Dropped by the library yesterday...

and picked up this book on a whim, hadn't really heard much about it, thought the author's name was comical... figured it would occupy the time I had between meetings yesterday... it did.

The book is worth reading if solely for the purpose of envy - the description of the narrator's idyllic neighborhood in the very beginning made me want to pack and move there tomorrow (even if it would be cold!), aside from the 50 year time travel thing that is...

There's enough historical bits to keep it grounded in time and reality - and since I just came from reading Ghost Soldiers and We Refused to Die (WWII non-fiction) I enjoyed that part more than I normally would have (meaning I actually understood the references)

My favorite quote - and one I've already shared with a friend even before I finished the book - is from a scene when the church custodian isn't too sure he wants the scouts to play steal the flag on his nicely manicured lawn...  the scout leader convinces him by saying that "the grass will come back, but will the boys?"  A little reminder for the likes of me to chill out sometimes

Okay, that's all I'll say about the book... I read too much so I certainly won't post about everything I read, but this one is surprisingly touching and well thought out.  And if you ever read it you will understand why from now on I will stop trying to make the most rickety block towers out of oddly shaped blocks and use more of the regular boxy shaped blocks :)

I didn't make this up

I can't believe some of the stuff on ebay sometimes...  for instance, today someone is selling this brand new safety pin...

I'm sure it's quite appealing to many of you - but hold the phone - there's a current bid of 24.50 on the item...  I suspect there is something odd going on, but I don't want to know... so far there are no bids on an unused popsicle stick which I suspect is from the same seller.  A roasted peanut carved into the shape of a mallard duck?  They've got it, and now that you know it exists how will your home be complete without such a thing.

You'd be wise though to pass up the three previous items and save your pennies for Paris Hilton's napkin, which she apparently used in Prague and then wadded up in an extremely Hilton-esque way, which should bring some serious bucks... no bids thus far though.

My sister and I like to send each other e-bay "it's the thought that counts gifts" meaning that we never actually buy them for each other...  I gave her a small town in Montana one year. what's the funniest thing you've ever found there?

The Shindig

(oops, forgot to turn the pictures, it's good exercise for your necks)  Since everyone else in the family will likely be posting about the much more monumental event of the parents' return - here's something completely different!

Q's 40th birthday is this coming week and much to his chagrin we threw a little bash in his honor.  

It was quite impossible to get his keys to the storage unit to embarrass him in the same way we embarrassed a good friend (yard full of walkers, wheelchairs, bedside commodes etc...) so it was necessary to come up with an alternate theme.  Having everyone dress up in their 80's best we had some of the top 40 hits from the 80's  and just generally hung out...  no, I don't normally dress like that!

Meg was probably correct when she predicted that Q wouldn't appreciate the surprise, but thus far he has been very good-natured about it...  we'll see how upset he was 4 years from now when it is my turn :)

Fine...

I suppose if I called my blog "you asked for it" I'd better deliver...  Erin gave me a hard time for not being willing to show off my lovely digits...  so there they are, in all their glory - though I don't know why the background turned out so dark!  I never would have been hired as a hand model, but compared to my feet...  yeah, well nobody has beautiful feet.  (but most people's aren't as Frankensteined as mine)

Girl Time, Health, Parties, and books...

my mother was in town...  need I say more?  We sewed and played cards, and even got our nails done.  I'd post a picture but it will have to wait until you see me in person (can't bring myself to have Q photograph my hands) - and by then I may have even figured out how to remove my contacts without causing damage to my eyesight!  I even got a pedicure - again, no picture - I could actually hold the camera for that one but really - who would want to see my toes, even if they are painted "Night in New York" purple (or something like that)

Everyone is now officially healthy here at the St. G. Branch of the  C. family hotel - April currently has 9 of 14 nights with the guest room occupied and 3 more booked this week - now is the time to make your reservations :)  (seriously though, good company is always welcome and the weather IS beautiful)

I hesitate to post this next info - but Q never checks out the blog, so I'm fairly safe - he hits the big four-oh this next week and if anyone has any plans to be in our little corner of the world this coming Friday night give me a call ahead of time so that I can share the info with you - I know that D&S will be down here but I'm guessing that most everyone else will be eagerly awaiting the imminent arrival.

And the big news - thanks to Erin for insisting that I blog - a friend put me onto a free book for bloggers deal, so now everyone can be excited for the next 3 months while they eagerly await my Q&A with the author after I've read his new novel.  I won't reveal any other details yet... well, okay, stop twisting my arm - it's J Scott Savage - and to be completely honest I have yet to read anything of his, and I will likely wait until after I read this to explore his other works so as to not taint my opinion.  That, and I have a large stack of books to get through right now!

okay, that's all, really.

Our week...

It's been a hectic one around here - and I kept saying "at the end of this week, we're all going to take a day off..."  we'll get to the day off part later...

We'll begin with last Thursday - W's baseball game was around 5:15 and I had been invited to something or other I was trying to avoid... so when W left his Bat Bag in the car I decided to drag the kids up to the field and stay for the first 30 minutes of his game (Q was meeting us there)... Well, M promptly got herself hit in the

 stomach by a playground ball (with the help of P's foot) and proceeded to pass out on me - Needless to say I left the game and the doctors were unable to determine if it was a seizure or just a simple passing out because of stress (stress?  she's got no school, no bills... I don't get it!)  Anyway, Thursday ended on that note - and the girl is fine.

Friday was a jumble of running around, including my children's museum meeting - to which I took M just in case she repeated her performance, this did not go well, and M's birthday party - which lasted only an hour (the ideal time frame) because of P's baseball game and W's baseball practice and T's friends' birthday party which all began at 5:00.  One was early, one was on time and one was late - what can you do?  M stayed put in her seat this game and played with her new doll "Sophia Kate" until the game was over (P's team lost, but they are 3 and 1 for the season thus far)

Saturday... hmmm... oh yeah, the older boys had a scout pow-wow thing - we began and

 completed W's entire science project - and Q had a 4-wheelin' adventure with the EQ...  so I stayed home and cleaned.

Sunday - T got sick - but the rest of us enjoyed church... choir books came and we finally sang something other than a hymn (not that they're bad, but something else occasionally is nice)

Monday - T still sick - M's birthday boola-boola went well - we squeezed in Wendy's and her Tinkerbell cake between two baseball games - P's before the dinner went well but W's afterward began at 8:00 and went downhill from there.  The other team's pitcher has a golden arm.  The wind was also blowing something awful and despite my warm "cozy" blanket many of us moms were freezing while trying to cheer for a losing team.  The snack shack quickly ran out of hot chocolate (not that it was going to help me) and nobody complained when the game ended at 9:50.

Tuesday - Now T, W, and Mom woke up sick, I can't tell much about this day because we all slept through it... gratefully no pictures for you of this day!  Weston felt bad enough that he passed out 3 times when he got up to run to the bathroom... a huge knot on his forehead is from hitting the bathroom stool on the way down - the stool where Maryn 

happened to be sitting after her own bout with the flu bug...  The scouting pow-wow finished up Tuesday night and the boys' didn't end up going... big waste of all that work 'eh?

Wednesday - it's just beginning...  W is back at school getting his science fair project set up, T is back at school. P and H and M are all home with me...  I've consumed a total of 3 saltine crackers and 3 oz. of water - M is throwing a fit because she can't play with the neighbor and I didn't let her go to preschool - what a mean Mommy I am :(

We will all survive - and we'll be disinfecting the house greatly before company arrives this weekend!!!  Bring on the Lysol :)