Smoky

The fires in the Idaho mountains have been making national news.  They've also been making the air in Boise very smoky.  Many days we haven't been able to see the foothills.  Some days the smoke gets trapped close to the ground and it's like driving through fog in the morning.  The fires aren't close to being contained and never will be.  They'll be put out when the snow flies.  It's been about three weeks of red air alerts and the smell of something burning.  We're praying for the fire fighters, some rain in the mountains, and wind here in the valley. 

You should be able to see the foothills down the street.

Slug

This is the second day in a week where I've accomplished nothing.  I went for a good walk this morning, but then never really got dressed until after noon.  I've snacked all day long, some healthy, and some not.  I've blogged, e-mailed, and pinned things, but I haven't:

• cleaned my house
• ironed
• sewed (4 projects pending)
• taken my online machine quilting course
• gone to the library
• helped Amee
• read books (I've started 6 books)
• finished the last two rows on Isaac's blanket
• finished the two pairs of booties I started
• done yard work
• made phone calls

Tomorrow needs to be a better day.  School is starting soon.  I can't waste my time.  I can't be a slug.  Besides, it gives me a headache.

Too Early For Santa

I went to the mall this morning to look for something to wear to my nephew's wedding.  I couldn't find a parking place!  It was packed!  I went in Penny's because they were having a sale, and I had a $10 coupon.  I also went in Macy's because I had a birthday gift card.  There were lines outside every dressing room and every check-out area.  People were everywhere.  It's only November 5th!  I'm not going back until next year.  My holiday shopping will have to be on line.  (I did find a skirt and sweater.)

Scary Mess and Liars

Mom and Dad weren't at the hockey game because they were taking care of Andrea, who was in a mess.  Her husband was in Seattle, the kids had gotten themselves off to school with snarly hair, and Andrea thought she was passing a kidney stone.  Thank goodness her Grandpa took charge.  They picked her up and took her to the emergency room, dropped Uncle Tad's name so that she got gold star treatment, and then stayed with her (without eating) for what ended up being a 14 hour ordeal that ended in emergency surgery.  It wasn't a kidney stone.  She wasn't fine.  Her husband made it to Boise right before they wheeled her into what the doctor described as a terrible, terrible surgery. 

The rest of the family enjoyed the evening at the hockey game.  You'd think we'd communicate better in this age of texting.  You'd think that Mom and Dad would ask for reinforcements, or at least have one of us bring them something to eat.  You'd think we could get updates.  Not this family.  I went to see Andrea this morning and she just kept saying "I'm good", while pressing the pain medication button.  Her sister in Denver and an aunt in Utah had already sent flowers.  Her supporting loved ones that watched the hockey game, five blocks away, while she was in surgery, didn't even know what was going on. 

Andrea was a bit out of it this morning, but she was worried about her grandparents.  I went to see them next.  They said they were fine.  They said they didn't even think about being hungry, or tired, or without medicines, or oxygen.  So many people in my family don't communicate...and they lie.

Chocolate Mess

Mom took me to Salon J for a pedicure and out to lunch for a belated birthday.  Of course it was fabulous.  My toenails now have an orange/bronze tint for fall.  I’m pretty sure I want some sort of massage chair for Christmas.  I’ll get one for Terry, then share it with him.

Our first choice of lunch spots was closed for Labor Day so we ended up around the corner.  The quiche was fine, but we had a problem with dessert.  They squirted pretty caramel and chocolate squiggles on the plate and heated the caramel brownies, but it didn’t work.  At first, both brownies melted into batter.  The second try looked better, but still tasted like batter.  My mom doesn’t ever eat batter because of the raw eggs (I think), but I love cookie dough, cake batter, muffin batter, and brownies.  I did not like the batter brownie though.  My family is well-known for its sweet tooth.  We can polish off anything with sugar, but this day, both my mom and I left a melted chocolate mess on our plates.  We made it through more than half of our dessert, but later that night we commented on how it really made us sick.  This is a first in our family. 

Not Again!!!

I don’t know if I’ve just been under too much stress or if I’m just losing too many brain cells as I age, but while in Big Sky I broke our new family rule again.  (Never leave a restaurant table without checking for things we’ve left behind.)  We went into a little market/deli for an ice cream, and I left my purse (with camera in it) hanging over the back of a chair.  A few hours later when I went to get my glasses out of it I realized it was gone.  We called, then drove back down the mountain to retrieve it.  The girl said, “That’s the good thing about little places like Big Sky.  Nobody would take anything.”  She might be right.  They didn’t take anything in a little place like Weiser, only in a big place like Ogden.  I don’t want to keep testing the theory though.  Terry doesn’t handle it very well.