This Is Hilarious to Me

I am working hard on cleaning up the Batcave.  I got a new computer and desk and now I have to get it all organized.  Let's just say it's been nearly a week and I'm maybe a third of the way through it all. It may take a village.

I am examining a lot of stuff as I am doing a major purge.  I ran across some DVD's that were old and decided to see if there was anything on them that was worth keeping.

Well, I found this little gem.  I laughed so hard.

In August of 2010 I took a little trip (on my own) to visit our daughter in Alaska. This would be the same daughter who now brews beer in the wilds of Montana. I took along a sweet little point and shoot digital camera with a Leica lens and I had so much fun.

When I returned I decided that I would make a great slide show to give to my parents and other family members for Christmas.

I'm pretty sure that nearly all of these shots are straight out of the camera with a bit of cropping done here and there.  There are some really bad shots and some good ones.  I even added words and music to the whole deal.

My sense of humor comes out pretty clearly in this dumb video.  I am pretty much a sarcastic goofball.

The video is about 16 minutes long, so just sit back for a bit.  I recommend that you not drink a soda while watching as you may squirt it out of your nose and that burns, people.  I laughed a lot at some of the dumb stuff in it.  Feel free to comment below about what you found to be funny.

This was made using old technology so it may glitch a bit with the music.  I had a little trouble on my computer with lagging.

Warning:  there is a huge pile of bear scat in here somewhere.  Not even kidding.

'Heads Up' Travelers

I am here to serve and advise.

Keeping that in mind, here is a short tutorial on travel containers of shampoo and gel and how to use them.

1 - The above is a container of travel shampoo.  It is not labeled.  That is because if you label the conditioner you will always know which is which.  And you can't read the damn labels in the shower without your glasses anyway.

2 - The above is a travel hair gel.  Note that it is clearly labeled as such.

Now here is the most important part of the tutorial:  NEVER USE NUMBER 1 AS NUMBER 2.

If you use the travel shampoo as hair gel, you will not get the results that you want.  I guarantee it.  In fact, you may go around all day with undiluted shampoo in your hair and wonder why your hair looks like shit.  You may not realize why until the next day when you almost make the exact same mistake AGAIN.  (Hint:  if your 'hair gel' foams when you put it in your wet hair, it is probably shampoo.  If this happens, bend your head over the tub and rinse it out.  Start over again with the gel this time.)

I repeat:  NEVER USE NUMBER 1 AS NUMBER 2.

This post is over.  I have to go label my travel shampoo.  In big letters.

Chinese Lanterns Redux

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis is once again playing host to the Chinese Lantern Festival for most of the summer.  If you love color and light, this is for you.  If you were lucky enough to visit in 2012, go again.  The displays are all totally new.

This is the link to the Garden.  I was lucky enough to go with part of my family this past weekend.  It is not free, but well worth the price of admission.  Make sure that you check it all out online as they have limited days until August.

For those of you who love to shoot, sorry, but you are not allowed to bring in a tripod or monopod. This is actually a good thing because there are tons of people walking about.  Brush up on your settings before you go so that you  know what you need to do to get the best shots.  I was unaware that the Festival was in town, so I got caught with just my kit lens.

We ate at the little cafe in the main building and it was yummy.  I had mushroom and pesto flat bread pizza.  OK.  Now I'm hungry.



A couple of tips:

• Make sure you bring a stroller if you have young children. You are there for a bit.
• Make sure that you bring bug spray.  They have great mosquitoes in St. Louis.
• It is heat and humidity that define St. Louis in the summer. Hydrate while you are there.  There are concessions around the Garden, including alcohol.
• Plan on spending a few minutes in the adorable gift shop and the Chinese marketplace.  You really need the entire 4 hours.

If you decide to go down, don't forget to visit the St. Louis Zoo. They just opened a new polar bear exhibit.  This is one of the greatest zoos around, people.  Don't miss it.

 This is part of the fabulous multi-media center display!  Lots of horses, music and fire.

 Kids and adults took advantage of this fountain!

 A pagoda made entirely of china!  So cool.

 The center display at night.

Dandelions!  I believe they were made from cut up water bottles.

See.  Fire!

This was so cool.  An elephant display made entirely of china.

