i see france.
yep. you can see those too.
last night, at volleyball, i was reaching pretty low for a dig when i heard, "CKCKCKKKK." you guessed it. my favorite seersucker shorts that i was wearing, split right down the middle.
it was priceless. the tear was a good six inches...it could have nested a bunch of sparrows, it was so big. i thought my friend, Kim, was gonna have a coronary; she was laughing so hard.
i'm glad that i had brought my fanny pack because for the first time, it covered that area. glad it was dark when i walked to my car...
seersucker. ha! more like 'see this sucker.'
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
off without a hitch...
well, not entirely.
susie's bridal shower was a big hit. 40-45 people showed up...many of them couldn't believe that the food wasn't catered (that made us feel good)...susie cleaned up with gifts...and the lady who owns the facility liked us so much that she gave us a discount.
funny how we were all geared up and now it's over; it's almost anti-climatic. what a great time though! oh yeah, we made so much food that we couldn't possibly give it all away...so the leftovers made for a few meals.
i guess the only hitching is between susie and andy. stay tuned!
susie's bridal shower was a big hit. 40-45 people showed up...many of them couldn't believe that the food wasn't catered (that made us feel good)...susie cleaned up with gifts...and the lady who owns the facility liked us so much that she gave us a discount.
funny how we were all geared up and now it's over; it's almost anti-climatic. what a great time though! oh yeah, we made so much food that we couldn't possibly give it all away...so the leftovers made for a few meals.
i guess the only hitching is between susie and andy. stay tuned!
Saturday, August 21, 2004
re-eal exciting...
yeah, right.
been checking out fares from denver to chicago for my mom recently. she's going in early september for the Hip Sing national conference, which is biennial. well, looks like a flight on American for about $238...not bad, considering she waited a bit too long to get the tix. well, to make me get the ticket. i knew she was wanting to go a few weeks ago, when there was a fare sale to chicago - $124 + taxes - which would have put the price at around $163. ah well. it's not like she has to pay for it since she's gonna be denver's only delegate.
as i said, 're-eal exciting, this stuff...'
as for more exciting news, my knee is still a bit wobbly. i haven't played all week, which can only help it. we'll see about this coming week; i really shouldn't miss this coming thursday, as this league is winding down. i may even play with some old indoor shoes, just to give my knees a break. god, after playing for seventeen years, i still can't understand how people can play with shoes on grass. 'course, i'll do ANYTHING (except stop playing) to save my knees...but it may be too late ;)
better news...
i'm helping out with the food for susie's bridal shower tomorrow. looks like 40-45 people have rsvp'ed...so we're looking at making a shitload of food. on the menu:
chicken salad
seven layer dip
antipasto salad
nectaring chickpea couscous
spiral cut ham
pasta salad
mini cheesecakes
luckily, lois and i only have to make the first four items, which we'll do tonight (w/ the exception of the 7-layer). the antipasto salad and the couscous are things that we've made for years and usually disappears within seconds; no complaints there.
been checking out fares from denver to chicago for my mom recently. she's going in early september for the Hip Sing national conference, which is biennial. well, looks like a flight on American for about $238...not bad, considering she waited a bit too long to get the tix. well, to make me get the ticket. i knew she was wanting to go a few weeks ago, when there was a fare sale to chicago - $124 + taxes - which would have put the price at around $163. ah well. it's not like she has to pay for it since she's gonna be denver's only delegate.
as i said, 're-eal exciting, this stuff...'
as for more exciting news, my knee is still a bit wobbly. i haven't played all week, which can only help it. we'll see about this coming week; i really shouldn't miss this coming thursday, as this league is winding down. i may even play with some old indoor shoes, just to give my knees a break. god, after playing for seventeen years, i still can't understand how people can play with shoes on grass. 'course, i'll do ANYTHING (except stop playing) to save my knees...but it may be too late ;)
better news...
i'm helping out with the food for susie's bridal shower tomorrow. looks like 40-45 people have rsvp'ed...so we're looking at making a shitload of food. on the menu:
chicken salad
seven layer dip
antipasto salad
nectaring chickpea couscous
spiral cut ham
pasta salad
mini cheesecakes
luckily, lois and i only have to make the first four items, which we'll do tonight (w/ the exception of the 7-layer). the antipasto salad and the couscous are things that we've made for years and usually disappears within seconds; no complaints there.
