C and the iPod

I'd ask C how she likes her new iPod Shuffle, but she's listening to music right now... She and her father are going to be locked in battle over who gets to use his Mac. (my Toshiba isn't stable enough with iTunes to risk letting the 8 yr old use it... as it is, the poor thing has enough problems. There is a chill pad under it and a small box fan blowing air over it so it doesn't overheat and shut down...)

The living room looks like hell... stuff everywhere. Still. B is off doing something, and is likely to freak out when he gets home. Ah well.

Got a touch of snow yesterday (which is as it should be) but it's been so warm that it didn't even dust the ground, and then changed to rain. It's currently 44 degrees, which is at least 10 degrees warmer than the usual average for this time of year. I'm not complaining... I just sneak around behind B turning down the heat.

Now... on to make the kids do thank you notes...

HP title announced

Just got an email from Borders...




Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

No release date, of course. C and I are going to have to come up with extra chores for her to do between now and then so she can earn enough to buy her own copy when it does come out. It's bad enough that B and I fight over who gets to read it first... There are rules... no one is allowed to take it to work. It was 'easier' when he was on the other shift... I could read it all evening/night long! Many nights I fell asleep with my nose in those books... torn between wanting to sip and gulp!

I was glad that OOTP was hardcover - L was a baby and I took every nursing opportunity to read... and since she was feeding every 2 - 3 hours for 30 min at a time... yippee! Guess I start all over at the beginning again. We have our 'American' copies, and I also have British copies "smuggled" in by someone who was visiting London. He kindly brought back paperbacks of 2 - 5 (already had 1, 6 wasn't out in paperback yet). I understand that the differences between versions are diminishing, but I am thrilled to have them anyway!

Socked In

My poor cuz is stuck... socked in... snow bound... but at least she's at home.

[OMG... I just had to run out to the TV. I have PBS on for L, and Clifford is on... I overheard someone on the TV yell what I *thought* was "Kick his ass!" Turns out, they're playing soccer, and they must have said "kick it fast" or something similar. I seriously need to make my coffee!]

Anyway, back to my cuz (read her rendition here she cracks me up!)

She lives in Colorado in the middle of nowhere. Apparently, it's over 100 miles to the nearest Home Depot. I told B this, and he ended up in the fetal position, clutching his Milwaukee drill. Her hubby is "Mr. Plow" (sing it with me, boys and girls...) for the town (haha, 30 miles to "town") as well as water guy, etc. Guess he barely made it home last night in their big, beastly truck. So she's stuck out in B.F. Nowhere with her nearly 4 yr old daughter, who may still be whining about not going to preschool yesterday for their Holiday Party. Cuz is 7 mo. preggers with #2. (Nuf said there!)

So, with any luck, the orders for her pet tags are pouring in, and she's using this time to catch up. I have to get busy upgrading her website. It currently features Italian Charms, but she's gotten totally away from making them. She now focuses on these great metal pet tags/ dog tags. She has a ton of shapes - like bones! How fun would it be for your dog to have a study, long lasting bone shaped tag? And it's not just words - she can print photos, graphics, etc. on these tags.

I've had one on my keychain for nearly a year now, and it's not even scratched.

She's been selling a ton of them on eBay, hoping to build up her biz enough that she can not go back to work after the baby comes. Apparently, daycare is a huge problem out in the middle of nowhere. There are only a few providers and they are all at capacity for infants. (so hint hint... go order stuff from her - you probably need a new tag for your dog anyway...)

Christmas Stories

Had GS last night, and we sat around in jammies with hot cocoa and cookies reading and telling Christmas stories. (Yes, we know all the girls in the troop celebrate Christmas...) The other leader read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which the girls enjoyed, then I told some family stories.

Dear Grandma J was brilliant with family stories. She had a way with the telling, which she indulged in often. So often, in fact, that the first time B met my cousin R, we tortured poor B. We were driving to my Aunt's house an hour away, and the 3 of us were in the back seat of their car with B between my cousin and I. B was the only one of the 3 of us GJ could see. She launched into one of her stories. R and I rolled our eyes and began mouthing the story along with her, word for word, pause for pause. Dear B managed to keep a straight face through the whole ordeal.

One of GJ's Stories:

J had two sons, R and D. The boys (as kids will) decided to go snooping for presents. D happened upon his mother's hiding place, and found two amazing cars, one for each boy. One was red and the other was blue. He took them out and played with them, the hoods came up, the tires came off, the doors opened. They were great fun. D very carefully placed them back in their hiding place, and that night while the boys were in their bunk beds, D told R all about the cars.

