The Happiest Place On Earth

Dateline: Somewhere in the Pacific Northwest

The boy formally known as Piss-boy needed shoes for school. I promised him a few weeks ago that we would go and get shoes but it wasn't high on his priority list so he didn't mention it again. On Friday, I knew the man formally known as Rainbird, said to me that he had Friday off and was taking his parents to a Indian Gaming place they love to visit. I glanced at my calendar and ascertained that the children were also off from school.

I made the decision while he was out with his folks, we'd do a little something to help the economy.

When the Going Gets Tough; The Tough Goes to Tarjay

We walked through the doors of our Newly remodeled Tarjay a feeling of warmth surrounded me, truly Target, is Disneyland for moms, except with better prices and shorter lines. We made our way to the shoe area in the back of the store, and started looking for tennis type shoes for Piss-boy. I turned around and saw a whole row of snow boots, for kids going to adults...and every possible size in between. I immediately set out finding snow boots for the child formally known as Fredo and it only took me a few minutes to find a pair that fit him.

Then I thought to myself, I need snow boots too, so I started looking over the women's selections and there they were.

Everything Old is New Again

On the shelf, beside the faux fur lined snow shoes was a gray snow boot with a pink lining that caught my eye. My mind drifted back to a time when my hair was bigger and my rear was smaller. It reminded me of high school and my best friend's 16th birthday when we both decided to wear pink mini skirts with pink and gray tops. Naturally pink with gray mocs completed the ensemble We looked so cute. I recall her cousin was upset because my friend didn't tell her about our clothing choices and felt left out.

Not at all deterred the whimsical thoughts of the past, I tried them on, they felt warm and toasty but a little bit big, but I decided that I could just steal a pair of Rainbird's extra thick socks to add further cushion. I snapped them up.

Yes the years have changed me, my hair isn't big anymore and my rear has grown considerably, but some things just never change.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

I really do enjoy the Autumn season, there is something about cool temps and crisp air, the colors and stores setting up their Christmas displays? Well, yeah, I went to our local home improvement center (read: Mega-chain) to look for a duster with a telescoping pole for my mother in law. There by the door where the fall and Halloween stuffs were formally located, was about 3 aisles of Christmas stuff. Those HUGE inflatable things that you put in front of your house, the super-sized sleighs with a waving Santa.

I did walk up and down the aisles looking at the various wares, when I saw a HUGE Frosty the Snowman...I'm a sucker for Frosty. It must be a "real" Frosty, not just any old snowman with a silk hat, scarf and button eyes. What's funny is that you know a real Frosty when you see him, because, well duh, he looks like Frosty.

Countdown to the Holidays

Some people do Spring cleaning, but I prefer Autumn cleaning. Over the next several weeks I'll start decluttering the house of all the junk we've accumulated since Spring. The goal is to make cleaning easier when the holiday's are in full force and I have no time for it. I will admit some rooms will be easier than others, but I'm sure it will be worth the effort. As long as everyone doens't start cluttering them back up again.

I've also started our Christmas shopping, though this year will be lighter, each kiddo getting a few things they really want rather than a hundred things they don't.

Congratulations

To my Bumble Buddy who just this past weekend got engaged to his matchdotcom girl!! Congrats to you both.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Politics Free Thursday

Smells like Autumn Reign

Not exactly that kind of chili, but something happened yesterday, something fitting, yet strange that left me a little happy. I got up in the morning and house was cold, not it's normal cold, but very cold. If I notice it's cold, well it's cold, because I'm normally always warm. So I go downstairs and look at the thermostat and see the reading, I blinked several times and read it again, not trusting what I saw. Then I unceremoniously flipped the button from "off" to "heat" and heard the sound of the furnace firing up for the first time since mid May. I poured myself my first cup of coffee, and went to the computer, and there it was in my email box. An email from Accuweather, who informed me for the next several days our temperatures would be dropping overnight possibly into the 30's. They recommended that I move my "delicate" plants indoors.

I don't mind the idea of having the furnace on in October, and actually I'm a little comforted since I'm not a fan of hot weather. Now that said, I don't like idea of moving my delicate plants (meaning plants in pots), indoors. In fact this year I've decided to clear some out, all together, and replant the pots in the spring. I will do my best to keep my rosemary alive, but the dusty miller can go, it's looking crappy anyway. What I really hate is finding a place for them, because the only place I have room for plants is the garage. Especially with the outdoor variety, which who knows what kinds of creepy crawly things have made their home in the soil.


