Kiki came home for Spring Break this past week. It was great seeing her. Although it has only been 2 months since I have seen her, it seems like she has grown up so much. She also bought TB (The Boyfriend). He is very sweet and a little quiet, although I recognize spending a few days at your girlfriend's house might be a tad intimidating! TB is from Louisiana but just to show how truly small the world really is, he has relatives that live in our small town. Weird huh? He and Kiki live in the same dorm at UCLA. She spent the few days here showing him all the highlights of our town, which all seemed to revolve around food. The best burrito place, the best yogurt place, the best cupcake place and her favorite sandwhich place that she went to every Wednesday while she was in high school. Sadly, those are pretty much the highlights of our town. They also took a little day trip into SF and spent some time with some of Kiki's friends that are also on break this week.
So I took them to the airport yesterday, and it was a little sad, although she will be back in just 5 days for Easter! Before you ask, she has to go back, classes start Monday. Or, actually for Kiki, on Tuesday as she has managed the elusive "No Classes on Mondays or Fridays" schedule this quarter. It's true, it does exist. Not just a myth.
The airport wasn't too crowded, it was still early in the afternoon. I saw a few kids obviously going back to school, you could tell by the sad looks on the parents faces. I got out of the car and was waiting for Kiki to get out of the driver's side passenger door, and a woman in a station wagon hit me. Me, not my car. I was so stunned. I was standing by the door, sort of behind Kiki's open door and this car just merged over and hit me. I think the passenger side mirror hit my arm, it knocked me off balance and I fell to the street. Before I knew what happened, she ran over both of my feet! It all happened in a matter of seconds. I am not sure if she knew she hit me, although the sound of me hitting her car was rather loud. A sheriff hurried over. I asked him if he saw her hit me and he confirmed he did. I was a little stunned and felt more embarrassed than anything else. I was worried that she might be drunk so I asked him to talk with her. Apparently she wasn't drunk and I told him I didn't think I was interested in filing a report. In retrospect, I probably should have. I think I am fine, I have a nasty bump on my forearm (where I think the mirror hit me), an abrasion on my left foot, a bruised toe on my right foot, a scrap on my right ankle and I am slightly sore in most of those places. But I will survive. I remember thinking at the time, why didn't she stop? Couldn't she hear me? But I think probably it was better she didn't stop, a 2 ton station wagon on my feet probably wouldn't have done me any good!
So all in all, TB had a more eventful airport ride then hanging around our house for the week. Oh wait, I forgot about going to the best gas station in town. Never mind.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
You Haven't Lived . . .
until you've heard your 4 year old niece sing the Beyonce classic "Single Ladies". Just sayin'.
"Uh Uh Uh Oh, if you like it then you should've have put a ring on it, if you like it then you should've put a ring on it, Uh Uh Uh Oh Oh Oh Oh."
"Uh Uh Uh Oh, if you like it then you should've have put a ring on it, if you like it then you should've put a ring on it, Uh Uh Uh Oh Oh Oh Oh."
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
This Is So Not What St. Patrick Had in Mind
When Chizz and I were first married and kidless, we really looked forward to St. Patrick's Day. The city in which we worked did it up in a big way, parades, dinners, beer specials etc. It seemed like one big party. Perhaps because it was. A bar very close to where we worked arranged to have the entire street it was on blocked off and set up outdoor bars. People would start coming to the outside bar sometime after lunch. Quite truthfully, many people would just "forget" to come back to work. Even more truthfully, sometimes those people included Chizz & me. It was a fun time, a bit reckless I am sure but all in all a good time. Those were the days.
Fast forward 25+ years and this is what I did today before I put my corned beef on. Snake left some very explicit instructions by email. And with a little editing to protect his (and quite frankly my) identity, here is his email:
RE: Operation Iron Snake
Red Mongoose, you have been chosen for a most deadly mission, if you are caught or killed, we will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
1. go here about 5 minutes before 10: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C00446BC8A851B7?artistid=735341&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=200
2. @10 SHARP: I am unsure what the screen will look like during this stage, as it is a presale, but I expect there to be a little box that says Fan Club Presale or something like that, and enter this code exactly: 12345 (I changed this code because I don't want to incur the wrath of the Iron Maiden fan club by giving out the special fan club code) .
3. Select general admission, General admission, nothing else. DO NOT,I REPEAT DO NOT SELECT BEST AVAILABLE, every second counts. As of right now, we are only buying one ticket.
4. Enter the security code
5. Now we have two possibilities.
A: There's a tickets cannot be found thing, we're too late. :( In this instance, start over and try and get another GA seat. If you get the same message, choose best available. 100s are the ones we're looking for, but I'll take 200s if I have to. If those are gone, somethings up email me.
B: Awesome, we got tickets. Now, I know you're excited, but we still have a few more steps. The ticketing system is paperless, so there shouldn't be a shipping option. If there is a shipping option, just select the cheapest one.
6. Log in or create an account. You should at least have an account from last time. Use the two cards that I gave you. Mind the timer on the page, that's how long until you lose the tickets. If you don't see a timer, don't dwell on it.
