Best Weekend Ever

According to the kids in the band, this was the "best weekend ever." Things did come out rather magically for them, and I actually had a good time, too.

Friday was the homecoming game. The tradition is for the cool kids to buy or make each other these "mums," which no longer have actual mums like they did when I was a teen. It's all plastic. Here is Beccano wearing one that his friend J. gave him to wear because he hadn't managed to give it to his intended recipient.

Here we see J's girlfriend, who although a freshman, seems to have gotten the spirit big time, huh? That is how you kept seeing kids--some had so many "mums" that they were weighed down, or had created special holders for them. Not my favorite tradition.


Another tradition is the homecoming football game. Tuba Boy and Debate Boy came to that and wandered around getting hugged. You had to find something to do, because the football game was just pitiful. Neither team had any defensive line (our team has three very large boys on crutches at the moment--so large they were in the newspaper!) which could explain our issue. So, there was lots of scoring and watching the quarterbacks run around looking for someone to throw to, since there was no one able to sack them. We enjoyed the other team's band show at halftime, and were thrilled when Homecoming King was the drumline captain.

And we were shocked when after the other team scored a touchdown at the last minute, their kicker missed the extra point, letting our team win their first homecoming game in 6 years. Not exactly a stirring victory, but it counts. Then, at the end, when it was our band's turn to play, their band LEFT (which NEVER happens--we watched the other team last week when it was their homecoming). And worse, their coach kept their football team on the field after the band was announced, and had them doing jumping jacks in front of the band. Then apparently they made threats and spit on the band. Yeah, like the band kids had anything at all to do with their defeat. I am still working on the letter to the principal of that school. What bad sports.

Saturday continued being good. I ditched the kids and spent some time at the yarn shop, which I hadn't done in a long time, and that was good. After that I had a "lunch/dinner" in the middle of the afternoon with two other band moms. We decided we did NOT want to eat any more stadium food, so we got Mexican and figured it would hold us all evening. It did. And I listened to a LOT of band mom gossip!

Then all us band parents loaded into buses and went to Kyle, Texas for another competition. Although it was not rained out, it sure was nippy out. We watched a LOT of bands, some of them with pretty spectacular shows. All sorts of props, sound effects and such. But, when they finally got around to announcing the results, we were sad. They announced all the people in our group through second place and still hadn't mentioned our school. We figured we didn't even merit a teeny little trophy. But, no! The announcer said our band was first in its class. What we hadn't realized is that the last three bands were in a larger category than us (didn't even know there WERE bigger high schools). Now, you may recall that in the last competition, our kids came in last. So, we were (and are) pretty shocked, but for once in a good way.

I must say they did look and sound better. Obviously practice helped, and I think the slackers were intimidated into trying (and some kids were taken out). I was really happy the color guard won, even though they had inadvertently left their sabers at the school. They looked very good with the "air sabers" and didn't drop a one of them!

Sunday I'd planned to spend with my friend Jody, but she didn't feel well. But, the yarn shop was open in the afternoon for the yarn crawl, so I headed over there for some laughs and that, along with working some extra, filled the day. I didn't go to church, because being out in the wind and cold for two nights had ruined my throat. I didn't have much voice!

The most fun I had, though, was getting to go to Waterloo Records with both my kids. I really treasure any time I can spend with Tuba Boy, now, so getting to do stuff with him on his fall break was nice. We all got CDs and listened to parts of them, then had a nice Chinese dinner. I was glad that Tuba Boy insisted I go, even when I hadn't felt like it. And I got more knitting in (I was making mitts for a band kid).

The other good part of the weekend was that I got to talk to Lee a bit more, since he wasn't working the night shift on the weekend. Three weeks is LONG. I hope he makes it!

So, that about catches you up from rainy and chilly Austin. Back to your other blog reading!

Senior Moments

There hasn't been much going on with me other than a lot of work, then a lot of rest. I guess that's the pattern. Either they don't need me or they need me 12 hours a day. Hmm. But, with Tuba Boy's last couple of weeks of school in full gear, we've been doing lots of school stuff.

Thursday was the debate banquet. At this event, the star debaters get to give speeches (Tuba Boy's partner and girlfriend did, but not him), then the teacher makes a tribute to each. These were enjoyable, even if Tuba Boy was called a "space alien." In this photo, Tuba Boy is second from left on the bottom, and Brilliant Girlfriend is center on the top row. TB's partner is far left and his future roommate in college is third from the right on the bottom row. The teacher, who is moving on to law school, is on TB's other side. The one in the yellow shirt and tie is the most decorated debate student in the school's history, and the reason they are all going to the national tournament to cheer him on this summer.

I think debate was really a great thing for TB, even if he wasn't the star student. He did well this year, and has really learned an incredible amount of information about history, politics, philosophy and argumentation. He's a lot easier to talk to now--his arguments make sense. And he met some great kids--the team really is like a family, which they stressed over and over. This is probably the thing I am most glad he did in high school. And looking this bunch over, I realize that I have known at least three of those kids since first grade, and a couple of others since elementary school. Wow. They grew.



The next night was the band concert. We got there early to hear the jazz band, which has some of my bus buddies on it, including the only girl, who is on keyboards. I know she listens to music all the time at home (she calls her dad and his friends "The Singing Asians" and says they sing way too long and hard). I'm glad she's getting the chance to do jazz! They sounded so good. I wish more folks heard them.

Then came Beccano's band, the lowest one on the totem pole, which he was put in to be the rhythmic heart, or something like that. You can see his flaming hair, front and center. Well, he was the only percussionist in that band who actually showed up at the concert, which is good because he had a rather difficult and quite audible snare part. I am proud of him for sticking with this change of band, which messed up his schedule and contributed to his English class problems. Ahem. I will move on.

Tuba Boy was in wind ensemble again this year. He was in it during 10th grade, then "demoted" last year after he had all the trouble pining for that first girl he liked, who left him for a "bad boy." Here he is second tuba from the left, though I guess you can't see them in the picture. Their concert has one song that was fairly unpleasant, but ended with a rousing march, the most familiar one to most people, "National Emblem March." What was special about that was the guest conductor was a lady whose friends bid at a silent auction on the chance to conduct the band on one song--she had been a music minor and always wanted to be a band director, but instead became a high-powered lawyer. She did a fine job, and is being congratulated in the photo.
As always, though, the best part of band is the friends. Though we miss Parker since the rock band break-up fiasco, Beccano still has some great friends, like these guys. I am glad to know these kids, too. And after the concert, both my fine sons and Brilliant Girlfriend joined us at Mesa Rosa for a really fun dinner. We all have so much fun laughing and telling stories together. No matter what else goes wrong, these kids cheer me up!

Our final photo is just some evidence that the kids have a lot of fun with each other. Beccano awoke from a nap one day last week to find that TB and Brilliant Girlfriend had decorated his room with this lovely clingy Ariel thing. It certainly fits in with the underwater theme of his room--note that he recently installed blue lights in his fixture. Sadly, she's fallen down and I don't think she will be replaced, especially since Beccano had a female friend visit yesterday and that ain't too macho.

We have no photos yet from the rest of the weekend, but did go see Jeff play at a fancy restaurant Saturday night during a downpour. We almost didn't get in (Lee, Beccano, Martha from church and I), because we were told the music area was full. Well, I sauntered over to say hi to Jeff before we left, and found the room had space--it had been reserved for the "Austin Social Club," and the lady in charge gave us seats. That was so nice of her! Plus, we met a couple of nice middle-aged ladies and had some good conversation. So, that was a success. We even went out for ice cream afterwards. Since Martha's daughter was supposed to be with her that weekend but had to go to a funeral instead, it was good that we could take her out and cheer her up. It is simply good that we can be friends after all we've gone through!

