Tuesday, August 10, 2010

8/10/10

Wow, August already! 18 shopping days til my birthday!!

We got our yard seriously tore up yesterday – we had to have our septic field replaced. This is something that needs to be done every 40-50 years and there was no record of it ever being done since the house was built in 1940. Neat. It had old clay pipes that were broke in pieces from the tree roots growing thru them and everything. Hoping to put sod down to cover that mess, or it’s going to take several car loads of straw bales to cover new seed.

The new 2-track across the front yard.

Looking into the backyard.

So Angel went in last Tuesday to try out for the competition team at her dance studio & made the “All Starz” team. I’m proud of her! Tomorrow we’re going to sign her up for fall classes. There are 4 classes she has to take – conditioning, team tap, team jazz & ballet. But she also likes lyrical & hip hop, too. And wants to take a regular class, too. Either tap or jazz. She’s really torn about which one. I’m so glad that the studio owner set a maximum tuition amount because this could be some serious $$! Luckily they wear their comp costumes for the recital. It doesn’t look like someone will be trying out for sideline cheer this year!

Woohoo! 82 days til Halloween! I was on that psychotic kick collecting all those damn pallets & stuff and…..they’re all still leaning up against the side of the garage. I was going to start pulling nails & such last weekend, but obviously didn’t get to it. Oh well! I still have time.

My pallet & wood stash.

I got on the Halloween Forum online – it’s a cool place! There are tons of talented people who share their ideas and a good place to show what you’ve made to other people who truly appreciate it. I even got involved in a Secret Reaper – like a secret Santa, but we send Halloween stuff to each other! It’s going to be fun! I got plans to make a fence for the cemetery & a couple different coffins (a half-coffin for me & a full one for Linda) out of all that pallet wood. Those along with my zombies should be enough new stuff for this year. And I still have to paint last year’s coffin and do some touch ups & aging on the headstones. I don’t want to overwhelm myself. Oh yeah – and I want to make a grave periscope – a single bony arm coming out of the ground holding an eyeball. Yup.

Marilyn (because the face reminds me of Marilyn Manson)
Punkin Head - they still need finishing touches.

I got an email today from my Adopt-A-Platoon contact! They apparently have gotten what I’ve sent so far & he’s going to send me a CD & a card here soon. Can’t wait! We stopped on the way home tonight to get some more stuff to send over.

I’m going much better with my WW – I started going out walking in the morning before work. Which means getting my butt up as soon as the alarm goes off. It was easy to begin with, but all of a sudden I’m getting up before the sun! So it’s still fairly dark when Jack and I leave the house. Jack is my walking buddy – he may not protect me from much, but he’d let me know if anyone is getting near. We started Tuesday, 7/27 and Thursday morning I noticed he was limping some, so I left him home Friday (much to his dismay!) Then I finally realized that gee – my legs were sore – his probably are, too! Doh! But we’re good now. We go walk around the park – 35 minutes / about 2 miles and we alternate which way we go around so it doesn’t get boring. But anyway, I’ve had nice losses the past 2 weeks since we’ve been walking. Guess that’s what I needed to do!

I went last week to my first Oakland County ARPSC (Amateur Radio Public Service Corps) meeting, since I finally am a member. I had to submit info for a background check & it took FOREVER for that to come back. I didn’t realize they make a point of making new peeps stand up & introducing themselves – and Jim picked on me first. Now I’m working on a FEMA course so I can get into RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service). I admit I forgot how BORING a government study guide can be. I tried to study while waiting for the siren test Saturday & I found out quickly its going to be one of those things that I need absolute silence in order for anything to sink in. Pppft. I think I also volunteered me & Angel to help out at the Brooksie Way half marathon in October. Randy is usually net control for that.

So that’s about all that’s going on here!

8/10/10

Wow, August already! 18 shopping days til my birthday!!

We got our yard seriously tore up yesterday – we had to have our septic field replaced. This is something that needs to be done every 40-50 years and there was no record of it ever being done since the house was built in 1940. Neat. It had old clay pipes that were broke in pieces from the tree roots growing thru them and everything. Hoping to put sod down to cover that mess, or it’s going to take several car loads of straw bales to cover new seed.

The new 2-track across the front yard.

Looking into the backyard.

So Angel went in last Tuesday to try out for the competition team at her dance studio & made the “All Starz” team. I’m proud of her! Tomorrow we’re going to sign her up for fall classes. There are 4 classes she has to take – conditioning, team tap, team jazz & ballet. But she also likes lyrical & hip hop, too. And wants to take a regular class, too. Either tap or jazz. She’s really torn about which one. I’m so glad that the studio owner set a maximum tuition amount because this could be some serious $$! Luckily they wear their comp costumes for the recital. It doesn’t look like someone will be trying out for sideline cheer this year!

Woohoo! 82 days til Halloween! I was on that psychotic kick collecting all those damn pallets & stuff and…..they’re all still leaning up against the side of the garage. I was going to start pulling nails & such last weekend, but obviously didn’t get to it. Oh well! I still have time.

My pallet & wood stash.

I got on the Halloween Forum online – it’s a cool place! There are tons of talented people who share their ideas and a good place to show what you’ve made to other people who truly appreciate it. I even got involved in a Secret Reaper – like a secret Santa, but we send Halloween stuff to each other! It’s going to be fun! I got plans to make a fence for the cemetery & a couple different coffins (a half-coffin for me & a full one for Linda) out of all that pallet wood. Those along with my zombies should be enough new stuff for this year. And I still have to paint last year’s coffin and do some touch ups & aging on the headstones. I don’t want to overwhelm myself. Oh yeah – and I want to make a grave periscope – a single bony arm coming out of the ground holding an eyeball. Yup.

Marilyn (because the face reminds me of Marilyn Manson)
Punkin Head - they still need finishing touches.

I got an email today from my Adopt-A-Platoon contact! They apparently have gotten what I’ve sent so far & he’s going to send me a CD & a card here soon. Can’t wait! We stopped on the way home tonight to get some more stuff to send over.

I’m going much better with my WW – I started going out walking in the morning before work. Which means getting my butt up as soon as the alarm goes off. It was easy to begin with, but all of a sudden I’m getting up before the sun! So it’s still fairly dark when Jack and I leave the house. Jack is my walking buddy – he may not protect me from much, but he’d let me know if anyone is getting near. We started Tuesday, 7/27 and Thursday morning I noticed he was limping some, so I left him home Friday (much to his dismay!) Then I finally realized that gee – my legs were sore – his probably are, too! Doh! But we’re good now. We go walk around the park – 35 minutes / about 2 miles and we alternate which way we go around so it doesn’t get boring. But anyway, I’ve had nice losses the past 2 weeks since we’ve been walking. Guess that’s what I needed to do!

I went last week to my first Oakland County ARPSC (Amateur Radio Public Service Corps) meeting, since I finally am a member. I had to submit info for a background check & it took FOREVER for that to come back. I didn’t realize they make a point of making new peeps stand up & introducing themselves – and Jim picked on me first. Now I’m working on a FEMA course so I can get into RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service). I admit I forgot how BORING a government study guide can be. I tried to study while waiting for the siren test Saturday & I found out quickly its going to be one of those things that I need absolute silence in order for anything to sink in. Pppft. I think I also volunteered me & Angel to help out at the Brooksie Way half marathon in October. Randy is usually net control for that.

So that’s about all that’s going on here!