I slept wrong last night and woke up with a really stiff neck. Before I woke up, though, my brain knew I was in pain, and I dreamt (Is that a word??? It looks so wrong that it's making me question everything, like I've suddenly discovered the Matrix.) that the pain was a toothache that needed emergency dental work.
A book I've been waiting for, the third book in the Miss Read series, was ready for pick-up today at the library. This is my second time through these books, and I love them as much as ever. They're funny and cozy, and nothing too bad ever goes wrong in them.
This afternoon I found out that our oven must be broken. I did everything right, but dinner literally...and I mean literally...caught on fire. It was the best mac-and-cheese in the world, too, so I sort of wanted to cry. (By the best mac-and-cheese in the world I mean Beecher's from Pike Place Market.)
It's weird to think that it's Halloween today, because I don't have any little kids anymore who trick-or-treat.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Weekend
We had such a full weekend. First of all was Baylee's show on Saturday night! It was a Halloween-themed event with five bands. There was a fun, responsive audience, and TMA's performance went well with a couple hitches. Bri, the lead singer, had trouble with a cable (I think?), and it affected how well you could hear her in spots, and Baylee had a mic that wouldn't tighten down and stay in place in front of her mouth, so you couldn't always hear her singing parts. Like I said, though, it went well despite those little things.
Here's a blurry picture of them onstage. They're all in costume. All the bands were in costume, and many people in the audience were as well.
And here are a couple parts of songs. In this first one you can really hear Baylee killing it on the drums.
And this second one is the last bit of their closing number. At the end the audience yells for an encore.
Here's a blurry picture of them onstage. They're all in costume. All the bands were in costume, and many people in the audience were as well.
And here are a couple parts of songs. In this first one you can really hear Baylee killing it on the drums.
Then on Sunday afternoon Baylee, Mike, and I went to see a traveling Broadway production of Aladdin at the Paramount. It was wonderful! They did stuff onstage right in front of our eyes...things like instantaneous costume changes and a flying carpet scene...that I couldn't figure out.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Music News
Drew wrote a piece of symphonic music that's not long...it lasts about 30 seconds...for a string quintet. He wrote it for Morrow, to add to one of their songs, but the problem was they couldn't afford to hire people to play it, so nothing was ever done with it as far as their upcoming album. This year, though, the other guitar player in Morrow, Trevor, started attending a fine arts boarding school in Michigan called Interlochen, and so he has access to a bunch of musical kids willing to work for free. lol He put together a group made of two violins, a viola, a cello, and a double bass, gave them Drew's music, and they recorded it for Morrow's album! Trevor sent the recording to Drew and, man, is he happy. I heard it, too, and it's beautiful.
A couple evenings ago Baylee and Bri, the lead singer for TMA, did a radio interview that lasted about 15 minutes. They did a good job, and Baylee got to answer several questions about joining the band.
And tonight is her first performance with them! Because it's so close to Halloween they're all going to wear costumes. Baylee's going as a witch, so this morning I starched and ironed her hat, since it kept drooping.
A couple evenings ago Baylee and Bri, the lead singer for TMA, did a radio interview that lasted about 15 minutes. They did a good job, and Baylee got to answer several questions about joining the band.
And tonight is her first performance with them! Because it's so close to Halloween they're all going to wear costumes. Baylee's going as a witch, so this morning I starched and ironed her hat, since it kept drooping.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Tuesday
I have a new game on my phone, introduced to me by Baylee, that I can't stop playing: Peggle Blast. It's both addicting and maddening. In fact, I've anger deleted it several times now, but I always end up downloading it again. I'm on level 74.
Zach's math class started out with over 100 people. Within the first week it dropped to 50. After the the first quiz it got down to 25. Now it's at 12.
And here's a weird French thing: Cotton candy is called "barbe à papa," which means "beard of papa."
And here are my flashcard stats: I haven't seen 1734 of them yet, I'm learning 1005, and I've mastered 261.
PS: How strange that everything I said, except for the bit about cotton candy, had to do with numbers.
Zach's math class started out with over 100 people. Within the first week it dropped to 50. After the the first quiz it got down to 25. Now it's at 12.
And here's a weird French thing: Cotton candy is called "barbe à papa," which means "beard of papa."