Monday, August 16, 2004
top of my head...
i am aching...my right knee is giving me fits. i just about collapsed into the driver's seat when i left the park yesterday. argh. i'm supposed to play tonight too - we'll see.
found something on eBay that i had been eyeing for some months now. in the past, this item was going for about $75...so i'm considering myself lucky for only having to bid a bit more than half of that price.
right now, lois is contemplating bidding on a couple books, but we're wondering if we'd just have better luck at the local goodwill or sally (the one that had its book inventory regularly wiped out by Nelle). one of the titles is quite a common one so we'll probably have no problem. as for the other, it may just be easier to check it out from the library and read it for free ;)
speaking of books, you know that i'm a horrible sucker for bargain books - anywhere. well, bookcloseouts.com is having a major sale right now and i'm doing whatever possible to avoid going to the site and having a looky-see. talk about torture...
anyway, i've been trying to get back on track with some of the books that i got right before we went to spain. one book from that batch was 'I Remember My Teacher.' it's a quick little read that's basically short anecdotes from people and their memories of teachers who made the most profound impact on their lives. it's such a great book that i may get a couple more copies to pass on to the two teachers that made the greatest impact on me. is that weird? maybe that's my way of expressing gratitude for my priceless education...
last year (2003), i went over to ParkHill Elementary and surprised the principal, who was retiring, on the last day of school. see, i didn't attend that elementary, but the retiring principal was my 1st grade teacher... i thought it'd be nice to show up with some roses, a card, and a couple pictures of me in field along with my first grade school photo. needless to say, she was utterly surprised and even remembered me. i hope the visit stuck with her for a couple days because many of the things that i learned from her during the '76-'77 school year remain with me to this day. Thanks, Mrs. Adams...
found something on eBay that i had been eyeing for some months now. in the past, this item was going for about $75...so i'm considering myself lucky for only having to bid a bit more than half of that price.
right now, lois is contemplating bidding on a couple books, but we're wondering if we'd just have better luck at the local goodwill or sally (the one that had its book inventory regularly wiped out by Nelle). one of the titles is quite a common one so we'll probably have no problem. as for the other, it may just be easier to check it out from the library and read it for free ;)
speaking of books, you know that i'm a horrible sucker for bargain books - anywhere. well, bookcloseouts.com is having a major sale right now and i'm doing whatever possible to avoid going to the site and having a looky-see. talk about torture...
anyway, i've been trying to get back on track with some of the books that i got right before we went to spain. one book from that batch was 'I Remember My Teacher.' it's a quick little read that's basically short anecdotes from people and their memories of teachers who made the most profound impact on their lives. it's such a great book that i may get a couple more copies to pass on to the two teachers that made the greatest impact on me. is that weird? maybe that's my way of expressing gratitude for my priceless education...
last year (2003), i went over to ParkHill Elementary and surprised the principal, who was retiring, on the last day of school. see, i didn't attend that elementary, but the retiring principal was my 1st grade teacher... i thought it'd be nice to show up with some roses, a card, and a couple pictures of me in field along with my first grade school photo. needless to say, she was utterly surprised and even remembered me. i hope the visit stuck with her for a couple days because many of the things that i learned from her during the '76-'77 school year remain with me to this day. Thanks, Mrs. Adams...
Monday, August 09, 2004
hmmm...
looks like the summer is over for some of us. sorry, cindi. and we didn't even get to grab some pizza...sigh. i saw somewhere in the paper that the 'average' american eats around 47 slices a year. i wonder if i fall in that category? can you join a support group? yeah, my name is Spencer and i wanna join Average American Anonymous. ya think they have their gatherings in households with 2.3 children?
argh. i am in some real blogging funk right now. i've just been popping in on others while mine has remained very quiet. been thinking of a lot of things, just not wanting to put them down. bleah.
visited with my eldest sis, shirley, last saturday. she had spent much of the day shopping for her maid of honor dress for susie's wedding. guess it all went well - the dress fit beautifully and it was less than $100.
anyway, we headed out to the airport to pick up her 13 year-old, elizabeth, who had spent three weeks in Florida, with her big sister, Natalie. it was a bit long...about 80 minutes of driving and 90 minutes waiting...but great to hang out since i haven't seen much of her over the past year. if i wasn't helping her with chemistry or algebra (she's enrolling in dental hygiene school next fall), the only social functions were familial obligations.
