decision. But she's not the average kid... dang and hooray!

I notice that any student coming from North America will need to have at least 2 years of science studies at an American university, so maybe we'll get to have her at OSU too!

~ch

So Sleepy today...

Couldn't get to sleep last night. It was warmer than usual and my poison oak is still a concern.

Around 5AM, sirens started blaring. I don't know how to tell the difference between a police siren and a fire truck, but I think there were about six of them, whatever they were.

I checked in the paper this morning to see if there had been a fire, but there was no mention.

I had lived in another country for a while and we had gotten quite used to hearing sirens and house alarms through the night. When we came back to Corvallis we noted that one of the most pleasant things about coming home was the feeling of calmness. So last night threw me a bit.

So today, I have that feeling of being out all night, without having had the fun of being out all night... dang.

~ch

Beavers Win the Game, but Lack in Graciousness

I'm going to whine a bit here, but it's my blog and I don't care.
Late this afternoon, people were gathering to greet the OSU football team. It was hot and the band had been practicing for the last two hours (without any water.) As the busses filled with the football team approached, fans were cheering and the band played. As everyone was showing their excitement for the upcoming game, the players did not show one iota of appreciation for those fans. Instead, there were no waves, no smiles, no eye contact.
I guess they were focusing on the game ahead. But seriously, these kids ought to have learned some manners and at the very least waved to the fans who awaited their arrival.

~ch (always a Beaver fan through and through.)

A Conversation in the Car With Thing 2.

Thing 2: Mom, did you know that you sleep half your life away? I mean, that's kind of sad that you miss half of your life, but sleeping's awesome.

CH: What would you rather do... Live for 40 years and never sleep, or live 80 years with sleep?

T2: 80 years with sleep, cuz I like to sleep. What if we lived 40 years with all sleep?

CH: Think of how sore you'd be.

T2: You wouldn't know you were sore, because you would be asleep.

CH: Well, think about it... how could we even exist if all there was was sleep?

T2: Oh yea. I guess the boys would have to be awake.

CH: ewwwweee!

I Do Not Like to Cook.

It's 4:30 and that means people in my family are going to want to eat dinner (again...) and I do not like to cook.

I wish one of my kids had the desire and ability to take on this chore. I would clean up, that's no problem... in fact, I kind of enjoy that part.

I don't enjoy cooking and then doing the cleaning up afterward. This dislike of spending too much time in my kitchen could put me on the bad mother list, but I'm willing to take that chance.

I like being in my kitchen... It's a lovely kitchen and that's why I don't mind cleaning it, because it looks nice when it's done. I'm this way about my car, only worse.

Side note: My car is mine and no one should make it unnecessarily dirty. If this does however occur, whomever dirtified said vehicle should be prepared to suffer my wrath. I also understand this could be considered a mental disorder, because my children are kind enough to fill me in on this fact.

Back to my rant...
I REALLY don't like cooking dinner.

~ch

Amazing Juggling Finale

Chris Bliss performing an amazing juggling routine. As a musician, I appreciate this sooo much! One of my favorite bits is at about 1 minute 13 seconds into it and he follows the violin line. There are other good parts too, but I'm nerdy like that. ~ch

I Wish My List Were Longer

I had great plans for this summer... some I have accomplished, some I have not. Two things on the list that have gone untouched that are starting to bug me a bit are:

1. My books I have read list contain two books. TWO? What a loser.

2. I haven't painted the living room. It's bare and boring and shows no personality whatsoever. Maybe it's not that bad, but I aspire for it to be different.

My time has been filled up with other stuff that I've had loads of fun doing. For me, the end of summer is bittersweet. I love the freedom of time and warm weather. I love teaching. So, in the end, all is good.

~ch

Thursday Things...

Register Thing 2 for school.

Buy new sticks for Thing 1.

Haul drums.

Take Thing 2 to work and pick up 2 hours later.

I'd like to go to Eugene this afternoon to look at glasses (optical, not drinking)... The poor quality of choices in Corvallis leaves me no choice.

I also have work to do of my own... dang, I don't have time to work... "Things" are keeping me busy.

~ch

My Deer Husband

So this is how it went... I woke up this morning and wandered over to the computer (as I do every morning, to read the paper) and I hear this screaming. It sounds like it's coming from a child running through the woods. I look out of the window and there's a deer standing out back, on the other side of the fence. She doesn't want to leave and she's obviously upset. I walk downstairs to see my husband (wonderfully heroic husband (and handsome too)) heading to the back yard. Now we see what's happening... A baby deer was caught in-between our fence post and the neighbors fence. DH goes over to the baby and soothes it until it stops screaming and lifts it up (with his huge man arms) and give it back to the mama deer. A happy ending.

~ch

So Very Itchy...

I've got poison oak... I itch. I have scrapes all over my legs (blackberries)...not attractive. Yet, when I pick thing 2 up from work today, she's going to ask..."wanna go caching?" Heck yeah!

I'm glad I don't have an expensive hobby (addiction), but my skin is totally paying for it.

~ch

What, I'm Looking Forward to School? Oh Yeah!

So far this summer...

I've made stronger friendships.
Learned how to Geocache.
Thing 1 has his first girlfriend (who is wonderful.)
Brother-in-law has announced he will be married (she is also wonderful.)
Thing 2 took 4th place at a horse trial in Washington state.
Our family went to Europe (Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.)
I've gotten to play in concerts with Mr. Hippy.
I've played lots of music with friends.
Spent a weekend in Pacific Grove visiting my parents.
Spent several days in Deschutes County.

As I look at this list, I am I am OK with school beginning.

