Helping my brother, Steve, yesterday trying to find some things for my mom.  Steve tried to open a closet and it was stuck.  I came over and pulled out some bed sheets.  I then pulled out a towel and he says, "That's my towel!  I've been looking everywhere for it!  I even asked Mom where it was and she said she didn't know."

I (obviously) had a good laugh.  I think my Mom is hiding things from him on purpose.

Who knows what other treasures we will find in the future.

Stay tuned.

Pokemon Go App

By now, I'm sure you have heard about the Pokemon Go App.  I think it's great to see all of these kids out walking the trails getting exercise and catching Pokemon. You even see adults out there walking around (sometimes with their kids, sometimes by themselves) catching Pokemon. 

Bella and Alex have the app.  They informed me about the Pokemon that was at the sign behind our house (it's a park). One morning last week at 9:00am there were four kids out there by the sign catching Pokemon. That continued throughout the day. Ever since that day, we see people walking by, stop and look at their phone, catch the Pokemon then continue walking. 

Last Friday, Bella and I were eating lunch in the dining room. I saw a police officer walking down the path (on the trail that goes along the side of my house) and got a little worried.  I thought that maybe someone broke into my neighbors house (both husband and wife passed away and the house is empty).  I watched as the police officer walked down the path then toward the sign for the park. At that point he lifted his phone up and I said, "I think maybe someone vandalized the sign."  Bella said, "That's the Pokemon App on his phone!"

There you have it. My tax dollars hard at work.  Spent catching Pokemon. 

Napkin Hoarder

During this vacation, it has come to my attention that RT is a Napkin Hoarder.

Every place we go, he walks out with a few hundred napkins.  Take a look around the inside of his car and you will find piles of (unused) napkins.  (OK, they are in the center console, the side of the door, and, well, maybe a few in the back seat).  I guess I knew he took napkins, but, never realized the extent of his napkin hoarding.

We went to a restaurant and he walked out with three napkins.  Bella pointed it out to him.  He admits he "might" have a problem, as he was shoving them into the center console of his car (that is stuffed with more unused napkins).

At breakfast one morning, he pointed out that he only took one napkin.  Of course, before we left, he grabbed a few "just in case."

I have to admit, I have benefited from his addiction.  I've had to make an emergency stop on a hike and was quite grateful for the toilet paper napkins.   RT's napkins to the rescue!   When we had lunch in the room, we used a few napkins.  I still think he has enough napkins to last a lifetime (or more).

I guess the extras will be the kids' inheritance and RT's legacy will be something like, "He always had a clean napkin on him when you needed one."

One would think our washing machine was broken if they were to hang around Alex.  I think it's been two months since he last washed his clothes.  Waiting for the yellow tape to go across his door and the people in haz mat suits to go in and sort things out.

OK, Everybody Grab a Goat

Visited a farm today.  Bella rode a donkey.  We saw goats, pigs, cows, ducks, geese, lambs, cats, rabbits, dogs and chickens.  The farm is all hands on.  You can pet and help feed the animals.  They have volunteers who help out with the care of the farm.

At one point, we were about to leave the barn when a stampede of goats ran in the door  A few kids were chasing them and the goats went into another room.  We figured it must be feeding time.  As it turns out, it wasn't feeding time.  We later found out that the goats escaped their area and went straight into this room in the barn and up to the feeding area. Apparently, the goats spend their day trying to figure out how to escape their pen and make it to the feeding troughs.

The goats pushed off the covers of their feeding troughs and were pushing and shoving each other.  Some were standing in one feeding container and eating out of another.  Complete chaos.

One of the volunteers came over and covered the feeding troughs.  I was trying to help and hold the covers on the troughs.  I could only completely cover one.  In the meantime she was picking up goats and telling them to go back to their pen.  Finally she says, "OK, everybody grab a goat."  This was said like it was something natural (and normal) to say and we all thought, OK, let's grab a goat.  So, RT, Bella and a bunch of little kids start grabbing goats and carrying them over to their pen.  I was covering the food troughs so the rest of the goats would follow their friends.

Luckily it was a success.  All the goats made it back safely to their pen and were secretly planning their next escape.  We thought it was a fun and crazy experience.  Definitely something that wouldn't happen where we live.

It also gave us a new line to say.

"OK, everybody grab a goat."

My Starving Dog

When we go away, Nick watches Pippen.  I always ask how he's doing while we are away (I miss the crazy dog!) and Nick tells me how Pippen eats and drinks very little.  I try to tell Nick to hang with Pippen while he is eating.  You know how he likes company when he eats.  Apparently he doesn't like anyone else's company (only mine).

I suggested Skyping Pippen during meal time so he will feel like I'm there with him.  Of course, it would probably backfire and he will be afraid of the laundry room (where he eats) or he will run around the house looking for me.

