Escape

There's a drum and bugle corps in my town, which means we've had a houseful.

MORE of a houseful.

=0)

Last night we had 17 extra for supper, but due to my need to re-brunette myself, there was no way I could cook and have it on the table by their 4:00 dinner break.

So, pizza to the rescue.

It's a pretty scraggly crew...must have something to do with standing on a football field for most of the day.

They smelled...lovely.

=0)

The fun part has been hanging out and watching the end of the day run through's. The instructors stand up here with their microphones and say 'do it again' over and over and over.

And over.

Lotsa bugles...they sound amazing.

THIS is what drum corps is all about...practicing on a field in the middle of nowhere while the sun is setting.

Their biggest complaint about being in our town is that they have to have PG practices. Normally, they wear very little clothes...no shirts for the guys and teeny tiny tops for the girls. They work so hard and sweat so much...it is not an attractive activity at all.

This week, the school they are practicing at has said they must all be fully clothed.

All day.

Matthew likes it the other way...less laundry. And no tan lines.

=0)

We've had extra bodies sleeping here and eating here and showering here. They are gone during the day and Alex's team moves in...the family room has become a huge x-box tournament.

LOUD x-box tournaments.

Oh, and they eat, too.

Brian has this week off from camp, so in between errands and basketball and drum corps and the pool, he is hanging in there.

SO, last night M and I escaped. We fed everyone, left Brian and Alex home and went to watch Matthew practice. Then, we went to Nick's.

Alone.

Our table was waiting and we did something crazy...the restaurant closed, but we did not leave. We were able to sit and talk with everyone who works there while eating amazing food and drinking amazing wine.

We got out of there late and we were so not ready to go home. M was talking about driving all night long to a land far, far away...but decided on a movie instead.

We saw Hancock in a theatre with not a child in sight. Thankfully. Oh, and save your money and skip seeing this movie. Not worth it...but I did mention that there were NO children in sight?

=0)

I am now so sleepy today...not sure if it was the double cappuccino or the diet coke. Or both. I must be getting old. Sigh.

This morning it is kinda gloomy outside, so I spent some time in the quiet of my garden...and look what was waiting for me.

Tomatoes. Two very, very sweet tomatoes. And a rather gi-normous cucumber.

My zucchini isn't looking so much like a zucchini. Any guesses as to what it is?

And this momma was taking her babies for a walk to the lake. So sweet.

=0)

Today, Matthew has off. Alex has back to back practices and will be home this afternoon. There's laundry to be done and pesto to be made, as well as some banana bread with some pretty nasty looking bananas. Brian is bored, so we might go and see a movie or maybe we'll just watch one from home...I'd rather not pay money to take a nap.

=0)

Monday, Monday

Matthew arrived home at around 9am yesterday morning from his mini tour, after sitting on broken down buses for half the night.

Surprisingly, he had a smile on his face.

He crashed while the rest of us went to church and after, stopped at In n Out, because Alex NEEDED a triple triple with animal fries to fuel him for an afternoon of games.

=0)

He had his very own cheering section...many of his old team mates and coaches came to see him play.  I did almost fall over when one coach started talking about college...ummmm, let's begin high school 1st, please.

Came home and cooked dinner while M and Brian went to play tennis, and then went outside for the annual 4th of July bbq.

Except we missed the 4th of July, so now it was the annual 6th of July ice cream social.   

Brian and Juli have been friends since they were knee high.

=0)

It is now Monday morning and I have been awake since 6am.  I've had a cup of tea, did my bible study, cleaned out the refrigerator...which was disgusting, started the laundry, and am now waiting for Holly to wake up and play scrabble with me on facebook.

OH...and this is my new very favorite thing.  Italian grapefruit soda...mmm!

Our plans for today are simple.  I am somewhat stuck at home waiting for the furnace people to come and tweak something or another with the new thermostat.  The one that I cannot even begin to figure out how to use.

M has to go into work today, Matthew has a 12 - 9pm rehearsal here in town and Alex has practice from 9-2pm.  Brian and I are going to have a lazy summer day!

=0)

Weekend

Earlier today, we had back to back games...

...and my #5 (for 3 years) is now #24. And so happy. Our school is different in that they do not have a freshman team, so very few freshman make the team. This year they took 5, choosing from over a hundred boys who tried out.

It's s different style of play from his old team and he is loving every minute of it. The fun part...in 5th grade, the 5 starters on the AllStar team from our city are the 5 boys who made the team. They haven't played together since that time, so in between games, one of the dads called the old coach, who came to watch 'his' boys play high school ball.

