froggy

Top Chef - Pee Wee Herman

2012-02-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry. I can't even....

Abby loves the fireplace

2012-01-31T21:01:00.000-08:00

It allows her to talk to her master.

Abby sez she is convinced

2012-01-31T11:31:00.000-08:00

It was a crime against fashion!

2012-01-31T08:44:00.000-08:00

Headline in our paper:

Man in leopard print shirt and white pants robs store

has it arrived?

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

WA, along with other coastal states and Canada, are on the look out for tsunami debris arriving on our shores. The first bit may have arrived in at the tip top of WA. Residents are asked to keep a lookout for anything of a personal nature that could be returned to Japan. I have two ancient Japanese fishing floats that my grandfather found on the Oregon beaches. They got here under much better circumstances.
Full story here.

This is MY squeaky dragon

2012-01-27T20:38:00.000-08:00

Dearly departed yellow lab Heidi had a stuffed polar bear that was hers and hers alone. It was her baby. Abby has squeaky dragon. Tar is not allowed to touch it and it gets to share her various nests around the house.

Project Runway All Stars - ice cream?

2012-01-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Spoilers....

Make a dress in six hours?? For a model to wear to an *industry event*?
Hurrumph - I'm going to be watching for that model to show up in Micheal's dress. Daughter said it looked like something a 50s movie star would sweep around in as boudoir wear.
Always a dicey proposition anyway - for a judge to wear the winning outfit - there is more than just good design that goes into the decision. (Like breast feeding boobs - TMI honey)
And then April went home??!! And KaraJ didn't?! Her dress made SweetP's look sophisticated and fresh!
otoh - Michael was thrilled to win and have the props from Diane Von Furstenberg - that was kind of cute. Mondo - those shorts - dear gawd.

Top Chef - Healthy Choice Version

2012-01-25T21:37:00.000-08:00

So we've just decided to stop fighting it and go with the sponsor challenge of the week. This week Healthy Choice. TomC. was tweeting during this episode (he also tweeted during SOTU speech) and he said it was like 110 during the block party where the chefs served healthy versions of their block party food. I got the sandwich, the Korean bbq but meatballs??
Next week sponsor challenge - PeeWee Herman.... dear gawd!

2012-01-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

It was a dark and stormy night

100 mile per hour winds out where The Engineer and the Daughter work. Not sure what it was in town but I found out that they rerun SOTU speech ALL night long as I waited for the house to blow away.

well, of course it does...

2012-01-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

Headline:
It takes a primate supermom to raise twins

Article here.
Eldest and Daughter are twins. Eldest is eldest son, along with being Daughter's twin brother and GB is the younger son. For newer readers GB stands for Gorilla Boy - when he went away to college he bought a gorilla costume and has shown up on televised football games and countless facebook pages of college friends. David named him :-)

we are now amongst the cool states...

2012-01-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

Washington now has the votes to legalize gay marriage.
Our governor has already announced she will sign it.
:-)

back to freezy fog

2012-01-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

Parking lot at touristy spot on Mt. Rainier.

Almost worth a trip over the pass to see this.

Same bridge the truck got stuck on. Back to freezing fog. We've had Christmas, we had a snow storm. Okay, now winter can be over?

the little semi-truck that couldn't

2012-01-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

A semi-truck with a load of tractors could not make it onto the bridge in the freezing rain. They were putting chains on and routing traffic around it. What a loverly evening. They are promising us a warm chinook wind tomorrow.

Miss Piggy and Project Runway

2012-01-19T19:41:00.001-08:00

Well, it was bound to happen someday.
Miss Piggy shows up on the Project Runway stage.
It was a tie-in whose time had come and gone - the premieres for the movie were in November. We found that odd.
Miss Piggy was entertaining - how could she not be?
The right designer was aufed. Thought the other designer up for the win should have won. Everybody did a good job pretending this was a serious challenge and interacting with a muppet...
A muppet...
Tom and Lorenzo detail how the challenge should have been presented - here.

