Irony?

I love irony.

Do I love how my planter finally blooms in October?

Now that all our sparkly Summer water is covered?

Not really.

But do I love how there is wonderful life everywhere?

Yes.

Yes I do.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

And show your blooms every chance you get.

This-n-That Thursday

WHY...

• ...does cinnamon gum make my tongue all furry and itchy?
• ...does Dora only like to bark before 7 am?
• ...does it all come down to your colon?
• ...did I buy Halloween candy 3 whole days before the actual day?
• ...do I like beans so much?
• ...are gray hairs so...independent?
• ...did June Cleaver always wear those pearls while vacuuming?
• ...do I have wrinkles in my earlobes?
• ...isn't there an exercise pill yet?
• ...does Squazz think I don't know how to operate the vacuum?
• ...does cheese have to be so bad for me?
• ...is Fall color so fleeting and Winter gray so long?
• ...do I keep dreaming I'm in college?
• ...do I keep on blogging?

You? Tell me why...

Any Questions?

Current conditions (as of 7:52 AM)	Today's forecast		°F | °C
Rain 50°F Feels like: 50°F Barometer: 29.9 in Dewpoint: 48° Humidity: 93% Visibility: 3 miles Precip in last hr: 0.39 in Precip last 24 hrs: 24.41 in Wind: 13 mph ENE Sunrise: 7:21 AM Sunset: 5:54 PM UV Index: 0 Low Observed at Bridgeport, Sikorsky Memorial Airport. All times shown are local to Norwalk.	Today		Hi: 51° Lo: 47°
	Rain
	9 AM		50°
	Rain
	Noon		51°
	Rain
	6 PM		49°
	Rain

Tuesday Text

Last weekend, Augie went back to school after his Fall Break.

It was a whole week off. From college. In October.

I don't remember having that kind of break back in the day.

Kids today. Sheesh.

This was my farewell "conversation" with a certain son...

The dog still needs a bath as I write this.

And the remote is in Philadelphia.

Gah

I Guess it Could be Worse

This is the best horoscope I could find for myself today. When do the bills stop? Wait. Don't answer that.

Today's Aquarius Horoscope:
Oct 26, 2009

Gloom may settle upon you today when you're faced with your financial situation, dear Aquarius. You may have had a lot of bills to pay, and thus your coffers may be a bit low for your preferences. Still, this is only temporary, and it probably feels good to have the bills out of the way. Find something inexpensive, like reading, to keep you busy and get your mind of it. You're probably doing fine!

get your horoscope

I am reading Jon Krakauer's new book about the death of Pat Tillman in Afghanistan. It's called Where Men Win Glory and it is amazing. Is your horoscope any better than this? And when Squazz asks me what I did with myself all day? I'm going to tell him I had to read all day and do nothing else. Because the voices in my computer told me to. Have a nice day;)

Flashback

My packrat brother is cleaning out his garage this morning.

That is big news, mostly, for his poor wife.

This, however, was my alarm clock/stereo for pretty much the 60's and the 70's.

I have no idea how it got from Tennessee to a garage in Connecticut.

But you have to admit...the sound is pretty good.

Farewell, my dear radio. Again.

Parents' Weekend Photos

I had a wonderful trip to see The Baby Bird last weekend.

The University of Virginia is a beautiful school.

And I don't think she was embarrassed by her heinous mother even once.

I would love nothing more than to share all the pictures I took.

So, I think I will:

And here is another angle:

The end.

Those are the only pictures I took the whole weekend.

With my iPhone.

I wasn't allowed to take my camera out of the case.

The Bird escaped the abject horror of a parent snapping pictures...

And Mama?

Well, isn't this bike cool?

Such creativity.

Hey, I'll take what I can get.

And be fully content.

I wish you all a weekend full of contentment.

This-n-That Thursday

Mama's overwhelming petty annoyances for the week:

• That little white chin hair.
• Dull tweezers.
• The Twitter FAIL whale.
• The scale.
• Phlegm.
• Snug fat jeans.
• The cost of dry cleaning.
• Tissues without lotion.
• Underwear FAIL.
• Citibank.
• Eczema.
• Regis Philbin.

