Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, March 25, 2013

Outside my window...  hmmm.  Not exactly like the picture, but it is light.  Light enough that Wyatt rode his bike to school, hallelujah.

Hearing...  quiet, so very, very quiet.  Tate has already started on his work and Gunnar is reading.

Pondering...  I really need to go to Costco and I dread it.  I have lovely, wonderful Canadian friends.  Fabulous people.  They are not the ones who come down here, en masse, to do their shopping.  UGH.

Praying...  to keep our focus in this busy Holy Week.

Thankful...  my parents, married 48 years!

Wearing...  jeans.  T-shirt.  Sweater.  Yah.

Creating...  breathing space?

Going...  shopping.  Probably.  But not to rehearsal tonight :D

Reading...  a biography of Amy Carmichael, Around the World in Eighty Days, and Shadow Spinner.

Looking forward to...  a break from school, next week :D

In the kitchen...  a whole lot of leftovers - happy :D  And I'm thawing a turkey to cook later this week.

In the learning rooms...  one more week of India, Wyatt launching into botany (no more dissections), Tate coming down the homestretch with his math book, Gunnar spending another week with arachnids (not just spiders, but scorpions, harvestmen, and acarinas - mites and ticks, ewww.)

Around the house...  a lot of cleaning to do!

The Mother Load...  see above.  Making big plans for spring break ;D

Noticing that...  Tate is just on the boil right now.  The hormones are rising.

Something fun to remember for later...  Gunnar claims to have FIVE loose teeth.  Well, at least FOUR.  I didn't know he had that many baby teeth left.

Something fun to share...  I heard good news at church yesterday... one more mom is expecting!

One of my favorite things...  a bright, light, sunny day.

A Bible verse...  Matthew 21:9
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!

A few plans for the rest of the day...  school.  Shop.  Clean.

A peek into my world...  we live in a lake basin.  I'm sure in the Big Picture the weather patterns are different, but right here, the way they swirl around the valley... For most of the year, we get our weather from 'down the lake'.  This is what I saw, early in the morning last week.  Sure, the sky is blue...

... but do you think it's going to stay that way for long?

The clouds are thick.  That's what I mean about the darkness getting to me sometimes.  *sigh*

Scatterday Brain Dump

Well.

1.  We started our weekend off by breaking into our neighbor's house before breakfast.  You?

No, this isn't a future career opportunity for the boys, though they've "helped" other neighbors this way, also.  She'd locked herself out and was late for work and a little panicky.  Never a dull moment, yah?

2.  Last night's concert went well, and Wyatt and I have another this afternoon.  I love singing with the choir, but look forward to a break from the rehearsals, (in another town and a 30+ minute drive away.)

3.  After my rainy pictures yesterday, today is sunny!  I don't mind the thick frost, it's the brightness I crave :D

4.  My parents are coming over for lunch tomorrow to celebrate their 48th anniversary.  Yippee!  I'd have them over for lunch just FNAR (for no apparent reason) but in this culture especially, anniversaries ought to be really celebrated and honored.  They're coming up on 50, y'know?  Amazing.

5.  Cleaning and purging.  What is it about spring that makes me want to turn the house upside down, shake everything out on the lawn, and then only put back what I really love?  Do you feel this way?  I've already been to Goodwill and the consignment store with boxes and bags full of STUFF.  Inspired by someone (Deborah, maybe? - yes!) I kept a list of what I got rid of in 2012.  Ready?

• 1 bag of (little kids') party supplies to Goodwill
• 1 small CD player/radio (the CD player was questionable, but the radio worked) to Goodwill
• 1 large laundry basket full of housewares, old placemats, and clothing to Goodwill
• 1 bag of boys' clothes to consignment
• 1 bag of toys to consignment
• 2 sacks of (adult) clothes to Goodwill
• 1 sack of home decor to Goodwill
• 1 sack of stuffed animals to Goodwill (consignment won't take stuffed animals... germs.)
• 2 sacks of boys' clothes to consignment
• 4 pair of (too small) roller blades to consignment
• 1 pair boys' dress shoes to consignment
• 2 bags (20 items) clothes to Goodwill
• 2 large bags (40 items) clothes to consignment
• 1 winter coat and 2 pairs snow boots to friends
• 1 bag of bathing suits and sumer clothes to consignment
• 2 bags craft supplies (foam shapes, glitter, etc.) to Goodwill
• Laundry basket of clothes (sweaters/jeans) and craft stuff to consignment
• Laundry basket of gifts-I-will-never-regift, Christmas decor I don't use, a lid-less pot (thanks, boys), and off-season clothes to Goodwill
• 2 sacks of clothes and knick-knacks to Goodwill
• 2 sacks of toys to consignment
• Laundry basket of toys to consignment
• 1 large garbage sack of clothes to Goodwill
• Laundry basket of miscellany to Goodwill (clothes and large fabric scraps I won't use)
• 1 large garbage sack of soccer cleats and shin guards to consignment
• 4 boxes of kids' magazines (Ranger Rick, Kids' Discover, Highlights) to friends