The very wicked dinner - Top Chef

2012-01-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

We really liked this episode! Loved that the chefs did so well and it came down to little things. We were surprised at who went home. Did not expect that. The movie tie-in wasn't too forced like so many of the tie-ins are. Charlize Theron was a knowledgeable hostess and guest judge. All in all we are happy Top Chef campers.

we haz SNOW!

2012-01-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

We totally forgot about snow! We've been going outside as long as we don't bark our fool heads off at The Squirrel. We made yellow snow - on the deck! Mom told us we can't do that... It is still snowing...

Ink Master

2012-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

Abby approves of this tattoo.

spoilers...

We watched Ink Master on Spike TV - the tattoo reality show. Dave Navarro is the host and he has two industry heavyweights as his co-judges.

They had a quickfire! They tattooed a design on pigs.
The main challenge was to do a cover up tattoo on a tattoo that went wrong, was damaged or faded. They had time to plan and sketch with the client. The clients are real people who they call 'canvases' (roll eyes). The next day they had six hours to finish the tattoos. People like to be on TV so I guess the risk of a botched tattoo is worth it.

I have no experience with tattoos other than to admire whatever Tribe Members show up sporting. I was amazed at the amount of work they were able to get done. One artist had his client walk out on him due to the pain. The judges seemed to think the artist should have found a better position for the client but she may have not been able to handle that either.

There are two women in the mix. Everyone has lots of tattoos. They did the previews and they had the obligatory shot of an EMT with a blood pressure cuff on someone.

it is coming...

2012-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

Pass cam. By the end of today the storm is supposed to reach here and leave 8 inches of snow. Heading out to stock up on doggy treats.

It is easy to be fierce

2012-01-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

when your opponent is a squeaky dragon.

I'm not addicted, I'm not, I'm not!

2012-01-15T09:16:00.001-08:00

To protest-th SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) the interwebz may go dark sometime this week or the next... full story here.

According to my very own geek the SOPA legislation is poorly conceived and has the potential to do much damage.

I think a lot of people will realize how much they depend on the sites that choose to go dark and will be muttering, like me, 'I'm not addicted, I'm not, I'm not!'

what could possibly go wrong?

2012-01-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

In Oregon they are exploring ways to pour water into volcanoes and generating power from the resultant steam. This dormant volcano is in Central Oregon.

"They hope the water comes back to the surface fast enough and hot enough to create cheap, clean electricity that isn't dependent on sunny skies or stiff breezes — without shaking the earth and rattling the nerves of nearby residents."

Can you imagine the environmental impact statement if it did? Sacrifices to the Volcano God may come back into vogue.

Full article here.

Project Runway All Stars - Night at the Opera

2012-01-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

Was there any question who was going to win this one? I mean it was such a sure thing that I started getting worried!
And the auf'ee - also not a surprise though I would have picked April - really didn't like her gown - messy and tortured.

restaurant wars!

2012-01-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

Boys vs Girls. I'd have rather been with the boys.... I've worked in all female environments and it hasn't always been good. Looking back it was young and female that seemed to go off the rails - and this crew fit that description.

Such a stressful challenge. I was surprised they threw in the decor component again. I sure hope there was some help behind the scenes to help with the set-up. Or I will continue to bet that Top Chef will be the first reality show to kill a contestant.

I will miss who went to Last Chance Kitchen!!!

when it is cold

2012-01-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

sometimes it is best to keep an eye on the backyard with just your head outside.

we haz detente

2012-01-07T16:27:00.000-08:00

Me, Tars and Baby Skunk. I lets them share my bed.

Around the World in 80 plates

2012-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

New series on Bravo starting in May.
"Culinary experts, Curtis Stone and Cat Cora, are confirmed to host the network’s most ambitious productions to date. The series follows 12 chefs competing in a culinary race across 10 countries in 44 days."
All new and returning series on Bravo here.

we have a new boat!

2012-01-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

The newest ferry in the WA state fleet is named after the town next to us (the town that has The Mall). There are 22 ferries in the system. The name, above - means Heavenly Winter in the language of the Native Americans who used to spend their winters next to our three big rivers. I've spent a lot of time on these ferries over the years.