And here are my flashcard stats: I haven't seen 1734 of them yet, I'm learning 1005, and I've mastered 261.
PS: How strange that everything I said, except for the bit about cotton candy, had to do with numbers.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Monday
Yesterday Baylee mentioned to me that she and Bri, the lead singer of TMA, are going to be on the radio on Thursday, talking about their upcoming show. I was taken aback by the casual way she brought it up, so I asked her if she was nervous. She said she's not, but that she doesn't plan to say much if she can help it.
It reminded me of a time when I was a freshman in college and was asked to be part of a radio commercial for our school. The Dean of Students drove me and two or three other students to a Christian radio station, where we voice acted a scene in which we played the parts of high school students walking down a school hallway, talking about our future plans. (Sound effects like other students talking in the background, lockers shutting, our footsteps, etc. were added later.) I guess the station ended up airing it (Do you say "airing" for radio or is that just TV?) a bunch of times over the next few months, but I, like Baylee, didn't give it much thought. In fact, I never even heard the commercial for myself.
Another time...this was when I had just graduated and was a newlywed...I was working as the secretary in the admission's office of the college. One day I was minding my own business, doing my work, when I became aware that off to one side my boss and her boss were talking about taking out a full-page ad for the school in a Christian magazine. They started to discuss which students could be in the ad, since they needed one guy and one girl, and they came up with the guy they wanted fairly quickly. Then they began talking about who could be the girl. They tossed out a few names, went over the pros and cons of each, when suddenly both of them stopped talking and looked at me. "No!" I said. "Absolutely not!" They totally didn't listen, though, and that's the story of how I ended up in a magazine. lol Ugh. I had go to a photography studio and pose with the guy student while pictures were taken. It wasn't just a two-people-standing-there-looking-happy pose, either. No, we had to pretend like I was whispering something in his ear, and then the finished product was our picture with the words, "Psst! I've got a secret! I know a great college!" (or something along those lines) and info about the school. To be honest, it was vaguely horrifying. Shoot, it's still kinda horrifying, and it's been 24 years. I never felt like I was the best person for that job, only the most convenient.
It reminded me of a time when I was a freshman in college and was asked to be part of a radio commercial for our school. The Dean of Students drove me and two or three other students to a Christian radio station, where we voice acted a scene in which we played the parts of high school students walking down a school hallway, talking about our future plans. (Sound effects like other students talking in the background, lockers shutting, our footsteps, etc. were added later.) I guess the station ended up airing it (Do you say "airing" for radio or is that just TV?) a bunch of times over the next few months, but I, like Baylee, didn't give it much thought. In fact, I never even heard the commercial for myself.
Another time...this was when I had just graduated and was a newlywed...I was working as the secretary in the admission's office of the college. One day I was minding my own business, doing my work, when I became aware that off to one side my boss and her boss were talking about taking out a full-page ad for the school in a Christian magazine. They started to discuss which students could be in the ad, since they needed one guy and one girl, and they came up with the guy they wanted fairly quickly. Then they began talking about who could be the girl. They tossed out a few names, went over the pros and cons of each, when suddenly both of them stopped talking and looked at me. "No!" I said. "Absolutely not!" They totally didn't listen, though, and that's the story of how I ended up in a magazine. lol Ugh. I had go to a photography studio and pose with the guy student while pictures were taken. It wasn't just a two-people-standing-there-looking-happy pose, either. No, we had to pretend like I was whispering something in his ear, and then the finished product was our picture with the words, "Psst! I've got a secret! I know a great college!" (or something along those lines) and info about the school. To be honest, it was vaguely horrifying. Shoot, it's still kinda horrifying, and it's been 24 years. I never felt like I was the best person for that job, only the most convenient.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Catch Up
Mike and I have been members of Audible for years now, and I've absolutely loved it. I listen to audio books every bit as much as I read, so it's been great to have access to bestsellers every month. Also, it came in handy for our homeschool, as both the boys and even sometimes Baylee enjoyed keeping up with their literature assignments by listening instead of reading. That said, I cancelled our membership yesterday, because I figured I'd like Kindle Unlimited better. Then I joined Kindle Unlimited and guess what. It's such a disappointment! You don't actually have access to every Kindle book on Amazon, just the cheapo ones that aren't popular. Sigh. Oh well. Good thing I like self-published weight-loss memoirs.
