What Would You Do?

Today, Lucas and I went food shopping. We got home at noon, unloaded the car, and put everything away.

Or so we thought.

At 5:00 this evening, I noticed a grocery bag sitting on the kitchen table. The ground beef never made it into the refrigerator.

So I wonder: Is this ground beef still edible? Should we chance it or throw it out? Q and Lucas said it smells fine, but I wonder how long raw meat can sit at room temperature before it goes bad.

June Wordle

Like sisters who borrow each other's clothes, we bloggers are always borrowing each others ideas. And since I don't currently have an original post idea floating around in my head, I copied this one from Craig at RainbowDishes. Here, I used Wordle.net to create a collage of just about every word in this month's blog entries.

Common words were omitted, and each word was only used once. Even so, I thought my jumble would be bigger. This month's posts were numerous and quite wordy.

Click on the image below to see it larger.

Bowling For Tears?

Yesterday, Lucas and I went bowling with his best friend and the friend's mom. The alley in our area offers Cosmic Bowling on Friday afternoons. It's an activity everyone can enjoy and a great way to escape the heat.

In addition to glow-in-the-dark effects, a light show, and other psychedelia, they crank up the tunes. And most times, the musical offerings are conducive to a good time, party environment.

Yesterday's music selections were all over the map. There was classic rock, Motown, and some '80s music (I hadn't heard "Pop Goes The World" since before I had Kyle). They also played newer stuff from artists like Gwen Stefani and Maroon 5. And of course, there was disco. Which, for my money, is good anytime, anywhere.

There was something for everybody. And most were songs were you could tap your foot to. Until:

"Crying" by Roy Orbison.

Not a bad song. There's a time and a place for the melancholy. But not at a bowling alley. And certainly not when you're trying to pump up the crowd.

I have a feeling that the DJ was the same one who decided to play the Pussycat Dolls "Don't Cha" (a song about adultery) at my cousin's wedding.

Making The Switch

Last weekend, Q suggested that if I wanted to drop a few pounds, I should switch to diet soda. I don't know how my husband did it, but he managed to broach the subject so tactfully that I didn't yell, kick him out of our bedroom, or otherwise get offended at his implying that I have a little too much junk in my trunk. Q should seriously considering leaving information technology for a career in diplomatic relations.

Anyway, I decided to give it a shot. Having drunk only regular soda all my life, this was going to be difficult. Especially since I've always thought that diet soda tasted foul. But Q assured me that I'd get used to it.

So far, I've had about half a dozen twelve-ounce bottles of Caffine-Free Diet Pepsi. It's alright. Nothing great. I find that diet soda tastes best after it's been sitting in the freezer for a few hours. Drinking it at room-temperature is out of the question.

Today, Fry's had Pepsi products on sale so I bought regular Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max...both of which have zero calories. I haven't tried either one yet, but I hope at least one of them sucks less than the caffine-free stuff.

I'm going to give it a month. If I don't gain (or lose) anything by drinking diet soda, than I'm switching back to regular.

Old habits die hard!

Muy Caliente!

A frenzied, kitchenwide search for Mongolian Fire Oil yielded anything but.

In Loving Memory

Today was my dad's birthday. He would have been 62.

I celebrated the day in part by driving to the college to pick up my diploma.

At the time of his death in 2001, Dad had lived long enough to see one of his daughters (my sister) graduate from college. The other one of us (me) settled into domestic life and had babies. Since then, my sister and I have each--at least for some part--accomplished both.

Sunday Funny

Gee, I'd like to see what she wears to Neiman Marcus...or even Target, for that matter.

Staycation Highlights: Day 6 and 7 (Thursday and Friday)

Thursday:

--We went to the Arizona Diamondbacks-Oakland A's game at Chase Field. We ate enough pizza, nachos, Cracker Jacks, ice cream, cotton candy, peanuts, and ICEES to put us all in a carb and sugar-fueled euphoria. That's just a fancy way of saying we ate bad...and we had fun doing it! The D-Backs won 2 to 1.

--For dinner, we went to Kyle's favorite place--In-N-Out Burger. Aside from having the BEST french fries anywhere, In-N-Out has the only fast food hamburger that I'll eat. They're also affordable. Nowhere else in Phoenix can you feed four people for less than $20. The boys and I ate there alot back when Q was in the hospital.

Unfortunately, In-N-Out isn't as widely available as, say McDonald's or Burger King. They only have locations in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.

--National Lampoon's Vacation wasn't on today.


Friday:

--We started the day by taking Kyle to the orthodontist to get a steel tie-back repaired. We I have been doing that a lot lately. The little wire thingy fell out yesterday at the ballgame and it HAD to be fixed before he leaves for Oregon on Monday morning.

--After lunch at Jason's Deli, I dragged everyone to the mall to check out the Fiesta selection at Dillard's. No ivory yet!

--We walked by the movie theatre to see if they're playing anything good. Indiana Jones had started two minutes earlier...that means the previews are still showing. We got tickets and hurried inside. Q and the boys had been wanting to see IJ. As for me, that's two hours of my life I'll never get back.

