See Ya Later, Sandy!

Whew! What a crazy three or four days it's been here on the East Coast! Thanks to the handy dandy blogger tool for scheduling posts, I was able to stay on track for my 1,000th post celebration (coming soon, I promise!!!!). But it was NO THANKS to Hurricane Sandy, that's for sure.

We had lots of down time together, as the wind and the rain and the loss of power for almost 48 hours necessitated that we all hunker down together. We really missed Shaggy's presence keenly, as he's always been our big "weather event" guy - he loves storms of any kind. The Gang spent most of Saturday and Sunday preparing for the unwanted guest. Lots of errands and stocking up where we could. The power went out Monday evening, but the wind and rain began here Sunday evening. So for most of Monday and all of Tuesday,  we made do with board games and fort building (the gang) and books (The Gang's Momma). A neighbor came over to hang with us for a while, and that was a nice distraction.

Thanks to Dr. D's girlfriend, we found out that a local restaurant was offering Free! Tacos! to families without power on Tuesday night. Her mom is a waitress there in the evenings. The Boss loved the Free! part. I was up for the Tacos! part. So we loaded the kids in the van and drove over. We were so grateful for a warm place to hang out with other humans that we didn't even care that it was an hour long wait. We came home to play the longest round of Uno I've ever witnessed in my life. I say "witnessed" because I played several rounds and then WON. They went on (and on and on and on...) to play for 2nd and 3rd place. But I won. So I just "witnessed it." Boooo YAH.

Yesterday was busy - a borrowed generator to set up, neighbors' basements to check on, adoption paperwork to be notarized, showers to be had at the sister's house, and so on. We spent most of the day in and out at my sister's house and power was restored to our neighborhood around dinner time. It was so nice to come home to a warming home and cooling fridge!

The kids were upset that they had to head off to school this morning on a two-hour delay.... As if three unplanned days off weren't enough for them! I'll spend the remainder of my day catching up on laundry and dishes and running errands with Li'l Empress. Those will be the last of our Sandy-related errands. Sandy has left the region. And I'm not at all sad to see her go.

See ya later, Sandy! Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

Wordless Wednesday {not this time either!}

We snuck away for a quick weekend trip with the kids.

It was mighty cold, but the sun coming up over the lake

was utterly beautiful.

Yes, they are wet.

Yes, they jumped in.

Yes, it was really, really, really cold.

Don't ask.

It was too cold for the fish.

Even with yummy smoked turkey franks as bait. 

These two had the right idea.

Snuggled up and cuddling together all weekend long.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun
that is never really wordless,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

And don't forget, their
Mother's Day event is still going on...

Wordless Wednesday {Finally!}

{Finally!} I'm posting.

{Finally!} It actually looks like February.

Kinda pretty, isn't it?

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

even when it's not of the wordless sort,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom and link up!

Experimenting in the Kitchen

Ooooh, I'm going a little stir-crazy here at the Gang's house. Runny noses, cold, rainy, windy days (sometimes all at once!) and (gasp!) boring menu plans. It happens about this time every year. And you, my dear readers, get the benefit of my antsiness. In the form of a new-to-me (and now maybe to you!) recipe.

Bear with me, this one came to me as I was boppin' in the kitchen to old 70's tunes.

"I Woke Up In Love This Morning" quickly followed by "I Can See Clearly Now" then "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and some awesome CCR tune I can't remember the name of.... Seriously, it was one  great tune after another in here while I was whipping this baby together. 

Heh. That might explain the wine.

Then again, it might not.

Creamy Apricot Porkchops
4 bone-in porkchops
1 package stuffing mix, prepared as directed and set aside
3/4 c. apricot preserves
          (or jam, as long as it's got pieces of apricot in it)
3/4 c. light sour cream
3/4 to 1 c. white wine
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Spray a 9x13 baking dish lightly with baking spray and place porkchops in it so they are all flat and not layering over each other.

In a bowl, whisk together the apricot preserves, sour cream, white wine, and garlic powder till well blended. Pour over the pork chops. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 300. If cream sauce starts get too brown, cover with foil for remaining hour.