afterwards, they went to see mom & dad for a bit. i'm glad that elizabeth has no problems with hanging out with her grandparents; many teenagers don't even want to be seen with their own parents, let alone grandparents.
so saturday night was a lazy one (like all the others). i was planning to make ham (egg) foo young, until i realized that we had everything (ham, bean sprouts, green onions), but no eggs. guess that ain't gonna work...ended up going to Chipotle for some burritos and beer instead ;) not in a coffee mood, we skipped *$$ and strolled to 7-11 for some evil ice cream treats. i got a cherry garcia ice cream bar and lois, a triple cholcolate drumstick...
in our hyperglycemic stupor, we plopped down on the couch and watched ColdMountain. great movie...i can see why ReneeZellweger got the best supporting nod...she was phenomenal.
although the movie clocked in at about 2.5 hours, it didn't drag at all; the acting and storytelling were seamless. i thought the film was more deserving than LOTR:ROTK...but hey, the only academy that would want me is the driving academy.
thought this past weekend would be chock full of movie watching since we had rented two and bought three at Video One on friday, but we only got through two (City of God was the other). the other three, waiting in the wings, are Pushing Tin (w/ John Cusack), Auto Focus (the movie made about Bob Crane's life and murder), and Old Gringo (Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda). we couldn't pass them up for $3 apiece! probably should go back and pick up a few more that i passed up ;)
anyway, i did manage to make the foo young last night, which was scrumptious, and opted for some watermelon on the front porch - such a beautiful evening - instead of popcorn and a movie. we even sipped some liqueur (Amaretto & Cognac and Xtabentun) as night approached.
btw, Xtabentun (pronounced shta-ben-TUN) is a Maya liqueur that is similar to a sweet anise liquor, think of a honey flavored Ouzo. you can get it in Mexico City, Mérida, or Cancún for about $5-7 a bottle...or $30 at Argonaut Liquors (in a hokey bottle that ain't worth $25 more). a shot from a freshly opened bottle has quite a kick. if the open bottle actually survives a night of drinking w/ yer buddies, over a few months it'll mellow with sweetness and the licorice rush won't be so strong. sure, it's nice to bring back tequila, Kahlua, and mezcal back from Mexico, but it's Xtabentun that finds its way into my backpack :)
argh. i am in some real blogging funk right now. i've just been popping in on others while mine has remained very quiet. been thinking of a lot of things, just not wanting to put them down. bleah.
visited with my eldest sis, shirley, last saturday. she had spent much of the day shopping for her maid of honor dress for susie's wedding. guess it all went well - the dress fit beautifully and it was less than $100.
anyway, we headed out to the airport to pick up her 13 year-old, elizabeth, who had spent three weeks in Florida, with her big sister, Natalie. it was a bit long...about 80 minutes of driving and 90 minutes waiting...but great to hang out since i haven't seen much of her over the past year. if i wasn't helping her with chemistry or algebra (she's enrolling in dental hygiene school next fall), the only social functions were familial obligations.
afterwards, they went to see mom & dad for a bit. i'm glad that elizabeth has no problems with hanging out with her grandparents; many teenagers don't even want to be seen with their own parents, let alone grandparents.
so saturday night was a lazy one (like all the others). i was planning to make ham (egg) foo young, until i realized that we had everything (ham, bean sprouts, green onions), but no eggs. guess that ain't gonna work...ended up going to Chipotle for some burritos and beer instead ;) not in a coffee mood, we skipped *$$ and strolled to 7-11 for some evil ice cream treats. i got a cherry garcia ice cream bar and lois, a triple cholcolate drumstick...
in our hyperglycemic stupor, we plopped down on the couch and watched ColdMountain. great movie...i can see why ReneeZellweger got the best supporting nod...she was phenomenal.
although the movie clocked in at about 2.5 hours, it didn't drag at all; the acting and storytelling were seamless. i thought the film was more deserving than LOTR:ROTK...but hey, the only academy that would want me is the driving academy.
thought this past weekend would be chock full of movie watching since we had rented two and bought three at Video One on friday, but we only got through two (City of God was the other). the other three, waiting in the wings, are Pushing Tin (w/ John Cusack), Auto Focus (the movie made about Bob Crane's life and murder), and Old Gringo (Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda). we couldn't pass them up for $3 apiece! probably should go back and pick up a few more that i passed up ;)
anyway, i did manage to make the foo young last night, which was scrumptious, and opted for some watermelon on the front porch - such a beautiful evening - instead of popcorn and a movie. we even sipped some liqueur (Amaretto & Cognac and Xtabentun) as night approached.
