In which trek makes a drive-by posting

Neatnik loves her Vacation Bible School! She's doing Son Rock Kids Camp this week. Since we were able to find another local parish that is doing a different program, at the end of July, she is scheduled for Discovery Canyon.

Neatnik doing VBS means that Mommy has to provide taxi service to and from, obviously, which means that I have approximately 2½ hours between drop off and pick up. I was able to squeeze in a few errands and take a walk both yesterday and today and we followed up both days with hours and hours of sun and fun at the community pool, so it's all good.

I'm going to make this a really short post tonight, because I'd like to have some time to knit on my sock. Spending a lot of time at the pool is really good but knitting a wool sock while covered in sunscreen on a hot day is a rather sticky proposition.

Reclamation center

Let me begin by stating that I began this post prior to taking Neatnik to Vacation Bible School. When I pushed the Publish button, Blogger ate my whole very clever post. I have just now returned from taxi-duty and I attempting to replicate my extreme cleverness, but you all know how difficult it is to recreate perfection.

I like knitting socks for the Neatnik. I really do. I don't really like how she outgrows them, though.

It isn't like I have a younger child to whom I could hand them down when Neatnik no longer fits them.

And all of her friends' feet are bigger than hers are.

What is a knitting Mommy to do?

One technique a knitter can employ is knitting a single round of a contrasting yarn just before starting the toe decreases. The contrasting yarn serves as a landmark, if you will, making it very easy to see where to pick up the stitches so that you can knit additional length in the foot.

Before I started working the contrasting stripe technique, however, Neatnik simply outgrew her yarn socks and then the too-small socks sat on my dresser, looking at me somewhat reproachfully. It isn't that I wasn't unwilling to try to pick up the stitches, but if you work with Cascade Fixation, you know how those little suckers just shrivel up to nothing as soon as they come off the needle - nevermind after they've been worn and washed a few dozen times.

What can you do?

Reclaim that yarn! I felt rather connected to those knitters over the centuries who would first knit a man-sized jumper and, when it developed rips and holes, would then unravel it and recycle the yarn into progressively smaller garments until at last they were knitting a pair of baby booties.

Formerly known as two pairs of Laundry Socks
and one pair of Wonky Lace Socks

Neatnik's request for this pile of reclaimed yarn is anklets. Her ankles are rather skinny and anklets have a tendency to sag and droop on her, though. My devilishly clever plan is to cast on fewer stitches for the cuff than I need for the foot and to increase to the foot's stitch count just before working the heel flap.

We'll keep you posted on how that goes.

Compass

School at Home Report
Science
We made a compass this morning using a magnet, a sewing needle, a bit of cork, and a bowl of water. We even tested the magnetization of the needle by picking up a paperclip and a computer screw before setting it onto the cork disk floating in the water.

Clicky to embiggen to see the compass needle more clearly

MacGyver would be so proud.

In which trek shoots twice in the same week

This morning is yet another one where there are all kinds of things spinning around inside my head so you get to be treated to a second Bullet Post this week. Welcome to the Friday Morning-It's-Nearly-the-Weekend Bullet Post.

• The weather here still seems to be stuck in April mode: chilly nights, not very hot days, and lots and lots of overcast and rain.



• Edited 06-26-2009, 2:14pm: When Number Guy came home for lunch, he noticed something a bit odd in the back yard. Several odd somethings, actually. In case anyone was doubting the amount of precipitation around here, or the existence of fairy rings, I offer the following photographic evidence:
  
  
  



• Must have been some party in our backyard last night.



• Speaking of parties, one of Neatnik's classmates turned seven yesterday. The birthday party consisted of going to a movie and then a backyard barbecue/playdate at the birthday girl's house.



• If you are planning to go to see Up anytime soon, I advise you to bring tissues.



• The sun finally poked through the cloud cover about midafternoon, so Neatnik and I visited the pool. The water was still quite chilly and I decided that I was well and truly over it at about mid-thigh.



• Neatnik and friends had to be dragged from the water blue, shaking, and declaring that they were not, in fact, at all cold.



• After dinner, we took a short little walk and saw three bunnies, including a baby one.



• Last night was bagpipe practice night. I brought the sock in progress and some dishcloth cotton and a pair of straight needles.



• I knit several rounds on the sock.



• Make sure you are seated and not drinking anything: I made a continental knitter out of a hooker.



• Is everybody okay? No injuries?



• I did warn you.



• This is a woman whose husband's grandmother tried to teach her how to knit when they first got married, many years ago. Grandma was an English knitter and the new granddaughter-in-law just couldn't get it together.



• Did I mention that my new knitter is a lefty who apparently can hook righty?



• The upshot of the evening was my new pupil learned how to do a long-tail cast on, execute knit stitches, and recognize when the stitch on the needle is mounted backwards.



• That last was sort of accidental: she wrapped the yarn clockwise instead of counterclockwise a few times.



• All good learning experiences, though.



