Snow on the Pumpkins

Gainesville

Well, you must be my mother-- glad to meet you! I didn't know you followed election nights either. I've been interested in the process since I almost aced the civics test in 8th grade (missed one question due to trick wording, so got a 99). At Cottey I took State and Local Government second semester and loved it-- Dr. Caylor was young, bright, very straight but with a dry sense of humor. The class got to spend a day in Springfield observing the workings of the legislature, and it was all fascinating. Took US Gov next semester, with the flamboyant and borderline crazy Mr. McReynolds, who thundered, threw books at us, and quoted things we felt honor-bound to track down... and this in days before that was easily possible on the Net. I was actually considering majoring in Political Science, and might have if I hadn't had to take that year off to work. Probably just as well. I'd have always been a mere back-room schemer anyway.

Last night we were treated to yet another level of deference at Outback. The bar was crowded, but before we'd even gotten a buzzer thingy, Angie bustled up and told us she'd seat us at one of her tables as soon as it came clear-- so we got a table already laid out with things she knew we'd want, and her very special attention, even though she was hobbling around, having stubbed her toe and the playground that afternoon running after one of her two young boys. If there had been some way I could have made her sit down for awhile and done her job for her, I'd have been glad to.

Finished the Blessings and did the towels yesterday, and today spent carefully timed segments on the SE corner of the kitchen, where stuff has piled up for 4-5 years. One large garbage bag full of dry stuff (including ancient Girl Scount cookies, still perfectly good thanks to being loaded with trans-fat, crackers, stuffing mix... you name it) was disposed of, plus 1-2 dozen expired little cans of juices, and about 30 bottles, plastic and glass, of expired beverages, all emptied, rinsed and put in the recycle. Found a can of Rotell tomato stuff, not that old, that had started leaking. Bill spotted it before I had a chance to deal with it and pitched in. He also helped open all those bottles I would have had to use the Gilhoully on. I figure I have anoher 30 minutes in The Kitchen Zone tomorrow, and I'll have made it a full weeks-worth. Yes!

It was a school holiday today, but Bill had to go in to work at around 5:00, dressed to the 9's, for a reception being held in the new library by campus fund-raisers. He was not a happy camper about this.

Spent way too much time yesterday and today reading Lisey's Story. I'm about 2/3 through, and I'm betting that tomorrow will be the previously-predicted all-nighter. I don't know what it is about Stephen King that is so compelling. If I weren't so tired, I'd finish the book tonight. I know I'll have terrible/wonderful dreams tonight, and more tomorrow night.

I knew about your snow, Mom, because Neil (who lives outside MSP) wrote about it in his blog yesterday:

Dreaming of a White Birthday?

I woke up and the world is white. It snowed in the night and it's still snowing. How odd.

But you should really take a look at his post for today and see the fate of the Halloween pumpkins... for what snow is all about

Some images to share tomorrow. I hope.