The rest of the long weekend (US Memorial Day) has been full of planting some new plants, resting and for Lee, at least, a long motorcycle ride. I taught a lady to knit contenental and helped sell some yarn at the shop. Keeps me out of trouble.

At Least It's Raining

It hasn't been exactly the perkiest of few days. Just little worries or disappointments, but they put a damper on things. First, I had no work other than Monday of this week, and I haven't heard anything from them since Tuesday. I do not know if I have screwed up or if it's something totally not to do with me. I am trying to think it's the latter.

And Beccano didn't get into drumline at school, which had him irritated, especially since two incoming freshmen did. He had done a lot of extra work prior to the try-outs, gone to a bunch of after-school practices and stuff, but to no avail. I guess at this rate he'll never get to march. I have not been pleased with his band teacher all year--he moved him to a lower band (not a punishment, I kept being reassured) and that took him away from a really good English teacher. He pretty much ignored the percussion people who weren't the top students for most of the year. I don't think band did much for the boy this year. To top that off from his band being broken up with no warning, and a bunch of really odd actions on the part of his "friends," it's not been too great of a time for him. But, he copes fine and has a way of forgiving things that is very admirable. Just a series of disappointments.

I hadn't made any horribly productive use of my "time off" by Friday, so since Beccano was home sick from school, I decided he could help me to pet stuff. We got a new water dish and food dish to replace ones that had broken, and some anti-itch shampoo (because the pug has been itching). We also got a really nice long-toothed metal comb. First we used the comb on Rose (seen above looking pissed off). I got a large grocery bag full of icky, dirty hair off her. She actually looks like she has lost weight now. Then we washed Scrunchy, which was not too bad. Washing Rose was another story. She was less impressed with that than she was the brushing. But, by gosh, I got her clean, and I put some nice rinse on it that has her fur looking considerably better. I trimmed matts from it, and I just know her skin feels better.

While both dogs had been acting itchy, neither has fleas (yay). I think the pug has anal gland issues and needs a shot of whatever it is that has helped him with his itchy periods in the past, but I don't think I can afford to take him in.

That is because our upstairs air conditioning unit seems to have stopped making cold air. Ugh, another huge bill coming up--right when there's no work and the car insurance is due. And guess what else? Beccano will be 16 and we had to get his extra cool gift, plus of course we need to pay for Tuba Boy's graduation gift. YIKES! No wonder I am a little stressy.

At least I am prepared to handle stress. I did go to the doctor this week and get my fine anti-anxiety medication renewed. I realize that paying for the visit and the meds is WAY less than it would have been to pay for individual insurance, so I am coming out ahead. Still, I need to have a whole bunch of things done that I have put off...pap smears, icky tests you get done at 50, etc. So, wow oh wow I wish a real job would materialize. I am looking again, never fear.

Good things, of course, abound. And I don't forget them. I am still smiling every time I see the picture of the labyrinth on the wall. And I got to play with TWO babies at the yarn shop today!

Well, this is just a stream-of-consciousness blather but at least it's a post. I hope you are well and that good things are happening to you.

Another Visit to the Farm and a Nice Mother's Day

So, I may not be able to blog as often lately, but I have a big ole post for you today. I just thought I'd share some photos and stories from this weekend with those of you who manage to visit this little blog...



Lee and I went back down to the vortex between Yorktown and Nordheim, Texas to see his dad again over the weekend. It was a very lovely drive, as you'll see below. It rained a lot right after all the crops got planted, so everything was quite green. And the three black cows from last visit had turned into 6! The calves are very tame, and as a matter of fact, Lee's dad was napping with the cows when we came up. That's right, he was all curled up next to one of the Mama Cows, with a baby next to him. Yep, that's some tame cattle. One calf was born in January, one in February and one in March. Just one is a little boy.
Here Ernest is talking to one of the calves. They listen quite hard to him. We enjoyed visiting with them, and watching the Mama Cows licking each other's babies and nursing. They sure have enough nice green grass this year!

The corn is up and looks good. Here it is at a nice sunset angle. We were trying to get back to the farm in time to get a nice photo of the sunset, but those are fleeting, you know. Lee also tried to get some full moon photos, but had no luck wrestling with his still-new camera. We had left the farm after playing our choir service for Ernest. I think he liked it, though he isn't good with stuff about other people. That's fine, he has a nice tidy world and doesn't like to have it interrupted by outside things.

Nonetheless, we took him to Victoria to buy him an 86th birthday dinner. He liked the peanuts at the restaurant better this year, and enjoyed some catfish. Lee and I had tasty little steaks and sweet potatoes drowning in marshmallows.
On our way out of the restaurant we were treated to this sight. This truck was covered in leafy oak decals. Wow, in the woods it would be INVISIBLE! You may be able to see the very interesting star things on the wheels. You can't miss the interesting tires. I am not sure what the truck was all tricked out for, but it sure looks different!

After the restaurant, we went to see our friends Jim and Esther, who moved from Round Rock to Victoria to retire last year. We also got to see their daughter and SIL, and grandkids (who go to our church, so are not strangers). They have a lovely home in a nice neighborhood with lots of space--and parking for Jim's camper and boat! It was nice to see them, though I know it's hard on Ernest to be around new people who aren't farmers or anything! I figure eventually he could get them to talk about politics, and all would be well, though (thankfully, we are all on the same side there). His religion talks would have been harder--he still really doesn't know what Unitarian Universalism is, other than we sure don't study the Bible hard enough. Glad we avoided that topic.

So, we took him home and in the morning had do-nuts. We drove by where his brother, Carroll, lives (he turned 85 the day after Ernest turned 86--guess Oma was in a hurry to get child-bearing out of the way), and lo and behold, he was in the yard. So, they actually introduced me to him! I had wondered if that would ever happen. I guess they don't like Carroll's wife, 'cause she's a Catholic, or something. I thought she was quite nice, and enjoyed the hour we spent on their porch watching lovely birds and playing with the neighbor's quite charming dog, Mo. I liked him. He allowed himself to be "brushed" with a broom, which was pretty darned cute.
We took "the road less taken" on our way back and got to see some really nice scenery. We stopped by one field, near Route 85 and FM 1116 (um, that is near the former town of Pilgrim, near a cool salt flat). This field is all black-eyed susans. There are so many fields like this right now, some also with phlox of many colors. Some had white phlox that looked like snow.

Here's one more view. If you look at the large version, you can see how many different flowers are in there. We passed Cactus World, a huge ranch or two with exotic animals, and much more attractive areas than you see on 183. I have no idea where we were, but it was nice. I guess we were near Bastrop at one point, since there were some pine trees.
When I got home, it was Mother's Day, and that was quite the celebration. Lee got me a very funny card, and totally surprised me with what you see here. It is a huge photograph of the labyrinth where we got married, taken by John Phelps, who did a lot of our wedding photos. He does all sorts of stuff to the photos and they end up looking like paintings. This photo has been printed on canvas and is like 4 feet wide. Really nice (see more by clicking the links). I guess Lee bought it from seeing it hanging at church, and all the profits of the sale went there, so that is another good thing! I think this is just a wonderful memory of where we got married, and it looks great hanging in the gallery between our bedroom and media room. How thoughtful!

But that's not all. Anyone climbing our stairs to see the picture would have the fine experience of using a stair rail that has all the dirt cleaned off it. I was rather appalled at how much "stuff" was on our railings, I guess from people's dirty hands through the years. Well, Tuba Boy and Beccano cleaned it all off as a Mother's Day gift. They even used their own money to buy sponges for the task. And each of them made me a card, in their inimitable ways -- in other words, rather hurriedly created, but very funny and sweet. I was really touched.

As a final treat, we all went to see the Star Trek movie last night. That was a great end to the weekend! I have loved Star Trek since I was in 5th or 6th grade, when my friend Patti from camp and I used to watch the original series every afternoon and then call each other and dissect the plot. I read all the James Blish adaptations of the episodes (and still have the very worn paperbacks to prove it) and Patti and I wore through two copies of our Star Trek book with all the details in it. I loved that book. I was prepared to be pretty peeved if this movie messed around with the Canon too much, but lo and behold, it used very Roddenberry-an plot twists and unbelievable coincidences involving things that go against all rules of physics to make everything JUST fine. It was a ton of fun!

I thought I'd share one last thing, these Mother's Day photos of the guys who made me a mother, in their natural habitat (i.e., surrounded by junk food). Here's Tuba Boy playing WoW on my old computer, with his Whataburger cup.
And here's Beccano in his Springsteen t-shirt, watching bad television surrounded by ice cream containers and um, stuff. He likes his stuff. They are good boys. I am glad to have them around!

Well, if that isn't enough blogging, I just don't know what IS!!

A Rockin' Good Time

I hope your weekend was good—mine was just fine, though the time change threw us all for a loop and we were dragging by the end of Sunday.
Friday was a lot more fun than we’d thought it would be. With Tuba Boy off at his state debate tournament (they did OK but didn’t get any awards), and we thought Beccano off to watch some male beauty contest at school, Lee and I figured it would be a nice relaxing evening, which we really needed. But, I came home from work to find three teens in the kitchen making pizza—Beccano, Parker and their new French friend. Then Beccano’s girlfriend arrived. That ensured plenty of giggling. We actually had a really pleasant time sitting on the new patio and chatting. The photo is of French Friend sitting next to our fountain, on which we lit the flame for the first time. This picture was taken at night, but wow, that camera has some fine flash. When Lee came home with pretzels, the party was set. Eventually, Dean of Triskelion also came, and the teens wandered the cul-de-sac shrieking until I told them to cut that out. I may be a cool mom, but shrieking in front of a cop’s house is never a good idea, even if that cop is a former band chaperone, himself. I really do like having the kids around—sure makes it easy to keep track of them, and they are very funny and smart.

Saturday was another good day all around. I had a very nice time at the yarn shop, starting with some nice, quiet time chatting with the owner, and ending with me getting some delicious Italian Crème cake for the gang, to celebrate my birthday and another lady’s. I was surprised to get a couple of gifts, and really humbled at that. I think, because I am not a very inspired gift giver or birthday remember-er, that I get really touched when I get gifts or people remember me. I sort of feel unworthy, but I also feel happy to know such nice people. And that’s what’s important.

After I came home, Lee and I went to the garden supply place and had a great time wandering around discussing various plant choices. It’s so nice that he likes plants as much as me. We ended up choosing two really pretty variegated ginger plants to put in the new bed out by our air conditioning units, and some really pretty coleus plants to fill in around them. We got all kinds of different ones, since it was hard to decide which variety we liked best. The photos show them all planted. We have pink polka dot plant (hypoestes) in the front of them. I don’t know if pink really goes with the orangey coleus varieties, but I am sure it will be festive. Right now the polka dot plants are taller than the coleus, but if these grow like the ones in our back yard tend to, that won’t last long. Lee also put in the ones I rooted from last year. One variety is in its third year—plant recycling!

We actually have a lot of plant recycling at our house. Both our nicest geraniums made it through another winter with little damage, and though a recent wind/cold event did some damage, our poinsettias are also on their third year. It appears as though a lot of our begonias made it, as well. There’s a white one on at least its fourth year, but to my surprise a few that were in the ground made it, too. I see some pinks coming back, and even one or two plucky verbenas. We won’t have to put many new plants in for a while—the pansies are going out in a blaze of glory and I don’t want to pull them up yet.

Saturday night was really special. To celebrate Lee’s and my birthdays, we went to Segovia’s a Spanish restaurant in South Austin. The trip didn’t take any time at all, because it was almost all highway. And the food was yummy. Lee and I drank homemade sangria, which was dry but fruity. Parker and I had some amazing beef stew with cool seasonings in it, like cinnamon. It was so rich and tasty. Beccano had a steak, and Lee had roast suckling pork. I think I liked it better than he did (again, wonderful seasonings). What Lee and Beccano liked most about their meal was the “seasoned vegetables.” Sounds bland, but wow, whatever they seasoned them with was amazingly good. Parker and I practically fought over Beccano’s rejected red peppers (He ate every single morsel of his steak and mashed potatoes, though). But the dessert was best. So glad I decided to have some, because the bread pudding was the best I ever had. And I LOVE bread pudding and order it whenever I can. Honestly, I can only think of one other that sticks out in my mind as on par with this, and that was at a very fancy steak house in Chicago.

But, the reason we went down there was not the food! We went to see the first official gig of JT and the Quartertones, Jeff’s new band. First there was a guy and his sister playing gypsy-style classical guitar, and I liked it a LOT more than I thought I would. The melodies were really catchy and the technique quite wonderful. I was relieved that JT and company also did very well. There was a good turnout, including lots of people I don’t know, which means he’s actually been making some friends. Of course, he later saw all the flaws, but I don’t think anyone else did. It was a nice mix of his songs and cover tunes, and the versions of his songs were fresh and new. His solos really wowed the kids, so much so that Beccano wrote him and told him. Jeff said that was the first time he ever wrote him that wasn’t a response to something he’d sent. Parker took some pictures, but I think most of them didn’t come out. I hope we can get one, anyway.

That was all fun, fun, fun, but we were out really late (for us) on the worst night of the year to do it—by the time we got home it was “new time” after 1 am. That may explain why I am having time transition issues.

Yesterday we went to church, even though we weren’t having to sing or play, because it was the annual youth service. I am disappointed that Tuba Boy didn’t get to participate this year, but they did really good jobs without him. The kids are so grown up. The musicians were amazing. Brenna’s a professional, so that didn’t surprise me, but the two other kids who sang and played were not. And they were wonderful. Made me all weepy on “Imagine,” even. Plus we had a French horn solo to enjoy at the end. And they wrote really well and said great stuff about community service. Yay to all of them and their parents for raising such fine men and women. The day got really long because we stayed for Steering Committee, but I am glad we did it. We are at least contributing again. Or I am again and Lee is doing more than just music. The rest of the day is a blur of knitting, plants and tiredness. Tuba Boy made it home in one piece, and that was good.

Today I have been anxiously following the progress of a fire near a friend’s home in another state via Facebook and Twitter. Love modern technology. And later Lee and I are having dinner with minister Chuck and his woman friend, who I really like. That will be a nice ending to the day, I hope.

Am I Happy? Do I Know It?

I've been feeling odd. I think maybe those menopausal hormones that have left me alone for nearly 51 years are a-comin' to get me or something. For the past week or so I have often been moved to happy tears, but also easily upset (I thought I was going to vomit trying to watch The Dark Knight), and easily irritated.

Some of the Presidential inauguration things have truly moved me. Obama has posted some messages on his website that are very inspiring to me, and the concert they had today made me tear up for joy. We had a lovely church service today focusing on Odetta, the late folk singer, and it reminded me of all the really wonderful progress we have made toward civil rights. A church member of very mixed race spoke eloquently about discrimination she has dealt with in her life, and her hopes for her and her children's future. I had on my "Hope" button. Sometimes I do have hope, even though it is often a small spark. But...

