Squirrelly Notes

Oh Tannenbaum.....

The finished product, simple but nice. I rather like not over-decorating the tree (at least until next year:) The cats are slowly tempting fate and I expect a major soaking will be in order soon. (We keep a bottle of water handy for that reason).

We met the future neighbors that will live directly behind us today. They have one 4-year-old boy who needs to cut back on the caffeine (we may need a fence after all - either that or a tight row of roses!) Besides running a couple errands today, like last Sunday, it's been a pretty laid-back day. A trip to the store, moving some dirt around among pots on the patio, watching the Bucs lose again, that's about it.

Got Ben?

School ended Thursday for winter break and two of Ben's friends, Yeon and Kim, are staying with us for a couple nights before they head home to West Palm Beach. Kim has an office party tonight that she didn't want to miss, so they have have taken over Ben's room!!  They're very nice girls and it's been fun having them here, in fact it's helped to make it feel more like Xmas. They are welcome back any time!  This picture was taken at a Xmas tree lot where we nabbed one of the last two Xmas trees left. The shirt Ben's wearing is a present from the two of them, and actually is referencing some football player, but who could tell???  :)

Joe stands talking to the tree salesman at our first ever warm weather Xmas tree purchase. This is all new to us and we're still shaking our heads and commenting on how "weird" it is. We've had the windows open all day since about 9:00 this morning. Ahhh.....this is what we came here for. We have it up with lights adorned, but decorations will wait until tomorrow since Ben had to leave for work.

 

House update - We stopped by the house and saw that the taping is just about done on the sheet rock. An email from Dominic last night said that the sheet rock would be textured and painted this coming week. They had also cut-out for the driveway, so it should be poured this next week also. I'm happy that the rooms all feel a little bigger now that the sheet rock is up. I was really beginning to wonder about the size. Even though the square footage is almost exactly what our Vancouver house was, I don't think it's quite as big. And I say this for several reasons, there's no formal entry, there's no stairs, no nook, a very small laundry room (just big enough for the washer and dryer), the living room and formal dining room are just a squeak smaller, and there are only two full baths rather than two and a half.  So I think the numbers are a little skewed, but I take joy in knowing that it'll be less to clean (always thinking aren't I?).

Many of the homes in the new neighborhood have been decorated very nicely. Today when entering through the gate there was a sign about a decorating contest. Woohoo!!!!  When can I start?  Joe and I have been pondering doing something a little different. How does the Mexican tradition of the "day of the dead" sound? Can't you just imagine figures (skeletal of course) standing in the yard with lots of bright colored lights? Ok, we'll have to think this through.....perhaps that would best be left for a Halloween-time idea. We'll see.... (There's a house here in Tampa that put 1000 crosses in their decorated yard to honor the soldiers killed in Iraq. Very clever and very sobering - something people need to appreciate (and despise in my opinion - the deaths that is, not the crosses)). Joe and I talk often about how lucky we are, and though many are luckier than us, we are luckier than many, something we give thanks for every day.

My Birthday Watch

Back in October when we were supposed to change the clocks, I had the hardest time trying to figure out how to change my little digital sporty-type watch. There were four buttons on it and it was actually way more complicated to change than it should have been. And the stupid directions numbered the buttons instead of calling them what they really were I.E., mode, set, alarm etc. Anyway, the watch ended up dying a short time later - probably because I willed it so in all my anger, and in the meantime, I bought a $5.99 watch to get me by. So, for my birthday yesterday (39.5 thank you very much:) Ben and Joe went together and bought me a watch that is synced to the atomic clock in Colorado, hence sparing me another session of agony when the time needs to be changed. After replacing the metal band with a very fine looking black leather one (metal bands make my arm break out ) I have the coolest watch in the family. I shall never be late again honest:) In addition to the fine new watch, we went for dinner at a fairly classy place called "717". While Joe waited outside for Ben and Ashley, I went in to sit down, carrying my own classy-looking gift box wrapped in comics from the newspaper. I felt a little silly but it was worth it in the end. I had a very nice 4?th birthday (aka 39.5). The food was excellent and the company was superb.

Like I said......

Stop right there! Four to six feet - like I said, he's going past the drop point (which is me). Are there schools out there for feline fetch training? Ah...kitty daycare continues. Gotta love 'em just the same, but it would be easier if he were just a LITTLE smarter:)  My heart goes out to those who work with special ed......

Lazy Sunday

It's been a  lazy Sunday with football, the boy at home, and a refreshingly cool day. Joe and I went for a long walk this morning around the complex twice and have been doing pretty much nothing today. Jeebus, the cat that dominates 2/3 of the bed, has recently become too darn energetic - wanting to play fetch constantly. I throw a one-inch super-ball onto the patio, he chases it, picks it up in his mouth and brings it back in usually dropping it 4-6 feet from me - just out of reach, sometimes placing it in a shoe!! Since he almost starved to death as a kitten, and has run head strong into the patio door numerous times, he just isn't.... well, let's just say the light's on upstairs, but we're not sure anybody's really home. Once he realizes his human is tired of throwing the ball, it must be time for yet another nap. Quidjibo, the baby of the two is on the same wave length and curls up with him.