advertising

Since I don't watch commercial TV; this year's annoying advertisement is from the newspaper:

Who has time to go caroling...

WHEN YOU CAN

SHOP!

Its over a picture of three children, dressed for snow, singing.

And then...

Last week I decided to browse the Macy's store near my new home. An employee asked if she could help. "No thank you. I'm just browsing." I said. "Are you shopping for yourself or someone else?" ""Neither." I answered. Her make-up and sparkling earrings almost fell off. I walked away.

Basketball

Today I drove with friends for many hours to see Stanford women stomp the Lady Vols from Tennessee. The other people going to Stanford were the ones who sat next to us at the Monarchs games for ten years. One woman said it is like losing her summer family. Read on.

Sadly we have lost our Monarchs. The team has been dispersed. Only the Kings remain in Sacramento. We will have to find something else to do on summer evenings.

mosaic

No finished water colors yet but here is the mosaic I made last winter.

New place

Here are photos of my patio on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The leaves cover the dirt area. There is nothing planted there. I may have to do something about that when spring comes. The picture on the right is taken from the north, and yes that whole wall on the left are windows. Didn't like them too much during what we call a cold snap and Nebraska people call spring weather. Next, I am standing in front of the windows. You can see the 12 story tower in the upper right. Next, you are looking toward the north. That is a very big tree. This morning I watched a squirrel climbing it with a nut in its mouth. The other one is taken from the south of the patio.

As I get the place together I will send inside photos. Right now things are being moved around on a daily basis.

What I have been doing besides moving:

I went to a farewell party for one of my students from last year. She is returning to Japan. We had dinner at a Korean BBQ. This was a new experience for me. The chicken, beef and port are brought to the table sliced and raw.

You cook it yourself. There is salad and vegetable side dishes including kim chi a very popular Korean dish.

I ate it for the first time. It is spicy and I did like it.

I am still walking with the Sacramento AVA walking club. We walked in the little town of Winters, CA last weekend. A few weeks ago there was a walk around Folsom, CA, I am a fair weather walker so I'm waiting for the sun to shine again.

News from the West

October: Skyler's birthday, Apple Hill, David got a promotion and is working all the time. Paulette had a birthday. We had dinner at a Thai restaurant. I started a watercolor painting class, searched for a new apartment.

November: Found an apartment, about five blocks from the state capitol. Drove to Reno on Friday and delivered Shae's and Sterling's birthday presents. Stayed overnight. Saturday--we went to Home Depot and they built trivets. To the Dollar Store for some shopping. Sterling's ballet lesson where she refused to participate. TCBY for a frozen yogurt snack. I sewed the patches on Skyler's boy scout uniform, we played action UNO. I came home. Shae took pictures with her new camera. I drove home in the afternoon. Shae and David went to a father-daughter ball on Saturday evening.

I'm moving one car load at a time and will take the big stuff on the 21st.

New season

This morning it was cool enough for long sleeves--until about 9am. So that's how I know it is fall. And the tree outside my kitchen has some yellow leaves. I know the first day of fall was a week ago but it is hard to believe it when the temp outside is still getting up to 100.

My new ESL class is good although it is low intermediate instead of Advanced like last year. I have to practice speaking more slowly. I can always tell because their eyes glaze over. Most are too polite to say anything.

The Sacramento Monarchs ended the season at the very bottom. Oh well there's always next year.

Paulette and I went with friends to see Wicked in San Francisco. It was fantastic. We had been in Ashland the week-end before and saw three plays. Equivocation, All's Well That Ends Well and Don Quixote. Good plays and the weather was beautiful. They were having sidewalk sales and the craft show was still going on. Almost not enough time to get everything done between plays.

Are we having fun yet?

Shae and Sterling are visiting for a few days, three to be exact.

Here are some pictures of some of the things we have been doing.

Dominos are a versatile toy.

On Sunday, Shae and I went to see CATS. She liked it and so did I

Sterling ran errands with Auntie P.

A touching moment on the way from Paulette's house to mine: Shae said, "I'm sad to be leaving Auntie P's house." P's house is twenty minutes from mine.

In my bathroom, the flush handle is on the right side instead of the left side. I have no idea why. Sterling, 2 and three quarters started to flush the toilet. She stepped back with panties around her ankles and said, "The handle is on the wrong side." She's the only one who has ever commented on it in three years. She told me several times in a tone of voice that said, "Fix it."

Here's our schedule for today: Breakfast Cereal for Sterling, eggs for Shae. Shopping for groceries and coffee and chocolate milk at PEETS. We baked cookies, had mac and cheese for lunch. Sterling took a nap while Shae and I did a project. We went swimming. Chicken and rice for dinner. Watched Monsters INC. Ice cream with our cookies and to bed.

We will probably be even busier tomorrow.