Mice, Elephants, and Cars

I got home from a late PWCL meeting last Monday night, hung up my coat and purse in the entryway, and saw some movement on the floor out of the corner of my eye. It was dark in the entryway, as it was nighttime, so I couldn't immediately tell what it was. My first thought was that I had maybe kicked a toy or something but why was it still moving. Then realization set it. It was a MOUSE! I may seem calm, cool, and collected normally (or maybe not) but mice have the effect of turning me into an instant sissy. I immediately squeeled for Luis (I didn't want to wake up the kids but I was still paniced). I yelled and yelled for Luis some more. To his credit, he made it up to the entryway pretty quick.

When Luis got upstairs, he turned on the light. The mouse was writhing a bit, apparently from an injured limb. How was the mouse injured you may ask...apparently I stepped on him when I came in the house. Eeeewwww! Aaaaahhhhh! There's a pair of shoes I need to burn (have I mentioned I don't do mice?). Luis heroically got the dust pan, gathered up the injured rodent, and plopped it out on the deck in front of the cat.

Meanwhile, at Yaya and Papa Ron's house on Friday, a Play-Doh sculpture was created by a very talented artist: Papa Ron. Siena loves it. The elephant now resides at our house.

Luis turned 34 this week and we celebrated several times. We went out to dinner at Rogue's on his birthday (Wednesday) just as a family. Then we had a nice breakfast out with the Cruz family this morning. Nice that is except for the old lady sitting behind us in a horrible wig that kept telling us our kids were too loud. That of course motivated us to to rile the kids up to be louder.

Now that Luis is a year older, he had a momentary midlife crisis one evening and gave himself a faux hawk! What do you think? I think it suits him.

Yaya and Papa Ron came down to our part of town for dinner tonight. We had a great meal at el Tapatio with them. Now the kids are playing a little bit before bed. Here's Siena in the playroom. It looks to me to be a bit like Radiator Springs looked after Lightning tore it up. That's how they like it though.

The playroom was so messy that the race tracks had to move into Daddy's office. However, the race must continue.

Unrelated, I've mentioned my love of the podcast Never Not Funny on here before. One of the surprising things about a podcast is how much you get to know the regular hosts on there after listening to them an hour and a half each week, every week, year in and year out. Their point is to make the listeners laugh and they do that, every week. In addition though, they share their lives with the listeners to a degree that you almost feel like you know them. To that degree, when something tragic happens to one of them, the sadness I find myself feeling is so much more than any other Hollywood/TMZ story, the reason being that these folks are entertaining as themselves, not as playing some character.

This week in Vancouver, Andrew Koenig took his own life. Most probably know Andrew as the actor who played "Boner" on Growing Pains. He is also the son of Chekov of Star Trek fame. I know Andrew as the "fourth chair" and camera man on Never Not Funny. He is the brother-in-law of the host, Jimmy Pardo, and always came across as funny and an all-round good guy. Check out the nice little tribute page at www.aspecialthing.com. Its short and sweet and is a fitting tribute to a good guy.

Never Trust a Groundhog!

Punxsutawney Phil said there was going to be 6 more weeks of winter. We may be tucked away in a little hovel here in the Northwest, but our weather didn't seem to get Phil's message. It was so nice this week and weekend, I almost managed to forget the stress of PWCL, craziness of trying to get a 10K filed, and my sore nose (Siena, you may be the sweetest ever but you have a very hard head).

I have had PWCL meetings for the last 2 Saturdays and we have another board meeting Monday night. The economy has hit us hard and cash flow has been a big issue. However, it looks like we're going to pull through. The whole thing has been very stressful but we plow on. Recent news stories of domestic violence keep us focuse and validate our efforts.

These are the only flowers we currently have blooming in our yard, but they sure look good!
I went for a run today and afterword, the kids came out and played for a long time. Luis also came out and we did some yardwork.
Mason still loves his '57 Chevy. Eventually we'll get him interested in riding on 2 wheels on his bike but for now, he's content in his car.

Here's big helmet Cruz on her little pink bike. Note that she dressed herself today which helps explain the dress with pink pants.

After working the pedal car for a while, Mason brought out his race cars and had a big car race. Note that these races normally take indoors but in this weather, even the cars wanted to come outside.

Friday night we went to the Blazer game with the kids and our friends the DeCiccos. The Blazers lost but the kids had a good time. Mason seemed into it the whole time. We got them foam fingers and cotton candy and we all cheered loudly.

Siena had another successful dance lesson and continues to love her weekly classes. Mason is getting better and better at basketball each week.

Back to some Olympics action!

Blogging the Super Bowl

Since last week was busy with work and Saturday was our usual dance and basketball business, the highlight of this weekend, of course, is a little football game known as the Superbowl (aside from dinner at Yaya's which was also great).

For something new, this will be a real time account of my crazy superbowl observations. Hopefully I have some.

3:11 - For the record, I am rooting for the Saints. I have nothing against the Colts and would root for them in most circumstances. However, I can't help but pull for the underdog and who's an underdog more than the Saints and the city of New Orleans. So, go Saints!

3:12 - Got a beer. The kids are hollering for help with their Cars game. We hollered back that we won't be helping them because it's game time. A lot of talk about Freeney. We get it. He's got a bum ankle. My prediction - he'll play, play well, and they'll be talking about it for years.

3:19 - I didn't know Queen Latifah could sing. Just thought she was a rapper. I didn't hate it either.