R became very excited, and said he would go find them the next day. GJ, being a mom, figured out that D had found the cars, and changed her hiding place. The next day when R went to where D said they were... no cars. He searched but had no luck. That night in bed, he hissed at his younger brother, "D, you're a liar. There were no cars." D defended himself, again outlining all the features and describing how he's played with the cars. R was unconvinced. They boys never did find the second hiding place, but on Christmas morning, the cars were under the tree.

I thought of this story when I saw the new LLBean flashlight ad. My grandmother would have done that!

C's Gift

Well, here it is... this is how we're giving her the iPod. My beloved old jean jacket from the 80s.

I love that jacket. It used to have rock band pins all over it - Rush, David Bowie (mostly Bowie!) and my wonderful black square "Sounds Like Bullshit to Me" pin that somehow my father allowed me to keep. Well, guess I was 15 when I "aquired" it. I stitched a peace sign on one shoulder on the back. Ah... memories... singing Dylan songs by the campfire at church camp, holding hands with my boyfriend... making out in the woods (again, church camp! oh, the irony...)

And how 'bout how small those darned iPod shuffles are?? Remember kids walking around with "boom boxes" on their shoulders? And the first Sony Walkmans... man, if you had one of them, you were the shit. Mine was *not* a Sony, but it did the job, and wow. I had that sucker until college. It finally gave out on me while working in the college library shelving books. (Great job - my boss used to wear these nasty, spike heels, and I could hear her a mile away even with music on - she never caught me reading in the stacks when I was supposed to be shelving - tee hee!) But then it died and my boyfriend (hadn't been my boyfriend that long) gave me a new one. I remember not wanting to take such a gift... but since I married him (and yes, we're talking about B, my one and only hubby) I guess it all worked out.

Scrooge, pt 2

Ok. I'm a bit less grumpy about the whole thing this morning. B laid in bed last night and complained about it too, so it wasn't just me. The kids used microphones. WTF? When I was in chorus and school plays, we learned to project. We learned to hit the back of the house with our voices. I don't mean the stage, either... I mean that there was the Ghost of Christmas Present in her long white dress hugging a Mic to her chest like she was a talk show host.

And the standing room only business was bad. I wonder what the capacity of the room is and if we were over. (The principal is such an ass.) My mom and her hubby drove 90 minutes to see this thing (and she was on for one song...) and then had to stand. Grandparents having to stand. How snotty and rude are the rest of the parents? Granted, my mom is a young grandma (57 next month) and was quite able to stand, and her hubby is (ahem) 43 and a former Ranger... also quite able to stand. BUT it's the principle of it that no one offered her a seat.

Oh... and did I mention that the date of the show was changed and I only found out by accident? The one schedule this idiot did send home with the kids had the show as last week on a Thurs. I could have made that easily. Then we find out from another parent that no, it's the 19th - which is a Tues. My travel to the office day. My unchangeable travel day. So I have to skip out early and haul ass the 90 miles home, hoping for no "Imperial Entanglements" on the turnpike. My poor girl deserves to have her mama there! Ok... so maybe I'm not less grumpy at all...

Scrooge

C's school program was tonight. She's in chorus and they put on 'Scrooge'. She's had tons of extra after-school practices. She was a "Christmas Day Dancer" during the Ghost of Christmas Past section. She wore her Christmas dress and her ghillies. She had the song and the dance down, and was great. We were rather annoyed that there wasn't more singing, considering it was a chorus production. She was out for one song. I love that she wanted to do it, and that she's involved in this sort of thing. I will always support her and the school with music programs. Too many are being cancelled.

The chorus teacher needs to be smacked. (I am very pro-teacher, but this one needs a slap.) I understand that she's done this on a volunteer basis, but sheesh. We barely ever got practice schedules (had to threaten that C would quit a few days before the show to get the schedule), we got little guidance as to what C was supposed to wear, the kids were never on time getting out... for an educator who has been doing this for years, she really doesn't have her stuff together. Then, they had the gall to charge admission to the show. It's a 3rd 5th grade show, for heaven's sake. THEN, they didn't have enough chairs. We stood in the back of the gym for 90 minutes - trading back and forth who was holding L so she could see and who's back got a rest. Grrrr. I know... bitch bitch bitch. Yeah. Well.

