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I really don't want to keep two identical ones. Don't know why one is better than the other.

http://cheervotedout.livejournal.com/

Now I gotta Cook!

I defrosted the freezer today! Gasp! Arg! WTF? But now I have a shelf free to put tons of food on!

Our invitee list is, well, everyone we know. It will be an interesting mix. People from school, maybe people from Himself's job present and past, belly dancers, people from the 'hood.

So tomorrow I give blood first thing, come home and start cooking. Pastitsio, spanakopita, tyropita, chickenopita, oh my! And i was able to glean a mess of veggies needed. Woo-hoo!

I'm so excited for this, I'll even shave my legs!

Gala Soiree and Greek Food Fix

Yikes, three days until the GS&GFF! And I have actually pulled my weight on the house-cleaning department. I worked on the windows bleaching the mold off. The cabinet over the stove now has shelving paper and the spices are gasp! arg! alphabetized on the spice rack. Tomorrow, I think I'll defrost the freezer first, then make pastitsio to put in the newly defrosted freezer. I'll glean as many veggies as possible for the mezedes and hit the dollar store for lipstick for the girl and decorations, I think.

What happened to make me such the homemaker? Is this all for a belly dancer extraordinaire who's showing up? Or have I realized that I actually care about stuff?

Is this guy for real?

Western Washington has its own qunituplets! Woman took fertility enhancing drugs to get pregnant and boy! did she.

"We've always wanted a big family," Mike Stevenson (dad) said. Well you got one, pal!

And he's getting good at telling the four girls and one boy apart. Scarlett has long fingers. Weston THE BOY has big hands.

Way to be on top of it, Dad.

New Chapter for Laughing Woman

So we had the unprecendented complete crap-out last night. After all this trying-to-accomodate everyone, rug pulling, tap dancing and stranger hook-up, our "recital" was attneded by me, Samira, the Girl, two stalwart supporters and another woman and her husband. NO DANCERS. Unless you want to count the Girl who was the reluctant "I promise I won't look at you and say I don't waat to dance, Mama" run to stick her head between my legs Girl.

She did show off her costume pieces to the Stalwart Women Supporters. But that was it.

SWS#1 was at Sunrise at 6:05pm to "get a good seat." SWS#2 drove up and they were talking about what to do when I drove up to post our redirection sign. I told them to go to Moonflower Magicks and we'll see what goes on.

I drove around the block twice with th Girl to find a block away parking space when I saw the new dancer friend getting into her car. I hollered across the street and filled her in on what we were doing.

The Girl and I walked the block. It took a while since I had the Girl and she was wearing her clear plastic Princess light up shoes that are about 40 sizes too big. But she was game and scurried across two intersections.

We made it into MM and was greeted by David. We chatted a minute about the sitch and we moved upstairs.

The Tarot class was starting up complete with Magic Christian who once told me "You can believe what you want, but mine is the one true path." I felt that wall crash between us. She's the reason my Friday night are open.

Anyway - Samira was set up, ready to shimmy. Paula and her husband left at about quarter after. We hung with SWSs until 7:30. We scored an invitation to join their dance troupe. Saw pictures of the dance troupoe with the amazing bargain $4 Target Indian table cloth costumes. That's my kind of costuming.

So Samira and I tossed in teh towl - or cd player. I took Girl home and headed over to Applebee's and waited for Samira and a table.

I knocked back two dirty vodka martinis to S's one mimosa which she thought was a mojito up until she tasted it. We noshed on some appetizers and talked LWP so she can write off teh dinner.

So our plan is for me to keep trying to reach Destiny Man (S thinks he may become BackerMan) and I'll stop by Mae Rim to talk to Nida about using her restaurant for Yaz's final PNW appearance.

I tossed out the thought that maybe another dancer might have voodoo'd us. Samira, in her ever-optimistic way (whcih is why I love her so) said, "OH! She thinks we're a threat!" And S giggled and chair danced. But on further consideration, when we underestimated ourselves by changing the original date, we set ourselves up.

Samira also thinks that it was time for us to move on from Sunrise anyway. After last month and the potentially huge audience we were bringing on, we would have outgrown Sunrise. They made it easy for us by shutting down.

I harbor no ill-will towrd Sunrise. I hope they are well.

Now on to our standard heart blockage building breakfast of butter braids and bacon.

My Call to Destiny

Doesn't have a voice mail box set up. I'll have to try again.

But at least I got the chicken outta my ass.

Stepping off the Ledge

Got a call from a dancer yesterday looking to make reservations for our show Friday night. The restaurant's number was giving her a recording saying the number had been disconnected. She called me to see what the deal was.

First off, I answered the phone with a shitty attitude after spending a day with the Girl arguing over the fact that I am not about to let a 3yo talk me into breaking the law at her whim. Where does she get this stubborn streak?

Anyway, after spening 5 minutes talking to this dancer I finally realized which dancer I was, in fact talking to. I actually like the version of the dancer.