You?

Villanova-Bound Care Package

All request.

Apparently they don't have detergent or Vitamin C in Philadelphia.

Who knew?

And that remote is another story.

Requiem

Noelle--October 15, 2009

Our wonderful cat died in her sleep on Saturday night.

I was in Virginia with The Baby Bird.

And Squazz was home with our sweet, sick kitten (she was ten).

She waited for him to find her....

We did everything possible to save our sweet Noelle.

We adopted her at 5 months...

She was feral.

She had a heart murmur.

She was undernourished.

We loved her for ten years.

And she loved us.

We had every test and medicine there was.

And she died in her sleep...

After a day of loving her people and her dog...

Godspeed Noelle...you were so loved.

Aquarius Horoscope

For The Week Starting October 19, 2009

You have a sociable time ahead of you for this month. Your popularity can soar. Some of you become engaged and/or married. You might see a birth in the family this week. Friendships and/or partnerships formed now can be quite successful and beneficial to you both. You can be very charming during this period. Financial benefits come to you now also.

Get yours!

Hmmm. What to do about the baby thing.... And look, I'm one of the popular girls. At last. Oh, and I'm gonna get some money, too. Popular and rich. It's good to be an Aquarius;)

By the way, this excellent forecast comes on the heels of a fantastic visit with my Baby Bird in Virginia. I think UVa may be the prettiest place on earth. And my Birdy is doing very, very well. I am so proud of her. I don't know where she came from. Seriously. And I cannot wait to go back.

Now go check out your horoscope. Is it as good as this one?

Virginia Bound

Going to see my Baby Bird.

Wonder how long it'll take before I embarrass her?

I'm taking bets.

I'm giving myself ten minutes.

Tops.

This-n-That Thursday

Autumn's simple pleasures:

• Biting into that first, crisp apple.
• The gorgeous sugar maples and their leaves.
• Being alone at the beach. Not counting the seagulls.
• Mums.
• The wonderful smell of wood burning in the fireplace.
• Good hair.
• Sweaters and boots.
• Soup.
• The crunch of the fallen leaves under your feet.
• Using the oven.
• Flannel pj's.
• Football games.
• An evening bath with lavender epsom salts and tea tree oil.
• Hot tea.
• Halloween candy.
• Going to visit your babies at their first college parents' weekend.

Yours?

My Excellent Adventure

Mental P is fixin' to go.

Somewhere wonderful.

Tuesday Text

Growing Pains.

Gah.

Aquarius Daily Horoscope

Changes in the cycle or day to day routine of someone close to you may hang heavily over your head like a dark rain cloud. There's no escaping your duty and the need to get in there and sort this matter out now, otherwise it will probably linger twice as long. Try to contain yourself as you may see solutions that cannot be envisioned by others. It's all about patience and letting these matters pass once you've done all you can to help them.

Emotions: Good ~ Money: Fair ~ Wellness: Good
Power Numbers: 43, 5, 4, 25, 21, 2

My baby boy is home for the week!

And this change is not a dark cloud.

I am going to the grocery store.

And them I'm going to fire up the washing machine!

Wait. What?

"There's no escaping your duty and the need to get in there and sort this matter out now, otherwise it will probably linger twice as long."

What does yours say?

Spent

If there were nothing else to trouble us, the fate of the flowers would make us sad.

John Lancaster Spalding

Another Saturday...

Another Bath Day...

Discombobulated

Since we have very few grocery needs in this house these days,

and it was finally time to go get some staples for Squazz and myself,

I ventured out a few days ago.

To Stew Leonard's.

We have a very famous store in out little town.

At least the Leonard family thinks so.

Just kidding. It is an adventure all in it's own.

I didn't go for years because of the stories.

You had to get your cart and always go in the same direction as everyone else.

?

If you know anything about me by now, you know that wouldn't work for me.

What if I want to go a different way?

What if I need to go back and get something I forgot?