• We'll have lesson number two next week. I'll bring some decent wool.



• When we got home, we saw another wild baby in the driveway. This one was a less welcome one, though. It was a skunk.



• We parked at the end of the driveway and came in the front door instead of the side door by which we had earlier left.



• Yes, we have a lot of respect for skunks.



• I should have given yesterday's post a School at Home tag.



• The penguin lesson qualifies as science, zoology, even!



• School at Home continues here on a near daily basis. Some days, like yesterday, are very full and we give the paperwork a bye, but we also do some stuff on weekends so it all works out.



• Neatnik finished Misty of Chincoteague this week. We are very proud of her.



• That reminds me, I have to check the library's web site to see what, if anything I need to renew or return. Be right back.



• Thanks for waiting. Nothing due, nothing overdue. Always a good thing.



• While I am typing, Neatnik is engaged in math worksheets. We need to make sure she doesn't lose any math fact skills over the summer.



• I taught her how to do addition with "carrying". She now says that carrying is her favorite math thing.



• We are also continuing to work on multiplication tables and fractions.



• Neatnik also loves it when I put a few math problems on the chalkboard easel in her room.



• Yes, we are fully aware that we are raising a math geek. What of it?



• And she can knit, too, you know.



• The sun is peeping through the windows a bit. Maybe we can go to the pool today, too. It is supposed to be hotter than yesterday, so maybe by this afternoon the water will have warmed up a wee bit.



• One can hope!



• If you are feeling like and angel of mercy, go visit Sheepie and give her lots of moral support and sympathy today: she's got an early appointment with Dr DeSade, DDS.



• While you are on the sympathy gig, send a pile of it my way, too. I decided to try to acquire a taste for oatmeal, what with the cholesterol and how good the oats are for the old bloodstream.



• I ate a bowl of cinnamon-flavored library paste this morning for breakfast.



• It is sitting in my stomach like a rock.



• A yucky, lousy breakfast isn't any way to start one's day.

Oh, well, despite the awful gastronomic experience of the morning, I am determined to make this a decent day. Neatnik's doing a great job on her School at Home math worksheets and I am planning to make another loaf of oatmeal bread and tomorrow I have two birthday parties to attend and at one of them I shall eat cake.

Black-footed - or not

One of the local libraries had an educational program yesterday afternoon. The program was scheduled to begin at quarter to four but the penguin and her handler were late. Not to worry: Neatnik chatted up new friends and I knit a few rounds on my sock.

When the star of the show finally arrived, we got to learn about penguins. There are seventeen species of penguin world-wide and they all live south of the equator. Penguins have tiny little feathers and they are arranged in two layers, their eggs are about the size of an extra-large chicken egg, and the chicks reach their full growth at about three months of age.

The penguin of the hour was an African penguin. This penguin is a fourteen year old "married" female; though in the wild the average lifespan is ten years, some individuals in captivity have reached forty.

Saba the penguin

These are sometimes known as black-footed penguins, but this particular individual, while born with black feet, for some reason began to lose pigmentation in her feet and beak after a few years. Now they look like a turkey's skin to me.

Saba's feet lost their pigmentation

I was seated towards the back since I didn't want to obstruct the view for any of the little ones. This close-up came out fairly well, if I do say so myself.

Both sides are my *good* side.

Oatmeal

Number Guy and I had physicals a couple of weeks ago. They checked us out, listened to our tickers and bellows and declared us not in immanent danger of expiration. They also sucked out some blood.

I was feeling pretty decently about the whole thing. Until the blood results came back from the lab, that is.

Blood sugar, electrolytes, hormone levels - everything was within normal parameters. Except for the cholesterol. Now, I knew that Number Guy's numbers weren't going to be stellar, but I was rather disappointed in mine.

I eat a fairly low-fat diet. I eat a huge heap of rabbit food twice daily, snack on fruit, and still, my LDLs are borderline high. On the plus side, my HDLs are fantastic and my triglycerides are normal. It's those pesky LDLs. Apparently, I can't escape DNA, either.

Number Guy enjoys a bowl of Cheerios almost every morning. On the off-mornings, he usually has oatmeal. Studies have shown that oats are really good for you: they decrease your cholesterol, risk of heart disease, and they have a whole plethora of other benefits, too.

I don't like oatmeal and the scent of Cheerios makes me faintly queasy. What can I do?

I can invent a bread recipe which has oatmeal in it. Bread made with oat flour doesn't taste like either oatmeal or Cheerios!

trek's oatmeal bread
Baking temp: 350°F
Baking time: 35 - 40 minutes

Wet Works
1 2/3 c warm water (~110°F)
2 Tbsp honey
2 1/4 tsp yeast

Proof Yeast
Combine honey and warm water, stirring to dissolve the honey. Sprinkle yeast on tip. Stir gently to wet yeast. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

The yeast should wake up and produce a head of foam. If your don't have foam after 10 minutes, your yeast is dead. If you only get a little bit of foam, you might try adding more yeast - might save you a trip to the grocery store.

