Delightfully confused

So....

If a guy calls to meet you for a drink on Saturday and before you finish the evening, asks to see you on Sunday, and then on Sunday says, "Let's get together for dinner one day this week" is that a GOOD thing?

I'll keep you posted.

Life and Relationships

"There's an old joke. Two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort. One says, 'The food at this place is really terrible.' The other says, 'I know, and such small portions.'

That's essentially how I feel about life, full of lonliness, misery, suffering and unhappiness. And it's all over much too quickly."

-------------------------------
"This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, 'Doc, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken.' The doctor says, 'Why don't you turn him in?' He says, 'I can't. I need the eggs.'

Well, I guess that's how I feel about relationships. They're totally irrational, crazy and absurd. But I guess we keep going through it because most of us need the eggs."

-Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) in "Annie Hall"

Movie Madness

The advantage of having all this free time in the summer is that I'm cruising through the AFI Top 100 Movies of All Time list. I'm a little out of order because Lackluster.com doesn't have everything I need, nor do they come to my mailbox in order. I gave up my OCD tendencies about it and just watch them as they come.

The dilemma is that when I finish, the AFI just did a 10th anniversary edition of the Top 100 list. Should I just watch the ones that got added, or do I have to watch them ALL over again, from #100 to #1? (There's the OCD again.)

I may need a break from the drama, though and might switch to the Top 100 Funniest Movies instead. Then again, there are some repeats on that list, too.

I'm all caught up!

Hey! I bet you didn't notice that I upgraded The Bing Blog layout and lost the Poll o' the Week. Here are the results of the last one:
-----------------------
Now that BDSAC is over, I think Bing should....

sleep 67% 4 votes
sleep 0% 0 votes
sleep 0% 0 votes
sleep 0% 0 votes
sleep 33% 2 votes

6 votes total
----------------------
You'll be happy to know that I'm caught up on my sleep. Now I'm trying to catch up on yard work, pool maintenance, home repairs, finances and all the other fun things that pile up while you're on vacation.

Oh, and I'm going to try and fix the poll settings now.

Seeing Daylight

"My dad had the right idea. He had it all worked out. he used to say to me, 'Son, don't miss the wonders that surround you. Because every tree, every rock, every anthill, every star is filled with the wonders of nature.' He used to say to me, 'Did you ever notice how grateful you are to see daylight after coming through a long, dark tunnel? Well,' he'd say, 'Always try to see life around you as if you just came out of a tunnel.' "

Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

In 16 days....

D-Man and I are going to San Francisco to see Mer sing!

Flight - check
hotel - check
opera tickets - check
Beach Blanket Babylon tickets - check

I am BEYOND excited!

Home Improvements made easy!

THIS is my new favorite website!

Elvis is IN the building!

LOOK at what I just ordered!

A Woman's Career

"Funny business, a woman's career. The things you drop on your way up the ladder so you can move faster, you forget you'll need them again when you get back to being a woman. That's one career all females have in common whether we like it or not - being a woman. Sooner or later, we've got to work at it, no matter how many other careers we've had or wanted. And in the last analysis, nothing's any good unless you can look up just before dinner or turn around in bed and there he is. Without that, you're not a woman. You're something with a French provincial office or a...a book full of clippings. But you're not a woman.

Slow Curtain. The End."

- Bette Davis in "All About Eve."

Green beer and Shamrocks

Here are some of the songs we came up with while brainstorming for our St. Patrick's Day pageant.

O'Malley, the Red-nosed leprechan, drank a lot of Guinness Beer......

Jolly old St. Pat-er-ick, lean your beer this way......

(D's favorite) On the first day of St. Patrick's Day, my true love gave to me.....a shamrock.
On the second day of St. Patrick's Day, my true love gave to me....nothing cuz there's only one day. And a shamrock.
(He extrapolated this out to about the 8th day as such: nothing, cuz there's one day; nothing cuz there's one day; nothing cuz there's one day....well, you get the picture!)

It was late. We were tired. AND sugared up. I think it was Judge J who said "It'll be a short pageant. In height, not length."

Christmas in July

Sorry I've been out. I DID skip the convention in Orlando since D-Man was in Miami, buying up all the old Pageant costumes, music and props that our former religious instituition decided to sell for a dime. We spent all day Friday boxing it up, but he could only fit about half of it on the truck he had. Now he has to come back this weekend and get the rest. I'm heading up there the week after to get ready for our trip to Orlando to see Mer (YEA!) so I can stuff the last bit in my car if necessary.

Of course, I told him this would not have been so much work if he had developed a St. Patrick's Day show rather than a Christmas one. Details on THAT late night giggle-fest to follow.

Tadpoles and Termites

I made it home around 8 PM last night. I was SO tired when I got to Portland that I upgraded to First Class for the flight to Chicago. Got a REALLY nice Denver omelette and a 4 hour nap. I felt MUCH better, but could tell I was still out of it on the flight home to Miami. The sudoku, the crossword and the Mensa puzzles were giving me fits and usually, I kick their little puzzle patooties. I gave up and slept some more.

I arrived to find a dark pool with little tadpoles and termite dust on the kitchen floor. The pool is well on its way to recovery and I'll call to have the house tented sometime next week. The cat finally came home around 10 PM, but was not interested in coming in the house or even saying more than "Oh. It's you. Welcome back. Or whatever" before venturing back out into the night.

I decided NOT to venture to the summer band geek convention. D-Man is actually in Miami for the weekend, so my plan of skipping out on the convention would not have worked. Instead, I'm going to help him down here. He's buying old pageant costumes, props and music from our ex-church.

Today started after a full 12 hours of sleep (YES) and getting the pool on the way to recovery. Then off to school to drop some things off and see how full my mailbox is. It looks like my room is completely cleaned and the carpet shampooed so I can start putting things back together next week. I'm actually ready to get back to work. SCARY!

I need SLEEP!

