Nothing

When people ask me "what are you up to" or "what's going on in your life" I always reply "nothing" or "I can't think of anything exciting."  Well, I decided to make the change and recognize I do have interesting tidbits to share.

Sunday I went to a talk given by Jay McCarroll.  He was the winner of season 1 "Project Runway".  He was funny, quirky, incredibly honest and therefore somewhat self-destructive.  I have been pondering the oddness of the crowd.  He had groupies.  People were sycophantically laughing at everything he said.  I was laughing also, but not with the same manic fervor.  One woman asked him if he had a retirement fund and health insurance.  Another annoying woman asked to take pictures of all his stuff to put on Instagram.

My weird claim to fame is now I have met two "Project Runway" winners.  I met Christian Ciriano at a breast cancer function.  He was a teeny, tiny turd of a human being.

Thing 2 is covered with little round bruises.  Turns out he and his friend were shooting each other with the air-soft rifles.  I am going to add this was not done on my watch. 

Thing 3 regaled me with his latest song entitled "The Golden Sausage."  It was not racy, but I can't get an image of Freddie Mercury out of my head. 

My 50 state book challenge is complete, except for half of New Mexico.  I read fiction, non-fiction, short stories, poems, classics and trash.  I had more good reads than bad reads, Missouri stands out as particularly lame.  The hardest state to find a book about was South Dakota.  I really tried to have no re-reads, but had three.  Alaska and Alabama were on purpose and Montana was accidental.  Next year will be challenge free.

Juno and Minnow have brought me a present every day this week.  Minnow was responsible for mouse parts all over the back patio I am pretty sure.  Juno doesn't seem to be into dismemberment.  I appreciate the decreased rodent population and their love, but gross!









 

Big

I haven't posted big in awhile.

Enormous acorns plinking off my car and being thrown by the boys.

A disgusting slug out the backdoor.  Neither cat would go near it.  I imagine they taste as bad as they look.

A big day building Legos at the National Building Museum.

Behind Me

South Dakota is behind me.  I read "Twisted Tree" by Kent Meyers.  SD has been the toughest state so far to find a read.  I found a number of fiction books, but not current enough to be in the library.  I am into Arkansas with "Calicoe Joe" by John Grisham.  I have fifteen states left and around eighteen more weeks to accomplish this goal.  It will be close.  I have enjoyed reading a book from every state. 

I finished my tumbling blocks quilt, but haven't taken a picture.  I plan on sending it off for quilting.  I am trying to slog through things I haven't finished.  I sewed on two bindings so they are ready to be tacked down during cool evenings in the fall.  I am still only using fabrics that I have on hand to make anything new.  My postage stamp quilt has 64 finished blocks, I have no real plans for this yet.  I am using strips to make a shawl.  I like it, but Ellen said it looks like something I made.  I am not sure what that means.  I promise to post some pictures!

Words and Weirds

Ian has a friend over and they decided to play Scrabble.  This alone is amazing.  They are in the middle of the big game and the "under-the-bed cat" strolls in and lies down in the middle of the game.  He wreaked a little havoc and then sauntered back off to look for dust bunnies.

We ate dinner with the neighbors the other day.  One of them said a word that I had never heard, some type of Native American word.  I asked her how you spelled it.  Her husband laughed at me and said, "you really like words, don't you."  I really, really, really like words.  I forget how weird and nerdy it is.  I feel that math nerds are taken more seriously than word nerds.

I got over my library book scoobiness for the most part and have checked out tons of books.  I have forgotten to write them down.  Now, I can tell you the plot, but not the author and title.  I didn't write down Idaho and now can't remember it - very frustrating.  I just finished "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathatn Safran Foer.  It took me longer to read than usual and I put it down a couple of times to rest from the story, but it was extremely and incredibly beautiful.  The book held many love stories.

I have been making steady progress on a tumbling blocks quilt.  It is going together amazingly well.  I have trouble with precision, but this quilt is really working.  The quilt is challenge for me, because the pattern looks different from every angle.  I will post a picture soon. 

Ambidextrous

If Ned was doing this I would think he was messing with me.  Since it is Ian, I think he is generally confunded.

Ian - Mom is that girl on the tv who lost a lot of weight ambidextrous?
Me - She is anorexic, I doubt she is eating with both hands.  Someone give that girl a sandwich.
Ian - Mom when you move around to get exercise is that ambidextrous?
Me - Aerobic exercise and you can use both hands. Go play outside!
Ian - Mom that stuff you use to wash the floors that smells bad is that ambidexterous?
Me - Ammonia and I can mop with both hands.  Thanks for asking to do the mopping.
 Ian - Mom is that old lady ambidextrous?
Me - I don't know, but she has arthritis. Shh, she can hear you.
Ian - Mom when I keep my room really clean is that ambidextrous?
Me - Immaculate, for the seven millionth time ambidextrous means using both hands.  In baseball being able to bat both directions.  Please go clean your room.
Ian -  Oh yeah.


2 days later
Ian - Mom when I really don't want to do something is that ambidextrous?
Me - Apathetic!

Since I am telling Ian stories, here is another one.  He is for the most part even-tempered, but every now and then has a grumpfest.  I always tell him, "the real Ian has been abducted by Aliens and replaced by a grumpkin."  One day last week he told that he doesn't like that and to never say it again.  No problem on my part.  This week he has been totally out-of-sorts.  He told me, "Mom, I think I have been abducted by Aliens and replaced with a grumpkin."  He is trying to make me a crazy mom.