Stray-ayyynge.

So yesterday I went to Banks'.  It's a teacher supply store in...not a great area of town.  I traveled up and down the many aisles turning my nose up at most of the young-kid-friendly merchandise to clutter a classroom.  Middle schoolers don't appreciate a sign telling them to have a sunshiny day and that they're special in every way.  Great for little kids, not for the grown up middle schoolers of today.  I still spent $130 when it was all said and done, however.

The strange part of this story happened once I stepped out of the store.  I could barely hear myself think as I walked to my car, due to the foul rap "song" that was BLARING out the windows of the mini-van parked two spots away from me.  I won't go into detail, let's just say that the lyrics were not what you would call "honoring" to women.  I began loading my $130 of goods into my car all the while snarling to myself about how horrific the lyrics were.  So of course I had to send an ever so slightly disapproving look to the young man in the passenger seat of the mini-van as I got into my car.  As I did this, I happened to notice two car seats in the middle and back row seats of the mini-van!  AND they had children in them!  I slam my car door mumbling to myself all sorts of indignant admonishments.  Then to top it all off, the frail grandmotherly school teacher that had been behind me in line exited the store.  I held the brake long enough to make sure some woman-hater didn't knock her over for kicks, when SHE GOT INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF THE MINI-VAN!!!  

I don't even know what to say.

it's a small world and other endless songs, such as...

The scary ice-cream truck turned onto our street just ahead of me on my way home today.  Do they put "large, hairy, creepy guy" on the qualifications listed for the job of ice-cream truck driver?  I have seen two men who fit that description perfectly driving ice-cream trucks in the past four days.  I noticed the words on the back of the truck as it abruptly stopped in front of me: Caution Children.  I believe what they mean is: Drivers, be cautious as there may be children in the road running to get ice-cream.  But don't you think the literal meaning is maybe more appropriate?  Caution Children, or Parents, Caution your children about mindlessly running toward the rusty truck with the skeezy driver and mind-numbingly incessant tune blaring out into the atmosphere in the hopes of getting ice-cream to eat.

details and the poison sun

In response to Melissa's comment:

The holy undies were actually one of multiple pairs in a bag.  We also were given a mucky old toilet rug, a litter box that was NOT cleaned out, a grocery bag full of cloth and mouse poo, a foot bath...I think that covers all of the worst donations.   That being said, with everything else that was donated, we raised over $2000!  It was a big success, and despite the hellish heat, we had a really fun time.

For our dinner party I made that honey-soy sauce baked chicken I mentioned a few weeks ago, a potato salad (red wine vinegar, olive oil, green onions, red onion, garlic, red pepper, dill, fresh Italian parsley, and potatoes), a lettuce salad with cranberries and toasted almonds and feta.  Delicious cherries, bagel crisps with hummus and pesto, and trail mix for appetizers.  Three different flavored cheesecake "bites" for dessert.  Thank you Sam's Club for the frozen cheesecake bites, hummus and pesto all already prepared.   I've come a long way from the first time I hosted--- I made sesame chicken and some other Chinese dishes and was still cooking/preparing two hours after everyone had arrived.  I spent most of the night in the kitchen frantically trying to get everyone fed.  THIS time I had everything ready and wrapped and refrigerated before anyone arrived.  The chicken was in the oven and everything was ready to eat within 15 minutes of people arriving.  MUCH MUCH less stress than a year ago, or whenever it was that we first hosted.  

I have covered all of our windows downstairs with sheets to block out even more light today. Gabe and I are holed up like a couple of vampires, prepared to sleep off and on for as much of the day as we can.  We're hoping to keep out as much sun and heat as possible, while simultaneously recovering from the hectic-ness that was this weekend (which was great, but now it's DOWN TIME).

toasty party and holy skivvies

Last night it was our turn to host 12 great friends for dinner and dessert at our house.  We had a blast hanging out with Cori, Andy and Clayton, Kendal and Sonya, Brooke, Mark and Kinley (pictured below), Lexi and Sean, Gina and Joel, and Keri and Charlie.  Gabe and I had been at the Gathering (our church) yard sale, working since 6:30 yesterday morning (not to mention until 10:30 the night before organizing and pricing donated items) in 100 degree heat.  I told everyone I almost decided to  opt for take'n'bake pizzas instead of the original plan, but then changed my attitude and sucked it up.  I ended up enjoying making the dinner and didn't even feel to fatigued.  I realized I was tired because SO MANY people had donated SO MANY items to our yard sale, which was/is such a great "problem" and that I was making food in order to have over many of the people I enjoy most in life.  So why be grumpy?  Here are some pictures from yesterday evening:

Brooke and Kinley.  Even when lil Kinley yawns she smiles.

Mark and Kendal.  We had to open the door later on (once it cooled off) because 14 people crammed into our little home with only one air conditioning unit on a July evening makes for one warm environment. Toasty.  Our local stray black cat attempted to attend the party, but I chased her out, this was an exclusive party.

Cori and Clayton, who is about to celebrate his first birthday.  He kept us laughing with his great belly giggles.

Joel, Andy and Charlie having deep conversation around 8:45.

Gabe entertaining in the kitchen...in front of many beer bottles.

Sonya, Charlie and Keri trying not to stick to our sofa.

Gina and Lexi looking beautiful.

The rest of the photos are a selection of items donated to our yard sale.  I should have taken a picture of the massive mountain (filled a 400(?) sq. ft. room of donated items for our fund-raiser yard sale.  It was overwhelming, in a really good way.  However, there were a few items we would have preferred to NOT receive.  And some were very vintage and very funny.  Here are the highlights.