I watched POV last night and was inspired by teacher Rafe Esquith. I have ideas for the new year and I hope I am a better teacher this year than last.

That's all,
~ch

The Day After...

Yesterday couldn't have been more perfect on the river. Having gone on a Monday, the river was pretty much ours for the float. There was one guy on a noisy jet ski, who flew by us, circled round, stopped and stared at us and then took off again...whatever... the river was ours.

We paddled down to the Buena Vista Ferry and it was lovely. The trip was only 11 miles (having launched at Takena), but my arms were sore last night.

I took a picture on my phone, but for some reason, I am unable to bring it up on this post...dang.

I'm glad my arms feel better today. Tomorrow I get to play music with two groups of friends and I need my arms!

Kayaking today...

I'm off for a day of kayaking. I have got to get into better shape... I keep meeting wonderful people who invite me to join in on the fun : )
Back in the day, while dating Mr. Hippy I actually was a kayak guide. 17 years later, we'll see how I hold up.

~ch

To Ms. Amber

OK Ms. Amber... This is for you : )

Caching, or Geocaching is a "sport" where by use of coordinates, one searches for treasure. You can go onto Geocaching.com and get a pretty good idea. You can also check here.

Most people use a global positioning system (GPS), but some prefer to look at a map and use all the information available to them to find the booty.

It goes somewhat like this. I go to the geocaching site and look up where caches are located. I plug in the coordinates and hit the trail. Sometimes I'm lucky and find the cache, sometimes not... that's the fun. Also, I get to spend loads of time with my kids, friends and sometimes my husband. Though, since he doesn't have his own gps, he is rather bored when we go out.

Some people don't give the coordinates, but give you a mind bending puzzle to figure out the location. This is where the really smart people and me separate! Someday maybe, I'll be able to figure out how to collate acrostic : )

One of the strange things I have found is that this game is rather addicting. And as I sit here in beautiful Oregon with the sun setting, I'm thinking..."do I have time to get just one more in?" Sick, right?

You should go and give it a try. I own a Garmin etrex. It's one of the least expensive gps units around (>$100) and all the joy of hiking and using my brain!

Thanks for asking!

~ch

Look Out...

Thing 1 is behind the wheel! Thing 1 and his carnivorous mother went to the DMV for the third time in as many weeks...ugh.

With thing 1s extra time around the house the last couple of weeks, he has had some time to study and take the on-line practice tests... what d'ya know... studying works.

He is now the proud owner of a "permit to drive" with his parents. It's no understatement to say that he was thrilled with himself and wanted to drive home.

We went the long way. The way with the least traffic. The way that if he went off the road, we would be in a grass field way. The good way.

He drove masterfully. I let him drive my friend and I out caching and to pick up thing 2 from the barn and I am alive to tell the tale.

Oh yea, he also got away with making the coolest face on his permit. When I tried to do that for my license, they made me do a "do over." I'm happy he got to make his face and keep it.

As for caching yesterday... oh yes, I got the green jeep : )

See you on the road,
~ch

Up Late...Again.

I was just about asleep, then the phone rang. It's 11:00, that must mean something bad right? No, it means that I have children whose friends don't look at the clock before dialing... With my heart racing (phone is located next to my bed) I tried to get back to that sleepy state. Instead, I lay there listening to my pulse and thinking of my latest obsession...geocaching.

Naturally, as one does when one cannot sleep, one plans... this one would like to find a green travel bug jeep. So, I get up and do a search... I now know where there is one and it's less than seven miles from my home. I'm fighting the urge to go right now and will wait until the morning. But then I think...how many others are out there wanting that jeep? Maybe I should go now.

This "sport" is a lot of fun, especially when I go with my Things and my friend BW. So, I can't go right now, I'll wait. But if BW is reading this... and you want to go... you know what to do, I can be ready in 5 minutes : )

I need to go to sleep so I can get up extra early...

~ch

How Strong is your Finger?

70 year old monk can stand on one finger.... would you like to see him do it?
~ch

The Sounds of Silence

There are people who enjoy their time alone. Some just want quiet. I am neither one of those. Tonight, I am on my own (with the exception of my big scary dog!!) I had all sorts of ideas of what I could do... You know, all those fun things you can think of doing, but then you can't because you have obligations at home. So, here I sit... In front of my computer googling old friends and teachers (and even a few mystery family members) when I should be out on the town whoopin' it up. This is a waste of good "whoopin" time.

I just got off the phone with out-of-town DH. He has taken thing 1 with him on his trip. I'm happy that the two of them are getting to spend this time together... But I'm missing some serious percussion around here! Thing 1 is an excellent musician and practices hours a day. I've had people tell me that they would never let their child play the drums because of all the noise...NOISE? When its good, it's not noise. Thing 1 may be under house arrest, but that is one thing I wouldn't deny him.

I just finished listening to Poulenc's Double Piano Concerto...Very cool. O.K. That's something I probably wouldn't get away with doing in the evening if both things were home. Hey, I guess I whooped. In an extremely nerdy way, but there was whoopin' none the less.

~ch

Fun at the Fair!

Hi Everybody,

I just got back from a fun filled two days at the Deschutes County Fair ! I was there supporting my favorite presidential candidate Michael Smith. While there, I met many people who were interested in hearing about "this guy."

The fair grounds were very nice. Our booth sat directly in front of a small pond with a waterfall, so we all had a nice view as well. Many people were receptive and wanted to hear more. One lady picked up a card and asked me if Mr. Smith was a believer... hmmm... believer in what? In the end, she threw her card at the table and walked off. Oh well, you can't please everyone ; )

I spent the evening having girl time with thing 2. We ate pizza and watched a movie and visited with a friend. Thing 1 and his dad were out having guy time and that's good, because they probably wouldn't have liked our movie... Eulogy.

