Let's go crazy! Let's get NUTS!!!

Josie (candid shot by Uncle Mike)

This is Josie's second year as a Girl Scout Brownie... her first FULL year. Since I was a co-leader for Lindsay's troop for a couple of years, it's only fair that I co-lead Josie's troop too. And actually, I'm really pumped about it--Josie's leaders are great! (There are four of us, because, at one time, there were 20 girls in the troop... I think some have pulled out because they have too many other commitments, and I'm hoping we'll get a few new ones signed up in the next week or two.)

We're just getting started with meetings (still trying to nail down a permanent meeting place!!!), getting all the registrations in, etc. The usual stuff. But something that's new (obviously) for Josie, as well as for me, is Nut Sales!

I'm sure you're all familiar with Girl Scout Cookies, which are sold in February. (You're thinking, "Duh, Trace, what else do Girl Scouts do but sell cookies?") Actually, Girl Scouts do MUCH more than that, but that's a whole other topic. In addition to the MANY other things Girl Scouts do, they sell nuts in the fall.

Now, they have Nut Sales, but it's not just nuts. Actually, there are various candies and munchies available at this time, and they all have different prices, too. (They range from $4 - $7, depending on the product.) I'm pretty excited about this, not only because it seems like a greater value for your buck, but also, it's just a new and exciting venture for us. I plan to take Miss Josie out around the neighborhood over the next few evenings and maybe a weekend day or two. Nut Sales go until mid-October, so we've got some time to work on this... but knowing me, if I don't get a jump on it now, all that time will slip through my fingers!

So feel free to let me know if you're interested in nuts... or candies or munchies. If you're reading this, chances are, you know how to get a hold of me. (And if you don't know me, check out the official Girl Scouts website to find a troop and score some nuts for yourself!)

How's that for a shameless plug?

You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish!

We got a piano the other day... for FREE!!! Have you heard of Freecycle.org? It's fantastic!!! There's all kinds of free stuff on there, from tomatoes, to guinea pigs, to TVs that don't work (or TVs that do), to jarred baby food, etc. Anything you can imagine... People who have something they feel it would be bad to throw away--they give it away, instead, on Freecycle. I love it! I've been watching for a piano for a few weeks, and I almost got one earlier last week. But the chick who posted the piano neglected to update that the piano had already been picked up. So I had called her and left two messages about how I wanted it and was lining up movers (for at least $125), etc., when she finally called and told me I was too late. Well, by that point, I wanted a piano so badly, I could TASTE it! So I posted that I was looking for one, and later that same day, someone e-mailed me and said they had one, already in their truck, and they'd bring it by later that same day. Oh, and the guy also tunes pianos and he's going to give me a two-for-one on my first two tunings! What a great guy! Now I'm going to post a few things that we're going to give away. It's just fun! (I have someone lined up already, too, to teach the girls lessons!)

New piano in the Husker Room

The girls were junior cheerleaders again last night. This is their 2nd time doing that, for Lincoln Southeast High School. (They've also been junior Shirettes twice--the Shirettes are LSE's dance squad.) The girls had SO MUCH FUN doing this! I think they'll make great cheerleaders when they actually get to high school!

Best friends!

Lindsay's middle row, 2nd from right, Poser Girl!

Rah! Rah! Go Team!

Not much else new. We're just enjoying the beginning of the new school year. We've started calling Donovan "Cowboy X" (from Sesame Street--click the link to see it on YouTube), because he goes all around the house--indoors and out--with either sidewalk chalk or crayons, writing all over the walls, furniture, phones, etc. He knows, now, that he's not supposed to do this. So he's gotten to where he'll write on a wall or something (mostly outside, now, since the sidewalk chalk rinses off), and then he'll point at it and shake his finger, making a stern face and saying, "No, no, no!"

Cowboy X, always gotta be "writing".

Random Testing

I got this e-mail the other day, and below it are my thoughts on it.

THE JOB - URINE TEST (I sure would like to know who wrote this one! They deserve a HUGE pat on the back!)
I HAVE TO PASS A URINE TEST FOR MY JOB... SO I AGREE 100%.

Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job.. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck,

I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem.. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their butt, doing drugs, while I work. . .. . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check? Pass this along if you agree or simply delete if you don't. Hope you all will pass it along, though .. .. Something has to change in this country -- and soon

 

Actually, it seems to me that the person who wrote this is a little uptight (and could use a hit or two off a joint! ha! ha!). Seriously, though, I think most places that do random drug checks are places that have some sort of machinery involved in the job (i.e. factories, construction,etc.) where people could actually be HURT if working while under the influence of drugs. Whereas, I had to take a drug test to get hired at my last full-time job, but they apparently don't give a crap if their employees start or resume using drugs once they've been hired. (It's no be feat to quit smoking pot -- or doing whatever -- for two weeks to get it out of your urine... or to drink vinegar water or take goldenseal to get it out quickly. Most users know about all of these techniques.)

Sure, I think it's a funny message, but I think the author is way off base on what's wrong with our country.

I totally disapprove of people using drugs if they're working with machinery--they not only put themselves at risk, but those working with them, and possibly even the recipients of whatever they're working on. I also totally disapprove of people "taking advantage" of the welfare system, etc., AND using drugs while they're doing it. But do we have numbers on how many people are doing that? I'd hate to make people who are truly in need of financial help subject themselves to anything further humiliation (like passing a random drug test) after all they've already had to go through in order to receive that financial assistance! Obviously, the person who wrote this has never had to accept help from the government or probably anyone else, and they are overly self-righteous about that fact. It is an INCREDIBLY humiliating thing to have to go apply for food stamps or WIC or some other form of government assistance (and yes, I know, there are some people who DO take advantage of it or who are born into it)... Having to pass a urine test on top of that would be, to me, punishment for something that is, more often than not, out of a person's control. (When I was a senior in college, I had to get on Food Stamps and that was so very painful and humiliating... I felt horrible and am still scarred by it!)

I see the point the author of that e-mail is trying to make: if you've got the money to spend on drugs, you should get off your butt and get a job, not suck money off the government. I can dig it. But to force every single person on government assistance to submit to a drug test??? I mean, seriously, that seems like an invasion of privacy and an total infringement on a person's rights as a citizen.

Plus, one other thing I'd like to point out is that people KNOW they're applying for or working for a company that requires drug testing (whether scheduled, during the hiring process, or random, once hired). They still VOLUNTARILY work for that company. Drug testing is not something required by every single place of employment! It's something each company decides upon and then each potential employee is notified of that... they get to decide, then, whether or not to go for that job. On the other hand, wouldn't mandatory drug-testing of welfare recipients be sort of, I don't know, fascist or communist? It just seems un-American to me.

**Addendum**

Okay, I have this feeling I'm going to be inundated with e-mails from people asking me if I was smoking pot when I wrote that. No, I was not, and I do not.

I feel like I need to make it clear that I do not condone the use of drugs, whether it be by people on welfare, construction workers, white color workers, the President, etc.

To simplify even further (because I can't seem to let it go), why can't we just give people the benefit of the doubt?

Bachelorette Party

Okay, this is way overdue, but I need to write about the bachelorette party Jim's sister, Amy had, a few weeks ago. It was the best time ever!

Of course, the evening started out with her shower at this great Mexican restaurant in Omaha, the Roja Grill. Yummy finger foods! Jim's sisters Mary & Anne and I have already agreed that we'll be going back with our husbands sometime in the near future. Anyway, Amy got a ton of great stuff. The turnout was fantastic, and even her nieces had fun.

Amy received a special gift from future father-in-law, Tom Leuschen.

Jane and Kay.

Jamie, Mary and Anne.

Jim had brought the girls and me into town and then dropped us off at Roja for the shower. He took Donovan over to Oak View Mall and let him play on the indoor playground equipment. Then he came back to pick up Lindsay and Josie, plus he also took Maddie and Sara back to Lincoln with him, so Jane and Mary could enjoy the rest of the evening's festivities. What a great husband!!!