I'm glad she had a good time, but man. I'll stick with volunteering for the the step dancers. Miss M knows what the hell she's doing!! (lest you think that I just bitch w/o trying to be part of the solution. I do all the art for the dancers, the photography and B does the sound for their show. I'm also C's GS leader. I do my part!)

Business Stuff

C's dance teacher's help is going to get this photography thing going faster than I thought. One parent left me this long message about how wonderful their photos are, and how much they love them and can't wait to give them as Christmas gifts. Now I'm going to have to go "legit" and I'm not exactly sure what to do first/next.

I found this free advice for small business owners. There seems to be a lot of info about getting started, accounting, legal red tape, how to get your tax id number... all that fun stuff. At this point, I'm lucky if I remember to keep my receipts for prints and to make up a bill on the computer. How growly is the city going to be about me running the admin. of the biz out of my house? People won't usually be coming to me, I'll be going to them... ok... folks have been coming to pick up prints, but one at a time! Guess this free advice for small business owners site will be a good place to start.

Maybe someday I'll get this going enough to ditch the 9-5... (sponsored by incparadise.com)

Apple Rocks

I ordered C's iPod on Friday morning. Or maybe it was late (very late) Thursday night. I really don't remember. We opted to have it engraved with a nickname. I did not pay extra for any special or expedited shipping. There was a knock on the door this morning - a very young, harried looking FedEx delivery man wanting my signature. (there was no truck in sight - I think they're working in teams - one drives the other runs. I guess the truck was turning around at the dead end.)

It's HERE!! It's already charged and loaded up with some of her fav. songs. We've got it all ready to go. My old Levi's denim jacket is in the laundry and will be fresh and clean (and properly faded from the 80s).

B has the train platform out and is fiddling with track. The girls are insisting upon a tree this year. Silly girls! I hope C isn't upset that she is getting just one big present. I'm kind of hoping she goes out of her mind with joy at getting an iPod (and my jacket...).

Working from home

I work from home 4 of 5 days a week. I happen to have an awesome boss that allows me to telecommute. I go into the office once a week so they can bug me in person. If I couldn't do it, I might think of doing something else to work at home online. I'm spoiled now. I like working in my jammies if I have to. I like being her for L when she wants me and being here for C when she gets home from school to bug her about her homework and help her make a healthy snack instead of eating junk.

Working at home is not as easy as it seems. A huge amount of discipline is needed. It's so easy to get sucked into doing things other than work! Before L was born, I used to get up, shower and be at my desk by 8:30 - just like when I was going into the office. My schedule is a bit different now - I'm up earlier, but I manage to get my 8 hours in each day. The great thing, is that if I don't quite manage it during "traditional" working hours, I can make it up in the evening after the kiddos are in bed. Overall, I really do like being able to work at home online. (sponsored by work at home net guides)

B day at "the Rat"

Went to my nephew's 3rd birthday party at a parent's *favorite* place. Ug. We hate that big Rat, but the kids love the place, and at least there's Ski Ball... (gimmie your tokens, kid, Mama's gonna get you some tickets!)

Ski Ball is the only saving grace. It sure isn't the pizza. Cardboard with sauce and a scant amount of cheese... Ick. But Ski Ball. B and I used to play it on the boardwalk every summer. That of course, was before we had kids! After C came along, the weekend trips to the shore to sail with my grandparents and hang out at the beach pretty much ended. Sigh. We're going to have to start up again, since L has discovered that she loves Ski Ball!

Hey Min... remember all those times on the boardwalk? Gillian's Pier - the bumper cars that were there (or near there) are now at Knoeble's Grove and L went on them this summer!

Dog skin problems

Winter has begun, and I now worry about my dear yellow lab. She often gets big patches on her back (near her hind end) where the fur is just gone, and the skin is bright red. We've tried everything we can think of to help the poor girl. We've changed her food, used topical sprays and creams... we've washed her bedding multiple times, in different detergents... She has no spots right now, but I've found this stuff, Dermaxol, that says it heals these types of skin problems, like "Sores, rashes, eczema, dry/itchy skin or cuts". They say it's all natural. That's good. I'm kind of fussy about that.The weather has been mild so far, and the heater hasn't been on in the basement where she likes to spend most of her time playing, sleeping and hanging out with the other Lab, and bugging B when he works in his workshop. Seems that she hasn't had a skin problem since we got the 2nd lab. Maybe that she was lonely. Poor baby. I used to be with her all the time, but I'm just not another dog! But who knows. It could come back at any time, and I want to be ready. I'll be bookmarking that site for future reference!

