Mary Ann
Scooter and Fluffy have known since early this year that their S.F. grandma has cancer.  However, it only dawned on Fluffy at dinner tonight that Pau Pau is going to die from it.  After she wiped away her tears, she got out her flute and music book and started to learn a song entitled "Mary Ann," which is her grandma's name.

Ooh Baby
Hugh Grant's birthday is just one day before mine.  Same year and everything!  I didn't realize he was that old!

Oops
A couple of years ago, the daughter of a friend broke her wrist when she fell out of her dad's truck.  I thought, what kind of dingdong falls out of a truck?  Well, a couple of weeks ago, I fell out of our SUV, not once, but twice in the same week.  No real reason.  Just fell onto the garage floor as I was climbing out (it's an SUV, so it's pretty high off the ground, especially for those of us under five feet).  I wonder if it's related to my hands and feet being numb and weak for the last eight years.

Blue Soccer

Just found out that, based on the Sunday games, Scooter's team ended up in second place for the season.  It was assumed from the beginning of the season that Chivas would take first place as that team was way stacked so I didn't even dream of first place.  It came down to us and Quicksilver for second.  We ended the season with the same number of points.  So it went to how we played against each other.  We played three games and we each won one, lost one, and tied one with each other.  So from there it went to overall goals scored against each team for the entire season.  And we squeaked by with, I think, four fewer goals.  Talk about a serious tie.

U14 doesn't have a Commish Cup, so we'll play again in January in the area playoffs.

Soccer Mania

Today was an intense soccer day.  Scooter's game against the Rhinos was a make-it-or-break-it kind of game.  If we won, we definitely took second place.  If we lost, we probably dropped down to third.

So what happened?  The Rhinos scored three quick goals on us, and I thought, oh no, it's the Chivas game all over again.  Instead, in the last part of the game, our guys came back with three goals, and the game ended in a tie!  And now I don't know where we stand.

Fluffy's game was next, and again it was one of those do or die games.  The Whale Riders scored on us and got everyone's attention.  The Red Hots came back with three goals, and that put us in first place for the season!  (Very strange, the coach seemed to downplay that, and some families didn't even know we took first.)  Now we need to make it through the Commissioner's Cup and area playoffs.  We are going to get killed when we go against San Pedro and the other Torrance teams.  (Our coaching is very dysfunctional.  Our head coach is basically a cheerleader, telling the girls that they'll win if they're confident and work as a team, but not really teaching them skills or plays.)

After Fluffy's game, we raced over to RJ's house for the boys' team party.  We all potlucked, and it was a very easy party (at least I hope it was for our hostess).  I made a huge card of photos I took throughout the season for the coach, and had the kids sign it.  I wish I had taken a picture of it, so I can remember what I did when I need to do it again next year.  Does that make sense?

Overall, a great soccer day!

Blue Brothers

The Blues Brothers started the season very strong.  Their only loss was to Chivas, which was to be expected as the teams are really unbalanced this year.

All of a sudden, the Brothers started falling to pieces and haven't been able to get back together.  We should have won our game against Quicksilver.  In fact, were ahead, but Quicksilver plowed through and the game ended in a tie.  We are barely hanging onto our position, and Quicksilver is clawing their way ahead with everything they have.

With one more game left in regular season play, it's still a toss-up as to who will go to the area playoffs!

Red Hots are RED HOT!

What an exciting soccer day.  Fluffy's team, the Red Hots, faced the undefeated Red Dragons.  With eight wins and one loss, the Red Hots were the only team that could possibly take down the Dragons.  The score was 0-0 for a long time, then the Dragons scored.  The Red Hots came back with three goals!  Fluffy played great defense ("I realized that if you back down when they're coming at you, they come at you harder.  But if you don't back down, then they back down!") and helped prevent the Dragons from making anymore goals.

If we win next weekend, that should put us in first place for the season!

 

Hairy Beast

Fluffy:  Can I shave off all the hair on my legs?

Mom:  No.   You're only nine.  You can shave your legs when you starting shaving your armpits.

Flufy:  Gross...

Happy Halloween

I never made a Halloween costume for Fluffy.  One year I sewed a cape for Scooter so he could be a bat.  Another year, in an attempt to save money, I sewed him a Harry Potter cloak that ended up costing more than a store-bought one.  I have to admit, though, it was a very nice cloak made of expensive, satiny fabric, and it had a secret pocket to hold his wand.  Anyway, that was the last costume I sewed.