Tomorrow night, it's Fiddler on the Roof.

Wow, it's almost midnight....

g'night,
~ch

Clever Son

Tried doing some caching this afternoon with Thing 1, but was unsuccessful... Thing 1 will be around the house (or where ever I go) for the next month or so ; ) That means he gets to do whatever I feel like and be happy he's out of the house.

Anyway, with all this "free-time" ahead of him, he's decided to take the family video camera and make a movie. I've only seen bits so far... but, going on what I have seen, I can say it's hysterical. Except for the part today where he was filming his mom climbing around on rocks on the bald hill trail and narrating his billy goat documentary...

Cut.
~ch

Thing 2 at the Horse Trials

I spent this past weekend watching Thing 2 do her thing... Eventing. Thing 2 loves to ride horses. It's not only a beautiful thing to watch, but she has learned to be a hard worker, build her strength, and continued to be a good student. Other than the fact that it costs an arm and a leg to keep her in this wonderful sport, I wish she could do more shows during the summer.

I tried to upload a picture of thing 1, but it kept timing out.

Here is another picture of someone I don't know doing what it is that thing 1 likes to do!

High, fast and through the woods...Tally-ho!

~ch

Assumptions

Recently I read an opinion in the Corvallis GT that remarked about the wonderful time had by all at our recently held Da Vinci Days. However, the writer stuck in a dig at Republicans with "The playful, high-spirited displays of inventive minds made this always popular tribute to good-old Leonardo a decidedly unhappy place for Republicans."

I was bothered by the comment, but the opinions page is just that... Opinions. Mr. de Vogel certainly has a right to express his opinions, however "partiest" (OK. Partiest is not a word, but I think you get the idea) it is. It was my assumption that Democrats, Liberals, Liberal Democrats, independents, etc. Are proud to be accepting of all people no matter race, religion, or sexual preference. I did not understand that this acceptance was not allotted to those who are a member of the Republican party.

Anyway, today Mr. de Vogel clears things up with another letter to the editor in today's paper.

For the record...
I do not go to rodeos. I do not go to circuses. I do not like to go to zoos, but the one time I went to the Portland zoo, it seemed alright. I don't mind aquariums for some reason.

The way I choose to live my life and my party affiliation don't always mesh. Actually, I would say they collide...

The comments made to the GT were from those of someone experiencing tunnel vision. I hope in time, his vision of others will widen.

Geez, I'm on a rant... sorry.

~ch

I'm Working this Week

After having the last month off, going back to work (for only a week) is difficult... I know...Whine, whine, whine.
I went into Staples last night and saw the "back to school" racks already on display and was saddened that the summer frolicking will come to end very soon.
Sometimes, I wonder if a year-round schooling would be more beneficial to the students as well as teachers. There are more breaks, but much shorter and it would keep everyone in school mode. Whereas how it is... I'm checked out and I'm fairly certain I'm not the only one.

Yawn, stretch,

~ch

Great Night

Like the title says... we had great night tonight! ~400 people came through the gallery and a few items even sold : )

I didn't serve the wine though... dang. Mom has many good friends here in PG and one had already signed up for the job. The band was fabulous. The tuba player got up and danced during his solo... I liked him even more after that.

I saw people I haven't seen in 16+ years and I'm pining for California.
I love being on the coast and I love music and art. Pretty much... I'm thrilled to be here. Not to say I'm not thrilled with Oregon, because I am... There's just something special about coming home.

Well, as I said... I didn't serve the wine. I mingled. Oh, and I was witty too. I said some amazing stuff, but I can't remember exactly what I said right now... but as I recall, I was fairly wonderful.
After moms (and all other galleries) were closed, I was able to wander a bit and ended up walking in my socks over to another gallery up the street and making new friends.

Darling Husband...
If you are reading this... Do you remember going into a gallery where there was a wooden fish on a stick (or maybe it was a chicken) and you liked it? Moms gallery is in the same building, but in the room directly behind it. Her stuff is way (waaaay) better.

OK, it's after midnight. I'm going to spell check and call it an evening.

Good night everyone,
~ch

I'm Off!

I'm off on my adventure in a short few hours. I will be visiting my parents in California and enjoying what there is on the beautiful California coast.
I mentioned before, but I'll say it again... Mom has just opened up her own art studio and has been quite successful thus far. Friday night's the big party with art, food and live music (supplied by dad and buddies.) I like to serve the wine. Mingling is taken care of... people come to me and they are happy I gave them some wine : )
I'll take some pictures and maybe even have a post or two while I'm down there.

Bye!

~ch

I'm Not the Favorite Parent

Today has been a day. They say that children only let their true feelings come out when they feel safe and comfortable. Apparently, mine feel just great around the house and are feeling especially safe around ME.

I try to listen with an open mind. I try not to take the hurtful things said to heart. I try not to over-react, because I want to know what they have to say... geez, this is hard at times. Thankfully, these times are rare enough that this just reminds me that they are normal teenagers doin' their thing.

I will be visiting my own mom this weekend and will try and remember to be a good "kid." I'm really looking forward to the trip, because I'm headed out on my own, which means...

1. I get to drive the car.
2. I can stop anytime I want to go to the bathroom.
3. I get to choose the bathroom.
4. No fast food.
5. I choose the music.

Hooray for alone time!

My mom has just opened up her own art studio and this Friday evening will be her first show featuring herself and other Pacific Grove area artists in her own studio. I wish I had a link to provide, but no such luck...