Remove 9x13 dish from oven and turn heat up to 400. Across the top of the cream sauce covered pork chops, dollop the prepared stuffing mix as evenly as you can without burning yourself.

Be careful not to drop the stuffing mix from up too high - the splatter is ouchy.  Drizzle the whole dish with the melted butter and return to hot oven. Allow to brown and crisp up lightly.

It smelled amazing in here while it was cooking up - and who doesn't love pork and apricot together? Especially when it's cooked low and slow like this. Be sure to let me know if you try it and what changes you and your gang make to the dish. Enjoy!

Cold Weather Comfort Food

LadyBug has been taking a mini-course at school in Latin. Since the marking period ends very soon, the kids are busy doing projects and papers on ancient Roman culture.  Last night, as I was helping LadyBug whip up her baking project, it occurred to me that this just might be a brilliant ploy on the part of the Latin teacher. After all, this is now the 3rd baking project I have done with one of my gang members for this class. I'm thinking teachers really like repeat students in situations like this. I mean, what's not to like? This yummy pan of good gooey-ness features all the essentials of the perfect winter comfort food. Especially if you have a sweet tooth! Once our fast is broken, LadyBug will have to make this one again, just for The Gang. Let me know if you make it, and how you like it. Enjoy and try to stay warm today, my friends!

Old Roman Apple Cake

Ingredients:

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. orange juice
1 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3-4 lg. apples, sliced thin
4 eggs

Cinnamon, for sprinkling

Brown Sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

Mix all ingredients (except apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar) until well blended. Pour 1/2 of batter into a greased and floured tube pan or 9x13 cake pan.

Sprinkle half the apples on top. Sprinkle some cinnamon over apples. Cover with remaining half of batter. Top with other half of apples and sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on apples.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, testing with a knife after about 55 minutes. Cake is ready when knife comes out clean but wet.

Allow to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar to serve.

Wordless Wednesday{silver lining}

38 clothing storage bins just like these....

Brought up out of the 8" of water from Hurricane Irene's fury.

Purged and reduced by 13 bins....

And four over-stuffed garbage bags

It's been a busy, busy week for This Gang.
HUGE kudos to Baby BlueEyes, LadyBug,
Dr. D, and Shaggy for all their hard work
on this and other cleaning and restoration projects
from the storm.

I couldn't have gotten it all done without you!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to 5 Minutes for Moms.

And tell me your storm clean- up story....

I'm looking forward to hearing how you all fared.

Sunday Snapshot

We have survived Hurricane Irene. We're really wet. Well, I mean, our basement is really wet. And The Boss, Shaggy, and Dr. D spent most of last night really wet. But we made it through. If I am pressed to find the silver lining, I can say that by the time every thing dries out and all the damage is cleaned up and done, we will have a really clean basement about a month ahead of schedule.  Today's Sunday Snapshot is of the heroes of Hurricane Irene, here at The Gang's house.

Pre-storm, or when the rain was the only evidence that an epic weather event was on its way, we enjoyed a long, quiet afternoon full of movies, home-made cookies, big batches of popcorn flowing freely, more movies, and jammy time just hanging out together. But all that changed at about 11:30 p.m. When our main sump pump failed and the battery-back-up wore itself out right on its heels. Thank the Lord that we had our pool cover pump and that Shaggy found our neighbor's sump pump in their basement when he went poking around their shed and garage looking for their pool cover pump. (They are out of town. The Boss and the boys are charged with caring for their property whenever they travel. Flashlight in hand, he went traipsing over in the wind and rain at 12:30 a.m. or so to try and come up with something to stem the tide of rushing waters!)

Dr. D, checking news reports and chatting 

with friends on F@cebook during the rain-only

portion of the storm.

Shaggy, catching up with a friend between movies

on Saturday.

But during the storm?

These guys proved their mettle beyond our belief.

Bucket Brigade for more than an hour.

Jerry-rigging a supplemental sump pump with The Boss.

Carting furniture and more than 25 big storage

bins full of clothes for The Gang up to the family room.

Running in and out of the side yard to move drainage pipes.

Keeping an eye on the neighbors' property through it all.

Both of them up till at least 4 a.m.

working alongside The Boss without much of a break.

We are blessed.

