I'd like to propose a toast

This morning at breakfast my girlie raises her cup of milk and says, "Cheers to going to Newport!". I open a handy bottle of water and clink her cup. My boy laughs and then refuses to cheer.

Pretending to be horribly insulted I tell him that if he refuses a toast he'll bring bad luck to the wish and when he grinned I went all Urban Legendy on him an made like this was all commonly known superstition.

He says "What? We won't go to Newport?"

I say "Maybe not, maybe something will happen. Something bad luck."

He disbelieving me says "What?"

I say "Maybe my car will break down."

Note to reader: Foreshadowing text will be noted with green font.

At this point we're all laughing. And thinking of how bad luck might hit us in other ways...

"Runescape might go down. For a whole day!" Ahhhhhhhhh!

"You could drop your english muffin" ewwwww.

We agreed. All sorts of bad luck could befall us.

An hour or two later, the girlie was riding her bike (She dumped the training wheels a few days ago - Hurray for Girlie! There'd be a picture but the camera, she is abroken.) with her brother. I was making the beds and instead of riding where she was supposed to she took the corner and headed down the road. Our road is so NOT a busy one. It's dirt and it's short and there's not allota people down here. Anyway.

I hear hollering. I figure she's mad because he keeps flying by her and not waiting for her and she's had enough. The hollering continues. I run outside and here she comes with the neighbor, blood streaming from her nose through her hand. She was crying but not hysterical and we washed her up she was as good as new. Or almost. Her nose is sore, bruised and a bit swollen. (Then again, how do you tell if someone has an actual broken nose? Ida know.) Again, no picture.

A bit later, they're back to their bikes. This time it's the boy. He wipes out and screams bloody murder. I run, only to discover that he's scraped up a bit but not mortally wounded. I wonder what happens if he gets hurt in front of his friends? He freaks out about even the most minor of wounds. A splinter? He has to be asleep in order for me to pull it out. Seriously. Anyway, we washed him up and he was as good as new. Or almost, he's scraped and bruised and I was worried about his zero pain tolerance the minute the scrapes hit the salty water of Newport.

I needn't have worried.

At lunch time we pack the car for the afternoon - cooler, kites, boogie boards, letterbox clue - and we were off.

Seven miles was as far as we got.

A crazy rattle from the engine department and I look at the dial...Temperature redlining on H.
I pull over, call the inlaws for a ride and AAA for a tow.

There is transmission fluid in the radiator overflow. Not good.

But tonight we are laughing about just how bad our luck could've been. "A bridge, we could've been on a bridge! In traffic! With no cell phone!" Now we're cranking Pearl Jam & Simple Plan and then we're watching Little House on the Prairie. Is it morbid to keep hoping that THIS will finally be the one where Mary goes blind? Yeah, I thought so.

Well, my weeklong vacation from work is nearly over and we have yet to do a thing. I suppose we've done many things, just none of them very interesting or very fun.

The kids are fairly well set for school. The boy will wear shorts for the first few weeks so that was easy, he has plenty. But there is a new wardrobe development this year. He wants to wear jeans. He hasn't worn jeans, with the exception of trips to Maine where we spend lotsa time in the woods, in four years. Since kindergarten. Always those swishy pants or cargo type khakis. And this year jeans! Hurray! I really have no idea why I'm happy about this. I mean, who cares? You do? Well thank you.

I'm debating our plans for today...a little letterboxing maybe or a trip to the beach...summer's fading fast in these parts, the pond's cooling down and in a few weeks will be c-c-c-c-cold.

Hockey starts this weekend so we've got standing weekend plans for the next eight months. (Eight months. It sounds ludicrous doesn't it?) But because we're in the bargain league (it's over $1,000 cheaper than the next cheapest one which still freaks me out and horrifies me as to just how much people will pay to have their 8 year old skate) we don't get scheduled times. Well, they're scheduled but the schedule varies from week to week. every week. This week? Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Next week it might be Tuesday night, Saturday early morning (read 5:50 a.m.) and Sunday afternoon. Generally, we get at least a week's notice about the scheduling...sometimes when they're feeling generous we get a full month's notice. It's great for planning things like birthday parties and such. Or not, like right now there's nothing on the schedule past this Sunday. They seem to like variety, to keep us guessing. Maybe it's no wonder we've become such good friends with the hockey folk, we all keep the same hours.