Anyway, I hope to put some pictures on the blog so you all can share in the fun!

spater,
ch

My Surprisingly Fun Day

I wrote yesterday that I was not going to be able to participate in the geocaching event, because I was without my daughter... Well, wonderful husband and dog said they'd join in (well, the dog didn't really say anything, but he seemed happy enough.)

As it turned out, we won first prize in the advanced group! I was very surprised, as I do not consider myself advanced by any means. But, if you have found 10+ caches, you're advanced in this competition.

I had fun running around town and figuring out the clues and had to RUN back to the booth after we found the last cache ( I even saw a dear friend that I hadn't seen all summer, and had to yell at her as I was running by that I couldn't talk!) You are allotted 2 hours to find as many as you can. If you go over, you are penalized points per minute. We found all caches and were 3 minutes over time (3 minutes = -1pt.)

I was HOT and RED. The wonderful people at the booth gave me a cold bottle of water and a t-shirt for participating : ) Truthfully, I was really excited about the t-shirt and figured that would be it for the day.

After finding out that we won, I was surprised to see what goodies they were awarding (1st, 2nd and 3rd to Novice and Advanced groups)... gift certificates to downtown businesses, gps units, hand-held computers, more t-shirts! The people that put this event together went to a lot of trouble to make this an extraordinarily fun day. If any of you read my blog...THANK YOU!

After going home to rest a bit, it was more fun on the softball field : ) Though, we didn't win, it's always fun to play and see friends.

It's Monday, I should do something productive... we'll see.

as always,

~ch

Bubbles and Smoke!

I've spent the last couple of days wandering around Corvallis' Da Vinci Days festival and today, I think I'm just about Da Vincied out.

Last night Mumbo Gumbo and Stairway Denied played. They were both very good and entertaining. I think though, what I found most entertaining was watching the crowd. Especially this one guy who was having a great time during Stairway Denied. He danced (more like bounced from side to side) and every once in a while would run back to his friends to say something, then run right up front again to do the bounce thing.

The husband and I were marveling at the different styles of hair donned by many, eating fair food and having micro brews... lovely evening.

Thing 1 had fun messing around with his friends and watching the bands.
Thing 2 brought a friend and just wanted to see the whole thing. Thing 2 has been working so much, that she hasn't been able to do a lot of other fun kid stuff... so, she enjoyed her evening out : )

At the end of the evening, we all met up and now can marvel at our own sons hair. While we were all in the festival, thing 1 and friends gave each other mohawks... Imagine his disappointment when I said I liked it ; )

Today is the Geocaching contest and I really wanted to participate, but thing 1 and caching partner has to work. It wouldn't be as much fun without her and I know she would feel left out if I did it alone. We'll go do some together later this week.

Oh yea, why did I call this post "Bubbles and Smoke?" When we went to listen to the high school battle of the bands... I over heard a small child (~4 years old) say to his mom "Hurry mom!! there's bubbles and smoke!" Who wouldn't want to see that?

later,

~ch

Saw the Pirate Movie Last Night

Our family was finally all together last night, so we were able to go see "Pirates." Thing 2 and I seemed to be the only ones that really liked it. Husband said it wasn't as good as the first, while Thing 1 slept for almost the entirety of the film.
I liked the movie for the comedy, not so much the plot line. So, this morning I read a review by the Chicago Sun-Times and I now realize why the husband didn't like it as much. I can't say much about snooze boy, as he just needed to sleep. But I was thoroughly ready for a mindless, uber thrill-ride and it fit the bill for me.
One thing I was disappointed about was the last little ditty at the end... After reading this bit of the Corvallis G-Ts Roses and Raspberries section, I stayed... along with about 20 others to see what the writer was talking about. Let me spare you ALL of those credits... just leave.

I'm off to run kids places...

Have a spiffed out day,
~ch

And Someone Left the Cake in the Rain...

OK, so it wasn't just someone... it was me. AND, it wasn't a cake... it was the phone book.

While sitting out back yesterday, I was thumbing through several books (a cookbook, the telephone book and the newest National Geographic), drinking diet coke and in high spirits. To be honest, I've been so happy to be home, that it's rare that my spirits would sink.

Right. So, I get up to go inside to see what's in the refrigerator and what I need to make dinner. I take everything along except the phone book. This morning...rain.

I have it (the phone book) sitting on the counter now, but I'm considering putting it in the food dehydrator... maybe I should just put it in front of the fan, because now that I wrote it down that I was even considering the food dehydrator makes me think "what an idiot!" OK, the fan it is.

We have a concert in the park tonight. I hope the rain lets up and we end up with a beautiful afternoon.

~ch

Ooooh, I want a hot tub...no wait, a fountain...no...

I want to make a fountain. My son has very little faith in his mom that she can do it... The boy is 15 and remarkably knows everything there is to know about everything and I know absolutely nothing...How about that?

Anyway, I shared my idea that I want some sort of gurgling water sound in the back yard, as I have always liked water sounds and I like to be in water. This fountain idea is only second to my hot tub idea. Again, it involves water, so I'm in. Although my dear friend and reader says to have a hot tub is only asking for an orgy to happen...Really? Wow! I saw a sale on hot tubs in the Rite-Aid parking lot ; )

OK, so it looks as though I can't afford to have an orgy inducing hot tub, so I'll settle for a little splishy-splashy fountain (smooching may occur.) Off I go, looking for the perfect fountain, but none are quite what I'm looking for and I really want to make my own. The next problem is the placement of where the fountain is to go. I know exactly where I want it, except that there is no electrical outlet there. Undeterred, I phone Garlands to see if there are such things as battery powered pumps or better still, solar powered pumps. Oh yes, there are solar powered pumps starting at $300! Now I'm thinking for $300 I could buy a ready made fountain... or better yet, use that as a down payment on a hot tub!