The First Thing That Has Bugged Me

But some things have made me really sad and/or hormonally pissed off. I saw the following as the status message of a freshman boy, a child whose parents I have known a long time:

Well all you democrats, you're about to get what you wanted. An earth-destroying, pro-gay and abortion terrorist who'll be assassinated before the months' end.

Oh my. That manages to offend me and my personal beliefs in so many ways that mental bells rang and every personal button I have was bushed. Then another kid (one who is smart, and nice but strongly buys into everything his church says which leads him to occasional insensitivity) piped in that he agreed with everything but the killing part.

I was relieved when other students said they thought that what he said wasn't good. But I kept thinking. I realize this kid is young. But, wow, he needs to learn that there are ways to express an opinion that don't totally alienate friends and family, and that there are ways to share a thought that don't put down others or make yourself look ignorant and bigoted. The other thing the poor lad needs to know is that Facebook is not just a thing for people with ill-thought-out opinions to air them. Adults sometimes see what you write. Worse, potential employers may. At the least sharing racist, homophobic and unreasonably violent thoughts can alienate you from people you might need help from later (a favor, a recommendation, a ride to a band performance, say...). So, even though I don't usually do such things, I wrote a little note. I pointed these things out, as nicely as I could.

The second kid immediately realized I was right, said a couple of reasonable "agree to disagree" things and went away. The first kid's GIRLFRIEND thanked me (I thought that was pretty funny). In fact, I think I got the point across to everyone except the original kid, who deleted all the comments and informed us that he wasn't asking for advice.

I feel sad for this boy, who is parroting something her heard and has not thought through. I feel sad for a few others whose similar postings I have read in the past and not said anything (the son of a former friend lost a lot of friends by posting total ravings about Obama that weren't based on every close to reasonable conjecture). I'm sad mostly because I know there are a number of adults out there whose thought processes don't go much further than this high school freshman's either. When there are people who just reacting and not thinking, and lots of them, the chances for reconciliation are slim.

Sigh. I have a fair number of friends who are conservative. One who is very far to the right, even, about whom I care a great deal. But all of these people have thought carefully about why they believe what they do, and feel secure enough in their beliefs that they don't feel compelled to put me down because I think differently. We can talk about things, share our viewpoints, learn from each other. I am very glad to have these friends, because by knowing them well, I am reminded that "right-wing evangelical conservatives" or "Catholic Anti-abortionists" or "Mormons who are against gay marriage" are a great deal more than these one-dimensional stereotypes imply. They are parents, teachers, crafters, great cooks, people with great senses of humor, confused people, confident people, loving friends. They are humans with good and bad points, just like us crazy pro-choice liberals (or whatever stereotype you wish to apply to me). You just can't hate a group if you know the "human-ness" of the group's members. So no, I don't hate conservatives, self-defined rednecks, blah blah blah. I just disagree on some points.

And while I'm on a roll, here's what I wrote earlier on Facebook about something else I am hormonally jacked up about (please go directly to the comments if you already read this; once is plenty).

If I'm Happy and I Know It, Why Can't I Clap My Hands?

Something's been bugging me for a while. It's about the recent elections. The candidate I supported won. That had not happened in a really long time. I was happy. I had reason to have a wee bit of hope for the future (bearing in mind I have lost a lot of jobs in the last few years and things aren't looking too good for my current contract turning permanent, any hope is good). The majority of US voters agreed to choose a leader who shares a lot of my views (not all, but someone with all my views would NEVER get elected!).

Then I started reading odd things. People who voted for the other candidate expressed sincere indignation that voters for the winning side were so darned happy. They had the nerve to say they were happy in emails, or on their Facebook status, or in their blogs. How dare they be so happy when there were other people who were darned unhappy?

Well. Hmm. I noticed a lot of jubilation. But very little in the way of put-downs of the other candidate (I grant that there are liberal jerks, of course--jerkiness knows no boundaries). In fact, many people respect the losing candidate greatly for his many contributions to the country, but simply disagreed with him on some important issues. I respect that man, myself, and might have chosen him over some Democrats, even. What on earth is wrong with being happy that you won, as long as you don't defame the people who lost?

Now, let's go back 8 years. The candidate I did not vote for won. I really, really, really didn't like this guy, who happened to have been the governor of my own state, so I had experienced his true disregard for "the little people" and his love for multinational corporations, oil conglomerates and the very rich. This fellow was declared the winner without winning a majority of votes and in fact, there's a lot of evidence that one state's votes were tampered with so that he'd win. Yet, I heard a great deal of gloating that this inarticulate fellow had a "mandate from the people." I did not see people who agreed with me wailing and gnashing their teeth--in fact they were pretty darned wimpy, and chalked it up to the democratic process and moved on to quietly work for peace and change in the middle of wars for made-up reasons and horrible financial decisions. We let the winners be happy that they won, in that election and the next. We kept low, since the word "liberal" had been turned into an insult, and wondered why our beliefs were suddenly "bad."

So, things changed. People got tired of the big-business first, regular people last philosophy, and voted differently. That made some of us happy enough to actually say, tentatively, "Yeah, I'm a progressive," or "I'm against that war," etc. Our candidate won. Why can't we say we are happy?

You know, only one team wins the Super Bowl. That team's city has a big parade. They make a lot of t-shirts and bumper stickers. People are proud their team won. No one suggests that they really shouldn't express their joy because it makes the team that didn't win feel bad. Everyone knows the other team played hard and did their best, and deserves respect. Everyone knows that team will go back and work hard to win next time. But, the winner gets to be happy.

So hey, let me be happy and clap my hands this week. I know plenty of bad stuff is ahead--no one can work a miracle and fix things right now. No, the only way things can get fixed is if we all work together, and with the divisive, hate-filled and ignorant things I have been reading lately, I don't have a lot of hope that we'll work together. Too many people get a thrill out of demonizing people with different faces, places of worship, political leanings or fiscal philosophies.

I don't think anyone I know is a demon intent on destroying the world. I respect people's rights to make informed decisions and realize that through their families, life experiences or choice of religion, their beliefs might differ from mine. I do, though, find it really sad when people I care about put me and people with beliefs like mine down or make wildly exaggerated conjectures about our future actions, just because we are different.

Look, I don't honestly think Bush set out to cause the financial downfall of Western society as part of some big plan to fund the Rapture. So don't tell me Obama is going to pry all your precious guns away, either. The truth is usually way closer to the middle.

I'm going to go clap my hands and be happy for a couple of days, then get back to trying to figure out ways to keep my family safe in the upcoming scary times. Me being happy and saying so doesn't mean I think you didn't fight a good fight or that your beliefs don't count, conservative friends. I respect and care for you, just like I always did, and realize that this country will always have people in it with a wide spectrum of beliefs--we'll never turn into your Utopia, nor mine. I think we're all going to have to compromise in order to get along--always.

Your mileage may, naturally, vary. I expect it will.

In Conclusion

I hope that by writing this all out and walking away from it, I'll feel marginally better. Thanks for reading, all ten of you! Comments are welcome. Even dissenting ones (respectful, of course, puh-leeze).

You Are So Beautiful, To Me (even you, Joe Cocker)

I was browsing my blog browser today when I came across this in the Huffington Post. I was really happy to read that a network would choose not to air a show that had so much potential to hurt young people. It hits close to home, since the child of people I care about us is having a difficult period dealing with an eating disorder, and it has been quite a journey for them.