It's 7 AM. I've been up for 4 hours already, and flew from Medford to Portland. It's 45 minutes until my flight to Chicago boards. I can barely keep my eyes open. This is NOT going to be a good day.

Time to go home

BDSAC is officially over. I'm flying back home in a few hours. I have to pack but I'm EXHAUSTED. Once I land, I have one night in my own bed, then I'm off to Orlando for the state summer band geek convention. I may skip it. We'll see how I feel when the time comes.

Happy Birthday, Bing Blog

It was one year ago today that the Bing Blog made its debut as a C Session Boredom Reducing project. I am currently working on the next installment - The ABC Grand Staff Blog, for the "grandest ABC staff on earth." (Uhh, and the ONLY ABC staff, but that's not important right now.)

I'm doing it again....

I just registered for the ING Half Marathon again. That'll be great motivation for me to kick my own butt and get in better shape for the New Year's Eve Karoake Bash by the pool.

In a fit of insanity, I considered running the Disney Half as well. Too bad registration is already closed for that one. It would have been fun. The Disney FULL is open, but I really don't think I could get through that one properly while planning the ABA convention as well. The ING Half will be stress relief, not stress inducing.

Breakfast Update

The Librarian, The Maestra and I ended up not going to Morning Glory for breakfast today, as it was packed. We went to The Breadboard instead. I had pumpkin walnut pancakes with marionberry jam.

OOOOO LAAAA LAAA!

An exchange with the Big Dog

The Big Dog Boss sent me an e-mail. He's on the coast sleeping 12-14 hours a day while I hold down the pound for the last week. He said that if I needed to get in touch with him, call his wife. He forgot his phone at home. This was the exchange:

Me: YOU? Forgot your phone? How could THAT happen?! LOL
Big Dog: That's just a figment of your imagination.
Me: Did you ever find your house keys?
Big Dog: Still in my tux pants from the concert.
Me: All is well in the hen house. Relax and get some sleep!
Big Dog: Buk buk buk...bukack.

Monster Building

We had a late night in the dorms, sitting in the D lounge watching the Live Earth concerts and just chilling. Someone did a 7-11 run around 1 AM and brought me back a cola slushie and some beef jerky. YUMMY! I finally fell in bed around 2:30 AM, so when my alarm went off at 7, I was an unhappy person.

When I got to the building that I needed to unlock for class, the building tried to eat me. I went in the back door, got stuck in the stairwell where my keys didn't work and finally found my way out to daylight again. When I went to the other side of the building, all of the student were there waiting to get in. I finally managed to figure it all out, but I'm still not sure if they bought my story, but I'm sticking with it. I also had a witness.

Today's agenda: Meet The Librarian for breakfast at Morning Glory, then find a couch and take a nap!

Holy Cow! A Lying Dog

A guy is driving around the back woods of Tennessee and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: "Talking Dog for Sale."

He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep," the lab replies.

After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says "So, what's your story?"

The Lab looks up and says, "Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA and they had me sworn into the toughest branch of the armed services ..the United States Marines ...you know one of their nicknames is "The Devil Dogs". In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders; because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running, but the jetting around really tired me out and I knew I wasn't getting any younger. So, I decided to settle down. I retired from the Corps (8 dog years is 56 Corps years) and signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in."

"I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired."

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

"Ten dollars," the guy says.

"Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?"

"Because he's a liar. He never did any of that stuff. He was in the Coast Guard!"

Do Dogs Swing?

I was sitting at dinner when the previous entry text messages came through. I read them aloud to the people at the table, who are taking the jazz band class. The following conversation ensued:

Student A: "Isn't Homie local? Couldn't she come and visit you?"
Me: "Yes, but she's with her dog?"
Student B: "Can't she bring her dog with her? I miss my dog."
Student C: "Can the dog swing?"
Student A: "Only if you hold it by the tail."

Much giggling ensued.

I'm BORED and lonely!

My text message to the Band Camp staff at 4:46 PM today:
HEY! Where is everybody? Come back. I'm BOOOOORED!

The responses:
Stray Dog: Sorry. Currently boating on the Mississippi with family. Wish you were here with us.
Fleur: I'll bet it's like a ghost town there! Are you still on cloud nine? Are you dreaming of blue eyes and pink ties?
The Mayor: See how valuable I am!
Mr. DJ: Hola! I'm back in Colorado. How is Project Punch Part II coming along?
Hometown Honey aka "Homie": I'm with my dog.

Ratatat called. He can't get texts. We talked business.

No response from Techno-Chick, Ozzie and Harriett or Electric Clown.

I'm still bored!

New Blog coming

Coming soon to a computer near year...the ABC Staff blog, where we can ALL keep each other updated and entertained. I just need a good name for it.....any ideas?

This just in....new job possibility

MELBOURNE, Australia — A major condom brand said Friday it expected thousands of applicants for a new unpaid job on offer — condom tester.

Durex said 200 adult Australians — men and women — are wanted to test a range of its condoms.

While the successful applicants will not be paid, each will receive a pack of Durex sex products, a chance to win 1,000 Australian dollars ($857 U.S.), plus professional prestige, the company said in a statement.

"Who wouldn't want to have a chance with an actual authorized professional?" Durex marketing manager Sam White asked.

"Durex is expecting thousands of applicants," the statement said.

Hopefuls must explain in their applications why they would make "expert" condom testers.

How they test the condoms is not specified, but testers must provide honest feedback about how they find the products.

No deadline is set for evaluating a range of four condoms and other sex products.

Riding in cars with boys....

In reference to Fleur's comment under "Toys and Tots:"

Fleur said...
HELLO!!! I frantically woke up this morning, so glad that you put your bing blog on my favorites so that I could find it and see what was UP LAST NIGHT???????????????

My response: NOTHING was up last night except I found out there is A LOT of luggage in that trip, and no truck to haul it. What with my bad travel mojo, I'll wait for the next train.