--On the way home, the electric sign next to McDonald's said that it was 118 degrees outside. Time to hit the pool!

--For dinner, we went to a restaurant called Fajita's. Q and I used to go there alot when we were first married. The drink special for the evening was berry margaritas. I was drunker after one drink than Q was after two. My tolerance is very low, and bad things happen when I drink. Or good things, depending on who you are. :-)))

As of now, our staycation is all done. Collectively, we had a very good time. We bonded as a family. Hopefully we made a few good memories. We also indulged ourselves in ways we don't normally get to. And we managed to do it all without going broke!

Staycation Highlights: Day 5 (Wednesday)

I am finding it very difficult to adhere to the "no chores" rule. I may not like cleaning, but I really hate living among filth. It's also very hard to enjoy life with my pretty house all in shambles.

I also had to give Q a pass because he is incapable of not working. My husband is the opposite of lazy. He cleaned the kitchen while I sorted the laundry and cleared away some of the top clutter.

It had to be done. Flies were hovering around the sink full of dirty dishes and the trash cans were overflowing. We were also out of clean washcloths, and it's not like I can call the front desk and ask for some clean ones. Something had to give.

Housework notwithstanding, we were still tired from the two previous days' endless activities. The water park trip, in particular really did us in. A few hours worth of down time was in order. We ended up spending most of the day at home.

National Lampoon's Vacation was on yet again. Mobile Home Disaster must not be pulling in the viewers.

In the evening, we went to dinner at our family's favorite restaurant--Tokyo Lobby. This place has the best sushi in on the west side, if not the entire city.

After dinner, we went to play pool. Q found a billiards hall that's allows children AND is still in business. This establishment seems to be very popular among teenagers. Also, it's not too terribly far from home. I have a feeling we'll be visiting this place again.

On the way home, we stopped for gelato. We got one cup free because I had a coupon. Thanks, Value Clipper!

Taking It Personally

The following article appeared in yesterday's newspaper. The topic was also discussed on The Adam Carolla Show.

Who's prone to road rage? Check for bumper stickers

Shankar Vedantam

Washington Post

Jun. 17, 2008 12:00 AM

Three horrors await Americans who get behind the wheel of a car for a family road trip this summer: the spiraling price of gas, the usual choruses of "Are we there yet?" and the road rage of fellow drivers.

Divine intervention might be needed for the first two problems, but science has discovered a solution for the third.

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Watch out for cars with bumper stickers.

That's the conclusion of a recent study by Colorado State University social psychologist William Szlemko. Drivers of cars with bumper stickers, window decals, personalized license plates and other "territorial markers" not only get mad when someone cuts in their lane or is slow to respond to a changed traffic light, but they are far more likely than those who do not personalize their cars to use their vehicles to express rage by honking, tailgating and other aggressive behavior.

It does not seem to matter whether the messages on the stickers are about peace and love or angry and in-your-face.

The key to the phenomenon apparently lies in the idea of territoriality. Drivers with road rage tend to think of public streets as "my street" and "my lane" - in other words, they think they own the road.

First of all, I don't want to know how much grant money the government mindlessly doled out for this pointless, inane study. Seriously...I don't. It would probably give me some sort of tax payer rage.

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Second, let's talk bumper stickers. I fail to see that the minivan driver with the "My son is an honor student at Smith Elementary" sticker exhibits the same degree of rage as the pickup truck owner with "My kid beat up your honor student" plastered on his bumper.

It just seems wrong to paint all personalized plates and stickers with the same brush. Take the small business owner, for example. A pest control worker with BUG GUY on his plate is probably just trying to advertise his company.

Q and I personalized our license plates a few years ago, and I don't think we're prone to road rage. Well, he's not, anyway. Besides, the plates were my idea. I thought they were cute. He just went along with it as an affordable way to make his high maintenance wife happy.

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And then there's Q's family. Many of them have had a personalized plates at one point. And they're the most mild mannered bunch out there.

But perhaps some of the most famous personalized plates belong to the Ewing family from the TV show Dallas. All cars featured a EWING license plate followed by a number that loosely corresponded with the driver's place in the family.

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The Ewings were definitely a spirited bunch. They may have even had a road rage incident or two among them (I know of one involving Pamela and a Jeep full of good ol' boys). But I find it ironic that most anger-fueled member of the clan--Ray Krebbs--drove around with standard issue Texas plates on his truck.

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My conclusion: not all angry drivers personalize their cars and not all people who personalize their cars are angry drivers.

Staycation Highlights: Day 4 (Tuesday)

Today we went to the Golfland-Sunsplash in Mesa. Through her business, my mom was able to get free passes to any of the three water parks in the Phoenix area. Even though we live barely five minutes from another water park, we chose Golfland because it had more attractions than the others. Besides, we had never been there before. Part of being on vacation is trying new things.

We decided to make the Golfland trip today because it was Free Tube Tuesday. Between that and the free passes, our only expenses were a $6 locker rental and $12 for lunch. Sadly, we probably paid more in gas to drive there and back.

Below is a video of Q and Lucas going down the slides. Good thing we have a waterproof camera.