It's been interesting to see the different personalities of Zach and Drew when it comes to college. Zach is extremely organized. His writing is neat and his notes are meticulous.
Drew, on the other hand, is like a walking tornado. A couple days ago he wanted to show me an assignment he got back, so he started digging through his backpack for it. It was like Oscar the Grouch was searching in his trashcan.
That said, they're both doing well! I'm proud of them. Last week Zach got back his very first paper for his English class, a review and critique of the movie Man on Wire, and he got 100%. Also last week he had to get up in front of his math class and give a presentation, and he got 47/50. (I know I'm totally being that mom right now, but I'm honestly so happy with and for him.) And Drew's doing well, too, I think. Since this is his second year he doesn't talk about school as much as he used to, but he did tell me that he loves his Jazz Improv class so much that he wishes he could do it all day, every day. And yesterday he spent a rainy Saturday afternoon here at home improvising a little piece on our piano:
Also yesterday Baylee spent 10 hours at the Robert Lang Studio here in Seattle, because the house band got to record and video! (I think SoR Headquarters is paying to have certain schools do this, because they're planning to use the recording and video as advertising. That's my guess anyway.) It was a wonderful opportunity.
Here are some pics I stole. The first one is from the Seattle SoR Instagram page, and the rest are from a mom named Jodi who posted them on FB. (She did tag me, though.)
(They all had to wear black in order to look uniform and somewhat professional in the videos.)
It's been interesting to see the different personalities of Zach and Drew when it comes to college. Zach is extremely organized. His writing is neat and his notes are meticulous.
Drew, on the other hand, is like a walking tornado. A couple days ago he wanted to show me an assignment he got back, so he started digging through his backpack for it. It was like Oscar the Grouch was searching in his trashcan.
That said, they're both doing well! I'm proud of them. Last week Zach got back his very first paper for his English class, a review and critique of the movie Man on Wire, and he got 100%. Also last week he had to get up in front of his math class and give a presentation, and he got 47/50. (I know I'm totally being that mom right now, but I'm honestly so happy with and for him.) And Drew's doing well, too, I think. Since this is his second year he doesn't talk about school as much as he used to, but he did tell me that he loves his Jazz Improv class so much that he wishes he could do it all day, every day. And yesterday he spent a rainy Saturday afternoon here at home improvising a little piece on our piano:
Also yesterday Baylee spent 10 hours at the Robert Lang Studio here in Seattle, because the house band got to record and video! (I think SoR Headquarters is paying to have certain schools do this, because they're planning to use the recording and video as advertising. That's my guess anyway.) It was a wonderful opportunity.
Here are some pics I stole. The first one is from the Seattle SoR Instagram page, and the rest are from a mom named Jodi who posted them on FB. (She did tag me, though.)
(They all had to wear black in order to look uniform and somewhat professional in the videos.)
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Tuesday
Look at this picture of my handsome brother. I stole it from his Facebook page.
Eric's a builder who does beautiful work. Recently, though, something terrible happened at a job site he was at. He got there early in the morning and was working along with a few other guys inside the place (a tall house that was being built on a lake front), when suddenly he saw a flash of something fall past the window. At first he thought it was tools falling off the roof, but then there was a horrible sound like something heavy had hit the deck outside. Eric ran and was the first one out there, and he found that it was a roofer who had fallen...a kid, really, about Zach's age. The kid had somehow fallen from the roof and landed so hard that he broke one of the joists of the deck. Eric said it was the most awful sight he's ever seen. Of course, someone (maybe Eric? I don't know.) called 911 immediately, but because of the location of this building site it was difficult for an ambulance to get to them. Anyway, the poor kid lived, but last I heard he's still in an induced coma. It's tragic. It was determined, though, to be nobody's fault.
