Thought of something to do this weekend

Or rather, was reminded of something by a friend on Facebook. Tomorrow there is a Civil War re-enactment at El Dorado Park. Definitely sounds interesting, and I know that Ralph wants to go too.

Almost caught up at work. Reviewed about 15 contracts over the past two days. Of course, the managers will be signing them next week and then I'll be drowning again to get them all scanned over to escrow & put into the files. Oh, well, it sure beats being bored at work or worse, unemployed.

It rained a wee bit today, just enough to get the pavement damp & the car windows spotty. I overheard one co-worker exclaim, "It's raining outside!" and I thought, "Duh! Where *else* would it be raining?"

Making chili for dinner tonight, or rather assembling chili for dinner since it uses pre-packaged spices, canned tomatoes, and canned beans. I did have to brown the meat & chop the onion though (wipes sweat from brow).

Today's photo: a fountain of Poseidon that was at the Olde World Festival we went to last weekend. Looks best when viewed large (click on picture to do this).

Nothing exciting

Haven't done much this week. Work has been busy with trying to get caught up from last week. Did some knitting, including the little turtle in today's picture. He's very little, maybe 2-1/2" long. I knit him on Monday; started him at the beginning of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and was sewing on the last leg just as the end credits finished up. I probably would have gotten him done faster if I hadn't been watching the movie, since it was enough of a distraction to make me lose my place and misread the instructions several times, resulting in the need to tink & re-knit a few rows.

No big plans for the coming weekend, either, although I would like to go see "Up" on Saturday.

Got the best reaction yet today to my new haircut: "You look good with your hair pulled back like tha--OH MY GOD DID YOU CUT IT ALL OFF???" Heh heh! Everyone does seem to like it though. And I'm getting used to Ralph's hair being short.

Yeah, I know this is a boring post. Told you it was nothing exciting :-)

Before & After

After months of consideration, Ralph decided to get his hair cut. I, of course, am devastated (OK, that is a total exaggeration; let's just say that I don't hate it as much as I thought I would) but he is very happy with it. This is the first time he has had short hair in over 20 years. I got my hair cut just as short as his (which I've done before), however I am 100% non-photogenic so I'm not posting pictures of it. The grey in mine really shows up now. I am seriously considering getting just a light coloring added when it's time for a trim.

We had a wonderful time at Neighbor K & A's party yesterday. Good food, good company, and they have a "Rock Star" X-Box game that everyone really seemed to enjoy. I didn't play although Ralph did, and he said it was a lot of fun. All in all we had a lovely time. I think Neighbor D would have been pleased to see that the new owners of his house are filling it with fun and friends (including some of his old buddies). Neighbors R & M were there; everyone else were new to us although by the end of the party I felt like I had known some of them for years.

Plans for today aren't nearly so exciting. I want to finally finish the fish hat I started months ago & set aside; if the weather is warm enough I'll bathe the dogs; and of course there's a bit of housework to be done. The excitement just never ends. . .

Sock it to Cancer: DONE!

Colors are truest in the close-up of the cuff. I think SS will like it. I know that I do! Good thing it doesn't fit me, or I might have made a second & kept the pair ;-)

Koroneberg Festival

Spent the day at the Koroneberg Old World Festival, formerly known as the Corona Renaissance Faire. Had a very good time there. Ran into a lot of old friends, watched a couple shows, ate yummy pork sandwiches, and even went through the haunted house they had there. One of the performers was Jeffrey the Traveling Juggler, whom we used to know many many years ago, and whom we ran into when we went on our Hawaii cruise a couple years back. It was fun seeing him & his show again.

Tomorrow we have been invited to a BBQ at Neighbor K & A's place. We're really looking forward to it. You know, in the 8 years we've been in this house, this is the first time any of our neighbors have invited us to do anything other than pet-sit. We've invited people to our place (some have come, some have not) but never before have we been invited over for anything. Wonder what that says about us. . .

