WHEW!

Stressful couple of weeks for me....two people very close to me had surgery...and of course Ava, the cat!
It appears that all are doing well, but it makes me appreciate health that much more. One never knows when problems are going to hit us, and when we climb back, it is a good thing.
OK, I am sick of leaves falling. Are you one to try to keep up with raking leaves, or are you one to leave piles of leaves until they ALL come down. Personally, I would like to leave them until they all come down, then have everyone come and help gather them up.
Did I tell you that I am trying to get rid of old paint cans? Well, I am. I must have twenty of them in my basement. I am told that if you put kitty litter in them, they will be taken. Do you know how heavy a gallon of paint is with kitty litter in it? Well, let me tell you, it is heavy!
Anyway, there are eight less paint cans. Working through them.
I have cold sores. It what comes with stress. Fortunately, they are already disappearing.
Bean has a part in the Christmas Carol. Not sure what it is. But I think she is pleased. And Monkeyboy is playing in line hockey, whatever that is.
Phipps is decorating for the holidays and their winter show and let me just say this...it is amazing. Beautiful. If you are in Pittsburgh or visiting you have to see it.
The Steelers got rid of Jeff Reed. He has been on the line for some time, I think. He did well here and I appreciate it, but there have been problems in the past year or so, and I don't think it is just football related.
The Steelers looked bad on Sunday and the Patriots looked awesome. They could do no wrong. Hopefully, we will make a come back. Ben looked good for a minute, but neither the defense or the offense had it together Sunday. Sad, but true.
That's it for now....have a good week!

Halloween Happenings

When I was small, we had a bakery. It was a small bakery and the people who owned it lived near us. It delicious baked goods, all fresh, none frozen for the next day or week. They had wonderful cherry filled cookies, decorated cookies and cakes and pies, which were not as good.
At Halloween we would dress up and go to the home of the owner.....because.....they gave out candy apples. And they were wonderful! As they gave them to you they asked your name, so you couldn't get two, which made me sad. We didn't have very original costumes. Some kids did...their parents made their costume. I remember in second grade one girl had a blond wig, only it didn't look like a wig. She won a prize for the best costume. No one knew who she was.
Halloween was a big deal. We used to have a party, then parade around the school with the parents standing there taking pictures. Then we would go home and prepare for the parade the town had. After that we got to go trick or treating. We never did much of the tricking, though.
It was fun and exhausting...going through all that candy.
Phipps is having a Halloween Happening. Kids come in with costumes and they see a magic show, can get their face pained, pot a plant and eat! It's fun to see all the kids in their costumes, some of which are very unique.
Ava, the cat, is on medication. X-rays were taken and examinations done and nothing of significance was found, so she is on meds for inflamation. She alternately does well and hobbles around on three legs. It's sad to watch, but she is sleeping and eating regularly, so the vet said to just give her time.
What do you remember about Halloween? Did/do you make costumes or do you buy them? I remember a butterfly costume I made for a certain child, who, when they saw it ran screaming to hide behind the bushes.

Let The Games Go On

Ahhh, it is the season again.
The NY Times had an excellent article about Nolan Ryan. It talked about him buying the Rangers with the thought of.....making them a winning team. Isn't that a novel idea? Not buying a team to build a new stadium, make money and move on. I read that he was quite the player in his time, and he wants to build this team to win. Good for him. And they beat the Yanks. That is such good news.
Ben is back. Very mixed feelings about that. I think he played a good game. We won. Thanks, Tim, for all the cheering. I think I saw you down by the goal line, but I can't be sure.
Monkeyboy's team is doing well. Monkeyboy has the second highest score...he is going for double digits. Such fun watching the kids play.
Both Monkeyboy and Sprout celebrated birthdays. Sprout's cake had a picture of her on it and it was so much fun! Monkeyboy elected to have a giant chocolate chip birthday cookie. Personally, I prefer cake.
Bean is in Phantom this week. Break a leg, Bean. She is having such fun, but is exhausted. Such is the life of a star. Well, she may not be THE star, but she is our star.
Ava has a bad leg or legs...have to take her to the vet again. He gave her a shot, which helped briefly, but she is not doing well. Both hind legs seem to be affected. She is having great difficulty walking. *fingers crossed that it is nothing serious.*
Seems to be a time when many close to me are having medical problems. This too shall pass, I just hope it passes quickly.
On a lighter note, there was a Japanese wedding at Phipps this weekend and it was lovely. Such beautiful dresses, all dressed in their culture. Makes me wonder why we are so against immigration.
Code purple today...chipmunk expired in the outdoor garden. Butterflies are about done. Great train display currently. I still love my job.
The weather has been decent for the most part. Warm days, cool nights. I am having a garage sale this weekend. Dreading it, but I made the commitment. Hoping to get rid of some junk. Never had one before, so we will see how this goes.
Vote, okay? I know....sometimes it seems to not make a difference, and sometimes I get discouraged, but do not be apathetic....vote. Have a good one!