Project Runway All Stars

2012-01-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

:-)
We are happy campers. The level of work was amazing. The bottom three - yup.
We tried the sneak peek of 24 Hour Catwalk and lasted about 15 minutes. Too forced, too much background music, too, too, too.

how to consume a remote control

2012-01-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

First you break it into bite-sized pieces.
Note the tooth mark on the battery...

technology r me

2012-01-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Spent this evening following Iowa caucus via twitter and google (really neat map graphic) and texting with Eldest who is working so he could follow along too.
My favorite candidate didn't even run (Jeb Bartlett) but we are junkies all the same.

Today's Tar list of consumables

2012-01-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

one roll of papertowels
one gift bag
one sandal
one remote control

While he is a bit of a pill with stealing stuff the sheer
amount of purloined items has picked up. Either he
has grown several inches (he is already at the beginning
of the Great Dane growth chart) or he needs more kibbles
in his diet.

The Bad Dog Chronicles

2012-01-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: bananas make really bad dog gaseous emissions.

The world just got a little bit weirder

2012-01-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

Orangutans and IPads.
I am not fond of zoos. The IPads are supposed to ease the boredom and depression. I'm asking why do they have to be bored and depressed in the first place? If you can't care for an animal in optimum conditions that do not cause boredom and depression you have no business keeping them captive.
Anyway you can donate an IPad to a sad, bored and depressed primate.

thinking way outside the box

2011-12-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

SOPA (Stop Internet Piracy Act) is in the news. A much feared piece of possible legislation to allow the government to censor the interwebz on the flimsiest of grounds.
A group of concerned computer compatriots is considering launching their own satellites to move the interwebz beyond terrestrial control.
kewl :-)
Full story here.

oh, Austin, how we've missed you!

2011-12-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

If it has to be cold and snowy January soon at least we can celebrate with a blessing of our favorite reality shows!
Austin, and Project Runway All Stars, will be back January 5th on Lifetime.
Then there is something called 24 Hour Cat Walk (Lifetime, January 10) that we'll try.
And Tabitha Takes Over is back, taking over businesses other than hair salons (also January 10 on Bravo).
Face Off, a makeup artist competition show on SyFy January 11.
InkMaster is a tattoo competitive show (really!) on Spike TV January 17.
And finally RuPaul's Drag Race on January 30th on Logo.

An embarrassment of riches!

Abby's skunk has 13 squeakers

2011-12-28T08:48:00.001-08:00

It is noisy around here...

Abby has moved all the new toys to the bed

2011-12-28T08:11:00.000-08:00

Tar claims the dragon. He's brave like that.

Abby haz had enough fun for now...

2011-12-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

Found her, and her new baby, on the bed, crashed. Has been very exciting with Eldest home, people stopping by, presents, goodies and so much to be supervised.

Decorating the Dogs

2011-12-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

Tar has brown and gold which disappear on him and Abby is loverly in red.

merry, merry, merry!

2011-12-25T05:40:00.000-08:00

Eldest is home for three days :-) Doggies have new tennis balls to chase. The rest of us are healthy and whole. All is right with the world. xoxoxo to bloggie friends!

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree Update.3

2011-12-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

So when the city saw the picture in the paper they were horrified!
The *tree* (actually a noxious and poisonous weed) was in a very dangerous
place - no parking, six lanes of traffic, it was an accident waiting to happen.
Watch out, Santa!
So the city removed it and the people haz a sad. Was the most commented story
in a long time on the paper's website.
But the city is not full of Grinches. Someone at the city potted the poisonous weed
up and presented it to the woman who originally added the first red ball (thus designating
it a Charlie Brown WeedTree).
The lady was grateful and placed the Charlie Brown WeedTree, with new decorations in a safer place.

Where it was stolen....

Abby tattles on the cats...

2011-12-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

(Really she's just jealous!)

It is the law, Santa!

2011-12-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Local speed limit sign decked out for the holidays.

update on Charlie Brown tree

2011-12-21T08:47:00.001-08:00

:-)

Felony Barbie Theft!!