Young girls get so many messages that you can't be cool unless you are bone thin (but, please, also have large breasts, OK? And who cares if it means you can't feed your babies when you have them, 'cause that's way in the future, unless you get no family planning information like so many...but I digress). We don't need television shows demonstrating how to turn normal girls into "fashion models." I'd sure like a show on how to turn normal girls into smart, well-adjusted adults with lots of friends and loved ones. Certainly not as exciting, I guess, but at the same time more likely to contribute to a good future for our precarious society.

About me: I have been medium all my life since puberty. Unfortunately, I was large as a child. Not fat, but taller and with bigger bones than a lot of kids. So I got called lots and lots of names, with my brother's endless taunts of "fatso" among the nicer ones. So, no wonder most of my life I have felt fat. The way I came out, I have some fat on my lower abdomen. It is there whether I weigh 110 or 150 (and I have weighed all those things and everything in between). When I think about it, my mother, who weighed 96 pounds most of her life, had that, too. It's hereditary, not a fatal character flaw. But to me it always has been a source of embarrassment.

No, I never did anything awful to myself, but I always worried about weight. I also worried about my funny-looking eyebrows, my manly ears, and my plain face. SIGH. I didn't judge my friends (quite the collection of large, small, buck-toothed, pimpled, and crazy-haired young people) based on any of these superficial things but I sure judged myself that way!

I am glad to see my kids mostly not acting the way I did. They embrace the hair, and aren't too concerned about their weight, or lack thereof (at 9 inches taller than me, they each weigh LESS than I do). When Beccano goes on and on about how one side of his face is wider than the other, I do sigh. I remember studying my own asymmetry. What a waste.

Sure enough, all my adult relationships have been based on compatible personalities. Sure, I like guys who look good, but that is not the only way I choose friends or dates. I'd hate to miss out on a great friend because they were "flawed." And this is why a long time ago I used to write endlessly on the superficial stupidity of men in online dating services. They all specify the looks of their potential dates down to hair color, leg length, exact weight...while posting photos of their chubby bald selves. I wonder if any of those dudes who turned me down because I had short hair and weighed 125 EVER got a woman? If they did, I hope they were shrews.

Anyway, I digress. I want to point out that so many young people I see today at least appear to be less concerned with outward appearance than I was. I see kids large and small, beautiful and normal-looking, straight-laced and adventurous...all treating each other fairly respectfully or at least with good humor. It makes me happy, and that is probably why I enjoy the kids' band friends so much. They seem quite open to each other. (Of course, I know perfectly well teen drama is teen drama--that did NOT go away! And there are still in-groups and such--it just seems like there is a place for everyone.) I like all my short, tall, chunky, lanky, long-haired, short-haired, Emo-haired, White/Black/Asian/Hispanic/Middle Eastern friends and acquaintances just the way they are. Things could be a lot worse.

I'll end with a quote from the author of the piece I liked to above:

To teenagers across America,

I want to say that we love you!
You're beautiful, exactly the way that you are!

And thank you MTV. You did the right thing. If this show not airing creates an extra half-hour in your schedule, call me. I have plenty of show ideas.

(I have lots of ideas, too)

Lunch break's over. End of me philosophising.

PS: I voted.

The Kids on the Bus Go Round and Round

The Kids on the Bus
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Now, don't these look like a bunch of little angels? This is the bus full of mainly 9th and 10th graders that Lee and I are chaperones for during this football and band contest season. This means 15-20 bus rides with a group. I chose this bus because Beccano and his friends are on it, and I know most of them. I also know "how they are" and figure we'd be a good choice to discipline them--a couple of them listen better to me than other perceived authority figures.

They are sweet, very funny and slightly rambunctious, just like most "sophomoric" high schoolers. We enjoy them a lot, and laugh and laugh at them. However, the bus driver on Friday's very long trip to Belton (that is over an hour's ride from here) did not find our kids amusing at all. Unfortunately, he didn't SAY anything until we got almost there. Lee and I did have to ask them to sit in their seats a few times, and the one kid who is the "class clown" (front and center in the photo, the one with the hair) did have to be talked to a bit. But, they were better than they'd been last week, when we had to sit in the rain for 20 minutes!

The driver informed them that they were the worst busload he had ever driven, and that he had recorded every infraction of the rules they had done on his handy bus-cam. He then sternly intoned that they would all be going to "The Rock" for this. (At this point, the kid who actually had already been to "The Rock" turned pale--it's the school where they send the felons, kids with guns, kids who hurt others, etc. I am pretty sure that kid does not want to go back--he is being real good now, and has actually always been a likable kid.) A bunch of the kids looked real nervous--there are some very well behaved and good students in the group! The bus driver claimed someone was using "something that clicked and a flame came out" (for some reason he wouldn't say "lighter"). He said the cameras would tell who did it!

So, a bunch of very scared kids got off the bus--the ones who had been in the back fervently began to tell me all about how they were taking a lot of pictures in the back--could he have seen the flash? I reassured them that if they had indeed done nothing wrong, the camera would have recorded that, too, and to not worry. I had to go tell the chaperone chairs what had happened, and they had already been found by the bus driver before I even got to them. When I told them the kids had been average, and that they said they had been using a camera, they felt it would all blow over.

Still we needed to talk to the band director. While doing THAT, we saw some poor non-band kid getting arrested, because the people at Belton High School MEAN it when they say no student loitering under the stands. He must have stood still too long. Anyway, the band director said it was a bunch of nonsense and he'd take care of it. He said after all I had been through, I'd know bad behavior (yup).

Throughout the game, kids kept asking if things were OK. One poor child was visibly shaking when he said, "Miss Sue Ann, do you think we will really go to the Rock?" I said no, I didn't think so, and I patted him on the back, even though that is against the rules.

And after the game, my son and his friend said they overheard the other bus drivers talking (while putting away the equipment in the trucks) and the other bus drivers said this guy was being "a baby." I honestly think the man over-reacted, and if he had just asked us to tell the kids more forcefully to stay in their seats, or asked them to put away the "cameras," things would have been fine. It's like he was looking for something to report on his camera. These trips are sometimes the only times kids get to hang out with their friends for an extended period of time. To expect them to sit silently and not interact is pushing it. We CAN ask them to stay seated, though.

We had a VERY quiet long bus ride back. Even the Class Cut Up cut it out a little bit.

What I like about the group of kids that Beccano hangs out with is how they treat each other. They know they each are sort of a mess in one way or another (they knew Beccano back during his "troubles") and accept each other as they are. They know the Cut Up just craves attention, so they give him some. They know the kid with the unfortunate incident last year really means well. They know they are tender from parental divorces and other issues. They know the kid who looks Emo and the kid who looks Punk are nice kids with interesting clothing preferences. And they accept each other's varied religious and political backgrounds--there are all kinds of kids in the group. They kid around, they have little spats, but they really stick together. That's the kind of friends that the slightly misfit types really need.

So, all in all, I like the little hooligans. And we beat that other team quite handily, in the football department. Kicker? We don't need no stinkin' kicker--we'll just score lots of touchdowns!

Enjoy my random band photos.

Watching Them Grow

My boys are getting big, both in size and mental maturity. I am a proud mother in that I am happy to see how well adjusted they are, for the most part, and what good choices they seem to make. Sure, they have their lapses, some of which are doozies, but mostly they seem on the right track. It is weird watching them grow up, knowing that soon I will have to send them out into the big, wide world. I see signs of maturity in both of them, which is nice, but it's bittersweet to see them need me less and less. On the other hand, it's right on schedule!