New Toy

Bad. The camera shop is bad. How dare they have a Nikon SB600 Speedflash in stock, ready for me to spend my photoshoot profits on... but oh, what a joy! The head swivels and tilts. I can bounce light all over the place - where I want it to go. Happiness is a speedlight?

This first shot: Direct flash. The next shot, bounced off the white ceiling. Wow. What a difference.

Stinky Flowers

Well, hell. For years I've wanted to force bulbs in the winter. Years. This year I remembered. I planted Paperwhites and watched them poke up through the dirt. I waited with anticipation. They grew and grew. L helped me water them every once in a while. Soon, we saw big, fat buds, then bits of white. Finally... last week - BLOOMS! Yippee. I was so thrilled. The flowers bloomed on the coldest day so far this season. I took them down from their perch atop the fridge (so curious cats would not eat them) to take photos.

Sneeze.
Instant sinus clog. Instant headache.

Paperwhites smell like cat pee. Blech. I am so annoyed! The damned things are now out on the front porch. (Damn it!)

Whenever L walks past them she says, "Oh, Mama, your Stinky Flowers are out here!" Yup. They sure are!

Waldorf doll update

Well, I broke down and ordered a kit from Weir Dolls. I'm hand sewing the body (while making fun of "H" on CSI Miami. Let's all stand sideways and tilt our heads before speaking...) and I have the head stuffed but not shaped. I think that's tomorrow's fun. And I'm not being snide. I really do enjoy it. The hand sewing (or as L has termed it "needle and threading" She said today, "Mama, I have to get bigger to be 4 so I can build a tree house with Daddy. I can needle and thread the curtains." What a hoot!) is actually very relaxing. Gonna have to pull out a quilt after the holidays and finish it. I think the whole process is going to be very enjoyable. Got the curly yarn for hair. Photos to come as I complete steps!

BTW... I'm very happy with the kit so far - it came with everything from the stocking for the inner head to the wooll stuffing, and the body preprinted on the fabric, to the thread. Nice. I love the idea of the doll getting warm as the child plays with it due to the wool stuffing. I wish I could cuddle it now.

Hi to Kim who's working on her doll, too! Hope it's going well. Keep me posted!

Photographers: Help! Lenses?

We've acquired two lenses. Old lenses. Big lenses. Heavy lenses. The kind that need their own tripod. I think they're Pentax screw mount. (Photo of the mount here.)

Lens1 is marked: Auto Chinon Zoom 1:4.5 f=55mm - 300mm No. 110185 Lens made in Japan. It's a full 12".

Lens2 is a mere 9" long. It's marked: Super Takumar-Zoom 1:4.5/70~150 Asahi Opt. Co.

I'm kind of thinking of selling them. The kicker is that I don't really know what they're worth. I don't want to go into my local camera shop like an idiot not having any idea and get taken - not that they would - they're really great - but still...

Anyone know anything about these lenses??

Thanks!

Holiday Photos

The princess came through. Sometimes, she just doesn't settle down for our photo shoots, and I end up just getting shots of her big sis. But not this time! She was so thrilled to be in her Christmas dress from Gramma D that she posed and behaved for quite a while. Not an easy task for a 3 yr old.

Took C out shopping with me yesterday. She found a gift for her little sis. She paid with her own money! It wasn't even my idea. She got her the Dora carriage that's being pulled by a unicorn. It was 19.99, and the sign had it marked down to 4.99. Of course, at the register, it came up as 9.99, but being the bitch careful shopper I am, I brought it to their attention, and she only paid 4.99! She was thrilled. I would have given her the extra 5, but it was better for her to learn the lesson of speaking up.

C is the best big sis. She's going to flip out when she opens her present this year. We're getting her one of those clip-on iPod shuffles. She is so into her music and dance, that for the price... it's cheaper than another AG doll that will collect dust. We're going to take it all out of the package, charge it up, and load up music, then clip it onto my old high school era Levi's jacket and give it to her that way. We'll probably tuck an iTunes card in the pocket so she can get some of her own music, too. I want it ready to go so she doesn't have to wait for it to charge or anything because...

B got a CD player for Christmas 20 years ago - when they were first coming out - a big stretch for his parents, I'm sure. He hooked it up to his stereo system, but alas, his parents forgot one big thing... a CD. In this town, NOTHING was open on Christmas Day in the 80s. Nothing. (Ok, maybe Denny's, but they didn't sell CDs...) He told me he spent the day pushing the button to watch the door slide open and closed. Whoops.