Peacock made of glass medicine bottles.

She's Back!

We ran down to Joplin, MO to bring Swim Girl back home.  She has completed her year of Vista/Americorps service and is now ready to dive into making some money so that she can get that 'big girl' job she so desperately wants.

I say 'ran' down, but bear in mind that it is an 8 1/2 hour drive (or more).  Each way.  Now remember, Grocery Boy just moved Alaska Girl out west (2418 miles, he will quote).  It goes without saying that we were not looking forward to this.  Oh, and I got to drive through my all time favorite conditions: snow, dark, county roads, no plowing.

Luckily for us, Swim Girl has learned a few things and she was all packed up when we got there.  She also had 3 friends scheduled to help load the 16 foot truck the next day.  The truck was supposed to be a 10 footer, but they didn't have anything that small.  Oh well.  It's only gas money.

Speaking of gas, I took a picture of the gas prices in Joplin over the weekend.  Now those are numbers we haven't seen for a long while.

We went out to dinner at a local place called Big R's while we were there.  Nom nom.  I had homemade rolls, bear battered onion rings and a great big ole piece of chocolate cherry pie.  Can you say food coma?  I got two servings out of that pie!

Mmm.  Pie.

So, we have sent one child away and in return we cycled one back into the fold.  This one has a cat.  A cat that my cats don't like and will never like because she is an interloper and not of their world. Despite the kitty pheromones being pumped into the air by the handy (expensive) Feliway dispenser, there is a lot of hissing and paw batting going on around here.  Maybe I can get some great cat fight pics.  Laters.

Moving On

With her grandfather.

It seems that our lives are constantly changing where our children are concerned.  We have been blessed to have both of our girls return home (literally) in the last couple of years.

Perhaps you remember that Swim Girl left the nest again last November to volunteer with Americorps/Vista. We have missed her, but since she is fairly close we have been able to connect several times.

Now it is Alaska Girl's turn to attempt another flight.  She is headed out west.  In fact, she and her dad are on their way as I write this.  She has a new gig as a cellarer (cellarist?) at a brewery near Big Sky Country.  That's about 18 hours by car.

I know that you will find this hard to believe, but I didn't have to help with this one.  I didn't help load the car and I'm not driving anybody anywhere.  In fact, the only thing I did do is pick up a bicycle from her apartment.  I almost feel guilty.   Almost.

With her grandmother, AKA Wonder Woman.

Alaska Girl moved back home nearly 2 years ago and spent about 5 months living in her old room (that was enough).  She has moved around in the immediate area since then.  We didn't see her a lot, mainly because she was working upwards of 50 hours a week; but, she would text or call every few days, so we knew what she was doing most of the time.  She found her own set of friends and wound up having a pretty great time, even though it was 'back home...ugh'.

With her Uncle Joe and Jim.

This child prefers to live her own adventurous, eclectic life with minimal parental input and that's okay.  She is comfortable wearing old clothes from the local thrift store, Xtratuf boots and loves to spend her time outdoors, even in winter.  She did not get those traits from me.
 

With her Uncle Dave

We will miss her.  She came over for dinner a lot.  She laid on our couch a lot, usually with a computer in hand.  My water bill will go down. Yup, laundry.  I will miss her staying with me on those few occasions when her dad was out of town.  I am a wimp.  We will miss her helping out in the kitchen or helping with a chore.

We will miss the Little Dude.  Rach is going with her.

With her Aunt Julie, TFIOS Addict and Ann.

So, to my daughter..." I wish all possible success. You deserve it.  Work hard, play hard and do your best.  I hope you love it so that we can come out for vacation next summer.  Now, I have to go clean your room."

And just in case you all were feeling sorry for me not getting to help her move, don't worry. Swim Girl is moving back in a couple of weeks.  I know I can't get out of that one.

Not the best of Alaska Girl, but you gotta love Rach.

Rach, Alaska Girl and Swim Girl

Obviously he is thrilled with the accommodations.

Go Fourth!

No, I didn't forget how to spell.  This post is about the 4th of July, silly.

We were able to get away to visit family for the holiday weekend.  We hadn't been down to Missouri in a while, so we were looking forward to it.  Swim Girl would meet us there.