btw, Xtabentun (pronounced shta-ben-TUN) is a Maya liqueur that is similar to a sweet anise liquor, think of a honey flavored Ouzo. you can get it in Mexico City, Mérida, or Cancún for about $5-7 a bottle...or $30 at Argonaut Liquors (in a hokey bottle that ain't worth $25 more). a shot from a freshly opened bottle has quite a kick. if the open bottle actually survives a night of drinking w/ yer buddies, over a few months it'll mellow with sweetness and the licorice rush won't be so strong. sure, it's nice to bring back tequila, Kahlua, and mezcal back from Mexico, but it's Xtabentun that finds its way into my backpack :)
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
not quick enough...
on my personal yahoopage, i track assorted fares to faraway places like Dayton, OH and Buffalo, NY. hey, even domestic destinations can be exotic heh.
really though. i've been keeping an eye on any super cheapo fares that slip through the cracks. and within the last month, i've seen sales to Dayton (for my friend, Cindy, who wants visit her mom in october) for $150...Buffalo, NY for $141...San José, Costa Rica for $199 (which is unheard of...i paid $650 in 1992).
and now, there was some obscene fare to Mexico City for $49 plus tax (which is usually $91 for most mexico destinations)...making it $140 total! AND, of course, all the allotted seats have sold out (duh). i just wonder how many seats were offered and who had the sale... damn, wotta deal.
guess i'll just keep looking. the new fare lookout is for Denver to Chicago-O'Hare. my mom is going for a convention in early september. sorry, ma...looks like you're gonna shell out $200.
really though. i've been keeping an eye on any super cheapo fares that slip through the cracks. and within the last month, i've seen sales to Dayton (for my friend, Cindy, who wants visit her mom in october) for $150...Buffalo, NY for $141...San José, Costa Rica for $199 (which is unheard of...i paid $650 in 1992).
and now, there was some obscene fare to Mexico City for $49 plus tax (which is usually $91 for most mexico destinations)...making it $140 total! AND, of course, all the allotted seats have sold out (duh). i just wonder how many seats were offered and who had the sale... damn, wotta deal.
guess i'll just keep looking. the new fare lookout is for Denver to Chicago-O'Hare. my mom is going for a convention in early september. sorry, ma...looks like you're gonna shell out $200.
going once...
i forgot to get back to you regarding the SecretLife of Bees auction that i was keeping an eye on last week. yes. we won it...and for the minimum price. sure, we have to wait another few days for it since it's arriving media mail from connecticut. but hey, the total price was a few dollars cheaper than the recent eBaay going rate for the audiobooks, which was around $15-$20. so all is good.
now, we're keeping an eye out for a replacement Anolon Professional 12" saute pan; ours has seen a lotta cookin' in the past few years. i've seen it go for $30-$50 (shipping incl.) on the Bay...a good price, considering it's $70 for a new one. hopefully, we'll be able to find one for cheap :)
now, we're keeping an eye out for a replacement Anolon Professional 12" saute pan; ours has seen a lotta cookin' in the past few years. i've seen it go for $30-$50 (shipping incl.) on the Bay...a good price, considering it's $70 for a new one. hopefully, we'll be able to find one for cheap :)
it's back...
the weather pixie has returned after a short hiatus. good. hope it is well rested. glad that i don't have to look for an alternative to forecast obscure places that are probably only meaningful to me ;)
Monday, August 02, 2004
blue moon
been a busy last few days. last friday, it was back to the optometrist for lois' post-op evaluation. results were surprisingly better than we anticipated. at first, we thought that she'd be without corrective lenses for four more weeks. nope. she got some temporary glasses that are donated and lent to his patients after surgery; she's now able to drive until he finalizes a prescription for her.
saturday was spent with some anthro friends. we gathered at Linda's house for a blue moon party. lotsa fun. basically, we brought appetizers and a couple martini gimlets (to be traded for others that were brought by fellow partiers).
our gimlets weren't very special though. last week, we stopped at goodwill and spent a whopping dollar on these two, a blue one and a fancy crystal one. nothing funky or too original, but they were a steal for $.50 each. i mean, why spend $4-$5 for a glass that you'll never see again anyway? and so what that you'll take one home when we don't even drink martinis at home (or anywhere else).
