Fish Face (273/365)

“No good fish goes anywhere without a porpoise”

Lewis Carroll (English Logician, Mathematician, Photographer and Novelist, especially remembered for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 1832-1898)

TIME:  11:02 PM
PLACE:  Home
SUBJECT:  The goldfish

I was noticing that the two goldfish (Juicy and Citrus) were looking too big for the fish tank we have.  Or is it the other way around?  The fish tank we have was looking too small for the two goldfish we have.  In any case, we either needed smaller fish or a bigger tank.  I figured that we would go up from the 2 gallon tank we had to a 5 gallon tank.  Not too huge, or expensive.  Boy, did I think wrong,  HH volunteered to take SD to the pet store to help out.  That was a mistake sending those two together.  We ended up with a bigger tank all right.  A 10 gallon tank.  And another goldfish (observe the multi-colored fish in the background which was promptly named “Poseidon” by SD).  And did I mention the $16.99 TWENTY-FIVE pound bag of gravel?  Yeah  Because apparently the last thing we need is to run short on aquarium gravel. *rolls eyes*  Let’s just say a small fortune was spent.  Good thing the HH put in some overtime yesterday and today.

The Sunset At Soccer Practice (272/365)

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

Rabindranath Tagore (Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music, 1861–1941)

TIME:  6:53 PM
PLACE:  Soccer practice
SUBJECT:  The sky

Sunsets have been captured millions of times.  I know that I have posted several shots myself.  But the “V” in the cloud formation this evening was too pretty not to capture.  And check out the close up on the red clouds on the lower right:

 
Gorgeous.

Crime Scene (271/365

Detective Stella Bonasera: [about the weirdness of the crime] Is it me or is there something really strange about this crime scene?

"The Triangle." CSI: NY. CBS. 10 Dec. 2008. Television

TIME:  6:55 PM
PLACE: Front yard
SUBJECT:  Bird carnage

StellaDella pointed this bunch of feathers out to me.  I’m not exactly sure what kind of bird this is or for that matter, even what part of a bird this is.  In any case, I bet the bird that experienced this little mishap was none too pleased about it.

Filtered (270/365)

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”

Thomas Fuller (English physician, writer & adage collector 1654–1734) Gnomologia, 1732

TIME:  9:53 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Brita filtered water pitcher

Sometimes, when I open the refrigerator, I find an empty water pitcher on the shelf.  Why?  Because apparently we have *some* people in this family who, after emptying all of the water into their glass, replace the pitcher back in the refrigerator without filling it up.  Then, when another child wants to pour themselves a glass of filtered water, they find it empty. They will then sigh, place the empty pitcher on the counter and just get tap water from the sink. Do they fill the reservoir with water so there will be filtered water for them the next time they are thirsty?  Nooooooo.  They just leave it sitting out.  Grrrrrr, I swear, I am the only one in this house that refills this darn thing.
~*~*~
And with this photo/rant, I have achieved the dubious distinction of participating in this little photo-a-day project for ONE THOUSAND days.  Boo-yah! *pats self on back*

Busy (269/365)

“It is not how busy you are, but why you are busy - the bee is praised, the
mosquito is swatted.”

~Author Unknown

TIME:  4:20
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT: Bees in the sedum

The sedum is blooming and the bees were out in force, collecting that last bit of pollen before it gets too cold.  There was a ton of honeybees, bumblebees and even the occasional wasp to be seen.  I didn’t take a picture of the wasp…I don’t like them.

Reading Material (268/365)

George Costanza (after having to buy a book that he took into a bookstore bathroom): “They made me buy it.. A hundred bucks this thing cost me. (Gesturing to the book) How dare they?! I got news for you, if it wasn't for the toilet, there would be no books.”

Seinfeld, “The Bookstore.” Written by: Spike Feresten, Darin Henry, and Mark Jaffe. April 9, 1998

TIME:  10:10 PM
PLACE:  Bathroom
SUBJECT:  Books

StellaDella walked past me earlier this evening with a armload of books. 

