Okay, here's the point of being a grandparent, sort of.
John and I went to babysit Rina tonight because Mike and Heather's band, Knock Knock, was playing a gig at the Press Club.
When we got there they were close to getting ready to go. Mike said Rina hadn't had a nap today, so he expected her to be a little bit fussy. He also told us there was a bottle of beer in the fridge.
So, of course, as soon as they left, we got into the beer. One bottle, yeah, but it was about a quart or so -- maybe a liter. Of course, pretty soon the babysitters are pretty tipsy, but no problem, because Rina is happy playing with the books John bought over -- in a plastic bag. Yeah, I know, don't let kids play with plastic bags. But we didn't let her put it over her head.
After awhile, she wa pretty bored with playing with the plastic bag, so I figured I might as well give her some dinner. Mike had made some pasta for her, and all I had to do was warm up some frozen peas. John was watching her while I did that, and the next thing I knew he said she tipped over and spilled the rest of the beer. Oh, no!! no more beer for the babysitters.
While he's cleaning up the beer, she climbs up on a stool and manages to fall off, but also gets a pen as a reward to make her stop crying. With the pen while the incompetent/tipsy babysitters are otherwise distracted, she draws on the wall with the pen.
Dinner goes pretty well, except I'm having a bit of trouble getting her to eat with the spoon, as she'd rather shove the food in her mouth a fistful at a time. But I'm the grandmother, so what do I care if she wants to be a barbarian?
While she's eating dinner, I'm noticing that she looks like she's about to fall asleep. As soon as I got her down from her chair and literally before I had finished wiping the pieces of pasta off the chair, she was down on the floor in the doorway, sound asleep.
Mike had said their performance was at 5 p.m. and it was now about 6:40, so I figured she could just lie there on the floor and sleep. After all, I'm just the grandma. About 7 or so, he called and said they hadn't gone on yet, but they were about to go on and they'd be home in about 45 minutes. Okay with me. About 15 minutes after that, though, she woke up and all hell broke loose because she had no idea where she was, and I didn't see her awake til she started crying, and then it was some pretty serious crying while I was holding her and trying to comfort her, until John came out with this toy guitar of the Fischer Price variety and danced around which seemed to calm her down.
She started to fall asleep in my arms, but I decided that in 20 minutes I was going to be real unhappy about that and we would both be a sweaty mess, so I took her and put her into her bed. That started the crying again, but Rocker John came back in and she kind of calmed down and went back to sleep. Mama and Papa came back pretty soon after that, and the babysitters from hell slunk back into their depths.
There are no pictures from this debacle.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Fall Begins
I finally ordered my new harp. It's a totally new kind of harp, made to be an 
acoustic harp, but made of carbon fiber, so it only weighs 5 pounds! It's definitely not a wood harp and the sound is not as rich, but it also has flourocarbon strings, so it's quite boomy and the sound is pretty good across the whole range. I ordered it with a pickup, though I've never used any kind of an amplifier, and if I had to drag that around too, it would eliminate the benefit of the lighter harp. I'm very excited, but I won't get it until January 15, so I won't be able to use it for any Christmas gigs. Kinda cool-looking, isn't it?
In other news from the home front, we finally got the bathroom light fixed, but it's a really half-assed job and looks like it. After working for two hours, the handyman John hired stuck a part of
a paint-stirring stick up there to make it fit. This is a true example of how some people in this family cannot deal with how much it costs to have a professional do something. The last time we had to have this job done (the switch on this light fixture is an after-market item, which is why it had to be replaced) I hired an electrician who did it in 20 minutes. And he didn't even get shocked (which the handyman did). I could have done it this well!!