He had a nice chassis, though!

See you soon!

I got to take Stray Dog to the airport so he could get back to MN. He's moving here in a month to start helping Big Dog boss and Little Dog son take over the band dog pound. Big step for him and for the family, but an exciting one. I'm excited because now we'll be able to get to know the Mrs. He's awesome and he loves her very much, so she's got to be awesome, too! Can't wait 'til next year!

Sing along with Bing!

The BEST karoake song EVER is...

You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin' (David Allan Coe) 13% 1 vote
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) 50% 4 votes
Smooth (Santana) 0% 0 votes (Sorry, Dozer!)
Brick House (Commodores) 25% 2 votes
Wing Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler) 13% 1 vote

FYI - The Bing Blog New Year's Eve Karaoke Pool Party is in Miami. Reserve your tickets now!

I'm RICH! (well, soon I will be)

I am SO excited....Look at the e-mail I just got. I didn't even know I HAD a cousin Abbas, and now he's left me Twenty Four million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars. Do you think my cousin Guido will be mad that Abbas is now my new favorite relative?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Good Day,
Let me start by introducing myself. I am Mr. Patrick K.W. Chan (Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer) of the Hang Seng Bank Ltd. I have an obscured business suggestion for you.
Before the U.S and Iraqi war our client Gen. Abbas Radhi Ismail who was with the Iraqi forces and also businessman made a numbered fixed deposit for 18 calendar months, with a value of (Twenty Four million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only) in my branch. Upon maturity several notices was sent to him, even during the war which began in 2003. Again after the war another notification was sent and still no response came from him. We later find out that the General along with his wife and only daughter had been killed during the war in a bomb blast that hit their home.
After further investigation it was also discovered that Gen. Abbas Radhi Ismail did not declare any next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit. And he also confided in me the last time he was at my office that no one except me knew of his deposit in my bank. So, Twenty Four million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars is still lying in my bank and no one will ever come forward to claim it. What bothers me most is that according to the laws of my country at the expiration of 5 years the funds will revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody applies to claim the funds.
Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Gen. Abbas Radhi Ismail so that you will be able to receive his funds.
MODALITIES:
I want you to know that I have had everything planned out so that we shall come out successful. I have an attorney that will prepare the necessary document that will back you up as the next of kin to Gen. Abbas Radhi Ismail, all that is required from you at this stage is for you to provide me with your Full Names and Address so that the attorney can commence his job. After you have been made the next of kin, the attorney will also fill in for claims on your behalf and secure the necessary approval and letter of probate in your favor for the move of the funds to an account that will be provided by you.
There is no risk involved at all in this matter, as we are going adopt a legalized method and the attorney will prepare all the necessary documents. Please endeavor to observe utmost discretion in all matters concerning this issue.
Once the funds have been transferred to a nominated bank account we shall then share in the ratio of 70% for me, 30% for you. Should you be interested please send me the following:
1. Full names
2. Private phone/fax
3. Current residential address
and I will prefer you reach me on my private email address below and finally after that I shall provide you with more details of this operation.
Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated.
Kind Regards
Mr. Patrick Chan.
Email:patrickchan9300@yahoo.com.hk

Toys and Tots

Here was a conversation between FL BN Goddess' 4 year old daughter and myself. I had given her my birthday tiara and boa to wear for the parade.

Me: You know, your mommy GAVE me that tiara for my birthday.
Her: When you were little?
Me: No, last week.

You KNOW you rule when a 4 year old wants to play with your stuff!

Kill, marry or drive

The standard question that gets asked after two weeks as BDSAP (Band Director Sleep-Away Camp) is "How do you get to be on staff?" The standard reply has always been, "Kill one of us." At certain times during the two weeks, we can even provide you with a name or two for the hit list. (But we always make up with each other!) But somehow, because Techno-Chick and I are the only two on staff enjoying (mostly) the single life, that comment has changed to "Kill or marry one of us." There even seemed to be some fine gentlemen who thought that proposal over. (Or they might have been studying woodwind pitch tendency; all I know is that there was a confused, glassy look in their eye.) But now, The Electric Clown (who missed the parade today because he didn't have all of the lights ready for the concert) has decided that another method would be to buy a truck. That way, he wouldn't have to drive his and haul equipment all the time. Suddenly, those same gentlemen are looking over their lease agreements and financing options.

Thanks for clearing the board! Maybe I'll have some nice young stud run him over with his Dodge Ram. It'll be a trifecta!

hot dorms and truffles

This year's graduating group (led by the Florida bassoon goddeess) decided it would be a nice gesture to buy the grad staff some treats to say thank you. The Harry and David's dark chocolate truffles were QUITE a nice choice. The only problem is that the dorms are REALLY hot today. I just got back from the post-concert party, and thought I would have a little treat. Melted chocolate poured out all over. Not wanting to waste a drop, I tried licking it off of my arm. The real problem was, I couldn't reach the drips on my leg, and besides, I would rather have someone ELSE lick melted chocolate off of my thigh. Nobody in particular at the moment, but still, a nice thought.

Nekked nap

Today is the 4th of July, and as always, I'm freakin' exhausted. Got very little sleep, then had to be up early (5:30 AM) to start setting up for tonight's concert, then 2+ hour rehearsal in the morning sun, then the parade, then lunch, then get the keg for the post-concert party. It's now 2:45 PM. I just took a shower and I'm settling in for a two hour "nekked nap" in my dorm room. PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB!

Where did it go?

Well, tomorrow's the 4th of July, and we all know what that means: Band Director Sleep-Away Camp is over for another year. It's been a fun one (mostly), we're all exhausted (somewhat) but ready to return to our "real" lives and "real" families (no comment.) Techno-chick (that's EL's new nickname; I hope she likes it!) has the following message posted on her dorm room door next to me: "Only 354 days until Session A, Day 1."