Oh. and my digital camera has officially bitten the dust. I. Am. Bummed.

All good things must come to an end

They've made it home safely. I met them at our friends house for some boiled lobsters and corn on the cob. Their daughter said it was the perfect way to end the summer and I agreed. And then I took it right back.

END THE SUMMER?!?!?!

Um, no sorry. Not ready for that quite yet. Football is a nice addition to the sports viewing schedule but I'm not looking forward to oven cooking, school lunch making and the like.

Besides, my kids don't start school until after labor day. I'm not on the bandwagon with the whole starting school in August phenomenon. And quite frankly, my boy checks out of school mentally right after Memorial Day Weekend, as do I. And according to his teacher, as does the entire class.

But the world doesn't wait for me. The kids have their teacher assignments, the boy got his list of supplies (dry erase markers? really? - does she know they stain?). Backpacks have been purchased. Today we're on a quest for new sneakers. I just want to drive by and stick my tongue out at the school.

In which Jenny makes a remarkable comeback from the grouchiness that plauged her last weekend

My house is quiet.

(Not exactly, the Pats are on TV and are schooling the Cardinals right now).

The fact that it's night time has zero to do with it.

My husband took the kids to New Hampshire (which is good because I can't keep the kids inside or bugsprayed forever and *bonus* two human cases of EEE have been confirmed) for the weekend and I. Am. Alone.

I've only been semi productive, getting the fall clothes out, weeding a bit, grocery shopping, framing some photos...

There's also been a fair share of cringing as the Sox have dropped three in a row to the Yankees, some Sims playing and movie watching.

The husband went up with another dad and his three kids, driving seven hours in a Suburban (two in traffic). The last time I heard from them they were well into NH with another two hours to go. They don't have any cell service up there in moose country so I'm going with the theory that no news is good news.

My son says to me "Dad and Coach M (the other dad was my son's hockey coach for the past few years)?!?!, That's it? There is going to be very little parenting going on this weekend!"

Which, sometimes, is a good thing. Especially after the PMS'y crabapple camping trip we just had.

I'm glad I have some time to myself, I feel like I've caught my breath and gotten a handle on things around here but tomorrow I know I'll be puttering around, killing time until they get here. Or maybe not, I've still got a wall to paint, an errand to run and there's still a movie or two with my name on them.

Oh, hey... have any of you guys ever pitched? y'know, pitched a baseball? because if you have ever even TOUCHED a baseball you probably have just as good of a shot at beating the Yanks as the Sox bullpen. C'mon up to Boston, give it a shot.

holy what the fuck. 15,761,321 runs in three games. I'd say it can get much worse but you know what will happen. It will get much worse. But honestly, I really don't believe it will. I'm optimistic about tomorrow's game. Why, I don't know, especially because I'm a glass half empty kind of girl. Whatever the case, I'll be watching. Maybe if we had a team full of Jewish guys....*


*Okay, I'll add here that the whole Jewish thing is a joke that anyone watching the game the other night with Dennis Leary and Lenny Clarke in the booth will understand. "Take that Mel!"

In which Jenny bitches and moans and go on and click the red x if you're looking for something sunshiney

the camping trip:
An idea, broached by the husband whose actual words were something like: "What, doya want to sit around and do nothing all next weekend too?" I murmur something about being okay with that (because sitting around doing nothing generally evolves into something unplanned and good timeish). He says "well then I'll take the kids camping, you can stay home".

and here is where i should've shut my trap and went upstairs to ponder my good fortune.

Instead I say that I'll take the kids down midweek so that we can get a few extra days in. Good weather's in the forecast and whathaveyou, I've done the solo camping thing before - it's fine.

Well, the weather cooperated but the kids did not.

