Final Pool Day

Last Sunday (8/23), it was such a beautiful day. We had no shortage of things to do around the house, but in typical Brent and Donna fashion, we found something much more appealing to do. I called Paul and Diane to see if the pool was open and if they were into company.


Thankfully, they were into it and we headed north for one last day at the pool. Paul had a meeting so Diane, Brent and I prepared a great meal and when Paul got home at 9:30, he was surprised we were still there. Well, honestly, it wasn't the wine. We stayed out until the last bit of sun disappeared before making dinner. It was a great time with great friends.

Witness

On my way to work on Wednesday, I witnessed an awful accident. I typically travel back roads to work and it saves me roughly 10 minutes travel time. On this morning, I was stopped at a stop sign at the corner of Macintosh and Crums Mill Rds. The black car was travelling south, coming from my right. I waited for him to pass so I could pull out and turn left behind him. As he approached, I looked to my left and the red SUV was speeding over the crest of the hill.

This is a tricky spot. It's a blind hill and if you're going too fast you catch some air (...um..ok, I may have done this once or twice) and as you crest the hill, the road curves to the right. The red SUV never made the curve and crossed over into the other lane, hitting the black car head on, flipping over, and crashing into the telephone pole. A man staggered out of the black car which had spun 180 degrees and was now in the opposite lane. I will have nightmares of this guy, doubled over, staggering, looking right at me with his hand outstretched toward me, seeking help. There were no other cars in sight.

I immediately rooted through my purse, located my cell phone and dialed 911. When I was almost done with the dispatcher, a car stopped back behind the black car and ran first toward the SUV. By this time, two cars had stopped behind me and were running toward the man from the black car, now lying in the grass. The dispatcher told me I couldn't go until I spoke with the police.

At this point, and as you can see from the video, the telephone pole caught on fire. Sparks were flying and I was really afraid a wire would cut loose. Then, the SUV began smoking. The policeman used a fire extinguisher and then began breaking out windows. As I was speaking with the police, the man from the black car was loaded into the ambulance. They still hadn't gotten the person out of the SUV and I was afraid that driver may have been dead.

The next day, I say the on-line tv report of the accident. The driver, a woman, wasn't dead. No. She was DRUNK at 8:15 in the morning, with 2 open whiskey bottles in her car. A friend wondered why she had 2. Obviously one for each hand because clearly she wasn't using them to steer her car.

I was really shaken up, but headed to work like the good little do-bee I am. The other driver was taken to Hershey Med and I hope he's okay.

Baby Kiki Turns 50

Yes, mine brither has finally crossed that half-century mark. Rick, whoever said these are the best years of your life were liars. These would more appropriately be named "the years where everything hurts but you still have to drag your sorry butt out to a job you hate, working for a company that is in all likelihood mismanaged, and is just waiting to reward you for all your hard-working years of service by laying you off." But that was too long. Then they just shortened it to "the best years of your life." Like a beer commercial. But wait, I'm being cynical.

This is how the day played out. An aborted outdoor picnic was moved indoors due to the never ending monsoon season here in Central PA. But, all your family came to celebrate as did your long-time friend, Vere. We toasted the fact that our parents wanted you more than me and the fact that your niece, at a very young age could spout gross Zappa lyrics due to your influence in exploring musical genres, and the fact that your Mommy loves you. We feasted on another Kera masterpiece (yummy chocolate on more decadent chocolate) decorated very appropriately for a Floyd fan.
We were really tickled that Vere could come. And seriously, loved those pickles, man.

Rick, all joking and cynicism aside, family and friends are what make life good, and you are well loved. Happy Birthday!

Scavenger Hunt, Take 2

Are you as sick of this rain as I am? Sheesh. Whatever happened to brown grass that doesn't have to be mowed in August? Ah, but I digress...

Another rain threatening, overcast Wednesday so we were forced to move our second scavenger hunt indoors. All the clues pertained to something in the living room.

Clue: I want fabulous!
Gwen: I know, High School Musical.
Me: Which one?
Gwen: Duh, Grandma. HSM #2 (as she dashed off to the DVD's)

Of course. Who didn't know that. Clearly these clues need to be harder yet.

Healthy Yoga and Unhealthy Ice Cream

A few weeks ago, my yoga class decided to have an ice cream social following yoga. We went to Cold Stone Creamery. I'd never been there, so it was quite the experience. Just trying to figure out what we wanted took a little time. In the end, I opted for the Love it size French vanilla ice cream with apple pie filling and graham cracker pie crust. I went to Dottie's Weight Loss Zone http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.htmlto try to calculate the number of Weight Watchers Points I'd just inhaled with delightful abandon. Gulp. 27 Points! Yikes!

Some Days

Yup. Some days are just so crappy you need a happy hour. While we Commonwealth employees weren't being paid and were facing this first round of layoffs, and it just seemed like the thing to do. My friend, Renee, thought my idea for a quick beer after work was good for whatever ailed us. Good friend + cold beer = better day.

Julie and Julia

If you love to cook and you love Julia Child, take the time to see this movie. Meryl Streep will make you forget you're watching a movie...she is that good. You will think you're really watching Julia. Going in, I didn't realize that this was a true story, that Julie really did blog for 365 days as she cooked her way through Julia's book. Although I am familiar with Julia Child's book, I never knew much about her life. For anyone who loved watching Julia's show, laughed through it while learning all sorts of stuff about French cuisine, you will love this movie. We did.

Does It Ever End?

Where does it all come from? Does it somehow multiply? How many shirts can one man wear in one week? He wore how many pairs of Joe Boxer Briefs in 7 days? Geez oh man.