 And this guy?

This really tired, really run-down and worn-out warrior?

He ran the whole project for more than three straight hours

of rushing water - rushing INTO the basement

faster than he could get it out, that is.

Wet clothes, head cold, sleep deprivation, frustration,

disgust, stress, and more. He didn't quit until it was obvious

the pump was winning over the cold, dark, nasty water.

I am blessed.

Wrapping It All Up!

Oh, it's been a week! Lists have been whittled down. Hair has been cut. Closets have been cleaned. Rooms have been re-arranged. Toy boxes have been purged. More lists have been written. Freezers have been stocked. Menus have been planned.

Baby BlueEyes' room BEFORE.

Well, sorta "before." More like, MID!

Baby BlueEyes' room AFTER.

Big toy shelf emptied and removed.

Toys out of sight and out of reach for little hands!

Yesterday, Dr. D finished his first official senior high football training camp. Right now, he's sleeping off the high. I've never seen him so excited. Or so tired! They ended the intensive two weeks with a big picnic, catered by O*tb@ck Steak House.... Not a bad way to end the week, eh?

I'm wrapping my brain around what my new schedule will look like in the coming days. Taking care of someone else's kids, almost full-time, is a huge responsibility and I'm sure that Li'l Empress will think it's a big party at first. But I'm aware that it will be a BIIIIIG adjustment for her, particularly when the older kids are back to school and it's just her hanging out with the new little friends during the day. So I'm praying for her, for my new little buddies, and for Li'l Empress's teachers. I've put off the start of her school year till the big kids go back to school - hoping that one change per week instead of two or three will be easier on us all.

And now? Now, we turn to storm prepared-ness as Hurricane Irene is bearing down quickly and fiercely on the East Coast. The Boss is heading out as I type to bring Shaggy to one of his many yard-work jobs and to pick up propane, water, and an extra battery for the sump pump.  Baby BlueEyes is not a huge fan of weather events, as they tend to stir up a lot of fear in his little heart. So we're putting him on Storm Preparedness duty with Daddy - hoping that he learns that many of our fears can be allayed when we wisely prepare and "do our part" and then faithfully trust the Lord to cover and protect the rest.

Not a bad way to handle all of this stuff, eh?

Sunday Snapshot

Wow. It's been almost three weeks since my last post. A LOT has happened here at The Gang's House. I figured posting a pictorial tour of the last 17 days would be a waaaay more interesting way to catch us all up. I say "us" cuz I feel like I need a good reminder of just what I've been headlong into before my memories fade! So, buckle up and here we go...

Li'l Empress has, for several months now,

told us repeatedly that she wants to be

a piggie when she grows up.

Imagine her delight when these cute

p.j.'s came out of the summer clothes bin.

Oh, and check out the 'tude - hands on the hip

is the new "thing" around here.

I let it slide when she's just being funny or sassy.

We enjoyed our traditional Memorial Day weekend

with my "best friend since kindergarten" and her family.

Well, minus her oldest daughter,

whose presence was sorely missed.

Li'l Empress needed a bit of coaxing for the first

swim of the season. It was a tad chilly at first, but

warmed up nicely by Monday.

The weather was perfect for all the grilling and swimming.

My sweet friend also blessed me by filling

my porch planters. And now, every time I look

out onto my porch, I see all this beauty

and think immediately of her.

Everyone should have a friend as steadfast

and deeply beautiful as Stacey.

Shaggy purchased his first car!

A peppy little '89 Honda Accord LXi.

It's a five-speed, which he will have to learn to drive,

but it's going to be a great first car for him.

I'm so proud of him - every single penny came from

his own savings. He's a hard worker and very frugal, to boot.

Always happy to indulge her little sister's cute

pre-occupation with piggies, LadyBug made this

curly tail for Li'l Empress. She wore it off and on all day.

My two girls got hit this weekend with a nasty summer cold.

But gosh, even all feverish and drippy and hoarse,

they are still so pretty. Don't you wish you looked

this cute when you felt that cruddy?

Oh. Look. There's the 'tude again!

She followed Daddy up and down the stairs

all afternoon, "hepping him" make the closet

door frame. "Hepping him" hang it.

