The photo below shows the scary Halloween orange, and some examples of how we might rectify it. Chris tried some pale yellow glazing, which actually looks too white (it was some old half white glaze I already had which he mixed with pale yellow). I tried some bright yellow with glaze blotted on, and then some berry/brick mixed with glaze blotted on. I think I like best the spot that has both bright yellow and red blotted over the orange. This is kind of a conondrum.

Oh, and Peter Rabbit escaped last week. :(

I'll do a quick post. Last weekend Chris and I went to see "Walk the Line," the Johnny Cash movie. We got there 45 minutes late and had to sit in the front, but it was a great movie, and we had fun.

This weekend, we needed to put a second coat of ceiling paint on in living room, and that led to a spur of the moment decision to repaint the walls. They did need repainting, and "since we were going through all the effort...." Chris was tired of the cheerful light yellow, so we agreed on a tasteful lightish medium ochre. Well, he came home with a VIBRANT, RICH, IN YOUR FACE pumpkin. He told me not to be scared, but I was. We put a coat on the walls, but I can't live with it, so we are going to have to do something different--like some faux glazing to tone it down.

Got toddlers? My sunday school kiddies got a kick out of putting little foam heart stickers on a sheet, then grabbing corners and shaking them up and down. They were very diligent about picking them up again so they could do it again, and again! Great activity for indoors in winter!

I got as far as taking my midterm exam for medical transcription this week. I got an 86%. Now there is a bunch of editing training, which I love. After this, I'll get to the real transcription practice! Yay!

The world is full of cactus, but we don't have to sit on it.
--William Foley

The Animal Planet channel was on the other day, and it was an animal rescue show. It looked like maybe Arizona. This woman called in about her neighbor's cat who had apparently somehow gotten COMPLETELY embroiled in some cactus! The poor cat was COVERED in stickers, not moving, and meowing piteously! They got it to the vet, tranquilized it, and spent the next 2 hours removing prickers! It then looked normal and had to be on pain relievers and antibiotics for 10 days. It had looked so absolutely horrible--like a cat shaped cactus plant. I guess kitty hadn't talked to William Foley.

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY. ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CABIN FEVER, HERE! MUST GET OUT AND DO
SOMETHING BESIDES RAT RACE DUTIES! The sky has been either light grey, medium grey, whitish grey, mottled grey, watery grey, or kill-me-now-I-can't-take-it-anymore-grey. A little help, here, oh great WEATHERMAN IN THE SKY? Here's my typical scenario: Thursday is a mental health day and I have to daydream all day about good things and fun stuff to do Saturday so I don't climb the walls and start crawling around on the ceiling with foam coming out of my mouth. Saturday comes along: I was up late the night before cuz work lets out no earlier than 12:30 usually. Then I have to unwind and/or visit with Chris if he's still up. 12:00 noon Saturday and I'm still not dressed and quite groggy, and there are mountains of laundry and not exactly bouncing out the door on great adventures. Chris actually has to work today, too. It's not raining, though. The least I could do is go to Point Defiance Park with the kiddos. I'm pretty broke and that's free.

Last Saturday I did a mommy and me date with Zoe. We went to Krispy Kreme donuts, which I religiously avoid normally. We had wanted to go to Red Robin and get dessert, but of course they were packed. My donut was so amazing and only 1/3 satisfying. I could have gobbled 2 more, but I resisted. The coffee packed a wallop! Now I know who has high octane java! We then walked over to Toys R Us and bought Trivial Pursuit for kids and Yahtzee. The kids and I played Trivial Pursuit for the next few hours, and it was SO FUN!!! I had to drag Zach kicking and screaming to play, but after 1 minute, he was totally into it! He had to have a long pep talk though when he exhibited extremely poor sportsmanship cuz his YOUNGER sister beat him! The indignity!!

I want to go on a road trip and a boat trip and have some tiramisu. I need these things.

Okay, okay, Kristi, a new post is forthcoming! :)

Our computer was out of commission for a few days being de-virused. We now have more protection and a different browser. Hopefully things will go more smoothly now.

What is like unto a Saturday where the sun actually pokes its head out already and you're still in your jammies at 12:45!? Chris is leaving for a friend's house to watch the important football game. Zach spent the night at a friend's house last night, and friend's sister slept here. We're pretty much forcing Zach to shower and nap, and he's not happy about it. He had stayed up really late, of course. Wednesday, Grampa took him and a few other boys on a tour of an aircraft carrier. Zach came back in a great mood. It was great for him to have the monotony of studying broken by a GUY EXCURSION.

What am I supposed to do about this rabbit? No really--any suggestions? (I'm calling it Fluffer Nutter, and yes, the coloring actually does look like marshmallow fluff and peanut butter!) I'm kindhearted and martyrish enough to let it run around the house to exercise, but Chris can't stand it and says its unhygienic and "How many times do I have to put my foot down about this?!" Of course I clean up after the rabbit really well, but if it messes an area and Chris gets to it first, that's not cool. It's cold and wet outside, and we only have a small cage. This shouldn't be my problem it should be Zach's. But all animal issues become my issues because I am responsible and caring, and kids can't really be trusted. Supposedly you can get rabbit leashes at Petco!

Yesterday we had an injured starling stay for a few hours. I think the cat had tackled it. Zach rescued it and cleaned off a bite mark with hydrogen peroxide. We calmed it down, let it rest, gave it some seeds. The neat part was when the rabbit and the starling were sharing an apple! He perked up and was hopping around the room, so I let him go. He flew with a crooked tail to a nearby tree and watched us for a bit as if to say, "Thanks, mates!"

True story: the mother of the boy Zach was with was trying to explain about Communion to her 3-year-old, telling him it represented the Body of Christ. He looked at his little piece of cracker and said, "I think I got the skin!"