Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Facial Hair

Sammie recently started shaving with cream and a razor, rather than with his electric razor. I LOVE how smooth his face is afterwards. :)
This morning, I had just rolled out of bed and was still in my just-out-of-bed state of thoughtless stupor. I watched as Sammie squirted blue shaving gel into his hand then lathered it into a white foam on his face. He turned to say something smart alecky to me and I replied, "Whatever you do Sammie, please don't grow a long white beard with blue highlights."
Sammie came back with, "What about when I'm old and fat?" Only a slight pause, and then, "And do a reunion tour with the P-funk?"
Later, I was getting ready to take a very anxious and excited Phoebe on our morning walk. I was distracted though, by Sammie's clean-shaven, smooth (and very cute) face. I got carried away rubbing my cheek on his while Phoebe danced around us, trying to get me out the door. Finally Sammie said, "Sorry Phoebe, you have too much facial hair. I get all the attention!"

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

If you're averse to potty humor, you may want to skip this post

Sammie says there's enough "potty humor" on our blog and I shouldn't post this. But I think it's funny so I'm going to.
Recently, I played in a concert with the Nittany Valley Symphony. Among the pieces on the program was Mendelssohn's 5th Symphony called "Reformation." The last movement is the theme of the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." Mendelssohn is brilliant and I love playing his music.
I wanted Sammie to be able to pick out the hymn in the symphony, so before the concert, I prepped him:
M: Sammie, there's something I want you to listen for in the concert. Do you know what a movement is?
The look on Sammie's face said, "So many jokes, so little time."
S: You mean what I do in the bathroom 2-3 times a day?
M: (laughs) You know when you're watching a symphony and they play a really long piece and the conductor stop between sections and nobody claps? Well actually, a few people clap but you're not supposed to. (symphony snobs love to look down on between-movement-clappers, by the way.)
S: (face contorting with laughter as he tries not make any more poop jokes) yeah.
M: Well, that's a movement.
S: (unable to control himself any longer) So I shouldn't start clapping if I go to the bathroom in the middle of your concert?
M: (rolling her eyes) The fourth movement of the first piece we're going to play is the melody of "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."
S: So after I go to the bathroom for the fourth time during your concert, you guys are going to start playing "A Mighty Fortress is our God"?

Many of you know that our nickname for each other is "poopoohead." Well, for the next few days, Sammie became "movement-head."

Friday, March 13, 2009

Melba early for something? And that's what got me upset?

For Spring Break, Melba and I decided to head up to Niagara Falls and then to Palmyra. I have never seen the falls so it is now one more place that I have scratched off of my 'To-See" list. It was cold and windy, but we still had loads o' fun. We left home much later than we wanted to and by the time we got to the falls it was dark and there was too much mist to see them. The next morning, however, we could see them clearly. We ate donuts from Tim Horton's (tasted like a mouthful of sugar - literally), saw a life-size stuffed moose toy that sells for $15,000 (only about $12,000 USD) and then decided there was nothing else to see (everything is closed at Niagara for the winter season) so we left for Palmyra.

Hill Cumorah Visitor's Center currently has a Sister Missionary from Brazil and one from Italy. Melba and I spent much time talking to them in their native languages. Then we went to a local BBQ joint in Phelps, NY (it was pretty good) and went back to the hotel to relax. We both had achy feet after all of the walking we did at Niagara.

And then it happened. We looked at the news and found out that if Melba would have been two hours late in getting ready like she normally is -- well, we would have seen someone take the plunge over Niagara Falls and live. Seriously. We left Niagara around noon and some dude jumped around 2:15pm from the Canadian side right by the Horseshoe Falls which was right where we were -- there was hardly anybody there so it wasn't hard to stand at that spot for a while.

Well, it would have been traumatizing to see and maybe I could have caught it on camera which might have made me slightly more famous than I already am for having once played a gig with the former drummer of the P-Funk -- but at the end of the day, I think it would have been just traumatizing. I still would have liked to see it, though. After all, the dude lived so it would've ended up a happy story.

Here's a link to the story. TWO HOURS!! We missed it by only two hours!

Melba's note: I'm not "usually" two hours late. Only sometimes. I'm "usually" about 15-20 minutes late. Just wanted to clarify.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

This is a Boring Post

I have a practical question for anyone who reads this blog. What is your system for organizing and filing paper at your home? I have a folder for everything--insurance, credit cards, tax receipts, etc--but they're not AT ALL organized. And then I have a folder labeled "103 Lincoln Ave" with random utility bills, homeowners info, and I-don't-know-what-else. I know that some of you are obsessive about organization (Hi Julie! Hi Cath!), and all of you are probably more organized than I am because it would be pretty hard not to be, so give me your tips...
Thanks much!!!!
ps - quick update - warm weather...spring break this week...going to Niagara Falls and Palmyra for a couple of days...started the process to sell our home...sad about leaving State College...Sammie's red hair still sticking straight up every morning...life is good!

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Someone Has a Crush on Phoebe

Phoebe loves to give kisses. We're pretty tolerant of her licking our hands or feet (although that can really tickle) but don't really like her to lick our faces. That doesn't stop her from trying, though.

Phoebe and I also love to walk together. There's a little dirt road by our house with a young calf in a very small fenced-in area. I usually try to keep Phoebe away from the calf, so she won't scare it, but the other day I let her creep close so I could see what would happen. Phoebe pranced over to the calf's cage, nose in the air, tail wagging, very curious, eager to make a new friend. The calf saw Phoebe approaching and began to lower her head and move closer, also curious and anxious for a buddy. They slowed down as their noses neared each other's, inching closer and closer. They were timid at first but soon warmed up. Finally, the cow reached out her long pink tongue and gave Phoebe a huge slobbery kiss across her face!

Friendship aborted.

Phoebe turned with a shudder and ran away. I followed laughing and said, "It's not so nice, is it Phoebes?"

ps - I think Phoebe's tendency to "kiss and run" stems from her father. :)