2011-12-20T14:53:00.001-08:00

Right here in Three River City!!
Two ladies loaded up a cart with purloined Barbies and booked it out of the store right in front of the employees. Employees took down the lisc. plate, called the fuzz and the Barbie-nappers were cornered! One woman is on the lam and the other in the slammer.
Barbies are in the evidence locker and are making a Lady Gaga video as we type.
Full story here

Ink Master

2011-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

Daughter and I are an easy mark for Project Runway type reality shows. We watched the makeup artist show on SyFy and the cake baking contest on TLC. Last night, whilst The Engineer was watching a Star Wars marathon (3-6) on Spike TV, we saw a commercial for a tattoo reality show - Ink Masters. We are intrigued! Do they have to rush to finish them? Do they have a quickfire challenge? If you don't like your tattoo will they pay to remove it? Can you imagine the release you have to fill out??
Starts Tuesday, Jan. 17 on Spike. Full story here.

Warning! Do not stand still...

2011-12-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

or The Light-nator will get you!

Charlie Brown, we've got your tree!

2011-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Photographer from the paper spotted this 'tree' here locally. It is actually a weed that grew up in the crack of the roadway and someone gave it the Charlie Brown treatment.

There is a dog there...

2011-12-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Tar looking out the window at the Christmas lights.

Project Accessory

2011-12-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

Okay challenge.
Butterflies, beetles, bugs and spiders (which are not insects - excuse the geek moment).
Am soooo bored of cuffs and clunky rings. But I guess things have to show up on the runway.
Down to the final three and it looks like just another challenge along with bringing back the discarded designers to chose helpers. I thought the right three are going to the finals.
I wonder if this show will garner any consideration for a second season? If they retool it we might consider watching it. But have no idea what to do with it.

Top Chef Texas

2011-12-14T20:38:00.000-08:00

For the tequila quickfire - somebody just should have used the worm for the protein. (Okay, now The Engineer sez there are no worms in tequila. Well, now we know who didn't pay attention in college...)

It was a particularly evil twist for the chefs to pick the bottom three teams. Surprised they hadn't thought of that before.

two heads, two tails and

2011-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

eight legs are better than one.
Dogs on Alert.

The Mad Scientists are at it again

2011-12-11T20:34:00.001-08:00

We have a lot of power producing potential in the PNW. Wind turbines abound, lots of hydro dams and The Engineer's glow-in-the-dark hamsters.
The wind turbines have to be shut down in the spring as the dams take first priority - they must run to keep optimum conditions for the fish. The power grid can't handle all the output if you added in wind power.
So one of the Mad Scientists out here is looking into storing wind power energy as compressed gas, below ground, in the very numerous basalt caverns that abound in our very volcanic formed land. A rock battery so to speak.
When needed the compressed gas is released (a number of different ways under study) to power turbines and produce energy.
Kewl.
Though I can foresee a good SyFy movie of the week with stuffed caverns seeking a release of pressure and popping off ALL the volcanoes around here, molten lava flowing down the rivers and Seattle sinking into Puget Sound.
Full story here.

It freezes your toes

2011-12-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

Freezing fog is a staple around here in the winter. It will fall likes snow with big crystals. Abby finds it hard to keep up her patrol schedule. You won't see Tar here as he is szonked out on the bed.

Abby asks, 'why are you surprised?'

2011-12-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Squirrel pulls fire alarm -
and they have it on video.
The school was evacuated, the firetrucks arrived and the school was searched. No fire.
To the video tape! There in the kitchen is the squirrel scampering around, got bored, climbed up and pulled the fire alarm. Now, that's more like it!!
Once discovered 'a pest control unit was dispatched to the school kitchen to trap it. "He was released but he was given a stern talking to not to do it again," Henson joked.'

Abby sez, 'SEE! what have I been telling you?!!'

Full story here.

Are you old enough to know the question?

2011-12-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

Had to go back a bit. Never watched the show but we sure knew who JR was. Had to look up who shot him...
Going to Southfork, as Padma said, was a given. I would have liked more information about the sauces. I was surprised they messed up so badly on the steaks.