Well, a few years ago, I finally drank the koolaid.

I went to Stew's.

And I loved it.

So when I arrived the other day?

After only being gone a few weeks?

They had rearranged the whole dang place.

I was lost.

But I got Squazz his Cheerios and I got my cauliflower.

I am such a trooper.

And then I went home and had a nap.

And some wine.

I think if I'd had these child helpers, it would have been easier:

And maybe these shoes?

Yes.

If I had the helpers and the shoes, I'm sure I would have breezed through the joint.

This-n-That Thursday

My favorite time-wasters, or MPM's special Home Schooling Edition for grown ups:

• Cute Overload (too cute)
• A Way to Garden (beautiful and informative)
• eCards (everything you could ever want in an eCard)
• We Blog Cartoons (brilliant)
• Awkward Family Photos (self explanatory)
• Blogthings (for those days when you got nuthin')
• Green Porno (Isabella Rossellini at her best, and you'll learn a lot)
• Run Pee (thanks to The Bird, you now know when to take your bathroom break at the movies)
• The Daily Beast (for all your news needs)
• Drudge (more news--and news you don't need)
• Woot (shopping!)

What did I leave out?

Word-Filled Wednesday

Ointment

Biopsy

Oozing

Crusting

Inflamed

Itching

Madness

Sleepless

%$#*%$# Eczema

Help.

I have eliminated gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts and sugar. Which means no wine. And today? Out goes the caffeine. Does anybody have any ideas? I think I am allergic to myself.

Tuesday Text

This is how I went to the U2 concert at UVa.

This vicarious stuff is getting to be good.

Happy Mama

Today's Aquarius Horoscope:
Oct 05, 2009

Congratulations, dear Aquarius! A goal you have been working toward for a long time has finally been reached. Success and advancement are on their way, and you should be feeling extremely enthusiastic and optimistic about your future. Some vast changes may take place in your life, but they all promise to be positive ones. Expect some travel and expansion of knowledge. Make the most of these energies.

get your horoscope

Does this mean I have to get dressed today?

Saturday Night

After months of planning...

Months of running around and begging asking for auction items...

Months of fretting over caterers...

Months of courting Paul Simon...

We had our Hospital Gala last night.

It started at 6:30.

At 5:15, we were put under a tornado warning.

And then?

It rained.

And rained.

And rained.

And then?

The carpets in our tent bubbled up.

And then there were rivers.

Inside the tents.

And then?

Servepro came in and started wet-vacing the entire place.

In between the auction tables and revelers.

And all was well.

And we ate.

And we danced.

And Paul brought down the house.

The end.

Book Winner!

My random number generator is such a funny boy....

And #22 is my friend Flash Stitcher!

Another empty-nester just like me.

Our daughters just graduated from the same school.

I happen to know she is on her way for Parents' Weekend.

Where I will be in two weeks for The Bird.

Sigh.

Congrats Flashy! Have a wonderful time;)

Now everybody else, get out there and have a great weekend!

Anybody have great plans?

I get to meet Paul Simon tomorrow night.

Oh, yes I do!

This-n-That Thursday

DWE (Driving Without Estrogen) I have turned into that old lady:

• Little old man, do not pull out right in front of me and drive 5 mph. Everywhere. Including through every stop sign we encounter.
• And while we're at it, listen up Fairfield Countians: You all need to learn how to negotiate a 4 way stop sign. Idiots.
• Hey there cutie pie: Hang up and friggin' drive.
• And why are you already on your phone as you're pulling out of your driveway? Couldn't you finish your all-so-important yapping in your house mcmansion?
• Slow down there hotshot. We are all impressed with you and your Hummer. Now go away.
• Turn signals people?
• You can honk at me all you want, but I am actually going to let people out of a parking lot in front of me.
• By the way, in a parking lot? Slow down! I cannot see very well because Biff and Buffy have blocked my vision with their massive SUVs.
• And whoever hit may car last week and didn't bother to leave a note? Thanks. Ever heard of Karma?

Phew. I feel all better now. Anyone else have anything to add?