Children, however, seem to forgive and forget quicker than quick. Argue over a colored pencil? A flashlight? A juice bag? A bike ride? (and oh, if it were only these four things life would've been so good) Done and over. No grudge holding here. At least where they're concerned. I, on the other hand, am exhausted by the cumulative bickerfest and sighing. The neverending sighs.
"Can you stand your bike up next to the tree instead of lying it down?" Sigh.

"Can you walk your sister to the bathroom?" Sigh.

"Can you bring me your flashlite so I can change the batteries?" Sigh.


My god children, I'm not asking you to handwash the clothes, milk the cows and 'till the fields.

Yesterday and today haven't been much better. In fact, as a result, we missed their dad's last hockey game, have taken away the t.v. and all visits with friends.

So who's really punished? me.

Did I mention the fact that my husband VOLUNTEERED to work this past Saturday? While I was on the big 'his idea' camping trip? errrgh. It was only a few hours and he was pretty sheepish about it, I acted way more put out then I actually was. In order to maximize the guilt a bit - he knew the kids were being cretins. So I let him bike ride the canal while I sat and read in the breezy sunshine. He had to tow my daughter for the last mile. Revenge is sweet.

Tomorrow, punishments be damned. We're heading to the beach for some solar therapy.

My husband's last words:

"Packing isn't really that much work - you just make it that way"

And then I beat him silly with a tent pole.


Last night, we head to the campground. It's not too far so we have the luxury of bringing down a load of firewood and the bikes a day early... and I got some adult help with the tent setup.

We get to the office. I booked the wrong campsite. damndamndamn. same site number - different area. And it's a yucky site. The park ranger is, quite possibly, now one of my top five favorite people - he took me out of the scrub brush, gravel, surrounded by people site and found a HUGE site, surrounded by pines trees on the top of a hill for me. Love the ranger.

My husband has the lovely habit of sitting in his chair, complaining about the Red Sox (no lack of material there) and WATCHING me pack. Um, no. So I kindly say that maybe he'd be more comfortable watching the game upstairs. Or maybe it wasn't so kindly and more along the lines of " If you value your life maybe you should just go upstairs to watch the game because I'm kinda busy here and it's 11:18 p.m and I'm not close to done." Within ten mintues he was gone.

And he loaded up the car for me this morning. So he's redeemed himself. Oh! Double redemption: He told me that I could go home this weekend if I wanted and he would stay camping with the kids. I'm totally thinking about that last one...we'll see.

Off we go...

so here I am.

blogging from work.

one horse has died from EEE.

we have been sprayed with pesticide.

my neighbor was bitten by a mosquito an hour after they flew over.

i'm taking the kids and heading to the cape for a day or four.

sigh a nora.

maybe I'll post later, after i've packed some...

Maybe Javy Lopez is getting a little 'subsidy' from Steinbrenner. A little something extra every week to ensure that he will SUCK at the plate. And what's happening to Timlin? *sigh*

We took in a little semipro ball yesterday. Or maybe it's not semipro, but the tickets were free and it was baseball with friends so we went...and enjoyed.

And how do I now know the girlie would never last with me at Fenway? 47,252 trips to A. Face Painting, B. the bathroom, C. The Snack Bar. Cripes. But she left with a butterfly painted on her face, a belly full of cotton candy and a smile, so I guess it all worked out.

After the game they let you run the bases, very cool. For the kids.

And at $8.00 a ticket it's cheaper than a movie. Who pays $9.00 to see You, Me and Dupree??? Really.



I wish I could put into words just how much I hate, no, HATE to grocery shop with both of my kids in tow. They don't really beg for things, it's more a general and constant pushing of my buttons. I have to go and I'm dreading it.

Current countdowns?

4 weeks and one day until fourth grade.

4 weeks and three days until kindergarten.

2 weeks and some days until hockey starts. (note: that's the boy counting down - he thinks we've wrecked him by making him take four months off)

1 week and four days until the husband and children head to the Granite State for a long weekend. And I? Do not.

Deadly viruses and a Chicken

You know what's fun?

Convincing yourself that, as a result of shoddy parenting, (not applying bugspray to your kids during a cookout and them getting some where in the neighborhood of 25 mosquito bites each) your daughter's mysterious stomach bug with a slight fever and big time lethargy is actually not a harmless virus but Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

Yeah.

