Sunday, October 28, 2007

Weekend Wrap-Up

1) Yesterday Faythe and I made the rounds, to Costco, where I am pleased to say I ordered new not-for-work glasses, then to The Pop Shoppe (yay, pop!), Cassano's Italian Market (yay, meatballs!), and finally to Holy Threads (YAY, YARN!!). Faythe's boyfriend Ryan hates me because he says I am a bad infuence in the yarn buying department. He said I took Faythe to Holy Threads but I maintain that I took myself there, and that Faythe just happened to be in the car.

2) Faythe invited me to her house for her famous fried chicken, so I made the Cassano's meatballs for the boys and went over there for dinner. Ryan was possessive of the chicken because there were only 24 drumsticks (ONLY 24 for four people, please!) but he didn't have to worry because I only ate 3 of them. He is just lucky I didn't bring the boys! After dinner we watched the Big Joe Polka Show, which is always a good time. Thanks Faythe for having me over.

3) Yesterday I found out that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have released a new CD called Raising Sand. I had a gift card for Hastings that the boys had given to me for my birthday, so I got it today. It's great! Robert Plant sings soft and sweet, quite a departure from his Led Zeppelin days, I like it.

4) Yesterday afternoon Leo was laying on the couch and our cat Grace was laying on him. She jumped off because she heard me in the kitchen, so I told Leo that Grace was fickle. Leo got a funny look on his face and said "Doesn't that mean poop?" I said no and he said "yes it does, fecal means poop!" That got a big laugh out of me. I can see how he mixed up those two words, they sound alike but boy are they different!

5) This afternoon we are watching The Karate Kid with Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi. Wax on, wax off!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Target Is Too Far Away

Last night I went to the Super Target up at the Y. This is about a 20 minute drive from my house. The other Target in the valley might be a little closer time-wise, but it is not a Super Target, just a plain old Target. And if I have to drive 20 minutes, my Target had better be a Super one.

I don't get up to Target nearly as often as I'd like to. Back in California the Target was about 5 minutes away from my house, so the phrase I'm Just Gonna Run To Target For A Minute was said a lot. Up here, there are no more quick runs to Target. Now we figure out if we can justify the trip by going to another store or eating place while we are up there. Last night it was Red Robin.

Anyway, after we ate the boys went to Borders and I was on my own at Target. With no one around to bug me, I took my time and browsed the food aisles, which I haven't done in a very long time. I was very impressed by the foods under their Archer Farms label. It's gourmet type convenience food at a low price. I wanted to try a lot of it, but just ended up getting Peach Mango Salsa, White Corn Tortilla Chips, and Tierra del Sol Coffee Pods. And some milk, which was 4.28 a gallon!

Here is my point. I wish Target were closer so that I could go more often. That's it. Target, hear my plea!

I have a whole other Target subject about how they spoon feed us pop culture and tell us what we like, but that will have to wait because I have to go to work now. See Ya!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

All I Want To Do Is See Clearly, Is That So Wrong?

To properly start this story we need to go back in time. Back...back...to March 2006! I know that's not very long ago, I probably used one too many backs in that last sentence, but it's my blog and I can be corny if I want to.

ANYWAY.

Back in March 2006 I got bifocals. They were awful! I couldn't focus on anything properly, so I never wore them, I just wore my old glasses. Which I am still wearing. Now I have a job which requires that I do a lot of close paperwork, and I have found that these bifocals which I hate come in really handy to see the stuff in my desk clearly. Problem is, when I look up, nothing is in focus, I have to tilt my head down and look upwards to see anything at a distance clearly. My misery and frustration led me to Costco. I decided that since my vision has changed to Mr. Magoo level, I needed new regular non-work glasses and also new bifocals for work. In the interest of saving money, I would use my bifocal frames, which are still new basically, for my single lens glasses and then just get a cheap pair of frames for my work goggles.

So I'm at Costco for over an hour looking at frames and trying to figure my stuff out, and in talking to the optician Jo we figured out the problem. She adjusted my bifocals so they sit lower on my face and now they work great! Thank you Jo! Now I am just going to get new non work glasses, but I can't decide what kind of frames to get. Peoples glasses say a lot about them, not just "I can't see my hand in front of my face". I have always been a wire rimmed gal but now I am leaning toward a more colorful plastic frame. Every time I tried one on Max said I looked like a crazy old lady who thinks she's young. Well, that sounds right to me! So plastic frames it is! Faythe, do you still want to go to Costco for glasses?