Odds and Ends and thoughts on Zidane

Summer is a wonderful time...

Playing music, playing softball, geocaching, bbqing, visiting on the porch with friends. All of these are things I adore doing. I'm always telling myself that I could be a stay at home mom and it would be great. Problem is, every time I try to do this... I go stir crazy. So, my solution is that I work throughout the school year and have summers off just like the kids. Wake up early, try and have a lot to do each day and make the summer last as long as possible!

At the moment, it's a bit grey outside. The girl and husband have gone off to work, the boy has gone off to socialize with his many buddies and I have the house to myself (other than my lime stealing dog.)

I took the car into have its 85k mile check and had coffee with a friend (Vita) this morning. I think I bored poor Vita with vacation pictures, but she acted as if she were interested...my kind friend : )

I'll do some spiffing up around the house and then go out again...otherwise, you know... I'm not taking advantage of summer!

On a side note... watching the final match of the World Cup yesterday, I thought France was doing a great job and carried their energy through. I had started watching the match routing for Italy, but had thought that maybe France might deserve it more as they were showing up to the game more than Italy. That all changed in the closing minutes when France's Zidane head-butted an Italian player in the chest. That was just bad sportsmanship... I was back to Italy in a heartbeat. Good sportsmanship goes a long way and Frances Zidane has a lot to learn. His actions on the pitch regarding his behavior erased what good he has done with a football...too bad. Goodbye Zidane and congratulations Italy!

~ch

Fun with Barbed Wire

I got up early this morning with big plans ahead for my day. Now that I have the next couple of months off, I want to stay on a (somewhat) schedule. I tend to go a bit nuts when I don't have things to do, or people to see... So, I try and stay busy.

This morning I got up, made the bed, folded laundry and asked my spiffy daughter (SD) if she wanted to go on a short hike. 7:30 AM and were dressed and headed into the woods with the dog to find a cache. The gps said it was only .5 miles away from our house, so off we went. Sounds simple eh? We started out OK, but then we came to a fork in the trail. I said (genius that I am) lets go this way... off we went. After a bit, I could tell we were getting further away from our target area, so I said to SD "we should head back and take that other trail"

SD: "no, it's all up hill that way... this looks like a trail, lets take it."

CH: "Sure thing."

SD: "Mom, I don't think this is a trail"

CH: "no, I don't think so either... Let's turn back and go the way we came from."

SD: (genius that she is) "I'm sure the trail is right behind those trees lets go a little further"

CH: (genius me) "OK!"

After much fun of laying on our backs and squirming under barbed wire, climbing over fences and A LOT of trespassing, we found our spot and the cache.

It only took about 30 minutes to get back home.

It's 10:30 and I feel like I've gotten a lot in already, but there's much more on the plate for later.

Enjoy your day,

~ch

Showdown at High Noon

I'm back, although not quite ready. I have World Cup fever and it was only heightened by spending the last two weeks in Europe. We had a great time seeing new things and eating wonderful food, but I also had an experience that I don't believe will ever happen in the US.

We watched the world cup match of Germany vs. Argentina in Nuremberg in the middle of the alt stadt (old city) and rejoiced with the entire country when Germany won. I have never seen anything quite like it up close... Air horns and car horns blaring, people screaming, flags waving, dancing in the streets. Check out this article.

If I were home, maybe Corvallis was like that with the Beaver World Series win!

Anyway, I'm just coming out of my jet lag fog, so I'm not planning on writing too much. But as I sit here listening to thunder, I'm wondering if we'll be "stormed out" of the evening fireworks...

but honestly, I'm most excited to watch Germany and Italy square off at noon with Italy!

I wish I could be there!

Happy 4th everyone... ~ch

Italy wins 2-0 over Germany ; (

Cancer and Odds and Ends

The other day I heard the news that a good friend of mine has breast cancer. I have been fairly lucky and have not had to face a death of a loved one (other than grandparents), nor have I had any friends diagnosed with cancer. I have a philosophy, though flawed, that you get what you can handle. I've always figured I can't handle much, so therefore I'm lucky. This summer my friend will be going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. I will be able to help in a small (but important) way and others will be helping too. Those of us that are helping all have our strengths and my friend is thoughtful in her assignments.

When she told me about what she is going to going through, she said "I know you don't do gross. So, your assignment is to take [the kid] and show him how to ride his bike and how to pump on the swings." I have a cool job.

I'm glad she was able to think of things we could all do. She is in the health field and is thinking more clearly than I ever could... Rational and organized.

I won't be writing for the next couple of weeks. We're going to take some time for the family without computers, phones, or television. I do have a book that I just started to read, "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer. It's about the Mormon faith, John Smith and how the Mormon religion began. So far, it's very disturbing. Check it out if this sounds interesting to you.

Here is the Mormon response. Here's the Amazon link.

Here it is, June 16th and it's raining and cool. Have a great next couple of weeks!

~ch

Last Day of School!

It's here...The last day of school! The kids are officially off a schedule : )
Things to do...

Go on a family vacation.
Enjoy being dry.
Talk to the neighbors.
Pot luck on nights when the refrigerator is running low on goods.
Cache.
Bike ride.
Shop down town.
Summer camp.

I was listening to OPB on my way home yesterday listening to an interview with a principal who believes that children of today have their free time too scheduled. I agree. She said that today's student is too reliant upon their parents to schedule them for lessons, play dates, sports etc. She also noted that when at recess, kids have more difficulty making up games. Imagination is diminished when kids aren't given the freedom to exercise it. Most of the kids (on her playground at least) gravitate to organized games with set rules, like soccer, football, baseball etc.