Hopefully, I'll make it that long!

His wife might get mad.

So Tedley says that my previous post wasn't even anonymous and his better half reads my blog and now he's going to get in trouble because I licked his straw. Perhaps a new nickname should be the topic of the next poll. I could use a few suggestions. AND a little sleep. We're getting awfully punchy around here!

PS - Dear Mrs. Tedley, Thanks for the birthday wishes! Wish you were here to have fun with us!

FOR WOMEN ONLY!

If you're a man, don't read this! If you do, don't say I didn't warn you!

My random thought for the day: Why should a woman have to suffer from cramps if she's not even USING those organs? It's really annoying, and SO not fair.

I warned you, gentlemen!

It's July 1!

My birthday gifts today include:
-a pink boa
-a tiara and clip-on earrings meant for a 3 year old
-3 of the 4 Pez in the new Ratatouille set
-1 Disney Princess Pez (Cinderella)
-a nerf dart blow gun
-a puzzle and gum thing that clips to your beltloop
-a box of marionberry tasty goodness
-a Winnie the Pooh and a Tigger, too
-lots of cards, kisses and well-wishes
(and a lead on a cute guy from La Fleur du Sur. We'll call her Fleur for short. She's the best! I have to say that, because she's sitting next to me right now and letting me blog on HER computer. Except I mean it. Really.)

We're going to see the Rat movie tonight and then do Omar's. Just like every year.

Educational Happy Meals

I went to Wendy's for lunch and wanted to order a Happy Meal (or their lame equivalent) because it's my birthday. Then I saw the "toy." It was a read-along book with cd. How LAME! You can't have an educational give-away in a kids meal! We want them to be fat AND stupid! SHEESH!

Swapping Spit

Today at breakfast, Tedley was trapped in the cafeteria booth and I refused to let him out to refill his water glasses. (Because I'm a snot and we tease each other endlessly!) So I told him I would fill them for him. When I got back to the table, he picked one up and JUST as he started to drink, I told him, "I spit in one of those glasses." He looked at me as though he just might believe me, and then I said, "I'm just kidding." Then as he took his first swallow, I hit him with, "I spit in BOTH of them."

Then at lunch, he left the lid to his soda cup on the table while he went for a refill. I was cleaning up the table when he got back and he yelled, "Don't touch my straw!" So I licked it and stuck it in his drink!

I love you, Tedley!

The Rooster has left the hen house.

So we had this big surprise concert the other day for the founder of our program. We had to plan the whole thing behind his back, so we came up with the code word "Rooster" for it, because we were premiering a new piece of band music dedicated to Max that was written by a world-renowned composer by a VERY similar name. If we were discussing anything and he walked into the room, one of us would quietly crow and everyone would divert. "When is the Rooster rehearsal?" "Do you have the Rooster badges?" "Donde esta la musica del 'Rooster'?"

Our cover was ALMOST blown when he unexpectedly went to town to go to dinner. (He usually NEVER leaves the house during the program.) He ran into one of our guest performers from Michigan. She teaches for us quite often and for her to be in town and not call him was very suspicious. I was talking a day off in no. California and got her call. So I was trying to tell her to lie to him and say that she WAS planning to surprise him on July 3 (our big graduation ceremony) but that he caught her. But his son said that no, he bought her story that they were just passing through and didn't want to do any "band stuff" this trip.

The look on his face when he walked into the hall and saw the band on stage says that he bought it. BIG time!

Poll change

Which of the annual "Sofa Bed Tour" locations would YOU rather visit?

Orlando, Florida (and the magical mouse house) 7% 1 vote
Wayne, Maine (home of Tubby's ice cream) 21% 3 votes
St. Louis, Missouri (sliding down the arch) 14% 2 votes
Chicago, Illinois (and Lou Malnati's pizza) 14% 2 votes
Ashland, Oregon (Omar's, anyone?) 36% 5 votes
San Francisco, California (Beach Blank Babylon and the Pez Museum) 7% 1 vote

-------------------------------
There was an awful lot of action this time around. Perhaps it's because this "Poll o' the Week" lasted about 4 weeks.

My mother is a technopeasant!

God bless my mom! She sent me an electronic card yesterday, since my birthday is tomorrow. It was the first time I ever got one from her. When I opened it, it was a slideshow of all 50 state flowers that formed an outline of an eagle at the end. Her message was "Hope you HAD (emphasis mine) a great birthday and 4th of July." Today is June 30. God love her!

Sing Along for Stress Relief

We just finished Session A, Day 2. If you're in the program, you'll know what that means. Now that things have settled in, it was time to blow off some steam. We have staff/conductor dinner parties twice a week; the staff gets invited to one of the time, but I go help with the clean-up for all of them. The menu is the same every time - taco salad and ice cream pie in a chocolate crust. The first staff dinner party was tonight, but no taco salad for me tonight. My dinner night is Monday.

After clean-up, it was off to karaoke night at the Wild Goose. We knew it was going to be special when The Mayor called to tell them we were coming. I believe his exact words were "Get the beer on ice and the pig in the ground cuz we're coming." Their response was "We remember you from last year. Didn't you all get drunk and sing Johnny Cash all night?"

Some people have GREAT memories. Some have great taste.

Blood is NOT funny!

Unless you are listening to this little guy. Sorry - I was REALLY bored, and this is just hysterical!

EXHAUSTED!

Today is Day T-1 (Target minus 1) for ABC, the summer sleep-away camp for band directors. We the staff have been busting tail for the past 3 days getting everything set up and ready. Today is the entrance exam for the newbies, although the new "all computer" version had a glitch and I got the call: "BING! We need all the pencils you can find. STAT!" Happy to do it, but I had to sharpen them first.

I'm fading in and out of consciousness, though. All the newbies had to check in yesterday and were SUPPOSED to be in the dorms by 9 PM. I got the dubious honor of being on call for the those who were late due to bad travel mojo, something of which I am very familiar. There were only two, which wouldn't be so bad, but the first was at 1 AM and the second was at 2:30 AM. I barely slept in between and then had to open registration again at 7:30 AM today.

Can't wait to sleep today!

It's an epidemic!

Tia has joined the blogging world. She said she was inspired, and even suggested that PERHAPS "The Bing Blog" played a minor role. In any case, I wish her the best, and HIGHLY suggest you visit Life With Tia often, and post your words of encouragement to her. If you don't know her, you'll like her. After all, she IS a friend of mine. Unless you hate me, in which case why are you reading "The Bing Blog" in the first place? SHEESH! Get a life!

Monster vs. 3 year old

Since I was already on YouTube, I saw this and since it made me laugh, I thought I should share.

And watch your mouth around the children!

Marimba Ponies

Ummmm....no comment. The video speaks for itself. FREAKIN' amazing! I love the cymbal player.

And this one just kills me. Couldn't they just buy him a stepstool or something?

Amazing!

In case you were thinking...

THIS would make a WONDERFUL addition to the collection for anyone who may be having a birthday sometime soon. (I'm referring to the gift boxed set at the bottom.)

THESE are also very nice.

Does Madonna need a nanny?

Last night, Donald Miller talked about how good stories are written and how we're to live our lives like a good story. He talked about his 25 year old friend who is currently working to build 1000 wells in Africa. Martha asked on the way out if it made me want to sell everything I own and more to some 3rd World country. I don't need Donald Miller to tell me what a selfish loser I am; I am FULLY capable of feeling that on my own, thank you very much!

Martha said she had a dream last night about being Madonna's nanny. When she woke up, she realized that it pertained to last night's message and perhaps God was calling her out for a bigger purpose. It definitely would be a challenge, as she really doesn't care much for Madonna.

As for me, God might be calling, but it's going straight to voicemail.

I kept the receipt!

After reading this, I don't feel so guilty that I want to return the "gift." I've been wearing it like a trooper, but t isn't really my style.

Hurricane Preparedness

This e-mail was sent to me today...I wish I could claim it as original material!
--------------------------------------------------

To: Ex-Floridians, present Floridians, those who visit Florida, future Floridians or those who know a Floridian.

We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any day now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico and making two basic meteorological points:

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you're new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one.''

Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1. Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days.
STEP 2. Put these supplies into your car.
STEP 3. Drive to Iowa and remain there until Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida.

We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE: If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Iowa.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place.

So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss.

Since Hurricane Andrew, I have had an estimated 27 different home-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Company, under a policy which states that, in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys.

SHUTTERS: Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows and all the doors. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December.

Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

"Hurricane-proof'' windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Iowa.

"Hurricane Proofing Your Property: As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc.; you should, as a precaution, throw these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE: If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Florida" you live in a low-lying area.) The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES: If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies:

23 Flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the power goes out, to be the wrong size for the flashlights.

Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for. But it's traditional, so GET some!)

A 55-gallon drum of underarm deodorant.

A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks cool.)

A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Andrew; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)

$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck and remember: it's great living in paradise! Really!

Crackbox 360

I'm in Chicago visiting R, M and their new little one. SO cute, but you have to feel for the kid if you've met the parents. I'm starting the therapy fund now.

Anyway, they have an XBox 360 AND we unlocked the video version of Settlers of Catan. Just call it electronic crack and leave it at that!

We're going to church at the mothership tonight. Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz) is speaking and David Crowder Band is performing. Should be fun!

Move over, Judy Garland

Just saw this and had to share it. Enjoy!

The Ice Man Cometh

Precious and I went to the Arch today. It was really high, but a little cloudy so I didn't get to slide down the feather side like Precious' dad says you're supposed to do. I finally got to see the movie that Tia quotes all the time..."and the thing was done...."

I got to see a puppet say "trap the beaver." This was a first for me, and I enjoyed it immensely. I tried to take a picture of it, but it was blurry. Then a bear ate the trapper, and being philosophically opposed to gratuitous violence, we left the puppet show.

Afterwards we met Scooter for dinner. Yummy, but alas, I didn't take a picture for my food diary. The highlight of our evening was the busboy for our table. I think it was his first job EVER (as he appeared to be about 12 years old) and he was bound and determined to do it well. His main job during the meal was to refresh the ice in our glasses. He did this about 12 times. At one point, Scooter's glass was nothing but ice while my glass was nothing but water. We giggled madly about this throughout the evening, then came back to Precious' house and recreated the event. We giggled some more.

And then, we were done.

Play Ball!

Yesterday, Precious and Scooter took me to a Cardinals game. It was a little rainy, but luckily, Precious has this genetic poncho trait and so we were quite prepared. The Cards won; it was very exciting. Afterwards, we did took the traditional post-game trip to Ted Drewes for frozen custard. I had the "Flying Dutchman" with chocolate, butterscotch and walnuts. I added that photo to my visual food diary.

Meet me in St. Louis

So Precious (as I'm calling my St. Louis host, since she IS precious AND she collects Precious Moments) started the new leg of the sofa bed tour off with Mickey Mouse pancakes. See? She IS precious.

We're going to the Cardinals game today. It's "Pooches in the Park" and people paid $80 to bring their dogs to the park. I want to buy one of those "invisible dogs on a leash" and take my own. Either that or one of those fancy "dog purses" for my invisible chihuahua. It'd be funny and I have an invisible ticket.

Precious said no.

Travel Mojo

Getting from Maine to St. Louis yesterday was QUITE the challenge. The amazing thing is that NONE of the cities I went through were on the originally scheduled itinerary!

It started with an autmated call at 7 AM from the airline (which shall remain nameless) saying that my flight from Portland to La Guardia was going to be SO delayed that I would miss my connection to Pittsburgh, and the subsequent flight to St. Louis. When I got to the Portland airport, they "booked" (please note the quotes; they will reappear later in the saga) me on a direct flight on another airline from Boston to St. Louis and put me in a cab for a 2 hour ride to Boston.

