<tuesday october 28, 2003 - 10:09 p.m.>

Quick post-yoga update: my pants did not split down the middle at any point during class. This does not mean that I liked wearing them, nor does it mean that I was able to shake the thought that I was wearing pajamas.

a

<monday october 27, 2003 - 1:46 p.m.>

Warning - I am feeling very verbose today.

And now, an embarrassing addendum to last week's boot story. Remember how cool I thought I was with my rockin' black boots? I felt like an Amazon woman who had just downed a banana cream pie and three cups of coffee. Had I been accosted at any point during the evening I could have easily knocked someone's block off with those boots. They were a fashion amphetamine. I swear I felt thunder as I strode down the sidewalk.

Well it wasn't until the next day when I was tidying the avalanche of shoes and boots in our hallway when I realized that THE PRICE TAG WAS STILL FIRMLY ATTACHED to the bottom of my boots. Gadzooks. What a knob I am.

BTW, here's Emma, who tried them on when I wasn't looking and gleefully posed for a picture.

Friday

I have never felt as bad about cutting back a plant as I did on Friday. I can rip and tear and amputate the heliopsis like nobody's business. I don't even feel misty about dismembering the tomato plants, even though the stems and leaves give off that delicious smell that is so much like summer itself.

Well, my lovely pink and red begonias were hit by frost and lost all of their leaves. This year I decided early on that I was going to try to save the tubers and replant them next spring. So I took my dull garden shears and made the first incision at the base of the stem, where it was about as thick as a big toe.

I looked in the middle of the part I had just cut away, where marrow would have been had I just sawed open a bone. It was a weepy pinky red... much like watery blood. I fleetingly wondered if plants were capable of suffering any pain. Chop chop went the rest. I gently separated them from the soil of the planter and hoped for the best.

The tubers are now in post-op, in their new home in our basement. I hope for a full recovery next spring.

Mark went out on Friday night. I spent most of the evening working, but eventually got tired of staring at the monitor. It was time to get away from the desk and do something constructive and creative without the drone of the CPUs in my ear.

I have a small stash of crafty projects-in waiting, and I decided to try my hand at tying a Chinese knot. I borrowed a book from the library awhile back. It's due to be returned soon, so it was now or never. Here's how it turned out. It's a little wonky in the middle, and the loops aren't supposed to be so wide. In fact, I am supposed to be able to pull them in but I can't figure out how. Oh well, it was a cool exercise.

For the next project I need a vise. Anyone got an extra one they don't need?

Saturday

Mark had to work in the morning. After a light lunch we went to Saunder's Farm. It has become a tradition for us. It was pretty fun, and the rain held off long enough for us to enjoy day. The girls are still a little young to enjoy such things as the Roving Zombie Accordion Player, who was pretty good and played some mean accordion rock.

For me the highlight was the haunted hayride. They've fixed it up some, although there are still some pretty sad little creatures along the way... like the T-Rex with cottony insulation-type material hanging out of his gaping mouth. And it was really only half a T-Rex. The lower half was clearly falling apart. The broken bits were hidden underneath a tarp.

Emma covered her eyes almost the entire way. Afterwards she claimed she "wasn't scared one bit."

We bought our pumpkins on the way home. I'm planning on uploading some photos from our day to the main page later this week.

On Saturday night I went to the Bytowne to see Masked and Anonymous. I caught the trailer last time I was there and was intrigued by the crazy line-up of actors. I love the Bytowne. I love going alone. I was going.

I paid my admission, bought the popcorn and settled into my seat. Normally I am a fairly intelligent person. I have seen a lot of films. I am well-read. I am liberal and open-minded about a lot of things and welcome abstract ideas. But I didn't understand the film. I spent most of the movie wondering where it took place. In fact, this annoyed me so much that as the film progressed I reviewed the following options: Africa? South America ? Mexico ? Then I ended with an assumption that it took place in a California that had been taken over by a dictator and fenced off from the rest of the US. Then I just gave up thinking about it, but then I wondered when this was supposed to take place. Present, near future? Then I just wondered what the heck was going on, and what Bob Dylan was supposed to be singing about.

Sunday

We took the girls to a family swim at the local pool. I'm embarrassed to say that we've never done this with them before. Lessons, sure, we've done that, but we have never been brave or motivated enough to splash around a pool with 200 other parents and their offspring, even though said pool is a mere three blocks away. Sunday was the day. Rain was the motivating factor.

This was one of those times when I was glad that I am married and have someone with whom I can share the parenting responsibilities. I could not have done this alone. I took Emma, and Mark took Sarah. The girls were surprisingly good. We only chased Sarah around a little bit. And Emma surprised us by deciding to stick her head completely underwater. This was a first for her. Yay Emma!

Sunday night

Mark vacuumed an avocado. I am relatively certain he never expected to be doing something like this, ever.

Mark was busy making this awesome apple crisp (recipe from Mary), when I heard a big crash come from the vicinity of the kitchen. He broke his Keith's beer glass and it shattered into a zillion pieces, each of which flew in the opposite direction – up, down, around – everywhere. We vacuumed the entire kitchen, twice, and are still finding bits of glass.

I was washing the dishes last night when I found an unexpected shard.

That about sums up our entire weekend. Hope yours was equally as full!

a

<monday october 27, 2003 - 8:26 a.m.>

Good Monday morning to you all.

Longish entry to come later today. Highlights will include:

• an embarrassing addendum to last week's boot story
• pumpkin picking
• avocado vacuuming
• bad movie review
• tales from a chlorinated environment
• attempt at a craft
• plant surgery

At the moment I have to finish my coffee. Sarah woke up at 5:00 a.m. this morning and I am dead on my feet already.

andrea