“Typing” blog posts on an iTouch is tedious.

I’m celebrating my sister’s birthday with her this week by doing all sorts of new things.

I had my eyebrows threaded. I think it pinched more than waxing. They say it’ll last longer. Since I have fair eyebrows, I only do it a few times a year anyway. Maybe I won’t look as wild the next time I think of shaping them.

I had eyelash extensions done. I looked like a trollop. They were supposed to last up to three weeks, but they were off the next morning. The adhesive was irritating my eyes, so I rubbed them, which loosened the lashes (and got more adhesive in my eyes, making me rub them more). I think they might have been nice if I was going out and was all dolled up, but I just don’t think I can pull off heavy makeup.

I took a zumba class. It’s like aerobics to salsa music. It’s fun, and I would go again with my sister or a friend, but on my own, I prefer the solitude of running. I can see why the classes are popular: it’s great motivation if people know you and expect to see you, or if you pay for a class and you don’t like wasting your money. If you’ve never done it and think you want to try it, I will warn you there’s a learning curve. Expect that it will be 3 or 4 classes before you get the hang of it. I was very happy I was in a back corner, out of the way.

I went to a yoga class. It made my arms sore. I think I need to incorporate more stretching into my weekly exercise routine. I did not worship any false gods while at this class.

I went to a Pilates class. My sister is a YMCA groupie. This class was fine, too. I didn’t mind going, but I don’t see me doing it on my own. At least not at this point in my life.

I had a pedicure. This is not a new experience, but what is new is that I was very very careful with my toesies for a full two hours, so my polish is still mainly intact.

I had tinsel put in my hair. Have you seen this fad? It’s cute. It’s inexpensive. It’s temporary. It’s instantly reversible.

I had baklava as birthday cake. What the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets.

Tomorrow we go to my parents’ house. The kids will hang out with my dad while my sister and I go and play bunco with my mom as part of a church fundraiser. I have played bunco before, but not before noon, which I suspect means there will be no alcohol served, making the event, likely, a bit less rowdy than other bunco events I have attended. Mom promises great prizes, though, and she made potato salad for the luncheon, so I don’t think I’ll miss the adult beverages.

Plus I have a husband at home waiting for me. After all that exercising and late nights watching Downton Abbey with my sister, a single glass of wine at lunch would have me pulling off the road for a nap long before the Georgia state line.

Fritz made a glass of iced coffee (decaf) and walked into the living room, slurping. A moment later, Katie began howling. Fritz returned to the kitchen, a look of disgust on his face.

“I told her it’s not my fault I took the last of the iced coffee. She should have gotten some earlier if she wanted it.”

He slouched against the counter, finishing his beverage.

“Hm. Maybe next time you could say something like, ‘I’m sorry, Katie. I didn’t realize you wanted some’. Maybe that would sound better to her and she wouldn’t be so upset.”

He was silent for a moment.

“Hunh,” he grunted, thinking it over. “That might work.”

Yeah. It might.

It’s not malice. Just immaturity.

I arrived at my sister’s house while she was at the grocery store. My 15 year old nephew showed me the metal “sword” that his visiting friend had made for him. The friend had one, too, and after I expressed my admiration and turned to my iTouch to check email, the two began dueling. In the living room.

“Has your mother talked to you about this behavior?” I asked.

“Good point,” he said.

And experts say 15 year olds can be left home alone.

Turning a boy into a man.

So glad my teen boy has a father.

Unhearit – get that d@mn song out of your head

We created this site for those of you that have a song stuck in your head and you can’t get it out no matter what you do. Using the latest in reverse-auditory-melodic-unstickification technology, we’ve been able to allow our users to “unhear” songs by hearing equally catchy songs. So really all we’re doing is making you forget your old song by replacing it with another one… sorry. 

They also have a mobile app.  Highly useful.

File this one under “What the…??”

Spring baseball is quite enough for me, and I really try hard to keep fall sports light.  Last year, Billy did soccer, which was bad enough, but not the travel team, which would have killed me.  Fritz did “Fall Ball” which was a double header every Sunday afternoon for 6 weeks, but no practices.

This year, Fritz, Billy and Peter are doing flag football through the local Baptist church’s Upward program.  Practices once a week; games on Saturday: same time, same place.  Low speed, and what I need.

This afternoon, I got an email from a man saying when and where practices would be.  It didn’t say for which boy, but under his signature it said 5th – 8th grade.  Cool, I thought.  Both my older boys are on the same team.

This evening, I received a phone call from a man who said he was Billy’s coach.  I missed the call, so Bill called him back.  Practices are at the same time/day as the one in the email, but he only has Billy.  “I’ve got 5th – 8th grade,” he told Bill, who told him both boys were in that age range.  “He must be on the other team,” said the man.  Like their basketball program, which Billy did in the spring because one too many pitches hit him in the side the previous spring, there are only two teams in their age range.  So, the same teams play each other every weekend.

And I’ve got a boy on each team.

Now, who am I supposed to cheer for?

It’s always hottest before you get the new air conditioner.

I have a new A/C unit sitting in my backyard waiting for installation.  The guy will come Sunday morning, he says.  Earlier this week, things weren’t too bad.  We had several cloudy days and a few inches of rain.  House temperatures were reasonable.  Yesterday, and today, the heat index was (is expected to be) about 110.  It was 89 upstairs at bedtime last night. 

Next week will be glorious.

*******

Last year, I only sporadically watered the lawn here.  The front has a sprinkler system, so it’s not like it’s a difficult thing to do: turn ON.  Irregular watering led to a less than lush yard.  And I felt like a bad steward.  It was bad enough that the oppressive heat kept me from doing any weeding until the fall.  This summer, I decided I would set the sprinkler system going on a regular 4 day watering cycle and let it be.  The lawn looks very nice right now.  I am a good steward.

And then I got my water bill yesterday, which is billed 6 times a year (every 2 months).  Hm.  I think I’ll be knocking down that watering to twice a week.  Or maybe I’ll just pray for more rain.

*******

Of course, if it rains, then I can’t hang my clothes outside to dry.  And my electric bill will be higher.

But it’ll be lower, because the A/C won’t have to work as hard?

I think I just want it to be October already.