Ice Skating Camp

MVI_4388.avi from Susan Bice on Vimeo.

MVI_4387.avi from Susan Bice on Vimeo.

Whoops, these videos are backwards, I can only record 60 seconds on my camera or the video won't upload...so the end of the dance routine is first.

All Creatures Great and Small, the Lord God made them All

I was doing my usual morning computer stuff last Friday morning when I saw a cat come calling in the backyard. This was a new guy not one of our usual visitors. Bree (our cat) did not like uninvited company and gave him a good piece of her mind with some very loud hissing. H to the rescue with a squirt bottle. H stood guard all morning with her weapon of destruction. I had to explain squirting Bree and my porch door was not the correct approach, she needed to squirt the visitor. However, by the end of the day, H and the stray had become the best of friends and she named him Cuddles. (My nickname for her.) It turns out Mr. Cuddles was a very friendly kitty. Bree, didn't care how friendly he was, was not welcome. H however, rolled out the red carpet. Cat now had food and water. Cuddles the Cat did not leave but took up residence on the front porch driving our resident Cat Queen wild. The big sister came over for Father's Day and succumbed to Mr. Cuddles' charm. She began plotting how to spring him on her roommate. She even decided to name him Finn, as in Huckleberry or as M says "Huggleberry." I decided it was time to take him to the vet. First off, Cuddles was not a neutered male. H immediately offered her savings account to cover the cost when I staggered at paying $180. However, as it turns out, the check up was not good, he had feline leukemia and we all sobbed like babies. The best solution I could come up with off the cuff was to have him put down and ask for them to hold him until the husband returns from his trip so we can bury him in the backyard. I believe God sent Cuddles to us so we could take care of him. All creatures great and small the Lord God made them all. Farewell, Cuddles, you were loved.

Good Morning

Good morning, It's a lovely morning, nice and quiet, if you choose to ignore the cat trying to wake everyone up in the house...the birds are chirping, and all I need is a cup of tea. Darn, cat victim number one is awake, the husband. I will continue to ignore the cat and hopefully, she will realize her food bowl is full. Hey, that rhymes. Bang. Cat victims 2 and 3 are now awake. Sigh. Morning is no longer quiet. The cat has discovered her full bowl of kibble and and is quiet...the kids are arguing and the husband is bellowing. I have just been assaulted by a bag of hash browns and great big eyes pleading for the hash browns to become hot and seasoned. Good bye, Quiet Morning. It was nice for five minutes.

Cheer Camp

The local middle school cheerleading squad hosted a fund raising cheer camp for the elementary school...here is our resident wannabe cheerleader...not real hip on this activity since cheering injuries are at the the top of ER visits for kids in sports.

Gettin' My Pretty On

Last week, I made a quick trip to see my best friend from College and we rode BART into San Francisco where I got my pretty on. My friend, Karen, is a big MAC fan so we hit the cosmetics counter where I was quickly intimidated and about to keep walking when Karen (who is very forceful for someone who doesn't even make the five foot mark) had the makeup artist give me a lesson in pretty.

How Did I Not Know This?

I loved English in school (unfortunately, I was born with a Liberal Arts brain and not a Scientific brain) and I LOVED Advanced Placement English...I even passed the AP exam giving me the right to skip College Freshman English...so how did I not know when a character goes on a journey it usually means something else is happening in a character's life??? I picked up a book at Barnes & Noble the other day on reading literature like a college professor...I stumbled upon it and it seemed fortuitous since I missed part of the PBS series "Great Expectations." Our TV was going out so it was really dark, (as if it weren't dark already) I missed the first half of the series so I cheated and looked for a "Cliff Note" summary on Google. It discussed how every time our protagonist went into the misty fields something bad was about to happen. My brain went "Huh."

I mean I get the big stuff...like East of Eden that one is easy...Cain and Abel, the fallen world after man's banishment from the perfect garden...Bridget Jones' Diary, well, you would have to be just plain stupid to not get that one. But the journey? How did I not know that?

I guess I can no longer claim to be an exemplary student of literature...On the other hand, it's always good to know one is never done learning...which brings me to my next claim...I would be very satisfied going to school every day of my life. Professional Student is what I was meant to be...I guess walking into Barnes & Noble is a symbol of my journey into a better understanding of literature...OH! It also has provided a whole new reading list from the books mentioned in the book I bought...I am really glad there are libraries...because this journey like buying college books could get rather pricey.

No Turning Back