Halloween preparations

I dearly love Halloween. Even at 39, I still get all giddy at the prospect of trick or treating with the kids.

We got started on our preparations this weekend. The kids were out of school last Friday, and it was just perfect weather. We took off for one of those big, huge pumpkin patches with farm animals, corn mazes, all that stuff. Unfortunately, the website had failed to disclose that they close for about 3 hours mid-day for lunch, etc., so we were disappointed, to say the least. All was not lost, though. We ended up finding the most sincere pumpkin patch at a church near the house (definitely Linus-approved.) The selection was incredible, and the prices were unbelieveable. We were the only ones there. Each kid picked a HUGE pumpkin and I got a swan gourd and several beautiful ears of harvest corn (all colors) for about $30. It was a great day overall.

We continued the Halloween preparations yesterday morning with a trip to Michael's, where we got a little Haunted House gingerbread house kit. Hubby and I spent the morning making the batches of royal icing (black and orange), assembling the house (the trick is to use strategically placed straight pins until the royal icing has a chance to set like cement), piping all of the icing, and watching the kids have a ball decorating with lots and lots of candy. It was kind of a "one for me - one for the house" proposition.



It was messy, but it was fun!

I made, like, INFINITY of those in Scout Camp

So, boondoggle keychains are all the rage in my daughter's 4th grade class. Boondoggling, gimping, whatever you call it . . . its basically tying knots in plastic string. Over and over again.

It is surprisingly addictive. Probably like knitting. It takes alot of dexterity and coordination and hand strength, and patience. My daughter has very little of the first three of these things, and lots of the fourth. Because she is so keenly interested in participating, I try to encourage her. I find myself picking up her projects and whiling 10-20 minutes away, tying knots.

Imagine her glee the other day seeing boondoggle keychains on "Napoleon Dynamite". Just one more reason that movie is the greatest.


As though it needed any MORE reasons.

In your FACE, Flanders!

The Simpsons references never end here at Diarya. But this one is well-supported.

I got a job.

And not just ANY job, either. I got a bonafide, permanent job. With a more than decent salary. AND vacation time. AND insurance. AND matching 401k money. AND an expense account to cover my office costs. AND I get to work from home.

All the time.

And the sweetest part is . . . I got snapped up by the sworn enemy and archnemesis of my last client, the nutty one, who didn't bother to have me sign anything prohibiting such a thing.

AND . . . Hubby bought a scratch off lottery ticket on a whim and won $100 last night.

Even though I don't have a damn thing to do, I told New Company that I was available to start on the 24th - a whole 2 weeks from now. 2 weeks of worry-free time off to have fun with the kiddos and relax and get ready for the new gig.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if I found myself standing outside of Nutty Client's HQ, grabbing my crotch, screaming "How do you like me NOW, bitches!?!? " I'll probably just settle for a drive by and a raspberry, but in my HEAD, I'll be totally calling them out.