“Is it ok if I take these upstairs Mom?” 
“Sure, just put them away when you are finished.”
”OK, I really, really need them right now.”

This is where she “needed” them.

School Spirit (267/365)

“We won! We won! We won! Um, unfortunately, I bet on the other team, so we won't be going for pizza.”

--Chief Clancy Wiggum (The Simpsons)

TIME:  9:23 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  DramaQueen’s eye black

The two district junior high baseball teams played against each other at the Minor League stadium this evening.  DQ and her cousin S---- decided to apply eye black under their eyes and wear their team colors to “show school spirit.”  I guess it worked…their school won 8-4.

Cat Close-Up (266/365)

“My close-up was magnificent!”

Bela Lugosi (Hungarian Actor, 1882-1956)

TIME:  8:49 PM
PLACE:  Desk
SUBJECT:  Jack

Such a sweet kitty nose.  And check out his black & white whiskers.  Jack, you are magnificent.

Scratching His Brain (265/365)

Gus: Clark, could you not pick your nose in front of me?
Clark: I'm not picking, I'm scratching.
Gus: Scratching what? Your brain?
Clark: Yeah, 'cause it's huge

Schneider, Rob, and Jon Heder, perf. The Benchwarmers. Dir. Dennis Dugan. 2006. Sony Pictures. DVD.

TIME:  9:09 PM
PLACE:  Dining room
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy

My sister and I were at Target today and found these silver plated skeleton hand salad tongs in the Halloween section.  We had to have them.  And we plan on using them all year round.  MB fooled around with them so I could take my picture.  I’m definitely going to have to sanitize them before I use them to serve salad.

Boris The Spider (264/365)

“Look, he's crawling up my wall
Black and hairy, very small
Now he's up above my head
Hanging by a little thread
Boris the spider
Boris the spider”

Entwistle, John. "Boris The Spider." A Quick One. The Who. Decca & MCA Records, May 1967.

TIME:  9:39 PM
PLACE:  Back Porch
SUBJECT:  Spider

I am still amazed at just how well my 6-year old, 5.0 megapixel, Canon PowerShot S2 IS camera takes macro photos.  It almost makes me feel like I don’t need an expensive macro lens for my Rebel.  Almost, but not quite…I still need want one.  If anyone wants to contribute to the “Macro Lens Relief Fund” for me, I can email you a PayPal link.  Anyone?  *crickets*

Restaurant Tile (263/365)

“I went to this restaurant last night that was set up like a big buffet in the shape of an Ouija board. You'd think about what kind of food you want, and the table would move across the floor to it.”

Stephen Wright (American Actor and Writer, b.1955)

TIME:  6:52 PM
PLACE:  Steak ‘n Shake
SUBJECT:  Tile floor

We ate supper this evening at Steak ‘n Shake: DramaQueen’s choice.  My mom *hearted* this place big time.  Whenever we would go, she usually ordered the same thing - a double steakburger with onion and mustard, their tiny, crispy, shoestring French fries and a chocolate shake.  Come to think of it, when I was pregnant with DramaQueen, I would eat here almost every Friday night, usually accompanied by my sister.  Maybe that’s why DQ loves this place so much now.

Random Spider Thoughts (262/365)

“The thoughts that come often unsought, and, as it were, drop into the mind, are commonly the most valuable of any we have”

John Locke (English Philosopher who made great contributions in studies of politics, government and psychology. 1632-1704)

TIME:  7:24 PM
PLACE:  School parking lot
SUBJECT:  StellaDella

This is SD standing on the playground while we waited for MonkeyBoy to finish up with his soccer practice.  (I only had my little camera with me and just had it on auto with out a flash so it turned out pretty grainy.) I asked SD why she was looking so serious in this shot.  She said it was because all of a sudden, she was thinking about camel spiders and how they were as big as your head.  Alright then.  My daughter is standing on a playground and having serious, random thoughts about camel spiders.  Only my StellaDella.