I should be able to finish the Sock it to Cancer sock this weekend. I started the cuff this morning, although I only had time for two rounds before we left for the Festival. Ralph is working Monday so that will give me plenty of time to get it done. Sure hope SS likes it. I need to get to Michael's tomorrow & buy the bells for the cuff points.

Sock in progress

Making good progress on the "Sock it to Cancer" sock for my co-worker, SS. I got partway through the second line of lettering before I noticed that my floats were tight at the corners, but I was able to loosen them to some degree & made them much looser on the remaining lettering. Still a bit tight (you can see in the close-up shot that it pulls in a little on the word "cancer") however this sock is not intended to be worn so I don't think it matters much. I really like the yarn Lizard gave me; it reminds me of a sunset reflecting off the water.

Had an utterly wasted day at work today. Got urgent "must do it today" e-mail from procurement to get some options in so they could run "cut-off 5" this afternoon. Mr. Boss Man & I scrambled to get everything in--most of them were for BT's and AL's communities but they were both off today so it was up to us, and being unfamiliar with their files it took more time than if it had just been ours. Around 2:30 or so we realized that cut-off 5 (flooring) isn't due on most of these until July! I called the person who sent the e-mail and she said, "Oh, no, cut-off 5 isn't flooring, it's tub enclosures." Um, since when??? Cut-off 5 has ALWAYS meant flooring. Sigh. What a flippin' waste of time, especially on a day when we were trying to play catch-up after being in training most of the week! I sure am glad to be home now, and particularly glad I have a 3-day weekend (although alas, Ralph does not).

Propositions 1A-1E: FAIL!!

Found this quote regarding Props 1A-1E's failure to pass in yesterday's special election:

"Obviously, it's disappointing," said Democratic Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, chairwoman of the Assembly Budget Committee. "But I think the voters are sending a message that they believe the budget is the job of the governor and Legislature. We probably need to go back and do our job."

Gosh--ya THINK????

Just a few items

Earthquake last night, centered in Hawthorne. We got some good jolting here, couple things knocked off shelves. Fortunately nothing landed on people or pets, and only one item got broken. Had to soothe the dogs for quite a while afterwards.

Had training at the North building today. Told myself this morning to bring the camera, because if I didn't there would be sure to be something cool & picture-worthy (there are often hawks, and mockingbirds, and turkey buzzards). Meant to bring the camera. Got halfway to work & realized I had forgotten it. So of *course* at lunchtime a killdeer strolled across the parking lot right in front of my car, and then sat over by the planter the whole time I was at lunch. It was still hanging around when I left five hours later. I have another training class tomorrow, so maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll have another chance at getting a picture. And monkeys could fly outta my piñata. . .

To top it off, I lost the Survivor bet & now I owe Lizard money. Only fair, I guess, since my guy won last time.

Happy Birthday to Ralph!

Today is my sweetie's birthday, in case the title of this post wasn't enough of a clue. He spent the day playing D & D with friends, which gave me time to prepare his birthday evening. I did all the chores so that he didn't have to do any when he got home; wrapped his gifts (two books from his wish list & a DVD he had specifically requested); and cooked a special birthday dinner of baked brisket with homemade barbecue sauce, corn on the cob, cauliflower with cheese sauce, and of course cake & ice cream. After dinner (but before dessert) we took a walk together in the cool of the evening. We just finished our cake slices & are watching his new movie ("The Clone Wars"). He's received several birthday calls and all in all I think he had a good day.

Today's picture: Ralph's new birthday socks, the ones I finished yesterday.

That man can cook!

Had an absolutely lovely day today. Archery in the morning, of course, and while Ralph didn't shoot for long it was enough time for me to finish knitting his birthday socks. Although his birthday isn't until tomorrow, I gave him the socks right then & there. I was pleased that he immediately took off his shoes & put the new socks on. Thank goodness they fit! I'm always nervous making things for him as a surprise, since I can't have him try them on while they are still WIPs.

