Pincher Bug Season Follow-up:

As you are all aware, we have been suffering from a surplus amount of pincher bugs during these past few months. Now the question on our minds as my parents prepared to leave for a few days was "Are there or are there not.... earwigs in Texas??" And so we waited, in breathless anticipation for their return.

Upon their speedy homecoming, the question was put forth. Mom informed us that, altho the day she left for TX, she saw hundreds of them clustered around our door that morning here in California, she only saw one earwig there in Texas. Imagine, just one!

Never pick up a cat with muddy paws when your wearing a white shirt. Sigh.

"Um, I've been turned into a cow. Can I go home?"

~Emperor's New Groove

Well, I knew it had to happen sometime. I knew I should have been prepairing for it. I knew all along, but now that it's happened, I am caught off guard. Yes, for the first time in my musical career, a string has broken on my guitar. How they've lasted this long, I'll never know. All I know is that I have a guitar with a broken string...with no strings to put on it! AH!!

It has been soundly proven that even tho the sewing needle that is using the carpet as a pincushion only occupies a mere pencil-dot of space out of the vastness of the floor's outreaches, it is useless to fight the unavoidable catastrophe.

The things brothers can contrive out of an ottoman with wheels and a large tv box! Having been curious all morning as to the strange sounds issuing up from the basement below, I went down to investigate...and thus was introduced to the "Ottoman Express" (aka the tv box perched jauntily atop the ottoman). With much trepidation, but mounting excitement and anticipation, I was assisted to climb over the wall of the box, curled up inside, and the box was closed above me.

The next thing I knew, I was spinning, spinning, spinning at an unbelievable speed, plastered to the side of the box with great centrifugal force. What a ride! Seth, the power-house behind this "roller-coaster" of theirs, spun me at an astounding rate inside this ingenious contraptions for several minutes, as I clung to my sanity inside! As the roar of the wheels (which unbelievably even sounded like the chug and slide of a roller-coaster) began to slow down, I caught my breath and collected myself within the darkness of the cardboard box. As light flooded me again, and I saw the laughing and expectant faces of my brothers looking down on me, I was speechless to say anything, except "Oh my goodness, wow!"

We will be holding the grand opening of the "Ottoman Express" for public participation later this week. Admission by ticket only, please see me or Seth for info.

Interesting fact for today:

In 1833, Alexis St. Martin's stomach and body wall was perforated by an accidental shot fired from his musket. Even after surgical repair and healing, the opening through the body wall didn't close. William Beaumont began to conduct experiments on the function and digestive processes of the stomach. Beaumont was able to insert food tied to a string into the opening of St. Martin's stomach. By removing the food later, he was able to determine the extent and speed of digestion. The permanent opening also allowed observation of the churning action of the stomach.

Yesterday as I was out picking roses to take to my grandmother, with the rain coming down in just a soft misty drizzle, I realized that what I was seeing must be one of the most beautiful sights such a gray day could hold....the beauty of roses in the rain.

Playing tag on the park's playground, chasing and being chased by little kids. Can an evening get any funner? < happy sigh of contentment >

Hhhmm...my right arm is sore. Very sore. So sore I can bearly move it. Now, I wonder, why would it be sore? Richie, got any ideas why??