I'm excited for summer, not because I'm a teacher and I'll have some free time, but because I'll have some time with my kids. Though, as they get older, spending time with mom probably isn't what they had in mind for summer ; )

I'll be with them when I can. I'll do a lot of what's on my list when I can't and hopefully I can combine the two!

~ch

Should I Give my Mobile Service the Boot?

Last month, I changed my cell phone service to C------r, as it is the only provider that I can get service with while I am working. I really only have the phone so my kids can reach me, so I changed thinking that would be a good thing.

When I first signed up, I was told that my phone has quad-band (something like that...) and can be used in countries other than the U.S. Cool... I do a bit of traveling, but not so much that I need to purchase the international plan. I was assured that whenever I was planning on leaving the states, I just needed to come into the C------r office and sign up for the plan for however long I would be gone. Although, the plan is 1 month at a time minimum. This is no big deal, it's only $6 for a month.

I am planning on a trip this summer and so I go into the phone place. They are very nice and helpful. The clerk needs to make a phone call to the international people first and they might like to talk to me personally. O.K. fine.

She makes the call and as suspected, the international lady wants to talk to me. I get on the phone and she says that I'll be taking a SHORT TEST (wtf?) She began by telling me that will ask questions regarding my past and should I answer any of these questions incorrectly, I will FAIL the exam (again...wtf?)

Question #1: "I'm going to name several addresses, please tell me which one of these did you not reside?"

Me: "You are kidding right?"

"Just answer the question."

I answer.

Question #2: "The vehicle purchased before the last was financed through which financial institution?"

Me: "For Gods Sake! Fail me. Fail me now." "I don't have a clue who's financing my current vehicle, much less the last one!"

I handed the phone back to the clerk and said it's NOT that important that I take my phone with me.

Was this some sort of Homeland Security policy?! It's six dollars!! What was this about?

Anybody know? Conspiracy theories welcome...

BTW: The clerks at my C-----r office were very helpful. I appreciate their efforts and I in no way connect them to my international phone test.

the internationally unconnected,
~ch

I Have an Attraction...

Today I went to pick up some "Thank you" cards for gifts I have received and I am dreadfully behind in showing my appreciation... arhg, I am so bad at this!

Anyway, I'm standing in the checkout line at the Hallmark store (which I usually try to avoid, because even the air smells "cute" (gag) and I can't stand that...) and I look down and see these cool magnets. I am a sucker for magnets, rocks and glass. All of these things, I cannot kill.

So I pick up one and the Hallmark lady says to "grab two and throw them in the air." How cool is this? I'm in the place I don't like to go and they actually tell me to pick up heavy objects and throw them...yipee!!

So, I throw. They attach. They spin. They make cool sounds. I spent $5 and now, I'm even starting to annoy myself, because I can't stop messing around with them.

I wonder if I bought two more and threw all four in the air, would that sound even cooler?

Does anyone else out there have these? And are there other tricks you can do with them? I've already made a nose ring and have stuck them everywhere that they'll take... so, what should I try? Ideas welcome!

So there it is... a challenge.

What cool thing do you do with magnets?

~ch

The Log

Tonight we went out for dinner. Earlier in the day I went geocaching. After dinner, as we were coming into the house, I said... "i'm going to log my find." Beautiful and extremely funny daughter said..."well, I'm going to find my log."

s'all I have for tonight... I'm celebrating the completion of a stinking fantastic year : )

As ever,
~ch

A Bone-ified Evening

Last evening I went and heard a trombone recital by Peter Ellefson. The cool thing about it was that it wasn't just a recital. It was a recital / master class. I love listening to other teachers teach and wonder where they were when I was in school.

He said something that would have made me feel really good as a student. I wish I heard it then...

He said (roughly) "Do not play for perfection. You'll never be happy. Play for improvment." This makes a lot of sense. He also went on to say that some musicians will listen to CDs and hear perfection. On a recording "you only need to get it right once." CDs are a great resourse, but they are deceptive to those who aspire to be professional musicians.

His choices of pieces to play were interesting as well. Mr. Ellefson opened with a trombone solo that required many challenging techniques. At one point in the music, it calls for "screaming, followed by hysterical laughter and trailing off." I really enjoyed this work and wish I had a program to know what it was called (no programs were offered for the evening.)

He then played an etude three times. The first time he played musically, second as written and finally, over the top. Very interesting to us music dorks.

He also played a couple of orchestral excerpts to demonstrate how playing an orchestral audition needs to be perfect without embellishment, in comparison to that of a soloist who can play an "over the top etude."

We listened to Peter work with two OSU trombone students and could hear how their sound and musicianship grew within just a half an hour... what a treat.

If you are interested, you should check out Peter Ellefsons website.

the,
~ch

Flaming Lips and Lava Tubes

This weekend, my friend and I loaded up the minivan with teenagers and headed East to Bend, Oregon. Why? Why indeed... to see the Flaming Lips of course!

Lead singer Wayne Coyne came out through the crowd in a giant confetti filled bubble, accompanied by about 20 aliens and 20 Santa Clauses. Once they made it to the stage, the Lips opened with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Behind them was a large screen with the words so you could sing along... I wonder if anyone actually needed the words?!

Anyway, we arrived at the amphitheater early enough so the kids were able stand right up close to the stage. My friend and I sat a bit further back and enjoyed watching the kids crowd-surf. It was very sweet how they saved us room to join them up front, but we said we were happy where we were : )

One of the opening bands that played was Deerhoof. That was interesting. That's all I can say.