In the evening, Lucas had his drum lesson. Afterwards, we had dinner at Rubio's Baja Grill (one of Luke's choices). The boys were hoping for Japanese food, but we were all too tired to enjoy such an extravagant meal. Besides, none of us were dressed for a trip to the sushi bar and we still smelled like chlorine and Coppertone.

At Rubios, I was looking forward to some of their roasted chipotle salsa. In fact, I was craving it. But this particular salsa has been temporarily discontinued. Stupid tomato recall!
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We also got the car out of the shop. All it needed was a new pipe and hose for the power steering system--a $90 repair. We got off cheap. But still, it's not a vacation without some sort of car trouble!

Back at home, we just crashed. National Lampoon's Vacation was on again. CMT is getting more mileage out of that film than the Griswolds got out of the Wagon Queen Family Truckster.

After two days of wall-to-wall entertainment, we need a vacation from our staycation. Tomorrow might be a lazy day.

Staycation Highlights: Day 3 (Monday)

--Q got up bright and early to drop the Dodge off at the shop. Afterwards, he stopped at the store and bought dounts for breakfast. No vacation would be complete without a donut run.

--Afterwards, we kicked back and watched Lucas' and my new favorite show: Cash Cab.

--For lunch we ate at one of Kyle's chosen restaurants; Cousins' Subs. I noticed that their receipts remain unchanged. On our way out, Q informed the guy at the counter that we live in Arizona, not Arkansas. We'll see if the error is fixed next time we eat there. Cousins' is across the street from...

--The Brass Armadillo Antique Mall. Lucas was on the lookout for some old musical instruments. No dice, but he did spot nine washboards. I think my son has aspirations of starting a jug band. I didn't buy anything either, as all the Fiesta was overpriced. $28 for a Cinnabar bud vase? Puh-LEEZ!

--I LOVE this little pink dollhouse. It was priced right at $45. If I had a daughter, I would have bought it.

--Lucas playing a game of Rotary Phone Races.

--After the antique mall, we stopped at Cold Stone for ice cream. And then...

--We went to Laser Quest for a couple games of laser tag. The boys had done this before with friends, but Q and I never had. This had to be the highlight of our day. At the conclusion of the first game, our family took four of the top five spots. I placed second in both games. The scores below were for the first game. But by the time we left, Kyle had the highest single game score of the day.

--Back at home for a little down time before...

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--Q and I went out on a long overdue date night. I picked up McDonald's and a DVD for the boys. Then started the evening with dinner at this uber-trendy pizza restaurant.

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Afterwards, we went to the movies to see Sex and the City. Or as Q calls it: "that show with the redhead, the tramp, the girl from Melrose Place, and the main chick". That's right, Dear. And there's also the bald guy, the gay guy, the bald gay guy, the redhead's husband, and the guy from Law & Order.

Staycation Highlights: Day 2 (Sunday)

--Q opened his Father's Day gifts--a Fiesta Pie Baker in Cobalt and an Individual Baker in Sunflower. He likes the Fiesta bakeware better than Pyrex, Corningware, or anything else. And I'm more than happy to indulge him. We also got him a the season 4 DVDs of Mission: Impossible.

--We went to the Waffle House for a late breakfast. I sometimes get cravings for their food.

--Back at home, Q watched an episode of MI. It looked strange watching Mr. Spock in a fake beard pull a gun on a stewardess.

--After a few hours by the pool, Q went in to watch a baseball game. Kyle hung out in his room. Lucas and I watched National Lampoon's Vacation. Again. I REALLY need to buy a copy of the DVD.

--We went to dinner at a place called My Thai. The name may be a corny pun, but the food is tasty. I highly recommend the honey glazed shrimp.

--After dinner, we wanted to go play pool. The first place we went to--Uncle Charlie's American Grill--is now out of business. So we drove to a nearby bowling alley to use their table. But we were greeted with a sign stating that only patrons over age 21 can enter the bar/billard room. D'oh!

--The Dodge was making funny squeaking sounds while steering. When we got home, we were greeted to a big honkin' fluid spill on the floor of the garage. Double d'oh! Staycation Day 3 will begin with a trip to the shop.

--After the sun went down, we went to the neighborhood park to throw baseballs.

Staycation Highlights: Day 1 (Saturday)

--We drove to Arcosanti for live jazz, art exhibits, and Indian fry bread. We had a nice time, but it was too hot to stay for the entire day.

--On the drive back to town, we did some loose activity planning the week. I told the boys that they could each choose two restaurants for us to eat at over the course of the vacation. Lucas chose Peter Piper Pizza and Rubio's Baja Grill. Kyle picked In-N-Out Burger and Cousins' Subs. Aim high, boys.

--We stopped at the outlet mall in Anthem so I could check out the offerings at Gap Outlet. Their selection and sale prices aren't what they used to be. I left without buying anything.

--By late afternoon, we were back home, and in the pool.

--For dinner we went to Peter Piper Pizza. I was feeling generous so I bought the Pizza & Play Pack with 60 game tokens instead of the 40 we usually get.