Dry Team
1 c oatmeal flour&#$167;
Edited 26 June 2009, 11:51am: 1 1/2 c oatmeal flour
3 c all-purpose (AP) flour
Edited 26 June 2009, 11:51am: 2 c AP flour
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
Edited 26 June 2009, 11:51am:1 Tbsp kosher salt


Bringing It Together
Add oatmeal flour, salt, and one cup of the AP flour to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine thoroughly. Add remaining AP flour one cup at a time, incorporating completely each after each addition.

The batter should be sticky - much wetter than a "dough" bread.

First Rise
Cover the working bowl with a tea towel and allow the batter to rise in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Second Rise
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick baking spray. Punch down the batter and transfer it to the prepared loaf pan. Wet fingertips and smooth the top of the loaf. Cover the loaf pan with the tea towel and allow to rise another 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

If your oven is anything like mine, it will be at the right temperature at about the same time the batter has risen.

Baking
Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and delicious. Allow loaf to cool in the pan for five minutes before turning out onto a baking/cooling rack.

Eating
This bread is chewy and nutty. It is good naked. It is good with butter. It is good with jam. It is good with green eggs and ham. You can soak it in beaten eggs and fry it up as French Toast. You can slice up some fresh garden tomatoes and stack them on this bread with or without bacon and lettuce.

Yield
12 slices (your mileage may vary)

Nutritional Information (per slice)
138 calories
3.4gm protein
1.1gm fiber
2.8gm sugars
0.7gm fat

Edited 26 June 2009, 11:51am:
110 calories
2.6gm protein
1.0gm fiber
2.8gm sugars
0.6gm fat

§ To make oatmeal flour, place the measured oats into a blender or food processor and pulverize it to a fine powder.

In which trek posts from the library

Remember a while back when I observed that there are days when the blog fodder falls into your lap and you are obligated to use it? Sometimes the blog fodder that bites your bum is cohesive, kind of a stand-alone sort of thing. Other times that fodder is disjointed and random. Today's Tuesday Afternoon Bullet Post is all about the random.

• The ranch we visited this weekend uses geldings and mares on the trail. In fact, I'm not certain if they even have a stallion on the grounds at the moment.



• As you approach the ranch via the access road, the road curves along the main corral, where the horses are turned out for the night. On any given day, you will see some part of the herd there. The horses need days off, too, you know.



• On Sunday, when we were leaving, Number Guy and I happened to glance into the corral where we saw a gelding trying to mount a mare.



• Apparently the gelding process does not eliminate certain urges entirely.



• Neatnik was reading a book and did not see what we saw. For that, we are both very grateful.



• She is six and I'm not really ready to have that talk yet.



• But it makes for interesting blog fodder.



• This morning, Neatnik and I dropped by the bank with a tea tin of pennies.



• Not our credit union. This bank has a counting machine that doesn't deduct a surcharge from your total.



• If you guess how much is in your container of coins ahead of time and you are within $1.99 of the actual amount, you win a prize.



• I didn't win a prize.



• I guessed $8.00 and the actual total was $4.92.



• When the tea tin of quarters is all the way full to bursting, I'll bring it to the bank and declare a winner for the contest.



• You can still enter the contest. Somebody did this very morning.



• I added some quarters to the tin Sunday night when we got home from the ranch.



• I haven't forgotten the contest, I promise: I don't let anyone remove quarters from the tin.



• We tried to go bowling today with Bobblehead and CajunGuy.



• I say that we *tried* because the bowling alley doesn't open until three o'clock. We arrived at one.



• Bit of a bummer, that.



• On the plus side, I have my computer in working order once again. I am currently connected to the Internet through the library's wireless network.



• Neatnik is enjoying a cartooning and modeling clay class organized by the children's librarian.



• We like the children's librarian here!



• Also in the win column are two pairs of sneakers purchased with 30% off coupons today.



• Neatnik's sneakers were only $10.50: they were marked down from $29.99 to $15 and then the coupon was applied.



• And they are very girly: blinky and with princesses on them.



• I think I have a cute burn.



• Want to see a picture of my SJ Crew Socks? Well, of course, you do: this is a knitting blog.



• It is so a knitting blog! Just ask Chris; she'll tell you.



One-and-a-half sock legs


• If you don't believe Chris, believe The Daily Knitter: my Rockyview Socks are today's Free Knitting Pattern of the Day.



• There's been a lot of blog traffic today!



• Gah! Blogger just hiccupped. I briefly thought it ate this whole post.



• Oh, yeah, and I'm about two weeks behind on my Bloglines.

Neatnik's art class is due to end in a few minutes, so it is time to stop with the random, run a spell check, and post this puppy, but before I go, I shall toss out a teaser for tomorrow's post: I made something tasty this morning.

Reasons

There were two reasons for me being out of electronic touch this weekend.

