Bday Boy

I like this picture better.

Yesterday it was nice to have a holiday. It seemed like a lot of people had the day off and some didn't. It felt like Saturday all day. So it's great that today is actually Saturday. Last night we had a picnic at the park with my parents, some old friends of theirs and Betsy and her family, 12 in all. Afterwards we went for a drive around Pennington Point, a little area out in the country where my parents' friends used to live in the 60's. Both houses were still there and Janet loves to tell how I used to stay with her when I was 3 or 4 years old. She had her own kids later on, but I remember loving to visit them in the country because Janet loved us kids so much. Unfortunately, the Victorian they had was vacant and run down. It appeared that vagrants had been living there recently as there was cat food, beer cans, and party CD's strewn about the yard and the windows were open.

Games

After Boy15's birthday Tuesday evening we played Mad Gab. It was kind of a bust. So, Boy15 went off to play with his Ipod Touch and Grandma and Boy21 played a card game that looked like Advanced War. I wanted to learn to play this, but I got distracted and forgot about it. My sister has an Ipod Touch but doesn't know how to use it. After one day with Boy15, Nephew10 says "Mom, can I go online and get some apps for this?"

Tomorrow is aerobics at 5:40 a.m., a tutorial for Betsy on downloading some crap to her Ipod, getting an electrical recliner chair out of my parents van, into their house and down into the basement (don't ask) and a picnic in the park. I am too cheap to reserve a shelter for $30 so I guess we will drive around the parks until we find one.

YMCA

Saturday morning we worked out at the New Y in New Albany. Unbelievable facility: climbing wall, splash pool, steam rooms, saunas, interactive/active kids game room. Their weight machines put our Y's to shame. Our Y needs some serious updating.

That afternoon we went to the Bodies Human exhibit at a new arts center that is housed in an old meat packing plant. The exhibit is human bodies preserved with a plastination process so you can see tendons, veins and muscles, not just the average skeleton. I guess it has been all over the country. I was bored after one or two bodies, most were male, anatomically correct as odd as it looked. I had to ask my brother in law why the balls were hanging above the penis'. TMI
Newphew10 and I are below with decor at the Mellwood Aart Center, Louisville.



That evening Betsy and I went to a Casino. It was a bust, but reconfirmed that I hate casinos, especially in Indiana where they allow smoking, everywhere. Well, they claimed to have a smoke-free room, but it was bordered by smoking on both sides with no barriers or ventilation system. I am so proud of Illinois for passing a tough smoke-free law. We could barely figure out how to work the slots and they were $1 a pull. Waste, waste, waste.

Weekend Getaway

I spent last weekend with my favorite sister, Betsy, in Southern Indiana/Louisville, KY. Friday night we went out to dinner at Proof, a newer, haute cuisine place downtown. It housed a very interesting museum and hotel and featured unique public restrooms with one way mirrors and water walls. I have no idea what the food was we ate, and I'm sorry to say it wasn't that amazing. I think they used rice for risotto. I had to borrow a dress from Betsy and the cleavage wasn't so good...

The whole weekend was built around a Joel McHale show at the Palace Theater. The Palace is the most ridiculously fabulous restored movie house ever, and there are some really cool ones out there, I know. Here's a taste, but I didn't even try to photograph the auditorium. I was afraid I wouldn't do justice.

My Girl

This is the girl I never had, though I've heard she can be quite a diva. According to her mom. I have one thing she wants, a dollhouse. She loves to play with it.

Kids Do the Darndest Things

I call it Home

Here is where I've spent most of my life now. Years 3-18, and 33-46. I can't count the number of times I moved in between 19 and 33. Way too many. Most of my readers have helped me on these moves. Thank you! I have nightmares about moving. I literally don't know how you get everything packed, loaded and out the door. My nightmare is always finding more, more, more. Ginnie, I don't envy you, but I bet you have turned it into something positive. I know you have.

Facebook is so lame. It's not about writing at all, in fact, it's the antithesis of writing. Abbreviating, tweeting, and pictures. I do like to look at O.P.'s (other peoples) pictures and make what I think are funny comments. They seem to think they are snide. Have you ever noticed the ads that come up on FB on the righthand side. They seem to think I would be looking for an apartment where I went to college (25 years ago). I'm not, but I am curious to see how the campus neighborhood has changed. The housing that was available in Des Moines in 1981-5 was pretty roach and rodent infested. I suppose these new places could have roaches, too. But they don't look like it. I wonder if the Blind Munchies sandwich shop is still there, or some vestige of?

Poor Lebron. Stan Van the Man is a real character isn't he?

Baseball Boy Freshman

Boy14 on the freshman baseball team. Are you having dejavu? The last game he got a walk off single. Caught a pop fly at deep second base and threw a guy out at home. First double of year as well. Nice.

Last Day

This is a memorable picture. Elizabeth, Lindsey, Angie and me. Remember I have 20 years on these girls. Our last day of classes in Champaign-Urbana was May 6th. We have a routine. On the way home (2.5 hour drive) we stop at Casey's and get four empty coffee cups and a bag of Chex Mix. Lindsey's idea- that's how she feeds her 4 year old daughter in the car. This helps us through the last hour and a half. One day I missed class and the girls decided to stop at a different place. This resulted in E. getting a speeding ticket in the famous town of San Jose, IL where the Casey's is.

Anyway, we were pretty exhausted on Week 15 of 17 hour Wednesdays. But we are done now with classes, yeah.

Prom Boy Sophomore

Oh man. The upload on blogger is really slow!

I better not say too much on this post, even if Boy16 doesn't read my blog. He was invited to prom by a junior girl in the band. He reportedly had a good time including the after prom (see below) at the Rec Center. Wiped out the next day of course. I didn't get to see his date or if he matched her dress. Apparently that's how it's done these days. Matching the vest/tie to the girl's dress. Well, much better than the light blue tuxes with ruffled shirts of my day, not that I went to a prom, I did see pictures.



That's him in the yellow Beavis and Butthead shirt.

Oh, he got a big surprise in the mail yesterday. A couple of weeks ago he played a trumpet solo at a church along with a Bell Choir. It was a lovely piece of music. He did a great job. He loved doing it. Yesterday he got a thank you card in the mail with a check for $35. His first honorarium. He says, "I'm a professional!"