February 24th, 2008
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The furnace busted late yesterday. It didn’t seem so bad at the time, since it was in the high sixties, but today… today, not so much. Emily got up and went into the den to lie on the couch and kind of ease into the day. While she was in the bathroom, I tossed the couch blanket into the dryer to warm up for a few minutes. Then I fixed her breakfast and asked her if she wanted her hot water bottle. She said no. So I took one of Steve’s clean sweatsocks, poured in some uncooked rice, knotted it, and threw it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Made a great heat pack even if it smelled a little like rice. Now I want some of my husband’s chicken teriyaki.
The rice socks retain heat for at least a half an hour. She said it was too hot, and she didn’t want it anyway. That’s okay, it felt fine to me and saved me from making one of my own! This kid routinely wants to wear miniskirts in the winter, so probably she really was okay in her flannel PJs.
The furnace guys can come out tomorrow morning to fix it. And we’ve got a kerosene heater that we can fire up to heat things up before bed, so at least we’ll have a better temperature to cool down from. I think we’re good for now. We may head out elsewhere later – or else just I may head out elsewhere later. My husband and my daughter are both hot-blooded Italians. I’m a WASP with chilly feet.
Links:
Gravity powered lamp.
Beautiful monasteries.
Giant frog fossil found.
Teenager disproves goldfish memory myth.
Tattoo of the year.
February 22nd, 2008
admin
My Jayne hat not authentic enough for ya? Come September, you can bid on the original!
February 21st, 2008
admin
Move over, Lucy Liu, there’s a new star in town. It’s… Clara Barton!
Yes, my daughter is obsessed with the Civil War nurse and activist who founded the American Red Cross. Emily attributes all sorts of amazing, improbable, and very naughty activities to Clara Barton. According to Emily, Clara Barton:
1) left the emergency brake off in a car on a steep driveway
2) hid mashed potatoes in her hat
3) caught a hard baseball in her mouth
4) jumped out of a tree using trash bags as parachutes
The list goes on and on. Clara Barton is her Chuck Norris. Now that she’s been studying about the moon in school, apparently Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Clara Barton all went to the moon together. And had a tea party.
This is all hi-LAR-ious to her. She’ll start giggling uncontrollably as she tells me the outrageous things Clara Barton did, and then, in high dramatic fashion, I’ll widen my eyes and wave my arms and say, “Nooooo! Clara Barton did not pop popcorn without a lid!”
Why Clara Barton? I have no idea. But Clara Barton’s lasted longer than Lucy Liu, proving that substance trumps style. And now Emily wants to join the American Red Cross, so I guess that’s a positive development. I just need to warn her that her days will not consist of shenanigans like opening umbrellas in cars. That’s just for Clara Barton to do.
February 20th, 2008
admin
is part of this cute little game called “My Minicity.” Basically, you’ve got a tiny little city, and when someone clicks on it, it increases the population or the level of industry. So she’s hoping people will click to visit her town, Plimpton Snugbury.
Following her lead, I decided “what the heck” and created Jaynehatopia this morning. Right now, there is exactly one inhabitant, but if you click that link hopefully I’ll get a greater population. There’s really nothing to do there beyond click, so that’s, what — two seconds out of your day?
This morning I’m meeting up with a friend at a local coffeeshop and yarn store. They’re close to each other, not the same building. Good lord, combination coffeeshop and yarn store? I’d never leave!
In other news, we finally saw Pan’s Labyrinth, a gay, lighthearted romp. If your idea of “gay, lighthearted romp” means watching a guy get his face smashed in with a bottle by a fascist Spaniard. Oy. Great movie, don’t get me wrong, but probably not one to watch if you’re not ready for something dark.
Also, we’re finally watching Jericho, going through season 1 via Netflix. As a Firefly fan, I feel a certain obligation to check out a show which was cancelled and brought back as a result of a passionate fan campaign. We’re really enjoying this! You have to suspend a certain amount of disbelief, but this is a show I would recommend to others. I need to figure out who at CBS to write to to let them know they’ve picked up another viewer. Best to let them know people are watching before it gets cancelled again.
Today’s interesting links:
“You’re safe to drive, but get that prostate checked out.”
“Thank you, come again!”
World’s largest snow sculpture
“Yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands, why do you ask?”
Continuing to pack up kits and hats. Hats up: Lancashire, Dallas, St. Louis.
February 19th, 2008
admin
We had a great day off from school yesterday. It was wonderful kite-flying weather and we took full advantage of that.
I think the good day yesterday carried over into today. Emily got up at 4:15 this morning. I went back to bed after getting her breakfast. About 6, she started singing “Accentuate the Positive” at top volume. This is a song she knows because I have a songbook called Ultimate Swing Standards and I regularly play this on the piano. Apparently something stuck a few days ago. Emily decided yesterday that it was hilarious to write out the lyrics, but to spell them all wrong, like “latch on to the a-fur-mu-tyve, don’t eat with mister in-be-tween.” It’s deliberate, I promise you. Oh, for a digital camera.
At 6:30 she came into the bedroom and started putting her pajamas in the clothes hamper, and told me “I’m ready to go to school now! Let’s go!” I was hoping for one more time hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock, but all righty! I guess I’m up now! Emily got to school early, in a stellar mood, singing “Accentuate the Positive.” I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that it’ll be a good day. I further predict she’ll be the only one in the school singing Mercer and Arlen tunes.
Emily frequently wants me to show her how to play certain songs. This usually consists me of pointing to keys for her to push. She does know middle C, and I labeled some of the keys. We’ve gone over a few ideas, like repeats and tie notes, which she’s used with a little lap harp she has. I might try to teach her how to read music. Based on my own childhood experience, though, I learned the piano better from a teacher than from my mother, who also plays. When you’re a kid, there’s just some mental component to having someone outside your family teach you. Go figure.
I wonder at what point Emily might want or be ready to try piano lessons… hm…
Hats up for: Ontario, Illinois, and Lancashire in the UK.
February 18th, 2008
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I’ve put the hot pink hair on the new doll, but can’t show you without my digital camera. This doll’s head is less firmly stuffed than her friends’. This was fine when it was just the head, but I didn’t account for the added weight of the cotton chenille hair. Now she’s a little floppy-necked. I showed her to Emily and asked if I should redo her neck, but Emily said she was fine like she is. “That looks like nice hair. Elizabeth and Taylor are going to love her!”
The doll has panties, but still needs a belly button and a pink dress. Emily won’t name her until she’s completely done. There’ll be plenty of time to take pictures. Hopefully Canon will turn my camera around quickly.
Lots of kits to go out, but with Emily out of school today, it’s throwing me a bit off my schedule. I’m right on track with the Jayne hats, though. There’s one boxed up and ready to go to Wisconsin, and the next one goes to Canada. I’m assuming the post office is closed today.
I’m being called away to play. I have a feeling not much grownup work is going to get done today.
Since I don’t have pics, how about links?
Neighbor’s revenge.
Eaten by trees
Judge Judy lays the smack down.
And lastly, after receiving eardrops all week, my cat wishes she had this.
