I took the kids to the library last night after dinner.  The library is open until 9pm, so we had a couple of hours to pick out our books and music.  Shortly before closing, they started to play soothing classical music, apparently to signal that it was time to leave.  Suddenly, the music stopped, and switched to a talk-radio program discussing erections and the benefits of Viagra.

It was pretty funny watching the librarians scamper to try and fix the audio mix-up.  An older gentleman wildly waved his arms to signal a woman working on the other side of the library.  She must have figured out what she needed to do, since the classical music came back on after about a minute. 

Of all the things I think about, Celine Dion is usually not one of them.  Recently, she has had a heavy publicity campaign to promote her upcoming Twin Cities concert – next October 30.  Tickets go on sale November 19.

The last time I watched Celine Dion sing, it was during height of the Great Mommy War, (between Daughters 2 and 3, which still erupts today).  Every morning Daughters 2 and 3 would crawl in bed with me, one on each side.  Then they would start fighting over me. 

“My mommy!” 
“No, my mommy!” 

I had gotten up and was watching the Regis and Kelly show and drinking my morning coffee. Of course, I could have used that time to take a shower, get dressed, put on some makeup. In those days, it was a luxury to have a few minutes to myself.  Lulu (middle child,) then almost 4,  joined me on the couch.  She enjoyed having some alone time with mom.

Regis and Kelly started  talking about Celine Dion; her busy and glamorous life, loving husband, and how much she enjoyed being a new mother. They flashed a still picture of her with her new baby.  I think the photo was taken by Anne Geddes.  When she walked on stage, my daughter gasped.  Of course, Celine was perfectly coiffed, with professionally styled hair and makeup, and a sparkly designer gown. 

She started to sing, and I heard my daughter say, “I wish she was my mom.” I was a bit shocked, (also a bit hurt, and amused,) so I asked “What do you mean by that?”  She replied, “Just look at her.  The hair, the makeup, the clothes.  Who wouldn’t want that?”  (I think perhaps that she was impressed that this baby didn’t have any competition for mom Celine’s affection.)

I still laugh when I think of her reaction. So I’m not Celine Dion.  I’m OK with that. 

Note to Daughter2:

Dona Nobis Pachem may be a soothing lullaby, but it is neither soothing nor sleep-inducing when sung into the American Idol Karaoke machine at 11:00pm.

This annoying popup caught my eye, and I noticed my
13-year-old had looked at the site earlier. 

I’m not sure how it got past my pop-up blocker.

Apparently, this service will notify your cell phone
weekly of any new crush activity.  That’s
right, if you have a new admirer, Your Crush will let you know.   It
asks your sex, sign, and cell phone number!  It will also give you a ring tone and flirting tips. 

From their web site:

Terms of Service – I would like to participate in the
Your Crush SMS Service. This service is subject to the Your Crush Terms and
Conditions and Privacy Policy, and requires a handset which supports SMS
messages or download of ringtones and also has an active data service plan. The
Your Crush Service is billed to your cellular bill at a rate of $9.99 per
month. Users under 18 years of age are not allowed to participate. Promotion
includes weekly text alerts and 1 bonus Ringtone each month. As part of this promotion
for the Your Crush service you will receive a choice of text alert services
plus one bonus Ringtone for each month. At this time Verizon and Alltel do not
support ringtone offer but their customers may accept text alerts. Other
charges may apply. To cancel your plan, send the text message “STOP”
to 44577. Questions, please contact customer service at (800)-985-2448.

Immediately, I asked my daughter if she had looked at the site, and she
sheepishly said she had.  I asked if she
had entered her cell phone number, and she indignantly replied,  “No, of course not.  I would never enter my cell phone number on a
web site.” 

Big sigh of relief, both at her answer, and that we aren’t
paying $9.99 a month for this “service.”

When I was two, my parents carved a pumpkin for Halloween, and I fell in love.  I named him “Punkie,” (very creative toddler, I was.)  Every day, Punkie and I would sit in the family room while I had my PBJ lunch with Casey.

(“Casey Jones” was the star of the local live TV show, “Lunch with Casey.” Every day he would stop to have lunch with the kids.  He would ask, “Well how are you today? That’s good! All set for a good lunch.”  I considered Casey and his friend Roundhouse Rodney to be close personal friends.)

Halloween came and went, and my mom broke the news that Punkie would soon have to go.  I was heartbroken.  She let me say goodbye, and then he had to go.  “No, Punkie, No!!!!” I screamed.

This Halloween, I saw The Life and Death of a Pumpkin on YouTube.  I thought it was pretty funny, but in light of my beloved Punkie, also bittersweet. My 13 year old daughter watched it, and thought it was hilarious.  She had to show the video to her younger sisters and her friends. 

Today, as I cracked some eggs into the frying pan, my youngest daughter came into the kitchen.  She bent down to the three uncarved Halloween pumpkins that are still sitting next to the refrigerator.  I heard her whisper, “at least you can be glad you’re not an egg!”

Makes me feel a little bit better about not getting our pumpkins carved this year. 