Eric's a builder who does beautiful work. Recently, though, something terrible happened at a job site he was at. He got there early in the morning and was working along with a few other guys inside the place (a tall house that was being built on a lake front), when suddenly he saw a flash of something fall past the window. At first he thought it was tools falling off the roof, but then there was a horrible sound like something heavy had hit the deck outside. Eric ran and was the first one out there, and he found that it was a roofer who had fallen...a kid, really, about Zach's age. The kid had somehow fallen from the roof and landed so hard that he broke one of the joists of the deck. Eric said it was the most awful sight he's ever seen. Of course, someone (maybe Eric? I don't know.) called 911 immediately, but because of the location of this building site it was difficult for an ambulance to get to them. Anyway, the poor kid lived, but last I heard he's still in an induced coma. It's tragic. It was determined, though, to be nobody's fault.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Sunday
This morning when I woke up I said to Mike, "Is it sunny today?" (The reason I wondered is because I had a horrible sinus headache, and that usually happens with pronounced changes in the weather. It's been rainy and cool the last few days.) Right away, though, I lost interest in the answer and wondered instead if I could ask it in French. I could! It's, "Il fait ensoleillé aujourd'hui?" Talking about the weather in French is weirdly complicated. "Il fait" actually means "It does," so technically I was saying, "It does sunny today?" No idea why they construct it like that.
Speaking of French stuff, I'm up to 995 flashcards! Tomorrow I'll get 30 new ones, and then I'll break 1000.
Now that Baylee is done with most of her obligations at the SoR*, she can put a lot of focus on her music lessons with Michael Knight. He's been super happy with her lately because of that, and he's really piling on the work. Right now she's learning something called Rudimentary Ritual.
Edited to Add: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! Baylee went to that second homecoming last night wearing the exact same thing she wore to the first one, so I didn't bother getting pictures this time. The boy picked her up in his mom's Mercedes, and they met up with a group of other kids going to the dance. She said she had fun.
Cooper has a new spot outside where he likes to take naps, and when he's there he's practically invisible.
*She's only got one house band obligation left, and it's a cool one. Next weekend the kids get to spend 10 hours at a music studio here in Seattle recording some of their songs.
Speaking of French stuff, I'm up to 995 flashcards! Tomorrow I'll get 30 new ones, and then I'll break 1000.
Now that Baylee is done with most of her obligations at the SoR*, she can put a lot of focus on her music lessons with Michael Knight. He's been super happy with her lately because of that, and he's really piling on the work. Right now she's learning something called Rudimentary Ritual.
Edited to Add: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! Baylee went to that second homecoming last night wearing the exact same thing she wore to the first one, so I didn't bother getting pictures this time. The boy picked her up in his mom's Mercedes, and they met up with a group of other kids going to the dance. She said she had fun.
Cooper has a new spot outside where he likes to take naps, and when he's there he's practically invisible.
*She's only got one house band obligation left, and it's a cool one. Next weekend the kids get to spend 10 hours at a music studio here in Seattle recording some of their songs.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Friday
Yesterday I was watching French in Action, and Robert, one of the main characters of the soap opera, told a little story that made me laugh:
Translated: "I had a friend who, in his youth, wanted to be a priest. Only, since last year, he doesn't believe in God! This is a problem for someone who wants to be a priest, so he has just started working at a big insurance company, La Providence." (Get it?)
Look at me being seasonal! This is my centerpiece on the dining room table...
Translated: "I had a friend who, in his youth, wanted to be a priest. Only, since last year, he doesn't believe in God! This is a problem for someone who wants to be a priest, so he has just started working at a big insurance company, La Providence." (Get it?)
Look at me being seasonal! This is my centerpiece on the dining room table...
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Thursday
You know what I don't get? When people on FB say things like, "Wow! My grandma would've been 106 today!" I mean, if she was alive and turning 106, that would be amazing, but she's dead, so, honestly, it's no great feat.
This is a horrible story and I shouldn't be telling it:
Tonight Baylee took a bubble bath, and in order to create a cozy ambience she lit a candle and put it on the edge of the tub. Then she got in, laid back, and started to relax. That's when she realized that a piece of her hair was on fire, because it had fallen into the candle. She quickly put it out, of course, but not before some damage was done. Mind you, she didn't come to me and tell me about this herself. No, I smelled burned hair all the way out in the dining room and went into the bathroom to investigate.
I was pretty dang mad and got after her quite a bit, because it was a dangerous thing to do and because I literally just spent money on a cut and color for her (see pic below)...
...and now she's got a singed spot! Finally, after listening to me rant for awhile, she said, "Okay, Mom, but everybody makes mistakes!"