My Husband Went To Corvette Funfest And I Didn’t Even Get This Lousy T-Shirt (261/365)

George: That was one great party. And we brought back some lovely souvenirs.

Batten, Peter, perf. Yellow Submarine. Dir. George Dunning. 1968. Apple Corps. DVD.

TIME:  8:25 PM
PLACE: Home
SUBJECT:  HH’s Funfest 2011 T-shirt

The HH went to the 2011 Corvette Funfest sponsored by Mid-America Motorworks in Effingham, Illinois yesterday.  I stayed home and schlepped kids to and from soccer games.  Did he bring me anything back?  Nooooo.  He bought two t-shirst, one for MonkeyBoy and one for himself.  I see where I rank.

Green Goldenrod (260/365)

Near the soccer field
Goldenrod sways in the wind
Green will soon be gone

Haiku by Sujomi

TIME:  9:36 AM
PLACE:  Soccer fields
SUBJECT:  Goldenrod

This morning, I parked at a different location at the soccer park and took the scenic route - a mowed strip of grass between the highway and a fallow field - to get to his game.  The goldenrod was in abundance…I liked the yellow-green color of the ones that were just starting to mature.

Shotgun! (259/365)

Shawn Spencer: [driving] I'm telling you, the cat is NOT my new partner!
Gus: [in the backseat] Then how come he gets to ride shotgun?

"9 Lives." Psych. NBC. 4 Aug. 2006. Television.

TIME:  3:39 PM
PLACE:  Junior High
SUBJECT:  Oreo

In a moment of weakness, I agreed to pick up the older two from school this afternoon so they wouldn’t have to ride the bus and would be home quicker on a Friday afternoon.  As soon as I picked up my keys, Oreo knew I was going somewhere and wanted to tag along.  She sat in the front seat on the way there and remained in that seat when the kids got into the car.  MonkeyBoy asked if I loved the dog more, because she got to ride in the front.  Of course I told him “Yes.”  He should know better than to ask a silly question like that. 

Leaves, They Are A Changin’ (258/365)

“Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine.”

~Robert C. Gallagher

TIME:  6:14 PM
PLACE:  East end of town
SUBJECT:  Tree with changing leaves

On my way to StellaDella’s soccer practice after dropping MonkeyBoy off at his, and DramaQueen at a friends (just call me Mom’s shuttle service), I saw something that made me stop in my tracks…this.  The leaves are beginning to change.  And it’s the middle of September.  Already.  Crap.

Rainy Traffic (257/365)

“A commuter tie-up consists of you - and people who for some reason won't use public transit.”

~Robert Brault

TIME:  4:09 PM
PLACE:  Highway 270, looking south to Manchester Road
SUBJECT:  Traffic

DramaQueen had a doctor’s appointment at 3:15pm at an office a way west of the city of St. Louis.  When the appointment was over, I knew that the drive home would be a challenge.  Mix up the normal rush hour congestion with lots of rain and you have yourself a nice little traffic jam.  Luckily, we didn’t stay in one spot for for long; there were mainly a lot of break lights with stop and go traffic.  I did managed to snap off a quick picture while we were at one of the standstills.

It’s The In Thing (256/365)

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”

Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

TIME:  7:28 AM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  What my son wore to school

This is what MonkeyBoy wore on his feet to school today.  When I questioned his fashion sense, DramaQueen quickly jumped to his defense – apparently this is what all the “cool” kids are wearing these days.  Really?  Because I surely can remember fun of our elders when they would wear shorts and dark dress socks with sandals.  It was so un-cool.  Now?  It’s the in thing.  Strange days, my friends.  Strange days.

Skull and Crucifix (255/365)

“When I found the skull in the woods, the first thing I did was call the police. But then I got curious about it. I picked it up, and started wondering who this person was, and why he had deer horns.”

Jack Handy (American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. Famous for his Deep Thoughts comedy sketches.)