I know it seems repetitive, but the consignment store will only accept so many items per month, hence a bag here and a basket there. To make it easier (at least for me) I keep a large laundry basket in the bottom of the closet that is dedicated to Stuff To Get Rid Of.  That way, when something is going to go, it has a place.  Once something goes in there, it's dead to me.  When the basket is full (or - more likely - overflowing...) I divide up what the consignment store will take and what will go to Goodwill.

Yes, when I look at the size of the list I realize I could have had a yard sale and made a few bucks.  But I'd rather get rid of the stuff when the mood strikes than have it piling up around me all year.  Ack.  And we do make a few bucks from the consignment store.  Enough to treat the boys to a burger and fries once in awhile.

Anyone still there?  I mean, I know how fascinating my cleaning and purging is to everyone...

6.  Oooo, excitement is in the air.  A large box of books arrived yesterday.  Let the planning begin!

7.  I feel like there should be seven things.  Why, I don't know.  Time to get back to Things I Must Do Before The Concert...

Happy weekend :D

Momologue

My mom mentioned that I haven't been posting much lately.  (Hi, Mom :D )  She's right.  It's just...

That Time of the Year.

You thought I was going to say something else, didn't you ;D

If you've ever lived in the Pacific Northwest, maybe you know what I mean.  It's March.  That means it's been cold, dark, windy, and rainy for about seventy-two thousand consecutive days.  Or five months.  Whatever.  Nothing much exciting has happened since Christmas.  And the majority of us can't just jet off to somewhere bright, warm, and sunny.  So we've just been putting one foot in front of the other and plodding through these mundane days and weeks and months.  Because that's what you do.  You keep going.  You try to keep the fridge full and the laundry empty and the schoolwork done and everyone sane, here at La Casa de Mentia.

And good grief that sounds depressing.  

Which is not what I meant at all.  It's just kind of BO-RING.  Nothing fabulously blog-worthy or even memorable.  Hence, the lack of posting.

Yes.   It's spring.  And the first day of spring looked about like this:

With a few moments of this:

But a lot more rain than anything else.

And then last night it snowed.  Yes, it snowed.  And hailed.  And sleeted.  And rained.  A lot.  Welcome, welcome spring... fah-who-for-aze, dah-who-dor-aze,  yadda yadda yadda.

Which probably explains why it's so enticing to start planning the next school year.  Ooo!  Something new and fresh, instead of stale and mundane!  I have piles of books in my office that I want to use for Gunnar's chemistry lessons and for Wyatt's study of government and economics.  I'm ready to look at the calendar and start dividing everything into thirty-six nice, tidy, manageable units of work.  And then maybe start another quilt.  Something with some bright, summery colors.  Anything, to distract me from one more drab, gray, rainy day.

But spring is trying to come.  Gunnar and I have seen a lot of these on our walks lately.  They're Oso Berry, or Indian Plum.  Crush the vivid green leaves and you'll smell cucumber.

The spots of bright green bring a very welcome splash of color to the drab winter look of the woods.

And tonight (and tomorrow afternoon), Wyatt and I are off to our Easter performances of Vivaldi's Gloria, along with selections from Mendelssohn's Elijah.  Ahhh, now that's food for the soul :D

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, March 18, 2013

Outside my window...  fresh snow in the hills, again... It's such a strange time of year, here.  Could be t-shirt weather one day and snow the next.

Hearing...  a very, very quiet house.  Wyatt is at school, Kerry is gone skiing, and Tate and Gunnar are working away.

Pondering...  I've really been enjoying a small, women's Bible study that comes to a close tomorrow evening.  I don't want it to end!

Praying...  Philippians 1:9-11, And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

I pray this for the boys... and for me!  That they would not just be smart, but be wise.  That they would do more than know good from evil - that they would discern the best.  That they would be pure, blameless, and righteous.  Amen.

Thankful...  that I see God working in their lives :D

Wearing...  can you guess?  Blue jeans, navy t-shirt, favorite blue/green/navy sweater :D

Creating...  plans for next year (so fun!)

Going...  to take another load to Goodwill soon...

Reading...  Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

Learning...  about India!

Looking forward to...  more evenings at home :D  (The upside to Bible study and choir rehearsals coming to an end.)

In the kitchen...  with Kerry gone today, and choir rehearsal tonight our meals are a bit haphazard... fine with me :D

In the learning rooms...  more about India, anatomy, variables with decimals and fractions, Amy Carmichael, adverb and what they modify, root word script/scrib, memorizing Philippians 2, order of operations (PEMDAS), and worms.

Around the house...  last week I felt like it was time for a change, and I still haven't got around to it.
It is time.

The Mother Load...  a few things to package for mailing, a box of paperwork to cull, a bag of "handy-downs" to sort, primroses that need to be planted outside, a checkbook to balance (ugh!), and a new recipe I want to try with the very last of Tate's venison.

Noticing that...  I am much more at peace when my office is tidy.  No surprise there!

Something to remember for later...  Gunnar noticed a little (tiny) burn on my hand from the oven, and his immediate response was to kiss it :D

Something fun to share...  as I've begun planning for the next school year I mentioned to Gunnar that we had some freedom in choosing what he'll do for science.  Though he LOVES Biology (and we've done three Apologia Biology courses in a row), his face lit up as he asked for... Chemistry.  I suspect he has visions of Bill Nye, or Robin Williams in Flubber.  We'll have some fun :D

A favorite quote for today...  He's as happy as a slinky on an escalator.

One of my favorite things...  my warm, dry house on a cold, wet and windy day :D

A Bible verse...  Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

A few plans for the rest of the day...  it's just a daily day.  Schoolwork, housework, listening, refereeing, feeding, cleaning, and all that goes into raising three boys.

A peek into my world... 

Some days...

... it's very tempting to just...

... stay in bed.  *sigh*

Heard From Up The Stairs This Morning

Gunnar:  Mom!  I can't find anything green to wear...   OW! Cut it out, Wyatt!

And a happy St. Patrick's Day to you, too.

Scatterday

Well.

It's after 11 and I feel like the day is just getting started.  Which is what comes of delivering two of the boybarians to different places at different times (Tate collecting food for the Salvation Army, and Wyatt volunteering at the Heritage Flight Museum - both CAP activities).  And returning some library books.  And stopping by the grocery store again to pick up the prescription I dropped off last time.  Gunnar, meanwhile, is rejoicing in the opportunity to melt his brain play Minecraft uninterrupted, until I force him to go for a walk with me.

See what I mean about Scatterday?

Of course, I have great plans for all I'm going to achieve today, and will be lucky if I get a third of it done.  *sigh*

But I have good news to share.  Wyatt got a (little) part-time job!  A friend of mine asked if he'd like to work at the Hannegan Speedway.  Um, let him think about it... YAH!  I want him to find a summer job, but I've been reluctant to encourage or even allow him to work during the school year because it takes him so long to get his work done, but this is only about three hours a week.  Sometimes a little more on the weekend.  I think we can all handle that.  And - I hope - he can find something else to add to that over the summer.

And you know what else is cool about it?  This friend has given them tickets to the Speedway a couple times, to come watch the motocross races (fun!), and I had the boys write her thank-you's, complete with pictures.  She just happened to run across those, and thought of us for the job.  Sweet :D

And... off I go, to battle with the laundry, the meals, and the general clutter.

Wish me luck!

Turkey Pot Pie

All righty, pie lovers.  I'm no great chef in the kitchen, but I think I do pretty well with pot pie.  Or maybe I just love it so much that it seems better than it is ;D  In any case, goodness like this shouldn't be kept to ourselves, so I'll share my pot pie recipe.  But not my blue pyrex dish.  That baby is mine.

I have been known to use store-bought crust, but when I have time I make my

Nana's vinegar pie crust.

Mix together with a pastry blender (or a fork):
3 C         flour
1 1/4 C  shortening
1 t          salt (or less, especially if you're making fruit pies)

Add
1           egg
1 T       vinegar (I use cider vinegar)
3-4 T    ice water, until the dough holds together

Adding a lot of flour when you roll it out will make the crust tougher, (and it's messy), so I learned a little trick.  Sprinkle a few drops of water on your counter and smear them around a bit.  Spread a sheet of wax paper on it.  The water will sort of anchor your wax paper down.  Plop a ball of pie dough on the wax paper, smoosh it down, and then cover it with another piece of wax paper.

