Odds and Ends

I really think it’s time for Notre Dame for fire Charlie Weis.  Really, it’s time.  Get him out of there.

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I am watching football right now.  It’s the Colts vs. the Patriots.  Or, as I like to say, the Peyton Mannings vs. the Tom Bradys.  It’s the battle of the handsome quarterbacks.

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I’ve been to Target twice since I last posted about Target.  And both times they remembered to give me my five-cent credit.  Huzzah.

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NaNoWriMo is half over now.  I might not die.

Odds and Ends – Halloween edition

Behold the Halloween Tree:

Extreme close-up

Bow down before it’s awesomeness.  I love it.  I’m sure everyone will have one in another year or two.  I am thinking of putting some of that fake cobweb stuff on it, but I am afraid I will never get it off.

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Today I cleaned the basement, de-gooped three pumpkins, made 7 dozen butter cookies and went to two grocery stores.  The party is in three days.  I’m a little busy.

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The children carved their pumpkins today, but you will have to wait until tomorrow for photos.  I have to recharge the batteries in my camea.

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And finally, from BoingBoing via my brother:

Eew eew eew!  That is just about the creepiest thing I have ever seen.  I am so glad that didn’t catch on.  Why is it that pumpkins with faces are so creepy but pears shaped like Buddah are not?

Odds and Ends – semi-literary edition

Two days in a row.  Lucky you.

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It has been raining all day here.  All.  Freaking.  Day.  This makes it very hard to get motivated to do anything.  And it’s cold too.  So of course all I wanted to do all day was crawl under a blanket on the couch and read.  However, this was impossible because The Princess had riding after school, and then the C-Man had scouts.  Maybe tomorrow.

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I finished Dracula The Un-Dead.  I liked it.  Parts of it kind of read like they were taken from a screenplay (one scene in particular springs to mind) but since the co-author is a screenwriter I suppose that shouldn’t come as a big surprise.  I would definitely recommend it to any fan of the original.  If either of my siblings would like to borrow it (and you know who you are) just let me know.  First come first served.

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Now I am reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  I have never been a real fan of Jane Austen, but this seems pretty amusing.  I only wish I had come up with this idea first.

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I am looking for new book ideas for The Princess.  She has read all of the Twilight books, all of the Harry Potter books, and all of the Warriors books.  She seems to like books that belong to a series.  I guess that way she doesn’t need to learn a bunch of new characters every time.

The trick is that she reads pretty far above her grade level.  So it is difficult to find things that are challenging for her, but are also age appropriate.  If anybody has any suggestions, I’m all ears.

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Certain subscribers will be happy to know the basement remains bone dry.  Hooray new sump pump.

Odds and Ends

I was driving along in my car today when I hit a bump.  Tom’s University parking pass fell off my rear-view mirror.  And I have no idea where it went.  I looked for it (after I parked of course) and I can’t find it anywhere.  It’s like it fell into a black hole in my car.

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I heard an ad on the radio saying one of the local malls is offering free breakfast on the day after Thanksgiving from 3-4am.  Three to four o’clock in the morning?  Now, I enjoy a good Black Friday shopping trip as much as the next person but that seems extreme.

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Pretzel party at Jack’s house!  (Thanks Alan).

Odds and Ends

I know I just did this yesterday.  You’ll survive.

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It is supposed to snow here this weekend.  Can I just tell you how irritated I am by this development?  Oh, I know it is only snow showers, not really snow, and it won’t stick but still, it is only October 8.  This is ridiculous.

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The C-man got a math test back today.  He told me he didn’t think he had done very well on it.  He got 102%.  This kid…he said he thinks anything less than perfect is not very good.  He is going to worry himself into an ulcer if he keeps this up.  Or perhaps he will worry himself right into MIT.

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I still have not had time to put my Lego Ferrari’s together.  Maybe tomorrow.

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The Princess is dealing with a crisis.  Her riding coach is leaving.  And just in case that wasn’t traumatic enough, the coach she recommended is at a different stable.  So that means potentially losing not only her coach but also the lesson horses she loves so much.

We are trying to work out a system where she can work with that coach a couple times a month, and a coach at her current stable a couple times a month.  This is a recipe for disaster.  I wonder how many times I will accidentally take her to the wrong lesson.

Odds and Ends

The nicest thing just happened.  Last night one of the C-Man’s classmates called in a panic because he had forgotten his spelling words.  The C-Man read the whole list to him over the phone to avert the crisis.  This afternoon that classmate knocked on our door.  He had made the C-Man a “thank you so much” card and some cookies.  Isn’t that just so sweet?

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Apparently Target is now giving you a 5-cent credit if you bring your own bag.  I don’t know if this is nationwide or regional, but while investigating I found a lot of blog entries about it.  Curiously, there is no mention of it on the Target website. Or if it is there, is it so cleverly hidden that I could not find it.  I hope this is nationwide.  I love this idea.