She's gonna sleep good tonite, after all those trips

from the bathroom to the garage and back again.

All that's left in there is for The Boss to trim it

all out, touch up the paint, and finish the closet door.

I can't wait to start organizing!

There you have it. A not-so-brief summary of the missing weeks.  It's my way of easing back into the discipline of blogging. I so miss it when I don't do it, but the pace around here and the STUFF we've been working through to get to this point has been too draining for me to come up with interesting and witty posts. The good news is that the school year is DONE for Shaggy and Dr. D. Hard-fought, long hours, and lots of essay and project proofing, but DONE. DONE. Can I get an AMEN from my peeps?! They are so excited to have two full weeks of downtime before their younger sibs - I've had to tame the gloating and the ribbing to a dull roar. Especially since I still have to get up to a stupid alarm clock WITH the younger ones!

I'll have to sit down this week and share Dr. D's other great news with you all later. It deserves its own post but I'm waitin' on some details to come together. Suffice it to say, as busy and crazy as the last three weeks have been, there have been some very special moments in it all.

Click on the button below and join in the Sunday Snapshot fun.  It's a great way to kick off the week and to capture some great memories for your gang.  And if you come by here to take the tour, drop me a comment. I love visitors :)

Let The Games Begin!

I don't know about you, but right now, after three days of ridiculous humidity and erratic downpours, my lawn looks more like a jungle. A jungle full of drooping dandelions well past their prime. The kids and I chuckle fondly over The Boss's anxiety when he sees the neighbor open the shed and pull out the mower. Never, not once, in all the years that we've owned a home has The Boss been the first neighbor to boast a fully trimmed and newly-edged lawn to start off the Spring Yard Games. That's what we all say, when we see The Boss twitching and itching in his seat while he watches one of our five closest neighbors beat him to the punch.  We say, "Let the Games Begin!" and laugh evilly.

Not even the advent of teaching Shaggy and Dr. D last year to run the mower has eased The Boss's competitive spirit. He now has fully released the job to Dr. D for a weekly salary but he still shivers when he drives in and out of the driveway, cringing at the dandelions and crabgrass interspersed in the clover and grass. (Interspersed is a gentle term. Think more like invasion of the Huns.)  The thing is, it's a game he'll never win. Never. He works full time, an hour and a half or more of commuting time tacked onto the already 8-9 hour day. Our neighbors, for the most part, are retired and/or teachers. They are home earlier. And more often. So while he is totally frustrated at the inability to compete at their level, he is ever so grateful for Dr. D's skills and effort. He'll be more grateful when he doesn't have to wait till Dr. D is done school for the week to enjoy a freshly mowed lawn, but that's beside the point.

You'll notice that I emphasized that we taught Shaggy and Dr. D to run the mower just last year.  That's because we are self-proclaimed safety freaks. Aaaaaand, before last year, we had a riding mower that worked adequately for The Boss to knock out the job in an hour or so on a Saturday morning and he actually kind of liked the relaxing nature of riding round and round and round in big circles around our fenced-in pool and the house.  Then, the time crunch got crazy and we checked in with the boys to see how they felt about hand-mowing.  I will admit, it took some convincing of The Momma that both boys were ready to take the task as seriously as we both felt it should be taken.  You see, both The Boss and I have heard too many horrible stories of accidents with mowers, too many times...  For example, did you know:

Lawn mower-related injuries account for more than

51% of traumatic amputations among children.

Major limb loss is most commonly caused

by lawn mowers for children under the age of 10.

And that's NOT just for the children who are operating those mowers. It's for the ones caught in the blind spots of operators. Or the ones "just running to retrieve that ball" that they threw too far.  It's horrible. It's tragic, and it's completely preventable.

Please, go HERE and read this post. It's not a game. It's life and death. And it's preventable, with just a few safety measures and standards that are easily adapted to your family.

I Can See Clearly Now....

Last week, I picked up my new glasses. To clarify, I picked up my new READING glasses.  Yup, it's official and I can no longer live in the sweet shadow of denial.  I am getting old. As if the assistance to my eyesight wasn't ENUFF already, my LadyBug turned 12. TWELVE, ya'll. TUH.WELL.VUH. Ugh.

