This week's news

Well...it's been a long, full week. Thus, the dearth of posts. Here's an update:

Last weekend, Keith, Liane and Ethan arrived. It was a joyous reunion. I had a great time playing with Ethan; I never thought I could have so much fun running up and down the same hill over and over. " Let's do it again!" It was sweet and surreal to watch him riding around on the same blue and yellow racecar that used to be Andrew's when he was little. Amazing - last time I saw them all it was before Christmas...now Ethan can talk in complete sentences...

Let's see...On the fourth, Linda and I took some girls who had earned their privileges to MacDowell Dam for a delightful field trip. Unfortunately, no life guard being present, I had to tell the girls they couldn't really swim...but happily, they found something else to do- catch minnows...with plastic cups. They took it very seriously for a long time. Weird...but nice.

After work, I drove to Fairwood to join in the festivities of the Family Convention. As I drew near, I remembered that they were having the field day activities that day, and I realized I might stumble upon the running of the Fairwood Mile. Sure enough, as I came to the golf course, I drove by several small fry trudging along, bringing up the rear. This meant that I was shortly to arrive at the finish line and be greeted by a huge crowd. As I drove up the hill, there stood probably seventy five, eighty something people waiting for the runners. So I waved my queenly wave, and they broke into wild cheering...some of them even calling out my name. Wow. What a welcome. It felt for a short moment like I had died and was entering heaven, being greeted by the great cloud of witnesses. The analogy breaks down though; I never imagined I would enter through the Pearly Gates driving a teal 1993 Ford Taurus sedan. Do they even have cars with internal combustion engines in heaven?

Let's see...other highlights of the week were... a field trip to Pack Monadnock. It was pretty foggy so we couldn't see far but we had a good time. The girls can tell some pretty funny stories, such as one whose grandmother puts the makeup on dead people. Got back to the shelter after toodling around Peterborough, and went to staff meeting, where I found out that three girls had tried to steal nasturtium seeds to get high. WHAT? You can get high on nasturtium seeds? I don't know. I guess they wanted to find out. Apparently, they thought it would be like using morning glory seeds to get high. WHAT? You can get high on morning glory seeds? I guess so. I am learning ALL kinds of things I never wanted to know. I was so disappointed and mad at these girls who should have known better. At this point, I was thrilled to be leaving on my two day vacation.

Yes, I took Thursday and Friday off to participate in some of the Family Convention. It was a glorious break. I slept in, went out to lunch with Mama, Liane, and Melissa on Thursday, made dinner with Fritha- taco salad- went to the talent show in the evening...and on Friday, slept in, hung out at Fairwood in the rain bonding with family and friends...blah blah blah. I'm tired all of a sudden, and I'm going to end this rambly post.

Animalia

Okay- so what about when two beavers cross your path? What kind of luck does that bring? Yes, it really happened. Actually, they didn't completely cross my path. One of them- I think it was the female- seemed uncertain about the journey and meandered around, eventually turned, herding the male, and went back whence they came. Hmmm.

I think the news has gotten out in the animal kingdom and beasts are fighting amongst themselves to hurl themselves in the path of my car so they can get famous on my blog. The other day I saw an animal crossing the road far ahead of me. I strained forward...Is it a fox? Is it a muskrat? What new animal can I report about on my blog? Um...it was a cat. And not a wild cat, either. Oh well.

I regret that I have but one blog...but I'm having enough trouble coming up with stuff to write for just this one...

I have been in a distinct malaise. Nothing has tempted me to blog. So, a wild turkey ran in front of me on my way to work...Big deal, last week it was a bear. So, a woman bumped her car door into my passenger side mirror while I was in the car at Hannafords...and she drove away like nothing happened and I was enraged. Story goes nowhere. I took the girls swimming...I took them to Keene State's art gallery amidst a torrential downpour. Big whoop. One of the dogs at work found its' way into one of the girls' bedrooms and made off with an undergarment which it could not be persuaded to part with...I thought it would be too inappropriate to write about it. So I didn't. No really- I didn't! I know it sounds like I just did, but no, I didn't. I plunged the toilet in the girls' bathroom at work, sorted unutterably foul smelling recyclables at work, played badminton at work, ate fantastic Muddy Buddies snacks until I was almost covered with confectioners' sugar... at work... Not riveting! Got paid to watch Willy Wonka with the girls? I don't want to make everyone else jealous. ( I love the Oompa Loompas.) I dreamed I was flying helicopters and assassinating drug lords with poisoned darts...? Nah, nobody wants to read about that. It was Liane's birthday this week...my parent's 35th anniversary...Sorry. I love them tons and tons but I couldn't stir up any energy to write. Maybe 'twas the heat n' humidity that sapped my strength.

But I must bestir myself before any more time goes by. I can't let this blahness get the better of me. I must...uh...conquer it.

If you ever want to see Brad convulsed in loud laughter, contrive to be in a situation where you can talk upside down to him. If he's reclining in a chair, or lazing on a hammock or somesuch thing ( which he never has time to do, but this is purely hypothetical), come up behind him and peer over the top of his head so that you are upside down to him...and then talk...or better yet, make faces. This is a sure-fire way to send him into hysterics. I don't know why. I just did it and he gasped, amidst roars of laughter, "...like being tortured at Gitmo..."

Okay.

Well, that's the best I can come up with right now. Malaise- be gone.