Infected mosquitos, the human biting ones this time, were found in town.

They're spraying but apparently not until Monday.

From some website I found while googling for the spray details:

Pine duBois, executive director of the Jones River Watershed Association, was alarmed to learn that spraying would begin so soon.

`I think it's an extreme tactic to take, and I think that they have a long way to go to prove that it's safer for us to experience aerial bombardment of that nature than to take precautions to protect ourselves," she said.

Since 30% of people who get infected DIE and another high percentage have to be institutionalized because of severe brain damage I'd venture a guess and say Miss duBois hasn't had her daughter covered in bug bites, doubled over with belly cramps and lying on the couch glassy eyed while the mom is staring at EEE fact sheets online and crying a bit. And hoping with all of her might that we are not the 1 in 54,000,000 statistic, as was a five year old girl from this neck of the woods last summer.

Aerially bombard me anyday.

P.S. The girlie is MUCH better this morning. And so am I.

Oh. and a bird for a bird:


An old picture from an old post.

A beer butt chicken. One of the favorite meals in this house. Pathetically easy and almost foolproof. And now I know what we'll have for dinner tomorrow.


Chicken, with a side of DEET. Yum-may!

A night at the Park

I could, and probably will at another time, wax poetic about baseball and sports in general but I'm reserving this post for the magic that is Fenway Park.

I'm a life long Sox fan. Never obsessively so. I don't score the games and remember plays from years past, well, with the exception of Billy Buck's unforgettable move in '86, the on the mound conference between Pedro and Grady, the underhand toss to end the series...those are burned into my head. But I do love those guys, love to watch them play - listen to them talk baseball - love the fan stories - the whole atmosphere. In New England you only have to say "How 'bout them Sox?" and you're likely to get someone who will be happy to commiserate with you. Partly because no matter how well they play you're always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Bats are hitting? Well then, the middle relief pitchers are stinking. (See last night's game, ehem.) It's the way of the Sox. And one good win or Ortiz walkoff homer has us coming down with a case of pennant fevah. It's a roller coaster ride.

Seeing a game at Fenway is a experience reserved for a lucky 35,000 or so. Ticket prices were wild for a time, but seem to have calmed so I thought this would be the year to take the boy. He's nine, likely to remember it, so I clicked up Ebay and bid away.

I'm so glad I did.


Arriving three hours before game time has it's advantages. We waited in line to make a donation to the Boston Food Bank in exchange for some autographed photos and then figured we'd get to take in batting practice. The boy was chomping at the bit to get inside the park. I have to say, I didn't think the boy would get it. I really didn't.






But one other Red Sox moment I'm making sure I never forget? The look on his face as he ran up the concrete ramp in the concourse and turned the corner. His first glimpse at the park, in the perfect afternoon light. It literally stopped him in his tracks.

Jered Weaver, a rookie pitcher for the Angels threw him a ball during batting practice. It doesn't get much better than that. Well, okay, maybe it does. I'm sure if he had a choice it would've been given to him by David Ortiz but really? He's barely put the thing down since.

We hung around the visitor's dugout for awhile, kids hollering for an autograph. No one had any luck but the kids were all talking baseball and comparing stuff - baseball cards and past autograph success. Like little men, more than one of these boys congratulated my guy on his first ball game and wished him good times. Instant comeraderie.

He recommends the Fenway Franks.

Note from me: Do NOT buy them in the grocery store and think you're getting the real deal. Blech.









It was a beautiful night for a game.
















The Pesky Pole.














Timlin and Mirabelli in the bullpen. I didn't get a picture of the tomato plants. Yep. Tomato plants in the bullpen. It's Fenway.














Now, I wouldn't want you thinking that everyone there stands in awe. So totally untrue. There are dutiful wives, one that I happened to chat with admitted that she generally FALLS ASLEEP at the games. She had third row seats next to the dugout. I told her there was a cozy spot out in right field for her if she'd like to trade. Her husband laughed, she looked like she might've taken me up on it. Couldn't hurt to offer, right?