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Some Things

1) I went to Bible Study on Friday night. I had a group in Monterey but not here. I only just finally found a church a couple of months ago. This seems to be the group for me. They all seem very nice and I could see these people as being my friends. Hooray!

2) Yesterday my friend Heather from work let me tag along to a friend of hers house for their monthly craft morning. It was great to meet new crafters and sit in a nice home that was not mine and drink coffee and knit. I met alot of new people this weekend. That is a good thing!

3) Max and I went to see this movie called The King of Kong. It was a documentary, and it was great! I highly recommend it, especially if you are a video gamer.

4) Yesterday I took a tumble down some stairs. Actually, I slid on my butt and back pretty hard down brick stairs. My butt and back are bruised and I twisted my ankle a bit. I was moving really slowly this morning and ended up not going to church, which was unfortunate because I finally knew some people that I could sit by. Oh well, there is always next week. I am getting around a bit better now, hopefully I will be in good shape for work in the morning.

5) Speaking of work, it's late, going to bed.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Joe

My friend Joe called me last night. I can honestly say he is my oldest friend. Here is our first picture together:



I am 4 months old and he is 3 months old. Our sisters are holding us. Joe and his family lived 2 doors down from us. In fact, when I moved up to Spokane, Joe's mom was still 2 doors down. Growing up, I spent as much time over there as I did at my own house. Joe had cool boy toys that my mom wouldn't get for me, like Hot Wheels, Creepy Crawlers, and a train set. I remember when we left the train set plugged in and almost started a fire in their living room, we got in big trouble for that.

The neighbor that lived in the house between our two was this older lady named Angela. She put up with us for our whole growing up. I don't know how she did it. She was kind of snooty and liked her house and yard to be perfect. She probably did not like the fact that we had worn a path into her lawn from cutting across her yard all those years. I mean, why go down my driveway, along the sidewalk and up Joe's driveway when I could just walk through Angela's yard? She was always complaining to our parents about us, but the worst time was when we pushed over the top tier of her retaining wall so we could use the mortar in between the bricks for chalk rock, which we used to write our names all over said wall. Our parents were pretty mad because they had to pay to have her wall rebuilt. I say that if a couple of six year olds could push over a wall, then it wasn't a very good wall to begin with!


We were cute but we were stinkers!


Around the time this picture was taken, it was my moms birthday so to celebrate Joe and I got into the liquor cabinet and drank a bunch of Bacardi 151. We were about as drunk as two 15 year olds could be and we decided that since we knew each other our whole lives, that we should be married. (Man, I am laughing so hard right now.) But my best friend Tami would not marry us that day, so that was that. There are so many other memories I have of Joe during those years: riding his mini bike back and forth between our houses for hours, cruising (at unsafe speeds) in his awesome 67 Camaro that he fixed up, the list goes on and on.

Now we are grownups! Last night on the phone we agreed that while we may look old on the outside and have aches and pains now and then, on the inside we are still young and immature. We talked about our last trips to Disneyland and reminisced about how when we were in our early 20's we would just get in the car on a Friday after work with Steve and Dana and just drive down to LA for the weekend. We were young and spontaneous back then, now it takes an act of Congress and a second mortgage to take our families on vacation.

Anyway, Joe is happily married for many years to Mary, they have 2 kids and he makes his living as a fisherman. We talk every few months and it is always great to hear his voice.

This is my favorite picture, it sits framed in my bedroom:


Left to Right: Joe, Karla, Mike and Steve

This photo was taken about 3 or 4 years ago, in Steve's mom's driveway. I have known Joe forever, Mike since kindergarten and Steve since 2nd grade. They are still my closest friends. I am so blessed!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

That Max!

So we are coming back from our lovely fall outing today and we get to our house and there is a sweet little squirrel sitting so cutely on our wall. I say oh how cute and Max says awww then he rolls down his window. I think he is going to talk sweetly to the darling squirrel, here is what he said:

"Get the hell off our property, you bastard squirrel!"

I just never know what is going to come out of that boy's mouth. It's my fault. When he was little I would laugh at the stuff he did and that just encouraged him. Now pretty much everything that he says and does is for a laugh. Unfortunately, I am still encouraging him. I can't help it, he's funny!



See?

Fall, Year 2

Last year was our first fall here. I was totally awestruck by the colors of the trees and just amazed at fall in general. I thought that this year I might be just a little bit used to it, but no. It is fantastic. Today was a beautiful day with temps in the mid 60's, so I thought I'd take my camera out while I ran an errand.



