Brother-in-Law Day

What happens when it rains in Southern California...

Thankfully we had scheduled Brother-in-Law day. Joe wanted to cancel because of the weather, but he rallied and found a way to entertain us with the help of his able lab assistant Tyler. (I have some good video of this egg sucking science demonstration, but once again I will need assistance to post it.)

Venice Beach

Tattoos---check!

(Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to flip this image. Just tilt your head till I can get home and fix it.) *fixed, <3stasi

Not on the list because it was beyond my wildest expectations:

11. Painting graffiti at Venice Beach

Rose Tenenhier

Maybe we need to travel more often so we get very good at it. We were waiting to board the plane listening carefully so we didn't miss the call to board. They called a few individuals and those needing assistance and first class passengers. Soon we were one of the few people not in line. The only new announcement for boarding I had heard was for Rose Tenenhier. I asked if we had missed something, but Nancy says, No, that is us. And I'm thinking I maybe didn't understand the last name, but none of us is named Rose. Nancy says, No, we are 22, and she points to our boarding passes. So slowly I see 22 is higher than 10 and we are in row 22. Rows Ten and Higher.
And then the engine wouldn't start because an valve was frozen because it was 12 degrees in Pittsburgh. So the pilot called the mechanic in Houston. Imagine that call. Houston, we have a problem. We arrived in Houston and ran the length of the airport, but missed our flight by 2 seconds. The really funny thing about this is that our luggage made the flight.

10 things we might do in CA

1. Surf lessons from the hunky beefcake

2. Buy matching sister outfits (preferably with fish)

3. Sing California dreamin' and Wish We All could be California Girls

4. Get tattoos

5. See famous people everywhere and take papparazzi pictures

6. Soak in the hot tub till our fingers wrinkle

7. Have a party with Meg and Ty's friends.

8. Carry on

9. Fight like sisters

10. Giggle till we pee our pants

Temperature Check

Today's High Mars PA 14 degrees
Today's High Huntinton Beach CA 63 degrees

Just Act Natural

Today we ventured to the Whole Foods store in Pittsburgh. We wanted to get some of those edible gluten free bread mixes. (Which up till now in our experience has been an oxymoron .) It was an extremely busy place and I could tell by the people in the parking lot that we were slightly out of place. "Act natural", I said to Alex. A certain type of person eats organic foods. They have peace sign bumper stickers on their cars. Suddenly I was aware of the polyester content of my jacket. (I was thankful I wasn't wearing fur.) We went up and down all of the aisles. We bought every bread mix on the shelf. And a couple of gluten free brownie mixes. And we bought some sweet potato and red beet chips. And an organic mango. And some frozen berries. Organic people are very kind and patient. No pushing and shoving like where I usually shop and everyone is in 'roid rage.
On the way home we stopped for lunch at McDonald's.

California Girls

And now for something completely different...
Somehow this week I managed to talk myself and two of my sisters into flying to California next week(!) to visit our other sister. This is a little out of character for all of us. Okay, this is alot out of character for some of us. It happened in one of those I'm-not-getting-any-younger moments, perhaps brought on by the fact that my last birthday that starts with a forty is tomorrow. So I am starting out my last year as a forty-something woman with the women who knew me when I was young and who are old enough themselves not to comment (out loud, to me) on how old I look.
Happy Birthday to me.

Putting on the Gloves

Me: Alex, I bought you new gloves today.
A: What do they look like? Like my sister's gloves?
Me: They are pink. And sparkly. With fake fur around the cuffs.
A: Oh, do they have hearts?
Me: You want everything.

Go-o-o-oal!!!

There was a flyer on the table for a company promising relief of back pain. Under the heading IT REALLY WORKS was this statement:

Our goal is to give our patients at least 50% pain relief within 14 days.

Alex thought that wasn't really a good goal. If he had back pain he would look for a company whose goal was to make him pain free immediately.
I like the way this kid thinks.
(Today my goal is to lose 35 pounds.)

The Fam

As per MA's request...

This is not in our living room. We do not have mounted heads on our walls.

Not that we wouldn't...just that we don't.

In a Fly's Eye

We are constantly changing the background on our computer to show the lastest, greatest photos of Claire. Today's picture was stretched to make her look deformed when it was converted to the background. After several variations we just tiled it so she appears in all of her non-distorted cuteness one time after another. Uncle Alex says,"Like she would look in a fly's eye."
Alex may not have fly eyes, but he seems to see the world differently than the rest of us.

Suspension

Blast From the Past circa 1998

Havener Family Quick Quiz*

1. There are seven days in each week. Your mother instructs you to make your bed every day. This means you do not need to do it on Tuesday.

T or F

2. You borrow your mother's hairbrush. When you are done with it you should leave it in your bedroom where she will eventually find it when she goes to see whether or not you made your bed.

T or F

3. Your mother helps you with a school assignment. You manage to get out the iron, ironing board, stapler, and encyclopedias. It is your mother's job to put these things away. After all, she offered to help.

T or F

4. You eat supper and use 1 plate, 1 glass, 1 fork and a spoon. When you are done you should leave the table as quickly as possible so the elves can come in undisturbed to clear the table.

T or F

5. Dirty clothing and towels are best left on your bedroom floor until you mother tells you to clean your room three days in a row. Mother's like to hear their own voices.

T or F

6. Clean clothes should be left in small piles on the living room floor until you are ready to wear them because clothes are more comfortable on the floor.

T or F

7. Socks are not really clothing, so no laundry rules apply to them.

T or F

8. It is 40 degrees outside and 70 degrees inside. When you go out the door in the morning you should leave the door open so it warms up outside by the time you get home.

T or F

9. If you didn't get the toys out, or if you were not the last one to play with them, then you should not pick them up, even if your mother asks you to. She is just testing you to see if you know whose responsibility it really is.

T or F

10. Clean teeth are not important if you plan to keep your mouth shut most of the day.

T or F

BONUS: Where do cotton balls go after you use them to remove nail polish?


*I first published this test 10 years ago and distributed it with number 2 pencils at the supper table.
(Dave says instead of Blast from the Past this could be called Back to the Future. PSSA testing is nothing new to our family. I've been teaching to the test for 20 years. Fortunately, you don't have to get 100% to graduate. No Child Left Behind--I can get behind that.)

Refreshed

Alex got up early today, his first day back to school after the Christmas break, to see if there was a delay. When he checked online at 4:30am there were very few delays posted, and his school was not one of them. So he got ready for school and checked back periodically to see if there were any changes. After 7am I showed him the power of the refresh button. Turns out there was indeed a 2 hour delay posted at 5:00am. I need a refresh button today. Or maybe an undo button would suffice.
The principal called me today before Alex left the house. Okay, where is that undo button?