I guess vacations can only last a week.  If we are gone too long, my dog will starve.

No Response

I love how I send a text message to the boys and get a reply in 24 hours.  I mean, are they that busy?  I'm sure they reply quicker when their friends text them.

Good thing it's not an emergency.

Scary

Picture RT and Bella chasing me through the hotel to get me to rub aloe on their back.

It's hard being the one without a sunburn.

The Smell of Aloe

Bella took a shower and put aloe on her sunburn.  She needed help putting aloe on her back.  I took one sniff and almost passed out.  I know she took a shower, but..... she stinks!  Did she put on dirty clothes?

I kept my comments to myself.  I started putting on the aloe and realized that the smell was not my daughter's bad hygiene habits...it was the aloe!

What does aloe smell like?  Put a t-shirt on Alex and let him play basketball outside in the heat for a few hours with his friends.  Take a whiff of the shirt.  Better yet, let him use that same shirt and play ball for the next few days and then smell that shirt.  Now imagine sitting in a car (with the windows up and the air conditioning on) with two people that have been using aloe.

Yes.  I could die and no one would know the cause of death.

Don't Touch Me

I went to give RT a hug and as I got close he said, "Don't touch me!"

Sunburned and crabby.

Sunburned

I mentioned in my last post about going to the beach.  We had a blast on the tubes we brought.  The water temperature was perfect.  Nice sunny day.  Not too hot.  And, two out of three got sunburned.

sound of record scratching

Yes.  I said two out of three.  Why?  Because the one person (that everyone thinks is crazy) (me) uses SPF 70 or more when she is out in the sun.  Oh, yea, and I'm the one with the olive skin who tans easily.  Then, there is RT, who insists on using 30 SPF (the one who is pale and does not tan easily).  And, of course, Bella, who put on sunscreen before we got to the beach (forgot to ask someone to do her back) and then ran back into the water every time I mentioned she put on more.

Both of them are pretty red.  I now get to hear moans and complaints for the next several days.  Hopefully everyone learned a lesson today.

"DON'T STEP ON THE BLANKET!"

I love going to the beach.  I find it to be very relaxing.  I also find it to be a very interesting experience.  There is the whole personal experience.  You know, sun, shade, water, sand.  Then there is the people watching aspect.

This beach visit was a great personal experience.  The weather was perfect and the water wasn't too cold.  That means I actually got in the water (doesn't happen too often at the lake, just ask my kids).

The people watching portion was very entertaining.  Next to us sat an elderly couple who were catching some rays.  After awhile, a woman with a (4-5 year old) girl came walking up to the blanket.  As they were approaching the blanket (with her grandparents laying on it), the mom yells, "DON'T STEP ON THE BLANKET!"  Not once, but five or six times.  They stood by the blanket for several minutes waiting (not sure for what) and the little girl asks, "Can we go back in the water?  My feet are burning."  The mother says yes, grabs her hand and SLOWLY walks the little girl back to the lake.  You could tell the little girl was doing everything to keep her feet from burning off in the sand.  About 10 minutes later, another woman with her two kids comes up to the blanket and grabs towels for her kids.  This time the grandfather is yelling, "DON'T STEP ON THE BLANKET!" (not once, but several times).  One of the kids runs across the blanket and the grandfather is ticked.  They all ate on the blanket.  The little girl asked for something, and, she didn't say please, so the grandfather refused to give it to her.

At this point, all of us decided to go in the lake.  When we got out and back to the blanket, the people to the right of us were gone.  The grandparents on the left?  They moved so close to our blanket that we could almost touch them.  No  there wasn't anyone on the other side of them (the grandparents).  RT was putting things next to our blanket just to give us a little space.  I think they were trying to catch some shade from our umbrella.  If they got any closer, I was going to yell, "Don't step on our blanket!"

Nothing like picking up and going on vacation.  Throw everything in the car and go.

Well, throw everything on the ground by the back of the car so RT can methodically pack the back of the car.

I always have that feeling, like I forgot something.  RT always tells me that we can buy it when we get there.

We hop on the road and once we get on the expressway, I realize what I forgot.

I forgot to put on deodorant.

Good thing our car has air conditioning on this 90F day.

Songs that Describe my Week

Thought I would describe my week with songs.  Here it goes:

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Superstitious - Stevie Wonder
Walk this Way - AeroSmith
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey*
Vacation - The Go-Go's
Cake By the Ocean - Dnce

*Like I said, legally, this song HAS to be on every song list

We are going out of town for a few days.  The boys will be home on their own (with Pippen).  I made sure the refrigerator, freezer and pantry have some food.  They can drive and pick up any other essentials.  I also plan on stocking their shower with extra soap and all the bathrooms with toilet paper.  Oh, and I am putting out Yiayia's ice cube recipe.  I think they will survive the week.