There's also alot of beer flowing. More than I, foolishly, expected. There was alot of stumbling and a few almost fights but meh, there's idiots everywhere.




Speaking of idiots...yes, that IS me singing. How can you not? I just don't get it.
Link to idiocy: click here.

The Sox ended up losing, but we didn't even talk about it...as if the score was an afterthought. And really it was.

Wow.

What a day at the Park. Wicked great.

Until I return with photos I'll leave you with a few observations:

1. Men. No matter how muscley you THINK you are....don't drive your jeep while shirtless.

2. Ladies. You're at the ballpark. In the city. One of the oldest ballparks in the oldest cities, where even the dirt dates back to Babe Ruth. Um, what posesses so many of you to wear skimpy flip flops or those wedge sandals where your feet have slid halfway out the front of the sandals and your toes are all hanging over the front edge...touching the ground or getting stepped on by scores of drunkards?

3. Cell phone users. Great, you've made it to Fenway. Now do me a favor and don't call everyone you know to tell them, "Dude. I've got bitches and beers. I'm set. They're all over me." I'm assuming he meant the beers because he had no bitches. Just an empty seat between him and his friend. Heh. Really though, shut off the damn phones.

Off to work...see you later...

Hey Look - I'm Posting

So, it's been awhile. At least it feels like awhile to me, especially because y'all are kind enough to update just about every day and I'm clocking in at three times a week over here.

This week was all party preparation.

Today is all Fenway Park.

WooT!

If you're not busy around 8:05 p.m. - flip on ESPN and look for us.

We're sitting next to the Angels bullpen in right field with a sign that says "Hit One Here PAPI" :)

Lists

A checklist, from LeeMarie:

Instructions:
Put an "X" by all the things you've done, or remove the "X" from the ones you have not

( ) Smoked a cigarette - I've only ever taken one puff - no inhaling. I'm not counting it.
(x) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friend's car
(x) Stolen a car - well, it wasn't so much stolen as it was borrowed without permission. Before we had actual driver's licenses.
(x) Been in love
(x) In love now
(x) Been dumped
(x) Been laid off/fired (Fired. And thank GOD)
(x) Quit your job
( ) Been in a fist fight
(x) Snuck out of your parent's house
(x) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Been arrested
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Lied to a friend
(x) Skipped school
( ) Seen someone die
( ) Been to Canada
(x) Been to Mexico - (see question two)
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost (I'm sure I have been, but I can't remember it)
(x) On the opposite side of the country
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Felt like dying (gotta love teenage angst)
(x) Cried yourself to sleep (again with the angst)
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang karaoke
( ) Paid for a meal with only coins (there WAS recently a coin counting stop for some sour cream, though)
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.......
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue (every winter - the big ones are best)
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus (my mom saved them all - I love her for that)
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Made a bonfire on the beach
(x) Crashed a party - (we joined another wedding reception after leaving an entirely different post wedding reception afterparty and we were totally welcomed, sheesh, that was a good night)
(x) Gone roller-skating (not for a long time because I like the next one better)
(x) Ice-skating

Details ~

Any nicknames? Jenn, Jenny
Mother's name? Brenda
Father's name? David
Any siblings? A stepsister
What is your favorite drink? Diet Coke
Body piercing? Ears count. Right?
How much do you love your job? More than I'd expect
A Favorite vacation spot? Oceanside or Lakefront
Ever been to Africa? No.
Ever steal any traffic signs? No, but there's one in town that I want.
Ever been in a car accident? Yep.
2 Doors or 4 Doors? Four
Favorite pie? Lemon Meringue
Favorite number? 2
Favorite movie? Wow, there isn't just one. I loved Kill Bill, Finding Neverland and City of God and I could write an entire list here so I'll stop.
Favorite holiday? Christmas
Favorite food? Boiled Lobster and Corn on the Cob
Favorite day of the week? Saturday.
Favorite brand of body soap? I use Sundrop Soaps (they're from a local girl who makes her own)
Favorite Show? Tie. Deadwood and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
What do you do to relax? Read, watch a good movie, a swim in the lake works wonders too
What do you enjoy receiving? Good Old Fashioned Mail. Email's aren't too bad either.
Farthest place this message will reach? Um, one of those Next Blog clickers...
Message to your friends reading this? hi.
How do you see yourself in 10 years? Getting my son ready to go back to college and telling my daughter why she's grounded. Again.
What time is it now? 11:15 p.m.