So, this morning after taking the dog for a walk, putting the little guy on the bus, and drinking my second cup of coffee, I dumped the dusty miller, and sad looking thyme into the garbage. I moved the two rosemary plants inside the house, breaking my own rule, and moved the other also sad looking thyme and equally sad looking Italian parsley into the kitchen.

I left the basil outside since it's on it's last leg, and the peppers the birds seem to be so very fond of. Who knew Stellar Jays absolutely love cayenne pepper and jalapeno. Each time one would start to grow, a Jay would come along and eat it.

So, I guess the heater will just have to stay on now, or at least I won't be turning it off and on anymore manually. This morning I had to turn it on again when my little son came down for breakfast

but on the upside, at least the smell has diminished. I'm sure everyone knows what I mean, it's that annoying, you-haven't-used-your-furnace-for-a-season-smell.

Side Bar

I've added an anonymous polling feature to my blog, which if popular will be updated weekly. Please take the time to vote, and just to mess with my head, you can pick more than one answer.

About Today's Title

I've decided that Thursday will be a politic free day, because I'm tired of all things politics, unless something HUGE happens that must be talked about Thursday will remain about everything else. Like the idea that the child formerly known as Fredo is doing much better in school but the other child formerly known as Piss-Boy is a typical teen complete with eye rolling and sighing at every little thing.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved

Today, I am Dull

Tell Me Something We Don't Know

We all know the economy is in the toilet and while we wait to see if Congress has the courage or not to flush it, I decided to change gears. I'm not going to watch the VP debate on Friday, because I don't care about them. I know it sounds weird coming from me, and while I do care who is elected president, I just can't bring myself to care who the VP is. I know today they do more than just waiting for the president to die or be killed but I still just don't care.

Why Am I So Dull

I guess it's because I'm not doing anything exciting, well, unless you count blogging to be exciting. I got up early, as usual, got little son off to school or rather on the bus that takes him to school. Grabbed the car keys and before anyone else was up ran to the store to pick up a few things. Very few since I"m trying to watch my pennies, just bought things that were needed to keep the house running until my husband gets paid again. Nothing exciting happened there unless you count the register guy I know begging me to jump ahead in line so he could buy cookies for his break. They time the breaks you know--at least that was his excuse.

My older son got up, and informed me that he was feeling better (he had a sore throat yesterday) downed a muffin and cup a tea then bolted outside to pick up dog poop in the backyard. See? Even he is dull. Meanwhile husband shows himself downstairs, complaining about things that for once have nothing to do with me, so I let him prattle while I sipped coffee. After he's finished with his complaints, I went upstairs to clean the master bath and make the bed, while he prepared to leave the house on an outing with a friend. Older son leaves for school, with his normal..."Bye Mom, love you, see ya later."

It took me a full 20 minutes to realize I'm alone..well almost. The dog is still here but he doesn't count really so I contemplate flipping on my iPod and decided against it. Weird for me, since that is normally the first thing I'd do, but today I felt like I needed the silence. I finished cleaning the bathroom, threw in some towels to be washed, and cleaned the other bath upstairs. Then I came downstairs to clean that bath but the computer called me.

Really, it made a noise. Boooooop! I guess it meant I had mail or something, I did check but it wasn't anything great. I pondered briefly the notion of having the computer make a noise only when I have mail from someone good. Of course that kinda led me here.

My Big Fat Nothing Day

That's exactly what today is, a big fat nothing day. I'm making a shrimp scampi like thing with pasta tonight for dinner. Sound exciting? No, not really to me either. I still have that final bathroom to clean, but now I'm all about avoiding it. My mojo isn't in the mood and I'm thinking of taking the dog for a walk instead. I do have tonight to look forward to since it's MMN (mom's movie night) this week my selection is In the Heat of the Night starring the amazing Sidney Poiter and Rod Steiger.

Maybe I'll try to plan some excitement for tomorrow. Can excitement be planned like a birthday party or does it just have to happen on it's own?

I'll let you know.

© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved