She's back, and I'm brutal!

Well, I meant to update you all on the Girl's homecoming last night, but my dsl connection went buns up just before dinner last night, and I just got it back. Twenty-four hours without the internet! Phew! I made it, but it was hard. I had to call Dy twice!!! I called Papa even more than that! I am addicted, I think. So yes, the Girl is home safe, and she had a fabulous time. She is going to write a paper on her trip, so I will post it when it is finished. Auntie P will love that, I am sure!

So, you might wonder, what have I been up to for the last 24 hours, other than picking up the Girl, which was happily easy and uneventful? (Insert drum roll here) I have been clearing shelves in the basement! Yay!!! It takes a long time, but I am just going through shelf by shelf. I have been taking papers out of page protectors, have gone through all the science and picture books in the library, and all the curriculum, keeping only what I deemed really necessary. I have a huge box ready for donation and giving away, and I filled 2 black garbage bags. Don't even ask how many brown paper bags I have filled with recyclable paper! Lots of Scientific American and Sunset Mags from as long ago as 1987!! I loaded the back of Whitey up with boxes of books, bages of stuffed animals and stuff to donate (the kids saw the stuffed animals and are very MAD at me), and after we picked Boy up, headed to the East Side. Our first stop was Homeschool Potpourri, and Todd took some of it. He never takes as much as I would like, but this way there will be lots to send to Dy's boys. They are the perfect ages for these books.

We then stopped at Grandma's but only stayed in the living room, and only for 15 minutes, as my nephew is home sick with the croupy crud. There is no way I want the kids exposed to anything right now, what with audition tapes, and ACT tests coming up.

After this, we headed to Crossroads Mall (if I have to go to a mall, this isn't a bad one!) where the closest Half-Price Books is. The kids and I shlepped 3 huge boxes of books in, and then got a mighty $16.25 for them. While we were waiting for the books to be appraised, we wandered to Michael's. I was looking for a specific kind of sparkley craft pompom that the cats love to play with, but they didn't have them.

Then we walked by Shirazi. Something pulled me inside, and I found something I could not live without. It is hard to describe, but I will try (Gotta figure out that digital camera soon!!!). It is a gauzy, sheer, black, drapey cape-like blouse with lace, silk, and beautiful pink and burgandy roses in it. It has ruffles on the sleeves and in back. If you look in the Fall collection, in group five, there is a black capey thing that isn't it, but it is the closest thing I could find on the Spencer Alexis site. It had a price tag of $95. on it. I tried it on (in addition to about 10 other things that I was too chunky to fit) and it was perfect! I went back to the rack, and saw that it was on sale, for $70. I ran back into the dressing room to call Papa on the cell phone and ask him to tell me to put it back- he told me to be unreasonable. Works for me. My beautiful, inteligent children were charming the saleslady with their description of their homeschool day, and I was able to talk her down to $55. for the blousey capey thing. That's what you get by being unreasonable!! I rarely buy anything for myself, and haven't done so in years. What the heck?! It looks good on me now, and will just keep looking better as I lose weight. I can dress it up or down, and both the saleslady (yes I know it was her job, but I do think she genuinely meant it) and Papa think it is appropriate to wear to my interview tomorrow. I had been struggling to come up with something in my wardrobe (HAH!) that would be suitable. So again, I say, YAY!

I still need to take stuff to the second hand store to donate, but that's okay. Little by little, this basement will get organized. Even if it takes me a month, I am in it for the long haul.


We picked Papa up, headed home, made a lovely supper of steak, Garlic long beans, and rice noodles. Lots of good dinner conversation, too.

Well, Papa wants to read to us tonight, as we haven't for the last 4 nights. Ahhh, the Girl is home, and we can read!! Anne McCaffrey's All the Weyrs of Pern, here we come!