Stuff - it just happens

Let's just get the sad part over with first. My son Joe and his family have three pets - two cats and a turtle. In the last two days they've lost two of them. First their turtle, Henry, escaped under a fence from his new yard and disappeared. Knock on wood, maybe they'll find him. Maybe he'll come home again. One can always hope. Then their cat Romeo had sudden breathing problems this afternoon. Lisa and the baby had to leave for the airport so it was left for Joe to race Romeo to the vet where the news was dire and they had to have him put to sleep. They didn't get to say goodbye before Lisa and Joli left on their trip and Lisa didn't get to say goodbye to Romeo. There are pictures of everyone, pets included, on recent posts on Lisa's blog. I bet they'd appreciate a note of sympathy if you hopped over to leave a comment. I really liked Romeo myself, my "grandkitty", and so I'm sad too. I'm sure their other cat Sampson will be a very sad kitty. Animals know.

William had his annual sports physical for football the other day. Our regular doctor couldn't get him in before the deadline for this coming year's football season, so he saw a new PA at the clinic. She was new and a bit zealous according to hubby and son. She passed him only with a provision he get an eye exam because his vision was a bit borderline on that eye chart thing. Hubby explained that William had already had an eye exam with our optometrist and that we knew he had a very, very mild case of nearsightedness. The eye doctor told him it was really up to him if he chose to wore corrective lenses as it was too slight to be fixed unless it was causing him problems in school or driving, which it was not. The PA wasn't convinced however, insisted he have another exam, arguing that she didn't want him to get "knocked down" or "hit with the ball" or anything like that. Uhm, yeah. Has she ever WATCHED a football game???????!!! Getting "knocked down" happens a lot, even to players with 20/20 vision. Whatever.

I felt great all five days I was up in the cool temperatures of Washington state. I came back home and by midday of my first day back the heat and smoke gave me a headache and made me feel dizzy and exhausted. I think I'm allergic to my life. Or at least my town.

We had to buy a new laptop. Financial ouch. I got a free iPod Touch with it. My teenager is mad at me because I won't give it to him. I actually thought about it because it's not the type of thing I would have gone out and bought for myself. But then I started thinking about it. When I was a kid, my mom struggled to make ends meet and we didn't have fancy toys. When I was a young adult I couldn't ask my folks for money and I lived frugally. After I had kids, I've spend decades raising them on thrift stores and discount shopping and camping trip vacations and grow my own vegetables and all manner of economical choices. The last couple of years has been the first time ever that I can really say we've had a generous amount of fun money. And that's dried up again because of changes at hubby's job and because of the economy. I decided that I had no reason not to enjoy the new toy myself. So, to any of my children that might think I don't need an ipod, I have just one thing to say - Phhhhbbbbtt!

I went to Deb's blog and found a meme she borrowed from Kicking it in Crazyville , and I found myself wanting to answer all the questions, so here it is:

1. What is your favorite mode of transportation (flying, train, car, boat, etc.)? Why? Most of the time I like to travel in all those ways. I'm a bit burned out on traveling at the moment, but once I'm on the road, in the air, out of port, etc., I'd probably get into the mood pretty easily. It's a pretty easy choice to say that my favorite is train travel. I love the rocking motion, the freedom to move about the cars, the snack or dining car, the scenery, the old fashioned train stations. I like the motion of a boat too, but trains are #1

2. If you could fly like Superman, jump and swing like Spiderman, swing on vines like Tarzan or fly on an umbrella like Mary Poppins, which would you choose? Spiderman and Tarzan have to expend way too much energy for my tastes. Superman obviously has more power so that might be my first choice, but Mary Poppins gets to bring whatever she wants with her in that amazing bottomless carpetbag, so even though she's slower getting where she's going, she seems content. Another day I might have said Superman, but today I'm feeling mellow and I'll go with Poppins.

3. You’re driving down the road and you see a small cluster of people, all with their thumbs out hoping to hitch a ride with you. As you near the group you realize that the people standing there are Queen Elizabeth, Johnny Depp, Barrack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and John Grisham. You only have room for one person. Who would you pick up? Oprah seems nice enough but I'm not a huge fan. Ditto Grisham. I'm not terribly interested in meeting the Queen. It's a toss up between Depp and Obama - can't I squeeze them both in? They're both fascinating people and I'd so love to talk to them. And yet, damn, I might have to say Queen Elizabeth because, really, she's old and in all good conscious could I really leave her standing out on the side of the road in the hot sun? And I think the others would probably be too polite to get in the car and leave her there too.

4. What was the most memorable trip you’ve ever taken? I've been on lots of amazing trips but I'd have to say the month I spent traveling around the UK and France with William two years ago. It's changed my life in so many ways and opened up so many new interests.

5. If you were planning a road trip with your best friend, where would you start, what would you stop to see and where would you end? Well, I am planning a road trip with my best friend actually. My hubby and I are packing up the Bronco and trailer camper to go to Oregon and the Faery Festival next weekend. And I'm SUPER excited about it. We've been looking forward to it since the end of our first Faerieworlds Festival last year.

But if we could go anywhere and money was no object, then I think renting a Mini and traveling about the UK would be fun. Or some car of my hubby's choice and traveling around France and Italy would be equally fine. Here in the U.S. I'd want to start from home and travel all around the U.S. visiting the areas I have yet had a chance to visit. We'd head to New Orleans, and then through the south, down to the Florida Keys, up the Atlantic coastline, through New England, across the border to Montreal, and then we'd decide from there what route to take heading west that would take us back home. Of course we'd stop to visit all our kids and other family along the way, and a few good friends as well.

6. You are able to transport yourself back to any time. What would it be and why?

I'd have to think about this one, there are so many times that would be fascinating to see for myself. But the first thing that comes to mind is, I'd like to go back to the life and times of Jesus and get the real story for myself. Especially if I could bring back things like written transcripts, video, photographs. Settle a lot of questions once and for all. Or maybe I'd just go back to my early childhood and bask in the love and company of all the wonderful family members that I've loved and lost since then.

7. Would you have flown with the Wright Brothers when they first discovered air travel? Nah. But I sure would have liked to have seen it. Funny, there was a time when I was young, early adolescence to young adulthood, when I would have jumped aboard a space ship without a second thought. Now that could actually happen (assuming I had enough money), I don't have any desire.

And last but not least, I promised more photos of the growing family:

Here's the new mommy and daddy with the new baby. I thought it was cute how Noel and Nickolai have matching t-shirts. It wasn't planned.

Here's Nickolai showing us he can open his eyes!

Garret is usually just a walking smile.

He's all about being silly and sweet. Okay, so occasionally he gets so excited he gives you a karate chop or two. But that's a little boy for ya.

Joshua is more the social coordinator. Always needs to be in the circle of what's going on. Here he is holding his new brother. I really like this photo.

And here he is posing with Nonny. His idea. He loves his siblings. "Okay, now let go of your sister so she can breathe, okay?"

Anastasia is all about babies. Here she is making a bed for one of her many dolls.