--At home, we stayed up late and watched one of Luke's and my favorite movies--National Lampoon's Vacation. My favorite part is when Clark and Ellen are singing "Mockingbird" in the car. They're almost as good as James and Carly.

Staycation

A few months ago—even before it reached $4 per gallon—I was fretting over the price of gas. It was then that I proposed to Q and the boys that we try something different this summer. I suggested that we spend our vacation at home. And they were all for it. Especially after I cast some dark shadows over the traditional plane or road trip:

--Air travel is an expensive, uncomfortable pain in the @$$.

--Not only is long distance car travel is inconvenient, but it's no longer economical.

--The idea of spending $100+ per night for lodging doesn’t appeal. Especially since our house is bigger and more comfortable than any hotel room. The only good thing about staying in a hotel is the pool. We have one of those here, too.

So we decided to take a home vacation. Apparently, this idea has become so popular that a new word has been coined—staycation. During the next week, we will partake of leisure activities and visit some of the attractions that central Arizona has to offer.
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Our staycation starts on Saturday. And except for a few organized activities, we are playing everything by ear. On Saturday, we are driving to Cordes Junction for the Juneteenth Festival at Arcosanti. We also have tickets to Thursday's D-Backs game.
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The rest of the week is wide open. We will go to the movies, Golfland-Sunsplash, bowling, Castles N' Coasters, and anywhere else we think of. We will also spend a few lazy afternoons out by the pool.
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For a staycation to work, we need to have a few simple ground rules:
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--Q is taking the entire week off work. His laptop will only be used for watching YouTube videos, checking baseball scores, and other pointless Internet surfing.
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--There will be no chores done. I will spend Friday sprucing up the house so it will at least start the week clean. The only exceptions will be pool maintenance and scooping out Jango's litterbox. Bad things will happen if those jobs are neglected.
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--No chores mean no cooking. We will eat out in a different restaurant every night. This is something you do on regular vacation anyway. On the other hand, if Q feels like baking a batch of brownies, I won’t cry foul.
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--There will be no pressure. On a regular vacation we run ourselves ragged trying to visit every single attraction before it’s time to go home. If we don’t feel like doing something one day, it’s no big deal. The bowling alley will still be there next month.

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--I might let this blog go quiet. While I do enjoy it, keeping you people entertained is very time consuming. :-)

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The idea of a staycation was mostly prompted by our desire to save money. Airfare, rental car, and lodging eat up most of the average vacation budget. By eliminating those elements, we can afford to spend money visiting local attractions and enjoying leisure activites for which we never seem to have time.

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But it's also driven by our desire to relax and have fun without all the hassles attached to long distance travel. We won't have to haul around luggage, sleep on lumpy hotel mattresses, or worry about getting lost in a strange city. A staycation is offering us the best of all worlds.

Thursday 13: Going Places

Below is a list of thirteen places I've been this week:

1. On Sunday, Q, the boys, and I went to the movies to see Iron Man. That was the longest Audi commercial I've ever seen.

2. Afterwards, we went to Ray's Pizza for dinner.

3. On Monday, the boys and I stopped by my mom's office to pick her up.

4. From there, we all went to the Verizon store to pick up Kyle's phone.

5. After that, we went to MOTO for lunch.

6. On Tuesday, Lucas and I made an increasingly rare trip to Jamba Juice.

7. Then we went to Target. Lucas used a Christmas gift card to buy baseballs and Mentos. I bought fun stuff like toothpaste, batteries, and Jet Dry.

8. On Wednesday morning, I took Kyle to the orthodontist to have a loose wire replaced.

9. Then we went to Target to pick up something I forgot on Tuesday's trip.

10. Then we stopped at the credit union.

11. Afterwards, we went to Macy's to pick up Q's Father's Day present. I spared Kyle a walk to the other end of the mall to Dillard's. But we did go to...

12. Trader Joe's. I'm pissed that the one item that prompted the trip was out of stock: green chili and cheese tamales. At least they had the shredded beef ones. Q and the boys will be happy.

13. And then we went home.

Separated at Birth?

Wet Lucas and Wet Beavis.

Cell Out

Yesterday, Kyle got his first cell phone. I had been reluctant to take this step, but my resistance was futile. In a few weeks, Kyle is flying to Portland, Oregon to visit relatives in that area.

And he's flying alone. Someone, please toss me a Xanax.......NOW!

Anyway, I vehemently refused to allow him to take this trip without a cell phone on his person. And Q agreed. At first, he was going to let Kyle borrow his phone. He's logged like seven airtime minutes in the last few weeks. He wouldn't have missed it.

But then my mom informed me that she was planning on buying Kyle a phone for his birthday (he turns 14 in August). When I told her about his upcoming trip, she offered to give him his present early.

Kyle and I went to the Verizon website to view their phone offerings. He had a Motorola phone picked out. But once we got to the store, he found a better one--a Samsung Alias that includes a QWERTY keyboard. Let the texting begin.

And that's exactly what happened. Since yesterday, Kyle's phone usage has consisted of 12 talk minutes (half of which was us testing the phone) and 56 text messages. In fact, he sent me a text then called less than a minute later to see if I got it! Those messages would have cost 20 cents each, but my mom added an unlimited in-network texting add-on to her bundled plan (most of our friends and family have Verizon phones, too).