3:21 - National anthem. Carrie Underwood. Apparently there's bets in Vegas over whether this will go over or under 1:40. Apparently you can gamble on anything.

Luis timed it. It came it at over 1:40. A whole bunch of people just lost a whole bunch of money. And her rendition of our anthem wasn't that memorable to boot.

3:26 - I likey the LJB/Howard McDonalds slam contest. We're trying to remember who did the original - Bird and Jordan?

3:27 - HOF inductees - aka bunch of guys I've NEVER heard of. Wait! Rice! I've heard of him. Wasn't Emmitt from Dancing with the Stars?

3:28 - They just announced the NFC has won the last 13 coin tosses. They really track that crap? Furthermore they provided the odds of it happening...and what happens to that coin after the toss? Ebay?

3:34 - Is there a more apt last name for Indy's punt returner than "Rushing"?

3:35 - Jose just arrived. Junior and Andre are here too. Apparently Junior is in the kitchen cooking up some sort of bratwurst.

3:40 - Could that Super Bowl patch/emblem possibly look any bigger?

3:44 - Colts just got on the board and the controversial Tebow ad just aired. Is it me or does his mom look just like Mary Steenburgen? The Doritos dog ad - stupid.

3:50 - Colston!! Even I could have caught that!

3:58 - Luis is drinking a 7.5 oz can of Coke. Puerto Rican import. Apparently they like their beverages small?

3:59 - Addai just got his longest run of the season. Saints D - I shouldn't have to tell you this but its not so good giving that up in this game.

4:01 - Indy TD. Not looking good at all for NO. Might as well stop watching the game now.

4:14 - Junior's brat was very good. Now we're balancing it out with some Oreo's.

4:19 - Okay, I'm still watching. And the Budweiser people-bridge ad was cool. And the Mark Sanchez ad was creepy. Love the Jay/Dave/Oprah commercial!

4:22 - Why are all the commercials naked-commercials?!? And Hyundai - don't be giving Favre ideas about sticking around until 2020...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD_n7ExZVZk&feature=related

And Dove is jumping on the male bandwagon...really?!?

4:29 - Tracy Porter's haircut is awesome!

4:34 - Nice make-up play Colston. You're darn right you needed that one!

4:38 - Luis just tried to change the channel to the Caribbean world series during the commercial break. There was an angry outcry.

4:39 - Alice in Wonderland - Does Johnny Depp have to play a creepy clown-like character in EVERY movie?

4:42 - Freakin' Saints. Are you kidding me? Going for 4th down and then NOT getting it! While we're at it, Junior's on the phone trying to explain to Sara who is playing in this football game.

Wasn't this guy supposed to have some sort of ankle injury?

4:49 - I need the Saints to have 9 points going into the half so I can win $100 in our office pool. Clearly that's not happening as it is now halftime. All this blogging is taking a dent out of my beer drinking abilities. Need to do some catching up. Maybe during halftime. And now for:

5:01 - Does it seem weird to anyone else to have a non-US band play the halftime show of a US game? Who cares. I love the Who. Centerfield looks pretty cool cool too. Yeah, Baba O'Reilly - great song! Nice cymbals on the drum kit.

5:03 - Pete Townsend is sounding better than Roger Daultry. Hey drummer dude - that hair-doo has been out of style for 30 years.

5:06 - WHO are you! WHO WHO...WHO WHO...

5:21 - Onside kick! I LOVE the call even though they're still trying to sort out who has the ball. WHO has it! WHO WHO...WHO dat! That's who.

5:27 - TOUCHDOWN SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5:30 - Almost as good as the NO TD was Stevie Wonder on the VW commercial playing Slugbug.

5:37 - And that's why Dallas Clark was on my fantasy team this year.

5:38 - Just like that, TD Colts. At least its an interesting game.

5:41 - Dude, Addai, don't need to see your belly. And when do you EVER see Coca-Cola in bottles anymore? On commercials. That's the only place.

5:44 - Supporting Haiti is good, but PWCL needs support too. http://www.pwcl.org/.

6:02 - Figures the Colts would connect on 4th down.

6:05 - The kick is NO GOOD! Course, I could have used that for my Mentor pool. Regardless...this Emerald nuts and pop secret dolphin ad is horrible.

6:08 - Nice run by Reggie Bush Kardashian!

6:12 - Luis almost pulled a hamstring trying to show us how Stover should've kicked the field goal.

6:13 - SHOCKEY TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!! Saints going for 2. Almost got it. Pull that thing in big guy! Wait! It's being challenged...and the crowd waits with bated breath...

6:18 - Saints GOT IT!!! Score - Saints 24 - Colts 17. And what's with the screaming chickens? Is Denny's trying say Obama is a chicken?

6:27 - Chuck, maybe its time to lay off the Taco Bell. The diet ain't working for you big guy.

6:29 - OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Interception!!!! Tracy Porter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I credit the haircut.

6:32 - If the Colts score no more and the Saints get one more TD, I win $300. C'mon Saints. Lets make this happen!

6:35 - Mason just came down to announce that he just saw 2 raccoons eating the cat's food. The kids have been playing Cars on the Wii the whole Super Bowl.

6:40 - To quote Junior - "That's halfway the fu#%#ing distance to the goal."

6:43 - Right through Wayne's hands. Okay Saints. One more score! One more score! Do it for Mama! One more score! Dammit! They're taking a knee. Oh well. Great game and great win! Congratulations to the Saints and the city of New Orleans!

Time for Cruzer to go to dinner!