Up With the Birds

Maybe even before the birds--again.  I planned to sleep in this morning but my diving pal, JJ, called me at work yesterday to ask if I would be at breakfast today since he'd be all by himself if I didn't come.  Awww.  So, of course, I told him I'd be there.  *grumble, grumble, grumble*  It wasn't bad waking up at 6 o'clock, taking a quick shower, and driving across town in the barely light.  (here's how it looked crossing the bridge at ten to seven)  When I got there, he wasn't alone after all, Mr. & Mrs. Boss were there and Spanky showed up.  Oh well, I got a free breakfast out of it so it wasn't a wasted trip, and I spent a few minutes seeding bare patches in the lawn when I got back.  I think I'll pick up a bag of seed and over-seed the whole thing tomorrow... before the snow flies anyway.  (darned lawn service killed the weeds and left bare patches)

I'm having my coffee this morning in my creepy octopus coffee mug that I got from DS & DIL1 for my birthday.  I love how the tentacles peek out as I drink it down.  Thanks, guys, it was a genius gift.

Today is the 1-for-2 "Z girls" baby shower and I'm so excited to get to gift all the soft and fuzzy things I've been knitting over the last couple months.  DS, WZ, and JZ (the dads and grandpa) are taking in a model RR show and then visiting the Packer Hall of Fame to escape the extreme "babyness" of the day, although the babies party won't be at the Z's house, it's at a restaurant.  Good thing I called DIL1 to check the dress code yesterday.  She said, "I'm wearing a dress.  The place we're going to be isn't fancy but Mom and Aunt M are, they'll be dressed up."  DIL1 said that some of the guests may be in jeans but I think I'd fit in and be more comfy in a skirt and sweater.  I can do that.  Maybe I'll even wear my pearls, that's pretty darned fancy, don't you think?  I love pearls, I think they go with jeans just as well as with fancier garb.

Tonight Daylight Savings Time ends so we turn the clocks back an hour at bedtime.  (more sleeping!  yay!) And change your smoke alarm batteries too.  Don't make me come over there.

November 2--Robert Howlett, Isambard Kingdom Brunel Standing Before the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern.  All day people had gathered.  Children ran, darting between groups of adults who craned their necks to try to see if anything was happening.  Men carrying oaken buckets and wielding large cotton mops greased the skids between the hull and the slip.  Soon other men would come with the heavy sledgehammers, knock out the blocks, and the empty hull would slide out the slip to be jerked to a standstill by a chain made of links heavier than a man.

Hey, are any of you writers doing NaNoWriMo?  For those of you that don't know, it's a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel manuscript in 30 days.  I've done it a few times and it's a real kick but this year's not a novel year.  Maybe next year.  Okay, time to make sure my skirt's not too wrinkled and my pantyhose don't have a run in them.  Pantyhose, ugh, but I can't wear shoes without socks, I just can't.  Mom was adamant about that.  I can't wear a skirt without a slip either.  Man, that early training sure is deeply ingrained.  Toodle-oo.
--Barbara