At $10 per month, that package paid for itself last night.

I'm now convinced that Kyle's new phone is a good thing. He has independence and freedom. And I don't have to call every house in the neighborhood trying to locate my son when he isn't home by dark.

The new phone is also teaching him about budgeting. While Kyle can make any calls he needs, I implored him not to run up Grandma's bill with overage charges. And he seems to be listening. When he called me to check in, Kyle was anxious to get off the phone because he didn't want to use up his minutes.

I just hope the cell phone doesn't become Kyle's primary means of communication. For one thing, I won't be sending him text messages to let him know that dinner's ready. And I will not allow him to turn into one of those insipid teenage washouts who blindly run a cell bill up so high that their mom had to take a night job. If that happens, Kyle will be the one waving at passing cars in a taco costume.

Summer Reading

I also ordered a copy of Architecture and Design, 1970-1990: New Ideas in America. I thumbed through this one at a used book store. It has some great photos of buildings from the Deconstruction Momevent. I can't wait to get it.

One Word

In lieu of a Thursday 13, I'm doing a survey that I found on Seangstm's blog. I added a few more near the bottom.

You can only answer with one word…

1) Where is your cell phone? PURSE
2) Your significant other? QUINTON
3) Your hair? GORGEOUS
4) Your skin? PASTY
5) Your father? DIED
6) Your favorite thing? DISH
7) Your dream last night? TOOTHLESS
8) Your favorite drink? PEPSI
9) Your dream/goal? DEGREE
10) The room you’re in? LIVING
11) Your ex? WHO
12) Your fear? GUNS
13) Where do you want to be in 6 years? GRADUATED
14) Where were you last night? HOME
15) What you’re not? SUBTLE
16) Muffins? BLUEBERRY
17) One of your wish list items? IRONSTONE
18) Where you grew up? PHOENIX
19) The last thing you did? WALKED
20) What are you wearing? PAJAMAS
21) Your TV? SAMSUNG
22) Your pet(s)? JANGO
23) Your computer? LAPTOP
24) Your life? COLORFUL
25) Your mood? INTROSPECTIVE
26) Missing someone? SURE
27) Your car? MUSTANG
28) Something you’re not wearing? HAT
29) Favorite store? ANTHROPOLOGIE
30) Your summer? QUIET
31) Like someone? YES
32) Your favorite colour? PINK
33) When is the last time you laughed? DINNER
34) Last time you cried? RECENTLY
35) Favorite TV judge? ALEX
36) Favorite pig out food? OREOS
37) Something you do too often? CUSS
38) Something you don't do often enough? DUST
39) Who will/would re-post this? PAT
40) Whose answers are you anxious to see? CRAIG

It Happened Today

We knew it was coming. The gas price in our neighborhood has officially topped $4 per gallon.

Incidentally, this picture was taken at about 2:00 this afternoon as I was coming home. When I passed the station at 11:00, the per-gallon price for regular unleaded was only $4.02.

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Later, I saw this shirt at CafePress:

College Prep?

I walked into the dining room and found Lucas drinking his root beer from a funnel.

Sunday Dishes: Harlequin Platter

Harlequin Oval Platter in Chartreuse. $6.50 at the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Phoenix.

Upholstery Class

When I finished upholstering my chair, there was still several weeks left in the semester. I needed to come up with an additional project so I decided to redo this ottoman:

The ottoman took three weeks to complete. And when it was done, there were still two weeks left in the term. I probably could have knocked off early, but I didn't want to risk losing out on an A.

So I redid this bench. I decided to cover the cushion in an indoor-outdoor Sunbrella fabric so it can be used inside or out. The frame, which was silver was repainted in a semi-flat black.

Thursday 13: Foods That Suck

Last week, I posted a list of my favorite foods. This week, I'm doing the opposite. Below is my list of foods that suck.

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1. Warm, flat soda

2. Pasta that is so ovecooked and mushy that it's almost slimey.

3. Pizza with soggy, greasy crust

4. Miracle Whip

5. Sushi from the mall food court

6. Chewy steak

7. Dried out marshmellows

8. Airport salsa

9. Anything with lumps...especially gravy or pudding

10. Ketchup

11. Coconut

12, Bread that isn't absolutely, perfectly fresh

13. Veg-All

Family Jargon, Part 3

Special Recipe: The way Lucas makes microwave popcorn. He basically adds more melted butter and salt.

Mom's Special Recipe: Same as Lucas', but I add a dusting of garlic powder.

Fiesta Trained: This is how I describe Lucas. At age 10, that boy knows vintage Cobalt from Post-86 Sapphire (the two colors are very close). And when I take him to the antique mall, he can spot Ironstone Fiesta at 30 paces.

Dead Smoothie: A really foul odor. So named after the time I left an empty smoothie cup in the car. The combination of hot stagnant air and rotting mango residue made the whole interior smell bad. I didn't notice it--my sense of smell is rather scant. But Q and Lucas sure did when they used the car to run an errand. When they came home, Q implored me to throw my empty Jamba Juice cups away after I'm finished with them. Lucas cited that my car smells like "a dead smoothie".

