Category: LiveJournal

To Market to Market to buy a Fat Pig…

Yesterday, due to WOEA Day (a union day off – we get that rather than Columbus day), we had the day off. So, the parental units and I headed doon south to the 2nd Street Market in Dayton for a look around. Mom & dad had heard of the place – in fact, a friend of ours works there. Sure enough, when we arrived, he was there selling his spices, bulk foods, and cheeses (the Spice Rack). We asked him for advice on which place to go for lunch, but he recommended them all. 🙂 He did advise going to check out the bread lady nearby, so we sampled here wares and I bought a loaf of Tuscan crusty bread. (Having some toast from that right now – yummy!)

We wound up all ordering from the Diva’s Gourmet. I got a Fresh Mozarella Sandwich which was very tasty. We looked around the market and then returned to the Spice Rack where I bought several types of rice and some vanilla beans. It’s a very nice indoor market and I hope we’ll be able to visit again. (They’re open the week between Christmas & New Years, so we might take Amy & Rachel there when they’re visiting.)

Our next destination was even further south – Trader Joe’s. I really enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s and wish it were closer. I got quite a few things from there, including more bread and more rice (hmmm, Carbohydrate Girl, I guess). I got several cheeses (I’ve tried the cheddar already and it’s good) and some sushi (had the shrimp sushi this evening). Fun store and not as expensive as you’d think.

We’d brought a cooler with ice for the perishables during the long journey home, so we figured we could shop in Books & Co. while we were there. As soon as I entered, I saw the display for The End, the last book in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. At 30% off, I had to get it. Yay, only 7 books to go til I hit the 1200 mark in my inventory! 🙂

After we finished in the bookstore, we headed home where I vegged by playing my addiction (aka City of Heroes). Supper was cheddar cheese, toast (from Tuscan crusty bread) – some with margarine, some with marg & preserves (peach & hot pepper). Good eats. 🙂

Today, I traveled south on my own. It had been a month since I last ventured for Indian Fud and Doctor Who Magazine. So I went to the Bookery (DWM, Dreamwatch, Astonishing X-Men, and vol 4 of The Devil’s Panties were waiting in my folder). Then to Jeet India for Indian Fud. Yummy food – including a paneer dish – I love paneer! (Paneer is Indian cheese.)

I shopped some after lunch, but only found something to buy in Waldenbooks. They had some paperbacks in a buy 2 get a 3rd free sale. They had Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, which I was interested in getting. So of course, I looked at the other choices in the selection. I also got Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley and An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. Anansi wound up being the freebie. 🙂 So now I’m just 4 books away from 1200 in my collection! 🙂

Well, hopefully I’ll spend some time reading tomorrow rather than just playing City of Heroes. 🙂

Fall Fair ’06

Last year, I wrote a pretty good description of Fall Fair and the Farm Olympics, so if anyone isn’t sure what I’m talking about, go ahead and read last year’s post.

I decided to watch the band perform this year, so I headed out earlier than I did last year. I like the band show. I know some of the students were complaining because the music was written for them, rather than being a compilation of popular tunes. The trouble with popular tunes is the cost for licensing. I think the music was quite good and the band did a very nice job. They do Senior Night for marching band during Fall Fair as well, so I got to see my seniors and their parents get honored.

I visited all of the stalls and bought a few things from the clubs selling. I got some apples with caramel sauce (yum) and later a piece of cherry pie (also yum). Since we’d had our county tech meeting today, I was still full from lunch (El Sombrero) so I didn’t get the pork dinner that they serve.

When it was nearly time for the Farm Olympics (aka Class Challenge), I was asked to be a judge (to make sure the student judge didn’t cheat – each team had a student judge from their class, but also one staff member as a judge). So I got to judge the Freshmen. They had some new events this evening. My favorite was Musical Chairs. 32 high schoolers trying to sit in 31 chairs is a funny sight. And it only got better after that. Especially cuz the person running the music was slightly sadistic. I think they only broke 2 folding chairs during the event. Not too bad. 🙂

The juniors, who were the reigning champions, and the seniors were extremely competitive in tonight’s competition. I was pleased to see the Freshman not always come last. Indeed, during the bit where they had to make baskets (basketball), they came in first. The final score had the Sophomores last (by only 1 point), then Freshmen third, Juniors second, and Seniors first. I was tired from laughing so much.

My goal is to have a nice relaxing fall weekend. The weather is going to cooperate nicely with that plan. 🙂

2 Word Meme

Decided to be sheepish (baaaaa) and do the meme which I saw on rach74‘s, hergrace‘s, 1_big_grizz‘s and other’s blogs.

