Another week has passed me by. Last Saturday we went to a Cheer for a Cure benefit. $10.00 a plate (not bad), they were serving a choice of spaghetti or linguini alfredo. After dinner the girls performed a cute interactive show followed by raffle drawings and a silent auction.

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Now think red and white checkered tables, live music, plastic bibs, corn on the cob, cups of melted butter... and crab. Put these together and you get The Dungeness Crab and Seafood Fest.

I don't like crab. It's smelly, they scream when they're cooked, yeah I know, it's just steam. Cracking their shells open with pliers freak me out. I've tried to like crab, it looks like messy fun. People wearing plastic crab bibs while gorging themselves with gusto. It's a hands on affair and ettiquette flies right out the window. Cortney can eat her weight in crab. She ordered a half crab dinner for $15.00 and Jim ate crab cakes. I was content with my glass of chardonnay. Unfortunately Andrew couldn't join us because he was at his dads for the weekend.

car

Last night while Andrew was at his Homecoming Dance, Jim, Cortney and I went back to the races at Speedway. Thanks to this car here, number 77 and its driver who won one of the races I will not be taking out the trash ALL week. A bet is a bet!

Bday

Thursday was also Cortney's 11th birthday. She had a dinner party at Sergio's. She actually jumped when the staff came out plopped a sombrero on her little head then proceeded to sing Las Mananitas followed by Happy Birthday. At first her face registered surprise and bewilderment but then she put on an ear to ear grin and I could tell she was really enjoying herself. Her main present was a digital camera she had been longing for. She hasn't put the camera down since that night.

yep

I saw Step Brothers in Lakewood Sunday evening after going to the zoo. Step Brothers had its funny moments, I guess it really depends on a persons idea of funny. But first I want to talk about the theater.

The theaters in the town I live in are crap compared to the Regal Cinema in Lakewood. This theater had stadium seating where the seats tier down and had the most comfortable chairs I've sat in while watching a movie on the big screen. The armrest lifts up so you can cuddle, fondle or pickpocket the person next to you, whatever your mood. They also have cup holders so just remember to take your coke out of the armrest before pulling it up (you know who you are). My only gripe is the same complaint I have at every theater. Snack prices.

Amanda brought me back a bottled water from the concession stand, I asked her how much it was and she tells me it was $4.50..... $4.50! I yelped just a little to loudly. That's a gallon of gas!

But back to the movie, it was funny. There were some silly parts that I did not find humorous. Like when some kids make Brennan (Will Ferrel) lick white dog shit. Some of the jokes fell flat. However there were enough good ones to keep Step Brothers entertaining for a movie about two men 39 and 40 who act like 12 year olds. I would say that it was better than Semi Pro, but not nearly as good as Talladega Nights. So my advise would be to wait for it on DVD.*

On Sunday I took off with Andrew heading to Tacoma where we picked up Amanda.

We made as far as Discovery Bay. A rinky dink store and I was feeling tired and bought a Star Buck's Double Espresso mocha in a little can. I know, I don't drink coffee, but I had stayed up the night before watching

Destination... PT. Defiance Zoo.

Afterward we went to Owens Beach, Amanda and Andrew had a fierce water gun fight.

Taking time to smell the Lavender

I had a strange dream last night. I worked retail at Gottschalk's and Joan Rivers was my boss. Go figure.

But anyway, I went to the 12th Annual Lavender Festival on Sunday in Sequim. Pronounced skwim. Over 3 days of festival the farms have about 33,000 visitors come through. I toured 3 farms. Cedar Brook, Purple Haze and then finally Angel Lavender Farm. When getting out of the car the first thing that hits you is the smell, which made walking through the lush purple fields heavenly. With that lavender fragrance filling the air it made me want to bottle it up and take the aroma home. So we did. The picture here to the left is at Angel. Cortney is picking/gathering a bundle to bring back with us. I also bought lavender soap (I can't ever stay away from soap), oil and some raspberry lavender jam. Did you know that one can make lavender ice cream? I drank some ice cold lavender lemonade and found it delicious but my favorite was the white chocolate raspberry lavender cheesecake. I never imagined all these things we can do with lavender. They even had lavender champagne. While heading back to the car Cortney spotted a twenty dollar bill on the grass. When she retrieved it we found it was actually 4o dollars, so we turned it in to the two elderly ladies at admission because that's how we roll and the ladies looked honest enough :-) I'll definitely go back next year.



Right now Amanda and Andrew are at their dads' so its just Cortney here at home.

We switched to fat free milk and Cortney is not buying into it. We're just trying to eat healthier, and I'll use trying loosely after the things we ate during our 4th of July camping trip.

We had tons of fun though. We were rained out right before our last day. As we packed our muddy gear into the Jimmy, I said to the kids, "We'll laugh about this someday".

spring

This morning I woke up and was delighted when I remembered that I had an unopened McDonald's yogurt parfait waiting for me in the fridge. I can't get enough of those. My two favorite things on Mc's menu is the parfait and also the fries. What do most people like best on McDonald's menu? I know Andrew loves the McChicken Nuggets but only with sweet and sour sauce and he enjoys the McSausage Breakfast Sandwich, Cortney likes the Fudge Sundaes without peanuts, Amanda and Jim like it all, it just depends on their mood.

Here it is April 20th and I am still impatiently waiting for spring. It snowed yesterday and the day before. Today we were planning on going up in the mountains to play in it. But at some point we got so caught up in chores, like changing the oil in the car, reorganizing the back room by the time we were finished it was already 5:30pm and time to pick up Andrew from his dads.

I'm about to finish off the season 3 "Arrested Development" DVD set.

Mushroom Ball

Friday night, not much going on around here. It's quiet. I had plans to play poker but Jim has developed a head cold and is extremely tired. We played poker a couple weeks ago, I lost 5 bucks and Jim 17. We're on a losing streak.

Andrew: Mom can I go to Mushroom Ball with ___ and then stay over at his house?

I was like, "What?!"

I'm thinking all sorts of wild things.

"What is Mushroom Ball?", I ask.

"It's dodge ball on steroids", he says.

I don't get it.

"Your going to take steroids and play dodge ball?" and "Why is it called Mushroom Ball?" "What do mushrooms have to do with it?"

He laughs and explains that no they are not taking 'roids', its just extreme dodge ball and he doesn't know why it's called Mushroom Ball.

And it's at the church.

So he's playing mushroom ball.