The City of Good Pricing

/

(C) Lotus Head


On Friday, the City of San Carlos released its Spring/Summer catalog which I eagerly devoured as soon as I could. You see, our fair city's motto is "The City of Good Living" but I want to say that it's also The City of Good Pricing.
Registration opened today and by 11 a.m. when Jaden and I arrived via bicycle, we got the last spot in the morning camp. Phew!
Let's just share the price differences we faced:
8 weeks of summer camp at the PJCC: $2225
8 weeks of summer camp in San Carlos: $756
Holy Savings* Batman!
*the PJCC price includes an additional 10 hours per week of coverage so make some allowance for that mentally; it is still an enormous difference to us and we did not need 30 hours a week of coverage

Whoorl

/

I heart blogging so much precisely because of the thrill of discovering a new one that just makes your day/night/week/whatever!

Like Whoorl which made me laugh so hard tonight just when I was starting to think I had actually, truly forgotten how to do that basic human activity.

It was so good that I found myself writing an almost-urgent thank you note:

To: Whoorl
From: Jess

I have had one of the longest 7-day periods of my life since -- I was going to say since I became a mom almost five years ago but let's face it, every third week feels this bad.

This time it's because my husband went on his longest business trip ever (3 days, I know I'm a spoiled wuss) and precisely one day after returning home, he threw his back out. My son is on a downward spiral of where-did-my-routine-go, maybe-whining-and-screaming-will-bring-it-back. There has not been enough coffee during the day or wine by night to get me through.

And then.

I stumbled on your blog for the first time.

And 3 seconds later, I was laughing so hard that I was crying and my gimp husband sent said beastly child down the hall to check on Mama.

"Mama, Daddy wants to know if you are laughing or crying?"

I'm both baby, I'm good, really good.

Thank you!!!

The Torch

/

Funny how February 21st never fails to arrive every year and I find myself feeling sad and crabby.

Generally the best cure for missing my dad is to go through his things. So after dinner tonight, I hit one of the poetry boxes. Alas, I still don't understand most of his poems and alas, he is not here to explain them. So I moved on to his high school yearbook The Torch.



Hey look Dad, they have a web site and it has your birthday right on it! Fancy that.


Going back to the past now, here you are on the lower left and what I like best about this whole entire yearbook find tonight? I have your address in New York now, something I never had before now. That is cool and it makes me feel so happy. I'm going to Google it later. I found another address of yours too in the pile of poems that I never knew about but maybe I'll save that for next year's homage.



You had a fair number of signatures and well wishes from all the guys in Electrical Installation. I wonder where they are now? Close to retirement at 62 I'd say.



With the advent of electronics, the EI graduate has even wider fields to conquer.
The opportunities are endless; only the will to persevere is needed.

-- Taylor Evans and Domenic Minerva (your classmates)





I guess it wasn't all work and no play over there at Westinghouse, you cats had a good sense of humor there in print. Gems that I'll never get such as "Have you tried the dynamic 88?.....I'll be satisfied with a sloppy 65" and "Gives you that refreshing feeling..........Mr. Greene's gentle touch." I wish you were here to show me your yearbook Dad.

Hey, maybe these guys would understand your poetry!



You boys left the future students "no homework" and The Grade Advisors an "unstrained quality of mercy" but I'm going to leave with this inscription from Charles on the very last page:

to Anthony

be correct and
bold your a
friend that will
never grow old

Charles


Reason Three Thousand Four to Avoid Retail

/
#3,004: the Gayle Ruffle Trench from J. Crew



Cotton with a bit of nylon for sheen. The new must-have "it" shape, in an easy trench style that will wrap you in ruffles. Our stylist loves it so much, we named it after her. Wrap body. Ruffle trim at neck and down center front. Three-quarter raglan sleeves. Self-belt. Pockets hidden under front pleats. Fully lined. Falls to knee. Import. Dry clean.

$250.

Voila

/

This weekend Marsh taught me how to wind a bobbin, thread my machine, use the guide marks and basically I can actually beginning sew now. I tried almost every different stitch on some of her scrap fabric and then, I tried something I've always wanted to do but that will remain a secret for the moment.

In the meantime, here is a pillow case I made for Jaden!
Project #1: complete.




Me Sew Pretty One Day

/

Oh boy a new blog has been discovered today, the Paper Pony and boy oh boy oh boy! With Cherries On Top! Her banner alone is enough to make me drool for a week and then I see she got a sewing machine for Christmas just like me! But she USES hers already! To make very pretty pretties!



San Carlos Library? Please have this book for me.
I want to make pretty pretties too.

Duarte's

/

We ended our day with Duarte's famous cream of artichoke soup. That's pronounced d00-arts, not dwar-teys, fyi. (And I like my pic of their sign better than theirs.)


At least Betty and I had soup. And straight-from-the-oven sourdough bread, oh my goodness. Jeff went for the crab since he felt robbed on Christmas Eve. (We went to Moraga and both of his parents had crab that night).


Jaden went for the ollalaberry jam & pb sandwich followed by a shared slice of ollalaberry pie with Betty. Ollalaberries all around!


Since it takes over an hour to eat crab (why bother?), I kept busy with the camera.




When I took this last photo, a man eating at the counter said, "You must be from the government." I replied without thinking about the meaning of his comment, "No I just like that row of cups and the distressed wood." He proceeded to give me one of the greatest compliments of my life: "You are an artist and photographer with an appreciation for the abstract."

I was practically glowing after that. A perfect stranger calling me an artist because I went behind the counter without asking to take a picture of a row of cups. And here I thought I was a regular Virgo girl who likes orderly rows of things.

Tahoe on My Mind

/

I've had Tahoe on my mind for a few weeks now, courtesy of Jeff's desire to introduce Jaden to snowboarding this year. So I got him a lift ticket to Northstar, not realizing exactly how far away it is and therefore, kind of contrary to Jeff's idea of a day trip. No matter -- Tahoe, here we come. Someday soon.

In the meantime, I took a trip down memory lane as we have managed to get to Tahoe once with the boy. Four years ago, on January 19th to be exact, we rented a lovely little townhouse in Incline Village with Nic & Steven for a long weekend.

This was so long ago now that Jaden still fit
in the KITCHEN SINK for his nightly bath.



Ah, my heartstrings doth pulleth.
Or something like that.



I love you, my amazing Nordic Superbaby.