Afterwards we went to the El Dorado Nature Center, just for a short stroll. We took the 1/4 mile path, which is about 10 minutes of leisurely walking & looking at things. Lots of pretty flowers (including the white one in today's photo) and of course the usual array of turtles in the lake. Mostly red-eared sliders, but we were pleasantly surprised to see a soft-shell, which is a truly aquatic turtle.

Next we did a little shopping, intending to have a BBQ for lunch, but were too hungry to wait so we had burgers at In-n-Out instead. Back home for a nap (Ralph) and knitting (me). Got started on the Sock It to Cancer! sock that I promised to knit for a co-worker. We did eventually have the cook-out: grilled carne asada which we put in warm tortillas with salsa, cheese, sour cream, fresh tomatoes & avocado; corn on the cob started in the microwave and finished on the grill; and leftover blackberry pie for dessert. Needless to say I am still stuffed. We watched "Ghostbusters II" while we ate; first time I've seen it since it was in the theaters so it was really like watching a new movie, at least to me.

Looking forward to Ralph's birthday tomorrow. He will be away for most of the day which will allow me to . . . well, I won't say in case he reads this tonight ;-)

This amused me

Driving home from work today, I saw a big truck with the license plate IHITPAR. As I got closer, I could see that on the license plate frame, in itty bitty letters, was the word "sometimes."

Today's photo: our jasmine hedge in full bloom. It smells so nice & sweet!

Nothing of *real* interest

But if I don't post, I run the risk of getting heckled. Had a nice time with Lizard "antikeeing" on Sunday. Didn't buy anything, just enjoyed looking at all the interesting and sometimes downright bizarre items. Also, got a chuckle out of the "history fail" sign in the window of one shop (see today's pic).

Our rogue garden is doing well. Lots & lots of blooms on the tomatillo plants, the tomatoes are getting big, and the fig finally has more than just one fruit on it.

Learned four important things today: 1) If you dump the dregs of your iced coffee into the sink, there is a chance you will get some on your clothes. 2) If you don't notice that you've gotten iced coffee on your clothes and it dries, the creamer in it will leave white skudge on your clothes. 3) Tide Pens do not remove creamer skudge very well. 4) If you push down too hard while using a Tide Pen, the tip will snap off & render the pen useless.

Sadly, that's about it for today's news.

Yes, another photo of the starling

We did go see "Star Trek" yesterday. It was OK, I thought, although "Wolverine" was better. I don't want to give things away in case any of the Teeming Millions go see it, so I won't say much. Acting was good, story line was interesting, and while there were some inconsistencies with the original series they were explained in two words so that was all right. I would say see it in the theater, but go to a matinee if you can rather than pay full price.

Going antikeeing with Lizard today, as mentioned previously. Assuming she reads the comment I left on her blog (or reads my blog this morning, or calls me) we'll be meeting at our usual coffee shop at 10:00. Hope I remember how to get there, it's been ages!

And the widget says. . .

Only 230 days until Christmas!! I better get knitting. . . too many projects in the queue, as always.

Might go see the new Star Trek movie today. One of the ladies on Ravelry said it was awesome, and the trailer looks intriguing. It's showing at two theaters near here, which means we have a large number of show times from which to choose. This makes it pretty likely that we will manage to squeeze it in today.

Sadie was crying a lot last night. Normally she sleeps in the living room (she prefers our bedroom, but her snoring keeps Ralph awake) but for some reason she was really unhappy being out there. So, I ended up sleeping on the couch to keep her company. She was really happy to see me, wagging her tail & licking my hands. Hoover approved of me being out there, too, and slept curled up behind my knees. Hope they don't expect this to be the norm, now.

Had pizza for dinner last night. It was amazingly good, however we ordered a large and I swear they delivered a medium. Either that or they've really changed their pizza sizes since the last time we ordered.

