Even though I am not going to the Dome to participate in the blackout, every part of my bod, down to my toenails, are decked out in the black. Now, where the hell did I put the eye-black?

Learning to knit fingerless gloves for grampa.  My husband thought they were stupid, until he was out last night in the freezing cold with freezing hands trying to fiddle with the fine controls on the telescope.  Not so stupid when you realize the purpose, huh?

I cannot do heavy housework right now, but I do think I can probably manage the bottle of Windex.  Looking at my back door, one would think we are the owners of a great dane who likes to jump on it with dirty paws.  Not so.  For some reason, my children feel they must push on the glass whenever they run in from outside.  They do have dirty paws.

The abject laziness is spreading, too. My son was sitting in the living room when I noticed his mismatched socks.  He told me he had dropped one off at the computer desk, then realized it later in his room.  Rather than changing the socks, he just picked up a dirty, inside-out, old crew sock.

How’s your weekend?

Other than for the fact that I can’t stand people, that is.   I do not understand the allure of getting up really early to hit crowded stores for so-called bargains.

About a decade or two ago, I remember one year my husband and I deciding to hit the stores on a Tuesday in very early November for the explicit purpose of completing our Christmas shopping without having to deal with crowds.  We lived in Auburn at the time, so the nearest decent mall was in Birmingham.

We arrived at around 10:00am, spent a few hours in peaceful, shopping bliss before the high schools let out, then finished up and headed home.  I believe we accomplished the task quite efficiently.    Later that same month, the day after Thanksgiving, we were bored.   (BOOOOOOORED….)   So, we decided to head to the mall, I don’t know what for because we were done shopping.  I believe we were after some people watching and a movie.

As we wandered around the stores, we noticed that every single item we had purchased three weeks earlier had been marked up, only to be marked WAY down.    Fantastic sales,  50% and more off!!!   Did we gnash our teeth and moan about the savings we missed?  No.  Because the final markdown prices were exactly the same amount we had purchased the times for.

Ever since then, I have never been out shopping after Thanksgiving.   I also seem to be blessed with a family that does not have a big case of the “gimmes.”  My kids still don’t really have anything on their wish lists.   That’s a good thing, as far as I am concerned.   I am also not very interested in those 3 DVD players that are only $20 until 7am.    Peaceful bliss is worth it.

Of course, my tune might change after I have surgery later this month and realize I cannot shop at all.

*hat tip to Cranky Epistles.

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks–for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war–for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

As our children grow and mature, we regularly observe them do or say things that seemingly would come out of our own mouths. My son’s sense of humor is very much like mine. My daughter’s football fanaticism is exactly like mine. She and her dad share the hobby of stargazing, spending time in the backyard looking through the telescope. The boy loves to throw the baseball with dad. While they are their own people, they cannot help but pick up mannerisms and habits from us.

My daughter, who has not been very strong in math, is determined to make at least B’s this year. She is working very hard. I help her study for tests for a day or two before the events. Last Friday, she had an exam on factoring, greatest common factors and simplifying fractions. She knew her shit. She practiced and practiced, bringing problems for me to check. On Monday, as I was lying in bed, in pain from my mutinous uterus, she came in looking very sad and dejected.

“I got a D on my math test.”

“A D? Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I know how much you studied and were ready.”

“Are You mad at me?”

“Mad? No, honey, I know you worked and did not procrastinate. Everybody had a bad test day now and then.”

“The teacher is giving us an extra credit quiz tomorrow, will you help me study?”

So, we study again. She still knows the stuff. I felt horrible for her that she worked so hard and was sad.

Yesterday, she came into my room with a “get well” booklet stapled together.  It had all sorts of drawings of animals, and flowers, and fireworks, to make me feel better.  She stood, observing, as I turned the pages.   When I turned to the last page, I saw her math test with a big giant red 97 on the top.

“An A?!?   You STINKER. You tricked me!   Why did you do that?”

“Uuuuh. I wanted to surprise you?”

This need to fuck with each other is definitely a freakish genetic twist on my side of the family.   She’s mastered it.  I’m skeert.

Updated to add webcam photo from today: