Get a Clue

Colonel Mustard, reporting for duty. I'm pompous.

I made myself some Honors...

And what's that medal? Oh... :)

The whole Clue party...

Here's your cheat sheet: (also for Amber and Charles' housewarming present, we gave them the board game Clue but we put these cards in it. So they can play with us!)

It turned out that Mrs. Peacock did it with the lead pipe in Charles and Amber's kitchen.

Also, I happened to win "best overall" in the costume contest purely because I stayed in character the longest and tried to kill people all night with various weapons. But, really, I didn't win. In my acceptance speech, I said, "I'd like to thank the Members of the Board game. Without them this would not have been possible."

It's true. I have amazing Halloween (and always) friends.

What the Hell?-oween

Well, Happy Halloween.

What happened to trick-or-treating the right way?

Tonight these things happened:

1. Some kids asked for different candy after I had already given them some.

2. One kid put his hand in my candy bowl and said, "I want some Nerds" after I already gave him a candy bar and I took his hand out and said, "no, that's rude".

3. That same kid replied, "But I hate f-ing butterfingers". (prompting a friend of mine here to say, "If they can swear near an adult, maybe they are too old for trick-or-treating)

4. A dad actually held his hand out for candy after I gave his way-too-young-to-be-trick-or-treating baby girl some candy.

5. One girl asked for a glass of water.

WHAT THE H?!

I will only think of the kids who said "Trick or Treat!" and "Thank you! Happy Halloween!" just so I will be willing to hand out candy next year. I'm wearing a scary mask next year and having my roommates jump out of the bushes. Bet no one will say "I hate f-ing butterfingers" then.

Boo.

Sad News, but good to know...

Ok, I have to make this chart for myself. Like Mandy, I LOVE butterfinger bars more than anything in the world. Halloween is a difficult time for me. I learned this info the other night, and I wanted to put it up here so I wouldn't forget...

To walk off the calories in a Fun Size (two inch!!!) candy bar: (in order of least miles)

Kit Kat: 0.83 miles

Baby Ruth: 1.12 miles

Nestle Crunch: 1.17 miles

Snickers: 1.33 miles

M & M peanut: 1.50 miles

Reese's Cup: 1.53 miles

Butterfinger: 1.67 miles

Of course, Reese's cups and Butterfinger are my favorite. Of course.

I did not make this post to change anyone's behavior. Eat away! I just need this information where I can see it and remember it!! Or I will be walking to California.

Happy Halloween!

The Daily Show!

Yes! My cousin Courtney is the best! She let me know on Sunday that she had tickets to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and did I want to go with her?

YES!

So, we met at the Chinatown metro stop and wandered over to Harman Hall. After waiting for about an hour and a half, we still weren't sure if we were going to get in. But sure enough, they sat us around 5:45. Around 6:30, the show got rolling. First, a guy came out to warm up the crowd and get us laughing a bit. He was good! Then Jon Stewart came out to welcome us, to make us laugh and to answer any questions we might have.

Then the show started. It was AWESOME! I was laughing a ton and super loud (maybe a little louder than usual).

Here are some highlights that we saw:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
NPR Staffing Decision 2010
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

And then there's this fun:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Welcome to the Sanity Bus
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

And the guest, Austan Goolsbee! (yes, I didn't know who he was before the show. But I know now! Ok... well.. something about an Economist...)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Austan Goolsbee
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

It was absolutely incredible. I watched it again tonight with my roommate and I got excited All Over Again!

thanks, Court.

What a Hack

So, I got hacked. I was actually on my computer when it happened, and all of a sudden I got like 30 emails in response to one I had "sent".

My favorite alert, though, was my friend Anna's: "Cait, your email was hacked into. You just sent me an email regarding your Chinese iPhone. Might want to change your password!"

So I did. Damn you, chinese iPhone hackers.

I don't even HAVE an iPhone!

It's official

The pretty is here and the force is strong. Colors have hit northern virginia!

Worlds collide and brothers grow up

When I was at home, I got to see something amazing.

My brother David played baseball against my high school's team. This is Dave batting at the Western Branch field! He was awesome!

He played first base and then he pitched for awhile.

He's so tall!! The tallest on his team. And he's a 6'2" sophomore. He's not even finished growing. This brother is going to get to play baseball at any college he wants!!

As Phebe and I were walking home from the baseball field (which is very near my mom's house), she needed to stretch her legs so I let her run around the high school football practice field. There was a JV football game being played in the stadium. It was a perfect October Saturday morning. :)

Some cakes

Last weekend I felt like cake-bakin'. I made two for school (3rd grade was in charge of the October Birthday Bash celebrating school staff with October birthdays).

And I made one for my house with all the leftover icing from the other cakes.

Here are the school cakes:

Tri-Color family members

Last weekend, I went home. I was super stressed and tired and I just needed to go home and have some quiet and be around my family to recharge my batteries.

As a family, we love cockapoo dogs. There are three in our family. And they are all different colors.

You know this smiling face. Sweet Pheebs is the youngest. For sure.