I didn't take pictures of this.  I think you can manage :D

Roll the dough out between the pieces of wax paper.  Peel off the top piece of wax paper and use the other paper to lift it and lay it in your pie dish, and then peel the other piece off.  Easy squeezy.

My Nana could roll her dough thin enough to make two pies (top and bottom crust) from that recipe, but I usually only get 1 1/2.  Your mileage may vary.  You'll need enough dough for two bottom and two top crusts.

You can prep your crusts ahead, putting the bottom crusts in the pie dishes and rolling out the top crusts in the wax paper.  Or you might want to wait and make the pie crusts while your pie filling is cooling a little.

Now, for the Pot Pie...  I usually make at least two, or even four at a time after I cook a turkey, so I'm writing this for two pies.  In general, you'll want about 2 cups of meat and 2-3 cups of veggies per pie.  (More is always good if you have deep pie dishes.)  This is perfect for leftovers!  A little of this and a little of that.  Or use canned or frozen veggies.  I often use the frozen carrot/corn/green-bean combo (no lima beans, thank you very much).  I've included leftover potatoes, peas, and even a little bit of leftover stuffing, once.  Sweet potatoes are somewhat controversial.  I love them, but the family doesn't.  I'll tuck them all into one corner of the pie and mark the crust so I can get that piece myself :D

So here we go.

Pot Pie

Saute
1 small mild chopped onion, in
1 C butter  (or less!  I use less!  But this is how the recipe came to me...)

Add
1 C       flour  (if you use less butter, you'll have to add the flour carefully so it doesn't thicken too fast)
1+ t      salt, (think about if your veggies are already salty or not)
1 t         thyme
1/2 t      pepper

Gradually add
2 C        broth (chicken or turkey, whatever you have)
1 1/2 C  milk
Stir carefully as it thickens, about two minutes.
How thick?  Trial and error.  Sometimes mine have been too runny, but that's better than dry.  Err on the side of moist :D

Add
4-6 C      veggies, your choice  (if frozen, simmer until all nice and blended)
Remove from heat.

Cube
4 C         cooked turkey or chicken
Add to the veggie mixture.

(If you haven't made your crusts yet, now is the time...)

Line your two pie dishes with the bottom crust, divide the filling between them, and cover with the top crust.  Be sure to cut holes or slits in the top.  Seal the edges together and get as fancy as you like.  Mine are pretty plain-jane.

Now you have a choice!

You can bake your pie(s) at 425F for 30-40 minutes, right away.  (Everything inside is cooked, and it's already hot so just keep an eye on the crust - that's what you're cooking.)  Or...

Wrap them tightly in foil and freeze them for later.  I write the cooking instructions right on the foil, so I don't forget what to do when I take them out.  When you do, don't thaw them!  Cook them right from frozen.  It takes longer to cook, but comes out much better.  Trust me.

Bake your frozen pie:
425F for 30 minutes, then
350F for 70-80 minutes...

...which is a long, long time to smell such wonderful goodness wafting through the house.

Fancy people make a little foil ring to shield the edges of the crust so they don't burn.  I've never bothered and we've never been troubled.

I do, however, put a baking sheet under the pie, in the oven.  Mine always bubble over.

In fact, true confession:  I set off the smoke alarm nearly every time I bake a pie.  *sigh*

But, oh, it's worth it.  Especially with some cranberry sauce :D

3.14159... Yada Yada Yada Pi Day!

All righty, math lovers.  Embrace your inner geek and make some pie today!  (Doesn't that little one, above, look like an exponent to the big one?)

Yep.  It's Pi Day.  And not only does Pi sound like pie (yum!), it looks like it too!  See below?

Go ahead.  Write 3.14 on a piece of paper and hold it up in front of a mirror... PIE!

So, you see, it's like a command.  You MUST eat pie today, if at all possible.

I made blackberry pie last night so the oven is free for the turkey pot pie this evening.  It's a sacrifice, I know, but it's for the good of math.

This little Pi-pie is going to school with Wyatt, for his math teacher :D

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, March 11, 2013

Outside my window...  still getting used to the time change... it doesn't seem as late in the day as it is.  (How did it already get to be 4:30?)  It's LIGHT out.