There were a little over a dozen kids from Corvallis that met up at the concert. Afterwards, we made our pilgrimage to Sherri's for night pie. We were all wide awake with adrenalin and sat up in the hotel room talking for quite a while afterward.

Early the next morning (yesterday) we all got back in the minivan and went searching for lava tubes... Found one!

It was a fun weekend and my son and I were able to spend some time together... though, with a load of other kids... it was nice to see how they all get along and are kind to each other.

Tonight brings a much different concert than last weekends... maybe I'll write about it.

~ch

An Evening with Bobby Seale, Co-founder of the Black Panthers

Last night my husband and I went to hear Bobby Seale speak in Corvallis. We had gotten an invitation in the mail from the Corvallis branch of the NAACP to attend their dinner and listen to their guest speaker Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panthers.

I was born in 1964, I lived in a "white" section of town and really did not hear about racial concerns. Or, perhaps I chose to be ingnorant and live blissfully. I tend to believe the latter, as anyone could ask me about matters in the news from the mid-70s to the late-80s and I would know very little. Perhaps this is because I was a kid and had no time for television, or maybe it was my way of protecting myself. Again, I think it's more than likely, the latter.

The speech was fascinating to me (because now, I pay attention and think "wow, that really happened?" or, "no way!") I would say the majority of the audience enjoyed listening to what Mr. Seale had to say. There were some that looked somewhat skeptical and it was obvious that they did not stand at the end when the evening had concluded.

Whatever their reasons, I like that they did not stand... here's why: to follow a crowd is easy; to follow yourself takes more personal strength.

I've always had something inside me that doesn't want to listen when someone tells me what to do. If you ask, I'm fine and will help you all the way. This came to me in a rush of realization when the first speaker of the evening said "good evening," we said "good evening" in return, but it wasn't good enough. We had to say it over and over until the speaker (not Bobby Seale) was satisfied. Another example of this is we are asked to stand, sing, hold hands, etc. I'm not into it. Please don't expect me to go along, just because it's what everyone else is doing. I appreciate those people who did not stand at the end of Mr. Seale's speach, as it seemed like it was the thing to do...well, I guess I had something I needed to say.

I enjoyed last evening very much and hope to be able to attend more talks, speeches, what-have-you and learn about the history that I have lived through with my eyes shut.

I'm doing something very different this evening than last... I wonder what I'll learn?

Power to the People,

~ch

Thar be Buried Treasure in Them Hills! Arrgh!

My new fun thing to do...

Two weeks ago, a close friend of ours was visited by some friends from Wisconsin. We went to our friends house to meet her visiting friends and the subject of geocaching came up. I had mentioned that I thought this sounded like fun and the wife said... "oh, well I brought my GPS unit and planned to go this weekend, would you like to come along?"

Heck yeah. I'm not one to say "no" to new fun. I figured hiking in the neighboring woods would be a nice way to spend a day. So, we planned to meet at our house on the afternoon of Mothers Day. We live near the woods and thought we would be close to some caches... we were.

We started our trek about 1pm with our friend (I think she's 74 years old... I can't tell anymore...pretty much, I think everyones my age), her friends (I believe around the same age), my husband, our dog and me. It was a warm day and the flowers were blooming. Our friend has bad knees, so she wasn't certain how long she could go for. We did get to the top of a hill (in-between Brandis Park and Timberhill) before she said she didn't like this sort of thing. Luckily, the Timberhill Athletic Center was in view... so we hiked down for a beer and left her there. My husband and dog hiked home to get the car and bring her home. That left me and the visitors to finish our treasure hunt...except that the lady's husband wanted to go with the others out for drinks.

Now, it was down to me and the one lady from Wisconsin. We talked and made friends. I learned that she is a retired P.E. teacher who runs marathons.... this was my day (for pain!) There was no way I was going to give up (I am a tad competitive) and whine about how warm I was, or that my legs were turning into jelly. I pressed on, with a camelback water bag on my back and a ball cap down low on my brow and one beer in my belly.

I had the greatest time. I saw parts of Corvallis that were SO COOL. I trudged (she glided, sweat-free) home around 7:30 that evening. We checked the GPS and it said that we had only gone 7.5 miles. I swear it was longer... but we were up and down hills, through creeks and in some.... so it seemed longer (to me) than it was.

If you are interested in this sort of thing, check out the GeoCaching site. It's a great family activity and adds an element of something accomplished along with a beautiful hike...exercise and fun? Who'd of thought?


"Yargh, I loves me booty"

the,
~ch

Balancing on the side of the Earth

It's about time I had a post. For those of you wondering why I haven't written in a while... there's been no major crisis, no melt down, nothing that terribly exciting (thankfully.) No, I've just been working. Work at this time of the year is fairly hectic for me and it takes up many evenings as well.

I'm only 41 years old, but I'm having a difficult time remembering things... like recent things, like only yesterday things and it's concerning me a bit. So, when my job requires that I keep a lot of information and know MANY names and keep paperwork and money all in order, I tend to only focus on that so my brain doesn't get that cluttered feeling. I worry that I'll drop the ball somewhere and the perfectionist in me gives me a stomach ache until everything is done.
I have two more events in the next two weeks. Although, they are both low pressure... I see them on the calendar and want to be able to check them off.

School will be finished here in Oregon on the 15th of June. I love when school is out... No alarm clocks, no schedule. Warm sunny skies and I'm happy. Though I tend to need a schedule by the end of August... so it all works out!

The,

~ch

Sword = Hospital Trip

Well, I knew no good would come of the sword we bought our son ; )

(this isn't our son, or the sword... but I really liked the picture!)

But we were in Edinburgh and hey, there was a sale on swords... What's a parent to do? Anyway, 4 of "thing 1s" friends came over this evening to hang out...cool. Then, thing 1 comes down and says "mom, I think I need to go to the hospital. I ran into the sword."