Fast forward past Swim Girl running over a leftover tire thing on the highway and her car shutting off and me calling people and places.  She managed to arrive in a rental car a few hours later than planned.

These are the fences that the Tom's will be whitewashing.

We had a great time.  We spent most of it with Grocery Boy's brother and his family.  I sometimes forget how much fun kids are.  They kept me pretty entertained, although to be truthful, it doesn't take much.

We spent the afternoon of the 4th in downtown Hannibal seeing the sights.  This small town is the home of mud volleyball and Tom Sawyer Days, complete with Tom Sawyer contest, fence painting, frog jumping and Miss Hannibal.  You really should go there one year.

Downtown has changed a lot from dive bars to chic new bistro/bars and outdoor seating.  There is hand dipped ice cream, antique shops, lots of fudge and my personal favorite, the popcorn and candy store.

The Tom's.

Being that I was still using one crutch to motor around, I didn't go far.  Just to the popcorn store and to see mud volleyball for a while.

What?  You haven't ever played mud volleyball?  You haven't lived until you have played.  First you find your grossest shorts, top and shoes.  Then you duct tape everything on.  Including your shoes. Then you go onto the court which is ankle deep in mud; thick Missouri mud.  Then you just play volleyball.  Aside from the fact that you can't hardly pull your feet up to move, it's the same as regular volleyball except it doesn't hurt when you fall.  And you kind of fall in slow motion.  My husband and I played one year, before we had kids.  I think I still have mud on my body from that.

We had a great family function the next day and then we headed home on Sunday.

I hope that you all had a happy and safe 4th.  Next holiday ahead: Labor Day!

And there we go.

Who are these cute kids?

Our family was very kind and made sure that
I was able to easily get to and from the park where the fireworks were.  Thank you.

On Saturday, the kids (and others) enjoyed paddle boarding on the little lake at Uncle Joe's.  Yes, Swim Girl dresses up to paddle board.

So, Is Summer Going Quickly or What?

Holy crap!  It is the last full week of July already.  I mean, where the heck has the summer gone?  I think I know.  It's been at the physical therapist's office!  And the doctor's office!  And in the car! And in Arizona!  And Hannibal!  And St. Louis!  And soon it will be in Manhattan!


There it is, my summer in a nutshell.  I have been busy, just not always doing what I want.  (There is a very heavy pout on my face.  I am 4.)

I was able to take a long trip.  And when I say long, I mean about 3 weeks.  After some meaningful family gathering in Hannibal and St. Louis, I accompanied my sister and niece to Phoenix.  By car. Again.  To help her move. Again.

This moving somebody thing is becoming kind of a summer tradition.  It all started with helping my daughter move back from being the Aquatic Director at a camp in New Jersey at the end of the summer of 2009.  We then moved her to St. Louis where she stayed put for the record breaking time of about 3 months.  Then she flew off to California and the land of Orange with 2 suitcases, a backpack, her pillows and a blankie.  Of course, she needed her car, so my husband and I took it out to her.  It was absolutely packed to the gills.  Translation:  we couldn't see squat out of the rear view mirror.  The side mirrors became very important.  When they got covered with slush going through the Rockies, we had to pull over and clean them with snow.  I swear to God!

Flash ahead to the summer of 2011, I helped my sister move to Phoenix, then continued on to Orange County, CA and helped my daughter move to Maryland (yup, you heard me right).  My butt put in 5500 miles.

Then last summer I helped the same daughter move back to the Heartland.  Remember the cube?

Now this summer, because I was adrift with absolutely nothing to do, I offered to help my sister move from Phoenix to right here on the good ole Mississippi.  That's just how I roll.

I forgot how hard it is to move.  All that annoying packing.  And taping.  And wrapping.  And trying to figure out what to do next and is it all going to fit and will we finish before the movers come? Oh, and speaking of taping, I wasn't allowed to do that.  I have a disability working those tape thingys.  I can't tear off the tape without dragging it two feet past where I wanted to tear it off.  My sister banned me from the tape.

We did manage to fit in a movie, a little shopping, some major swimming and some food.  I love Phoenix.  I will miss Phoenix.  I will miss the friends that I made there.  Luckily, those friends have invited me to come visit.  I just hope they don't want to move.