I'm now working on getting an architect to draw a design for us for the windows in the back sunporch -- to get rid of the awful aluminum windows. Here's how they look now. We still have to rip out the crappy paneling, which is put on top of plywood.
acoustic harp, but made of carbon fiber, so it only weighs 5 pounds! It's definitely not a wood harp and the sound is not as rich, but it also has flourocarbon strings, so it's quite boomy and the sound is pretty good across the whole range. I ordered it with a pickup, though I've never used any kind of an amplifier, and if I had to drag that around too, it would eliminate the benefit of the lighter harp. I'm very excited, but I won't get it until January 15, so I won't be able to use it for any Christmas gigs. Kinda cool-looking, isn't it? In other news from the home front, we finally got the bathroom light fixed, but it's a really half-assed job and looks like it. After working for two hours, the handyman John hired stuck a part of
a paint-stirring stick up there to make it fit. This is a true example of how some people in this family cannot deal with how much it costs to have a professional do something. The last time we had to have this job done (the switch on this light fixture is an after-market item, which is why it had to be replaced) I hired an electrician who did it in 20 minutes. And he didn't even get shocked (which the handyman did). I could have done it this well!!
I'm now working on getting an architect to draw a design for us for the windows in the back sunporch -- to get rid of the awful aluminum windows. Here's how they look now. We still have to rip out the crappy paneling, which is put on top of plywood.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Labor Day, and the end of the summer. An opportunity to just kind of hang out, for us. We usually don't leave town, because we usually go to Chalk it Up. This weekend there was also some kind of a religious fanatic meeting at the Capitol. I saw at least 200 porta-potties there on Friday so I came down on Saturday to see what was going on. Certainly not my type of religion -- well, though, what is? But this seems to be a lot more political than religious. I don't think they had the 50,000 turnout they expected, probably more like 5,000, if that -- at least at the Capitol. I think they had more people elsewhere. It's funny, because we saw a few of the presenters at a coffee shop, and they were talking about "whose butt they had to kiss" to get something or other. So in fact, they are as cynical as I am. 
After that, though it was on to Chalk it Up, much more my style of an event -- artists, low lifes, and people who just seem more, normal.
The quality was really good this year, and it looked like there was a lot more interest in the festival than last year. Seemed like there were more vendors and just more buzz. Also I liked the music this year better than some in the past. It wasn't so loud that your ears hurt. This was the 25th annual Chalk it Up which is a fundraiser for arts in the schools. John and Linda have had squares in the past, but I think John finds it too frustrating and Linda and Tim were doing a show somewhere else, so we were only spectators.
And best of all, John got to do his annual wardrobe shopping
John and I have decided to eat healthier. He dodged a bullet about prostate cancer -- his doctor had told him to expect to start radiation therapy, but turns out he is apparently cancer free after the biopsy. His doctor now thinks that the problem is chronic inflammation of the prostate, so we have started on an anti-inflammation diet. It's a pretty okay diet if you don't get too obsessive about it. It's got a lot of vegetables, and few carbs, but it's a lot of new stuff to figure out. I've had a UTI and finally went to the doctor today and got started on antibiotics, yuk. I've tried to wait it out but after a week and drinking a whole bogful of cranberry juice with little relief, I gave in.
After that, though it was on to Chalk it Up, much more my style of an event -- artists, low lifes, and people who just seem more, normal.
The quality was really good this year, and it looked like there was a lot more interest in the festival than last year. Seemed like there were more vendors and just more buzz. Also I liked the music this year better than some in the past. It wasn't so loud that your ears hurt. This was the 25th annual Chalk it Up which is a fundraiser for arts in the schools. John and Linda have had squares in the past, but I think John finds it too frustrating and Linda and Tim were doing a show somewhere else, so we were only spectators. 
And best of all, John got to do his annual wardrobe shopping 
John and I have decided to eat healthier. He dodged a bullet about prostate cancer -- his doctor had told him to expect to start radiation therapy, but turns out he is apparently cancer free after the biopsy. His doctor now thinks that the problem is chronic inflammation of the prostate, so we have started on an anti-inflammation diet. It's a pretty okay diet if you don't get too obsessive about it. It's got a lot of vegetables, and few carbs, but it's a lot of new stuff to figure out. I've had a UTI and finally went to the doctor today and got started on antibiotics, yuk. I've tried to wait it out but after a week and drinking a whole bogful of cranberry juice with little relief, I gave in.
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