It's NO coincidence at all that the day after my eye doctor kindly and gently informed me that getting dizzy while trying to read AND watch my favorite cop show at the same time was, in fact, a sign of my aging eyes, that I decided to take my aging self to the nearest beauty school (Hey, I'm vain but I'm frugal. VERY frugal.) and get some highlights added in to cover the gray.  Er, I mean white.

Cuz, to add insult to total injury, I am finding out the hard way that red heads don't go gray slowly. Or even fade from red to pale pink. They go white. In stubborn little clumps of wiry, willful strands all around my face.  Highlights help me at least FEEL like they are blending in.

So. I'm freshly highlighted. And be-spectacled when seated at my computer or snuggled up with a book. Please, be kind.

I'm not used to having to account for glare

when smiling a big fake smile for the camera.

And yes, that's a doozy of a sunburn.

Had a third grade field trip to Ellis Island with

Baby BlueEyes on Tuesday. Totally forgot my sunscreen

till I felt the heat tingling. Ugh. That's not gonna help

the aging process, will it?!

Just Because We All Need a Little Happy

Huge hat tip to my friend, Comfy Denim, for sharing this. Since today was originally fore-casted to be rainy and dull all day long, has dawned really early here at The Gang's headquarters and appears to be a bright and springy Saturday morning, I thought I'd share this with you all. We all need a little happy at the end of a long week.

Wordless Wednesday

Scenes from the epic Ice Storm of 2011 . . .

Our front yard was a sheet of ice at 7 a.m.

I would love it if the pine trees at the corner

of our lot would just crack under the pressure.

It'd save us and our neighbors a lot of money

this coming summer!

My pretty little Japanese Maple

is holding up pretty well under all the

weight of this ice.

 The Boss captured all this frozen beauty

when he ventured out to check the drain pipes and gutters.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

link up HERE.

If you came by today, let me know

by leaving a comment.

I'm getting lonely for adult conversation!

Wordless Wednesday

It's snowing again, here in PA.

I think even my happy little snowmen

are getting a little tired of the white stuff.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

If  you leave me some comment love,

I'll be happy to reciprocate.

While I'm huddled up with my hot tea

and heavy sweater!

Wordless Wednesday

This perky little sign of spring means that

THIS sign of spring isn't far behind!

Yes, it's the week to put winter clothes away

and pull out the lighter, brighter apparel for spring.

It might just be me, but it seems that EVERY TIME

I jump headlong into this huge task

(Think two seasons worth of sorting for

7 gang members. Ummm, yeah.)

it gets too cold to actually WEAR any of the stuff!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,

head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Wordless Wednesday

The forecast is for more snow.
Ranging from 6 to 18 inches.
Depending on how it tracks in the next 24 hours.

She's ready.
TOTALLY ready.
To sleep in. To drink hot cocoa.
To read, for uninterrupted hours.
Snuggled up with her blanket.

I don't love snowstorms.
But this time, I think I might actually
be ready too.
It's been a long, hard, emotional week.
Stopping the world for a freak storm
might just be the respite we all need.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,
head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Most of them are ACTUALLY wordless.

The Blizzard of 2010

Well, we survived! The Blizzard of 2010 raged around us from about 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the 9th straight through till the early morning hours of Thursday, the 11th. I fell asleep last night to the sounds of high winds and creaking siding outside my window. I haven't been out yet to look and see if there's been any kind of damage. But I did notice this morning from the upstairs windows that several trees in the "gully" behind our fence have lost branches. And darn it, none of the "ugly trees" came crashing down on their own! Below are some pics that The Boss snapped on his way out to work this morning. AFTER he shoveled (for the third or fourth time!) out the driveway.

From the sidewalk, looking up the drive.

Also from the end of the drive, looking straight back
toward the back of our property line, behind our shed.

The side entrance to the house. That pile
is as tall as me. I'm 5' 1' tall.
Five feet of snow, piled at my door.
Not really tall for a woman.
Entirely too tall for a snow pile!

Oh, my poor little Japanese maple.
I've been watching her anxiously since the storm
started. Next to my lilacs, she's my favorite little
tree on our property.
I sure hope she makes it to spring with all
her limbs intact!