7. Fill out the number and the pin of the two cards. I'm going to write down the numbers and pins and bring them to school if this doesn't work out.
8. Finalize the order.
9. Email me, regardless of outcome.
10. Run down the street screaming "HOOOOORRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY"
11. Call the school, tell them that Snake can leave school due to a family event.
12. We party. Until June 20th.
Snake
PS: All steps are mandatory. for reals.
P.S.S: Sorry for talking to you like you're three
P.S.S.S: Do P.S.S.Ss exist?
P.S.S.S.S: I guess they have to now...
Okay this is Wendy again. You think with all of those instructions, it would have all gone swimmingly. You'd think. Well, not exactly. I got all the way up to step 5, picking the general admission ticket which he points out about 4 times, it needs to be general admission. I purchased the general admission ticket and was very pleased with myself. Actually I used Snake's gift cards and the ticket wasn't too expensive. I texted him "Transaction complete, one general admission lawn seat is purchased". Then I called Chizz to crow about my success, when I received this text from Snake:
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!"
Then it dawned on me. If you know Snake you know that the reason he likes the general admission seats is that in clubs these tickets usually are standing tickets and it allows to you to finagle your way to the front of the crowd and be up close and personal to the band. And if you have seen Iron Maiden, you know you want to be up close and personal to them. But this particular venue is outdoors and the general admission seats are actually on the lawn, which is in the back of the venue and there is virtually no chance you can wiggle up to the front. They keep a tight rein on those seats. So Snake apparently didn't remember that part or if he did, thought for some unknown reason, I would remember that he wouldn't want a general admission lawn seat. So I had to hustle back on the site and buy another ticket. We are still unclear as to whether he actually has a seat or if he will be standing because the ticket doesn't really indicate a seat (which is good). Of course we were successful and now we have two tickets to the Iron Maiden concert.
So if you happen to be at the Sleep Train Pavillion on Sunday June 20, come find me in the back lawn. I will be the well over 40 year old Mom in the fold out chair (because sitting on the lawn will probably hurt my back), with my earplugs in and doing the Sudoku. What???? You thought I would waste the ticket? Nooooooooo!!
Fast forward 25+ years and this is what I did today before I put my corned beef on. Snake left some very explicit instructions by email. And with a little editing to protect his (and quite frankly my) identity, here is his email:
RE: Operation Iron Snake
Red Mongoose, you have been chosen for a most deadly mission, if you are caught or killed, we will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
1. go here about 5 minutes before 10: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C00446BC8A851B7?artistid=735341&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=200
2. @10 SHARP: I am unsure what the screen will look like during this stage, as it is a presale, but I expect there to be a little box that says Fan Club Presale or something like that, and enter this code exactly: 12345 (I changed this code because I don't want to incur the wrath of the Iron Maiden fan club by giving out the special fan club code) .
3. Select general admission, General admission, nothing else. DO NOT,I REPEAT DO NOT SELECT BEST AVAILABLE, every second counts. As of right now, we are only buying one ticket.
4. Enter the security code
5. Now we have two possibilities.
A: There's a tickets cannot be found thing, we're too late. :( In this instance, start over and try and get another GA seat. If you get the same message, choose best available. 100s are the ones we're looking for, but I'll take 200s if I have to. If those are gone, somethings up email me.
B: Awesome, we got tickets. Now, I know you're excited, but we still have a few more steps. The ticketing system is paperless, so there shouldn't be a shipping option. If there is a shipping option, just select the cheapest one.
6. Log in or create an account. You should at least have an account from last time. Use the two cards that I gave you. Mind the timer on the page, that's how long until you lose the tickets. If you don't see a timer, don't dwell on it.
7. Fill out the number and the pin of the two cards. I'm going to write down the numbers and pins and bring them to school if this doesn't work out.
8. Finalize the order.
9. Email me, regardless of outcome.
10. Run down the street screaming "HOOOOORRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY"
11. Call the school, tell them that Snake can leave school due to a family event.
12. We party. Until June 20th.
Snake
PS: All steps are mandatory. for reals.
P.S.S: Sorry for talking to you like you're three
P.S.S.S: Do P.S.S.Ss exist?
P.S.S.S.S: I guess they have to now...
Okay this is Wendy again. You think with all of those instructions, it would have all gone swimmingly. You'd think. Well, not exactly. I got all the way up to step 5, picking the general admission ticket which he points out about 4 times, it needs to be general admission. I purchased the general admission ticket and was very pleased with myself. Actually I used Snake's gift cards and the ticket wasn't too expensive. I texted him "Transaction complete, one general admission lawn seat is purchased". Then I called Chizz to crow about my success, when I received this text from Snake:
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!"
