July 13, 2009
Like Will It Rain Today
The forecast said only 20% but scattered thunderstorms were possible. I failed to notice the part where it said 100% humidity. And because I was sitting under my outdoor ceiling fan when I checked the weather I was a bit oblivious.
So I got out the mower and the bag and set off for the front yard. Made about three passes before I started to melt. Fortunately the amount of lawn in my front yard is small. And the city picks up absolutely anything one leaves at the curb, including grass and leaves, so dumping the bag is easy. Actually the whole thing is easy. Thirty minutes, maximum of four trips to dump the grass.
My brother built his wife a new sauna. Push mowing the yard I figure has much the same effect. Plus, despite my melting, I enjoy it.
And as long as the rain holds off, I will continue to enjoy my multitude of yard projects.
Plus, I got up early this morning and got five of my expense reports and my time sheet submitted. I feel like Rocky at the top of the steps when I hit SUBMIT that many times in a row. I don't know why I dread doing them so much when they are as easy as they are.
The sweat has stopped running down my face. For the moment anyway, I've stopped below the ceiling fan on the porch.
As I believe I mentioned on either Twitter or FB, I've got five weeks off starting this Friday. Three of those weeks are compliments of a sabbatical program at work, and two are regular vacation.
There's lots of sweat dripping in my near future.
And rock raking.
Somewhere in the very near future I need to learn enough Italian to get Shea and I around Rome.
We're still only at a third of our arbitrary budget.
Speaking of Sheaness.
Posted by Angela Tanner at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)
June 11, 2009
Shea and I were out shopping tonight. She got some new socks. When we got back in the car, she was reading the materials in the socks. She read, "One percent Spandex." Then she stretched the socks out and said, "That seems like more than one percent."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm going to write that one down," I said.
"Oh, no."
Posted by Angela Tanner at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2009
Still listening. Still sorting.
Have been on the verge of tears a few times. (In the best way. Sheaness does that to me sometimes.)
That hair. I miss that hair.
But that dimple will never go away.
And she's beautiful no matter what she does with her hair.
The first two pictures were from the summer of 2001. Shea said she wanted to go to the zoo. So we flew first class out to San Diego, just us two. Went to the zoo one day, and the wild animal park the next, then flew home the next.
Just because we could.
(The other two pictures were taken in the past six months.)
Going a bit further this time. I am beside myself with excitement at the thought of our upcoming adventure, just us two.
Posted by Angela Tanner at 03:21 PM | Comments (0)
Alligator Pie and Crocodile Tears
Still listening to Big Whiskey.
And sorting pictures.
Shea at five days old with her great grandfather. One of my all-time favorite pictures. For oh, so very many reasons.
Posted by Angela Tanner at 02:58 PM | Comments (0)
June 01, 2009
Can't Help Loving That Kid of Mine
I'm very proud of my daughter for finishing the school year with all A's, and being able to exempt three exams. I'm Mom to a high-schooler now.
Holy crap.
But in a great way.
In other news, I had left my Hilton Honors frequent guest account alone for somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 or 10 years. Finally got around to getting an account made online this morning, after one call to customer service.
Half a million points.
Cool.
So I used points to book hotels in Madrid and Berlin this summer. Still have to get rooms in Rome. But at the moment, we've got first-class round trip airfare, and 7 of 10 nights in 4 or 5 star hotels, and have spent 71 dollars and change.
Speaking of change, if I can't find a room in Rome with points, then I'll just pay for the room, and theoretically anyway, pay for it out of the change jar. Shea asked the other day if I knew how much I had in there.
"I know exactly how much is in there."
Pause.
"Four hundred and ninety dollars."
Any we don't spend on travel will be spent on other things. Lladros for Mommy. No telling what Sheaness will choose.
Big congratulations are also in order for my one and only niece who graduated from high school on Friday night.
Funny the way it is though. I don't feel old.
I just feel lucky.
Posted by Angela Tanner at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2009
Sheaness: Research Assistant
I'm not exactly sure when the idea to go to Spain this year came about. But it seems to me it was last fall when Shea was bringing home 100s consistently in Spanish.
I wanted to go to Rome, and because (hide your eyes pumpkin) she had a crush on a guy from school with German heritage, she was interested in going there.
She started learning German.
Last week I booked the airplane tickets. Yesterday I set her to work finding hotels.
We/she converted US dollars to Euros, and I gave her the budget for the trip. And asked her to read the hotel reviews. She came up with five hotels in Berlin to choose from.
I asked her to do the same for Rome and Madrid, but she got distracted by her friend, and then by going over to her friend's house, so she stopped with the hotels in Berlin.
Seems she also distracted herself with the calligraphy Sharpies I got her. She left me the red one, with a note that said it was for me, she loves me, and she signed her name, with "aka: pumpkin."
Too cute.
Definitely my kid to be distracted by writing instruments.
At one point (she was on my computer) I asked her to open up another window, because it was tedious to watch the unnecessary shuffling. She said she couldn't. I asked why. She said it doesn't work with (whatever app she had open.)
I said yes it does.
She said no it doesn't.
I said I do it all the time. "You see that little e there? Click it."
She did, and voila a new window opened up.
One of these days she will remember what I do for a living.
"Thanks, Mom."
"You're welcome."
Thanks to her influence, we are spending virtually the exact same amount of time in each place. She did have a concern last week that Germany would be short-changed.
Then she asked me how my Italian was coming along. Not happy with my answer, she signed me up for the online course the same place she's been learning German.
Maybe I can just sing Con Te Partiro for my supper, so to speak.
Speaking of which, I can't find my Romanza CD.
And just a few more days to wait until Big Whiskey comes out.
Posted by Angela Tanner at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)