Birdy love

Got a few pix yesterday of a male European starling courting his lady love. I had to use the zoom because I was in the car at the time (parked) and was afraid they'd fly off if I opened the door. Sadly, his wooing was in vain, for she did not fall for his sweet trillings and feather-floofings.

Very glad it's the weekend. I don't have huge, exciting plans, but I do have some quiet pleasant ones. Will probably go to archery tomorrow as usual, and then on Sunday Lizard & I are headed to OC for some "antikeeing." Ralph might come, don't know yet, and we still need to figure out exactly when & where we are meeting. I'm sure some knitting will occur, of course, and maybe some spinning. I haven't done any spinning in at least a month. Such a slacker. . .

A Very Odd Ballet

Went to the most unusual ballet I've ever seen last night, along with our friends MH2, PH2, SS and MS. Most of it I liked, although some of it was a bit dull (for example, I don't think rolling about on the floor is dancing). The costuming ranged from nothing to bikinis to shorts & tank tops. Not a tutu in sight, nor toe shoes either for that matter. High heels, yes, toe shoes, no. I did like when they did all the fancy leaps and spins and kicks--while jumping rope. The group is called Ballet Prejocalj and they were really quite unique. Here's an advertisement I found for them on youtube; there are other videos but this actually gives a good idea of what they do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuK5DcJLb2g (I can't get the links to work, so y'all will have to cut & paste).

Before the show started, of course the theater manager promoted the upcoming season, and I was delighted to see that Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo will be performing. I don't recall the date, darn it, but tickets go on sale June 1. We really enjoyed them last year & we definitely want to see them again. Here's a youtube excerpt of their "Swan Lake." Please note--this is an all-male dance troupe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBT0lLv22j0&feature=related

Haven't had much time to read The Book. I'm not even 30 pages into it yet. Hopefully I'll have a little more time tonight--if I ever get off the brainsucker, that is.

The Forgotten Disturbed

Ta da! My copy of "The Forgotten Disturbed" has finally arrived!! Here is a photo of Ralph sitting next to it :-)

Other than that, not much to post about today. Ralph went to archery, got a sunburn, and managed to run over his bow with the Saturn. It's a bit scratched up and he hopes it's not too damaged to use.

Pretend this is a clever title

This weekend went by fast, although it doesn't feel like I've really done a lot. Drove to Orange yesterday looking for a specific item for Ralph's birthday but wasn't able to find it. I won't say what it is in case he reads this as I have not yet given up the search. Tried to take a nap in the afternoon but just as I was dozing off I heard the unmistakable sounds of a horking cat right behind the chair I was in, so of course I had to get up & clean the mess. Later I went to Dad's since he is going to Canada later this week. Sis, The Boy, and The Girl were there too. Had a long & pleasant visit and some really good pizza for dinner. Dad did look a little tired, though, and he says he isn't looking forward to the trip. He just wants to stay home, and he would do so if he hadn't promised JB that he would be up there for some weddings.

Today I knit a wee bit, soaked in the jacuzzi, then we went to see "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." It was quite good; in fact I give it my highest rating--seven out of ten. Afterwards we went to Borders where Ralph picked up a book on archery & I got a couple murder mysteries, since The Book hasn't arrived yet. (Sis--you know, I feel weird calling her that since I don't call her that in real life. I'm going to switch to her proper name. Anyway, Lizard brought her copy to Dad's and we all looked through it since she is the ONLY one whose copy has arrived so far.) I thought I'd gotten the first in a new series, and when I started to read it I realized it was in fact the second. The main character twice has made reference to a certain event and then says "that's another story--available at your local bookseller's." I like it when books/movies/comic strips/etc. break the fourth wall like that. I can tell I will enjoy the book. Other than a short nap, I really haven't done anything else today but brainsuck. Oh! We were supposed to go out with MH2 & PH2 last night, but we were both so beat & got home so late that we ended up not going. Maybe next weekend.