"Yeah," I replied, "but most people's mistakes don't involve setting their head on fire!"
And that, my friends, is something I never thought I'd hear myself say, especially to one of my own kids. Or at the very least I thought it would be Drew.
This is a horrible story and I shouldn't be telling it:
Tonight Baylee took a bubble bath, and in order to create a cozy ambience she lit a candle and put it on the edge of the tub. Then she got in, laid back, and started to relax. That's when she realized that a piece of her hair was on fire, because it had fallen into the candle. She quickly put it out, of course, but not before some damage was done. Mind you, she didn't come to me and tell me about this herself. No, I smelled burned hair all the way out in the dining room and went into the bathroom to investigate.
I was pretty dang mad and got after her quite a bit, because it was a dangerous thing to do and because I literally just spent money on a cut and color for her (see pic below)...
...and now she's got a singed spot! Finally, after listening to me rant for awhile, she said, "Okay, Mom, but everybody makes mistakes!"
"Yeah," I replied, "but most people's mistakes don't involve setting their head on fire!"
And that, my friends, is something I never thought I'd hear myself say, especially to one of my own kids. Or at the very least I thought it would be Drew.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Wednesday
This morning my friend Bethany came over to touch up Baylee's color and give her a haircut, and in the course of our conversation she made me laugh to tears at least three different times. I love her.
The reason we had her do that is because Baylee's first show with TMA is coming up in a couple weeks! Yesterday the band made an announcement about it on social media and included this picture...
The guy in the hotdog suit is somebody anonymous who goes to lots of different shows from different bands in the Seattle area, and he dances and enjoys the performances. That picture was taken at TMA's last show.
By the way, when the picture was taken Baylee had just gotten into the band, but she didn't perform with them that night, because there hadn't been enough time for them to rehearse together. They had a guy come in from another band and drum for them just that once. Baylee was there in the audience, though, and during the show the band pointed her out, told everyone who she was and that she was their new drummer, and then said that they'd nicknamed her Happy Feet, because of how fast she is with the double kick pedal. *smile*
The guy in the hotdog suit is somebody anonymous who goes to lots of different shows from different bands in the Seattle area, and he dances and enjoys the performances. That picture was taken at TMA's last show.
By the way, when the picture was taken Baylee had just gotten into the band, but she didn't perform with them that night, because there hadn't been enough time for them to rehearse together. They had a guy come in from another band and drum for them just that once. Baylee was there in the audience, though, and during the show the band pointed her out, told everyone who she was and that she was their new drummer, and then said that they'd nicknamed her Happy Feet, because of how fast she is with the double kick pedal. *smile*
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Bullets
- I had to get up at 5:30 this morning, because I had a dentist appointment for a check-up at 7am. UGH. I HATE going to the dentist for any reason, but check-ups are the worst, with the exception of root canals. They (check-ups, but also root canals) are torture, plain and simple. On the bright side, my teeth feel very nice now.
- Zach hasn't been home in 3 days. He left on Saturday after he finished writing a paper for school and went to spend time with some friends in order to say goodbye to JT, who's leaving for 18 months on a ship with the Navy. Zach will be home after his last class today.
- Speaking of Zach and school, he's doing well! In fact, last week we had this conversation...
Him: I got the
results back from that quiz we took in math.
Me: Oh, yeah? How'd you do?
Him: Well,
before the teacher handed them back to us, she said that half the class
failed. Then
she said that only one person got all the problems correct. I was that one person.
PS: He
was also one of two students designated to be a go-to person
for other students who can't understand how to navigate Canvas, which is
the online platform that the school uses to communicate assignments and
grades.
- Baylee was asked by another kid from a different school to go (as friends) to homecoming with him. She agreed, even though she had to think about it for a bit. The boy is nice; it's not that. It's that she feels like she's "been there, done that" with homecoming dances now, and she doesn't think they're all that interesting.
- A couple pictures...