Toy Cry: The really loud, low-pitched howling meow Jango makes when she has a toy in her mouth. She sounds like she's in excrutiating pain, but she just has a plastic milk jug seal clenched between her teeth.

The Overheater: It's what we call my last car, a Ford Explorer (please don't lynch me, Christopher...it was very handy when the boys were babies). Kyle started calling it The Overheater because it was doing just that. We sold the car shortly thereafter, but the name stuck. Now, that's what we call any mid-90s model Explorer we see on the road. My overheating incident occurred at:

The Death Corner: The intersection of 67th Avenue and Bell Road in north Glendale. So named because it is at this corner where I've had a disportionate amount of car trouble. Dead batteries...overheating (see above)... There may have been a flat tire or two. I was once at a store at there when the car just wouldn't start.

Impulse Chocolate: Example: You're standing in the checkout line at Linens 'n' Things armed with some washcloths and a soapdish. You also have a coupon for $5 off any purchase of $15 or more. The total comes to $14.38. You need just one more cheap item to be coupon eligible. You impulsively grab the nearest under $1 item and add it to your order, bringing the pre-coupon total to $15.22. Impulse Chocolate is so named because the hastily chosen item is usually chocolate, but it can be anything from a BIC lighter to a magnet ribbon.

The Bank of Lucas: This child hardly ever spends his money (he must get that from his dad). Except for the occasional candy purchase, most of his Christmas gift cards and birthday money have gone unspent. As a result, Lucas tends to step forward when Kyle needs a few extra dollars to afford that new video game. I once went to the B of L to break a twenty-dollar bill.

Wet Bed Head: This is a more disheveled version of regular bed head. WBH is the hairstyle that results when you take a shower then go to bed without first drying your hair.

Family Jargon, Part 1
Family Jargon, Part 2

Wii Got It, Part 2

Ever since Kyle got his Wii console last year, he's been adding to his video game collection with great regularity. He saves his allowance with a degree of discipline not typically seen in 13 year-old boys. Even so, he sometimes has to get a sales tax loan from the Bank of Lucas. But once Release Day rolls around, Kyle usually has enough money to buy his own copy of Super Mario Whatever. He then asks me or Q to drive him to Blockbuster to right when the store opens.

Kyle’s favorite games usually include the Mario character, but not always. And for the most part, stock is quite plentiful. But that wasn’t the case for Kyle’s latest gaming conquest: Wii Fit.

Wii Fit is an interactive athletic game on the same vein as Wii Sports and Wii Play. The game retails for $90 (it includes the game disk and a Balance Board that looks like those plastic boxes from an early-90s step aerobics class). That’s considerably more than the usual $20-$50 price for Wii games. As such, I agreed to pay for half if Kyle made the Honor Roll. And he did.
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Wii Fit was released on May 21. On Thursday, I visited two Target stores in search of the game. No dice. Apparently this thing was going to be as hard to find as the original console was.
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On Friday morning, I did a few online inventory searches. I looked for Wii Fit at Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop, but I found it locally at Wal-Mart. Bad enough, but it wasn't at just any Wal-Mart. It was at Ghetto Wal-Mart! AND we had to drive there (30 mile round trip...just over a gallon of $3.75 gas).

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Oh, the things I do for my kids…
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But it was all worth it. Kyle thanked me over and over during the ride home. His show of sincere gratitude truly made me cry. Later, he continued to display his appreciation by cleaning junk mail and empty water bottles out the car.

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And then I showed Kyle this news article. I don't think the title of "Best Mom Ever" is out of line.

Not So Fast...

This past Monday, the temperature reached 111 degrees here in Peoria. And today:

Wearing a sweatshirt in late May just feels wrong on so many levels...

Lucky Wheels, Part 2

Back in February, our Dodge reached 77,777 miles. Today, it was the Mustang's turn.

Later, I checked my girliness at the door and got my hands dirty. With the help of some guy's homemade YouTube instruction video, I managed to replace the burnt out headlight bulb. *Use caution if you choose to watch the video. The guy uses a few cuss words.

Thursday 13: Favorite Foods

1. Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream from Baskin-Robbins. I lived on this stuff when I was pregnant with Kyle.

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2. The Mango Mantra smoothie from Jamba Juice.

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3. Birthday cakes with whipped cream frosting

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4. Avocados

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5. Ice cold Pepsi. It's best when the bottle is left in the freezer just until ice crystals form and it gets slushy. Mmmmm...perfection.

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6. Pretty much any variety of sushi, but spicy tuna and spicy yellowtail are the best.

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7. Any pizza that includes mushrooms, black olives, yellow peppers and caramelized onions.

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8. Frozen chocolate coins

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9. Girl Scouts Thin Mint cookies. Again...frozen.

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10. Sunday brunch at Cantina Laredo. Their huevos rancheros with warm salsa on the side are the best.

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11. Waffles served with warm strawberries and lots and LOTS of whipped cream.