TIME: 7:38 PM
PLACE:  Boy Scout Meeting Room
SUBJECT:  Deer skull and Crucifix

MonkeyBoy’s Boy Scout troop had a Court of Honor (earned ranks and badges are presented to the Scouts) this evening.  MB received the badges he had earned while attending summer camp - Archery, Canoeing, First Aid and Lifesaving.  The Court was held in the man-cave in the school basement where they attend their weekly meetings.  On one wall, there is a large faux fireplace with a stone façade and hearth.  Hanging from the top of the fireplace are the deer skull and the crucifix.  Why yes, they are a Catholic troop…how did you guess?

09-11-11 (254/365)

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals.“

President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

TIME:  6:32 PM
PLACE:  Grade school
SUBJECT:  WE *heart* USA

There were all sorts of remembrances for today’s 9-11 anniversary.  This is how StellaDella’s grade school remembered.  (It’s odd to think that more than half of the current student body were not even glimmers in their parent’s eyes on that day.)  One thing I do remember about that day is how the nation came together as one.  There were no Democrats or Republications, no liberals or conservatives, no right, no left…we were all just Americans. 
As it should be.

The Family (253/365)

“What greater thing is there for…human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories.”

George Eliot (English Victorian Novelist. Pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans, 1819-1880)

TIME:  9:23 AM
PLACE:  The Hill, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Building detail

My dad picked me and DramaQueen up at 8am this morning to go to the Hill for cheese, salami and bread.  This building is across the street and east of J. Viviano & Sons on Shaw Ave, where we stopped.  There is a sign for Di Gregorio’s Market (5200 Daggett Ave.) on the front of the building, but I don’t know if they own the it or not.  In any case, I like this detail on its front.  I’ve been working on my genealogy again, and this sign is very apropos right now.

Fill Mah Bucket (252/365)

“I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult.  It's not.  Mine had me trained in two days.” 

Bill Dana (American comedian, actor, and screenwriter, b1924)

TIME:  8:23 PM
PLACE:  Bathroom tub
SUBJECT:  Tessa and her water bucket

While Jack shares a water bowl with the dog, Tessa refuses to do so.  Instead, she likes to drink out of a small, blue bucket that we keep in the bathtub.  She prefers that it is filled to the top so she can drink without having her whiskers touch the bucket’s interior.  If it isn’t filled up, and you just happen to be making use of the facilities, she will push her way through the bathroom door, jump on the tub and stare at you until you figure out that her bucket needs to be refilled.  As you can see, I am trained well.

Smiley Face Doodles (251/365)

Gimbel's Manager: Why are you smiling like that?
Buddy: I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite

Love, Faizon, and Will Ferrell, perf. Elf. Dir. Jon Favreau. 2003. New Line Cinema. DVD.

TIME:  7:01 PM
PLACE:  Union Hall
SUBJECT:  Business card box

We were at a function this evening at HH’s Union Hall.  DramaQueen became bored and doodled smiley faces on her dad’s business card box.

Teamwork (250/365)

“Teamwork is the ability to work as a group toward a common vision, even if that vision becomes extremely blurry.”

Author Unknown

TIME:  10:29 AM
PLACE:  Jr. High School
SUBJECT:  Water Balloon Blanket Toss : spot MonkeyBoy (in a red shirt on the left) and the yellow water balloon

The Jr. High had its annual Advisory Olympiad – an annual event consisting of 12 different teambuilding activities.  The students work with their fellow homeroom students to solve each challenge.  Parent volunteers (I was one of them) manned the stations.  I was in charge of event #3 – The Water Balloon Blanket Toss.  The objective:  To successfully toss a water balloon between blankets as many times as possible.  The group was divided in half, and each half holds a sheet taunt.  I place a water balloon on one sheet, then they launch the water balloon to the other sheet.  Points were awarded for each balloon that was caught without breaking.  I earned additional points for embarrassing my eldest daughter by giving her a big hug and kiss when her homeroom arrived.  In direct contrast to his sister, MB initiated his hug.