- And here's a French tidbit: You know how in English we have the word "yes," but we also have the slang word "yeah"? Well, the French have the same thing. They have "oui," pronounced /wee/, but they also have the slang "ouais," pronounced /way/.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Sunday
This morning Mike, Baylee, and I went to a large church in the area to see an adult friend of ours get baptized. It was an interesting experience, partly because I've never seen a baptism before in my entire life. That part of the service was cool. Before each person was baptized they appeared on a big screen, where they told the story of their own life and their salvation. (This was pre-recorded.) Then the screen went black and the water tank area lit up, and there that person was, along with two pastors. One of the pastors spoke quietly into the baptizee's ear for a second...I don't know what was said...and then both pastors dunked him/her backwards. It was honestly very moving. I got teary over my friend, but also over people I've never met. The rest of the service was nice as well, but it was maybe a bit too...I don't know...professional? I felt like I was in a studio audience. That said, the people were all very kind and welcoming, and the sermon was Biblical.
And here are a couple pics I snapped yesterday...
Zach working on his first paper and Gibbs zonked out in the middle of the floor
Mike and Drew fixing Drew's guitar
And here are a couple pics I snapped yesterday...
Zach working on his first paper and Gibbs zonked out in the middle of the floor
Mike and Drew fixing Drew's guitar
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Saturday
I've gotten to that super annoying stage where I amuse myself by responding to my family in French. Today Mike wanted to know what kind of soup I needed for a recipe. He asked, "Cream of mushroom, golden mushroom, or garlic and mushroom?"
I answered, "Avec l'ail, s'il vous plâit."
And the reason I know the word "garlic" ("ail") is because of Cleverdeck! I'm up to 760 flashcards, but that doesn't mean I go through that many every day. Here's how it works: Once I've got a word it shows it to me 3 days later, then if I get it right again it shows it a week later, then I think 16 days later, then 21, etc. At some point it considers the word mastered, but I'm not sure yet what that point is.
Yesterday morning I got up to let the cat outside, and when I opened the door I was greeted by this incredible sunrise.
And here's a random picture of Baylee carrying the cat around like a baby in a wrap.
I answered, "Avec l'ail, s'il vous plâit."
And the reason I know the word "garlic" ("ail") is because of Cleverdeck! I'm up to 760 flashcards, but that doesn't mean I go through that many every day. Here's how it works: Once I've got a word it shows it to me 3 days later, then if I get it right again it shows it a week later, then I think 16 days later, then 21, etc. At some point it considers the word mastered, but I'm not sure yet what that point is.
Yesterday morning I got up to let the cat outside, and when I opened the door I was greeted by this incredible sunrise.
And here's a random picture of Baylee carrying the cat around like a baby in a wrap.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
This and That
Tonight I went out for coffee with my friend Beth. It's been awhile, so it was really great to see her and catch up. After a couple hours, though, we had to stop talking and leave the place (even though we could've easily kept on), because they were closing up shop. There was a guy literally mopping the floor under our table and around our feet. lol
Every so often Mike rides his bike all the way to work. Then when it's time for him to come back home he takes the train most of the way and only bikes a bit of it. Today the weather was gorgeous so he decided to ride, and I snapped his picture right before he left.
Last night Rachel came over. The girls hung out and made brownies.
Mike and I were talking on the phone today, and I mentioned to him that I made a special trip to the grocery store to buy the cat more food, since we were out. I said, "Cooper's sick of eating that little bowl of salmon and mayonnaise that you gave him this morning. He wants real cat food."
"Well, don't throw the salmon away," Mike replied. "I'll eat the rest of it."
"Mike, no! The cat ate out of that!"
"I don't mean that bowl! I mean the rest of the salmon that's still in the can in the fridge!"
I was like, "Ohhhhh..." Then we both laughed almost to tears that I would even think for one second that he was asking me to save the food the cat had been picking at, so that he could finish it off when he got home from work.
Every so often Mike rides his bike all the way to work. Then when it's time for him to come back home he takes the train most of the way and only bikes a bit of it. Today the weather was gorgeous so he decided to ride, and I snapped his picture right before he left.
Last night Rachel came over. The girls hung out and made brownies.
Mike and I were talking on the phone today, and I mentioned to him that I made a special trip to the grocery store to buy the cat more food, since we were out. I said, "Cooper's sick of eating that little bowl of salmon and mayonnaise that you gave him this morning. He wants real cat food."
"Well, don't throw the salmon away," Mike replied. "I'll eat the rest of it."
"Mike, no! The cat ate out of that!"