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12. Roast beef sandwich on garlic herb bread with extra mayo from Cousins Subs

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13. The Oreo Speedwagon shake from Keva Juice. It's even more fun to order: "I'll take it on the run, Baby."

From The Yard

Mexican Evening Primrose

Blanket Flower

African Lillies

Vinca

Ganzia

Pink gardening tools. I found these in the dollar bins at Target.

We Have a Winner

For the past few months, Lucas has been participating in his school's Mileage Club. In this program, the students run laps during lunch recess. They were issued stamping cards that kept track of each lap. Each filled card equalled five miles ran. Lucas filled five cards and part of a sixth.

This year's Mileage Club ended a few weeks ago. At which time, each filled card was entered into a drawing for a new bicycle.

And look who won:

The Heat Is On

Let the summertime indoor hibernation begin.

Sage Advice

The following item appeared in yesterday's Dear Abby. I could have written it. In fact, I could probably write an addendum regarding phone calls.

FOLLOW THESE BASIC RULES WHEN VISITING TERMINALLY ILL

DEAR ABBY: I have just returned from visiting a close friend in the next town. She was exhausted from caring for her husband, who has terminal cancer -- but even more so from the many visits from loving friends and relatives around the country.

I experienced the same thing a few years ago, so I'm hoping you will help me to inform people of some basic rules for visiting families going through this profoundly trying experience.

Don't go for a "vacation," but rather to lend support -- and only if there is no objection.

Go healthy. Remember, the patient has no immunity after chemotherapy.

Provide your own transportation. Stay in a motel unless the home is large and the hostess has asked you to stay.

Keep visits short and positive. Long conversations are exhausting.

Provide food, preferably ready-cooked for simplicity, and do the cleanup.

Leave the house for periods of time (even a day or two) so the family can resume their medical routine.

Change the bed if you stay in the home. Remember, there is no maid service.

And last, require nothing of the family. There is nothing left for them to give.

Thank you, Abby, for letting me speak for so many.
-- GOT IT OFF MY CHEST

DEAR GOT IT: Well said. I particularly like your recommendations to stay someplace other than the home, to keep visits short so as not to deplete the patient, and not to expect to be entertained in any way. In life-or-death situations, the normal rules of hospitality do not apply, so ask not what your hosts can do for you, but what you can do for them -- and abide by what they tell you.

Thursday 13: Big Geek

1. No matter what time of the year it is, I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting places to hide Easter eggs.

2. I download songs I hear on TV commercials. My latest iTunes purchase is Feels Like Heaven from the Reese's ad.

3. I am fascinated by the letter combinations on license plates.

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4. It's been on the air for more than ten years. It jumped the shark after five. But I still find King of the Hill funny.

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5. If I find a comfortable pair of shoes, I buy a pair in every color. Not much variety here.

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6. My favorite movies are all from the '80s.

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7. I have a habit of overbudgeting my time. As a result, I'm early for everything.

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8. I listen to Jefferson Starship. Not Jefferson Airplane. Not Starship. Jefferson. Starship.

9. When we had our house built, I insisted we choose a lot that had the master bedroom windows facing north.

10. I keep a small tape measure in my purse.

11. My favorite thing about going to downtown Phoenix is getting to see all the cool skyscrapers, historic buildings, and other interesting architecture.

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12. I reset the trip odometer after every gas stop.

13. All my shirts are color-coded.

Arizona Rain Dance

It doesn't rain in Phoenix very often, but it did yesterday. The showers were unexpected and very brief, but I did manage to get caught in a downpour. Here's how to ensure that it will rain:

--Carry a suede purse.

--Have a really good hair day.

--Wash your car. Rain chances will more than triple if you go to the auto spa and spring for the VIP Platinum service instead of doing it yourself at home.

--Set a few newly washed cashmere sweaters outside to dry, and forget about them.

--Leave the convertible parked with the top down.

--Wear your favorite leather sandals.

--Forget to close the windows before leaving for the day.

--Accidentally leave your umbrella in your husband's/friend's/sister's/boss's car.

--Run the sprinklers and water all plants.

Additional ideas would be appreciated. We could sure use more rain here.

Flip That Dish?

One of my favorite Harlequin items is double egg cup:

It is my goal to acquire one egg cup in eleven of the twelve colors produced (I will never have medium green...too rare and WAY too expensive). And I'm almost there. Last night I won an ebay auction for one in gray.

While the gray egg cup is not a rare piece, it is far less available than the rose, spruce, and blue ones pictured above. The final price (before shipping and handling) was $9.99. That's certainly less than I anticipated having to pay.

Shortly after discovering the win, I noticed a new message on my ebay watch page. I thought it was a seller's invoice. Nope! It was another buyer wanting to buy the gray egg cup. And she was willing to pay $30 for it. Apparently, she didn't get home in time to bid against me.

I had never encountered this situation before, and didn't know how to respond. On one hand, a 200% return on my investment sounded quite attractive. But on the other hand, it might be awhile before I find another gray egg cup. And I definitely won't find one for $10! I didn't reply to her offer right away. Instead, I decided to sleep on it.

