13 Minutes On The Oven Timer That Rules My Life
And these children, who periodically shout out to me, from the other room, to go take a shower because they want me to drive them someplace before work. At any rate, this is the only picture I will ever be using of myself and the kids for a very long time. They are good looking and photogenic. I am not. I am breaking my cardinal rule of never having myself in a picture, because I actually kind of like this one. My daughter took it and BW’d it so I would appear more attractive. Also I am in the back, stretched a bit. This should give me a few more years play before I have to take another picture. This was from the Zoo Day that I still haven’t posted from. It’s coming I promise. And below, are 3 more pics, that you will also be seeing in the “About Us” section, if you ever look there, which I really don’t anymore, but have to, because I desperately need to update it. I was saving these just for that, but I was feeling like I needed something fast, and this was ready, and extremely general as a subject. Plus, my kids like seeing themselves when they open my page. The color version:
Not too bad of us. That’s the same zoo, just another angle, and in color. Here is an action shot, also the zoo:
But the really risky one is below. From the beach. The beach. This is the morning we let our snake go free. I should prob post the zoo and beach pictures next, now that I have brought it up again because it’s a good chance to clear out another folder. But that damn work bell is calling. I have off tomorrow, and I am going to try to post more, but it’s school registration day, which I think I already talked about, and I have an entire list of things that I need to do before the weekend, that I have to work. Bummer. And speaking of lists…I figured out how to post the BF’s weekend list he texted me. I’m going to give it it’s own separate posting so I can add the pictures to accompany all the fun we had. We did the entire list, plus more. I think I said that already too. It will be much more exciting for you, and you will really feel like you were doing all these things with us, if you can see the pictures with the words. It’ll be like a virtual reality, activity, participation, picture thing. Now you know you want to hang around for that. Plus it’s 100%, completely and utterly, no strings attached, FREEEEEEEEE!!! And you can jump off the fun bandwagon, if it gets to be too much, or take a potty break whenever you want, at any time, by just clicking away from this site! YOU control the adventure! Now in case you forgot, here is that beach picture of me and my kiddies. First and last. Have a great day!
Feed Me Seymour! Feed Me!
Now that might not seem very impressive all on its own, but it is, when you consider that it started like this:
We don’t even know where it came from. That is our “big stump” pile, this bit of nature is growing out of, from when that broken tree was removed so many months ago. I came out one day and there it was. A plant. We decided to leave it because it looked like an actual plant and not a weed. The neighbor behind us has a garden and this same plant is in it. We think zucchini, squash, pumpkin, you know, something like that. Big leaves. Yellow flowers. Super fast growth. Like, accelerated, sonic, creeping, crawling, curling over the branches, type of fast growing. We figured maybe a bird or squirrel or rabbit carried one of the seeds over to our area and poof. Now we have a garden too! Mind you, we have done nothing to this plant. Nothing. No water. No weeding. No maintenance whatsoever. My thought was, that if it really wants to survive, it will have to survive on its own. Survive and thrive. It’s definitely doing that. Every day the thing seems like it’s getting bigger and bigger. When I went out yesterday, my first thought was: Little Shop Of Horrors. Hence the title above. It’s actually kind of scary. Old time movie scary. One day I expect one of those leaves and one of those long, thick stems to be sitting outside the back door tapping on the screen, holding a dead animal. “I’m hungry, Seymour!” “I’m hungry, Lisa!” Damn nature, you scary! (Reference: Tracy Morgan–SNL) And how do you know my name?? OK. Well we have been waiting to see if anything else is gonna grow off this thing except some yellow flowers. This is a good one I took a picture of today:
And then I looked closer. I will admit, as crazy as this sounds, that I was somewhat hesitant to go sticking my hands and arms into the leaves because the plant seems so Jurassic and kind of menacing. But I did. Because I am a human being. A human who is way bigger than a plant and not in a horror movie, or completely “eccentric” or insane at this point in my life. And this is what I saw:
It looks like a squash! Actual food? Maybe? Should we eat it if it actually turns into a vegetable? Is squash a vegetable or a fruit? I don’t know. It’s pretty big I think already, but I have nothing to compare it to, except the other smaller one growing next to it.
So that was my morning. Now I have to go to work. I will keep everyone updated on this gripping tale of, “Growing Something In The Wild!” Ha. Wild. More like, “Growing Something Accidentally In A Suburban Backyard Stick Pile!” Now that, is scary! Later!
Bug Close Ups. A New Low.
Why? My computer will not let me pull up and crop my bench pictures. It is taking way too long to get the images. I have to work today. This is my long week and I am impatient. These two pics were all ready to go. And they are in the folder that needs to be used. I am desperate to post something every day if possible. I guess this is desperate. Anyway here is some phone camera action for you to enjoy on WOW Wednesday. More like, Wait. What? Wah. Wah. Wah. Wednesday. I took the one above with the GS4. Stevie took the one below with her IP4. Yep. That’s it. Have a great day!
