What are you doing for Memorial Day weekend?

[T_Bone0806]

Nancy and I actually have two consecutive days off (Sunday & Monday) together, so I'll spend a lot of time annoying her. Hopefully we'll scrape some coinage together (long story, but financially things have been better than they are currently) and go see a movie. We haven't even seen Iron Man yet, let alone the new Narnia or Indy Jones, so I hope we get out of the house for a jaunt to the Cinema. Or maybe the Drive-In. All 3 of the movies I mentioned are at the area Drive-Ins, so mebbe that'll be the way to go. Cheaper and we can bring our own popcorn & soda!Otherwise, the only plans are to visit Mom at the hospice (she's doing rather well there) and put fresh flowers on Dad's grave. Weather here is s'posed to be beauteous all 3 days of the weekend, so methinks some BBQ action is a given, with assorted grandchildren popping up to partake in the festivities.

[mcd1400de]

From tonight through Sunday afternoon, four more performances of The Full Monty. (In case anyone is in the area and is interested: mediatheatre.org)

Sunday night, we're driving about an hour to go to a drive-in movie theater (yes, that says drive-in!) to see a double feature of Indy and Narnia.

And Monday I'm thinking of going to the Phillies game with the kids.... it's Dollar Dog night! Wooooo!

[mellytu74]

Now that it's finally not damp (the Philadelphia area has seen at least a trace of rain for 17 of the 23 days and most days it's been far more than a trace), we'll work in the yard.

Also we'll paint samples in the office/craft room/den so I can see which color I like best.

We'll have a small barbeque on Sunday.

Now that we made settlement on TLAF's house and Boonie's recovery has progressed to a soft collar (and he's retired), we'll be doing more things at the house.

Soon, we will start planning the new kitchen which has been on hold for too many years.

But not this weekend.

[silvercamaro]

I am going to watch my grass grow.

Seriously. I am delighted about this.

I planted grass seed in my back yard a few weeks back, because years of overhanging branches from the neighbor's trees had blocked most of the sunlight to my yard. The previous grassy surface had died. The December ice storm (and follow-up chainsaws) removed those impediments to sunshine. Now I have beautiful green stuff poking up through the dirt. In some places, it's almost tall enough to mow gently.

I should have an actual lawn by the time it's so hot that I will complain when I have to mow. Since I'm the only two-footer who will hear my complaints, I can deal with that.

[BackInTex]

Starting today.

Eating lunch at school (probably for the last time) with my 5th grade daughter. Next year she'll be in Jr. High and it is un-cool for Dad to eat lunch with you.

This afternoon, my son's 2nd grade is having a baseball game with Dad's, so I'll be doing that.

This evening I was suppose to go to th Astros game, but my son's baseball team has their season end party, so we'll do that insead. I sold the Astros tickets to someone at work.

Tomorrow, we have a swim meet. I will officiate, all four kids will swim. I'm prediciting 3 first place, 3 second place, and 3 fourth place finishes in the BiT family (not counting relays).

Tomorrow night, hmm..., I think nothing for me. Kids have things.

Sunday, we have a party somewhere to go to.

Monday, picnic at church.

[tlynn78]

Steady rain for the last four days has dampened camping plans, so we'll trek to the small mountain town my parents live in for a family-and-friend gathering on Saturday, then I plan to spend Sunday and Monday at home spring cleaning and such. much fun!


t.

[mellytu74]

This evening I was suppose to go to th Astros game, but my son's baseball team has their season end party, so we'll do that insead. I sold the Astros tickets to someone at work.

I am sure Berkman will still be hot the next time you get to an Astros game!

Are the tickets someplace where the folks from work can catch a Ryan Howard homer?

[christie1111]

Does anyone have anything fun planned?

Nothing major here. High School baseball sectionals start on Monday, so we may take in one or two of those games. The local Independent League baseball team opens their season this weekend, also.

Commencement tonight -- I get to pronounce about 330 names, including Thaolynn Phaoung Nguyen, Chin-ya Chuen, and Valentina Viktorovna Podgaysky.