So, there you have it. Our craziest storm ever. The kids are home today. They likely will have to have a delay tomorrow. And the forecasters are already prepping us for another "mini-storm" to come on Monday. Too bad Vancouver had to pay for this kind of snow coverage. I'd be more than happy to share!

Wordless Wednesday

Last weekend's storm . . .

As I'm getting ready to post this, today's storm
is RAGING. The snow is falling so heavily we can barely
see into the cul-de-sac that is across the street.

I'm actually a little worried about power loss later today.
The weight of the snow and the gusting winds
fore-casted for this afternoon sound really ominous.

For more Wordless Wednesday fun,
head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Shoveling Out & Growing Up

*disclaimer: This is a catch up post, in stream-of-consciousness format.

Don't try to understand my flow. Just go with it.
I don't do it often here; but sometimes, I just let it go where it will.*

We had a fabulous weekend together, in the midst of the second biggest snowstorm our region has seen in recorded history. The kids played in the snow (reminding my of just why I despise snow gear), The Boss shoveled, the neighbors chatted and gratefully accepted the help of stronger, younger backs. And I cooked. I made cookies. I made soup. I made bread, I made Chinese pudding. When it was all said and done, we got 14" of the white stuff and the REST of The Gang probably worked off every single home-made, scrumptious calorie they took in that day. Me? "Not so much," thus sayeth my jeans.

I took it a little easier on my culinary self for our SuperBowl spread, "making" some decidedly "low brow" chips & dip platters and frozen treats. It was polished off mostly before the half-time show even started. Oh, and what a great game, wasn't it? All the intensity of two well-matched teams and the excitement of seeing New Orleans finally have something wonderful to celebrate. It's been said over and over, but seriously, who didn't have even just a little tiny "Go Saints!" whispering in their heart of hearts?!

As I sit here, typing today's post, we're gearing up for yet another whopper of a storm. This one is looking to be a bit more ominous: a wet, heavy type of snow is being fore-casted, followed by strong gusting winds. Might make for some "crippling" conditions for a day or so. The "middles" of The Gang are especially excited because this one is actually taking place in the middle of a school week, threatening to derail all their teachers' well-laid lesson plans and give the whole region a blessed day off of leisure. It was supposed to be a busy week week for The Gang. In fact, last night's dress rehearsal for LadyBug's Wind Ensemble morphed by 4 p.m. into the real deal concert. This, after tremendous machinations and behind the scenes plottings in an attempt to let the kids have their moments in the spotlight. It was a well-executed evening and I chuckled a little at how overjoyed the band directors seemed to be in thwarting "Mother Nature's" efforts at messing with their beloved ensemble performances.

LadyBug performed in her very first public concert last night and handled herself with her usual grace and aplomb. Honestly, I don't know where she gets her steady, "take it as it comes" demeanor. She took the news of the big change in schedule with relative calm (exclaiming only that those new pants MUST be hemmed NOW!). After dinner, she dressed herself in her new concert outfit (Thanks to a big bargain scored at Se@rs & Ch!ldren's Pl@ce!), let me do her hair and didn't once show a bit of tremor or nerves. Sheesh, if it were me, I'd have been sweating. Or something much worse. Instead, she just went up on stage with her band-mates and did her thing. I mean, she may look just like me, but that demeanor? I take it back. I know where she gets it. It's all The Boss. All the way.

After her portion of the concert was over, we sat together in the back of the auditorium enjoying the time alone together and the beautiful music from the other ensembles from the district. And again, I had to stop and admire my girl: she was picking out the different instruments, describing to me in hushed whispers the degrees of difficulty that certain notes required, and asking intelligent questions about the historical significance of some of the pieces. I can't believe in all the hustle bustle we forgot to take pictures of her big night. I can't believe how scattered I felt and how calm she was. I can't believe how grown up she was last night. I'm not at all sure I like it. In fact, I think I don't.

The Boss summed it up well when she came down all dressed in her concert finery. He told her that she looked very pretty. And very grown up. And that she will never be wearing that outfit again.

*Who am I kidding? Stream of consciousness is the norm around here.
So I take that back too. *