New Visitors To The Garden

When we bought this house and put in our backyard, we had frogs. No, not as pets. There's a storm detention pond beyond our fence and a large wetlands area and field beyond the pond. In addition, we had installed a two level pond in our own yard. The wetlands are a natural breeding ground for frogs and the ponds just added more habitat. Breeding season is unbelievably loud. Apparently frog romance requires lots of serenading.

Any time I worked in the yard, there would be frogs. Under leaves, on top of leaves, in the grass, under the rocks, on the rocks, on the side of the damn house. I've been heard screaming on more than one occasion. It's not that I'm afraid of frogs, I'm not really. But I am afraid of most anything that hides, and then jumps away from me at me when I least expect it.

We have since taken out our ponds, and now most of the frogs stay on the other side of the fence by the storm detention pond and in the wetlands. I believe we've actually had fewer the last couple of years and I choose to believe it has to do with weather and not the poison shit storm chemicals that my neighbors pour on their yards and down the storm drains (despite the signs warning them that the storm drains go straight to the pond). Occasionally one or two come to visit, but we've maintained a truce.

This year, we've had a new kind of visitor. These visitors are a bit more unwelcome. No, a lot more unwelcome. For no valid reason other than... well... just EWWWWW.

We have snakes. SNAKES! Snakes on a plane - snakes in the garden - same difference.

I'd seen one a week or two ago. I didn't think anything of it. After all, there's a giant field and wetlands behind the house, right? But then Wednesday, The Boy walked through the front yard dragging the hose so he could wash my car (I'm so lucky!!), and not one, not two, THREE snakes slithered through the grass and into the little shrubs in front of the porch.

By the way? Anything that requires the word "slither" to describe it's natural movement is EWWWW!

Again, I thought it was a fluke. A freak occurrence. But noooooo, today I go to hook up the sprinkler in the back and the entire neighborhood heard this:

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
That was me. Yelling in shock as a deadly huge four inch baby garter snake slithered away from the sprinkler. (There's that word slither again.)

Houston, we have a problem.

That is one too many snakes in my yard for my liking. Where the heck are those hawks that are always hanging around eating these things? Whatever mother nature needs to do this winter to bring some balance back, I hope she does it. Because snakes I can do without.

***Ally
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Good People

They do exist. Good people, that is.

Out there in the big mean world, there are good people.

Sometimes they show themselves and my faith in kindness is restored.

Case in point, Hubs and I went for a run this weekend on a local paved trail. At one point, I pulled a dog poop bag out of my running belt to take care of some, you know, dog business that the four-legged beast left behind. I felt something hit my leg and I looked around, but saw nothing. I looked again, still nothing. Hubs suggested maybe it was a bug.

Maybe. There had been some big dragonflies around.

We resumed our run. Fast foward two hours and I'm at home in the shower. Hubs comes up and says, "You should always trust your gut."

I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he explained that a Prius had driven into the driveway and a guy he didn't know had knocked on the door. He opened the door and there stood a complete stranger. The same stranger that had picked up my dropped driver's license off the running trail, punched my address into his GPS and drove my license to my house to hand deliver it.

I wish I could have said thank you myself, but Hubs assured me that he thanked him profusely.

My faith in people again restored.

***Ally
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10 Clues This Is 2012

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along and join in. Stasha's a great host and always has interesting things for us to make our lists about.

This week's list is supposed to be 10 Clues You Are Living In 2012. Brilliant. And because my only son is about to start his senior year of high school, my mind is filled with all things school in this day and age.

Therefore, here are 10 Clues My Son Is In High School In 2012:

1. We must pay $75 for a "parking pass" allowing him to park in the lots on campus. No pass = ticket. After, two tickets, they boot the car. Not kidding.

2. Letterman's Jackets cost $600-700. Again, not kidding. Also not buying. Thankfully he doesn't want one. My friends, I have raised a practical child. His reasoning - I'll only wear it a few times this year and I'll never wear it again.

3. Final drafts of all assignments must be printed off the computer. Not penned in ink, in cursive as was the rule when I was in high school.

4. Freshmen are all now issued laptops at the beginning of the year. As in the school district supplies each freshman with a laptop computer to use for the school year. My son missed this by a year.

5. Lunches purchased at school must be paid for by an account that parents fund online. Ahead of time. Remember when we just carried a couple of dollars to pay for lunch? Heck, we all stood in line to get quarters from the Lunchroom Change Lady to get the good stuff from the vending machines. Soft, warm ham and cheese that had been sitting in the machine for a few hours... Mmmmmm... (you'll just have to trust me on this one.)

6. New in our district this year - they've gone GREEN. No paper newsletters. No paper notices crumpled in the bottom of backpacks. Now a notice comes by email to log in and read it all online.

7. Each sports season comes at the cost of $100 per athlete. And the athletic director admits freely that the $100 per athlete, per season, goes into the general fund, NOT into the athletic programs. Welcome to the new world of funding public education. They have to make up the money cut from the state and federal budgets somehow...

8. Elective classes that extend well beyond wood shop, auto shop, home ec and yearbook staff. Now they have things like website design, auto recording and production, video production, business law, marketing, engineering introduction, sports medicine, horticulture, etc. The list truly goes on and on. I wish I'd had some of those choices! My second semester of senior year might have been a little more productive...

9. Report cards are online. Every day of the week. I guess that makes them progress reports. But at any given point in time you can see what their grades are and if any assignments are missing. That's a whole different kind of accountability.

10. Online, online, online! Everything is online. The calendar, the lunch menu, the email and phone number to every teacher and staff member, the bell schedule, the course catalog... The teachers have web pages.  The daily bulletin is online! Only a fraction of this was happening even 10 years ago. And today, in 2012, we don't think twice about it.

Just a reminder, if you all are a lot younger than me and had some of these things when you were in high school, just be kind when you make fun of my slightly older era...

***Ally
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Surprise!

No, the surprise is not that I'm posting on Saturday.

It is that today is August 25th.

What, you don't know what that means?

That means Christmas is exactly 4 months away. FOUR.

This is when I chide myself because for the 10th year running, I have not stuck to my master plan of slowly buying Christmas gifts throughout the year. Bwahaha! No really. I make that plan every year. and then I don't do it.  ::clears throat::

Do you know how fast 4 months goes? Especially with a kid in high school? School starts this Thursday, and then it's Labor Day Weekend and then they hit the studies for real, and at first it's all deadlines and payments and getting things in order, but before you know it it's Homecoming, and the second that's over it's Halloween, and we all know Thanksgiving is just a blink of an eye from Halloween, and once Thanksgiving is over the panic sets in because I STILL haven't bought or made any Christmas presents, and though I will have vowed to cut back, there are still gifts to buy, and though I will be swearing off traditions that only stress me out, my son will look at me and say, "But it's our family tradition!" and the guilt of all motherhood will wash over me and we'll do it anyway.  ::takes a deep breath::

Not to worry. I have a plan. Well, it's still formulating. But I'm getting there. I AM going to make some gifts, because I AM going to stick to a budget, and if they come out like I hope, I might even give one away on this blog, which means you might have one less gift to buy, too!

Okay, so I was trying to be a little real and a little funny/sarcastic/crazy up there. But it's all true. Especially that last part. You just wait and see.

So, now that I've added that stressful thought to your weekend, onward with you! Go enjoy this weekend. Hug your family, smile a lot, laugh a ton, and be grateful for today. Be present in today. The tomorrows come way too fast sometimes.

***Ally
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Lost Cause? Or Save?

This is one of those posts where I cry out for help.

I am a woman with issues. One of my issues is my inability to give up on anything that is not completely dead. That's a good thing with people and animals, but we are talking about plants here. Really? Did you think I was talking about people or animals? Hmph.

So about my plant. Once upon a time my husband brought this home from a work office that was closing. For a house plant, it's pretty easy care. I can go ages forgetting to water it and it will still be alive. However, the damn thing kept growing. And growing. I've re-potted it once hoping to offer it the stability it needs to stand up, but it's top heavy. We've turned it facing the corner - bad plant, go stand in the corner - hoping it would reach the other way for the window light. Nada.

The thing is so top heavy, I'm not sure it can be helped. It's also ugly. Really ugly. But it's ALIVE. I cannot get rid of things that are alive. I feel bad.

However, I could probably convince Hubs to get rid of it while I was out of the house and didn't have to watch it happen.

Did I mention we have two starts off this stupid thing growing in smaller pots? They are lopsided, too. Grrrr.

So look at the pictures and tell me what you think. Saveable? (And if so, you better tell me how!) Or get it outta here?

Help me.

It's trying to eat that little table there. And that little

bamboo stick I tried to prop it up with helped for 

approximately two days.
Let me be clear - this thing is at least 5 feet tall!

Yes, I need to cut off the dead leaves. But still.

I just looked at the pictures again. I can't even believe I'm asking. On my blog. It has to go, right? RIGHT?!

***Ally

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Wild - Wordless Wednesday

They are wild. But they are hardly timid.

You can't really blame them. The grass does look much greener than up the desert hills. :)

If they just didn't have such a taste for rose bushes and apple trees...

Reno, NV ~ August 2012

***Ally
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Active. Or Smelly.

You know you are an active family when:

* your bedroom, the land of romance, contains a full set of weights with bench, a treadmill and a full outdoor bike on a trainer. And there are no clothes hanging from any of it. Bring on the candle light. :: snort ::

* you have both 'exercise underwear' and 'everyday underwear'. And so does the rest of the family.

* if the bike from the bedroom isn't in the bedroom, it's parked in the living room.

* there are two more bikes hanging in the garage. And they get used.

* each person in the family goes through at least twice as many pairs of underwear as there are days in the week due to workouts (and not other issues).

* at least half of the week's laundry is made of tech fabric. (That's workout clothes, people.)

* the ice packs in the freezer come in specialized shapes for certain joints of the body. (Yes, they make special ice packs for shoulders, knees, etc.) Hey, they work for coolers, too.

* your coat closet contains more baseball equipment than coats.

* the bathtub in the master bathroom is used to dry clothes that are too sweaty to throw in the laundry basket yet.

* the husband's shoe rack contains more racquetball equipment than shoes.

* you own more athletic shoes than any other kind.

* the dog knows the difference between running clothes (yay! she gets to go! she dances around and races for the door) and strength training clothes (she just lays down in the middle of the workout space with that sad look on her face).

* you have a pull up bar hanging from a doorway. And it get's regular use. And again, there are no clothes hanging from it.

* you've threatened distant relatives that if they don't come visit soon, you're going to turn the guest room into a workout room.

* you plan activities around workouts, and not the other way around.

Yes, there's a lot of active going on around here. I really wouldn't wish it any other way. I'm proud of my active family!

***Ally
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10 Things About HIS Car - Monday Listicles

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along and join in. Stasha's a great host and always has interesting things for us to make our lists about.

Upon the demise of Stasha's beloved mini-van, and it's impending replacement (which has not been an easy decision), she has picked this week's topic: 10 Things About My Car.

I'm not really much of a car girl. Oh sure, there are a few I'd love to have if I had some disposable income laying around, but I could never and would never spend and enormous amount of money on a car when there are other things I could or should buy.

Anyradiator, I'm not a car girl. As long as it looks decent (okay, I'm a little picky) and is reliable, I'm all in. Even better, my current vehicle gets fantastic gas mileage, which kinda rocks my yucky commute. And really, that's the reason we bought it.

So here are 10 thing about Hubs' muscle car that inhabits our garage:

1. It is a convertible Chevelle and was made in 1969 by Chevrolet.
2. It's red.
3. It is not allowed to be driven in the rain.
4. It is required to have a space in the two car garage. Ahem. That means two cars are in the driveway.
5. It is required to wear a car cover while in the garage.
6. Sometimes empty cardboard boxes get stored on the car cover, on the car, in the garage. Hubs is not always happy about this. But you never know when you might need an empty cardboard box.
7. We sometimes hide The Boy's Christmas or birthday presents in the car, under the car cover, in the garage.
8. I drove it once. In the neighborhood.
9. When he starts the car, it stinks up my garage and I don't allow anyone to open the door between the garage and the house. I lock 'em out and make 'em use the front door. It's just a minor 'thing' I have about carbon monoxide poisoning. Or stink poisoning.
10. When he talks of selling it, I say no. I know he loves it. He's always loved these cars. But if he wanted to sell it and buy a 1969 Camaro to replace it, I'd consider it.

***Ally
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Re"butt"al

In case you missed it, Lela came back and covered for me while I was on vacation last week.

She wrote the sweetest post about me. She said some super nice things. Most of what she said I can't really argue with.

For instance, I really am a grammar freak (with the exception of my own mistakes). I can relate to the Human Google comment, in fact, I have a friend that used to call me Jeeves for the Ask Jeeves website. (For you youngin's, that's what ask.com used to be called, and it was set up as if you were asking the character Jeeves the questions.)

I am super sarcastic and I appreciate sarcasm. But I never want to hurt anyone's feelings.

I would totally bail her out of jail. I'd even take her for a drink when I got her out of there. And yes, I will ALWAYS return my shopping cart.

I have no butt, she is absolutely right about that. No one in my family really does, which means my son's bubble butt HAD to have come from his dad's side of the family. Here's proof I have no butt:

(Two questions: why the hell did my husband take this picture??? And why would I post it. Well, I trust you guys and assume you'll come back anyway - this is my safe place, right? RIGHT?)

She is right, I've always had a love-hate relationship with my hair. But here's where things get sticky. She says "shiny" and all is see is a mass of frizzy, dull waves that are barely manageable. She thinks letting it dry naturally would be a good idea, but all I see happening is this:

If you did not see this episode of Friends, go find it. Now. I howled while watching it - obviously due to the fact that I could COMPLETELY RELATE to what humidity does to naturally frizzy, wavy hair. There is nothing attractive happening on my head with "natural". Trust me. It doesn't help that I have enough hair for three grown adults. Even my hair cutter girl (hair stylist? What's the right term here?) says her arms get tired drying my hair out.

With that little discrepancy out of the way, all I can say is thank you to Lela for posting. I love her like a sister, too. Always have and always will.

***Ally
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A Litte Marriage Q&A At...

I, along with Hubs, am over at So Wonderful, So Marvelous.

Michelle and Dave are celebrating their 7th Anniversary and she's invited some of her fav bloggers to a little marriage Q&A. Check us out!

You can check out some of the others, too. And scroll through some of Michelle's other posts. In addition to two darling kiddos, she's got mad party planning skills. And recipes. And stories that will make you hold your stomach while you laugh.

Go. Now.

***Ally
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Wordless Wednesday - A Little Mid-Week Humor

e·ques·tri·an: of or pertaining to horseback riding or horseback riders (just an FYI)

***Ally
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Returning From Vacation Is Hard

You are feeling sorry for me already, aren't you? Not.

Seriously, why is it so hard to come back from vacation. The idea that we come back all relaxed and refreshed is totally false.

I came back tired. Well, okay, we had a 13 hour drive home, in one day, that took 14-1/2 hours because of end of weekend traffic here in Washington.

I ran four times while on vacation. Now that I'm back I can't find even the smallest morsel of desire to lace up my shoes.

I'm bloated from vacation food. While the scale only shows a pound or two (that I know would fall right off if I laced up those running shoes and took them out for a few spins), it feels more like five. Or eight. Maybe ten.

I was vacationing in the land of hot days and air conditioning. Now I'm in the land of hot days and no air conditioning, which makes the nights kinda hot and uncomfortable. The night we got home, my house was 84 degrees inside after being shut up for the hot day(s).

Work? Oh please, no one wants to go back to work.

Home means acting like a responsible adult. Boo hoo.

Oh, and we left our son with his grandparents. From there he'll fly to Oregon and spend four days on the coast with his girlfriend's family. So now I miss my son, too. And I'm a teensy bit jealous that his vacation continues.

BUT... we had an great time. I'm back. And soon to be back in the blogging mode. Just as soon as I lace up those running shoes... here I go... now... really... I'M GOING!

***Ally
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The Sins Of My Youth by Lela

Now that I am older and wiser . . .

1.  I take care of my skin.  What was I thinking in my 20's never wearing sunscreen or picking and popping my pimples?  I wear at least a 30 spf daily and see the dermatologist regularly.  When I look in the magnifying mirror I accept my scars and wrinkles as I apply expensive creams and lotions.

2.  I only wear comfortable shoes.  Period.  If they have to be high or fancy they better not hurt my tootsies.  When I was in high school I had huge size 10 feet, but squeezed them into 9's to make them look smaller.  I still got teased!  Now I wear 11's and couldn't care less.

3.  "Going out" has taken on a  new meaning.  No more staying out all night and drinking kamikazis (one time with Ally in Hawaii).  I have a strict 3-glass maximum of "good" wine.  Two-buck-Chuck is NOT good wine.  Also, I am usually home by the time Saturday Night Live starts. 

4.  Size does matter . . . when it comes to underwear.  I have gone from "thong" to "granny" and proud of it!  Like my shoes, my panties have to be comfortable.

5.  I lower my expectations.  This might sound bad, but it really works!  I am not lowering my standards, just my expectations.  Think about it.

That's all I can think of for now.  I have been forgetting a lot of things lately.  Must be old age.

-Lela
Ally's BFF
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All About Ally

Hey, it’s me Lela, Ally’s BFF and guest blogger while she is on vacation.  Most of you remember me as the other “Normal Mom”.  Even though I don’t blog anymore, I am a faithful follower of Ally and I thought I would write about her today.

Ally is smart.  She uses proper grammar (and will correct yours).  She is the friend you call in the middle of the night when your kid has a weird rash or you don't know what to cook for your in-laws.  She is a human Google.

Ally is sarcastic, but kind.  A perfect combination.

She is responsible and loyal.  She is the go-to gal for sunscreen and/or tampons. Ally will ALWAYS return her shopping cart and recycle.  She would bail me out of jail if I asked her.  If she says she will do something, she will do it.  You can count on her.

She has always hated her hair.  Ally’s hair is a thick, shiny, wavy mass of gorgeousness.  And she hates it.  Women would die for her hair.  If I had her hair I would just wash it and let it dry naturally.  Ally has to let it sit in a towel for approximately 45 minutes, then blow it out with a big, round brush, followed by torture with a flat iron.  It takes forever!  (I know she is going to kill me for saying all that!)

She has NO butt.  It is totally flat.  But she has a fit, runner's bod with muscles and a flat stomach, so who cares?

Ally says she never has anything to wear, yet always looks adorable and put together.  

We have been friends a long time, since before kindergarten.  She was that shy kid who loved animals and I was the obnoxious tomboy.  I have settled down in my old age, but Ally hasn't changed much.  That's why I love her like a sister.

-Lela

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Come To Dinner - Monday Listicles

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along and join in. Stasha's a great host and always has interesting things for us to make our lists about.

This week's list is 10 People, Living or Dead, You Would Invite To A Dinner Party. This one was hard for me for some reason. I could have done a list of the thinkers of the world, which would just require too much thought on my part - I'm on vacation, people - or my lost relatives, or the obvious current important people in my life. Instead, I'm going with celebrities I'd find interesting to talk to for one reason or another:

1. Prince Harry
2. Dave Matthews
3. Harry Connick, Jr
4. Robert Redford
5. Diane Keaton
6. David Sedaris
7. Bono
8. Jack Black
9. Jon Stewart
10.Whoopi Goldberg

...and by the way, I'm not cooking. Bring on the caterer. They can clean up after, too.

***Ally
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Teen Girl Rules

There are a ton of rules a teenage girl must follow. How to act, what to say, what to wear, what NOT to wear, not to have sex, not to smoke-drink-do drugs, all of it. And I'm sure at times it's hard to remember them all.

A note to all teenage girls, please remember Rule #243 at all times:

You can pull a snotty, hormonal, teenage attitude with your mother. 

You can pull a snotty, hormonal, teenage attitude with your boyfriend. 

Don't pull a snotty, hormonal, teenage attitude with your boyfriend in front of his mother.

Never, ever, pull a snotty, hormonal teenage attitude with your boyfriend's mother.

Just trust me, when I tell you this. His mother has a mental tally board in her head of points both for and against you, and that last one will fill the against column with lots of little marks. Just sayin'.

*FYI:  "snotty, hormonal, teenage attitude" = acting like a pissy little bitch

**FYI again: she did send a text to the boyfriend, asking him to tell me, that she was very sorry for how she acted. They are so young and hormonal, no matter how "mature" they might act at other times... she's lucky I understand PMS as well as I do...


***Ally
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The Problem With August

Goodbye July.

I hate that.

To all of you suffering in heat around the country, I'm sorry. I know you are looking forward to the cooler temps of fall. And I wish that for you, as well.

But for me, the end of July is bittersweet. August is traditionally beautiful here. Cool nights and mornings, gorgeous warm afternoons. The light at sunset has a magical glow. You can't ask for better days. If ever you were to visit Seattle, do it in August.

However, August also means that it's almost over. Back to school, fall, cold and wet weather, the rush of holidays, it's all just around the corner.

I've waited for months, holding my moods together with fraying threads, for the calm and happiness that the sunshine brings. And just like that, as soon as I settle in to that happy place, it threatens to leave again.

Sigh.

The days will tick by, the reminder always in the back of my head that this calm period is fleeting.

For now I will only look at the gorgeous days before me. I will stock up on sunny thoughts, sunny activities, sunny days. And hope they hold me through the winter.

***Ally
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In Honor Of England - Wordless Wednesday

Photos all courtesy of me :)

***Ally
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