Let's take Tuba Boy. More like, let's watch numerous attractive girls take Tuba Boy. Just LOOK at him--this is a senior picture candidate--lots of hair, but a good looking boy. He's quite the charmer as well, though he seems to be pretty careful not to let himself get entangled after last year's episode that led to heartbreak of some sort. He is always at one lovely person's house or another watching movies (or with his male friends--he is not exclusive to anyone). But I did note, when I heard him on the phone to one of these girls, a tone of voice that would have made ME swoon as a teen. A soft, suave sound that he definitely does NOT use with his parents or brother. Mostly, though, I am glad he is having fun, coming home at OK hours, and letting me know where he is. He is pushing things just enough to remind me he is 17.5, but not so much that he loses privileges.

I can't help but be impressed with his choice of friends, his choice of dates (lots of Asian girls, reminding me of my Asian boy trend when I was young), and his reasoning. I make sure to listen to him when he explains to me why he doesn't want to do something I want him to, or vice versa. And many times he has good reasons. I make sure that I change my mind some, and not just impose my will "because I say so." I want him to know I am still the mom, but I trust him and will back him up if he has good reasons for what he's doing. So, this morning I let him skip band camp, for good reason.



Beccano, an endless source of amusement in my life, is also really maturing--and in some ways faster than his brother (he is showing a lot more signs of fiscal and family responsibility). I can't help but get tickled at his sense of humor. Check out the photo that he wanted me to take, since it depicts "two heavy metal fans, in black." "Lot's o' LULZ" is what he'd say about that. He is a lot of help to me and Lee, as well as a lot of fun to be around.

Last night he had me re-do his hair braid. I noticed he had cut a bunch of it off. That really surprised me. He'd never have done that all on his own. And, whoa. Is that child's hair LONG. When you un-curl it, it's to his mid back. You can see in this mandolin photo that it's copious, but like Lee, his hair seems to want to stay around his shoulders. Ah well, youth is the time to have lovely long hair, I guess! And he's still playful and fun, so he isn't leaving us any time soon.

Both boys right now are very sore from band camp. That's what sitting around all summer does for you. (Though Tuba Boy worked a lot, so he got some exercise.)

Yo! Let's Get Religion

Crape Myrtle
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I promised I would remember my other blog topics and write today, and since I am once again sipping a hot beverage at the local Scooter's coffee shop, I do have time. And I remembered a couple of things I wanted to muse on, too. So enjoy the pink crape myrtle and read for a minute or two...

Gifts

Beccano is getting good at gift giving, at last. He brought me back the perfect thing from Ireland, and it didn't cost him a cent. He brought me a lovely, smooth river rock (from the river!) that is shaped so that it nestles perfectly in your hand. It's not egg shaped, more like the exact space that the inside of your hand makes as it goes toward making a fist. It feels so cool and grounded to hold it! He also found a yak hair bag that his dad and spouse had bought in Nepal and brought it. Wowzer is that one rough bag. But, he knows how much I like fiber and hand work, so I appreciated it. You can tell it was hand woven.

Lee also has been getting me little things to cheer me up, and they are most appreciated. It just brightens my day.

Kids

I am just SO enjoying having the kids' friends around. I think I missed them, too! We had another one over for dinner last night, and a whole bunch were here later in the evening. Two slept over, and when I had to wake them up earlier than they'd have liked, they cheerfully cleaned up their messes and kept joking around with us. It's so nice that they aren't surly and silent. And we subjected them to Trey Bone practicing last night, so they could have been surly! It is so much fun to listen to them talk about issues, joke around and kid each other. They are so darned good natured.

Getting Religion. Yo

Jeff sent me a link to this site about Yo the other day, and it made me smile. Of COURSE there has to be an Open Source religion! There's an Open Source everything else! They seem incredibly well meaning, and I find little to disagree with them, and lots to laugh WITH them about on their site (see if you find the graphic where a monkey morphs into Pres. Bush). They have ten excellent principles that don't even get too weird until number 9 and thought I find it odd to base religious documents for a world religion on the US Constitution, I guess you have to start somewhere, and our Transcendentalist foreparents are as good a source as any. And as a registered Unitarian Universalist, I have to be all for numbered sets of principles!

So, check into Yoism if you are one of my "Atheist, Skeptic, Agnostic, Realist, Enlightenment, Humanist, Unitarian, Transcendentalist, Pantheist, [or] Deist" friends and see if you, too, are a Yoist and you didn't even know it. If nothing else, it would be fun to confuse folks with some Yoan bumper stickers or t-shirts. And their sincere yet sorta convoluted efforts to have a deity yet not have a deity (handy for the atheist and agnostic component) are fun to read and think about.

Maybe I will be called to start a Yoist congregation out here somewhere. I have no other vocation at the moment so why not?

Sick

From the previous sentence you may well infer that I am not at all well. Hee hee. Well, actually, I am not feeling very well. I woke up this morning feeling extra nauseated, sweaty and sickly. I think maybe some delicious chocolate cherries I ate last night didn't do me any good. But, after what passes for barfing in me (nothing came out) and more normal Suna sickness, I feel better. I am sipping hot tea and just having some pangs, but nothing awful. Let's hope it was just a little something that will end quickly! It is no fun being sick on a Wednesday, since I have to flee the house most of the day due to cleaning ladies (of course, we may not have THEM much longer).

Job Seeker Blog #2

This really old photo of me from my Old Life is here because it shows me doing what I like to do best (next to knitting)--standing up in front of people and 'splaining stuff to them or singing to them. The 'splaining what I did today as part of one of my endless job application processes. I made a PowerPoint presentation of a case study of a company's website and how it could improve its use of the employer's company's product. It was NOT my best work (explanation below) but I sure enjoyed presenting it, anyway. I love an audience.

Let's go back. When I last posted, the darling children were having 8 teeth removed, 4 each. Boy howdy, they were knocked out. I didn't leave the dentist office until after 11. I got them home, changed their bloody discharges (gag) and went to the grocery store to get their pain med prescriptions filled. Well, come to discover XH's insurance, which would be my least favorite insurance company on earth if it didn't also pay my child support, stopped supporting the HEB pharmacy as of December 1. Of course I got no notice (it not being my insurance). Sigh. So, rather than spend another 45 minutes waiting at another pharmacy, I paid. Now, I'd already paid a ton of money ($1.5K) for part of the teeth extraction, on no salary. Dang. I better get a job and soon! By the time I got home, it was nearly 1 pm and I had an interview at 3! When was I going to write that PowerPoint...

Job Hunter must report that the interview yesterday afternoon was super-dee-duper from the job seeker perspective. I sure loved the company, thought its product was cool and wanted to be bestest friends with everyone I interviewed with. And I parked next to my friend's husband's car (it says "Troi") when I was at the recruiter's for this one on Wednesday, which was a good omen, I figured. The only downside to this one is they are moving to my LEAST favorite place for an office (if you are in Austin, it's 360 and Bee Caves, a place it is impossible to get to from my house without hitting multiple bottlenecks). Right now they are ten minutes from me. Sigh. But wow, what cool people. One guy's wife had recently had a home birth and he was all impressed with the Dysfunctional Nonprofit Organization and stuff. So, even if I don't get that one, I had a good time interviewing. For them, I had to write a little essay on Technical Writing. I may post that here. I don't know how great it was, but it was fun to write, so that's a positive experience, regardless.