However, this year, Fluffy and her friend Kristen announced that they were going as salt and pepper shakers.  I definitely wouldn't find those costumes at Party City.  So I bought sparkly flannel in black and white, and each mom sewed her daughter's outfit.  They wore aluminum foil "caps" on their heads.

Fluffy was salt.  She looked really different from the pepper.  She had a giant "S" on her front, and people would go, "S...Super...?"

Botox

I got something in the mail today.  It looked like an invitation and it was hand-addressed to me.  The printed return address said it was from Temecula.  I don't know anyone in Temecula, but I do know someone in Lake Elsinore, and I thought, "A wedding invitation?"

I opened it, and it was an invitation to a seminar on "the latest innovations in cosmetic surgery."

So now I'm in THAT demographic.

Sports Unlimited

On Friday night, Scooter had soccer practice, and Fluffy had soccer AND basketball practice.

We were at Scooter's soccer game at 8:15 on Saturday morning, helping set up the field as we had the first game of the day.  I learned something - where to put the flags.

The game was kind of slow.  With no score and the end of the first half approaching, I said (to myself but not too softly), "Please score a goal before we have to leave for Scooter's B-ball game."  Our team made two goals, one right after the other, and RJ's Big Brother said, "See, they scored for you!"  Then we left for Scooter's 11:00 basketball game in Anaheim.

The boys won their game!  Then it was back home for Fluffy's 3:00 soccer game.  Wah!  They lost their first game of the season!  But there was no time to dwell on it, because it was back down to Anaheim for 6:00 games for both Fluffy and Scooter.  Fluffy's team lost, but miracle of miracles, Scooter's team won again!  That meant they would play on Sunday for FIRST PLACE!

Half of Fluffy's team went to dinner at the Alcatraz Brewing Co. in The Block at Orange.  I had a delicioso steak salad.

Sunday morning we were up early again for Fluffy's 9:00 game in Anaheim.  They lost again!  No time to dwell on that loss either as Scooter had a game at another gym.   Wah!  They lost, but they took second place and got special T-shirts.

Monday morning we woke up and couldn't believe we actually had a weekend.  Yawn!

Final tally for the weekend:

Fluffy:  VFW tournament - 3 losses; AYSO - 1 loss

Scooter:  VFW tournament - 2 wins, 1 loss, 2nd place; AYSO - 1 win

Tri-Lamb Material 65 % Nerd, 21% Geek, 60% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd and Dork, earning you the coveted title of: Tri-Lamb Material. The classic, "80's" nerd, you are what most people think of when they think "nerd," largely due to 80's movies like Revenge of the Nerds and TV shows like Head of the Class. You're exceptionally bright and smart, and partly because of that have never quite fit in with your peers or social groups. Perhaps you've realized, or will someday, that it is possible to retain all of the things that you like about being brilliant and still make peace with the social cliques around you. Or maybe you won't--it's really not necessary. As the brothers of Lambda Lambda Lambda discovered, you're fine just the way you are and can take pride in that. I mean, who wants to be like Ogre, right!? Congratulations! Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Professional Wrestling Love & Sexuality America/Politics Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 59% on nerdiness You scored higher than 37% on geekosity You scored higher than 95% on dork points

Mr. Darcy
I just discovered I have the same birthdate as Colin Firth.  Wow, he's old.

I Don't Understand

The kids in Fluffy's class wrote "I am..." poems that the teacher posted on the wall.  She gives them a prompt like "I am...,"  "I feel...," "I believe...," and they fill in the blanks.  Some of the kids had very deep, mature thoughts:

I understand...

...that I can't have everything I want.

...life isn't always fair.

...things will never be the same again. (written by a girl whose father died suddenly earlier this year)

And what does Fluffy write?  "I understand...English."

Aim Low, Less Disappointment

At the BTS meeting, MF (conceited, arrogant MF) asked everyone to introduce themselves and tell one place they wanted to visit.  People threw out all kinds of countries.  Rocky said he wants to go to the moon.

Me?  I don't care much for going abroad.  I want to see our own country first.  So far I've been to Hawaii (born there), California (live here), Washington, Nevada, Utah, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, New York, New Jersey & Louisiana.  And Washington, D.C.  Also, if stopovers count, where my feet never actually touched the ground but my plane did, there's Arizona, Colorado and Texas.

The extent of my foreign travel is going barely over the borders to Vancouver (Canada), and Tijuana and Cabo (Mexico).  I can go only where they speak English (Louisiana and New York/Jersey are exceptions).