When Mythbusters attack

2011-12-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Being a Mythbusters Geek I follow several cast members on Twitter. Grant and Tory were having a good time tweeting about the myth they were filming this week - cannonballs - you can imagine....
But all went wrong when one of the cannonballs left the Alameda County bomb range and went zooming thru a house, bounced off a roof, bounced across a roadway and into a minivan. Thankfully no-one was hurt!!
The tweets have been taken down, the show put on hold - tonight's episode removed from Discovery channel - the incident will be studied, the insurance company will descend and the lawyers will pow-wow.
Considering the amount of mayhem the show has filmed over the years it is amazing that they lasted this long without such an incident.
Full story here.

Any of you left handed?

2011-12-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

Niece, brother and GB (youngest son and most dyslexic of Ponder children) are left handed. All very creative, outside the box thinkers and interestingly unique in their pursuits.
This article details recent studies about left handed-ism and the many routes it is acquired.
I'm not buying all of it, or at least, I think it is a little alarmist. But has some interesting stuff
for the lefties we love (or are).

(Loves this t-shirt - I'm Left Handed. What's Your Super Power?)

Tar has discovered static electricity

2011-12-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

and yelps every time he gets zapped. Poor baby! He is very worried and will stand still forever after he gets zapped. I've put a pot of water on to boil. Abby thinks it is just another communication tool from her Master.

So many snails will be out of work!

2011-12-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Do any of you still pay bills via snail mail?
Raising hand.... I do.
But I may be dragged, kicking and screaming, to the interwebz by the post office.
(Economy boost - how many millions in late fees will this generate because folks don't catch the change...?)

"WASHINGTON—Facing bankruptcy, the U.S. Postal Service is pushing ahead with unprecedented cuts to first-class mail next spring that will slow delivery and, for the first time in 40 years, eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day."

Full story here.

Abby's Christmas List

2011-12-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

She wants Dress Up Squirrels.

24 Hour Catwalk

2011-12-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

Starting January 10 on Lifetime.
From the website:

"Hosted by Alexa Chung, each episode gives four talented designers the chance to compete to create their own collection ... in just one day. After a first cut challenge and elimination that will test their innovation and aesthetic, the competition whittles down to two, each tasked with creating a themed collection for their own star-studded runway show.

Contestants will be on pins and needles when they, along with help of a talented and opinionated sewing team, must prepare to showcase their three-piece collection to the program’s judges, including Cynthia Rowley, Derek Blasberg and James LaForce. As the clock ticks down, "24 Hour Catwalk" will find out who has the vision, the talent and the endurance to put it all on the line in hopes of winning a cash prize and the chance to become the next "it" name in fashion."

Another Project Runway knock-off. All Stars starts the week before, on the 5th. How smart is that? Will give it a whirl.

Lifetime's page here.

Padma and Gail

2011-11-30T21:56:00.000-08:00

definitely brought their A game to their dinner party dresses. David, were you watching?
Fun challenges. Did find it a bit incredulous, they just happened to drive down a dirt road
on the way to Dallas. And oh! look! people in the field! (yup and the crew and their equipment trucks and a few trailers). Why didn't that Housewife of Dallas get a close up of her books? (No sponsorship, no showee.)
I think we can be thankful they can't cook the sponsor's cars. Project Runway and Work of Art have had to create using them but I think Top Chef has taken the car sponsorship as far as they can...

Abby sez I can shoot gun?

2011-11-30T15:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. Hunter, do not ever, ever, ever lay a loaded gun down
and expect a dog NOT to step on it.
It is a law of nature.
And results in 27 pellets being removed from the hunter's tukus.

story here

A squirrel runs up your leg...

2011-11-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

Oregon fellow was alarmed to find a squirrel running up his leg. (Story does not say if the squirrel was inside, or outside, of his pants.) So of course he grabbed his gun and shot at it. And not a hand gun but a rifle. He missed. Now to be completely guffaw worthy and guaranteed to make all men cringe reflexively the man should have shot himself in his most favorite of parts. Alas, for our story and for him, he did not. He shot his foot.
The squirrel survived and the foot was treated and released.
The investigating officer is still laughing.
story

What is this?

2011-11-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

We have a large scientific research company in our town. Mad Scientists abound.
This is a microscope that observes things at the level of the atom. kewl :-)
(Back to School night in a science classroom can be very intimidating...)

