Spirit Week at South View!

So, next week is Spirit Week at the middle school (only four days long, omitting the ever-popular "Pajama Day" because they are off on Monday so that the teachers can finalize grades).

In addition to the usual "Edina Day" and "Decade Day" and "Wacky-Tacky Day," the powers that be have decided upon "Rock Star Day."

Lydia, being ever the assiduous wardrobe planner, is plotting her outfits already. But what the heck does a Rock Star wear???? We came up with a few crazy ideas, but as Lydia put it, "I'll be wearing something crazy for Wacky Tacky Day, and no one will be able to tell the difference!"

Enter Mom's weird imagination. When I first heard "Rock Star Day," I didn't think of a singing teenage idol; I thought of Red Bull and energy drinks. Guess I'm a real doofus.

So we've come up with (I think) a fabulous idea: I'm going to print out, on ink jet fabric, the image of a can of Rock Star, like so --

I will back it with fusible web, iron it on to the front of a plain grey sweatshirt, and satin stitch around the edges to keep it tacked down securely. And then I will embroider "Party Like a Rock Star!" on the back, and bling it out in rhinestones.

For once, Lydia doesnt think my idea is dorky .... I must be progressing.

We're due for some very cold weather again this weekend, more's the pity. Started out Friday morning with a high of 21 degrees, and expect to be dropped down to about 5 by dinner time, bottoming out at 5 below by tomorrow morning. Blech!

Hope you don't get this weather for a while. Hugs for the weekend,
Love,
Mom

Warning: Do not view with tea in your mouth....!

All right now, folks - I understand the excitement over Obama. I sort of get the whole frenzy in the collectibles market for Obama memorabilia, though I predict that 99.99% of it will wind up in a bin in your attic like the Beanie Babies.

But this is going just a bit too far. It's selling on Amazon, and there had better be some sort of law against this:

My God, let the poor man retain SOME shreds of dignity, for heaven's sake!

Man, how time does fly!

Over a month since last this blog was updated - shame on me! I can only plead the excuse that you were home with us for three+ weeks of that time period, and we've certainly chatted in the week since you've been back to school. But now, I promise faithfully to keep you updated.

As I emailed you, it's Nationals week for the figure skating community. There was an article in yesterday's Star Tribune highlighting Alex and two other MN skaters. Here's a link if you are at all interested:
http://www.startribune.com/sports/olympics/37852369.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsI

Lydia was quite disgusted to read that Alex had dropped out of school (just two classes) by Thanksgiving. We are both of the opinion that he will not be likely to ever work as an engineer, and that it will be a miracle if he manages to actually get a degree by the time he's 30. More likely, we'll see him taking over Joan's spot at Braemar 20 years from now, a jaded, wanna-be skater-turned-coach, who couldn't even hold down a job in a Starbucks....pity, he is a bright kid. I hate to see a waste like that.

Not much to report on the home front, I fear. Lydia's second quarter ends on Friday, so this week is taken up with studying for exams and turning in final projects. (She's actually quite businesslike about her study habits, keeping up with exam studying and homework with little fuss or bother. I hardly ever realize that she's studying in her room, I guess I just assume that she's not doing anything but MySpace and texting, but I do her an injustice.)

Lydia and I have gotten hooked on playing "Animal Crossing" in the evenings, in place of watching a video at night before bedtime. It's very cute: she makes me direct her little critter through the trees in search of things while she responds to a text, then grabs the controls back to me when I can't dig up fossils or cast a fishing line fast enough. Good companionship time. Now we're looking forward to playing this weekend when a "Flea Market" is scheduled - apparently this is the opportunity to sell one's unneeded items. And we've discovered the joy of retrieving things from the municipal Recyling Center - all sorts of treasures to be found in the trash, wonderful for decorating the house or selling at the newly-expanded Tom Nook's store.

I've started work on the epic Embroidered Purse Project, and it's coming along, albeit slowly. Very, very fussy, I'm discovering. True to form, I'm figuring out ways to bypass the directions as written and figure out quicker, more efficient ways to applique and stitch all of these wee bits together. Two things would make it much easier: if you were around to help me clip around all the tacked down bits of fabric, because you're so good at that tiny handwork (though I must say, new glasses help immensely!), and a second hoop to set up the next piece while the first one is stitching. If I get my act together, I'll take some photos this weekend, and toss them up on Amelia's blog for you to peruse.