*Yawn*

So, the Sox were on at ten p.m. Friday night.

I made a fair attempt. Cracked open an icy cold caffinated beverage around 10:05...
Why does caffiene only work sometimes?
I watched more than half of the game only to be woken up by the air conditioner turning on.

And Jerry Remy saying "...if you fell asleep on the couch tonight you didn't miss much..."

Well, alrighty then.



My boy is still into raptory type birds. Hawks, eagles and such. He wants to start a bird watching club, called *drumroll please* Eagle Eyes. Witty, no? He also wants me to drive him around for the sole purpose of trying to spot hawks or kestrels or whatever. I nixed the special trips to see birds and told him just to keep his eyes peeled on the way to the grocery store.



I've taken picture after picture and my memory card is finally full. Now if only I could find the camera. It's probably with the DVD remote that I've been missing for two weeks...under the couch, behind the chess set or something, whooping it up and choking on dust bunnies.

The husband has decided that because last year's hockey cookout was a success that we should do it all again.

Superb idea.

He wants a bash. Lotsa people, food and drinks. I want fewer people and food but lotsa drinks. I think he invited half of his hockey team the other night so it looks like I'm losing this one. And it's next weekend. Eight days.

But. The first batch of limoncello will be ready in six more days, so that's a plus.

On the bright side, the really, really, really bright side...I just got two Red Sox tickets for the day after the cookout. I am beside myself. And I didn't even have to sell a kidney or my first born. WOOHOO I. Am. Going. To. Fenway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although, these days I would just about GIVE my first born away to gypsies or the carnival if they needed someone who would pester them endlessly and pick fights with any little girls that are, say, around five years old and totally minding their own business. Any takers?

Best laid plans

So, I was thinking of heading up to York, Maine or something for the next day or two. Just an overnight trip, to a beachy town. I planned on lots of sand, sun and maybe some ice cream. Tomorrow looks perfect for such an outing. Friday? Not so much.

And apparently, hanging around outside around dusk is ill advised too. This town is fairly close by. Okay, really close by. From what I read, this type of skeeter prefers birds to humans. Super. I wish I knew that before I filled my FIVE birdfeeders.


Going into town? Yeah, not a great idea either.

A decision has been made.

Summer is for enjoyin'.

Nothing is getting accomplished on the weekends lately. Nothing. No laundry, no lawn mowing, no nuthin'.

We spent yesterday baking in the sahara of our friends treeless backyard. Holy moly it felt like we were cooking in the sun under a giant magnifying glass. But it only felt like that when you were out of the pool.

You know the heat is unbearable when you WANT to share a pool with 25 shrieking kids.

I was perusing the internet for limoncello recipes because...well, yum...when I noticed that a good recipe will take a MONTH to steep. Um, cable internet is too slow for me...a month for a drink? I will start it tomorrow. There's also a week long recipe, starting that tomorrow too. Right after I buy a lemon zester. And two giant bottles of vodka.

Scenes from this weekend:

My son: on the roof outside his window because someone threw a tube on the roof and then, in order to get it down, he threw his basketball on the roof. And then he just HAD to get them both.

My daughter: sitting and talking on the trampoline and running and swimming for hours with her best friend. That she won't admit is her best friend, because he's a boy.

Me: blissfully unaware of our friend M. sneaking up and then knocking me into the pool because I blindsided a him with a squirt gun mere moments before.

Husband: Sunburned. Has been nicknamed Bernie. As in Burnie. Who is out in the sun, cringing with every move, today at work.


Scenes from today:

Airconditioning, a movie, popcorn on the couch, a few lectures on decision making (no roof, use sunblock), work, camp, swimming, dinner, swimming.