Thankfully, it was his finger and not his chest, or stomach. The cut was rather deep. I am a huge wuss (is that how you spell it??) when it comes to blood. But this time, I saw bone and fat. The fat was starting to come out of the finger (aaarrrghhh!) I concentrated real hard on not fainting and told his friends that we would be heading over to the hospital and that I'd call them later.

I got the boy in the car and he slumped over and fell asleep (passed out.) He awoke when I parked the car at the emergency room. Of course immediate care had just closed, so yes... it was the emergency room for us.

He was very good. After we were admitted, we sat in a room waiting for our turn. Although the wait wasn't too bad, as we had a fairly entertaining show happening on the other side of the curtain.

The doctor was wonderful. He was honest with thing 1 and told him what would hurt and what wouldn't. He also let him watch the whole cleaning and sewing procedure. I stratigically placed myself right behind the doctor, so I couldn't see a thing, but I was still there.

Two hours later, we went home.

I love being a parent,

~ch

Catching up...

Well, I'd say I'm a bit of a slaker for not writing, but truth is... I'm only a blog slacker. Life has been very busy around here. With the end of the school year fast approaching, I'm doing my best to get everything in that needs to be done.

Regarding my last post about "accepting criticism," I felt bad for about a day and a half. After that, I laughed. Really, this is the only time I'd been told this... had this been the 2nd time, I might start to get worried.

I haven't seen much of my family lately. Spouse is busy doing what he does in the day and now he's even busier doing more things in the evenings. Child #1 (AKA Thing#1) is getting older and would rather be poked in the eye than hang around with us. Thing #2 has held down a job after school for 2 years now... and she's only in middle school... she is an amazing child. They both are really...just in different ways.

I will be going to a Flaming Lips concert with Thing #1 at the end of this month. I suppose if I'm buying and driving, it's OK to hang out with me : )

I'm looking forward to summer and going on a family vacation. There will be no telephones, no computers and very little t.v. (because it won't be in English (HOORAY!!) )

The flowers I planted are doing well, though I was worried that it might get too cold for them last night. Today they are toasting in the sunshine and looking happy... they survived.

I hope everyone is having a spiffy week,

~ch

Accepting Criticism Sucks.

Like the title says... Criticism Sucks. I need to face facts and realize I can't please everyone.

So, by now, you've put two and two together and get that I was the recipient of criticism today.

Dang.

I was told today that I'm "abrupt, rude, disrepectful and unapproachable." This is actually the first time I've ever been given this feedback, so it came a shock. I do wonder why I wasn't told this in January (by the parent) when this all apparently started. I suppose it's because I was unapproachable. I phoned the parent, because I was concerned for this child in class today, so I made a call home to check in... Boy did I open the flood gates.

I won't let it stop me from making similar calls in the future, because I want to keep the communication open... but it does cause one to think twice.

Teachers do what they do because they actually enjoy working with the kids... Otherwise, why would we teach?

Just my thoughts for the day... rather unentertaining.
~ch

Earth Day in Corvallis

What a terrific day to be outside!

We spent the morning downtown Corvallis, either at the farmers market, or wandering around to hear the musicians.

These guys are a very good high school band... loads of fun to listen to and watch! They built a rolling stage just for this Earth Day gig, so they could get the drum set to the different venues quickly.

Here they are playing at American Dream Pizza...mmmm, good pizza!

The Procession of the Species went through downtown...

Where I saw many hats that I would like to own... This lady has a flamingo on her head...

This poor guy had an octopus suck onto his head, but he carried it well.

A fun day was had by all... and the evenings just beginning.

~ch

Inflate the Corgis! There's Gonna be a Party!

Today is the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth. The Queen celebrated at her Windsor residence, while onlookers held high in the air...inflatable corgis.


Doubtless, the balloon corgis added that extra touch of class.


In addition to all the pomp and circumstance (and blow up dogs...) the Queen has a website for you to visit so that you may send a personal birthday greeting to her majesty.

Oh yes, this carnivorous hippy could not pass up the opportunity to send a "birthday howdy"... The Queen was extremely gracious and requested that the web staff respond promptly in kind.

ta,

~ch

Bonehenge.

Dear Readers,

What you are about to read and see is true. NONE of the pictures are doctored in anyway. I really don't understand what's going on with my dog lately, but I've now started to document the strange and mystical occurrences that are becoming more familiar around our home. I have decided to call this phenomenon... "Bonehenge."

Here's why...

and...

The rug need to be vacuumed... but I think we can all agree, the dog is up to something.

~ch

Corvallis Crime Reports... My Favorite Part of the Paper.

This mornings G-T had some interesting crime reports, I thought I'd share...

DIRTY DANCING: 11:32 p.m. 4000 block Northwest Highway 20, Albany. A 67-year-old Philomath man was observed naked in his vehicle at Hyak Park. The man reportedly parked his vehicle, took off all his clothes, and turned up the music. When confronted, the man told the officer he was “dancing” and that he often stops by the park and does this on his way home from work.

YOU CAN’T CATCH ME: 4:29 p.m. 200 block of Northwest Second Street. Vandalism of a business was reported, after graffiti was discovered the night before. Someone painted a penis, the name “Duone” and the statement “You can’t catch me.”

There was another report of a 67 year old man who didn't want to wear his clothes either, but mental illness is suspected...

This section of the paper had undergone a new reporter a couple of years ago (I think...) It's been my favorite part ever since.

Happy day to all,

~ch

Sad Commentary.

It's too beautiful to feel as miserable as I do today.

~ch