Reason Number One: My laptop was misbehaving. Badly. So badly that ASUS tech support said, and I quote, "You have to run a Windows recovery, the problems are not fixable otherwise." One of the things it was doing wrong, was it could not create new network connections and, therefore, could not connect to any wireless networks other than our home network. This I learned last Tuesday when I tried to hook into the library's wireless network.

Reason Number Two: We took Neatnik on a surprise weekend trip to the ranch. No, not that ranch, this ranch. Due to Reason Number One, the laptop was left at home to consider the error of its ways.

While the laptop sat on my desk, unplugged and lonely, we had a nice little weekend away from home. Number Guy and I arose at 6:15am, showered, and began to pack suitcases. When Neatnik woke up, she asked us what we were doing. We simply said that we were packing for an adventure and requested that she start bringing us some clothing.

We were on the road by eight: Number Guy driving, Neatnik in her booster seat, and me knitting shot gun.

One of the very nice things about visiting the ranch is that we can leave home at a reasonable hour of the morning and arrive there just as they are getting ready to serve lunch. They are also very accommodating about late check-out if there isn't another party coming to occupy your room the day you are leaving.

I was able to enjoy about eight hours of trail riding and Neatnik had numerous pony rides and corral lessons. Note to self: Never again ride a Percheron cross, these horses are wide and so their saddles are correspondingly big.

There are plenty of other activities, apart from the riding. I took Neatnik on her first rowboat ride; we did a little fishing; we played some bingo and musical chairs; Neatnik danced; and we spent a bit of time in the pool.

Neatnik and I also hiked up to the "castle" again this year. She was the youngest one on the hike and the eldest was this sweet 77 year old lady who went the entire distance whilst carrying her white pocketbook on her shoulder. I was really impressed that she kept up with the group. She was really impressed that Neatnik kept up with the ranch's Labrador who usually helps to lead the hikes. Her son sketched this Energizer Bunny in Neatnik's honor.

Just keeps going and going and ...

Since the ranch is on a mountain in the Adirondacks, there is a fair bit of wildlife, if you can spot it. Neatnik caught a small orange salamander and a tan and black speckled toad and I saw ground squirrels and deer on the trails. We even saw some small perch hanging around near the dock, though, as I mentioned earlier, we didn't catch any of them.

Unfortunately, I left my camera at home.

I've spend most of the day sorting, washing, drying, folding, and stashing horsey clothing while at the same time trying to rebuild my laptop and laying in some victuals. I still need to hit the other grocery store and figure out what to make for dinner. After that, I have to finish up the computer's rebuild and maybe then I'll have a moment to knit.

Is it fruit or froot?

Do you remember Fruit Stripe gum and Froot Loops cereal?

Froot Loops String Bag (Ravelry link)
holding cucumbers and bell peppers

This bag has been in progress for about a year. I started it at the pool last summer during a heat wave but I stuffed it in the minivan for emergency crafting.

I finally got tired of it being there and finished it up this week.

Fungus among us

I think I have mentioned once or twice that good photography lighting has been absent recently due to all of the rainy days. Yesterday, Neatnik and I decided to walk at the local mall so that if started to rain again we would stay dry and yet still get some exercise.

When we arrived at the mall parking lot, it was overcast with the sun threatening to break through the clouds so we walked one lap around the outer perimeter of the parking lot. Under some pine trees, we found these growing.

      

I have no idea what kinds of mushrooms these particular specimens may be, but I do know that
mushrooms prefer to proliferate during periods of prodigious precipitation.

While walking, I worked on the Dancing String bag which has been languishing for a year or so in UFO-land. I counted up the rounds and realized that I have only about three more rounds before decreasing to form the top of the bag and the handles.

Crocheting whilst walking isn't quite the same as kwitting, though, because I have to watch my hands more when hooking.


School at Home Report
Yesterday, we concentrated on math facts and science. Reading at various points during the day goes without saying.

Mathematics
Morning math consisted of a 100 problem review sheet on addition facts and a half dozen word problems. I also wrote six carrying addition problems on the blackboard in her room. She told me she likes addition with carrying.

During our afternoon walk, we started on multiplication facts. Neatnik now can tell you the rules for multiplying by zero, multiplying by one, and multiplying by ten. Best of all, she remembered the rules last night after softball and this morning at breakfast and was clever enough to figure out that ten times one hundred is one thousand.

Science
Neatnik watched the panda cam and then read the Giant Panda fact page on the National Zoo web site and wrote me a little report.

The Giant Panda
The panda has a "pseudo" thumb. It is huge! Some people call them really big instead. The babies are as big as a butter stick.

Raspberries

What can make a day a good one? For starters, some sunshine. Yesterday afternoon was sunny here. During any other year, this would be "normal", this year, however, we have been so deluged with the precipitation that, so far, it is a rare occurrence.

I took advantage of the sun and the fact that Neatnik was out visiting to take a long walk with my mp3 player. Know what can make a walk a really good one? Singing unreservedly with your tunes, not caring at all if anyone else can hear.