Answer each question with only 2 words.

1. When was the last time you shaved?
The weekend

2. Explain what ended your last relationship.
Last relationship?

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
Teaching chemistry

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Watching X3

5. Are you any good at math?
Hell yeah

6. Your prom night?
So what?

7. Do you have any famous ancestors?
Not one

8. Have you had to take a loan out for school?
Scholarships, me

9. Do you know the words to the song on your MySpace profile?
No MySpace

10. Last thing received in the mail?
Junk mail

11. How many different beverages have you had today?
Milk, water

12. Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
Ugh, yeah

13. Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to?
Um, Heart

14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
Not really

15. What’s the most painful dental procedure you’ve had?
No pain

16. What is out your back door?
My backyard

17. Any plans for Friday night?
Fall Fair

18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
No ocean

19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
Alas yes.

20. Have you ever been to a planetarium?
Hell yeah

21. Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Most usually

22. Some things you are excited about?
Kitties, family

23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO?
Peach Jell-O

24. Describe your keychain(s)?
Just keys

25. Where do you keep your change?
Wallet pouch

26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
Almost daily

27. What kind of winter coat do you own?
Land’s End

28. What was the weather like on your graduation day?
Don’t remember

29. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
Always open

Boy, it’s warm tonight! Autumn’s allowed to come back.

Oktoberfest

Happy October, everyone!

Yesterday, dad and I received permission from mom (who had to work) to go have fun at Oktoberfest in Minster. Minster is near mom & dad’s cottage at the Lake, so we first headed there to drop off my old TV for use in the cottage. It was practically lunchtime then, so we headed to Minster for good eats.

The weather had claimed 80% chance of showers that day, but it only spat on us a little as we walked towards the park where the festival was held. We both knew what we wanted – brats with kraut. Yum! I added some onion & spicy mustard to mine. I had a Pepsi for drink and shared some spiral-cut fried potatoes with dad. We sat across from two ladies who had to youngin’s with ’em. I imagined they were a lesbian couple. And you know, they could have been. (OK, so probably less likely in Minster than in some other places.)

We wandered around the craft booths there, but neither of us found anything that we wanted. The lady who always has nice sweatshirts didn’t have any my size this time. (Her selection was down from previous years – maybe she’d had a productive sale at another festival.) The beer stein guy was there again. I looked (as always) but still didn’t buy any. They sure are pretty!

As we continued walking around the festival site, we passed through the gambling tent. That’s just so foreign to me. There was, at the dice rolling table, a bunch of high school aged boys with handfuls of dollar bills in their hands cheering and shouting as the game progressed. Just not something you see much in my home county.

For dessert, I got a funnel cake with powered sugar on it and dad went with the apple strudel and a coffee. Both desserts were yummy! And just before we left the site, I bought my Oktoberfest mug. I’ve got quite a collection now from the other times I’ve gone to the festival. And I don’t think they’ve changed the price in ages. Still $8 for a mug.

Oh, turns out it was good that I brought our note from mom telling us to have a good time. At one booth was the lady who works at our post office. She wondered where mom was and dad told her working. “Are you allowed to be here?” she asked, jokingly. So I showed her the note and she just laughed. Yup, we had permission! 🙂

Light the Night 2006

Tonight, Wolfgang’s Walkers and many other folks met at Fraze Pavilion to Light the Night for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our team of six, thanks to generous donors (yay – thanks you generous donors!) managed to raise $1395! (We were tempted to toss a $5 bill in to get us to $1400, but we never actually did.) Linda, Jared’s mom, is currently in remission for Lymphoma and this year she was able to join us at the walk. Yay! It was fun walking with Jared, his wife, two friends, and mom. And his mom says “Thanks!” to you who donated. The society has been so beneficial to her and she, like many others, is appreciative of the donors.

With the folks in my flist and the others that elsaf, paygem and kiri_l found, I raised $320. That allowed me to get a t-shirt *and* a sweatshirt. Both of which came in handy this chilly night. And apparently I’ll get something else later, but that’ll be mailed to me or something. But the real reward was seeing Jared and his mom get to walk together. There were lots of folks with Red balloons (supporters) but still a fair number of white balloons (survivors). There were free concessions – subs, pizza, bagels, pop, and ice cream. Alas, no Chipotle burritos, but we decided to get some afterward anyhoo. Heh. Despite the threat of rain, the walk was rain free and pleasant (but chilly, as mentioned earlier). It’s about a 2 mile walk around the park and residential area. Linda said it was the most she’d walked since her treatment. She really had no words for the evening. It was such a nice time.