Hearing...  a quiet house.  Tate out playing with the neighbors, Gunnar reading, and Wyatt trying to finish his school work before rehearsal.

Pondering...  it's two years today, since the tsunami in Japan.  Interesting article here, with pics of immediately after and now.

Praying...  Corrie ten Boom prayed, Father, will you protect our house and us this night, and keep us so close to your heart that even our dreams are peaceful, and that we see things - as it were - more and more from your point of view.

Thankful...  that my parents are so close - geographically and relationally, and they are part of our normal everyday life, not just at holidays :D

Creating...  a tidy work-space.

Going...  crazy.  Be back soon.

Reading...  Ephesians, and 1 Peter.

Looking forward to...  Easter break.  Yes.

In the kitchen...  made chicken alfredo for lunch as we won't be having dinner together (rehearsal tonight).

In the learning rooms... 

A little humor goes a long way to keeping our sanity around here. ;D

Wyatt's English class is studying poetry, and he's had to write THREE so far.  Imagine his excitement.  The latest was an ode.  I helped him collect his thoughts and he wrote an Ode to My Bicycle,  but as a little bonus included at the bottom,

Ode to the I.R.S.

Five hundred dollars.

That's my boy.

Around the house...  hmmm, things seem a bit stale.  Probably time for a deep cleaning and rearranging of the furniture.

The Mother Load...  is hiding behind the closet door in my office.  Shh.  Don't let it out.

Noticing that...  I hear talking (amongst the boys) and I'm pretty sure Wyatt is not done with his schoolwork...  arrrrgh.

Something fun to share...  yes, we had our annual Lord of the Rings marathon.  And inquiring minds want to know,

WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST HAVE THE EAGLES CARRY FRODO AND THE RING TO MOUNT DOOM IN THE FIRST PLACE?  WHY???  

Also, how is it possible that sitting on the couch, from eight in the morning until nine-thirty in the evening can be so exhausting?  (Three movies, extended version, plus meal breaks.)

A favorite quote for today... 

One of my favorite things...  the birds are coming back :D

A Bible verse...  Psalm 119:37
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
renew my life according to Your Word.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  rehearsal tonight, CAP tomorrow, Bible study for me, don't forget Pi Day, and... an open weekend?  Can it be?

A peek into my day...  No.  I didn't take it.  I think it came from National Geographic.  Cool, yah?

Did You Remember?

And Yet, Somehow We Survived...

Hey!  I think I had one of these!

Yes, Tate, Exactly.

Sometimes at breakfast we talk about how weird our dreams were.

How weird?  Very.  In Tate's words,

Dreams have no perimeter of reality.

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, March 4, 2013

Outside my window...  there's a strange, shiny yellow orb in the sky.  Not sure what it is. ;oP  Hasn't brought any heat, though, as everything is coated with frost.

Hearing...  warm air coming through the vent.

Pondering...  projects always look easier than they actually are.  Ahem.

Praying...  Wyatt has a rotten cold, we're waiting on some checks to come in, and certain people in the house are rather grouchy.

Thankful...  the washer - though it is LOUDLOUDLOUD - is still working (yay!), I finished the baby quilt I was working on, and I found an abundance of Cadbury Mini-Eggs so we are all stocked up and ready, with a jumbo bag for our annual Lord of the Rings marathon this Saturday :D

Wearing...  blue jeans, navy t-shirt, favorite sweater... I know, it's a shocker, right?

Creating...  I want to try a couple of smaller projects before I pack up the sewing stuff for awhile.  I'll want to have it all put away in three weeks, as we'll be having my niece here, and I set her up in my office/craft room.

Going...  to get school started in a minute...

Looking forward to...   Oooooo, you know what I'm already thinking about?  Planning the next school year.  (I know, I know, finish this year first.  But planning is fun ;D)

In the kitchen...  UGH.  No motivation.  At all.

In the learning rooms...  dinosaurs, adverbs, area and volume of pyramids, cones, and cylinders, the people of India, adding and subtracting mixed numbers, exo- and endo-skeletons, adjective phrases, Hindu/Sikh/Jain religion(s), and ???  There's more, I'm just forgetting...

Around the house...  it's cold!

The Mother Load...  ugh.  I just did the laundry, and now there's more? ;D  Still need to attend to my office - sewing makes such a mess!  Dust bunnies everywhere.

Noticing that...  the sunshine, although welcome, really fools us.  You'd think it would be warm... but it's not.  The thick frost sure is pretty, though!