Well, their definition of "booking" a flight and the new airline's definition did not seem to match. I ended up going on Airline A (which shall stay nameless, as I officially dislike them GREATLY) to Charlotte and THEN to St. Louis. I had a 10 minute layover. Thank goodness the gates were close!

The good news is I made it to St. Louis, and only 4 hours late.
The bad news is that I will try to avoid US Air at all costs in the future. Or is that good news?......

Thumbs undecided; nope, down....

Saw the movie Waitress tonight. I have to really process through it but I'm pretty sure I hated it. It was really well done, but just punched me the wrong way.

Let's see: Jenna is trapped in a miserable marriage, gets pregnant with a baby she doesn't want, has an affair with her married gynocologist but then everything is right with the world when the baby is born.

Yeah, I hated it.

Tubby's - 3rd time's the charm

Today's selection: Yellow Butter Brickle with granola coat and chocolate dip, plus I added some glazed pecans that I received as a gift from a student. YUMMY! Lamburrito had black raspberry with chocolate jimmys - also yummy! Then Tubby took us to his back office to see the new website. By the time we left, one of the employees was having a raspberry chocolate chip that looked DEEE-licious. Before I could wipe the drool off of my lip, there was a sample cone in my hand.

I'm leaving Maine tomorrow. I'll miss Tubby's tremendously.

Tubby's report, take 2

Time: 2:30 PM
pre-ice cream warm-up act: grilled cheese for me, hot dog for lamburrito
main course: I chose the chocolate chip cookie dough in a cup, with the chocolate shell topping. Lamburrito discovered the "Almond Joy:" coconut ice cream, almond slivers and chocolate shell.

Tomorrow I'm going for something fruity.

More sugary delights

Due to technical difficulties, the image of the yummy chocolate covered cream puff that was happily consumed at Moody's diner yesterday is unavailable. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Tubby's Report

Tuesday, June 5, 2007
8:17 PM
61 degrees, partly cloudy
UV index: 0 Low
Winds from S @ 5 mph
Humidity: 94%
Pressure: 29.50 in.
Flavor: regular Butter Pecan sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and a cherry.

Driving Ms. Bing

This was part of an e-mail exchange with D in Orlando. I spent the weekend up there but was too tired to drive home Sunday night. I got up at 5 AM Monday morning to drive back to Miami.
------------------------------------------------------
I’m here, safe and sound (and TIRED) and JUST as I walked in to the office, my secretary told me she had my 10 o’clock on the phone. Seems the kid now wants to drop band and go to drama. Then I check my e-mail, and my advanced euphonium player decided to take study hall instead.

I guess the thing that pimps me off the most is that I got a call last week from a parent whose daughter wanted to switch from Chorus to Band and the principal convinced me that the chorus numbers were dangerously low, and asked if the student could just stay in chorus. But today I lost two. I’m ready to blow, because what they are saying (through actions, not words) is that any kid can change at any time, depending on who’s fielding the call that day, AND I could come back in July with significantly different numbers and instrumentation than I have right now.

That’s a very soothing, calming way to start a summer vacation.

HAPPY FREAKIN’ SUMMER VACATION!

Time to change the poll

WOW! This poll was up for quite a long time. So sorry I've been negligient. The last few weeks have been full of activity, and not much blog worthy inspiration....

Would you rather:
simultaneously sustain 20,000 mosquito bites 80% 4 votes
consume Charmin until you die? 20% 1 votes
5 votes total

Mr. G - Can You Move?

If you thought I was a whack job, you should really check THIS out!

(I apologize to the G Man, as this video doesn't not include the usual anonymity that The Bing Blog prefers, but it was just too good not to include!)

The Annual Tour....

The summer vacation tour is gearing up, and should prove to be a good one. I'm currently on a short jaunt to Orlando. We went to SeaWorld yesterday, which I haven't been to in YEARS. Tuesday, I leave for the real deal. It looks like this:
June 5 - Maine
June 9 - St. Louis
June 12 - Chicago
June 16-July 11 - Ashland
July 12-16 - Orlando

Then a break, then:

Aug 2-5 - San Francisco.

The problem now is that I have to pack!

Movies and such

Just watched "High Noon" which is #33 on the American Film Institute's "Top 100 Movies of All Time." I'm not a big western fan, but HOLY COW! If you haven't seen it, watch it soon!

Lessons from Longing

I didn't write this, but I sure could have.....

and for those of you who want to "sermonize" me and tell me what I should do, or think, or feel, or believe, please don't. I'm really not interested.

THANKS!

7th Heaven

Today I took 130 of my closest 13 year old friends on a field trip to the Youth Center on Miami Beach. They had a COMPLETE free day with bowling, ice skating, swimming, basketball and TONS of junk food. I was THE MOST POPULAR (cue music, Tia) Dean, even if just for the day.

Let's wait and see what tomorrow brings.

All the World's a Perv Palace

Just found out some news on one of my professional "colleagues." He's been known for years for being a little "touchy." If he were one of Snow White's dwarves, he would be "Gropey." He's been removed from his classroom over allegations of inappropriate interaction with a female student. Nobody that knows him is really surprised. Also found out he had some questionable interactions while judging this year.

What IS it with these sickos?

I love technology!

I am at yet another state board meeting. Our year-end financial reports are due. I was actually done early and ready to go, but then, as always, I ran into trouble. This was the memo I included in my report:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sirs,

I apologize for the quality of the print job on the General Ledger. I got in a fight with my printer this morning. I lost. We are no longer communicating. I hope to make up with the printer when I get back to school on Monday. It feels neglected and refuses to work again until I feed it another magenta and cyan cartridge. I tried to explain that it would be fine to print this document in black and white and I would take care of it later. It refused and spit on me.