And I did.

I also got to a knit night, where I knit about a baker's dozen on the new sock.

SJ Crew Sock - Raspberry Edition

This Shelridge Farms Soft Touch Ultra, the same kind of yarn I used for Neatnik's original two pairs of SJ Crews, just the handpainted version instead of the heathered solid. I think that this colorway is called "Cardinal" but it reminds me more of raspberries.

In which school is in session

This past weekend was really light on the fiber arts and heavy on the birthday cake, so I don't have new pictures of socks or sweaters or string bags or anything like that to show you. Before I start the first School at Home Report of the summer, can I satisfy your need for illustrations with a picture I snapped of a deer in the neighnbor's garden before mass yesterday morning?

Hexagonal selections:
good for removing junk
in the foreground -
and it is so artsy!

School at Home Report
Did I mention that last Friday was Neatnik's last day of school? We are now the proud parents of an eager little second grader! Honoring our annual tradition, today is the first day of School at Home. So far this morning, Neatnik has done math, phonics, and science. Those rolls of motivational stickers from the Dollar $tore are a great thing, by the way!

Mathematics
We have a second grade math workbook which will expand on addition and subtraction by starting multiple digit numbers and continue with the money, time, and fractions work introduced in first grade. I also picked up a pack of multiplication flash cards. These should come in handy on road trips, yeah?

Reading and Phonics
Neatnik brought home two phonics and language arts skills workbooks from school which she has been furiously completing since Friday afternoon. We shall continue to ply the local library for new reading material and we are planning to participate in some summer reading challenges.

Writing
For some reason still unfathomable to me, my child has expressed a desire to learn cursive writing. The second graders begin cursive in January but she was so excited about the idea that I told her I would at least teach her how to write her name in cursive. This will be an on-going process as her handwriting tends to be just as messy as her parents' were at the same age.

Science
I would really like to come up with a few science project for this summer. Still working on this.

Art
Our library is sponsoring a two-session drawing and modeling class this month. A local cartoonist is going to teach the kids about cartoon drawing and how to work with modeling clay. Tomorrow is the first session; the second session is next Tuesday. I'm really glad we found this program since Neatnik's school, while excellent on academics, is a little light on art.

Religion
As every summer, Neatnik is going to go off to Vacation Bible School for at least one week. I am hoping to locate a second week of VBS which will not conflict with our family vacation schedule.

Physical Fitness
This summer, in addition to time at the pool and our long walks, we plan to bring Neatnik to Number Guy's bagpipe band practice. Why do I file this under Physical Fitness? Because Neatnik won't be learning the bagpipes, she will be learning Scottish dance and that is very physical. Throwing, catching, and bike riding are also on the docket.

911 Socks

These are the socks I promised Neatnik two years ago after I broke my ankle. While I have knit her quite a number of socks for school and summer wear in the intervening months, this pair was promised and I finally have cast them on and completed them. Notice the perfect matchy-matchy!

911 Socks
Size
child's size 12-13 (US)

Materials
1 skein Opal Petticoat
one set of size 1 (2.25mm) dpns

Gauge
40 sts and 56 rounds in 4" in St st in the round on size 1 needles

Cuff/Leg
Cast on 60 sts. Join. Work 2x2 rib pattern [k1, (p2, k2)14x, p2, k1] until leg is desired length.
I worked 62 rounds because Neatnik asked for tall, but not knee-high, yarn socks.

Heel Flap (worked over 30 stitches)
Row 1: sl1, p29
Row 2: (sl1, k1)15x
Work Rows 1 and 2 of Heel Flap 16 times or until heel is desired depth.

Turn heel
Row 1: sl1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 2: sl1, k5, ssk, k1, turn
Row 3: sl1, p6, p2tog, p1, turn
Continue as established until all stitches have been worked (18 sts rem).

Ankle Join For the ankle join and gussets, the round begins at center of heel.
Round 1 - P/U 17 sts, pm, work instep, pm, p/u 17 sts, k9 (82 sts)
Round 2 - k24 tbl, k2tog tbl, sm, work instep, sm, k2tog tbl, k24 tbl (80 sts)

Gusset Decreases
Round 1 - Knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, sm, work instep, sm, k1, ssk, knit to end of round
Round 2 - Knit to marker, sm, work instep, sm, knit to end of round
Work gusset decreases until 60 sts rem.
Knit 15 to have the round beginning at the join, as initially.

Foot
Work as est for 35 rounds or until foot is desired length.
Work one round in St st.

Toe Shaping
Round 1 - (K1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1) 2x.
Round 2 - Knit.

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until 28 sts remain, ending on round 1.
Repeat round 1 once more (24 sts rem).

Finishing
Kitchener rem sts to close toe. Weave in all ends. Give to your favorite rescue person to wear and enjoy.

In which trek formulates

Or How to Make Homemade Bubble Solution in 13 Easy Steps

Step 1: Set up a playdate for your child(ren).