Anyway, I assued her that I would run over to the restaurant and personally get her reservation down in the books. Then Whatever other ones she had, I would add them.

After watching Sparky be his Clown Prince self at Tball and Kabloey send the first pitch at him into the wrning track, it was time for me to get the Girl and Sparky home.

On a lark, I turned north to Sunrise. It was dark in teh dining room and lit in the kitchen. i parked badly so i cold jump out and check the phone number. It was the same, but gasp! arg! there was a sign that read "restaurant close" [sic].

Spluttering back to the car, I drove around, cutting between pedestrians (yes, yes, very unhip in the Pacific Northwest, but in the South you accumulate points for how many you make scream). I pulled into the alley, dodging Gospel Mission homeless outdoor buffet diners and parked. I pulled Sparky adn Girl out of car with the stern admonition to keep holding my hand. A "gentlemen" was reading the riot act to another in front of the pawn shop. Yup, the best part of town.

I got to the door, saw some heads in the back and the door was unlocked. I opened it, calling the owner's name. (Yes, if I was a buxom blonde bimbo in a chop top and shorts, the music would have been veering toward ominous. I also would not have had two young children with me.)

A head attached to a body came out. He told me there was no more Indian restaurant there, that it would be an Italian restaurant by the end of next month.

Splutter and befuddled, I took the kids outside, past the now growing number of "gentlemen" (they had made it to four), and headed to the car. Called Samira to tell her what was up. She spluttered and we agreed I would call Z, our featured dancer this month, to tell her what was up.

Z spluttered, came up with "what I would do" and agreed to wait to hear from me on the morrow.

The morrow is here after a few more spluttering phone calls to Samira and Arries.

In a typical Pacific Northwest scenario, I dropped the kids off, told my story wnough times to start to unnerve me, jumped in the van with Whiskey Jack and drove off to score some freen sand.

IT WAS CLOSED! opened Fridays only. *sigh* On to the Store of Ultimate Decadence where I bought more cheese than needed, especially as the SoUD will host a cheese sale in two days. Therapy shopping, OK?

I had promised the Girl a cocoa. Offered to buy a decaf for WJ. We agreed to have WJ unload groceries and I would trip over to Starbucks.

I get the orders right. Spill some cocoa on the hip music display. The cashier says, "I hope you're having a good day." Huh?

I asked her how much of my life story was she interested in hearing. I needed a new belly dance venue. And before I irritate the nice gentlemen (Notice, no quotes) behind me, I gave her the in a nutshell version.

The gentlemen asked what sort of dance? Belly dancing. "I have an underground lounge." RED FLAGS! Creep alert! He goes on to list his philanthropic buildings, he is real estate, there's lots of place to host such an event. I took his name and number with a promise to call. As I write his info down, I ask him if he had ever been written up in the news. he said, yes, a few times. Hmmmm.

Get to school with groceries intact, load up Sparky, butter braids, go home. Eat lunch - gotta home fuel you know. Head over to Moonflower Magicks to beg for a space Friday. It works out! I ask the help there if they had ever heard of this guy. One of them has.

Seems this guy is wealthy, in real estate, politician and known. That bodes well.

I haven't called him yet. But I'll let you know when I step off the. Will you have to scrap me off the pavement or dodge my flying crap? We'll see.

No pithy title today

Right off - SPARKY CAN READ! I listened to him read "Go, Dog, Go!" last night. Sure "here" and "there" threw him, but he did read. I am in awe of the learning process one goes through to learn to read. I asked if he wanted to read it again tonight. He said, “Sure and this time I’ll start from the beginning." He has since said he wants to take on "Hop on Pop" tonight.

Ditched Kindergarten today (with the teacher's permission) to go on a field trip with Kabloey. To the new Wal-Mart! To explore the environmental engineering they are using to prevent water pollution and erosion. I wasn't crazy about it, but it turned out to be a really good trip.

We lucked out and had a real EE there, Steve, who was able to explain to us the whys and wherefores of what they did. Now I can pick out erosion cloth and other means of slowing water down.

Himself and I celebrated 19 years of connubial bliss Tuesday. Went to Mae Rim Monday night with the whole family. Nida was most impressed that we came back. She said to the Girl, "Now I trust you. You kept your promise." Kabloey found out he likes calamari.

Kabloey was envious of Sparky and the Girl having been through the kitchen before. So once the other diners left, he asked for and received a tour.

For some reason I blurted out that it was our anniversary and that my birthday was coming up. With Nida heading to Thailand in a couple of weeks, she asked what we wanted from there. 24K gold would have been too much, but she claimed she'll bring something back for us. We'll see. I'll still go eat there, either way.

Himself's show closes this weekend. He has learned a bunch and enjoyed himself overall, I would say.

Baseball is in full swing. (yup, I meant that.) Thankfully the boys have games one after the other on the same days. That'll make life easier. And we'll all have a chance to watch them.

Going on a field trip with Sparky tomorrow to Casa De-pot. Kindergartners using hammers and nails. That'll be fun.