I was thinking about you yesterday. I went to see Daughter1111 get an award for mentoring a young lady with Down's. The teacher who read everyone's names for the awards had a similar challenge to yours.

Quite a bit of diversity.Hope it went well for you!

[Bob78164]

Tomorrow, if there's time after his piano lesson, I plan to take The Little Guy to see <I>Prince Caspian</I>. Tomorrow evening, Ms. 63 and I have theatre tickets -- a show called <I>Emergence-SEE!</I>. We've had season tickets at this venue since it opened, so our usual seats are front row center, though we won't be in our usual seats tomorrow night because our recent vacation forced us to reschedule.

Sunday I have two sessions of bridge planned with another local pro. It's time for me to start accumulating successes and building a reputation.

We have nothing in particular scheduled for Monday. --Bob

[mrkelley23]

Does anyone have anything fun planned?

Nothing major here. High School baseball sectionals start on Monday, so we may take in one or two of those games. The local Independent League baseball team opens their season this weekend, also.

Commencement tonight -- I get to pronounce about 330 names, including Thaolynn Phaoung Nguyen, Chin-ya Chuen, and Valentina Viktorovna Podgaysky.

OOOH! I was wondering a couple of weeks ago at the ABQ graduation we attended how much the speaker practiced the list prior to event. The school there was in a very diverse (last name wise and otherwise) part of town and there were a lots of different names to say. Yesterday's graduation wasn't very diverse name-wise. With the exception of a few spanish last names, the majority of names were vanillisque. I also noticed that 1990 was HUGE for the middle name of Marie and Lee (or Leigh).

FTR, the school in ABQ was Highland High School.....of Beavis and Butthead fame. My french teacher is the mother of the show's creator. Though, the show didn't start until after I left so I wasn't aware of this little fact. LOL

Believe this or don't, and I'm sure most high schools don't go to this amount of trouble...

I get a list of prospective graduates about a month in advance. I then spend several of my planning and lunch periods over the next several days calling down ANYONE whose name might be tricky. I call down every Alicia and variant; since there's about 5 different ways those names can be pronounced, every Gonzalez, -- and there's a lot more of them than there used to be; even every Huebner and Schweizer, since there's more than one way those can be pronounced. My position is that there are three occasions where your name should absolutely be pronounced the way your parents intended, with no excuses: christening or the equivalent, high school graduation, and marriage.

I usually miss a few -- this year there were more than 30 kids who were absent, or couldn't care enough to make it down to me, or whose teachers didn't think it was important enough to send them. I try to catch them at the rehearsal. Then I make a general announcement at the rehearsal that if you think I might butcher your name, be sure to see me before you leave to confirm it.

That usually leaves me about 2 weeks to practice the most difficult ones -- and I do. Lynn Nguyen and Valentina Podgaysky both wanted me to just say the Americanized versions of their names -- until I told them they would have to bring me a signed notes from their parents instructing me to do so. Each of them came to me the next day and said their parents would like me to say it the "right" way -- and then made me say it several times to make sure I could do it.

Even then the cermony is a nightmare -- not because of the kids but because of their idiot relatives who, despite several warnings and beseechments from the podium, continue to hoot and holler long after their child has left the stage, thereby covering up the names of other graduates. I'll refrain from any other comments than this: those kids whose parents make the loudest, longest noises, seem to be the ones for whom high school graduation is tha absolute pinnacle of their lives. So sad.

[mellytu74]

On Monday, we're going to put flowers on THFD's grave and the graves of my uncles, all WW II vets.

(We do that frequently because the cemetery is about a half-mile away. When it's nice -- and Boonie's not still walking with a cane because the bone graft from his hip -- we walk over).

Then, we'll head to Roxborough, a Philadelphia neighborhood. Each year, there is a wonderful ceremony and get-together at Gorgas Park.

There are craft tables and all proceeds go to Operation Bedding, which is set up in the name of a local soldier, Adam Conboy. It's dear to our hearts because we know Adam's mom and family.

http://www.adamconboymemorialfund.org/

[SportsFan68]

Pretty quiet around here -- too much snow.

BBQ later.