The Weather

It rained here this week. A lot. Some people don't like the rain...generally, I do. I fell asleep to the rain the other night. It wasn't a storm, just a pleasant rain. Woke up to it also. Got ready for work. It amazes me what happens to drivers in the rain, at least here in Pittsburgh. A usual 25 minute ride took me 45 minutes, but it was okay. I had the time, so it wasn't crucial that I speed. Which I can't anyway, because I need new tires. But that is a whole other story.
I began my day at Phipps in the butterfly area. There aren't many butterflies left, but we have to be there to catch them should one escape. It was a very quiet morning and raining there in the conservatory as well as outside. The conservatory was built in 1893, so some of the rooms have water coming in when it rains. So, after cleaning the area of leaves and setting up the table, I sat and watched the rain. And listened. It was quiet other than the water dripping on the bricks. A young couple came through holding hands, whispering, smiling. We talked for a few minutes. They were here for a conference that started that afternoon and decided to spend the morning with us. They had been married in June in an outdoor garden wedding in, of all place, Iowa.
I think one of the best things about living in Pittsburgh is the changes of the seasons. I love them all, even the snow and ice. Those days of terrible weather make me appreciate the good days, the sunny ones.
I had an hour or so left in the butterfly area, so I contemplated the weather and how it affects people. One woman told me Phipps was a perfect place to be in the rain; it made her feel happy and peaceful. A co-worker told me it was a good day to spend in bed reading a good book.
What do you like to do on a rainy day? Is it different now than it was as a child?

Wow, It's Been A While!

I did not realize that it had been almost two months since my last post. So, here we go!

Road Trip: Midwest, Farm, Beach. Delayed flights, running through the airport, Monkeyboy getting stuck on one level, we on another. Bean to the rescue. Racing, racing, racing through the airport. I think the next time we will not fly!

The farm was great, but the beach was the best! The water was warm, the hotel was wonderful and a great time was had by all. Pretty sure that the beach will be our destination for next year.

School has started, dance has started, hockey has started. Back at Phipps and working lots of hours right now. Lots of weddings there. And the weather has finally cooled down.

Last weekend was a Pirate's game. Monkeyboy wore his Diamondback shirt since we are playing them. He has a favorite player on their team...don't ask me who it is. I have no memory for those kind of things.

I am still at the track most mornings. It is incredible to see the sunrise and to watch the clouds moving. The same group can be found most mornings when I go before work. Some run, some walk, some do the steps and some just watch their partners. When I am not working, I go a little later, and then I see the kids at the school in gym class. Interesting to see the different groups of kids. You have the kids who are obviously the athletic ones. Then there are the kids that talk a lot and giggle as they do the track. There is a group kids who do nothing but long jumps, and their teacher is incredible. He encourages them, they cheer for one another and they really try to do better. I admire teachers who have that kind of enthusiasm and dedication. Much more than the gym teacher who stands by the edge of the track with their clipboard texting on their cell phone.

I love listening to the exchanges on the radio at work. Code for Troy coming to the conservatory is "The eagle has landed". His wife is on our board and they sometimes comes. Everyone looks forward to that! There are other codes, which are sometimes humorous. One is code purple, which means an animal (usually a rat or a dead fish...something like that) is in distress or on the premises. Several weeks ago T. in events yelled over the radio that there was a code purple. Turned out that there were ants in the garden during a wedding. I don't think that warrants a code purple, but she did. Freaked because she thought that the ants might go up the bride's dress. The following week, someone in events said there was an anthill in the garden and a wedding was going to start. S., our maintenance man, said...on the radio...that he would come out and stomp on them. That went over big. T. got on the radio and began to freak that you don't just stomp on them. S. went through the serpentine room mumbling to himself. I think that he did just stomp on them, but I'm not sure.

Monkeyboy had his birthday party (one of two) tonight. He got many gifts, mostly sports stuff. Also the ipod touch. Bird is still trying to figure that one out.

Bean got her ballet pointe shoes and has started classes. She got two parts in Phantom of the Opera and the one that she is most excited about is the understudy for the pointe part. GO BEAN.

I promise I will try to post more often. And thanks for the concern, Jen.