Lydia is still slavering in anticipating of receiving her new ipod, but we've had a slight set back: I finally, finally received an email from the seller in Hawaii that indeed, he had mailed the iPod last Tuesday, but that (i) he'd sent it in (get this!) a padded envelope; (ii) he'd mailed it via regular first class mail instead of via Priority Mail as promised in the auction; (iii) he was too cheap to purchase delivery confirmation, so its progress cannot be tracked on-line; and (iv) it was sent to you in Vermont because I still haven't managed to change that damn Ship To address in PayPal...! So, you should be receiving a padded envelope from Hawaii with an iPod that may possibly have been damaged in transit! I'm going to the bank this weekend, and will deposit $20 in your Think account. If you would be so kind as to put the iPod in a more sturdy shipping container and buzz it off to us in the MN, I would be ever so grateful. Grrrr.....

Hoping you have a wonderful day,
love,
Mom

Last day of classes - Hooray!!!!

And a wee carton just to set the tone for the day! We're freezing all our body parts off here in Minneapolis this week, although supposedly it's going to warm up over the weekend, before plunging us back in to the deep freeze next week. (Just in time to welcome you home!)

Congratulations on making it through your first semester at UVM, sweetie! Despite all onslaughts of headcolds and mono, you've come through with flying colors! I have not a doubt in my mind that you'll come through finals in great shape, and we can't wait to welcome you back home.

And I'm glad you told Dad about having mono yesterday. He actually took it quite well, after an initial "Oh, my God!" reaction. We both agree that it's highly likely you brought it to UVM with you in August, thinking about it in retrospect....and we're both very glad that you seem to have weathered the worst of it.

We're going to Lydia's Southview choir concert this evening (blech! but she needs our support), and then hope to get our Christmas tree tomorrow night. Let it thaw out in the living room overnight, put the lights on Saturday, and spent Sunday afternoon watching football and decorating the tree. Wish you could be here to help out, but at least we'll be able to welcome you home to a festive home.

I'm planning to do most of my Christmas shopping this weekend, both on-line and in-store. Think I've got my lists pretty well finalized, and am formulating a strategic plan to get it done with a minimum of hassle....though I think dad is going to have to drop me off in the Southdale parking lot and let me walk from Southdale to the Galleria to Target and then to Joann's. It's not so much the shopping than annoys me, it's the kamikaze drivers and the agressive parking!

Hope your weather cooperates so that nothing delays your flight home!

Love,
Mom

FYI - returning from Christmas break

Just got an email from ResLife, and this portion jumped out at me:

"Your ID card will not permit you access to the residence halls until you have checked in at your complex main desk on Sunday, January 11th. If you are not returning to campus on Sunday, January 11th between noon and 8 p.m., please be advised that you will need to contact Residential Life in advance in order to enter your hall."

So when you get back to the dorms on Sunday, you have to check in at the main desk to have your card "reactivated" before you can get back into your room. Probably want to be sure that you've paid your bill as well!!!

Global warming? not in my neck of the woods!

Thought you'd enjoy this little whimsy, as someone who appreciates costume through the ages....

But seriously, now, it's freezing in Minnesota right now! We're supposed to drop down to eight measly degrees tonight, with a brisk wind whipping down from the North Pole - good thing indeed that you sent Lydia's winter coat yesterday! (Again, let me tell you how much I appreciate your atoning for my astonishing lack of attention to detail...) Be sure to bring home your warm coat, wear a pair of boots on the airplane, and don't forget your hat and mittens. Scarves I have a-plenty here, I keep stitching them up as I find new embroidery designs.

This is another project I want to run past you when you're home for the break (can't wait to see you!). I want to embroider grosgrain ribbon, and stitch it on to cotton web to make these key fobs for all and sundry. Besides sewing a selection of fabric zipper wallets for you to bring back to school. They're gonna call you the Craft Queen pretty soon, or at least call your mother crazy...

After all the fuss and bother Lydia made yesterday morning, complaining about translations and reflections, the test itself went off without a hitch. She actually admitted that it seemed pretty easy and straightforward. Gack! I could kill her sometimes! Apparently she and Clara spent a bit of time before school with last year's teacher, Mr. Peterson, who obligingly ran through translations and reflections again, and instantly everything was clear.