A Big Pile O'Books

So yesterday I mentioned a little Borders craziness that overcame me this week. Sadly it's a recurring condition. I thought I was in remission but that damn "sale" caused a relapse.

These aren't all from one outing, my husband would cut up my driver's license and stop giving me gas money if they were.

Assination Vacation by Sarah Vowell - I heard the Partly Cloudy Patriot was a good read, but that wasn't on the list.

Pirate Hunter - The True Story of Captain Kidd by Richard Zacks - This has taken me FOREVER to read but it's good. Surprisingy good. And about Pirates. Plus I've put it down for two weeks to read other things and picked it back up and was still interested, so that's something.

Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maarten Troost - someone (bb?) recommended this and I figured, a travel book in summer? Absolutely.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - heard it was good, remains to be seen.

Faithful by Stephen King & Stewart O'Nan - Red Sox. 'Nuff said. Well, maybe not 'nuff... I consistently pick up the Surviving Grady book and read a week or so's worth of entries, especially when the sox are losing. It's all about keeping the faith. And laughing.

The Final Solution by Michael Chabon - I just finished Kavalier and Clay. And totally Loved. It. And now I want to devour everything he's written. yumm.

The Great Influenza by Jim Barry - love a good pandemic. A girl I know is gearing up for the bird flu. Seriously. She deserves her own post. Notice a said 'A girl I know' and not 'A friend of mine'. Big Difference.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - India. Sounds v. good, will probably wait until winter.

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk - totally horrified by the first 'story'. In a can't look away sort of way (Consider it a warning). But I did look away and picked up Kavalier and Clay in the process. I'm on the fence about Palahniuk, this book is his last chance.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke - The only one NOT from Borders. A winter read, for sure. Too heavy for the beach bag.

Oh, and because I'm a glutton for punishment I picked up Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult at the library yesterday. Her endings are a little too tidy in my opinion but she always tells a good story. Well, maybe not ALWAYS but mostly.


So. All the moms are going crazy, eh? At least I'm in good company.

I find myself needing, or maybe just wanting so badly I can't differentiate, a break. There was a shoving match yesterday morning. Over a donut. Who needs an alarm clock when you've got your kids hollering "But that powdered one is miiiiiiiiine"?

The tv is on hiatus for awhile and the girlie went to bed a half hour early tonight after another blowout because I wouldn't make popcorn RIGHT FUCKING NOW. Well, she didn't actually use the F - word. At least not then anyway. And her brother, he somehow stepped up to the big brother plate and calmed her down and read her a book and they camped out together in her room and all was well.

They're so cute I could just gobble them up. Until I remember that it's supposed to be hot and rainy today and they're awake for at least 14 hours a day and that's alot of 'what can we do now?' time.

I gingerly hinted around about the kids wanting to go to Maine, for some, ehem, quality time with dad, but it's supposed to be ninety degrees this weekend and that's just plain mean when there's a clear cool lake not 100 feet away from our regular house.

The boy had an idea: we're now on a quest to try some new types of foods this summer. Even if it's something we've had before like Mexican or Chinese it's our duty to order something that we'd never normally eat. Last week was Thai, this week Mexican. The son thinks he's brave and then hates most everything new. The girlie, on the other hand, doesn't want to try anything and then does...and loves it.

I went a little book crazy at Borders the other day. I'm totally blaming their buy three get one free ploy. But I bought three and could've easily bought more. Now I've got a STACK of books to read - maybe I'll drop the Maine hint just one more time...

I like living in a small town, but really...

So, last night after a meeting, one of the selectmen invites me out for a drink. And a hour or two of town politics gossip. The selectman in question is a woman, so don't be getting any ideas. Anyway...

Both of the bars in town? Closed. One for repairs and one was just - closed. Huh?

It would've been good gossip too because she frequently swears me to secrecy and then drops bombshells all the time in the office. Bombshells being small town politics at their finest. This person is a secret business partner of this person, so and so is taking the town to court, this guy- his wife? - she used to run a phone sex line...stuff like this.

And last night the bars were closed. I told her that, clearly, being a selectman means NOTHING if she cannot make the folks at the chinese food restaurant open their bar for just two or three drinks.