At Chipotle after, the six of us chatted and munched. No freebies tonight, but I still got 2 meals out of mine. Mmmm, leftover veggie burrito tomorrow! Yay!

If you were unable to donate earlier to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society but would still like to, you can do so. Click here to donate.

Happy Birthday, Phlege!

A big Happy Birthday (now probably belated) to phlegethon_vii!

I was looking around my extensive photo collection for something Sylvish, and found this odd little gem. Hope it gives you some joy. It certainly tickles me. Silly man!


Sylvester McCoy and his Amazing Rubber Face! I wish I knew where I found this one. Blame must be apportioned. 🙂

Visual Stimuli

Oh my goodness! My new TV is fucking fabulous. Now I know I don’t swear a lot in print (though I do swear a lot in real life) but that’s what it is. I’ve been watching season 1 of the new Doctor Who series on DVD and wow – simply wow! It fills the TV with Doctory goodness! No idea if the sound on the TV is any good cuz I use a surround sound system. But visually, the picture is superb. And so big!

When I watch something in regular 4:3 mode (like Lovejoy) the image is only 2″ more either way than my old set. (Yes, I measured it.) But watching something widescreen like Doctor Who? Wow, simply wow! 🙂

I’m taking it slow. I won’t get to something Sylvester McCoy oriented until the newness wears off a little, or I’d probably just melt into a pool of gibbering fangurlishness. Heck, I might do that anyway.

Anyhoo, back to my lovely TV and World War III. (Heh, “would you mind not farting while I’m saving the world?”)

Keeping up with the Judis

It’s not always easy to keep up with judiang in technology. But I always do my best to try. 🙂 So today I took another step in Keeping up with Judi by getting myself a new flatscreen TV.

I’ve been doing a good job saving my money lately and decided I’d splurge on a new TV. My old one can go to mom & dad’s cottage at the Lake. I researched LCD & Plasma screen TVs because I knew very little about plasma. And it looked like LCD was the way to go. (Less fragile, lighter, similar response time & quality, etc.) So I visited the Evil Empire Club (AKA Sam’s Club) and checked out their offerings. They had a 37″ Vizio LCD Television for $999.99. Ooooooh! That was even under my price range. The TV is 10″ bigger (diagonally) than my old TV. And it’s so thin!

Getting it into the car was a breeze – two employees of the store put it in the trunk for me. (I’d measured the box & my trunk already to make sure it would fit.) Getting it out once I got home was a slow (and gentle) process. But I managed it just fine. And now I have a lovely 37″ LCD TV in my living room. Lovejoy & Co looked so BIG! The kitties liked it too. They sat and watched Lovejoy with me. (Lucy on the sofa back, Linus in my lap.) I think we’re going to enjoy this new piece of technology!

Generosity Abounds!

Wow – my friends list is full of generous folks (of course, you knew this already!) Thank you to the many folks who’ve already donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through my Light the Night Walk donation page! An extra special thanks goes out to elsaf for advertising for me (thanks Elsa! You’re wonderful!) I’ve hit my goal and then some. And best of all, that means Elsa will need to post about the Seventh Doctor/Ace dream she had the other night. It’s a win-win situation for all! (And I see paygem has followed suit! Thanks, hon! And kiri_l as well! You folks rock!)

Best of all, there’s still time to donate! We walk on Thursday, September 28, so feel free to keep donating until then. Heck, you can even donate after then – the money is still for a great cause. I dunno about you, but today was my payday, so I finally contributed to my own cause (and a few others – heh). If today wasn’t your payday, maybe next Friday will be. Give if you can! As little or as much as you’re able! And thank you so much donors & advertisers!

KittyPicSpam!

My little babies are growing so fast! So much so that I keep forgetting to get pictures as they grow. I decided to rectify that by taking a few photos yesterday. The pair were in reclining mode.


The kitties recline in the gold chair.

The gold chair sits in my den. Originally that was just going to be a temporary place for it before I tried to sell it (or give it away) at a garage sale. But you know, it fits perfectly in my den and is a good place for kitties, cats, and trinas to sit.


Linus reclines.

Linus was sleeping on the chair while Lucy had moved over to the drawers beside the chair. Taking the photo of Linus woke her up, so her photo has her awake, but still relaxed.


Lucy reclines.

Aren’t they so cute? And they’re getting so big! Well, they’ll probably never get as big as Leo, but still! My babies are growing up!

Oh, and just a reminder: Don’t forget to Give from the Bottom of your Hearts to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and help support me on the Light the Night Walk! Give, give until it hurts!