Keri and I around 10 pm after sorting and hauling and pricing for four hours.  Ready to collapse.

Eric holding one of the aforementioned items we would have preferred NOT been donated.  Are you kidding me?  WHY would anyone think this was a generous donation?

One way MAGIC mirrors!

I'm going to head back to the yard sale to finish up the last couple of hours and help clean up. Have a great weekend everyone!

photos

As promised, here are the pictures I described in my previous post:

One freshly painted reddish-orange table:

Many magenta peonies lovingly delivered to me by Amy:

 

Two things you should never buy me (and probably should never buy period):

Two shots of Gabe in the shower at Lowe's:

Later this same day, I found Gabe trying out the inversion machine at Sam's Club.  He was hanging upside-down, not strapped in, on the floor model of the inversion machine.  Gabe made errands much more fun that day.  Every time I turned around he was hiding in showers, inverting himself, or who knows what else.

One little Dooly napping in the kitchen window:

A dozen, or so, overripe  bananas thawing in order for me to bake them into banana bread in order to end the two years of Gabe teasing me about putting ripe bananas in the freezer for banana bread that never seems to actually get made in order to win a fifteen minute back rub in the bet made by Gabe that this time would be no different:  (I won.)

Seven envelopes I sent to Gabe (with letters inside) while he was in Costa Rica (I found them when looking for something else):

The journal I made for Gabe before he left for Costa Rica:

Nate and Jenn got here Monday.  We've been up to Ft. Collins for the New Belgium Brewery tour, where we ran into Collin L. during the free bear tasting after the tour.  Yesterday we went on a 7+ mile hike in Eldorado Park, and then to Keri and Charlie's for dinner and a bonfire.  Today we'll be heading down to the Springs, and then they leave tomorrow afternoon.  I've got a bunch of pictures from the week, but I think I'll wait to post them until the end of their stay with us.  

p.s.  Summer vacation doesn't yet feel like it.  It seems like the weekend--but it's been really nice so far...

bzzzzzz

This morning I arrived at school, made my way to my classroom, sat down at my computer to check my email. A minute later, I heard a bee at the window in front of me, shooed it out the door to the courtyard (couple yards from my desk), sat back down, heard a bee, shooed it out, heard another bee, shooed it out...repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, etc., etc., etc.. Around the fifth or sixth time, I began to think this was no coincidence. I looked outside and saw that one story up, near the window directly above mine was a swarm of bees. Somehow they were entering the building through the brick wall and making their way into my classroom, as well as the one above me. All day I repeatedly heard a bee, or three or four or five at a time, and calmly shooed them out the door. My AP came in a little panicked asking if I wanted them sprayed. I told her no, it really wasn't a problem (they just wanted out) and I wasn't too concerned, they were all at the back corner area of the room away from the students. I kept thinking about the bees of the world mysteriously disappearing and didn't want to contribute to the world being unable to grow food because all the bees have disappeared and therefore stopped pollinating plants. So all day I shooed bees back out into the world, and I suspect many of them flew right back into the building and into my room. Either way, my conscience remained clean by the time I shooed my last bee and left around 4:20. I estimate I either saved (at least until tomorrow when the district comes and napalms their little beehinds) upwards of 100 bees today, or I saved the same 5 bees over and over and over.

Today it was summer. I don't know when the calendar says summer begins, and I don't care. Today was BEEEEEAAAAUUUUTIFUL. I love summer. Nine and a half days until vacation!!! Yeah, baby.

most hilarious pacifiers i've ever seen:

loolie and other unexpected visitors

Congratulations to Julie and Dana for apparently being the only ones 

capable of consistently taking a normal photograph. 

I am looking in random directions in the first two shots because of what always 

happens when I look at the camera/flash (see photo 3)

Ahhh, Saturday. If I could wrap my arms around you and give you a big wet sloppy kiss, I just might.  Gabe and I were out late last night celebrating the birth of Brooke G. 29 years ago.  Sonya wore a neon shirt and Chrissie's hair was kind of messy, but other than that the night went off without a hitch-if you don't count the fact that Brooke consumed an entire Smirnoff Ice (funny because that's just the size of a beer bottle, yet Brooke really can't hold her liquor...like I should talk, one was it for me, too).  And the surprise bonus...insert imaginary drum roll here...LOOLIE!  Julie and Ryan were in town.  Julie became "Loolie" to me a few years ago when Connor began speaking and hadn't yet mastered the skills of pronunciation, thus Julie was Loolie.  It seemed to fit.  We didn't leave until around midnight!  We felt so cosmopolitan about not being asleep after a night of tv-watching and playing with our cat.  No, not us, we were out.  That's why I had to sleep in.  

Daly has already returned to bed after being awake for about an hour this morning, and scrambling around the house like a crack-addict on speed.  I'd be tired too.  Things get frantic in his small head every once in awhile, and that'll take it out of a cat, let me tell you.  

Last night when we got home, G and I decided to finish watching American Gangster.  At some point the guy across the street (or one of his friends) attempted to enter our house.  The front door knob began turning back and forth (it was locked) and then a few pounds on the door.  Gabe opened it a crack and calmly and kindly said, "Heeeeey..." like you might to a small child. The guy swayed in the doorway for a second looking very confused and smelling very much like what I would imagine the bottom of a bottle of vodka would smell like if someone just relieved themselves in it (was that too graphic?  sorry Granny).  Then another guy yelled to him from across the street that he was at the wrong house.  Woops.  He managed to get back down the steps without falling, but his smell lingered in our living room for a couple minutes more.  Someday we'll move.