Fabulous weekend excitement!

NOTE: Apparently Blogger has changed something about uploading photos from mobile devices and I am unaware. Check back after I figure out how to make the photos show up in the copy below.

Last week, I left work late 4 out of 5 days, one of which was Friday when there was some emergency conference call about 40 people all over the US about whether our livestreams are ready in case we release the iPad app. Man, I had a party to get to.

Chip and Tim went fishing last week.

Which was a GREAT party! The Atomic Mama was honored for several decades of earth residence and there was much music

and gifting and wearing of the kitty ears

and beveraging and dancing and stuff.

Saturday I did the usual cleaning up and am fixing breakfast when I hear that something is amiss on the Blues Breakfast, too many promos and dead air and continuous canned jazz. So the DJ calls me and I speed over but alas there's no parking and by now Muddy has figured out his problem and is broadcasting live. etc.

I finish with the breakfast and then go join the Community Center and sign up for two classes Tuesday and Thursday. Radio show and then Amy and I race to Fallen Timbers and see Hereafter. Which had some draggy parts but overall was a wonderful movie. And even though we had had movie snacks, we wanted a bite so we went to Swig's and split a smoked pork tenderloin sandwich and fries. Which was just enough. Then we had some wine.

Today my house painting got finished by Mr. Black. We have a potluck at work Monday so I went to Meijer and got avocados for my famous guacamole. Then I went to work for a few hours to get the election stuff ready for Tuesday night.

Then Amy and I went to the Atomic Mama's abode to deliver a birthday gift and when I got home, I planted that rosebush I got at the Denny Bene out front where that ancien rosebush was struggling. RIP. And moved a couple things and watered my pine tree. It was a beautiful afternoon. Again this weekend. Yay.

Then I went out to the farm for dinner where we had roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and mashed potatoes en croute and chicken soup with dumplings.

And pumpkin pie and a maple walnut torte. And wine. And stuff.

This week: radio meeting, election night during which I will come home for a couple hours to go to the class at the gym, Weds. GNO, Saturday Griswold birthday at Hines Farm.

Musings

I just walked downtown and back and I was thinking how it's been like summer most of October so only 4 bad months ahead, if you think how occasionally it's marginally ok in March sometimes. Although it can be a slog as well. What a Pollyanna!

Today I ripped out the tomato cages and potted the rosemary to take inside and planted daffodil bulbs out front and took down the bamboo fence. Have sheets on the line for like the 20th week in a row. Had a big breakfast and am just waiting to go to the Denny Graf benefit about 4 and get me some spaghetti dinner and buy some silent auction stuff. Blogging on my iPad. On the deck, where I ate my big breakfast. Drinking a beer. Aahhhhh.

Didn't say how fab the GNO was at my house. Highly attended and the weather was perfect. Also I offered to have the December one and everybody seemed good with that.

Amy and I decided we need to have a poker night on a monthly basis so we're starting in November. It's the second Friday of the month and all are welcome, mens and wimmens. But we're playing poker. So you're welcome to come and hang but we're playing poker.

So just now Anne calls to say that the fashion designer people just texted her to say they'd like her to come on part time until the first of the year when she could be full time. Right after her first day on the job as assistant manager of the Levis store in Santa Monica. Oh life. It's so wacky.

Rest up now because we'll all be having too much fun on Friday at GFT.

Last of the summer produce

Yumba!

The usual excitement

Today my daughter calls and wants $1800 for a security deposit on an apartment in Hollywood. So I go get it in crisp $100 bills and drive to Milan, MI because that's the closest Chase bank, where her account is. They're getting a 3-bedroom apartment which she described in glowing terms. Also she has been offered one job but is waiting til tomorrow to tell them yay or nay because she might be getting another job, both in retail management. The fashion assistant hasn't worked out. So far. Anyway, things are good with her. Thank heavens.

I had some FB chat with my son the other day. He's in Thailand. He says it's amazing and I must see it someday. Thailand. The airfare alone is astronomical but he says the cost of being there is very low. They have about 3 weeks left over there. He says they're looking for an apartment in San Francisco. On the internet. Watch, they'll come up with a great place mysteriously. And jobs.

Full moon Saturday. Be on guard.

Sunday is the Denny Graf benefit in Tontogany. I'm sure you'll be there. Bring plenty of cash for silent auction and raffling.

Amy and I saw The Social Network, the Facebook movie. It was really really good. We also saw about 10 previews, most of which sucked except for True Grit, the new Coen bros. flick starring Jeff Bridges.

Sunset on the farm

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One post in September

A testament to a busy life. And a malfunctioning computer. My home computer (which belongs to work) is so sluggish, it's a chore to just start it up, let alone blog. Let's remedy that right now!

September: Labor Day at the Sonnenbergs, GNO (which was supposed to be at my house but it was so HOT (remember hot?) that we had it at 149), the BSAF, Karen up from Dallas, my 40-year class reunion, and it was over. Plus I have to continue to hold down that damn job. October looks a little calmer--not.

Also I have spent too much time on that damn iPad, checking Facebook obsessively, watching video. I saw three movies a couple weeks ago in 2 days: K-PAX (pretty good), The Men Who Stare at Goats (great cast, great performances, quirky), and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, which I HIGHLY recommend.

Friday night, Amy and I went to see Winter's Bone, which won the big prize at the Sundance Festival. Sometimes I think those Hollywood types are too taken with the portrayal of a strange culture, as if it could not possibly exist, like those Ozark meth-makers and their "families" and allegiances and secretiveness. Then some boys came over and we played some euchre.

Last night was the Harvest Party. A brisk wind blew from the northeast and despite 2 fires, I couldn't hold out past 8 p.m. The food was widely varied and fabulous. Many dishes employing butternut squash--very harvest-y. I took deviled eggs and started passing them out as I got out of the car so by the time I got to the house, there were 4 left.

Today I took my brush out to the curb and now, when I came home from Meijer, someone has taken the larger pieces of wood. Thank you. Also I brought in the jade plant and the hibiscus which was literally shivering.

I bought my kids plus one plane tickets home at Christmas. In a weird coincidence, they both fly to Phoenix and get on the same plane to get to Detroit and then they both fly out of Detroit on the same plane to Denver, where they diverge. This is of course assuming Jess and Tom are in the US when Christmas time comes. They have been in China since the beginning of September and on the 25th, Tom cautions on Facebook that now they will be out of range of internet use.

I also stained my deck which looks great! And I bought 3 cans of paint to paint my siding on the house. I need to take a day off pretty soon to accomplish that. Just need that one day more than a weekend.

Sunday, Oct. 24 is a benefit at the Tontogany American Legion for Amy's brother Denny Graf. Spaghetti dinner, silent auction. 3:30 to 7. Be there. Eat. Buy stuff. I hear a lovely Coach handbag has been donated along with some jewelry.

Now I'm making macaroni and cheese, which I have been craving and then a pear cobbler with crystallized ginger and chocolate chip topping. Plus I bought some chicken thighs to crockpot some day this week. A big week, with radio meeting Monday and GNO at my house (nice weather or not) and a party in Fremont on Saturday night.

So I have no bread crumbs and run to Kroger while the mac n cheese is in the oven. And then I start to make the cobbler and I have no baking soda. Who runs out of baking soda? You think you'd remember scraping the bottom of that cardboard box. But alas. So I'm in holding pattern on the cobbler but fortunately, I think I can pull it off with a quick trip to yet another store for some baking soda.

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