Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Chef Lexi

I love to cook, and I'd love it if Lexi loved it, too.

So whenever she asks to help me, I try to say yes, even if it's against my better judgment. Which is often. That girl can make a mess.

Tonight I was making meatloaf, and she wanted to help me squish. Don't worry, we washed hands thoroughly before and after, and I made her swear not to put the mush in her mouth.

She's got the touch, dontcha think?

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Artist in training

Tonight, we got out the Play Dough. And I think Lexi might actually be a budding artist.


Such care she takes in her work!

It might be hard for the untrained eye to see, but the artist informed me that this is a snake, and the stuff on the snake is eyes, legs, fingers and stickers.

Okay then.

Monday, August 27, 2007

How to be the perfect girlfriend


This is Jaime and Carter's first attempt at movie making. I promised them it would be "viral" by 7 a.m., so get to buzzin, blog readers.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Blueberry Muffin

When I was a little girl, I loved the Strawberry Shortcake dolls, and Annie and I had quite a collection.

Last week, I decided to mix it up a little at bathtime and bought Lexi this blueberry smoothie shampoo.

Now, her hair smells just like my Blueberry Muffin doll's used to. I told her that she's my little Blueberry Muffin. And she said, "I'm not Blueberry Muffin. I'm LEXI!"

Papa Louie Part II

I really can't improve upon Maria's posting out about out poker parter catered by the famous Papa Louie.

So I'll just add a few things.

A closer view of the finished product, which included melt-in-your-mouth meatballs. The lovely model is Carrie, who has recently realized with alarm that her life is being chronicled on all these blogs.


Moments after this photo was taken, Wanda the dog got her wish when Lexi somehow toppled to the ground, spaghetti and all. The versatile Papa Louie came to the rescue.

Thanks, Lovings and Bacchinis, for a fun night.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Game day

Our action-packed Saturday continues... As I type this, Nick and his "game friends" are in the dining room (and in the living room) playing their German board games.


Nick joined this group about a year ago, which was about a year after Suzanne did a story on them. They get together twice a month at a local game store to play. Every once in a while, they gather at a member's house. Today, it was ours. Oh, and Carrie came to check it out. If you know her, you know she likes games.


Their preference is these German board games. Some of them are fun, in my opinion. Others, not so much. Each member owns stacks of these games. Not even sure what this one is, but isn't it pretty?


Another group played "Vegas Showdown" in the living room.


Some of the stacks and stacks.

What a guy!!!!!

In my posting yesterday, I quite erroneously forgot to thank the incredible DAN LOVING for his Name That Tune support. Just knowing he was there both days really helped carry me through.

I'm hoping to absorb the same support and luck from Dan's presence during poker tonight.

Play date!

Once a month, Joanna, Cory, Amy and I try to get our 2-year-olds and almost-2-year-olds together. Occasionally, we are joined by some very cool big kids like Rachel and Jack and Hannah. And Jaime.

This morning, we met up at Central Riverside Park for some jungle gymin' and cinnamon roll eatin'.

Here's Cooper, Kyle and Lexi. Took about 12 tries to get them all looking at the camera.


Acrobat in training.


By the end of the play date, the moms were all sitting on the ground.


Gabby, who will be 2 next month, is a very brave slider.


Her brother, Ethan, is a very brave climber.


As we left, we went to visit the animals. Kyle was disappointed not to see a donkey, but we did get to see a vulture poop in water, so that made it all okay.

Friday, August 24, 2007

We won!

It wasn't easy, but Bob and I actually won Name that Tune on Friday.

We were in third place for the first third of the game, but then Ronnie started throwing out a lot of questions we knew. The key, I've decided, is to have a team whose knowledge spans the years. Today, there was stuff Bob knew (Quincy Jones wrote the "Sanford and Son" theme), stuff I knew (Outkast sang "Miss Jackson") and stuff we both knew (Tuff Enuf is by the Fabulous Thunderbirds.) Oh, and there was stuff Bob's son, Jeff, knew too. And for that, we thank him. He was a good plant.


Bob left me a message tonight encouraging me not to forget what a good team we are when Dennis Hardin comes a courtin' next year. Don't worry, Bob. Dennis and I are sooooo done. Anyway, our prize, besides this lovely traveling trophy in the top pic, was two certificates good for a movie for two at the Warren Old Town along with appetizers, two entrees and dessert.


OH! And our co-worker Danna was surprised at the beginning of name that tune with a proposal. It was very cute, but my camera work was very bad. It all happened so fast, I didn't have time to find the right flash. (By the way, that look on Danna's face is shock not annoyance. She said yes.)


Special thanks to Blog readers Chris for helping to organize Name that Tune; Heather for her worthy-as-always competitiveness; Jaime and Bon for their camera work; and Lori B. for her support. And undergarment updates.