"I don't mean that bowl! I mean the rest of the salmon that's still in the can in the fridge!"
I was like, "Ohhhhh..." Then we both laughed almost to tears that I would even think for one second that he was asking me to save the food the cat had been picking at, so that he could finish it off when he got home from work.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Random Stuff
Today I've got a couple random pictures, a random meme, and a random story.
I recently paid two dollars or so for an app that's full of different photo filters. It's for those pictures that are okay, but need a little somethin'. I was playing around with it the other night and used it on these...
Here's a meme I ran across. As any woman could tell you, truer words were never spoken, amiright?
Finally, I have a little story about something that happened a couple months ago. I keep thinking about telling it and then deciding I probably shouldn't. Today, though, I'm throwing caution to the wind.
One day Baylee and I were at the gas station getting gas. For whatever reason...I think because I had asked her to go pay for the gas with cash I gave her...we were both standing outside the car. A guy in his late teens/early 20's was walking down the sidewalk by the gas station, and when he saw Baylee he wolf whistled. She looked right at him, and with a totally deadpan face she calmly flipped him off. Then she got in the car and shut the door. It was both a bit shocking and kind of hilarious. When I was done at the pump I got in the car, too, and asked her about it. She simply said that she's not putting up with it, period. And you know what? Good.
I recently paid two dollars or so for an app that's full of different photo filters. It's for those pictures that are okay, but need a little somethin'. I was playing around with it the other night and used it on these...
Finally, I have a little story about something that happened a couple months ago. I keep thinking about telling it and then deciding I probably shouldn't. Today, though, I'm throwing caution to the wind.
One day Baylee and I were at the gas station getting gas. For whatever reason...I think because I had asked her to go pay for the gas with cash I gave her...we were both standing outside the car. A guy in his late teens/early 20's was walking down the sidewalk by the gas station, and when he saw Baylee he wolf whistled. She looked right at him, and with a totally deadpan face she calmly flipped him off. Then she got in the car and shut the door. It was both a bit shocking and kind of hilarious. When I was done at the pump I got in the car, too, and asked her about it. She simply said that she's not putting up with it, period. And you know what? Good.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Tuesday
So yesterday I posted that video, didn't really think about it too much for several hours, then went back on my blog and looked at it again. It was a "That moment you realize you look kinda horrible and you totally put it out there for the world to see" situation. Sigh. lol In my defense, I have a cold.
I've realized something over the past few days. I've been watching French in Action, that class that uses total immersion, and I discovered (as I mentioned before) that I can follow it pretty much 100%. However:
On the bright side, another thing I've figured out is that I can follow along with those classes and have understanding, even if words are used that I've never heard before. Yesterday they were talking about someone who had a hooked nose, and before that I had never learned the French word for "hooked." I got it, though, just through context. (By the way, "hooked" = "accroché," pronounced /ah crow shay/ like a crochet hook.)
Oh, one other neat, related thing. The Frantastique app updated, and one of the new features is a breakdown of all your different skill levels. I found out that my lowest level is grammar...of course...but my highest is communication. In fact, that one is just shy of C1, which is advanced! I know that doesn't mean my speaking ability, since Frantastique can't help me with that; rather it refers to communication that I take in through reading and watching/hearing. That's still heartening.
I've realized something over the past few days. I've been watching French in Action, that class that uses total immersion, and I discovered (as I mentioned before) that I can follow it pretty much 100%. However:
- If I look away, I lose track.
- If I start thinking about something else, I lose track.
- If I'm eating something while watching, I lose track.
- If there's too much noise in the house, I lose track.
On the bright side, another thing I've figured out is that I can follow along with those classes and have understanding, even if words are used that I've never heard before. Yesterday they were talking about someone who had a hooked nose, and before that I had never learned the French word for "hooked." I got it, though, just through context. (By the way, "hooked" = "accroché," pronounced /ah crow shay/ like a crochet hook.)
Oh, one other neat, related thing. The Frantastique app updated, and one of the new features is a breakdown of all your different skill levels. I found out that my lowest level is grammar...of course...but my highest is communication. In fact, that one is just shy of C1, which is advanced! I know that doesn't mean my speaking ability, since Frantastique can't help me with that; rather it refers to communication that I take in through reading and watching/hearing. That's still heartening.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)