Journal: July 3, 2012

Well our plans to check out the zoo were waylaid by a lazy morning of GEP playing video games and Christina and I talking.  We'll have to set it up to go another time.  Christina and I went to get our toes done - long overdue for me.  This is my first pedicure of the season, it was desperately needed.

GEP got his DS taken away this morning because he was being a bratty little kid and not speaking right to his mother - lucky for him though, his Mom felt bad about making him wait for us to get his toes done - so he got to play it during that, and during that only.  Mom doesn't mess around with him.

After our pedicures, we headed to Panera Bread for lunch.  Since neither Phill nor Stew like it that much and Christina and I really do when we don't have to deal with the husbands, that's our preferred place for lunch.  I got tuna today.

After Panera, we headed home and talked until Christina had to leave to go pick Phill up at their house.  Turns out their electricity is back on, but with our plans for tomorrow and more storms supposed to hit the area tonight, they figured they'd just crash here one more night - we're happy to have them, so it's no problem with us.

When Christina and Phill got back, we sent Phill and Stew to the store to get everything we'll need for our cookout tomorrow and told them that they needed to figure out dinner - Middle School lunch it was.  Fish sticks, tater tots and macaroni and cheese - Yummy!  Even GEP liked it.

Phill and family turned in rather early tonight - Stew and I stayed up and watched Act of Valor.  I didn't think that I'd be able to watch it.  You all know about my boycott on military movies until Shawn gets out of the Army - but this one had Navy SEALs and I really, really wanted to see it.  Turns out, I didn't shed not one tear.  I don't know what it was.  I didn't feel pulled into this movie or connected to these characters.  I don't know if it's because I knew that they were real people and not actors and knew that they were all still fine.  Or maybe it's because I watched the interviews first and saw how they were demonstrating what their lives are like and I knew it wasn't real action - I mean I know movies aren't real either, but that hasn't ever stopped me from getting attached to the characters so much and then crying when something happens to them, but this just felt like, I don't know, some kind of training activity or something - just in your face not real.  That being said, this movie just confirmed that these guys are bad ass.  I will say that they're a lot older than I assumed SEALs to be.  I think that could be because these guys were on their way out of the team, I mean, come on, that's the only way they would put these guys' faces out there. 

Stew said it was a good movie, but he felt like some of the dramatic license must have made the real SEALs roll their eyes.  Like I don't know anything about fragmentation grenades - but Stew said that there's no huge explosion with them.  Sometimes, being ignorant works to my movie watching advantage.

So all in all, I liked the movie and was glad that it didn't make me a crying, worried mess - especially since there's a possibility Shawn has another deployment coming before the end.

After the movie, we went to bed.  A relaxing day is planned for tomorrow - cooking out and pool time.  I'm looking forward to it.

And to leave you with a smile - check out the goof ball's silly face of the day:

POTD: July 3, 2012

First pedicure of the season - long overdue.

Journal: July 2, 2012

End of month reports were due today at work.  Got them all submitted by the deadline - helped along with the fact that the Monday morning meeting was cancelled.

Other than work, today was a day of running errands.  Christina, GEP and I headed over to Panera Bread for lunch.  I ordered the Poppyseed Chicken salad or whatever it's called.  Lots of fruit in it - I love it.  I eat mostly the fruit and the chicken and leave the rest.  GEP got grilled cheese.  After we finished our lunch, GEP wanted a cookie - so we got him a cookie with M&Ms on it while I ordered the Toffee Nut - oh so good. 

After Panera, we headed over to the Pet Valu store in the same shopping center.  Christina said that she's been wanting to go in there for a long time, so we decided to head over there today.  Christina was looking for treats for Taz, but he can't have rawhide, so she asked the woman at the register who suggested bull pizzle - yeah, we didn't know what it was either, but boy were we in for an education.  Apparently, these are the number one selling pet treat in America and a few months ago there was a shortage (due to the fact that somewhere in Asia this is a delicacy) and people were outraged.  They're called Bully Sticks and yes, they are bull penis. 

I can't decide what the funniest part of all of this was - the look on Christina's face or the fact that she texted Phill that she was buying a bull penis and he asked why and she told him, "wouldn't you like to know" and he said he was scared - too damn funny.  Christina hasn't given them to the dogs yet, but I'll be curious to see if they like them.  I guess it's better than wasting any part of the animal.

Our next stop was Home Depot - I needed chlorine for the pool and also to look for a vacuum cleaner head for the pool cleaner - got the chlorine no problem, it was a no go for the cleaner head - I'll have to head out to the pool store some time soon and pick one up.  My man Kirbie does a great job in the middle of the pool but has a heck of a time with the sides.

We then came home only to realize that we should have gone to Target, so we turned around in front of the house and headed to Target.  I needed saline solution and hand soap for the bathroom downstairs since my niece took off with mine.  GEP picked out the hand soap - it's now Sponge Bob in both bathrooms and apparently the dispensers glow in the dark.  While we were there, I also picked up the movie Act of Valor - I've been wanting to see it forever, but I'm still not sure I'll be able to watch it.  We'll see, but at least now I own it for a lot less than it would have been to rent the damn thing in the hotel room.

