Last Nights Ballyhoo, Falderah, Shindig...

Yesterday the Corvallis Youth Symphony performed their final concert of the season with guest artist Gavin Bondy. Gavin is a trumpet player and is a member of Pink Martini and is the band leader of The Shanghai Woolies. It was a good concert, but it really shined when he played jazz... I wish there had been more! The kids, as usual did a fantastic job. They work so hard to put these concerts together... I wish I had the opportunity to play with a group like this when I was in High School.

Afterwards, we went to dinner at an overpriced eatery here in Corvallis... Service was slow and as I said, it was over priced for what we had gotten. I'll stick to eating lunch there, but I'm done with dinner for a while. I will name the restaurant if asked, but for now, I'll try and be discrete.

ch

You know, yacking about my day.

Today is the first Saturday where I've had nothing (NOTHING) planned. I got up, made coffee, cleaned the counters, read my email. The day was gorgeous and I started by going into the back yard and deciding what I wanted to tackle. I decided weeding would be my best bet, as we had a load of bark dust delivered yesterday, I knew that my handsome husband would want to get the pile out of the driveway.

This evening I took a few pictures to share...

This is a yellow flower I planted in my blue pot. This is a stack of rocks... I like to stack rocks.

I weeded here. In the background there are gooseberry bushes that I hope the deer won't eat.

This is a ceramic turtle looking into a pot and on the right is a big ass bumble bee that caught my eye.

Here is my four-eyed snail. I got it in Ireland and I love it.

Here's a vining rose...ta da!

I planted baskets too.

Have I bored you enough?

Love,

The Domestic Hippy

Really? No. Really?

Have you ever opened the newspaper to find that YOU are hosting an event that you had NO CLUE about? That's what happened today. These are the sort of things make life interesting! Imagine what it must be like being a celebrity and being followed around by the paparazzi and reading the stories about you. Depending on your outlook, you could find this amusing, retarded, or just plain annoying.
I kind of find today's incident amusing now. Earlier this morning, I was annoyed, but quickly got over that. We'll have a retraction in the paper and all will be right with the wold.
ch

I'm not happy today.

Two posts in one day. I've had a bad parenting weekend. There was quite a bit of arguing and a lot of tears (mostly mine.)
I'm at the point where I can only give so much before I'm broken. It seems that whatever I do is either not enough, not right, dumb, not fair, or all of the above. I'm tired and worn out and I need to go to work to get energized.
This weekend...
I've driven T1 to Portland for rugby.
Put gas in his car.
Bought him lunch.
Driven him to Eugene for more rugby.
Changed my schedule around so I could go and watch.
I'm told...
I don't want you at my event(s.)
I just need you to drive.
I only want one parent in the car at a time with me.
Can I have some money?
Why don't we celebrate me?
I don't want to celebrate with you guys. All you want to do is suck cream out of a trough.
Seriously, I'm tired.
ch

Show us your Weeness!

I have discovered the world of Wee, or should I say "Weeworld?" Weeworld is a unique way to communicate with your friends. Much like Myspace, you invite friends to your page. I've created my own Wee me and was unashamedly entertained by myself. Look at the picture... that's my WeeMee! I'm not usually dressed up like that, but I do wear something very similar to work in the evenings. That last sentence makes me sound a lady of the evening...oooh, mysterious.

I quickly got my husband to make one, then Thing 2. Thing 1 was busy and cannot be bothered with such trifles ; ) Boggywoggy joined in and so did her fishy husband... Vita, where are you?

Anyway, I like the Weeness thing and I forgot... you can Dance Dance Revolution with your WeeMee!

Oh the joy,

ch

Mean People Suck

Give this guy a trumpet, and there's my evening.

If you're in a bad mood, feel free to be mean and grumpy to people who love you know matter what... that's not me.

~ch

Benton County Teen Idol

Well, it's here... another spring and another round of the Benton County Teen Idol. Thing 1 and his band Hooray! Hooray! are playing this year. Two years ago, the amazing Normans played and I was baffled how the judges came up with their winners, but ... 'tis water under the bridge ; )

I wasn't able to make it to the performance at the Venetian Theater in Albany (because I had a different gig and I didn't get out in time) but, from what my husband tells me... the bands are pretty good and it won't be a cakewalk.