So, on to the REAL party. Our first stop was this real fancy bar (more like a lounge, really) around the corner from Roja (in a strip mall). It was called Parliament Pub. I thought I'd start my night with a bourbon and diet coke, knowing that there may be shots involved later, and it'd be better to lay a nice foundation of heavier liquor in my belly before moving on to beer. (Don't you love someone who really plans out their night of heavy drinking?) Well, the bourbon and coke was $6, and that was the "happy hour" price, whereas everyone's beers were two bucks. I figured one bourbon and coke laid enough foundation--I switched to beer after that!

Anne, Amy and Laura Leuschen.

Amy's special "gift" from Katie Leuschen. Ask Katie what happened to that gift later on that night!

I loved this pic of Sid Vicious, from the Sex Pistols.

Before we left Roja, Amy had passed out disposable cameras to everyone who would be sticking around for the duration of the night, along with a list of things we had to get pictures of, scavenger-hunt style. (We used to do those at LBL once a year, with Polaroid cameras... super fun!) So Jane, Amy and I were on a team, and the rest of her friends made up other three-person teams. We were on a mission!

"Have a team member pose by someone with a mullet." Our bus driver!

"Have a team member pose by someone, other than another player, with a tattoo." A bar patron!

"Have a team member pose with a bartender." Parliament Pub bartender.

After getting quite a few pictures at Parliament (and crossing a few items off our list), we were ready to board the school bus Amy had rented (so nobody had to be DD for the night), and we headed to the Stumble Inn, which has a mechanical bull. You can guess what we were all doing for the next hour or two. Again, Mary & Anne are thinking we'll all come back to Omaha some night, with our husbands, go to Roja Grill and THEN go to the Stumble Inn (possibly on a "less crowded" night), and we'll all ride the bull. I got up on it, and it was definitely fun--a lot harder than some people (read: JANE) make it look. Good times!

Amy looks like a real bull-rider!

Jane and I both look like we're laughing too hard to hold on very well!

Finally, we went to another bar, where we could dance. I apologize, I don't believe I ever knew the name of the bar, and I certainly don't remember it now, about three weeks after the event! Anyway, we spent the rest of the night there, drinking and dancing. I'm pretty sure our team (Jane, Amy & myself) were the only ones to get ALL the items on our scavenger hunt list, except one... we could NOT find anyone wearing either pink cowboy boots or a pink cowboy hat. Dangit! But we got all the other items we needed. I'm still watching the mail for my prize!

Katie was loving her lei!

 

This was not one of the things on the list: "make like a fish"???

 

Amy, Stacy, and Katie are all having fun!

"Get a picture of a team member doing a shot." Of course, it had to be AMY!!!

"Get a picture of a team member posing by someone in a leopard print." Jane and Laura were jealous of this chick's outfit, I think! NOT!!!

Of course, it wouldn't be a GNO (Girls' Night Out) if there wasn't a little girl talk afterwards, a "wet burp" by one or two of us (I'm mentioning no names), a little drunk dialing, and a little noshing on frozen pizza at 3am...

Overall, I think Amy's Bachelorette was a huge success. Thanks for letting me be a part of it, Amy! Love ya!

California, Part 2

Well, as you can imagine, we had the best time in California. We really did.

The first thing we did once we arrived at my brother-in-law's house was to get some food. Jim was just going to run out quick to find something easy, like burgers and fries. The next thing I know, he comes back to the house and says, "I accidentally went to In-n-Out Burger." Well, there is no "accidentally" about it, but it's not like I would argue with him. Hitting the In-n-Out was one of our main goals that trip! (We ended up going there on our last day in CA, too.) There's just something about the In-n-Out burger and fries... So pleasing, so unique, so totally delightful!

We went out to a place called BJ's that night to celebrate Katrina's birthday. The food was great, I thought, and it was fun watching the girls interact with Kalista for the first time in a few months. We had the pleasure of meeting Denene's new husband, Robert--he's awesome! John and Donovan picked up where they'd left off, of course, great buddies as always!

