Weekend Rewind

Saturday night

Go to visit Lauren -> Decide to make a fire in the fireplace -> Neglect to open the chimney flue -> Fill the entire house with smoke -> Frantically fan the smoke alarm with tiny sheet of paper while Lauren carefully balances the poker in the flames to prop the flue open -> Step outside to enjoy a Parliament light while the smoke clears -> Lock ourselves out of the house -> Moment of panic when the situation survey turns up a lighter as our only asset to breaking in the house -> Finally jimmy open a crawl space window and shove Lauren inside -> Back inside it is discovered that Harry Potter is on TV -> Decide God loves us -> Burn a whole bag of microwave popcorn -> Maybe we were wrong about the God thing -> Decide baking cookies would be tempting fate on an already dark day and opt to give another bag of popcorn a try -> Relax into Harry Potter bliss

Sunday Afternoon

Load the Hubbin', children, and 100lb black and white dog into the car -> Drop Hubbin' off for a haircut -> Get to the groomer and wrangle dog and children into the shop -> Realize I have no proof of rabies vaccination with me -> FML -> wrangle kids and dog back into the car -> drive home -> wrangle kids and dog into the house -> Tear things apart until I find the rabies tag -> wrangle kids and dog back into the car -> Drive to groomer -> wrangle kids and dog back into the groomer, only to present a dog license, not a rabies tag -> FML -> wrangle kids and dog back to the car -> drive home -> wrangle kids and dog into the house -> Tear things apart again until the rabies tag is found -> wrangle kids and dog back into the car -> Drive to groomer -> wrangle kids and dog back into the groomer -> hold 100lb pitbull still for ear cleaning and nail cutting -> wrangle kids and dog back to the car -> Drive home -> Drop dog off -> Pick up Hubbin' from his haircut -> Bring Lucas for his haircut -> Go to WalMart -> FML -> Wait in like for 45 minutes to pay for my $5 laundry basket

I don't know whether to be hopeful for Monday, or exceptionally fearful

It's all relative

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown

A Life in Photos

After one failed attempt, we here at the Costa Casa are attempting to resurrect Chia Obama head. I, Saki, do hereby vow to water and tend to said head.

I carefully read the instructions, soaking the head for an hour (okay, okay, it was like four hours. I forgot about him. Not off to a good start), and soaked the seeds for just as long. For those of you who have never known the joy of owning a Chia, the seeds look something like poppy seeds, and when submerged in water turn into a gelatinous mass that is not dislike the products of a nasty headcold. Once you've made this rather disgusting connection in your mind, it's time to spread the seeds onto the head, which is grooved for your convenience. The helpful directions suggest using a knife, but obviously the author of said directions has never actually tried to use a knife to spread the seeds. Use your fingers. It's gross, I know, but do you want this Chia to grow, or not?

Chia Obama Day One:

As you can see, I did a spectacular job of evenly spreading the seeds across grooved Obama's head. At this point, I took the time to actually read the directions on the back of the seed packet, to try to spot the error of my past Chia growing ways. The seeds told me to "tent" the head with plastic, but "DO NOT, WE REPEAT DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, EVEN IF THERE IS A FIRE OR ZOMBIE INVASION, LET THE PLASTIC TOUCH THE SEEDS!" Okay then. Loose plastic it is. A quart size storage bag from our good friends at Ziplock seemed to fit nicely. I double checked to make sure the seeds were properly hydrated, and stuck him in a sunny spot.

Chia Obama Day Two:

Will we fail again? Will Chia Obama head rise out of the ashes like a phoenix sprouting a luxurious head of whatever it is Chia seeds sprout into? Stay tuned, kids, for the next episode of A Life in Photos

Echoes

You know what drives me insane? When I get a song stuck in my head. Particularly when it swirls around my head for days at a time and I have no idea what the words are. It makes it impossible to sing and pick off of your brain.

So you can sing all day in your head with me, have a listen to this:

But being the generous blog writer that I am, I'm posting the lyrics, so we can learn together, and the next time you see me, I expect to do a stunning duet with you, Blogfans

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul (Istanbul)
Istanbul (Istanbul)

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

In the name of the Father, the Son, and

the Holy Toast!

It's a grain MIRACLE!

In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own

Confession time!

Confession #1- I love Harry Potter. In a slightly maniacal obsessive way. I started the series in mid November of this past year, and finished the last book on Christmas (as Santa was so thoughtful as to bring me the entire series!) It was roughly 4200 pages of reading, and I love every word.

Confession #2- I used to mock those who were infatuated with the Harry Potter series. The first encounter I had with a real fan was my Aunt Janet. I was in college and ZooMASS, and had gone to Boston to visit* my Aunt and Uncle. I had a book I was reading with me, and my Aunt said "I'm reading Harry Potter, it's one of the most wonderful books I've ever read. You should read it, I think you'd like it." I snubbed the idea. Wizardry and fantasy worlds didn't appeal to me, and besides, it was a childrens book. The thought of adults milling around Borders at midnight waiting for the new release in robes, with sticks whittled into wands and lightening bolts emblazoned on their heads just made me laugh. Where do those people come from?

What a silly girl I was.

Fast Forward to Present: A near and dear friend, whose literary opinion I value greatly insisted I give the books a whirl. I checked the first one out of the library, and it sat on my nightstand until it was due back. Feeling sorry for the book, I renewed my time with it, and a few nights later lo and behold there was nothing on TV and I had exhausted every single amusing thing on the interwebs, so I cracked open The Sorcerers Stone.

I stayed up all night reading that book. All night. I finally finished the book at almost four in the morning. It sucked me in. I couldn't put it down if I wanted to. It was literary crack.

The Hubbin' ridiculed me the next morning as I nursed my third cup of coffee. He sounded much like my pre-Harry Potter self. "You're such a NERD. Those books are for CHILDREN."

And so began my torrid love affair with the series. The Hubbin', who has never been much of a reader, and hasn't read a book for pleasure since...well....ever, was hesitantly eyeing up the first book after I declared that I wasn't watching the movies with him unless he read the series.

"Reading hurts my head," he told me. "I just can't get into it," "Why do I have to read the books? The movies are probably just as good," he said.

But still, he started. And hasn't stopped since. And it just warms my black heart to see him laying in bed with a book at night. Naturally, I used this opportunity to let my inner dork shine through, and as he was embedded into the second book, I carefully staged this in the shower for him to find when he got ready for work the next day:

The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir....Beware

I'm already trying to convince him to go as Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort for Halloween. And yes, that is my three year old daughters red Elmo bathtub paint that I used.

* Visit: Euphemism for going to eat all their food and abuse their washing machine with seven weeks worth of laundry