Now she's having to read The Princess Bride for her language arts class. We both recall that you hated the movie, but she says the book is really, really good so far.

Dad has become a Wii Maniac, certifiably hooked on improving his tennis game. Thank God he's managed to tone it down a bit: rather than looking like he's smashing pumpkins down the block in a game with Roger Federer, he's only hopping about a small bit and has shortened his stroke by 50%. No longer needs Advil to get out of bed the next day. But I strongly suspect that he has abandoned Judge Judy for Wii Tennis...oddly enough, his rating/ranking is nearly 850, which argues that he's played a helluva lot of tennis games and won to get it up that high....Lydia is indignant that he seemingly spends all day playing Wii. And lordy, he is so competitive! You'll find it quite amusing to watch when you come home. He actually offered to play on the avatar Lydia set up for you, so that you wouldn't have to start from zero when you got home. I think he just wants to play more!

Not too surprising that Sara may not be returning in January, but I understand your reluctance to break in a new roommate, now that you two have just reached an accord. Remember that you will be the Roommate in Residence, and any newcomer will be the Interloper, so you get to set the rules, along with the rest of your suitemates. PS-you might consider asking Sarah, if she actually does decide to leave, if she wants to consider selling you her refrigerator. She may not want or need it if she's going to be attending community college and living at home. Dad and I will definitely buy it (or a new one) for you so that you don't have to be without a place to store your food when she leaves.

Back to my everlasting review of sales contracts and confidentiality agreements. Congratulations on the raise, and the invitation to apply for a promotional position! And strong wishes and finger-crossing that the intolerable itching subsides and you find a comfortable position again.

Hugs,
Mom

Red Alert!!! Mononucleosis???

My poor dear! Cannot, absolutely cannot believe that you have been condemned to suffer the outrage of an itchy, nasty head-to-toe rash simply because Grandma wouldn't believe me and forced four doses of useless amoxicillin down your gullet!

It's sort of a good news-bad news connundrum: if she hadn't bullied you into taking amoxicillin, you wouldn't have gotten the rash, which means you wouldn't have gone to the UVM clinic, which means you wouldn't have known that you've got mononucleosis. On the other hand, if she hadn't stuffed it down your throat, you might have figured out that something was seriously amiss at a much later date, when you were completely flat on your back.

However, since there really is no treatment for mono other than "take it easy and drink lots," it might not have made any difference in the end. Except that you would not now be feeling like an itchy leper!

Haven't broken the news to your dad yet -- I'm figuring that the information is currently on a need-to-know basis, and he doesn't need to know! I'll let you break it to him when you're finally on your way home for Christmas break, unless something untoward occurs and we need to tell him sooner. (i.e., please take care of yourself!)

Lydia had a brief relapse vis-a-vis the geometry homework last night, studying for a unit test. They are working on translations and reflections, and I can totally understand that those concepts of visualizing objects and moving them in your head doesn't come naturally to many people. Must be related to their inability to read maps as well! She loves algebra, completely understands those concepts, but has a miserable time trying to conceptualize rotating 2-d and 3-d objects in her head and on paper. I tried demonstrating with pattern pieces on my gridded cutting board, showing her how I could slide the piece up or down or sideways a given distance, or flip it over so that the back side was now facing up, but it didn't work out very well. I'm a bit fearful at hearing how the test went today....

By now you know all about our Bonehead of the Year Award for mistaking a wad of Bazooka bubble gum for an interdigital canine cysts -- the only thing worse than feeling stupid at home was having to call the vet's office this morning to explain why we wouldn't be showing up for our appointment this morning. No, there hadn't been a holy water miracle, we were just too dumb to know the difference between pink bubble gum and swollen/infected tissue. Sounds like something you'd see on "House." (Which I am assuming you didn't get a chance to watch last night. I'm getting hooked; House is falling for Cuddy, and it's amusing to see Cuddy return his attentions. Her sweaters are getting tighter, her decolletage lower, and her push-up bras more....effective).

Be sure to send me your Christmas wish list so that I can get started on some on-line shopping! Lydia's given me hers, and now I need yours....ho, ho, ho!

Be sure to take care of yourself. Imagine me saying all the good motherly things, and take your vitamins. Love,
Mom