GEP bought a Lego toy in the Ninjano series.  Another thing he's collecting, but really don't ask me what they are, because I have no idea.  The one he got today is called Mezmo.  He looks like this:

GEP was pretty pleased with his purchase.

When we got home from Target, GEP and I went out to add chlorine to the pool - well, GEP did it.  He walked around and shook it in.  He was happy with himself, then he and I went inside to get dressed for the pool while the chlorine did its job.

GEP and I played basketball in the pool after he explained the rules to me, but this was the one and only time I've ever heard of a slam dunk being worth three points.  He's a little cheat that kid, I swear.

Christina joined us in the pool, as well, and we had a good time playing with GEP and talking. 

Phill was going to cook tonight but traffic was a monster down by the tunnel, so he decided that we should just do something easy for dinner so we ordered Pat's.  GEP and I split a pizza.

I then read for awhile with my new best buddy...

(Taken with Stew's phone - picture quality sucks)


I'm not sure he's allowed on the couch - but I wasn't kicking him off of it.  I want a dog so bad, unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'm going to get one any time soon...

We also headed to Brewster's tonight for ice cream.  GEP and I both got cones - sensing a theme?  He got vanilla ice cream with sprinkles and it melted so much that I think he ended up wearing more of it than he got to eat.  We scrambled to get him a cup so he could put it in there and that averted total disaster but he wasn't very happy.  Phill got a banana split, and Stew and Christina got milkshakes. 

We piled in the family room and talked for awhile before we all headed off to bed.  Tomorrow we may take a trip to the zoo - that'll be a good time.  I can't wait.

POTD: July 2, 2012

The sky on Stew's way to work.

Journal: July 1, 2012

It was an awesome day around the house here and I think Laura should move in considering that any time she's here I sleep longer in the morning than any other time.  I got up around 10 - lucky for me, Laura knows her way around the house and she found WTK and herself some food stuffs.  Next time she needs to wake me up - I feel so bad when that happens.

I got to spend most of the day with Laura and WTK.  WTK entertained himself in the craft room for a long time.  He baked the pencils in the toaster oven as he likes to do, he had fun shining a flashlight in his eyes, we played with the label maker and he kept us laughing with all of his antics.

We were going to go to the movies or something, but then Phill and Christina let us know that with their electric still being out they were going to crash with us for a few days.  That was cool with us, so we wanted to wait around the house for them to get here.  I made the mistake of telling WTK that GEP was coming.  He so badly wanted to stay here and wait until GEP got here before he went home; unfortunately, GEP wasn't getting here until much later.  I'm going to have to set up a time for them to play together again soon.

Before Laura and WTK headed home, we went out to the pool to get his floating ring and some how, though I'm not sure Laura nor I understand how it happened, but WTK ended up in the pool.  Oh he had his floating ring and a life vest - but some how I think we were conned.  Seeing him the pool made me want to get in the pool so I went in to get changed and then WTK and I played in the pool for awhile until Laura was ready to go.  No more repeat antics of last night - no one tried to ride Dino today.

After Laura and WTK left, I spent a long time in the pool, lounging on the raft and reading my Kindle (which was safely sandwiched in a Ziploc).  Stew went in and took a nap.  He wasn't feeling so good, he had a headache.  After his nap he came out to get me and we went in and had left over spaghetti for dinner.  We then sat down to watch some tv.

Phill and family arrived not long after and GEP right away noticed the solo cups.  He wanted to know what they were out for.  After explaining to him that they were toys now, since WTK uses them to build things, GEP wanted to build to, so out came the cups.  He spent a long time playing with them and then Phill got down on the floor with him to show him how to really build things.  Soon, GEP got bored, but not his dad.  I think Phill ended up playing with the cups longer than GEP did.

It was off to bed pretty early for us tonight.  Long week ahead.

POTD: July 1, 2012

It started out as GEP and Phill building with the Solo cups - then, it was just Phill.

Journal: June 30, 2012

Woke up and got serious about cleaning the house.  Mike and Laura were due to crash here tonight following Franks' party so I wanted to house to be at least reasonably presentable.  As I finished cleaning and woke Stew up so that he could get ready for the party, we got a call from Frank.  Apparently, there was a bad storm last night.  Not that I knew about since I slept right though the thing but it turns out it did quite a bit of damage - downed trees and power lines.  Frank is without power and the park where the party was scheduled has a parking lot filled with kindle.  The party has been postponed.  I had no idea. 

So after learning that news, Stew went back to bed and I went down to continue my work on the scrap room.  I was on facebook when I talked to Laura - since they had a unexpected free day as well, Laura and WTK decided to come down and spend the day. 

Stew headed to the storm and got stuff to make spaghetti.  Laura, WTK and I spent the majority of the day in the pool.  Laura and I both tried to ride Dino the dinosaur - that didn't work out so well.  As you can see...

Otherwise, we had a great time in the pool and a great time hanging out.