we did come away with a nice gimlet though. it has a red swirl in it...very Hitchcockian. think of Vertigo...
after leaving the party, lois and i hung out on the front porch, watching the moon rise in the sky and commenting on the party. it was really good to catch up with Linda. she used to be one of the main anthro profs at UCD; she specialized in Tibet/Nepal and birth populations. it had been a few years since we last saw her. she looks happy though. apparently, she is out of academia...but loving it...AND making better money ;)
sunday was very laid back. we had breakfast at the nearby EggShell (in CherryCreek). as usual, i got the Kitchen Sink, which is a skillet with scrambled eggs, cheese, tomatoes, spinach, onion, and sausage...and a blueberry pancake. sigh
after gorging ourselves, we headed over to BedBath & Beyond, where susie and andy are registered. and after a couple hours of wandering, we escaped with some shower gifts - dishes and towels.
god, it was so hot on sunday. i know it was only 98, but july was so mild; we were getting used to the 80° temps. i was totally wilting at the park for the first two v-ball games. thank goodness for the clouds that parked themselves for the next coupla hours. i wouldn't have been able to stay for more than that if the blistering sun had remained...beating down on our delirious heads.
saturday was spent with some anthro friends. we gathered at Linda's house for a blue moon party. lotsa fun. basically, we brought appetizers and a couple martini gimlets (to be traded for others that were brought by fellow partiers).
our gimlets weren't very special though. last week, we stopped at goodwill and spent a whopping dollar on these two, a blue one and a fancy crystal one. nothing funky or too original, but they were a steal for $.50 each. i mean, why spend $4-$5 for a glass that you'll never see again anyway? and so what that you'll take one home when we don't even drink martinis at home (or anywhere else).
we did come away with a nice gimlet though. it has a red swirl in it...very Hitchcockian. think of Vertigo...
after leaving the party, lois and i hung out on the front porch, watching the moon rise in the sky and commenting on the party. it was really good to catch up with Linda. she used to be one of the main anthro profs at UCD; she specialized in Tibet/Nepal and birth populations. it had been a few years since we last saw her. she looks happy though. apparently, she is out of academia...but loving it...AND making better money ;)
sunday was very laid back. we had breakfast at the nearby EggShell (in CherryCreek). as usual, i got the Kitchen Sink, which is a skillet with scrambled eggs, cheese, tomatoes, spinach, onion, and sausage...and a blueberry pancake. sigh
after gorging ourselves, we headed over to BedBath & Beyond, where susie and andy are registered. and after a couple hours of wandering, we escaped with some shower gifts - dishes and towels.
god, it was so hot on sunday. i know it was only 98, but july was so mild; we were getting used to the 80° temps. i was totally wilting at the park for the first two v-ball games. thank goodness for the clouds that parked themselves for the next coupla hours. i wouldn't have been able to stay for more than that if the blistering sun had remained...beating down on our delirious heads.
must've been one strong drink...
i just got home less than an hour ago and still feel a bit happy from visiting w/ my friends at Caldonia's. a guy who played volleyball with us last fall, Scott, is going to Florida for some extra pilot training for a few months. if all goes well, he'll end up working somewhere in that area. if not, he'll be back in December.
anyway, his gurlfriend had a little going away thingie tonight. drinks were kinda strong tho'. maybe i didn't have enough to eat, but a large beer and happy hour marg made me a bit tipsy. i guess my drinking has tailed off the last...oh, ten years ;)
it was nice to go to Caldonia's again though. it had probably been more than ten years since my last visit. they do have a great patio, although it's across the street from the Piper Inn...a biker bar. i have no problem with the bikers, just their extra loud hawg pipes...THAT drives me up the wall.
anyway, his gurlfriend had a little going away thingie tonight. drinks were kinda strong tho'. maybe i didn't have enough to eat, but a large beer and happy hour marg made me a bit tipsy. i guess my drinking has tailed off the last...oh, ten years ;)
it was nice to go to Caldonia's again though. it had probably been more than ten years since my last visit. they do have a great patio, although it's across the street from the Piper Inn...a biker bar. i have no problem with the bikers, just their extra loud hawg pipes...THAT drives me up the wall.
looks like...
weather pixie is no more for awhile. i wonder if this is permanent. if so, i'll need to find something else to fill that right hand side.
oh weather pixie, sorry to see you go...we hardly knew ye.
oh weather pixie, sorry to see you go...we hardly knew ye.
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