The big game

2011-11-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Cross state rivalry. Our nephew coaches for the college that 90% of the family went to. The twins went to the other school. Oh, the shame! But their college won this year's game. Eventually we'll forgive them ;-)

Tar is holiday-ed out

2011-11-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

He's got the napping part down pat.

Mystery Pie

2011-11-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

Crack Pie

By way of The Karmic Kitchen

Was very tasty and one to put in the win column and not the loss column (where Parsnip Pie resides).

Labrador Thanksgiving Wishes

2011-11-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

Turkey, turkey, turkey!!!
This is an illustration I did for my grand nieces and nephews in a book about the puppies.
Bookemon.com (I have way too much fun with this site...)
Tune in tomorrow for the results of this year's Mystery Pie. No Black Friday for me and Daughter as the latest grand-niece made a Thanksgiving week entry and we are just us for Thanksgiving. We are very thankful for her mother (niece#3) and having baby born finally (she
was due first week of November!

Eldest home :-)

2011-11-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

for the holiday.

Book Lust - kind of...

2011-11-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

You can order these for your Kindle ebookreader.
Sob! Not for Nooks - of which I have.
They are made in England and I figure they don't have B&N in England.
Damn!
I am ordering one for Daughter, who has a Kindle, so I can look it over, pry its secrets and attempt to make one for mine own. I have made hardbound books before with pages and pictures and words even. How hard can this be??
These can be found at Uncommongoods.com

Tar, you are not paying attention!

2011-11-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

There are cats and squirrels out there and they must be tracked at all times!

Faux Germany/Austria

2011-11-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

Little touristy village in North Central WA today. Very pretty when they put up the lights and full of cheap touristy trinkets and Christmas stuff.

Abby celebrates first fire of the season

2011-11-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

and catches up with her Master.

Snakes on a plate! Snakes in the basement!

2011-11-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

Of course Top Chef had to take on rattlesnakes. They are in Texas! They could have been here. We have lots of rattlesnakes and a huge Hispanic population and quinceanaras abound. (btw - wasn't the young lady of the hour beyond adorable?).
Anyway. I have a history with snakes. For those of you new to the blog I give you ---

The Snake Incident

It all started as I was taking a basket of laundry downstairs. I glanced at the bottom of the stairs and there was a snake slithering by on its way to the family room. A. SNAKE! The snake had a spade shaped head and that isn't a good thing in snake-ville. It had all the markings of a rattlesnake. And it was a SNAKE! I screamed and threw the basket of laundry at it and ran back upstairs.

I grabbed my three young children and hustled them down to a neighbor's. I borrowed the neighbor's husband, we armed him with a golf club, and sent him forth. He investigated the family room. No snake.

I sent neighbor's husband home and called the police. They declined to come and rescue me. Snakes coming into yards is common around here, you can handle it Plucky Little Woman. NO! No, I can't! Okay, then call this snake fancier's club (there are such things?) and see what they suggest.

I called. They tried to tell me the snake probably wasn't a rattlesnake, it was probably (PROBABLY?!) a harmless bullsnake. I answered, "It. Is. A. SNAKE! I don't care what kind of snake it is. I want it OUT of my family room!"

"Okay, okay, calm down. Put out a piece of wet burlap on the floor overnight and the snake will crawl under it".

Crawl. Under. It.

I gave up the role of Plucky Wife and called my husband at work. "COME. HOME. NOW! SNAKE IN THE HOUSE!"

He came home. He's good like that.

First he re-searched the family room. He upturned sofas and chairs, pulled bookshelves out from the walls, emptied and searched all the toy containers, picked up and searched the laundry I threw down the stairs. No snake.

I gathered the children from my neighbor, loaded them up and off we went to the fabric store. Asked for and bought real burlap, soaked it in water and left it out all night on the floor of the family room. Early the next morning, earlier than he ever wanted to be up, husband checked under the burlap. No snake.

My husband thought that was the end of The Snake Incident. HA! We took the kids to the pet store. I bought a Sacrificial Gerbil. I put the poor gerbil into a glass fish tank. With a lid. Set the fish tank on the family room floor and trained the video camera on, pressed record and left it running all night.