Let’s Not Over Think This Now
How about I just post the pictures in the order that I took them? I can not believe, no, scratch that, of course I can believe how much brain time I devoted to this issue of how and what order to post these benches in. Who cares? Doesn’t matter. We didn’t walk in any particular order. They are not arranged in any particular order. (I don’t think anyway). So what difference does it make how you see them? It’s all the same theme. My head hurts. And it doesn’t even have to. Oh well. The other post had the dragon bench. This is, above, Thumbelina’s Garden. Pretty sure. Below is, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. That makes 3 posted.
I will keep going as time permits today. I have laundry and one more, last graduation party to attend, for the season. I also have Zoo pictures! And I finally bit the bullet and got back on that motorcycle that has been mocking me in the garage for over a year. I rode. I did a wheel screeching, head turning, back end wiggling, burn out, when the bike stopped dead in it’s tracks after I killed it coming up to a stoplight. I stayed upright. I did not poop in my pants. Or just drop that bike where it stood and said, “Done.” I started it back up. Gave a little wave to all the people on all the corners. (A lot of people. Damn kids and adults, fund raising all over the suburbs today. Watching me re-learn this skill.) Thanked the heavens above that no one was behind me, and rode off into the sunlight. Real cool-like. I almost gave the BF a heart attack. I probably had a small one myself and will now live 2 years less, but what do they say? Live to Ride, Ride to Die? Something like that. I had my helmet on and jeans and thick shoes. I would have been fine. In fact, I feel better than fine. I almost, almost, felt comfy. And I’m not afraid this year. For whatever reason. That I will not be thinking about in any detail. At all. The throttle is way too high and it feels like it’s trying to leap forward every second I don’t have the brake on, but that’s the fun right? And I didn’t fall. This post may have gone in a whole different direction if I had been laying on the pavement trying to get the bike off my shaking, scratched up, burned up legs. Anyway, I’m going to take a picture as soon as the BF brings the bike back from his, “blow-out-the-old-gas-get-the-engine-moving-again-so-we-don’t-have-to-keep-the-choke-full-on-to-prevent-the-bike-from-dying-when-we-stop” ride. In the meantime, let’s put up one more bench. It’s like, Super Saturday! Here is, A Stroll In The Woods. I think. I’m not really sure. It’s Snow White, at any rate. And not my favorite. But here it is. That makes 4/20. Later.
This Happened Last Night
I don’t really follow hockey, but apparently LOTS of people where I was hanging out last night, do. This was driving around the neighborhood and the owner and GF were convinced somehow, to stop and let pictures be taken, and then even stayed for awhile and enjoyed the party. Of course I jumped on the bandwagon. This is the goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks, I am told. The name starts with a “C”. That’s as much research as I will be doing as I cannot remember the name and do not want to look for it. There were many photos taken. Alone. With the girls. With the boys. With the girls doing obscene things to this figure. With the boys doing obscene things to this figure…I think there were even animals involved. I don’t know. This truck parked in front of our friend’s house attracted a lot of attention. People were walking up from all over the place to ask about it, talk about it, take more pictures with it, etc. The one thing I can conclusively state is, that some of these male hockey fans are pretty darn good looking. I mean seriously. If I didn’t already have a BF, I’m telling you, I may, may have, been able to get lucky, wink wink. I’m just saying. Some legit hotties were rolling up and hanging out. Good for the old ego, and I stress the word “old”, especially after you’ve been feeling your mortality lately like I have. Also, I was told the girls that like the hockey are pretty attractive too. Must be something about all that testosterone, fighting, and no teeth. Real manly man stuff. Anyway, we stayed out until 1 am. That’s my latest night out in a long time. And I was…tipsy, let’s say. Good night. Good party. I feel fine today. It’s Sunday. It’s beautiful. I will try to post more. Later.
