Bullet Points Amid the Busy-ness

• Last week my husband took a new train line on its opening day. He called to tell me he'd been interviewed by the local paper and his picture had been taken. He asked me to keep an eye out online. Later that afternoon, I did spy the photo online. Then the next day his photo was on the front of the B section of the local paper. Then it was included in the online photos of the week (just four clicks after my favorite rookie!). We had many fun phone calls and emails from people who saw it. My local celebrity. Funny part was that he hadn't intended to take that train; he missed his intended train due to slow traffic!
• On the klutz front, I was putting away dishes on Friday afternoon when I was distracted by S as I tried to hang a pot on the pot rack. I missed the hook, and managed to drop a heavy Calphalon sauce pot on my face. Ow. Luckily I missed my eye, and it's not visibly bruising - but laying on that side of my face and smiling does smart a bit.
• C's French Horn had to be repaired for, I think, the fourth or fifth time in a year. His teachers assured me that this was not negligence on C's part. French Horn valves are sensitive and can be kludgy, and the solder points delicate. But when we received the horn back this time, there was a pencil in it. I was upset. I called and complained. Then I received a very nasty call back during which the music store owner accused my son of sabotaging his instrument. C is no saint, but he did not do this. Given timing and circumstance, he never had the opportunity to do such a stupid thing - never mind that I don't think it ever occurred to him to try something like that. He likes music! He likes his French Horn! I called C's teacher and she was very supportive and tried to help. She stuck up for C to the music company, and although they aren't backing down on their accusation, it's (at the very least) nice for C to have someone other that family supporting him in this way. We managed to get the pencil out with electrical wire and some old surgical instruments. I don't know what we will do about repairs in the future. We are renting to own with an insurance policy for repairs from this place, but I never want to see them again. Assholes.
• On Friday night we went into town to hear our favorite humorist. The same one about whom my sister and I were speaking when she made her idiotic comments. It was great fun. We always come away from those event with catch words and phrases that make one another laugh. One of my favorite parts of the evening is when he reads from his diary. I can't begin to convey the subject matter with any justice, but it was very, very funny.
• We live near a very well-known, very large, and very well endowed university, but I have to tell you something. Just because there is an "H" attached to something doesn't make it the end-all, be-all of all existence, it doesn't make it the best for you, and it doesn't even make it the best. It just makes it a rich university with good and well-funded marketing and press departments. Choosing something just because of that H and not thinking it through yourself is, well, stupid. And that's just what the H people think you are. This is not to say there aren't some very smart people over there - there are. But it's always better to think for yourself.
  
• On Saturday, the remains of a tropical storm hit our region. So much for our planned yard work day. We were very lucky that we only had a few branches down - large trees came down in other parts of town. The power went out about 2pm, just as I was starting to exercise. That was a very boring 12,000m erg.
• We were set to go to a benefit at and for the library on Saturday night. At 5, with the power still not back, I figured we had to cancel. There was no way I could ask a sitter to hang out in the dark. Especially a new and younger sitter. So I called our friends with whom we had planned to attend and told them, and assuming they were in a similar situation. They, however, had power. After some brainstorming, and a call to the sitter and her mother, we ended up taking our kids and our sitter to their house, getting ready there and attending the library benefit after all. All was going well until 8pm when they sitter called and our friends' house was now without power. The sitter handled it all very well. We went back to our friends' house, took the sitter home (having paid her well - hazard pay we called it), and then went home. Luckily our house had power by then - our friends didn't get it back until 3am.
• The cat left us a gift on Sunday morning. Actually half a gift. As in half a mouse. Usually I handle these things pretty well, but I was tired. Sunday is my husband's sleep-in morning. Since the kids woke up by the sun and not the clock, there was only one person in the house who was able to take advantage of the extra overnight hour. I still can't think about the possible fate of the other half. Since we have yet to find that other half...well, euw, whatever the fate may be.
  
• Back to a sister story. I may have mentioned that I am trying to put together a book about my dad for all the grandkids. I have scanned in every photo I have, and have borrowed and scanned photos from my brother. I was trying for a very specific kinds of photos - photos of us with Dad, photos of the grandkids with Dad, etc. The basic criteria being that Dad must be in all the photos. It's a book about Dad. Getting photos from my sister has been a real challenge. I begged, cajoled, bothered and nagged. I assured here that there would be a direct benefit to her, even if it was delayed. I specified exactly what I needed: two or three pictures of each of her kids with Dad, and two or three pictures of her wedding with Dad in the shots. I finally gave her a deadline, and although she missed it, a FedEx envelope did arrive late Friday afternoon. I was ecstatic until I opened the envelope. There were many, many photos in there, but perhaps 10% included Dad, and none fit the specified criteria. At least half were just of my sister, and another 25% were of my sister and her kids. The rest were random extended family shots - excuse me, why would I put pictures of your in-laws in this book? I should not have been surprised. When her kids wonder why there are fewer pictures of them with their grandfather, I don't know what I will say. Anyway, I scanned what I could use, and shook my head the whole time.
• I managed to pull a muscle in my chest wall on Saturday while I was exercising. It hurts to take a deep breath. Ugh.
• We finally started our outdoor fall cleanup yesterday. We are maybe a third of the way through. As I finally dead-headed the hydrangeas I was amazed how much color was still in the flowers in November. The nasturtiums and pelargonium are trying to come back to life. And the morning glory is hanging on. It's November for goodness sake. Yes, our checkbook will enjoy the fact of not turning on the heat until October 30, but this is just not right.
• Now, off to begin another busy week with a day off of school tomorrow for the boys, dentist appointments, story time at the library, soccer, French Horn lessons, my husband starting a bad schedule for a couple of weeks at work, trying to think about Turkey Day, never-ending laundry, etc., etc.