=0)

Yesterday, we drove to Pasadena to see this kid that I like so much.

And told him to wash his feet. Or his legs.

=0)

DCI fed the 5 corps a roast beef dinner...that's a complete roast beef dinner for ummmm...like 700 people. Matthew said it was amazing.

We ate the stuff this guy was cooking and it was pretty amazing, too. Especially the garlic fries, which I am pretty sure I still am tasting today.

Alex found his dream lemonade. And convinced us we all needed to have some, too.

I'm glad he did. It was HOT outside.

After we ate, we piled like cattle into the Rose Bowl. Seriously, there were like a bazillion hot, sweaty people trying to get in, only to discover that there were like 5 bazillion seats available.

Whew.

Matthew's show is really fun this year and the Rose Bowl is a fun place to see it. Even if we were sweaty.


After the shows, the largest fireworks show west of Chicago began.

And yes, that is what they told us. Over and over.

It was pretty great and pretty loud.

OK, it was really loud.

=0)

So, now we are back to today.

I gardened.

And jumped for joy. Everything looks gorgeous.

I picked more of the spiciest radishes on the planet, which are mighty tasty with some ranch dressing. Probably cuts the nutritional value just a bit, but oh well. Supper tonight will be burgers on the grill and grilled corn on the cob. I have butter out for cookies...probably chocolate chip.

Matthew should arrive home around 6am...and then he has the day off to sleep. This whole week is going to be fun...his corps, which is based in a city 45 miles away, is practicing 2 miles away from our house. All week long.

M is so excited...he's got his sunscreen and his chair and will be camping out watching them practice. All day long. Old habits die hard.

=0)

Fireworks

Happy 4th of July!

 Usually, we stay put in our little community...there is an early morning half marathon followed by a parade, complete with a firetruck and homemade floats and decorated bikes.   Our neighborhood then has a block party/bbq and the lagoon is turned into a carnival.  At night, we have our very own fireworks show sponsored by our association...which happens to be at the  end of my street.

It's a pretty perfect place to be.

We will be missing it all this year.  Matthew is performing at the Rose Bowl, so we're heading north to see him.  He actually left a few days ago...they've been performing all around SoCal, so I am excited to see him.

My favorite?

After the show tonight, they'll load their buses and drive through the night to northern CA, sleeping as they drive.  They'll get in, practice all day, perform tomorrow night, reload the buses and drive all night home.

To be young again.

=0)

Anyway, tonight is just an exhibition, plus a family and food festival, followed by the 'best fireworks in California.'

OK.

Gotta see that, right?

Our family vacation was supposed to be today/tonight.  One night in a hotel, but even that had to change as Alex (who is finally a jerseyed member of the team!) has early morning games tomorrow.

So no fun hotel.  Just an hour drive up and an hour drive back.

But, all my family will be together, at least for the few minutes when we meet up in the parking lot after the show.

I'll take what I can get.

=0)

Just a Thought

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, “Oh no, she's awake.”

Author Unknown

Shaken

Sometimes, you just need this:

and belief in this:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

...to help you get through the day.

Shaken. Rocked. Knocked down.

But not broken.

My neighbor has been diagnosed with leukemia...the same neighbor whose daughter is battling leukemia. Different kinds, different treatments, but an awful lot for one family to deal with. Their family could use lots of prayers...

Random Stuff

This morning, M had to take his car in for it's 1st check-up.  Apparently, it got a clean bill of health except for one minor thing.

See that gunk?

Rat droppings.

Yep.  One more time.

Rat droppings.

All together now....ewwwwww!!!!!

Not only that, but on top of the rat droppings were a bunch (like a dozen) snails, which were eating the rat droppings.

Oh my.

The guys at the service place were so impressed that they had M come on back and look.  My question?

Where do the rats go when they are not in his car?

ICK.  

OK, on to some more ick.  Matthew's tan line, and summer has just begun.

=0)

Today a big hunk of steel was delivered and is currently relieving my dishpan hands.  I am thankful.

Alex played a game today, so M went to that.  Matthew is at practice until 9pm.  Brian stayed home from camp and has been outside all day,  giggling and hanging from trees.

I have stayed home all day long.  I've got ribs baking in the oven...M will throw them on the grill when he gets home.  Not sure what we'll have with them...Alex loves baked beans but after the last time I served them, his brothers started a petition that we must never feed Alex beans again.

For real.

=0)