Next is 5 year old Murphy. She is, by far, the cutest of all the dogs we've had. Her fur has so many gorgeous colors in it and she is an absolute love sponge. Also, she looks like a teddy bear.

Maggie is 14. She may not be with us for much longer because she's very old and she's very sick. But you'd never know it. She scampers and puppy plays. She's completely deaf but she can still seek out peanut butter from a mile away. Sweet Mags.

Sometimes Murphy judges me.

They did some goooood protectin'.

Phebe mostly leaves Maggie alone but LOVES to torment Murphy.

I love our cockapoo family.

Happier Notes!

Ok, I realize my last post was kind of a downer. I was actually a lot more fine than it sounded! I love everyone who is in my life. :)

What I needed was to go home, relax, see a couple of good friends, some family and have some Quiet. I realized that I don't really get much quiet around here.

I got to talk to Anne on the phone tonight. She's so lovely. It's Anne, Andrea, Meghan, Laura and family that make me miss living in Chesapeake...

I said there were happier notes: Check THIS GUY out... this Alice video makes me nice and sleepy...

He also did a Wonka one:

And a Hook one!

His editing skills are so amazing!

Chargers

...and not the team from San Diego.

There are certain people in your life who are your Chargers. They are the people you can talk to in your lowest times, in your happiest times, in their lowest times, in their happiest times, in tough times, in fun times, in sad times, in curious times... and they will always re-charge your inner batteries. If you're feeling sluggish and bogged down by life, just talking to them will feel like a breath of fresh air that lets you slow down... lets your brow uncrease... lets you laugh and breathe again.

I'm SO thankful for the Chargers in my life.

Now the rant part...

Sometimes people can be too caught up in their own lives to notice that a friend is in need. I'm so thankful for all the people who stuck by me last year and knew I'd be back to "me" again. I appreciate the people who didn't just want to be around the Fun and Crazy me. Because that's not me all the time. It's just not. It's not ever going to be. And I don't regret any decisions I've made about not putting myself around people who only want me one way. Thankfully, my glass is Much more full of Fun than anything else right now, but sometimes the contents shift and change because I'm normal. I'm human. I'm real.

I'll always be thankful that I feel my feelings. A co-worker of mine pokes fun at my "Poker Face" (or lack there of). It's true. You can always tell how I am feeling just by looking at me. And I'm not sure I want to change that... I'm a passionate person... and I like to feel. Lately at my place of work, I've been feeling more frustrated than anything else. Not with my students, but with other things that I will not discuss in such a public forum, but it takes it's toll on me. I have always been taught to stand up for what is right and what is fair and to go after what I want... and in my case, what my team wants.

Jana gave me a magnet for Christmas one year that said, "Given a cape, I'm fairly certain I could save the world." Sometimes I wish I could...

I'll keep trying...

... as long as I have my Chargers near me.

Third Grade

I'm in for quite a year with these cool kids...

Sweet Baby Party

Yesterday, Saturday, October 2, we had a baby shower for Joy. It was a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate how happy we are for Joy, for Kevin and for the new baby due in six weeks!

Ashley had an idea for a Candy Bar. She found yellow and gray candies and people could make little bag mixtures and take them to go!

Giant Cupcakes!

The one "Game" we played. Joy's mom sent me 10 pictures of Joy throughout her life and people had to guess her age in each picture. Her friend Sue got the most right!

Some of Kevin's family trying to figure out her ages...

And the beautiful mama-to-be, sitting under the happy birds that Ashley ordered for the nursery.

Joy says they will hang over the changing table.

It was a wonderful afternoon. I love Joy a lot and I'm SO excited for her and Kevin. Early November will bring the most special gift into their lives. And then we can all say...

Herbs Update

Well, the herb garden is doing pretty well. Sprouts, at least, in most of the pots.

The two dill pots are doing well.

Parsley is getting tall.

The basil leaves look strong but still baby-sized.

And the chives are... nonexistent.

I repotted the basil and the dill into larger pots. And planted chives in SEVEN pots. I really want some chives. Keep your fingers crossed.

How hard is it?!

We wanted this picture of Lilly, Phebe and Skylar.

Turns out, it's really hard to get three dogs to sit together. Why were we surprised?

My dog was the rascaliest. Duh.

Two out of three.

I like this one because it looks like the other two dogs are telling her, "If you don't sit still, they will keep making us do this. Come ON, Phebe."

Finally, what worked? Food, of course.

All Kinds of Beautiful

Last weekend, Joy and I went to the Claude Moore Fall Craft Festival to man her booth. We did this last year, too, and it gets better every year.

Adorable magnets and pins.

Handmade envelopes.

An excellent salesdog.

The most adorable baby bibs. And a lot of them!

Handmade napkin sets. She sold the dishtowels!

All Kinds of Pregnant. :)

Happy and crafting. And 7 weeks until due date!

And my favorite bag she made. She called it "The Doodle Bag".

Close-up doodle.

She did well! More than last year and some orders! :)