This is the view from my driveway looking across the street to the left. If I look to the right I see this tree:



This is also the tree I see out my office window when I am on the computer, it makes me so happy!
These next pictures were taken between my house and my destination. I just zig-zagged around till I found cool trees. I didn't have to look very hard, they were everywhere! There was no way I could take pictures of them all, but here are a few.








These beautiful trees really are everywhere you look:



Even in front of ShopKo!



I hope I never get used to the beauty of the changing seasons here. When I lived in Monterey I rarely went to the beach. I have realized that the ocean just doesn't do it for me. It's all about the trees. If you live around here, get out this weekend and enjoy this awesome season.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Halloween Is Coming!

I have yet to get the decorations out. I am, however, making a bold move in order to increase the number of trick-or-treaters we get here. (Last year we had eight.)

Yesterday I bought a bunch of full-size candy bars. My aim is to be the Lady Who Gives Out Full Size Candy Bars. I still remember the one we had in our neighborhood growing up. I'm hoping times haven't changed too much and that a full size candy bar is still impressive enough to establish a reputation and get the kids coming to the door. Because I can't afford to be known as the Lady Who Gives Out iPods, although that would bring them in for sure!

So this month you can call me Karla Mellinger, LWGOFSCB.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

My Shame

Well, today was Greenbluff Day. Going to the apple festival at Greenbluff is a fun time. Faythe, Jennifer, Brad and I piled in my car this morning and went up there for our 2nd annual outing. Last year it was all new and we were just taking it all in. This year we knew what to expect and so we came prepared to mock.

This is my shame. I am a mocker. I see the humor in things and I can't help but share my observations with my friends. So naturally I have gravitated towards like minded individuals and now we go places which have excellent mocking potential. Like the circus. And Greenbluff.

Don't get me wrong. I do not go there for the sole purpose of mocking. It's beautiful country and I love the community spirit of these small town festivals. It's just that sometimes things are funny. And I try very hard not to make fun of people directly because I do not like to hurt anyones feelings. Sadly, that was not the case today.

I saw a crocheted hat that was clearly far too big for anyones head. I pointed that out to Faythe who is a fellow crocheter and knitter. Then I put the giant ass hat on my head and posed for a picture. Unfortunately, I did not realize the the hat's creator was standing right behind me as I was doing this. I did not find out until after the fact. And now I feel bad. Not for what I said or did, but that I got caught and pissed someone off. That was not my intent.

Will this stop me from mocking stuff? Heck no! However, I will try to be more careful from now on. After all, the Christmas Craft Fair is right around the corner!

PS--If you want Faythe's take on the day in all it's lurid glory, you can go
here.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Another New Word!

Said to us last night at Walmart by our cashier.

Cashier(to Leo): How did you break your arm?

Max (joking): I didn't do it!

Cashier: Good thing, because that would be some sweet revengeance!

REVENGEANCE?!?

Last time I checked the Bible, the verse was not "Revengeance is mine, saith the Lord".

And think of how idiotic Samuel L. Jackson would have sounded in "Pulp Fiction"--You will know I am the Lord when I lay my revengeance upon you!

OY!

Friday, October 05, 2007

TV Confessional

Well, it's the new season and here is what I'm watching, old and new.
First the new:
1) The Bionic Woman. I can't believe I said it. It started out of curiosity, seeing as how I liked the old one. And after two episodes it has now become a sort of guilty pleasure. My kids still think that I'm just knitting with the TV on and it just happens to be on that show. One big reason I am watching is because I love Miguel Ferrer. My biggest complaint is that his character should be named Oscar Goldman. I mean, she's Jamie Sommers, right?
2) Right after Miguel, I mean The Bionic Woman, is a new show called Life. It's a cop show but weirder. So far so good.
Are those the only new shows I'm watching? I think so. Last year was the big year for new shows, and I am still watching a lot of them: Heroes, Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters. And I have to admit that I still enjoy Desperate Housewives, My Name Is Earl (last nights show was hilarious!) and of course The Office.
So that's everything that I watch. (Oh yeah, and Soul Train too, man I love those old Soul Trains!) It seems like a lot, but spread out over the course of a week it's really not much at all. So glad to have the DVR, that way I can watch when I want.

I started this post this morning before work when I was awake and everything, now I am trying to finish it but I am so tired, so I will let this post fizzle out in much the same way I am right now.