I spent all evening yesterday writing the PowerPoint, then I got up, wrote the essay, finished the PowerPoint and went off. After the presentation, I had time to kill because the next interview was across the street, so I was able to wander around the Domain, a fancy shopping center that used to be a manufacturing site of the maker of my first computer back in 1986. I found my rose perfume there, and got a very, very on sale cardigan and black turtleneck at White House Black Market. I will wear that to one of the interviews next week, to a place that's already seen the Black Interview Suit.

Because I had to go to a pretty formal workplace for the afternoon interview, The Black Interview Suit had to be seen twice by today's first company. I varied the blouse. Of course. Wow, was the second interview of the day in a beautiful, yet austere place. I felt sorry for the receptionist. She was all alone in an acre of floor and wall space. Very tasteful, but very alone. The workplace was really lovely, but at least had some homey touches. This interview was for a contract tech writer position (I mentioned it yesterday I think). But it turned out they wanted someone who was a real programmer. That is not me. I think it's OK to eliminate one possibility, though. I really have plenty of opportunities remaining!

And another "job" opportunity came up today, sorta. A lady called about designing or making dog sweaters for a dog rescue organization in California. I didn't get to talk to her much, but that sounds at least like a fun possibility.

Both boys feel better today, by the way. Tuba Boy was a mess most of yesterday--really had issues with the pain. Beccano, who had a rougher surgery, was a real trouper. Must have inherited my pain tolerance. Tuba Boy got Lee's, even though they aren't actually related!

Tomorrow, all I am going to do is apply for jobs, knit and enjoy the family. A little respite from interviewing for the weekend!

If you read all of this, I award you Bonus Friend Loyalty points.

My Poor Kids

A highlight of today is that I just about have my new laptop set up to where I can use it for most purposes. Lee was so sweet to get it for me. It is amazing what you can get nowadays for not too much money. This new computer is faster and has more features than the one I got for work a couple of years ago, but is less than half the price. And it's RED! Now I can type in the media room, though Poor Lee has done a lot of work to try to get the wireless connection better up here. We have a plan to get it all back up and pretty, though. Whoop!

Here's what I really wanted to talk about. Yesterday was a challenge to my poor boys. I know they are getting older and more competent at stuff, but they had to face a lot of things that would be no fun for a grownup. Sigh, I hate having to send them on planes to visit their dad, even though of course I want them to spend time together. Yesterday was a perfect example of why I worry so much about them traveling. They had lunch at an A&W place, then showed up at the airport in Raleigh-Durham with their dad. Tuba Boy then began to be violently ill--they think he got bad meat at the restaurant. Next, it turned out that their plane had a bird fly into its engine and needed a total engine rebuild. Yummy thing for the airline on a busy holiday travel day! So, their plane was delayed. Thankfully their dad was still there and could help them rebook on a new flight. I wonder how in the world they would have done it alone. I don't think Beccano really has the skills for it. They'd be at the mercy of airline personnel (most of whom are real nice, though).

So, they got significantly delayed and had to sit a long time, with Tuba Boy being so sick. And they had to go through O'Hare, which made for a lot more time on planes, too. Apparently Tuba Boy vomited his way across the USA. Poor boy, and poor Beccano trying to take care of him.

Tuba Boy looked just AWFUL when he got off the plane. He got home, barfed some more, and went to bed. He's still there. We decided to stay home with him and not go to church. I want to be here if he needs me.

My own day yesterday had many frustrations--trying to teach a difficult knitting task to someone with very little English, using my very little Spanish (I sound WAY better than I actually am). And I dread next week--I am going to try to get her started on the afghan she really wants to make. She's Peruvian and has only been here a year, taught herself to knit, quite painfully. But, it sure takes a lot of energy to help. At least I get to be helpful. I miss that aspect of my old job.

I also helped another lady figure out how to re-create an Aran poncho she had made many years ago. I figured out the whole thing! Go me! Now I keep thinking of how I could make a nicer version. It was in bulky yarn, and I do wish that I had enough of the very interesting bulky wool I recently bought to make a little poncho pattern up. It feels good to have some creative energy, since I have practically no other energy. Yow, this job thing has sapped my strength and confidence. I keep sort of breaking down at little things, like how unorganized the house is. I am glad Lee is patient. This is not my best time.

Send healing vibes Tuba Boy's way!!

Can't stop smiling at...

Both Boys
Originally uploaded by sunasak

...the kids. How did I luck out and get such beautiful children?

Everything else is OK, long as I know my family is around. They leave tomorrow for time with their dad, and I worry when they are flying during crowded holidays. So, I'll look at these pictures and think loving thoughts.

I was going to be spending Thanksgiving alone so Lee could go be with his dad, but Jeff's coming home tomorrow, which means he will visit the dogs on Thursday and I can go with Lee. I have no idea what we will eat, but we will be together!

I left my phone at home and had forgotten to reset my email so I could read it from work. I was so worried I'd miss a job opportunity. Yay, Lee got the phone and fixed the email! What a guy! And he is staying home so our new bargain zoomy red laptop can be delivered. Maybe that purchase will help fund me another contract at ALE. Yeah, sure.

The Sun Sets on a Long Band Show Season

The Sun Sets on a Long Band Show Season
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Other than three nice, easy football games, the intense band parenting season has wound down. There's a pep rally the kids have to do tomorrow, but no need to chaperone, so we just have to make sure someone gets them there and back. Ahhh.

Last night was an example of working hard while being the kind of parents we want to be. Once again Festival of Bands rolled around, but it was cold. Colder than we thought, and very windy. We were the only band whose parent chaperones sat with them on the visitors' side, so we could barely hear the middle schools and saw the backs of all the high school shows. And we were COLD. Lee and I even skipped the Longhorn Marching Band to go warm up in the bus (no hanky panky occurred! we are good bus stewards!). Still, I know the kids appreciated it, and not just ours. Lee gave a poor sniffly drummer a napkin, and he looked so grateful. Other parents loaned out their blankets. Little comments and big smiles made it clear the kids are glad we are there.

On the way home in the car, Tuba Boy was talking about his two best friends and their parental relationships. He said he didn't understand why one friend didn't just talk to his parents and tell them simple things, like he does. He said the friend told him, "Well, you have reasonable parents, I don't." Tuba Boy made it clear how happy he is to have "reasonable parents." We talked about how our rules don't have to be set in stone as long as he keeps us updated on what he's doing, etc., and he says that's what he tells his friend--let your parents know what's going on and they might not punish you so much. You know, it's hard to say who is more grateful--me to have such reasonable children or them to have reasonable parents.

Both boys agreed that it was much easier on them that none of us are "nutty" like one friend's parents are, to the extent that she tries at all costs to avoid one parent. They seem so glad all their parents and partners act respectful with each other and are vaguely sane. I know what they mean--I was so glad my parents were people I could trust to care about me, but not to overwhelm me with rules and regulations. They did it just right--if I went too far, they'd come down on me, but if I showed them I respected their guidelines, they'd respect me back.

Conversations like this, which only lasted ten minutes or so, really help me. I can think of them when Tuba Boy forgets yet another vital item* or makes it way too clear he'd rather be with the friends than us, or when Beccano bends the truth about school stuff. They are so good hearted, underneath it all.

*Tuba Boy cracked us up before last night's performance: he saw Lee, ran up to him and urgently implored, "Lee, give me your socks!" Apparently, in addition to forgetting his black shoes and shorts to wear under his band outfit, he also forgot socks. Luckily, Lee had worn black socks. So, there they were, in the middle of the band hall, exchanging socks. Good thing Lee's a good sport about this stuff.