Step 2: During the playdate, use up* all of the commercially produced bubble solution in the house.

Step 3: Promise your child(ren) that you will secure additional bubble solution for future use. Do not promise immediate bubble solution replacement as Steps 6 and 7 may be protracted.

Step 4: Search the web for homemade bubble solution recipes.

Step 5: Analyze the various formulations. Decide that you will make bubble solution using only water, dishwashing liquid, and glycerin.

Step 6: Call several local pharmacies and health food stores to inquire whether they stock liquid glycerin. Be prepared for the person on the other end of the line to say that they carry glycerin suppositories. Thank them nicely and move on.

Step 7: Finally locate the one pharmacy within reasonable driving distance which had a two ounce bottle of glycerin for sale. Secure a promise that they will guard it with their very lives hold it for you.

Step 8: Drive straight to the pharmacy to make your purchase.** Be very thankful that they really did have the stuff you wanted and that they did not try to sell you a jar of suppositories.

Step 9: Run at least one other errand on the way home so that you do not have to admit to the blog anyone that you drove ten miles out of your way just to buy one ingredient for homemade bubble solution.

Step 10: Review the various bubble solution recipes. Decide that you are going to put all of those years in pharmacy school to good use, execute a few quick calculations, and settle on a set of measurements.

Step 11: Compound your bubble solution.***

Step 12: Locate a bubble wand and test your solution.****

Step 13: Feel like MacGyver.

----------

* The phrase use up shall be liberally interpreted. Bubble solution is used up when it is (a) used to blow bubbles; (b) dripped onto hands; or (c) spilled onto clothing, shoes, and/or pavement of any variety, including but not limited to asphalt, concrete, patio pavers, and gravel.

** Do not break any speed limits: you are only going to use this stuff to make bubble solutions. There is nothing life-saving about this; although, having bubble solution on hot summer days may very well be sanity-preserving. But I digress.

*** Add the ingredients to the bubble container in this order: water, dishwashing liquid, glycerin. Be very careful not to agitate too strongly since you want a solution at the moment, not a counter full of bubbles.

**** If it is a rainy/cloudy/cold day, you probably ought to test your solution over the sink or in the bathtub. Just saying; because blowing bubbles inside will make your kitchen floor really slippery after a while.

Modern hieroglyphics

Now that the end of the school year is nigh, really need to finalize some vacation plans.

Problem is, exactly do we want to go?

We have gotten the pictures taken so we can apply for our .

But we still need to pick a .

Do we want to go on a or maybe a ?

Will we need to to get to where we want to ?

Or would it be better to take a ?

I will be sure to bring the but will we see out our window or ?

I'm ready to pack our but since we haven't any yet, I don't know what to put the bags.

Please help me: tell me where you went on your best vacation(s)?

In which trek attempts to catch up

I just booted up my computer in the hopes of making a post today, having missed posting yesterday do to A Series of Very Busy Events. Imagine my horror when I looked at the blog and there was no Sunday post either. Two days in a row? Again?! Didn't I go through this last week?

Last week, I tried to get the blog posting juices flowing with a Wednesday Morning Bullet Post, and it seemed to work, but here I am again this week with two consecutive days of interweb silence. Is it that the bullet posting was ineffective or just that I was really busy these past couple of circuits around the sun? You be the judge.

• After Saturday's Fishing Derby, we returned to chez trek where Neatnik helped Number Guy tame the jungle which was our yard following a week of off and on raininess while I blog posted and made lunch.



• Do you have any idea how tall grass can grow in a week?



• Never mind the grass growth. Do you have an inkling of how tall weeds can become under those conditions?



• Our resident bunny, who had taken up full-time munching and lounging duties in our yard, hasn't been seen on the premises since Saturday's lawn mowing event.



• Yes, that's how out of hand the grass, weeds, and clover can get in a well-watered week.



• We are tired of the precipitous volume of precipitation.



• It just went very, very dark here. I mean, really dark. Like night-time dark.



• Why, yes, it is windy and raining here. How ever did you guess?



• I unplugged the laptop and now have up to 3 hours and 51 minutes of battery time.



• Saturday afternoon was spent securing passport photographs and preparing dinner for a few friends who were coming to visit.



• Sunday began with the traditional staying in bed as late as we could and still being able to make it to the late morning mass. Sometimes we aim for an earlier mass but usually we fail miserably at it.



• Lunch was a really yummy fruit salad, featuring watermelon as the main ingredient. I know what you are thinking: watermelons this early in the season are crunchy and not very sweet and flavorful. We have purchased and inhaled eaten three whole watermelons since the Memorial Day weekend and each one has been tender, sweet, juicy, and delicious.



• I tried to get another watermelon at the local grocery store yesterday. They did not have any. None. I was stunned.



• Perhaps the big warehouse club store will have some today. I was planning to drive down there to pick up some things this morning.



• I might have to sail there given what is happening outside right now, though.