[silvercamaro]

I forgot to mention one exciting event on the schedule for today. Lizbit, whose world has been far too small since Annie got hurt, gets to go back to school today for her Advanced Obedience* class.

Well, it's exciting for Lizbit. Her boyfriend Remy won't be there, though, as he already completed all the courses offered at PetSmart.




*Irony

[BackInTex]

This evening I was suppose to go to th Astros game, but my son's baseball team has their season end party, so we'll do that insead. I sold the Astros tickets to someone at work.

I am sure Berkman will still be hot the next time you get to an Astros game!

Are the tickets someplace where the folks from work can catch a Ryan Howard homer?

As a matter of fact,yes. They are front row seat in the Crawford Boxes (left field).

[silvercamaro]

I forgot to mention one exciting event on the schedule for today. Lizbit, whose world has been far too small since Annie got hurt, gets to go back to school today for her Advanced Obedience* class.

That didn't work out. When I got Lizbit to school, I learned that the starting date had been postponed until next week. Evidently, they tried to call me on Wednesday, Thursday, or both to let me know. It's problematical only because I'll be back in Wyoming/Idaho for the last lesson or two on the new schedule. Lizbit did get to meet some other dogs who were shopping today. She got in some good sniffs, got sniffed in return, and everybody behaved, so that's all good. She also got a free car ride, which Annie did not. In the dog world, that's "counting coup."

[mellytu74]

[quote="] She also got a free car ride, which Annie did not. In the dog world, that's "counting coup."[/quote]

Not a counting coupe?

[ulysses5019]

[

I hope no one got the croup.

[VAdame]

Some fun stuff, and some cemetery visiting (not exactly "fun" but fitting.)

Friday, Keith and I both had the day off -- he was supposed to be having a medical test, and I was supposed to be driving (since he would be sedated.) However, at lunchtime on Thursday, he forgot he was supposed to be on a clear liquid regimen all day -- and he ate 2 hot dogs without thinking!!! So, the test is rescheduled for later in June. But since we already had the day off -- and our timecards were already processed due to the holiday -- we just had a free day! (Fortunately, he hadn't started drinking the "cleansing solution" yet -- it's still in powder form & will keep till June!) Would have served him right if they'd rescheduled him for June 16 -- but that would have involved doing the prep on his birthday, and no one wanted to be that mean!

Anyhow, I took Karen & went to see Leah's new store -- she'll be assistant manager of a new branch that opens in early June, but was doing some training at another branch. So, we checked out the store & looked for Wedding Stuff. Yep, I said "Wedding!" More details later, but the date will be August 23. Hey, I've put a wedding together in 3 weeks (in 1976, and my fiance's auntie was the caterer, but still....), so 3 months is nothin'! We also went to see the hall where the event will take place -- very lovely, and the same place Keith's son had his wedding last year.

Saturday, not too much -- went & bought some tomato plants.

Today -- went to Keith's mom's grave & took her some flowers. Stayed & visited for a while. A guy from the cemetery came over & gave us a certificate for a free plot over in the new section!!! I'm gonna take a wild guess & figure they want you to *buy* a second plot to go with it! Not sure if we're gonna take 'em up on the free plot or not. (Might be better to have it & not need it than need it & not have it.)

And something fun -- we just took Baby Johnny for his first swim! Indoor pool, reasonably warm -- same place I go for water aerobics on Tuesdays & Thursdays. He seemed to enjoy it -- he ought to, with his heredity! Family of fish, us Sorry I didn't take any pix -- another time. He's still sleeping off the excitement.

I think we'll plant the tomatoes this evening.

Tomorrow, more cemetery. It will be the 30th anniversary of my dad's death, so I don't mind spending a little $$ on gas for an hour's drive to visit him. He's buried at St. Vincent's -- Steelers fans will be familiar with that from training camp! Mom is coming & probably my brother Tom & family since they live here (everyone else is too far away.) Then, probably have a little BBQ.

Yay for long weekends!

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Eating lunch at school (probably for the last time) with my 5th grade daughter. Next year she'll be in Jr. High and it is un-cool for Dad to eat lunch with you.

You should do it anyway.