Hard Work Pays Off

UIL: Sousaphone Action
Originally uploaded by sunasak

And I mean hard work for both the kids AND the parents. Saturday was the big UIL contest (I forget what UIL stands for, but it is the entity that judges high school students in the arts at various contests). Our young ones practiced like crazy and did their best performance yet of their show. They got a rating of "1", which is the highest you can get. All the bands of our size in our District got 1s, which is nice--getting a 2 is sad for all concerned (and we got a 2 a couple of years ago). Here you see all ten sousaphones marching in tight formation (there is one hiding). We had a very fun day, and it was nice to have Lee chaperoning. He took some good pictures, too.

We sat in the hidden seats way at the front of the Palace, which are near ground level. I had not seen or heard the show from that level before--and the sound was GREAT. You could see the kids' faces, too. Or you could see them when you weren't all teared up with pride, which I was much of the time. Seeing that concentration on all their young faces was so touching. What I did not know at the time was that the kids could see us. At least three of the marchers told me later that they had seen me as they marched, and two actually said it gave them confidence. That felt SO good.

It's amazing the kids did as well as they did, since it was a very confusing day--the band director FORGOT to order buses, so the buses that brought Westwood over had to floor it over to our school, get us, drop us off, take Westwood back to their school, comb back, and get us! We thanked the drivers profusely for volunteering to do that.

Friday, of course, was another band fun day. Yet another football game, the one where we are visitors in our own stadium (we played Westwood, the ones whose buses we borrowed, and where we knew lots of kids). It was a battle of two not-so-great teams, so sort of fun in a "who can be less competent" way. At one point our QB had a 1-1 completion to interception ratio. But, we got better, and our star Aaron "AJ" did some spectacular stuff, so our team won. It was nice to win again. We tuba moms were danding and being goofy.

Knitting on Saturday went OK, though NONE of the students showed up. That is not horrible, because it gave me a chance to help out some others, including a really nice lady who had forgotten what she was doing on her first scarf, so I got her back on track. That felt good, and we think she may return for Chicks with Sticks, too. I truly enjoy helping people with knitting--it makes up for a lot of stuff that makes me feel less than competent and unpopular lately.

Sunday was a challenge, but I enjoyed singing a couple of songs with Trey Bone, my quartet, for a pledge drive event. We really got a lof of applause, and I think I did a good job on the singing. Lee's bass adds so much to the songs, too. And both the other guys did GREAT on their parts--not as nerved out as they sometimes get. So, I was proud of us all. And the sopranos did OK on the Faure Requiem piece, which I think is my swan song as a sop. Back to the low notes.

Tina and Jared came by the church, sorta unannounced, but luckily there was someone there who could book them wedding space. Trying to find an officiant may be harder, but that is being worked on. They seem pretty inseparable. Wedding is 12/29 for them. They have really made a lot of plans. I feel like such a wedding slacker.

It was a long afternoon/evening of doing what Tuba Boy wanted, but I think he is happy to be making homecoming mum thingies for the two girls in his life. He and his best friend really worked hard on it. (I don't get a mum, not enough mum money for a Mom mum).

I was happy to finish a sweater and block it and the previous sweater yesterday--so nice to finish things. But when I went to start the next project, UGH! The yarn was badly skeined! I spent at least three hours trying to wind it into a ball, and got what I hope is more than halfway through. It sure tore up my leg and back muscles. The yarn is lovely silk/wool/alpaca stuff for a scarf for Flo. Yep, back to holiday gifts. Lee was very patient with me while I got in a pity party mood and was frustrated by the yarn. He and Beccano never fail to cheer me up.

It's cool today, so the Festival of the Bands may be sorta brisk. But at least that is our LAST band thing other than the remaining games! And tomorrow maybe I can wear a new knitted item!

Hi Ho

That's the message I have for Lee today: be a happy worker, 'cause off to work you go. Yes, he has an offer in hand, at our favorite workplace, ALE (who have changed their contractor rules to let you come back only 30 days after you are let go or your contract ends--must need workers to replace all the ones they laid off).

First, I am so glad for him to have something to bring in income and fill his days productively (not that he wasn't being productive at home, 'cause he was). It's so easy to get down about yourself when you are out of work and not hearing back from places. He will have a much more positive demeanor in future interviews and phone calls now that he is bringing in money. So hooray hooray. We can relax a bit!

It is a shorter than usual contract, but they seem to think it could extend. My personal hope, because I am not fond of ALE, its CEO or its policies, is that he finds something better before it ends, so he can give them just as much notice that he is leaving as they gave him that he was laid off. None. But that is just me. Who knows, he might love it and find his way back to something permanent there, or longer term at least.

Tuba Boy's first thought was that he can now get a car for him. And it's true. We need to get one. Mine is that we can now make plans for the house, the future, and life. And I can get my hair colored again.

And on a children note, how the heck did we get so lucky? Last night, conversations with each of them were so pleasant, heartwarming and funny that I just had to sit there and smile. And Lee got Beccano a new leather-trimmed jacket on Tuesday, to thank him for all his help with moving his stuff out of the old house. Beccano loves it so much that he put it on to sit around with me before going to bed. It makes you feel good to see a gift truly appreciated. Yes, we are lucky.

Other tidbits:

• The band parent meeting we are not invited to is tonight. We will be celebrating the job at Mesa Rosa, our neighborhood Mexican restaurant.
• I am still singing soprano at the church choir. It feels weird, but sort of nice to have a different challenge--rather than reading the music for a harmony part, the challenge is hitting those there high notes. Like a high A. Dudes, I am an ALTO. However, out comes the note! And I am as loud as 5 altos. (So nice to be in the community choir where I am not the loudest or best singer--it is nice to have people to emulate.)
• This Saturday's band contest is one I like to attend, but I won't get to see my friend Susan who never comments whose blog is invisible very nice for one only created due to peer pressure, due to weird scheduling of our kids' bands. I hope the kids know their parts 100% by then.
• Knitting is going so well! Fun!
• Work is fine. Hoping lots more to do starting next week. Woot.

(The site I got the illustration from has some pretty funny posters and such that you can download for your cubicle walls.)

Fall Is Here

Front of House, Fall 2007
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Yes, we've equinoxed, and what is amazing about this photo is that the grass is green and all the plants growing and healthy. All that rain in June really made a difference.

Our house is spruced up inside, for the most part, but we have to get moving on the outside. We should be getting a roof in the next week or two, and if Lee gets a job soon, I'll bite the bullet and contract to get that nasty looking trim replaced and painted. I want it to look nice and be in good shape.

Lee has a good prospect for a job back at ALE. They have changed the rules, so he can be a contractor. Seems to me that it isn't all that fiscally brilliant to lay someone off, then beg them to come back as a contractor at higher rate of pay (more than making up for the lost benefits). It's just moving items around so it LOOKS like the head count is reduced. They still have to get the work done, and need workers. Sigh. But, I'm all for anything that pays well at this point!

Long night ahead. First a week bit o' knitting then Parent Night, and I have to see all those teachers who have issues with Beccano. I really don't want to be at that school (doesn't help that I noticed Lee is not listed as chaperoning ANY band trips the rest of the year). It's also Beccano's first day with the therapist to help him with his issues. Hope that works out. She is really good and helped him a lot in the past, so I have hope that with all the techniques the school district wouldn't let her use when she was there, he will do better. On his own. I am helping but not doing stuff for him!

If you want to see a sweet photo of my boys and some nice words by Lee, check out his blog post from a day or two ago. Actually, his blog has been really nice to read recently, so I do hope you will check it out if you have time.