Homework (249/365)

“I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.”

Lily Tomlin (American Actress and Comedian. Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2003.b.1939)

TIME:  7:50 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen table
SUBJECT:  StellaDella doing spelling homework

Unlike last year, SD actually has homework that takes longer than 5 minutes to complete.  Tonight she had to neatly write the spelling sentence 3 times in her spelling notebook and then complete page 1 of her spelling packet.  It took her about 20 minutes to do – that wasn’t too bad.

Farmall (248/365)

“That's the great thing about a tractor. You can't really hear the phone ring.”

Jeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy (American comedian, television and radio personality and author, b1958)

TIME:  9:45 AM
PLACE:  Beginning of Labor Day Parade
SUBJECT:  Front end of a Farmall tractor

The official end of summer kicked off this morning with the annual Labor Day parade.  HH drove his Corvette along with his union local (Plumbers and Pipefitters), SD rode with him, while MB, DQ , cousin Sophia and I walked alongside it with shopping bags of candy that we threw out to the crowd.  This tractor, which is owned by a former co-worker of HH, was right behind us.  We ended up at the park, where there were rides for the kids and beer for the adults.  It was a gorgeous day…mid 70’s and sunny.  My kind of weather.

Jesus Of The Lamp (247/365)

“I don't care if it rains or freezes
Long as I got my plastic Jesus
Sitting on the dashboard of my car”

”Plastic Jesus”, Paul Newman perf., Cool Hand Luke, 1967

TIME:  9:40 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  Plastic magnetic Sacred Heart Jesus and a dime

I can’t remember where or when I bought this…I know I why I bought it though.  I bought it because it had the magnet base and it reminded of way back when - when automobile dashboards were metal and you could place these small magnetic religious statues on them.  Remember?  St. Christopher was also very popular…if my Catholic school memory serves me correctly, St. Christopher was the patron saint of travel, so that would make sense.  I wish I had a metal place in my car so I could put my Sacred Heat Jesus there now.  Stupid modern plastic cars.

Krack (246/365)

“If God dropped acid, would he see people?” 

Steven Wright (American comedian, actor and writer. b1955)

TIME:  4:35 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Krack

We were invited to my cousin’s for dinner this evening.  I was told I didn’t need to bring anything, but I don’t like going empty-handed.  So I decided to bring this – it’s called “Krack” because it’s so addicting.  If you would like to try it, here is the recipe to make your own Krack:

1 large bag of corn puffs
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup of dark corn syrup
1 cup of dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon of salt.

Melt butter, sugar, salt and corn syrup in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Place corn puffs in large bowl. Pour mixture over corn puffs and stir to coat.
Spread coated puffs on a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Bake at 275 degrees for 25 minutes.  Stir and bake an additional 25 minutes.
Let cool and eat.

Butterfly (245/365)

“When a small child, I thought that success spelled happiness. I was wrong, happiness is like a butterfly which appears and delights us for one brief moment, but soon flits away.”

Anna Pavlova (Russian ballerina, the most celebrated Dancer of her time. 1882-1931)

TIME:  5:46 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  Monarch butterfly

We’ve had many monarch butterflies around our back yard these days.  It must be mating season.  They are chasing each other and fly-dancing all around the yard.  I never knew butterflies could be so fast.

Sometimes You Just Need Filler (244/365)

“Most of us have only two or three genuinely interesting moments in our lives; the rest is filler.”

”Generation X," Douglas Coupland (Canadian novelist, b1961)

TIME:  11:29 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Jack

It is almost 11:30pm.  You are tired and ready to go to bed.  You then realize that while you thought about what picture you should take today, you didn’t actually press the shutter at any time.  So now you have no photo to go along with your day.  You decide, the hell with it, and go for the old reliable…the Jackster.  You add a quick bit of Photoshopping and you’re done.  That was easy.