Naturally, the girls swam a bunch in John & Katrina's pool. They even got Kalista Rae to swim with them a bunch, and apparently she wasn't that into it before. They also really enjoyed hanging out in Kalista's playhouse, driving her toy car, and playing on her swing set. It's always fun playing with someone else's stuff!

The day after we got to Riverside, my father-in-law, Mike, arrived. He came to help the boys enjoy the US Open at Torrey Pines. They weren't allowed to take cell phones or cameras, but it seems like the folks at Sports Illustrated got decent enough pictures for us to refer to. Jim says the memories will never fade... in fact, he says it was "the best day ever". It was fun hearing all three of the guys regale their adventures as they followed Tiger, Phil and some guy named Adam Scott. (He was apparently in the top 3 at the time, but I've never heard of him!)

We spent the next day hanging out in Hollywood. It was awesome, because we were able to take a train, and then the subway, right to the spot we wanted to visit. I have to mention first, though, that once we got to Union Station, we took a detour and went for an early lunch on Olvera Street. It's this awesome little area where street venders are set up, selling t-shirts, leather purses and shoes, wind chimes, jewelry, etc. All kinds of cool stuff, right? And towards the end of this little strip, Katrina has a cousin who's got a little street diner. He made the BEST taquitos ever! It was great, having real authentic Mexican food. (I love Mexican food, but the "authentic" Mexican food we have here in Lincoln, frankly, leaves something to be desired. I feel like they've "dumbed it down" for us, and I hate that... I WANT the real flavors! I WANT it so spicy I feel like my face is melting! That's what I got on Olvera Street!) Anyway, we had a good time in Hollywood, looking for famous celebrities. We didn't see any, but that was okay. The girls were excited just to see the real Hollywood sign. We walked around a lot, went to the Kodak Theater (where they host the Oscars), Grauman's Chinese Theater (home of the famous handprints and footprints in the sidewalk, and possibly starting point for the Stars on Hollywood?), and even ate a 2nd lunch at Mel's Drive-In (where the kids hung out in American Graffiti). It was a fun-filled day, and at the end of it, we were all glad to ride the train home, rather than having to deal with traffic.

The next day was Jim's birthday, and while we didn't go out and do anything super fabulous, some of you may have actually heard from us that evening. Jim and John and I enjoyed a few adult beverages and simply felt it was our duty to call some of the people we love and share our joy with them.

Now, you know, no trip to Riverside is complete without a trip to Disneyland! Lindsay and I rode Space Mountain before we did anything else, while Jim, Josie and Donovan enjoyed the Alice In Wonderland ride and the Teacups. We all enjoyed Pirates of the Carribean, the Mickey Mouse House, and the Jungle Tours. I took the girls on The Indiana Jones Adventure (they didn't care for it), and Jim took them on Gadget's Go-Coaster in Toon Town. Lindsay and I went back with Josie for her 2nd trip on the Alice In Wonderland Ride, and the girls gave the Teacups another whirl. Jim went with the girls to Star Tours, while I held down a nice spot with sleeping Donovan to watch the day's finale: "Remember--Dreams Come True", complete with fireworks and Tinkerbell flying around on a zip chord, all narrated by Julie Andrews. One of the best parts of the day, though, was when we went to Story Time in the Live Action Theater. A little "elf" was telling us the story of Sleeping Beauty as we all sat around in a circle. Donovan got up and wandered towards the "stage" area, and Prince Charming helped corral him off to the side so he wouldn't be a distraction. When it came time for the Prince to meet Aurora, he guided Donovan toward her, and she serenaded him. My favorite part, though, was when he jilted Aurora and left her to find comfort in his mother's arms! (Jim got it all on video--it's too precious!)

The whole trip was fantastic, but we were glad, as always, to get back home. It's good to know that we have such wonderful family in California, ready to put us up (or as Jim says, "put up with us") whenever we feel the need for some West Coast action!