Libel vs. Slander
It's no wonder I can't find a copywriting job.  Looking back I've been rather inconsistent; is it Pen Maker or Penmaker?  Actually, it's Penhell.

My Civic Duty

Today was the dreaded jury duty day.  I got the original summons ages ago, but it was for downtown so I had it moved to Torrance.  Guido didn't like the new date they gave me (he has to control EVERYTHING, even things that have nothing to do with him), so I moved it to September.  He didn't like that date either, but I refused to move it again. 

I sat in that room ALL DAY LONG (except for a two-hour lunch with VW).  At 3:30 "LeRol" called everyone together and I thought, "Oh no, they're going to send us to a courtroom NOW?"  But instead, he released us.  Definitely better than being sent to a courtroom!

Toot Toot
Fluffy got a new flute and is going to take band this year!  She's very excited to do something that is totally hers and not just an extension of Scooter's (Guido's) activities.  And finally, hopefully, someone in this pathetic family will have a chance to expand her/his horizons beyond sports.

If It Looks Too Good to be True...

Is it my computer or this program?  For the last few months, I haven't been able to update my blog.  I'd log in, write entries and post them, but then nothing would be there on the actual blog.  Then all of a sudden, on August 27th, my little blurb popped up.  So I've got a few months' worth of stuff to update.  Stay tuned...

Washington, D.C.

We were pretty wiped out from yesterday and we're still on California time.  Our hotel is pretty old.  In fact, it's a historic landmark or something.  The room is small, but I guess you could call it cozy.  It's got a weird room off to the side; it's pretty big, but it has just a table and two chairs.  I guess you can use it as an office, but it doesn't have a real desk and there's a lot of empty floor space.  We're using that room to lay out our suitcases and dump miscellaneous junk.

Guido got up really early to go down to the Washington Monument to get tickets for us.  The rest of us got ready so we could leave when he came back.  The weather has cooled off substantially from yesterday.  In fact, we need to take umbrellas with us for the rest of the trip (residual effects of a storm are making their way toward us).

Our hotel is up the hill from the Dupont Circle subway station.  The subway is going to be our main mode of transportation on this trip.  I actually love public transportation and try to use it in every city I visit, so I am very excited.

Okay, so there's a loooooooong escalator down into the sub station.  It's scary.  Escalator etiquette applies here.  You stand to the right so people can pass you on the left.  I need to hold on tight to the railing, because I feel like I am going to fall forward.  I don't know how people can walk down this thing with a briefcase in one hand, coffee in the other, talk on a cell phone, and NOT tip over into the abyss below.

Our first stop is the Bureau of Engraving & Printing - that's where they print MONEY!  But first we make a stop at the Holocaust Museum.  It's a pretty intense experience, so we are doing just the children's portion.  I think our kids can relate to it a little bit, because we have talked about how Japanese-Americans were sent to camps during WWII.  Of course, most people would think that was nothing compared to the Holocaust.

The BEP is interesting.  Printing money is a very complicated process.  Did you know that paper currency is actually more like cloth than paper?  That's how it can hold up to changing hands so much.  The BEP also prints postage stamps.  The printing area stinks - all that green ink.  It brings back memories of those summers I worked at the print shop.

The afternoon is devoted to visiting one landmark after another.  First stop is the Washington Monument.  Those tickets Guido got us this morning are our passports to the very top of the monument.  Wow!  The view is awesome.  We're looking at all the places we'll be visiting on this trip.  On the elevator ride down, our guide stops periodically to show us stones that were sent by various states.  Each state has contributed a stone to the monument.  There are also stones provided by various organizations and even some other countries.

We walk to the Lincoln Memorial.  It reminds me of Fluffy's 100th day of school when she "made" a Lincoln Memorial out of 100 pennies.

We also make a quick tour of the WWII memorial, WWI memorial, and the Korean War memorial.  I am looking for the Viet Nam memorial, but Guido says it's near the Capitol (wrong!  It turns out we walked right past it, but I was so disoriented and I didn't have my map, I had no clue where we or anything else was).

The last stop is the Jefferson Memorial.  Guido thought we were taking the short way, but it turned out to be the long way.  The upside is that we got to walk underneath the cherry blossom trees.

Dinner is at McCormick & Schmicks on K Street.  BTW, some of these street names are sounding very familiar.  Unfortunately, I still remember parts of The Exorcist which I read in the 8th grade.  Too scary.

It's raining and it's pretty late by the time we get back to the hotel.  It's a long walk back up that hill.