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?

Just Wondering

Is a hamstring injury related in any way to pulled pork?

You've Gotta Get Up

it's Christmas morning....

A Holly Jolly Good Time

Christmas dinner at our house. Gotta love that gorillapod.

Figgy Pudding-No Figs

Today we go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house. We are wearing our festive clothes, packing the Suzuki with presents, and snow clothes, and food and drink. Alex made plum pudding. Also known as figgy pudding. Since it has neither plums nor figs, either name seems equally acceptable. (I just finished the sauce and think a more appropriate name might be heart attack pudding.) I plan to dip my finger in the sauce and give Claire a taste. Can't wait to see her. Oh, and everyone else.

The Year in Song

(To the tune of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel)
True confessions, Resignation, Lots of prayer and restoration
Bathroom renovations, Camping on the beach

Accountability, Gratitude and humility
Family reunions, Gobs-no gluten, Lots of tea with peach

Chicken dance, Songs to sing, Manifests and tracking
Resumes, Interviews, Business meetings in canoes

Tie your shoes, Comb your hair; Do you have the dog in there?
Getting Alex out the door, I can’t take it any more…

We didn’t see this coming…
Yes, it caught us nappin’
Now it’s got us rappin’
We didn’t see this coming…
Didn’t plan to do it,
But God saw us through it.

Blogspot, iPod, Control freak, Trusting God,
5K, Rainy day, Run around the block.

Movies at the Guthrie, Dinosaurs at Carnegie,
Full-time, Over-time, Work around the clock.

Mother of the Bride dress, Could I have any more stress?
Wedding days, Pirate games, Jose, Jose, Jose.

Labor and delivery, Grandma Brenda, GB.
Whimsical Tuesdays, What else do I have to say?

We didn’t see this coming…
Yes, it caught us nappin’
Now it’s got us rappin’
We didn’t see this coming…
Didn’t plan to do it,
But God saw us through it.

Slovakia, Airports, Wedding plans, New York
Wedding jars, I do, Mrs. Micah Henry

Malibu honeymoon, Grove City - two rooms
Drive across the country, Quarter of a century

Student teaching, College grad, Move back in with Mom and Dad
Big Apple, All of us on a New York City Bus

Grandma’s pearls, La Maze class, Phipps bride, Chihuly Glass
Claire Marie the Fabulous, Now Jimmy’s one of us.

We didn’t see this coming…
Yes, it caught us nappin’
Now it’s got us rappin’
We didn’t see this coming…
Didn’t plan to do it,
But God saw us through it.

Greg Holland, boyfriend, Yes they’re dating once again
PennDOT, Internship, Construction worker tan.

Car wreck, Bridesmaid twice, Canada was pretty nice
Junior year, Fancy House, Geneva Marching Band.

Twenty years looks like fourteen; he said so in Counseling
Drove the roller, and the paver, Her first College B.

Sister-of-the-Year award, Roadwork makes her really bored
First-time aunt, wait I can’t, make this rhyme with anything…

We didn’t see this coming…
Yes, it caught us nappin’
Now it’s got us rappin’
We didn’t see this coming…
Didn’t plan to do it,
But God saw us through it.

PanoryFest, Big success, Harry Potter, DS
Swimming lessons, Tennis camp, Down the water slides

Uncle Alex, Frog rock, Shower days, Alarm clock
Camp Invention, No detention, Brother of the brides

Black Belt, Tae Kwon Do, keeping Mom on the go
Mahaffey Camp, Wildwood, Principal’s Office

Sixth Grade, Journaling, Suicide, Counseling
Paper route, We’ll find out, if ’08 can top this…

We didn’t see this coming…
Yes, it caught us nappin’
Now it’s got us rappin’
We didn’t see this coming…
But when we are gone
God will still go on and on and on and on…

i robot

At work we have a new robot. At first I didn't like the thought of him, but this week I met him, and had some training and now I kinda like him. His job is to receive, and sort and centrifuge, and uncap and deliver and store tubes of blood for our chemistry analyzers. He is really a series of robotic arms. The first one is called io robot--as in input/output robot. He is encased in a plexiglass case so that he doesn't harm anyone with his gripper claw. I feel sorry for him-shut up like that. If he were my robot I would let him out more.
This is the first instrumentation that we have that is actually called a robot. I might like more robots in my life. The cleaning robot. The laundry robot. The food prep robot. The shopping robot. I have a husband to do these things, but he is not programmable.