Next morning the gerbil was still there. I watched 12 hours of video tape, fast forwarded. No snake slithering around trying to get the gerbil. No snake at all. Just one very bored gerbil.

I bought the gerbil $50 worth of gerbil toys and gerbil treats and a gerbil habitat and gave him to one of the kids who lived down the street.

We never did find the snake. I know he's down there someplace. He's about 20 feet long right now...

snow on the labrador

2011-11-16T14:03:00.000-08:00

It. Is. Snowing.
A. Lot.
It dares to snow on Abby.
good grief.

and the snowy season begins

2011-11-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

View from Mt. Rainier parking lot.

the clowns - they are taking over!

2011-11-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

Being as The Engineer is involved in power generation (with glow in the dark hamsters) we find these transmission towers a hoot.
Via Laughing Squid

Harry Potter 8 Review of sorts

2011-11-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

We watched it Sunday night.
What a poor ending to the series. Characters we have known and loved for years were given tiny, bitty scenes, if at all. The scenery was so dark we had to guess what was happening some of the time. Endless scenes of students running hither and yon, then disappearing all together.
They did a good job of explaining the complicated bit about the wands for those who haven't read the books (or at least I think they did). The story of Snape was pretty good, could have been better. No movie can seldom match a book but others in the series came closer than this last movie.

Tar is a bird dog. kind of.

2011-11-14T07:06:00.000-08:00

I had one of those craft store ravens in a planter looking all Halloween-y.
Wind knocked it out and Tar's bird-doggy genes kicked in.

Before the game...

2011-11-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

Why night games in E.WA? In November. This is the college team my NIL helps coach (defense). It starts in about half an hour and this is what the field looks like. Note the tiny group of students in the stands. They are playing against an Arizona team. We're going to watch on TV and hope nobody gets frostbite.
UPDATE: We won!!!
Exciting game. Team really showing promise. Good news for Full Employment Plan for NIL.

Abby version of smiling. kind of.

2011-11-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

She is telling me Ken is on his roof! Ken is our fireman neighbor. A greater neighbor you could never find. And he is very active - working on cars, washing cars, leaf blowing, mowing, general handyman stuff with two active little boys in tow. This makes Abby very happy. Lots to observe, supervise and criticize.
I assure her that if anyone is safe on a roof around here it is a fireman.

Project Accessory - I'm soooo bored

2011-11-11T08:37:00.001-08:00

Big, clunky necklaces, big clunky cuffs, big clunky belts. Decent handbags.
Make over a catsuit with accessories so it can be everyday wear. REALLY?!
Boring. Same stuff, over and over and over. Boring.

Abby is wound rather tightly

2011-11-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

She spends her days officially trotting from one end of the house to the other, out the slider, down the deck stairs, patrols the yard and then starts all over again. Tar wants to know, 'are we really in danger?' Tar spends his day on the bed, asap, which is why it doesn't get made. Uh-huh, really!

mom! landscapers are cheating!!

2011-11-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

All Dog Alert! Dogs wanted me to see the landscaper guy blow all the leaves off the client's lawn and set up neatly, in a straight line on the neighbor's lawn. He thinks no-one will notice?

ouch

2011-11-07T15:55:00.000-08:00

Local train derailment.
"Forty-six cars broke loose at the yard and rolled into 31 cars and two engines at the port. Officials say they are mostly concerned about the leaking tanker that is carrying about 30,000 gallons of denatured alcohol. No one was injured."

It's harvest time in wine country

2011-11-07T09:22:00.001-08:00

We are surrounded by grape orchards here in SE WA. And wineries. There are two down the road from us. One of my PTA moms went back to school to become a wine-ologist (Viticulture/Enology) and is in charge of the wine section of the grocery store. My niece is leasing their land to the wineries. She took a class, in Spanish, to learn about the industry. The class is offered in Spanish because of all the migrant workers who came north , stayed and helped build the industry. Picking wine at Thanksgiving is always an exercise that The Engineer takes very seriously.
(Oven is clean! Took three hours at nuclear temperatures.)

the carnage, the aftermath, a self cleaning oven

2011-11-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

We've never had one before. So we're a little leery of turning it on.
What could go wrong?
bwa-ha-ha!
Stay tuned.
Luckily we have a real, live fireman living across the street...

