Aug. 9: Catching up

It doesn’t take long to get out of the habit of blogging regularly. I didn’t post anything yesterday or all day today and I’m sitting here, thinking I should post something but I have nothing specific I feel like writing about and that means—lucky you—it’s time for a bulleted list.

• For the past couple days I’ve been collecting music for our 2009 Christmas compilation CD. Please offer suggestions if there’s something you’d like for us to put on it this year. Last year I was thrilled to find that Partridge Family song, and the Bobby Sherman one was a silly little bonus. So far I’ve only got one fun surprise and I need more. Know this: I will not put on anything by Mariah Carey or Jessica Simpson or Celine Dion even though they all have Christmas albums, because I hate them. I make no promises when it comes to Neil Diamond and The Jackson 5.
• Yesterday morning I met my friend Sheila for breakfast. She’s on a little vacation on her own in Portland and I felt very privileged to be a line on her itinerary. We had a wonderful visit that would’ve been only slight less better had it not included bacon. And I did not rub the VD wart-like things on my arm on her, no matter what she tells you.
• Call me a good deed do-er; I saved a dog. I saw him jump out of the canopy window of a parked pickup as I was walking into the restaurant, and he started running all over the parking lot and then headed out to a very busy road. I grabbed his collar and another customer went into the restaurant and found the owner. The guy was surprised to see his dog at the restaurant door, and very appreciative that I caught him. (Sheila was no help at all. If I *did* have VD warts I totally would’ve rubbed them on her).
• I do not have VD warts. Well, I don’t think that’s what they are. I’m pretty sure they’re just bug bites, but they look grosser than regular ol’ mosquito bites. It doesn’t help that I can’t stop scratching at them. I look like a skanky meth addict whose teeth have not yet fallen out.
• We spent a good portion of yesterday at Loveliest Lori’s house in Salem. She has family visiting from out of town, and besides the celebrating of Theo’s eighth birthday, there’s a huge new home for everyone to see. Katie’s and Jack’s favorite part: the pool. My favorite part: Lori. My favorite very close second: Lori’s new Margaritaville machine. Mmmmm.
• We were back at the Lassen Compound again this afternoon for Theo’s birthday party and more Margaritaville treats. Once again, Katie and Jack spent most of the time in the pool. It looked inviting and I might have gotten in if the cannonballing contest had ended. (Mystery: most people scream “CANNONBALL!” when they cannonball into a pool, right? Jack screams something that sounds like “TERR-RANNEN-BOW!” Is that some silly Spongebob phrase of which I am not aware, or is it just another brain development thing we can blame on me only breastfeeding him for three months?)
• There’s huge, huge news coming out of Colorado that I can hopefully blab about later this week. It’s killing me not to say anything, but I was sworn to secrecy. Here’s a hint: it has to do with my neph. The one in the band. I KNOW!
• Pandora is the coolest. I’ve used it on my laptop a bunch, but just installed the iPhone app the other day, and we listened to it on our drives to and from Salem this weekend. So fun.

I’m working a whole bunch this week. Please don’t expect much here.