Then it dawned on me. If you know Snake you know that the reason he likes the general admission seats is that in clubs these tickets usually are standing tickets and it allows to you to finagle your way to the front of the crowd and be up close and personal to the band. And if you have seen Iron Maiden, you know you want to be up close and personal to them. But this particular venue is outdoors and the general admission seats are actually on the lawn, which is in the back of the venue and there is virtually no chance you can wiggle up to the front. They keep a tight rein on those seats. So Snake apparently didn't remember that part or if he did, thought for some unknown reason, I would remember that he wouldn't want a general admission lawn seat. So I had to hustle back on the site and buy another ticket. We are still unclear as to whether he actually has a seat or if he will be standing because the ticket doesn't really indicate a seat (which is good). Of course we were successful and now we have two tickets to the Iron Maiden concert.
So if you happen to be at the Sleep Train Pavillion on Sunday June 20, come find me in the back lawn. I will be the well over 40 year old Mom in the fold out chair (because sitting on the lawn will probably hurt my back), with my earplugs in and doing the Sudoku. What???? You thought I would waste the ticket? Nooooooooo!!
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Practicing
So while Snake was gone on his trip, Chizz and I decided we should take advantage of the opportunity and go on a trip. But where to go? As these things usually work out, the timing of the trip was not necessarily good for Chizz's work so it was hard to make concrete plans. And because of the costs of Snake's trip, tuition deposits and college fees, the timing of the trip was not very good for our wallets as well. So where to go that we could be flexible with our comings and goings, would be inexpensive and the weather wouldn't require snow shovelling in any shape or form. Ta Da!! In laws to the rescue (how many times does that happen? In my case, quite a bit). My FIL & MIL (Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law in internet lingo - see I am cool!) have a condo in Carmel. My MIL had it before she married my FIL. Her whole family is from that area and she has roots there since forever! She has always been very generous in letting us use it and since they wouldn't be there at the time, she kindly allowed us to camp there.
The location fit the bill on many levels, the major two being it was cheap and we could drive there - which we love to do. Chizz and I have always enjoyed driving vacations. We try and find small roads to get us where we need to go. We try to avoid freeways and highways as much as possible. It is all about the journey not the time or speed in which you get there. We enjoy looking at the scenery, the houses or little towns you find that are off the beaten path. No time frames, no agendas. Of course, the people under 20 in our house absolutely hate these kind of vacations. Actually, hate is too strong of a word. Usually, they are indifferent. As long as they can plug in and tune out, they seem to be okay. Although there are many vacations that we don't allow them to plug in, we want them to take in the scenery, actually notice their surroundings. That it is when it becomes a little unbearable for us. When they voice their boredom, "When are we going to get there", "I'm hungry", "Can I please listen to my Ipod", "I'm hungry", "I can listen AND watch the stupid scenery", "I'm hungry". So we jumped at the chance to do a driving trip without the commentary from the back seat.
The weather didn't exactly cooperate. It was off and on raining pretty much the
entire time. But we managed to have a good time in Carmel. We drove along the backroads and saw some pretty impressive scenery. This is one of my favorite times of year in California, it is so green. We only have a few short weeks of rain each year and it turns the hills into an amazing array of green. In about 2 months time, these will turn into the "golden hills of California" but it is nice to enjoy the greenery while it lasts. Just around the bend from here, we found acres and acres of grape vines. Well, when in Rome. . . .
So these posts don't get too lengthy, I am going to break this up a bit. More tomorrow or, in the vernacular of the teenage people in my household, "whenever".
The location fit the bill on many levels, the major two being it was cheap and we could drive there - which we love to do. Chizz and I have always enjoyed driving vacations. We try and find small roads to get us where we need to go. We try to avoid freeways and highways as much as possible. It is all about the journey not the time or speed in which you get there. We enjoy looking at the scenery, the houses or little towns you find that are off the beaten path. No time frames, no agendas. Of course, the people under 20 in our house absolutely hate these kind of vacations. Actually, hate is too strong of a word. Usually, they are indifferent. As long as they can plug in and tune out, they seem to be okay. Although there are many vacations that we don't allow them to plug in, we want them to take in the scenery, actually notice their surroundings. That it is when it becomes a little unbearable for us. When they voice their boredom, "When are we going to get there", "I'm hungry", "Can I please listen to my Ipod", "I'm hungry", "I can listen AND watch the stupid scenery", "I'm hungry". So we jumped at the chance to do a driving trip without the commentary from the back seat.
The weather didn't exactly cooperate. It was off and on raining pretty much the
entire time. But we managed to have a good time in Carmel. We drove along the backroads and saw some pretty impressive scenery. This is one of my favorite times of year in California, it is so green. We only have a few short weeks of rain each year and it turns the hills into an amazing array of green. In about 2 months time, these will turn into the "golden hills of California" but it is nice to enjoy the greenery while it lasts. Just around the bend from here, we found acres and acres of grape vines. Well, when in Rome. . . .So these posts don't get too lengthy, I am going to break this up a bit. More tomorrow or, in the vernacular of the teenage people in my household, "whenever".
Friday, March 05, 2010
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
With Apologies to my Spanish Speaking Friends
Feliz cumpleanos, Serpiente!! Espero que se divierten en el Peru. Tome muchas fotografias!! Amor, tu mama!!
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