1) Friday Night, March 20, 2009
After work, and checking on Mom I went over to the ParisPekings. We were going to eat, put the girls to bed, and then play a third, tie breaking game of Trivial Pursuit. Previously, the boys (Ghostie and A Local Celebrity, Mr. David ParisPeking) won one game, and the girls (Mrs. A Local Celebrity, Mr. David ParisPeking and I) won one game. This game would decide bragging rights.
VS.
We, the girls, we started out very strong. But then Baby Jackie woke up crying and by way of a feeding, she managed to suck all the mojo out of our team and we lost. It was, as Ghostie stated, Bros: 2, Hos: 1. *sigh* Who knew lactation could be so bad for a team's luck in a game? There were numerous photos taken during the game, which, since we lost, will not be shown (Screw you guys, if you want the photos you took to be shown, start your own freakin' blog!). I did, however take some other photos worth posting:
Yours Truly, holding Baby Jackie, prior to her becoming a good luck vampire and causing us to lose.
ALCMDPP and I had to go get the pizza and then get the sushi for the missus. he let me take the pizzas to his car while he went to the sushi place, and then I was to drive over and pick him up. only he has a fancy expensive car, which I felt quite intimidated to drive. But this is a photo of me behing the wheel of a big boy car...still parked in the lot, naturally.
This is the three Little ParisPekings during the meal: Baby Jackie, Katie and Abby.
Abby's showing me her purple fire truck, which I HAD to take a photo of, cause how often do you see a purple fire truck? Outside of my fantasies, of course.
Katie's showing me her...well, not purple firetruck. Not really sure what color it is. I'm not sure if she knows what color it is. hell, she's two. At least she stayed on the paper, ya know?
Baby Jackie post-leeching of our mojo.
Oh, also, Baby Jackie's taken to making fish faces randomly. I attempted to get a video of her doing so, then attempted to get her to say Mama. but it ended up with Baby Jackie just going into 3D mode.
(and yeah, the sound and the picture aren't in sync. Something happens when they get uploaded, they lose sync. I don't know.)
2a) Saturday, March 21, 2009
Firstly, after my repeated mentions of my weigh loss attempts, Mark (who is a frequent Puntabulous commentor, and a frequent comment here at the Palace, but who apparently has no blog of his own), challanged me to see which of us could lose the most weight. So, from now until sometime in September (the final date has not yet been decided), both he and I will list our weights here on Saturdays. And at the end of the time, one of us will be the winner. We haven't as yet decided if there's gonna be any prizes or anything, but we'll see.
This past week, I backslid. On Saturday I was 275, having gained two pounds back. But since the contest just started THIS weekend, it's no big thing. Mark said he was 262, and had a photo of the scales showing the weight. I wasn't imaginative to think of that, so I got nothing to show. Instead, I'll just put up Mark's photo for all to see. And it has been brung and it is now ON!
2b) Satruday Night, March 21, 2009
A few months ago, I created on Facebook, a group called Borders Exits. It's for any and all ex-employees of the Borders Bookstore in Hagerstown Maryland. I really thought I might get 6 or 7 people to join, it's now up to 30. Wow. Anyway, one of the ladies, Heather, who worked there from the opening until just last year (8 years in total), decided we should have a reunion. And since it was a Friday night tradition when I worked there to go to TGIFridays every night after closing, have a few beers, unwind, and bitch about work, Heather decided we should go there for the reunion. And thus plans were made.
I think she said around 12 people said they'd be there. 6 total showed up. But that just showed how awesomely cool those six of us were, and how much of losers everyone else was. (Well, not The Mightly Lee...he was intended to drive 5 hours to get here for it, but then came down with strep throat. So he can be excused for medical reasons)
Anyway, along with myself and Heather, there was Ghostie, my lil buddy Gilligan, and a lady we all called Mama (including me, even though she's only like two years older than me). I hadn't seen Mama for a few years, it was great to see her and catch up again. Also, I met a funtastic, funalicious, funariffic lady who I never had the pleasure of working with: Virginia! (time for icons!)
My GOD did we have fun! And Virginia and I are like old buddies now! She wore a purple shirt, as did I. We both, at the same time, started singing "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes! It's like we're the same person...except, well not. But still, I anticipate many many future fun occasions with Miss Virginia. And much to my surprise, I discovered that both Gilligan and Virginia are regular Palace visitors (shout outs to both of you!). And of course, I got some photos.
This would be Heather, Gilligan and Ghostie.
This is Virginia and Mama (and I was gonna 'photoshop the bad parts out' as someone suggested, but my crappy camera skills made the whole thing come out a bit blurry. Sorry).
And these two are of course of some cuties sitting at the next table. damn, that closer one looked extremely fine in the tight fitting turquoise shirt he was wearing!
Ah yes, Beer, Borders friends, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, and Polt getting distracted by cute guys at other tables...it's just like any random Friday night when I worked at the bookstore!
3) Sunday, March 22, 2009
So in the late morning, I went to mom's. She unwrapped her knee and took the gauze off and then got a shwoer for the first time since Thursday. I sat in the living room and read the paper, but I insisted I be there when she got the first shower, cause I didn't want her to fall or something and not have someone there.
After this, I went to my friend's Bob and Don's house. Both of them, and their housemate Janet, and I had a great meal of pork roast, baked beans, and scalloped potates. I brought the dessert: mixed berry pie and ice cream. Oh and Pepsi too.
After this we talked quite a bit. Went to see their renovated guest house. Walked down to see the farm animals. Came back in the house and talked some more. Played a serious game of dominos (where they got 457 and 486 points, and I ended up getting 1042, which apparently was the most they had EVER seen anyone get. but hey, it was the first time I had ever played. And I AM a whore for notoriety). Talked some more. Went down to feed the animals. came back and talked some more. Yeah, a lot of talking, but I spent roughly eight hours there, so there was a lot of time to talk. And of course, I took photos:
This would be thier pack of dogs, clockwise from the lower left: Colby, Willow, Sam, Gracie, Beau, and Simba. Lady is somewhere off camera.
One of the two ducks who hissed at me. this one even had like a pompadour hairdo that he puffed up when he hissed at me. I tried to get a shot of that, but it didn't come out very well. But since I actually fed the animals by throwing a loaf of ripped up bread to them, i think maybe the ducks don't hate me anymore, and maybe won't hiss next time.
The peacock, one of the ducks, and part of the flock of guineas...stupid birds they are.
The white alpaca, named Winston. The black one, with the freaky white skull face design, is named Randall...which also happens to be Janet's ex-husband. I don't know if there's a connection there or not.
And my feet, surrounded by feathers, feed, hay, and goat, alpaca, guinea, rooster, chicken, peacock and baby goat shit. Lovely.
After my visit, I went back to mom's and hung out until she was ready to go to bed. This was gonna be her first night sleeping upstairs in her regular bed, and I did not want her going upstairs without someone there, so I followed her up, and she did fine. She even told me today, after I left, she had to back downstairs to get her toothbrush and then come back up on her own. *sigh*
4) Monday, March 23, 2009
Late this morning, I took mom to get her new glasses. Then we went to Wal-Mart so she could get a few things, returned the one set of crutches I had rented (she ended up being able to have insurance pay for apair, so she didn't need those) and then eat at Fuddruckers.
In Wal-Mart, she said she'd just use one of those scooter/cart thingees. We both knew this would be bad. First she gets in one, and can't figure out how to make it go. After about a minute, the greeter comes over to tell her that one's out of power, and she should try to other one. So she goes to the second one, gets it, hits go, and immediately rams her basket into the basket of the first scooter (the one with no power). So between her giggles, she finally gets the hang of moving forward...although whenever she stops, the whole thing jerks forward, throws her a bit into the handle and makes a 'screeching' noise. oh, I was cracking up.
It was only as we were heading towards the registers that she realized she didn't need to take her hand entirely off the go handle, she only needed to lighten the pressure and the thing stopped. But we both laughed about it.
I was walking alongside and got things off the shevles for her, but a few times, she had to get up and look at the stuff to decided which she wanted. The bacon, the eggs, even which particular brand of peach Jello she wanted. So there she goes, leaving the scooter behind, walking to the shelf, and carrying the crutch with her. Yeah, she wasn't having any pain on it, so she jsut carried the crutch. oh she used it to brace herself when she stood looking at the stuff, but that's it.
And the crutches...she first had it sticking out to the side, so that when she went by on the scooter, she'd be hitting people or knocking things off the shelves or what have you. Luckily, I caught that and changed it before she actually took off into the store. She had the crutch propped up, but, they fell over at the eye place...and at Fuddruckers. And when she got out of the car at home. They're actually more of a nuisance to her now than a help. And of course, I got just a few photos:
This is her on the sceond Scooter waving people by. They had come in the store and stopped to let her go first, but she waved them on laughing, sayin she didn't have the hang of it yet.
And this is her, with the crutch, rooting through the bacon to get "just the right pack".
And yes, I got a video as well, a short of her going through the store, stopping fast and even backing up.
We both laughed a lot at the beeping from the backing up thing. She said, "I sound like a big old fat dump truck or something backing up." It's always an adventure with Mama Polt.
And so, if any of you have hung on with me through all this, that pretty much was my weekend. Thanks for accompanying me on the trip.
POLT Listening to "Vogue" by Madonna Oil: 53.63 (+.87); gas: 1.89 (+.01)
Some days take less, but most days take more. - U2, Some Days Are Better Than Others