I'm looking forward to this Friday at OSU's Milam Hall. At least, I think that's when he's playing next. Being the parent of a teen, I now understand that I won't really know anything until the last possible minute and even then, I need to feel grateful that I was let into the loop at all.

Other bands that are playing are...

The Nobles (Nice kids from CHS)

This Just In (I think from Albany)

Idacrast (I don't know this one, but hear they're pretty good)

The Obvious (Don't know...)

Secluded Corner (More nice kids from CHS)

Go and check out our local talent if you get a chance... Some of it's fairly good. Some of it's fairly awful. Some of the judging is fairly awful too, but they are volunteers and I appreciate their efforts. I do wish they would get judges who know music and can really give a good critique. But, I think my readers know I'm probably too picky in that department...

I'll finish this post with a congratulations to all contestants, as it takes a great deal of strength to stand up in front of their peers and strut their stuff for all to see... and be judged! Good luck to all of them!!

~ch

PS. Hooray! Hooray!

Only 4 Hours of Sleep

I know there are plenty of people out there who do this all the time. I'm not one of them. I need to sleep. Last night, I stayed up waiting for Thing 1 to come home before curfew (midnight on non-school nights) and when he did, I was caught up online buying sunglasses. Didn't head to bed until after 1. Though, I did buy some great frames that are over $200 at the opticians and I found the same frame on eBay for $59. Yea for me!

At 5am, the wonder dog heard a noise and needed to protect us. Our family does not subscribe to the Gazette Times, but that doesn't stop the noisy car that comes into our neighborhood at an early hour. Sometimes the person has to get out of the car and that means I'm up early.

I'm going to try and go back to bed soon.

~ch

Trying to Keep Up...

The next month and a half, or so will be fairly hectic for me. I have several concerts in the next month and I can already notice a change in my personality during rehearsals... I no longer have time to hear a story about someones day (during rehearsal), not that I really ever did, but I try to be pleasant. No more nice teacher, I'm that mean Mrs. Hippy....grrrr.

I felt terrible yesterday, as I made a really wonderful kid cry. She played something really well and I asked her to do it again. She thought she didn't do it well enough and that's why she had to give it another go. I actually get along great with the students and I really do love them. I wish some of them were a bit less sensitive though. I'm tainted by my own kids, who I can tease mercilessly and they give it right back.

One of my observations while living abroad was that our school system coddles our children. Is this good? Does coddling our children set them up for disappointment in the real world? If they live in Corvallis, is this the real world, or do we live in a protective bubble?

What are your thoughts?

~ch

Hey, Butt Face!

Yesterday I had a terrible case of allergies. I couldn't breath for most of the night and when I woke up, my eyes were stuck together....gross.

After the boys went to rugby and the girl went to her lesson, I went down to Rice's Pharmacy. I like Rice's, as it's one of the only normal pharmacies in town. We used to have a nice one down town, but that went away when Safeway bought out their pharmacy division.

I digress...

I'm standing in line at Rice's. I wait a loooong time, but it's worth it to me to know that I am supporting a local business and not some mass chain store. When it's my turn, I ask the pharmacist what she could suggest as a quick remedy to my breathing problem. She's very helpful and I head off to the aisle to pick up the recommended items. When I return to the counter to make my purchase, I'm asked by another (rather young) person working behind the counter "how are you feeling today?" The sarcastic person inside me says to say... "What? I feel freaking marvelous. That's why I've stood here for the last half hour sucking snot into my brain. Thanks for asking!" Instead, I say... "I'm stuffed and itchy, thanks." After a short amount of time, the same woman says..."You know, you can apply Preparation H to the bags under your eyes to reduce swelling." It is at this time I look up to see a very shocked looking pharmacy staff. I said, "Do I have bags under my eyes too?!" She said, "Oh no! I was just giving you information for future use!" Yea, right.

I went to my car and examined my face thoroughly. It's not every day one gets told to put hemorrhoid cream on their face. I am grateful she gave me something to write about...Woo-hoo for shopping locally!

~ch