The Revenge of the Turkey

2011-11-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

28 years I have been cooking turkeys.
Then The Engineer took over with a deep fat fryer.
Being a woman with a reputation to keep
I started making a pre-turkey so I would have drippings and broth.
This year I got a bit....lax.
I bought a casserole instead of a roasting
pan. Big mistake. Also didn't buy the turkey enough
ahead to thaw properly so the thing went in partially
frozen. Put in lots of liquid to make sure I have enough drippings.
You guessed it. Another mistake.
Tried to pull it out when it was done and the foil collapsed.
Broth spilling like a waterfall into the bottom of the oven.
Smoke roiling out of the oven. Smoke alarm shrieking. Open
all the windows. The Engineer brought a fan up from the garage. We
opened the front door (BIG mistake). Got the DAMN turkey
out and attempted to take its damn temperature. Battery
out on the food thermometer. Juices run out when we move
it to a platter - pink. Shoved the turkey back in the oven.
We're going to burn that sucker. Now.... WHERE ARE THE
DOGS????
Out the front door of course.
MASS PANIC. Grab leashes, cookies, dog whistle, chains,
run out in socks and found them cavorting around some
poor man and his dog (who was on a leash and behaving
himself). Thank Gawd, thank you, thank you, thank you.
I am never making another pre-turkey again.The Engineer
can deep fry them and I'm using canned broth and olive
oil and butter and I bet nobody can tell the difference in the stuffing
and the gravy. It is like all the turkeys I've cooked over the
prior years are getting revenge upon me.

Occasionally Tar remembers

2011-11-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

that there is new flooring and he gets stuck for a time, here and there,
around the house wondering how to navigate it.

$update$on$Great$Flood

2011-11-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Great Plumbing Flood of April 18, 2011.
Work is completed. Will take me a lot longer to get things back to where they belong with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. Also with spouse being slowly roasted by the entity known as the EN-RR-CEE until May (re-certification for the glow in the dark hamsters).

NOW we are dealing with money and insurance. This took FOREVER before. Restoration and insurance issuing estimate after estimate. They said they were happy, work commenced and now they are $11k apart. And we are in the middle.

Called and called insurance and surprise!!! They found mistakes on their end! Now we are $3+k apart. And we are still in the middle.

We had additional work done for $2660. (Note to self DIY from now on.) Really, really don't want to come up with additional $3k. Spouse is stressed beyond all imagining and I'm handling all domestic disasters myself (recent car bill for $1600). Deeeep breathing.

Real California dolphins surf!

2011-11-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Brother took this picture while beach walking. Brother and family live in San Francisco.
Isn't that just so cool?! Clicken to embiggen.

November and the leaves are finally turning

2011-10-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is one of the two maples we planted last year when we had to take down the cherry trees. (Too much pesticide required.) We picked them for their fall color and they are living up to their reputation.

The graveyard is haunted!

2011-10-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Will be full of glowsticks and flickering LED candles tomorrow night. There are orange lights in the window behind this planter area. A long ways from when I used to use full size gravestones and took over my neighbor's yard, put a kid in a coffin and hauled out the guillotine...
(clicken to embiggen)

tricks or treats squirrel

2011-10-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

Holy Great Pumpkin!! Abby says no treats for this squirrel, only tricks!
Story here

Our cupcakes are haunted...

2011-10-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

So Emergency BackUp Daughter #2 decided to make cupcakes.
They were not successful...
But since they were supposed to be Halloween cupcakes they were successful after a fashion.

Project Runway endeth - Project Accessory beginneth

2011-10-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Thankfully! The winner was not a surprise, that said we didn't pick the winner.
So we watched Project Accessory. Was interesting. The mentor is so *not* Tim! I wonder if they are going to get to make anything out of real materials or will it all be spin straw into gold?

Zombies and pumpkins - what more do you need?

2011-10-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

Go HERE to see more pictures and read about the sculptor who carved it.

You can never have enough pumpkins

2011-10-25T04:57:00.000-07:00