Something to remember for later...  there are some people you really shouldn't even try to talk with until they've had a pot of coffee.  *sigh*

A favorite quote for today...

All you really need to know about guidance

can be summed up in this one sentence:

God is faithful, so obey Him.

Whether or not that seems likely to work is not your business.

Being faithful to God's revealed will is your business.

- Iain Duguid

One of my favorite things...  this is the second morning I've woken up to birds chirping :D  (They must have been trying to stay warm!)

A Bible verse...   Matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

Gunnar and I were talking about our culture the other day and concluded that either:
The strong sacrifice for the weak, or
the strong sacrifice the weak.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Wyatt and I have rehearsal tonight, but he's not sure if he can even sing (bad cold) so we'll see if we go, CAP tomorrow night (for Wyatt and Tate) and I have Bible study (yay), we're hosting the youthgroup on Wednesday, and we're looking forward to the aforementioned "LOTR Marathon".

A peek into my world...

Attention:  You are worried about the WRONG THING.

Just a Daily Day

It's Friday, hallelujah.  Wyatt is already off on the bus for his morning at the high school, in spite of coming down with a cold.  I'll be taking Tate and Gunnar up to Grandpa and Grandma's for a PTO day.  (Personal Time Off - much more needed when they were all little and so busy, but still a welcome break for all of us.  I enjoy the quiet house, and they enjoy being with their grandparents.  Win-win.)

And it's such a blah day.  Such a Daily Day.  Above freezing, but cold, windy, and rainy.  A good day for hot cocoa :D

Some good things, and some funny things going on around here this week...

Wyatt couldn't wait to show his brothers some of the pictures from his history book.  He found it kind of funny that Louis Phillipe looked so much like a pear, but the picture of Sir Walter Scott that resembled Steve Martin sent them all into fits of laughter.

Wyatt is also working his way through Apologia's high school Biology.  I'm really impressed with their curriculum.

I think his brothers are quite envious of the dissections he gets to do,

... but their day(s) will come!

So here's a regional question - what do you call this animal?  His book calls it a crayfish.  Around here it's a crawdad.  And I think I remember Australians calling them yabbies.  What are they where you live?

Every once in awhile I have the boys do some creative writing.  For the most part, this frustrates Gunnar, but Tate will take the ball and run.  This time, I gave them five words and told them to write a short story (and try to use all five words).

I won't give you all seven pages of Tate's story, because you probably don't have the sensibilities of a 14 year old boy, but I'm including a few excerpts because I was thrilled at some of his phrasing, and his general creativity.  His writing is italicized and some of my favorite little bits are bolded.

The story begins when

King Alfonzo Delzeke Marramont Clapsicle Linterhonz Frederike Von Ravishing

sends our hero on a quest... for Twinkies.  Our hero criss-crosses Europe, encountering various groups of people.

He took an immediate dislike to the *** as they dressed like baboons, smelled like hippies, and only bathed on Tuedays, and even then only if the groundhog had seen his shadow.

He faces many obstacles.

But it was too late.  All he could do was sit there in the wreckage of the wiener dog watching 9000 annoying elves drive his motorcycle into the sunset.

And he overcomes them all.

Four seconds later he climbed out of the wreckage, a new resolve shining in his eyes.  He would accomplish the mission with or without the Harley!  After all, he was the direct descendant of an obscure janitor in the unused palace of Rickety-Shack!

He finally reaches the only 7-11 in the world, located appropriately at the top of the holy Mt. Olympus, but an unfortunate last-minute distraction has him wandering for three days in a Cabelas store (hunting/fishing/outdoor/etc.)  When he finally emerges, three days later...

He was wearing a furry coat, a space suit, a pirate pistol, high leather boots, pink socks, a raccoon-skin cap with a cigarette lighter in the tail, four pairs of pants - none of them on his legs, a suit and tie, and three pairs of underpants on the outside.  He had styled his hair to look like a boat.

As he enters the 7-11 to buy the Twinkies, from behind him...

came a fat, smelly voice, accompanied by a rain of spittle from behind the counter. He turned, and there stood a small, ugly little man with dreadlocks growing out of his gigantic ears and other than that, not a hair on him.


WHERE DOES HE GET THIS STUFF???


Moving on... time to load up the boys and head up the hill to my folks'.  I'll be trying to tame the clutter in my office (it breeds!  I'm sure of it!) and working on a quilt that lost some momentum.  Once I wrap it up I want to try a new, smaller project.

Wish me luck ;D