Even more disturbing than lead tainted “Ugly Lips”:

Aqua Dots are little brightly colored beads that can be formed into
pictures.  After being sprayed with water, they harden and stick
together.  They remind me of a cross between the plastic beads that you iron together and “Floam,” last year’s must-have “As seen on TV” toy.

A recent New York Times article reports that Aqua Dots break down into the date rape drug GHB when ingested.  The
United States tightly restricts the chemical’s sale and places GHB in
the same category as heroin.

In two separate cases, Australian children became ill after ingesting the beads.  They vomited the beads and fell into a coma.  Dr. Kevin Carpenter, a biochemical geneticist, analyzed the beads, and found “an obscure industrial chemical used to prevent
water-soluble glues from becoming sticky before they are needed.”

I just got off the phone with my mom.

“We haven’t made plans for Thanksgiving yet,” she tells me.

“What do you mean make plans?” I asked.

“Well, what are we going to do? Where are we going to have dinner?  What are we going to make? Should we get the turkey now?  I don’t know if I have enough room in my freezer…I guess I could put it in (some friends’) freezer, they’re already down if Florida…”

I don’t mind having Thanksgiving at my house, but my mom’s house has more room to spread out after dinner, so we have usually have dinner there.

We pretty much do the same thing every year, with pretty much the same division of labor:

Turkey
Cranberries  – fresh, not canned
French cut green beans (frozen, not canned) with toasted slivered almonds
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Stuffing
Sweet potatoes
Pie

Every Thanksgiving, that has been the same menu.  Over the years, we have made a few variations:

The last couple of years we have made Rachel Ray’s “Stuffin’ Muffins,” in which you put bake stuffing in muffin tins.

We used to make sweet potatoes with lots of marshmallows.  Now we just bake the sweet potatoes, and maybe mash them.

The pie/dessert is really the only area in which we get kind of wild and crazy.  Maybe we’ll have a pumpkin pie with a ginger crust.  Maybe we’ll make pecan or apple.  The mix-and-match possibilities are endless. 

I asked my mom if she was getting bored with the menu.  If she wanted to try something new, that would be fine with me, but I don’t mind the same stuff every year.  “No, I just want to know the plan.” 

So, I guess if we need a plan: 

zisixi and niknaknoke:  turkey and green beans
zisixi:  cranberries
suzie_duck:  pies and stuffing
mom:  mashed potatoes, gravy
kids:  set table and maybe make some decorations

I will take mom shopping, we’ll put everything in the friends’ freezer, and we will have no more worries.
(Am I forgetting anything?)

(Maybe we’ll get the sweet potatoes at Trader Joe’s.  They recently opened a store near us and my friends have been excited about it.  Mom bought some mini sweet potatoes there on a recent shopping trip.  I asked her what she thought of the store.  “Its…a grocery store.”  Not that impressed, I guess.)

I ran across one of my New Year’s Resolutions in my unfinished Artist’s Way notebook.

“I resolve to live in the present – not regretting what I didn’t do
or worrying about what I should do.

What am I doing right now?
 
Too often I let myself get caught up in worries
about the past mistakes or future problems.”

Still working on it…

The Charlie Brown at Lendt’s Pumpkin Patch makes me think of my dad.  He was a junior high social studies teacher, and he loved Halloween.  Every year, he would watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special in his classroom.  He printed out copies of “Pumpkin Carols,” and made the kids sing them. 

One year, one of his students carved a pumpkin that looked like him, and brought it in to class.

My dad died in 1991.  I’m glad that he got to meet my husband, but sad that he never met my kids.

	I’m Dreaming of the Great Pumpkin 

                I’m dreaming of the Great Pumpkin
                Just like I do this time each year
                When he brings nice toys
                To good girls and boys
                Who wait for him to appear

                I’m dreaming of the Great Pumpkin
                With every pumpkin card I write
                May your jack-o’-lanterns burn bright
                When the Great Pumpkin visits you tonight

Halloween morning, I spent half an hour on the phone making
sure all of the paperwork was in order for the closing sale of my mil’s
condo.  The closing was supposed to be on Oct. 31, and had already been
postponed a day because of some paperwork snafu. 

The title company wanted me to call the mortgage company to
expedite sending the payoff information for the loan. I explained everything to the first representative, and then she transferred me to someone else.  Of course, they didn’t transfer any of my information, so I had to explain myself again. The 2nd mortgage
customer service person asked me when the title company planned to have the
check.

I didn’t know the answer, and she told me I would need to
call the title company, and call back with the information.  I really didn’t want to have to call back and explain myself yet again.  I asked if I could get her direct number to call her back (though I know that most call centers don’t work that way.) No, if I called back I would just have to start my story all over again.

I quickly said, “Can you hold please?” and
without waiting for an answer, I called the title company on my cell.  I talked to the customer service rep there
for a few minutes, and went back to the other line.  I was pretty sure that the mortgage rep would
have hung up on me. 

I went back to the other line, and
politely said “Thank you for holding.” 
The mortgage rep was still on the line. 
I’m sure I screwed up her call-talk-time, but then again, maybe she
enjoyed the break.