Lexi's posse

It's more fun to watch Dora with your friends.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

This makes me happy



Kerri Ryan and I were driving back to KC from Lawrence on Saturday night when "Dress You Up" came on the satellite radio.

Cant' tell you how much I loved that song and the video as a teenager. I bet Annie and I watched this video on MTV 700 times in the summer of 1985. I can still do the dance Madonna does during the refrain. Even in the car. Right Kerri?

What I wouldn't have done to have been one of the girls at this concert. Just watching it makes me remember that electrified feeling of being a teenager and being in big a stadium about to see one of your idols on stage.

By the way, I love this Madonna. But pretty much everything post-"Truth or Dare" I can't stand. That's when she started getting preachy and annoying. I prefer to think of this bitchin' girl and the present day disco queen leo-tard as two different people.

Stitched



Jaime can do this cool photo thing called stitching. She takes several photos and sort of sews them together in the computer. She stitched some Name That Tune pics together today and got this. Sorry it's so small, but if you click on it you can see it in all it's stitched glory. Oh, and see right below this post to find out what Name That Tune is.

Name that Tune

The Eagle does a little United Way fundraiser every year called Name That Tune. Our resident DJ, Ronnie Choy, puts it together, and it's a lot of fun. Last year, my partner Dennis Hardin and I were the champs. But he was "busy" this year. So I'm back with one of my former partners, ole Lutzy.

The semifinals were today. Bob and I were the big winners and now are one of four teams competing in tomorrow's finals. Here are some pics Jaime took today.


Bidding for a $5 audience assist.


No whammies!


We're the Captain & D'Neil.


Not such a good day for The Bald and the Beautiful.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

From one extreme...

I started my Tuesday evening at 5:30, with the most civilized, sweet bunch of ladies you could ever care to meet.


These are the Oil Secretaries. Back in the day, there were 400 of them. Then someone shot J.R. These days, they get about 20 at a meeting. They asked me to speak to their bimonthly gathering at Larkspur. Such nice ladies. So genteel. So easy to please.


Then there's this.

As soon as I finished with the Oil Ladies, I headed to Chester's. Several months ago I'd been the Official Witness to a bet between Bonnie and Carrie. Bonnie bet that there would be fewer than 100 people at her roast. Carrie bet there would be way, way more. The loser was to buy a steak dinner for the winner.


Care to guess who won?


Jaime came to chapperone, but by the time I got there, the debauchery was in full swing.


Here, Bonnie and I economize by allowing the pond-side breeze on Chester's patio to blow our hair all model-y.


Final course before.


Ugh. Final course after.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Tomatoriffic

When we got home tonight, Lexi and I went to check on our tomatoes. (She's very proud of telling people, "We grew them!"

We were quite surprised to find ALL THIS. There is salsa in our immediate future.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

TCI

That stands for The Crystal Image, Crystal's photo studio. She opened her first one in Cherokee but recently moved the biz and herself to Lawrence. On Saturday, she had an open house, and Kerri and I went to check it out.

Here's The Crystal's image, caught outside the swank new office.


It's in one of those fancy strip malls in the new part of town that didn't exist when I lived in Lawrence.


Here's Kerri browsing in the lobby, which is done up in Crystal's signature orange.


Look! Lexi and I are a prop shamelessly used to sell photos! We're into it.


We were all very proud of Crystal. But she was proud of this. She encouraged me to take a photo and strongly advised that I post it on the blog.


Afterward, we dined.


And posed.

Lawrence

After the open house, Kerri and I walked Mass St. It was odd being back in Lawrence. Haven't been there in five years and had a little trouble remembering my way around.

I love Lawrence, but as I told Crystal, I don't think I could live there. I want to leave it in the early 90s like I remember it. Plus, that town feels tailor-made for 20 year olds, which I ain't.

So many sights still look so familiar. But those sidewalks and corners aren't mine anymore. I just borrowed them back when the kids borrowing them now were 3 years old.

Here's one corner I was happy to give back. The Buckle on Mass. Worked there for two years in college, after two years in Dodge. I get seizures when I get too close but was able to suffer through for this shot.


The Mad Greek. It's still there. I miss the flaming cheese.


The Kansan got Rudy's carryout three times a week. It made me fat.


The Granasty.

The built-in DVD player

Worth every penny.

Every. Single. Penny.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Like the friggin' olden days

You might wonder why I'm posting so much today. You see, my sister doesn't have cable. It's like 1882 around here.


Mom, relegated to sewing by dim lamplight, nothing but her glass of ale to warm her belly.


Me, whittling away the hours just pondering an apple, trying desperately to establish contact with outside society.