Early this morning, I received a second e-mail from her. It seems I wasn't moving fast enough for her liking. I wrote back, declining her offer. But I added that if I decide to sell the egg cup, I'll give her first crack at it.

How Rude!

Yesterday, the boys' school had their end-of-the-year awards assemblies. There were two ceremonies: one for the elementary grades, and one for junior high. And since both boys were receiving awards, we attended both.

At the start of the 3rd-6th grade ceremony, it was standing room only. By the time it ended, only a few dozen people remained. The 7th-8th grade ceremony ended with less than that. Apparently, parents saw no problem with exhibiting poor etiquette and leaving immediately after their kids received their awards.

I realize some families may have had prestanding commitments. The principal even deviated from the written program and gave awards to a group of kids who needed to get to soccer practice. And then there was the family with a cranky toddler. But I truly find it hard to believe that so many people had other legitimate plans. Most likely, they just wanted to get home in time to watch TMZ.

I feel bad for the kids who got their awards last. In this case, it was the band students. They got far less applause than the honor roll students, who were announced at the beginning.

I know that it's difficult to sit on hard laminate cafeteria benches for long periods. My butt was numb after an hour. And I realize that these ceremonies can get drawn out and boring at times...especially if your kid isn't the one getting his name called. But if the adults can't show good manners, how can we expect an entire generation of children to do the same?

BTW, both Kyle and Lucas got awards for Honor Roll, and Lucas got the fourth grade citizenship award for Band. He let me hang his medal from my rear view mirror.

Semester Roundup

Here are a few highlights, lowlights, hints, tips, gripes, and other useless information I learned this semester:

--You will not save money by reupholstering a piece of furniture. By the time you have bought fabric, foam, Dacron padding, cording, springs, and other materials, you're already down a few hundred dollars. And that doesn't even count the basic tools. If money's an issue, you're better off buying a new couch at IKEA.

--The only time reupholstering is worthwhile is when the item is an antique or family heirloom. Or if you need the class for elective credit towards a degree.

--A good quality upholstery staple remover is worth its weight in gold.

--For the Interior Materials class, I had to compile a resource file of different product vendors and tradesmen. Categories included flooring, lighting, window treatments, and green products. This assignment was completed in one afternoon by gathering business cards at a home and garden show.

--Home shows are teeming with some very agressive salesmen. If you make eye contact, they will proceed to talk your ear off. Give them your phone number and you're screwed. I just told these guys that I'm an interior design student and they usually backed off. Translation: college girl has no money.

--I have become enamoured with Mid-Century and Post-War architecture and design. After a lecture in Modern Architecture, I went home and took my Butterfly Chair out of the bedroom. It now sits proudly on display in the living room.

--Paul Klee was an art instructor at Bauhaus. I have one of his prints hanging in the front hall.

--$14.99 per yard for middle-of-the-road upholstery fabric is considered a very good price.

--After 6:30 PM, the faculty parking spaces become fair game. This came in handy for Monday night's upholstery class when I had to lug my furniture and supplies to and from the classroom.

--My commute from home to SCC is 33.5 miles, and takes me through 4 cities--Peoria, Glendale, Phoenix, and Scottsdale.

--Both of our cars get roughly 25 mpg. It was costing me about $10 PER DAY for gas to drive to and from school. OUCH!

--During a lecture on Art Deco, my Modern Architecture teacher mentioned Fiesta ware. I didn't even try to contain my glee.

--Thanks to upholstery class, I mostly overcame my fear of nail guns.

--Two words: Green Design.

--My old preschool--First Christian Church--was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

--Brazilian cherry hardwood flooring darkens over time. I guess I won't be putting an area rug in the living room.

--I memorized the locations of all six speed cameras on the Scottsdale leg of the 101 freeway.

--Never try to hand draft a custom entry door when you can use AutoCAD.

--I got A's in all three classes.

He's Back!

The Adam Carolla Show is back on Phoenix radio! Now I can listen without being chained to the computer. The show can be heard locally on KEDJ 103.9 FM from 6 to 10 am MST. This will come in really handy in the fall when I'll be commuting to SCC at 7:00 in the morning.

And speaking of school, I have finals in two classes this week, and both should be quite easy. One is open-note and the other is Modern Architecture. For me, the MA class is more of a leisure activity than scholastic drudgery. In fact, I'll be bummed out when it's over. I want to more of this stuff! Maybe I'll skim Amazon for books about Bauhaus, Frank Lloyd Wright, Scandinavian design, and Post-War architecture.

Oh, and by the end of this week, I will have earned a CCL in Home Furnishings and Materials. YAY!!!!!

Pick a Book...

I got this from Mark's blog:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.

From Interior Design of the 20th Century by Anne Massey, 2001.

His decorating work was a marginal part of the business which he shared with Morant, the traditional upholsterer. Their London showroom was situated in a Palladian house, and was used to display English antique furniture from the sixteenth to mid-eighteenth centuries, when, it was generally considered, the production of 'good' furniture came to an end. Twentieth-century interior decorators consistently worked within the styles of the past, and until the First World War decorating was almost synonymous with the antique trade.