• Luckily for us, Sunday afternoon was warm and sunny - the early part of it, anyway. We brought Neatnik to the pool and she got to play with a classmate while we were there. The water was cold but they are children so they splashed around in it until they were blue and shaking. A little bit of warming up in the sun and then it was playground equipment time. Good times.



• I just saw lightning and am continuing to hear thunder.



• Sunday evening, Number Guy and I had a reunion to attend. We used to serve as a presenting couple for our diocesan marriage preparation program back in the days pre-Neatnik. It was really great to see the old faces and the best part was that everyone is still married - to the same spouses.



• How do you follow up such a long, full weekend? Why, with a long, full Monday.



• Countless loads of laundry; vacuuming; dishes; food preparation; some School at Home supplies and summer fun shopping; fishing tackle shopping; a quick stop at the grocery store for odds and ends; countless loads of laundry folding and stashing; walking with the Neatnik; fishing with the Neatnik.



• Are you tired yet? I sure was.



• Oh, yeah, and the little lead fishing sinkers? They were labeled as follows:
  

  WARNING: This product contains lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive harm.



• What, lead sinkers contain lead? Who knew?



• This also begs the question: does this mean that the rest of the country is unaware that lead can be hazardous to your health?



• And another question: did they think we were somehow going to swallow the sinkers?

Okay, then. There are all of the reasons (I think) for why I've not posted since noon on Saturday. I did manage to knit on the sock for a short time last evening and even managed to squeeze in a bit of reading at odd times during the day, too, so it wasn't all work.

PS - The aforementioned reasons are also responsible for the lack of pictures - well, that and the non-cooperative weather.

One, one, one, and one

The normal Saturday morning routine at chez trek includes attempting to sleep as long as possible before Neatnik sproings out of bed. Have I ever mentioned that the Neatnik is what one might call a morning person? No? I guess I was trying to protect you, then. As you probably have already figured out, Number Guy and I are not morning people.

Some people would say that you can become a morning person if you put your mind to it and simply engage in masochistic morning rituals designed to induce wakefulness in a corpse.

Ahem. Sorry. My night owl bias is showing. Let me try that again.

You, too, can become a morning person if you follow a few simple steps.

Oh. Sorry again. I seem to have accidentally channeled Billy Mays. I truly and deeply apologize: I am convinced that his sales pitches were the reason for the invention of the mute button on television remotes.

Where was I? Oh, yes, Number Guy and I like to sneak in a few extra Zs come Saturday mornings. Today, however, that was not going to be the case as we had a surprise scheduled for the Neatnik this morning: a Fishing Derby.

Number Guy borrowed a child-sized pole from a guy at work whose kids have all grown up. I bought a package of hooks at the sporting goods shop yesterday and the town supplied

the bait
Clicky to embiggen the earthworm. Or not.

Of course, that is Number Guy's arm in the picture. I don't touch worms and, besides, my arm isn't that hairy.

Neatnik and I landed a 6.6 ounce catfish but in the excitement of the catch and bringing it over to the weighing station, I forgot all about taking a picture of it. Trust me, if I were going to lie about the fish we caught, I certainly wouldn't own up to a 6 ounce specimen: mine would have been a 3½-pounder. Like the one the next kid dragged up to the scales.

That was the one fish of the day for the trek family.

We saw a number of people pulling in fish and several that got away, including an inexplicable eel. A couple of kids down a bit from us raised a ruckus when they snared a turtle in their net. All in all, an amusing two hours.

At the end of the derby, there was a little awards ceremony. Neatnik was a little bit disappointed that she didn't get a trophy.

The awards were followed by the "door prizes". Neatnik waited with bated breath, hoping against hope that one of those shiny new fishing rods with the slick, sporty reels would be hers. Number Guy spent the same time interval hoping desperately that she would not win since he doesn't like fishing and winning a fishing rod would require additional fishing on his part.

In case anyone had any doubts, God has a sense of humor.

Neatnik is the proud new owner of one pint-sized fishing pole, just add hook, sinker, and bait.

On the (Number Guy's) bright side, I won a certificate for one free pizza from one of the local pizzerias. It isn't our preferred purveyor of palatable pizza but, hey, it's a free lunch so we are happy.

Maybe we could pick up a free pizza the next time we take Neatnik fishing?

Just as we were getting ready to leave the area, Number Guy noticed the writing on one of the memorial pavers.

FAIL
You can vote for this on the Fail Blog.

How many Wednesdays does a week really need?

Sock construction has been a bit slow lately. Alice dropped in for another one of her unannounced multi-day stays and you know how catering to her every whim and desire need tends to bog me down. If she is not bellowing for hot tea and cookies, she's screeching for cocktails and cheesecake.

Alice just doesn't seem to understand that her surprise visits tend to devastate the daily routine here at chez trek. Then again, maybe she does understand this all too well.

