Let's call this a Halloween joke.

  Somehow a bunch of cannibals got hired, on condition that they eat no coworkers.  They agreed, but occasionally picked off junior executives.
  This went on for months.
  Then one of them ate a cleaning lady.
   "Sorry, guys, you'll have to go.  We can't have this."
   Their chief was furious.  "We had a great thing going here.    We could've gone on eating a VP here & there for years & no one would've noticed!
  "Why did you have to go and eat someone who was doing actual work?"

May your tricks all be treats today.

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday: A Pumpkin

This short video was a joint effort.
Max selected, bought, and carved "Jack," with Boom's assistance.  Boom provided the battery-powered candle.  i shot several short movies with my Nikon Coolpix P80.  Then Boom edited the best of them, such as they were, together.  And MyGuy admired the results.
Enjoy.

The Multi-Semester Moby Dick Course

  When i was in college, i was supposed to read Moby Dick as part of a novel class.

  The prof gave us two weeks to read this huge book. 

  Really?  Two weeks?  Maybe

Reading Novels, Doing Science

  My book club calls it "doing a Valerie."
  i skip around in the book.  Sometimes

It was 2:41pm. The phone nightmare begins.

 

   Last Thursday, just as i was finishing my post about our VocRehab appointment, the phone rang.  The lady said she was from FSSA.

  At least i thought that's what she said.  But that couldn't be right, 

Wordless Wednesday: Blue October Dusk

Leggy

When i was a teen, we could often find these two lying together.

  i found this photo the other day, looking for something different, and was struck by the strangeness of the length of my collie's legs.
  Of course, it's a perfectly normal collie-leg length, but consider the six-inch leg current Puppers has, and you can see why i do a double take at the length of Collie's leg.

Voc Rehab Appointment

  The day got off to a bad start.
  i forgot

Wordless Wednesday: Fall Leaves

Busy

  Thursday we meet with a Vocational Rehabilition counselor.
  Max wants to work.  He NEEDS to work.  While i was putting paperwork together today, he went through six two liters of caffree diet pop and a week's supply of cheese sandwiches.  (and bear in mind that he neither needs Mom's constant companionship, nor wants it.)
  i am having a hard time figuring the paperwork out.  "Did someone else help you with this?"  Well, more like, i helped him, but yes, in two hours, over two sessions, i guided him to fill out the parts he could. 
  Then i tackled the hard part.
  Some of it was just tracking stuff down in my mess that only appears organized:  how much did he make at VSA?  Names and addresses of his doctors?  Some is more complicated:  How do you identify the work he did at school?  What grade did he complete, with 3rd grade skills but having put in 15 years?  And when/how did he acquire his disability?  i know he wasn't born with autism, nor is it from accident or illness.
Numbers and organization are not my strong points, but the whole thing really feels beyond me.  And i kinda like to think i am a reasonably intelligent woman in full possession of my faculties yet.

Saturday Sisters: The Proverbs 31 Woman

   i think everyone gets tired when reading about the Proverbs 31 Woman.  She's everywhere, doing everything, and she does it perfectly.
  But

Sharing from around the Web

 
That's what "the Skinny Artist" calls it, presumably in articles other than this one.  And maybe it's not even original to him.  The principle is "Link and you shall be linked, and it works really well, especially in a busy week.
Theophilus at Dover Beach  shares from an article about the value of stay at home moms.
tparadox, taking a break from reviewing "older" movies, points central Indiana movie lovers to the Heartland Film Festival next week.  It's not just for arty Hollywood types.
Some people call these links "rabbit holes," ant they can be endless time wasters, but on the other hand, they can lead you to info you need.

Choose wisely, and enjoy1

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday: Hand Thing

This shows me in front of the thermographic camera screen in Bloomington's Wonderlab science museum. The indigo at my waist is the camera bag, & I am holding the camera in both hands.
  Does this convey any useful information?
  My right hand is continually cold & painful.  The cold isn't a symptom of  carpal tunnel syndrome, but wearing a glove alleviates the pain.  The reason my right hand, the "problem" one, shows warmer is that I had just that second removed the glove. The room was sunny & on the warm side in early August. Neither hand was hurting.

Saturday Sisters: Sheep, Goats, Dorcas, and, oh yeah, Kindness

"God Gives Sharing"

  i hadn't thought i would share the VBS story here, as it's got fictional liberties taken with it (while remaining, in a larger sense, true  throughout), but there is so much here, both the real life story and the Bible story, that it needs to go here.
  In 2004, i was asked to do one of the Lesson Rooms for our VBS.  The way we did this was,

Not at the Same Time or Not at All

Totally frivolous today, but short. . . .

  Having kids seems like a lovely way to grow your own friends.  And i've heard that you never know true love until hou have grandkids.  i joke that i tried to have my grandkids first, but i just couldn't pull it off. 
  (Hey, a coworker the same age was having her first grandchild at the same time i was expecting Boom....)
  Just not possible.
  And it seems i'm always wanting to use the restroom and a drivethrough at the same time, but just can't figure that one out either.  So - yes, you'll be relieved to know - i always order inside.
Either is possible, but not together.
  In-CO-possible.
  Anyone else come up with stuff like that?

Recycling DropOff

  MyGuy confessed that he was having trouble dropping off the old push mowers at the recycling place, since Saturday morning was the only time their hours interwove his availability.
  i asked, That's their only hours?
  He said, No, they're also open weekdays, but I'm kinda not available then.
  Then i opened my big mouth and said

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin Dog

back when Puppers was a young thing