Tales of a Shoebox Princess

Someone with a facial hair fascination on her blog sent me this. I think I look pretty smashing. I've always loved a goatee and a 'stache. Hayley says I look like the "Burger King guy."

Other Jim: OJ got his "track" assignment for BYU-I. He was assigned Winter/Spring. That means he has three extra months to save money for college. He's not quite happy about it, but I'm sure he'll get used to the idea eventually. It's kind of a good thing for Jim; we were a bit worried about taking OJ to Idaho in early Sept because that's a difficult time for Jim to take off work--the bosses said no vacations late August/early September (at least that's what I heard when Jim was talking. Maybe I heard wrong. You can quote me on it, but be prepared in case Jim says that he didn't say that.) Paul: He's being targeted by OJ and his Nerf dart gun. So he decides to protect himself. With a footstool? Hey, it was handy. Heeheehee! This reminds me of my brothers who used to use the same kind of footstools as a football helmets. I had a good laugh. In other Paul news, his displastic mole, which was removed last August , grew back and he had to...

Ten things we've done or that I've enjoyed while watching this year's Olympics: 1. Debated whether the US snowboard team's uniform was an actual flannel shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. 2. Developed mantras based on the aerial stunts in ski jumping: "Full full double double full." And then "Hurricane?" 3. Cowbells--'tis a joyful sound! 4. Those are some mighty-high tech gloves that the speed skaters wear. Are there metal knobs on the finger tips? They use them just to drag their left hands on the ice as they turn so they don't fall over; they need high tech for that?! 5. Love the hype over Lindsay Vonn who got her start about 5 miles from my house! Yay for Buck Hill! 6. The sound of skiers slaloming down the icy hills--very soothing. 7. Wondered how lugers keep their heads up. You couldn't get me on one of those sleds for any amount of money. Or a bobsled, or a skeleton sled. (and honestly, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? Why three different...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the expression of feeling for having just pressed the SUBMIT button on my final Humanities paper (2 essays concerning the plays Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ) Final test in early March as per my revised goal for this class, at the completion of which, I will celebrate the fulfillment of the general requirements for my Bachelor's Degree for People Who Didn't Stick Around for REAL College. Then I am on to the writing emphasis portion of my fake college career, during which I will spend most of the time in my light blue bathrobe contemplating how best to put down on paper (or on computer screen) the fact that there is nothing interesting going on in my head.

I wanted to go back to bed, but I had a date with the flu shot clinic at Paul-n-Other-Jim's high school. The call went out (or the email was mass-mailed) for volunteers to man (or woman) some stations at the H1N1 flu shot clinic at the high school. I usually don't get to sign up, but, lo and behold, I didn't have to babysit! So I signed up. I had to be there at 7:55 a.m. (normally, I'm in my robe with a bowl of oatmeal to keep me company, and Matt is puttering around the house forgetting to brush his teeth and do his cat job. I can't remember the last time I was showered, breakfasted, and ready to leave the house before 8 a.m.) I was leaving Matt to his own devices, which causes me a few moments of panic only because I still see him as "THE BABY" and babies can't take care of themselves. But he's 11 and he assured me (via the classic method of preteen communication: the eye roll) that he could take care of himself and wouldn't miss the b...

I haven't got anything to say. And there isn't much going on. Hayley does have a band concert tonight; I'm sure I'll take pictures. This might be the last time she plays clarinet for a band concert. She loves the bassoon; she's especially anxious to use the other seven thumb keys for the left hand. So far she's only used the one little round one. She really wants to use the BIG round one. I've also been knitting several dishcloths while exercising on the stationary bike. I've found that I get bored very easily if I'm just watching movies while stationary-cycling. So now I knit while watching something and cycling. (so what if it takes me 15 minutes to set everything up and get everything in the right place. Bike placed just so--it bothers me if the bike doesn't look straight on right in the middle of the screen. I notice things like angles--not angels. I don't notice angels so much. Angled viewing doesn't bother me if I'm s...

Hayley brought the bassoon home yesterday. She put it together and made blatting noises with it. She said that it's weird to have her hands so far apart for fingering, since she's been used to the clarinet. On this instrument, the left thumb has 7 or 8 key options! That'll take some learning for her to get used to.