Yesterday morning, I awoke at five. I went to bed the night before with every intention of sleeping until the alarm clock chimed at six-fifteen. I did not want to be awake at five in the morning. Alice, however, had other plans. After placating her with some more "cookies", I decided to recline on the living room couch and read for a few minutes. After all, the alarm clock was going to sound in another hour or so, I might as well read until then and reading downstairs would not prematurely awaken Number Guy.

I fell asleep. Neatnik came downstairs sometime later, sat herself on the other sofa and began to read. I roused from my stupor and asked the dear child to check the time. The pitter-patter of not so little feet echoed back from the kitchen, followed by, "It's 7:09, Mommy." Number Guy didn't hear the alarm clock.

Gah.

I sent her upstairs to get dressed and began the daily morning ritual known far and wide as school lunch and snack preparation. The next thing I heard was the sound of the school bus horn alerting me to its presence. The time was then seven-fifteen.

Oh, joy.

Neatnik reappeared a few minutes later, dressed for school in her jumper and polo shirt. After everyone was fed, I dressed and took the child to school. Yes, we were quite late but that's the way it goes sometimes. I watched her walk down the hallway to her classroom. She started into the room and then took a step backwards, turned back towards me and said, in a somewhat confused voice, "There's nobody here!"

I, in turn, relayed the message to the secretary in the office. I wondered aloud if the children were in the library, since Wednesday is library day, then I saw Neatnik's teachers coming upstairs with no first graders in tow. "Ah," I thought to myself, "that's it, they must be in the library."

Later, when the bus brought Neatnik home, I asked where the class was when we arrived. Neatnik told me, "Having gym."

"But you have gym in the afternoon."

"There was a funeral, so we had gym in the morning and had lunch at twelve instead of at eleven. What's a funeral?"

This was a lot of information to process all at once. Finally, I realized that my child was not dressed in gym clothes. "What did you do when the rest of the class was doing gym?"

"Oh, I did gym, too."

"In your jumper?!"

"Yeah." Like it was no big deal.

Yes, somehow, yesterday morning, Neatnik, Number Guy, and I all thought that it was Wednesday not Thursday. I had an excuse: I was trying to wrangle Alice and all of her quirky behaviors. What was up with Number Guy's and Neatnik's mental time cognizance software? Yes, it is time for the school year to end. Just one more week after today.

Yesterday wasn't all a haze of confusion, though. I continued reading The Sisters Grimm and knit a sock foot.

Lousy rainy day lighting,
but it *is* a long overdue picture

See the little white paper poking up from the book? That isn't the bookmark for my current position in the text. No, that is marking a great quote on page 72:

"Books are heavy," Daphne grumbled as she reshelved a series of increasingly thick novels about a boy who went to a school for wizards.

It was like a circular pop culture reference: a book I liked referring back to other books I liked.

In which there was fire

I got an email today from my brother-in-law, CivPE. His family had a house fire - while he was working in Iraq. He was able to secure an emergency leave and is home right now, helping to coordinate the demolition and reconstruction processes. The pictures are horrific, though no people were harmed, thank God.

I really don't feel like posting, but I thought I'd ask for some prayers for the extended family.

Signs of summer?

When you miss posting a couple of days running due to a bit of blogging ennui, what better way to jump start the creative juices than a Wednesday Morning Bullet Post?

• I am reading the children's series The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley. Yesterday, I went to the library to pick up the second book in the series, The Unusual Suspects. At the same time, I picked up five new fairy books for Neatnik.



• Neatnik's class didn't have any homework yesterday, so she read three of them after school.



• Yes, she is still ahead on the new titles count for 2009 and she is very happy about this.



• On my way home from the library, I made a quick stop at the pharmacy. In the parking lot, I saw a really strange sight: a bunch of bright red fire hydrants on a flatbed trailer.



• Imagine a couple dozen fire hydrants, each with a long black pipe fitted at the bottom, all stacked up neatly.



• It was raining too hard for me to get a decent picture with my cell phone. Sorry.



• I wish I had some sort of picture for today's post.



• I have added quarters to the tea tin but it seems to have an Undetectable Extension Charm on it: I add quarters but it doesn't seem any closer to being full than when announced the contest. Oh, well, stay tuned on this.



• Next Friday is Neatnik's last day of first grade. She is very much looking forward to second grade and has already asked me to teach her how to write in cursive.



• We got a note home a couple of weeks ago saying that this Friday is a half day. I don't know why, but we are planning to take advantage of it and picnic in the park.



• About this time last year, we had a heat wave with temperatures in the upper 90s (F). It was so severe that many schools announced half days. Neatnik's school was one of them: the air conditioning units kept tripping the circuit breakers.



• The temperatures this week have been in the mid 60s (F).



• It doesn't feel much like summer yet.



• On the other hand, we walked to the primary polls last evening and counted eight bunnies - including one very young bunny.

What with the bunny sightings on the rise and the bushes and flowers blooming, I guess summer really is on its way. Guess I'd better pay the pool membership and start gathering educational materials for the Neatnik. She still loves the idea of School at Home. Never discourage learning!