In any case, I had to save the ledger as a text file and reprint it elsewhere. The printer is jealous, but it knows that if it doesn’t accept my apology, it is HISTORY. I hope this copy of the ledger will suffice. Please remember to stock up on extra ink. The machines know when you are in a time crunch and will use that information against you. They hold the key.

In the Dragon's Lair

I got called into the Dragon's office today. It was a potentially scary situation since she's a little unstable at times and the situation with "Mr. McFeely" (the kids call him that) has become "THE" most talked about thing on campus. She's not concerned about his behavior. She's concerned that people are talking about it and wants to get to the bottom of it. She doesn't feel that he's a threat to the school or to the students.

I'm not convinced.

Disco Frogger

Would you rather have a car with
a crazy fun-house style rear view mirror 0% 0 votes
strobe light headlights 100% 4 votes
----------------
Could you IMAGINE someone trying to cross the street in front of you with strobe headlights glaring in their eyes? Could you IMAGINE how funny it would look watching them run like Frogger, trying not to get squashed?

Working with scary freaks.

Next week is the LAST full week of classes. I think I'm more excited than the kiddies are. The last two weeks have been tough, since I'm dealing with some personal demons that crept out of their cave due to scary behavior by another faculty member. I need to make an appointment with the Head of School and express my concerns, etc. Not that it'll change the outcome but at least I'll know I tried. If nothing changes, I've already started considering other options. I don't feel comfortable working here with a possible deviant predator freak. I've seen quite enough of that in my lifetime, thank you.

The downward spiral

There are 13 class days left in the school year, not that I'm counting. Our final concert is tomorrow, so once that's done, it's all downhill. Can't wait for summer!

Safe and Secure

I have new doors in the kitchen. They lock. I feel so much better!

FRIJOLISA

Here's another installation by LPOU - this one inflicted much pain on here students (and just made me HUNGRY!) note the facutly members in the background, just to give you a sense of the SCALE of this monster!

---------------------------


‘HAVE A PEASA OF OUR FRIJOLISA” installation of 15x10 foot Mona Lisa mosaic made from peas and beans.

I don’t know what came over me. But the kids willingly participated. Okay, halfway through they were whining, but now they are happy. And they never want to see legumes again.
(notes by LPOU herself!)

“right before the trouble began”

Here's an art installation by my friend LPOU (Leopard Princess of the Universe). I asked her if I could blog it; here's here response:
---------------
Sure, blog me baby,

I put John 1:1-6 next to it because it’s a Genesis/Jesus picture.

But

It’s unofficially titled “right before the trouble began”

It’s Genesis when man hasn’t been made from the ground, the world right after creation when every creature got along , the serpent is stirring though, the crown of thorns above it because the plan of salvation was already in place and at the top the mystery of creation /evolution by the nautilus shell and its intricate design, the pearl for Christ (a little Catholic iconography “Pearl of great price” )

And the red coral for blood of Christ (more Catholic iconography) and medieval symbol for protection. And there are angels in the clouds.

I don't understand you...

Would you rather be only capable of communicating through
reggae songs 20% 1 vote
the use of a Speak and Spell 80% 4 votes

5 votes total
----------------------
considering Tia's "Tales of Barbados" and the "islander accent" problem, I'm thinking the Speak and Spell would have been a great tool for her last adventure!

Hail to the Chief!

I got to observe this LIVE and in person on Saturday, as I was hired by Miami-Dade College to play for their graduation. The only down side was they paid me $50 and we played "Pomp and Circumstance" for 50 minutes. Coincidence?

Regardless of your political views, it was a pretty cool experience.

I just spent A LOT of money....

I'm finally getting around to renovating the back apartment. My workman gave me an estimate in February. Labor ALONE was close to 6K. It took until this week for me to feel like I could take the financial plunge. That and I needed to change SOMETHING in my life, since I'd had such a string of bad luck lately. Having at least ONE room in the house that was nice, new and DONE will be pleasant.

So yesterday I went to Home Depot, got a new charge account there and spent some serious bread. BUT with the new account, I saved 10% AND got no interest for 1 year. THAT I can manage.

Tonight I'm off to Lowes for the rest of what I need. Wish me luck.

Putting the "Cuss" in "Customer Service"

So get this: (I LOVE when Mer starts her voice messages to me with that!)

I had to go buy a new charger for the new phone that I got last week (and that I HATE). Remember that I dunked my old yet sophisticated Treo in a rather deep puddle and it subsequently drowned. ANYWAY - I needed some cheap thing to get me through the weekend in NYC. I was told I had 14 days to return it if I didn't like it. (Which I don't) EXCEPT that I left the freakin' charger in the hotel room. So yesterday I had to pay for a new charger so that I'll have one in the box when I return it when my newer, more sophisticated and rather expensive Treo arrives.

The point of the story is this: I walk into the cellphone place about 20 minutes before closing yesterday. There are exactly 4 employees on the floor and exactly one customer (that being me). I walk up to the counter and the "manager on duty" (I can only assume) says "Please take a number and someone will be with you shortly."

The happy ending is that my number was the next one to be called.

Easter Brisket

Would you rather live in a world where

the Easter Bunny were real 100% 6 votes
there was a Lord of Brisket who fills children's shoes with meat on the first day of Spring 0% 0 votes

6 votes total
-------------------
Yeah, sure....the next thing you're going to tell me is that Santa Claus is a phony as well.

No longer Down the Drain!

Just got my quarterly water bill (January - March). It was $52. Far cry from the $700 bill I got in December. It's AMAZING how much money a $3 toilet flapper can save!

How to Get to London

This is why the Internet is the greatest media created in history.

Take 60 seconds to do this, I guarantee you will show someone else, it's too funny not to.

1. go to www.google.com
2. click on "maps"
3. click on "get directions"
4. type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)
5. type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)
6. hit get directions
7. scroll down to step #24

NY, NY!

