Long Over Due

Once again, time has gone by faster than a speeding bullet. I have been meaning to update this for at least 5 days or more now. I am finally taking the time to do it today.

Last week on Wednesday I took the opportunity to take a gander at the Mercury transit in front of the sun. The observatory here at campus was open to take a look. I figured since this wasn't going to happen again for another ten years or so, and that it was a mere 400 yard walk, I had better take a look. Though Mercury is one of smaller planets (or is it the smallest now that Pluto has been taken off the honored list of planetdom?) it really gave perspective to the size of the sun. Mercury was a mere black dot against the massiveness of the sun burning eternal behind it. I also got a good look at a sun spot which was actually more interesting than Mercury was. The sun spot was about 5 times the size of Mercury or more. We are in an area where the full trasit was viewable. Mercury in Transit

Friday was a very busy day indeed. I had it off of work for Veteran's Day on Saturday, but boy was the day packed. The kids and I enjoyed the morning and I got a long overdue haircut. I then had a babysitter lined up starting at noon because I was taking my dad to his first chemotherapy session. That ended up going about five hours or so, including the driving to and from which was about an hour and 20 minutes itself. Time went by okay at the therapy session. I played games on my computer mostly. The doctor came in to visit dad and she really liked my computer and we shared secrets of getting gaming time to ourselfs when kids are either in bed or busy. LOL. She is really cool and I like her a lot.

Once we got home, I made sure Dad was doing okay I then hopped into the shower to get ready for my next adventure. I was driving back to the Santa Ynez valley to the Chumash Casino to see Bob Newhart with the old lady we bought our house from. She is really sweet, and is sharp as a tack for being 86 years old. She had called and set up tickets to go see a "Seussical" which is a musical tribute to Dr. Seuss at our local college theater with us for the Saturday after Thanksgiving. She then mentioned that she would like to see Bob Newhart, but she couldn't take herself because she won't drive on the freeway or at night anymore. I told her I would gladly take her since I like Newhart anyway. So, plans were made. I got her all picked up and loaded with walker in my car. We got to the Casino and the theater is all the way in the back which was quite a hike for her. Once we got there, we expected to be seated at the back which is where her last minute tickets were for. Well, all the sudden the usher grabbed two extra seats and placed us at the end of the fourth row! They were killer seats. I looked behind us and figured it had to do with Mrs. Mummey's (her real name!) walker. It did. The very back 20 rows or more were "bleacher" style seating with no handicap/walker access. We scored! The show itself was quite funny and enjoyable. Bob Newhart is quite subtle in his humor and not crude. So, all in all, it was a busy, but good day.

This weekend wasn't too busy, but quite enjoyable. I had aspirations of cleaning the kids bedrooms, but that fell by the wayside very quickly. I had no interest in doing that whatsoever. I had told the kids I would take them to Boomers (miniature golf), but wouldn't you know it, the day was cold, drizzly, and just not a day for a round of putt-putt golf. We opted, instead, to go to Chuck E. Cheese. The kids like it, and you can turn them loose without worry. Uncle Steve came with us. We like to play the games as much as the kids to anyway. Hubby joined us a bit later after he got off work. We must have stayed there three hours. The kids had a blast and I parted with a fair amount of sheckles. Sunday, I wasn't feeling the greatest. Maybe it had to do with the crappy pizza at the "Cheese". I took the day easy for the most part. We did have a funny moment at the breakfast table though. We were all done eating and this conversation/activity ensued.

Lyd: Okay, we are going to play a game. Everyone pretend you have a buzzer in front of you, and I am going to ask questions. When you know the answer, ring your buzzer and I will call on you.

So we all assume the proper position of hand poised over the invisble buzzer

Lyd: What would you do if you fell down and broke your head?

Hubby rings his buzzer

Lyd: Yes, Mark.

Mark: Call 9-1-1

Lyd: Correct!

Lyd: What would you do if a dog got hit by a car?

Roo: Rings his buzzer

Lyd: Yes, Roo.

Roo: Call a Vet!

Lyd: Correct!

Lyd: What would you do if you found a baby in the street? (apparently she watches the news)

Roo: Rings Buzzer

Lyd: Yes, Roo.

Roo: Call 9-1-1, and get the baby out of the street.

Lyd: Correct!

Roo: I want to ask questions now.

Me: Okay Roo, your turn.

Roo: What would you do if the fence fell on the cat, a tree fell on the fence, the fence caught on fire, and there was a burgler running through the yard?

Me: Rings buzzer.

Roo: Yes, mom.

Me: Get the cat, and call 9-1-1.

Roo: Incorrect. Get the cat, call a vet, call the fire department, call the police, call builders to rebuild the fence! (obviously, he wanted to cover all aspects of the emergency).

Me: Okay, now it's my turn. (I thought I would seize the moment to see what they would do in an actual emergency involving mom or dad)

Me: What would you do if you had been outside playing and come into the garage and saw that mom or dad had fallen off a ladder and you couldn't wake them up?

Roo: Rings buzzer and answers, "I would get an alarm clock and make it ring to wake them up!"

Me: Well, what if they still wouldn't wake up?

Roo: I would get the dog to lick their face!

Me: Well, what if they still wouldn't wake up?

Roo: Shake them like crazy.

Me: What if they still wouldn't wake up? (prying for the 9-1-1 answer)

At this point Lydia is jumping out of her chair with her hand up in the air.

Lyd: I KNOW, I KNOW, IKNOW!!!

Me: Yes Lyd, what would you do?

Lyd: HAVE A FUNERAL! She said this complete straight-faced and very satisfied with her correct answer. Never mind that it implied her parent had died.

Mark and I about fell off our seats with laughter. LOL.