And Meanwhile, Driving Down To Kentucky…
This was about 2 pm, Saturday, driving down, what I assume to be, I57, near the town of Mattoon. The kids are on their way to grandma’s with their dad. No one confirmed location for me, but the fastest way south is 57 from here. My daughter took this picture while it was happening. It’s a really good picture. Especially from a moving vehicle. She said it was only a funnel cloud when they saw it and she got a picture of it going back up. But I like this one. Very impressive. Then it hailed and rained so hard they couldn’t see and then it cleared. She texted, word for word, “It’s done now. Clear as a bell perfect now!” She sent a picture of the blind windshield but it’s just a grey square that kind of looks like smeary, foggy rain. This is the next picture she sent:
The girl takes good pictures. I almost feel bad that while the kids are driving through weather and tornadoes, me and the BF are at the liquor store buying all kinds of alcohol for the BBQ we are going to later, and then something for the rest of the weekend. Without children. Eh. Life. I took equally stunning pictures of the new wines I just bought to try out, and then later, post and share my opinions with you, good people. Let me end this with the last two pictures she sent me, because they are also really good, and she knows that I LOVE pictures of the sky and clouds. And you probably, secretly, like them too or you wouldn’t have kept reading! It’s OK. I thank you! Thank you thank you every day! It’s a peculiar world, this blogging, internet place; big and diverse, the way I like most things, but still managing to feel close and intimate, like we are all sharing this life through our words and images, the way we are taught that we could, if we lived in an ideal world. Hmm. Not one drop to drink yet, I swear it. Anyway, the sky…I’ll take the pics (or my daughter will), and you can look and move on. No one ever has to know. But we’ll know. Here is the first, with her comment, also word for word, “Look at that fat ass cloud.”:
And the last, below, is just one of the sky. I assume it’s off to the side. It’s very pretty for some reason. Good color/contrast and lighting I think. If I don’t get back here tonight, be careful all. Weather or not, Saturday in the summer can be tricky. Stay safe. Later.
Tempus Fugit
Those benches are not going to take pictures of themselves. Time flies. It’s late. I better get on home. It’s late. I been gone too long. It’s late. I need to stop typing song lyrics and get the kids up. I am an hour behind in my “schedule”. Time to make the boy mad! There’s another bench below. Last year was “Music”. I think this years theme is “Fairytales” or “Fairytale Stories”. We did a preview/drive-by yesterday. It’s hot out there too already. And feels humid. I predict a lot of complaining in my near future. Oh FYI, I switched to Latin. It’s my favorite language. Valē! See you later!
Fleur Deux
Back from CPR. All renewed. Certified to save lives. Went to a late lunch with the kids. Bought a few groceries to make a dinner, but we’re all to full to eat anything else. Went to buy bird seed but they rearranged the Menard’s by our house and we couldn’t find any. Came home. Put cozy clothes on. Kids are lounging. The girl finished all of her thank you notes from the party last weekend-ago. 11 days. Not too bad. Will mail in the AM. Laundry is laundering. Will finish the extra chores tomorrow. That will be the last day off for me before the kids leave to go to Kentucky like they do every year for the Fourth of July. My number one thing to do tomorrow is…dunt dunt dunt….The Benches!!
My son hates hates HATES doing this yearly walkabout. Hates it. Hates it. I could never type it enough. But I make him go because I am creating memories. This is what I am talking about:
The Village of Tinley Park decorates park benches every year with a different theme then places them out on a main road in front of the businesses for all the people to see. We go every year and take pictures of them. We go every year. We walk. And take pictures. It was a free, and what I thought was a fun thing to do, with the kids when we were very poor. It’s still free. But now we get ice cream or some food after we walk. Even so, my son hates it. Hates doing it. Hates walking. Hates stopping to take pictures. He complained almost the entire time we were out last year. And I do mean, literally, complained and pissed and moaned for the ENTIRE time it took to walk up and down that main street. My daughter just goes along. And it’s only one time. When we are done, we’re done. It’s not like I go see them every week. Such hard lives. Lots of people walk the area to see them. It’s not like I am the only one, dragging listless, whiny, crying near-adult-teenagers along behind me. Anyway, these (above and below) are from last year:
It’s nice right? And HA! I just double-extra-bonus posted. Flowers/Nature AND The Benches. (They have their own category to the right there. Just click on “Big Benches” or here, and you can see all the different ones throughout the years.) It is additional credibility for my argument to continue our fine tradition, these pictures, posted online, for everyone to see and enjoy. In case you can’t get out or live too far away. It’s a public service we are providing. Now my kids can’t say that I, “never put them on the site anyway, mom, so what’s the point??” Ca c’est fin. That’s the end. Later.
Day Off (Yesterday) With The Kids
Imagine how many pictures I can take of nature type things. Now multiply by 2. My daughter and me taking pictures all day?? Oh yea. There’s a lot. A. LOT. Just waiting for their moment to shine via the internet. Plus storm debris from the nasty little burst we had roll through here yesterday at exactly 6pm. Gotta go to work right now though. I mean, I have to work some of these days or the BF is going to kill me. And I will be off again for the next 2. (Sorry honey–I’ll call in a bit to explain!! Don’t be mad!!) But, I have to do CPR Re-Cert, so it’s still like work. That’s a lot of italics in a short post. I better go. More later.
Daisy.
Full photo cred to Stevie. This is one quick post. Mostly for my cousins. They tell me that I never take enough pictures of flowers. Or the sky. Or the clouds. Or the moon. Guess what? I have all those and more! Let me just go to work today and I will post more on Sunday and Monday. Later!
just shy of pretty 