Spent last weekend in NYC with lamburrito, D-Man and Mer. I'm still exhausted, but we had fun. I got to catch up with Clala, who looks like a squillion bucks. She's still a tough-as-nails cop in Long Island, though. We had a drink in Times Square then caught up with the FPCO gang on the way to the Empire State Building. I got to see the church gang's dress rehearsal at Carnegie, but couldn't stay for the gig. Lamburrito had a camp reunion and we criss-crossed paths all weekend, only catching up to crash in the room late at night. We DID eat a Three Berry pie from the Little Pie company in Grand Central. YUMMY!

Can't wait to go back again!

On school tragedies...

I'm not going to pretend that I have any idea what to say after what has happened at Virginia Tech this week. There is nothing to say. Not only are prayers needed for those injured and for the families of those killed, but prayers are needed for schools around the country, as I fear we will see some ripple effects and copycat behavior. I've already heard a few reports of other incidents. Let's hope it gets better soon.

I got an e-mail that the Virginia Tech alums are asking everyone to wear orange and maroon (their colors) on Friday as a show of support. I'm going to scour my closet...

Cheesy Balls

Would you rather live in a world where it

rained red rubber playground balls 80% 4 votes
snowed shredded cheese 20% 1 vote

5 votes total

--------------------
Just think: ALL dodgeball, ALL the time!

Middle School Coolness Test

This test is based on how cool you were in Middle School--what crowd you ran with, etc., but it's still pretty accurate. My result said "You are STILL the coolest kid in Middle School!"

You may want to send it to your friends to see if they've changed. Better yet, send the here! They can vote in the Poll 'o the Week as well.

Friday the 13th

Amazingly enough, it was a pretty calm day. Nothing went wrong. I got ahead on some projects. I finished everything on my to-do list for the week. I went to the school dance recital with Lamburrito and his nieces. We ended the night at with hot fudge sundaes. How much more perfect can it get?

Good news/bad news

The good news is that my knee only hurts when I go up or down the stairs, and the bruising isn't too bad.
The bad news is that my phone can't swim. I hope to have a new one by the end of the week.

Oh, and it POURED last night. That's how I found the leak in the ceiling.

Home stretch

We made it back to Miami yesterday at 5 AM. I slept a little (ummm 7 AM - 2 PM; 4 PM - 8 PM, 1 AM - 7 AM) and now I'm back at school for a fun-filled day. We're ALL excited to be here.

6 more weeks of school, then it's off to my summer adventures. Let's hope they go a bit smoother than this last jaunt.

It's unanimous.......

Would you rather....

fart nitrous oxide (laughing gas) 100% 6 votes
drool Listerine 0% 0 votes

6 votes total
------------------------

.......AND somewhat scary.

And so the day begins....

We're sitting in the hotel lobby. It's 10:45 AM. The busses were supposed to be here at 9:45 AM.

The cut wasn't too deep

Today's trip update:

Yesterday, we took the kids to Muir Woods. One of our boys tripped on a tree root. It only took 7 stitches to close the wound. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to go on to Six Flags with his friends.

Today is our last day. Please pray for us. Our biggest fear is having our red eye flight cancelled and needing to spend the night in the San Fran airport with 83 8th graders. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. I may have given Fate a cruel idea.

Gloom, despair and agony on me....

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all....remember the old "Hee Haw" song? That's my theme these days.

WFH: Spring Break continues:
We showed up at Bubba Gump for dinner on the first night; Bubba Gump had changed our reservation to a different night. We ended up going to Lori's Diner (where we were SUPPOSED to eat tonight). Lori's originally said they couldn't take us because they already had a large group coming in. We finally figured out that large group was US, and that we were going to finally be able to feed 95 hungry people.

I told you we went to the Giants Game yesterday. What I DIDN'T tell you is that when we got there and gave the kids their tickets, they all went skipping off to the gate, only to come promptly running back. "These tickets are for TOMORROW night." The stadium had sent us the wrong tickets. Luckily, we got them changed and had a fabulous time. After the game, we were supposed to have 2 tour busses to take us back to the hotel. Only one showed up. We have 95 people in our group. We had to shuttle two trips of tired adolescents at 11 PM. Luckily they were great!

Today, we were stuffing dim sum down our throats as fast as we could manage (an annual ritual that we quite enjoy) when the tour company called us. Bubba Gump (rescheduled for tonight) was off, because their pipes burst and the restaurant is flooded.

Of COURSE it is. Welcome to my week!

WFH continues....

I just got a call from my pastor, who is watching Peanut for me while I'm in San Francisco. She didn't wake up this morning. She was 15.

What a game!

In case you didn't know, I'm in San Francisco chaperoning the eighth grade Spring Break trip. We went to the opening night Giants game today. The game was awesome, the stadium was awesome and the fireworks show was AWESOME. Made us all realize how much the Marlins organization doesn't get it!

The Week continues.....

So after all the excitement of Sunday morning, I was hoping to get to bed early Sunday night. I went to bed at 9:30 and was a little restless. Then the phone rang at midnight. A friend had gotten into a fight with her husband and needed a place to stay for the night. She came over and we talked it out for 2 hours, then she felt good enough to go home.

Yet another night of little sleep. But it was for a good reason.

WFH Grand Finale (NOT an April Fools joke!)

So I didn't get to recap the rest of my week, but I'll skip right to the ending. It officially ended at 3:49 AM when I woke up to find a strange man in my kitchen.

LONG story short - I yelled, He ran. He took $28 but left my wallet. How considerate. The police finally finished dusting for fingerprints at 5:30 AM. I haven't slept since. Could be because the police said, "He found an easy target. He'll probably be back." Very comforting.

Oh, and I just found out my dog's food is now on the recall list. No wonder she hasn't been eating.

(Insert multiple expletives at a very loud volume here.)