In Italy you had to pay for plastic shopping bags.  They were 5-cents each.  But, remember, those were Euro cents, or about 7 or 8 American cents per bag.

In Sydney they would not charge you for a plastic bag, but they would seem very irritated with you if you asked for one.

Perhaps this is the way of the future.  Perhaps one day soon we will all use reusable bags for all our shopping.  And if every store gives you a 5-cent credit per bag, just think what you could do with all those nickels.

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Audrey Niffenegger’s new book came out today.

Regular subscribers may remember how much I loved The Time Traveler’s Wife.  I can’t wait to read this one.  I am number 8 in the queue at the library.  I wonder if I can wait that long.  Maybe I should just buy it.

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I cannot get enough of this song right now.

Odds and Ends – Cubs Edition

Random Cubs Notes

File this under something I don’t think I knew and kind of wish I still didn’t.

Two years ago Cubs backup catcher Koyie Hill severed all the fingers on his throwing hand in an accident with a table saw.  It’s true.  You can read about it here if you really want to,

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Milton Bradley says he feels hated by Cubs fans.  Well, Milton that would be because you are playing sucky baseball.  If we are going to pay you the unholy amount of money we are paying you, we expect you to live up to your end of the deal.  Silly fans.

So Mr. .268 average with 80 strike-outs; don’t go away mad, just go away.

Stats are from BaseballReference.com

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The Cubs are only 6 games out of the wild card slot.  I think we could still make it, provided we get hot at the right time.

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Jake Fox hit a grand slam homerun today.  I don’t really have anything to add.  I just wanted to point that out.

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You can really get a lot of knitting done during a baseball game.

Odds and Ends

I was waiting outside the school today to pick up the C-man.  While I was waiting there I saw a little boy come out wearing a Fernando Alonso/Renault hat.  It was just like mine!  Except smaller of course because based on size I think this kid was a first grader.  So I said “hey, I like your hat.”  He said thanks but he was looking at me like I was from Mars.  I think I need to meet his parents.

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The C-man had a field trip with Cub Scouts tonight.  We went out to the National Guard Center to see an Apache helicopter.  All the scouts got to sit in the helicopter and heard all about how you have to eat bugs in survival training.  And all Scouts got an MRE to take home as a lovely parting gift.  The C-man was mad because his is Jambalaya and he doesn’t like Jambalaya.  I told him I didn’t think it would matter and that he probably wouldn’t like it even if it was full of hot dogs and nachos.

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Birds keep flying in our wide open garage door, and trying to fly out the window.  The window is closed.  Stupid birds.

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And finally just because it’s funny:

From Laughing Squid

Odds and Ends

We have purchased all the school supplies for next year.  I bought myself a Trapper Keeper.  I am weak.  In my defense, Princess O had to get one this year (apparently you have to be very well organized in Middle School).  I have coveted the Trapper Keeper for several years now and I didn’t think it was fair if she had one and I didn’t.  Hers is green, mine is purple.  I’m not sure what I will do with my Trapper Keeper.  For the moment, I am just admiring it.

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I just got an email from Ikea asking if I wanted them to send me the 2010 catalog.  Yes, Yes, YES!  I love the Ikea catalog.  I almost never buy anything, but I like to look at all the handy closet organizers I could buy if I were so inclined.

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The children and I are returning to Michigan this weekend.  Yippee.

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And finally, on a completely unrelated note, check out this cool picture of the John Hancock Building in Chicago.  The photographer, Ken Derry took it while working as a crane operator on the new Trump Tower.

The photo gallery is here.  I originally discovered this on my brother’s blog, which is here.

Odds and Ends – Formula 1 edition

Sorry mom

Today is Fernando Alonso’s birthday.  He is 28 years old today.  He has

564 points
2 WDC’s
21 wins
52 podiums
18 pole positions

Not bad.  Not bad at all.

Happy birthday Fernando.  Come on over, I have cake.

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It looks like Felipe Massa will make a full recovery.  He may even be able to race again someday.  I have been just sick about what happened to him and this seems like the best possible news.

I gotta say though, if I were his wife, I might strongly recommend he retire.

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BMW is pulling out of F1.  That’s really a shame.  I’m hoping they can find a buyer and won’t have to fold the team.  Honda managed to sell their team (now Brawn GP), and BMW has more time, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

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And finally, the biggest F1 news of all today:  Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher will fill in for Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia.  He retired three years ago.  This is huge.  I cannot wait to see him on track with Lewis Hamilton.  I wonder if we will get the Shumi chop or the Hammy chop at the start.  I will be rooting for Michael.  Especially if Renault loses their appeal and can’t race that weekend.

If you are interested, you can get more details about all this (except Alonso’s birthday) here.