Patti Goes Domestic!

Yep, it's scary, I know, but I decided to get domestic. We had a ton of old T-shirts lying around that didn't fit, or we didn't wear anymore. Not wanting to just toss these shirts out, I put on my thinking cap.

Since we are going to an agility trial this weekend, and it's going to be kinda cold, I decided the dogs needed some better crate pads than what we've got. I dug through the closet and pulled out a handful of shits, and started cutting them up.

Next, I went to to youtube and found this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm83zA5-Yyk

An hour later, I was ready to start sewing.

I pieced together squares that were either like in theme, or in color. I used some fleece as a backing.

Here's the final product

How to choose a table in a busy restaraunt

Those of you who know me well, know how much I LOVE children. Especially ill-behaved ones that are seated directly behind me during meal time, screaming and kicking the back of my chair. Because of the fact that too much of a good thing is bad, I must make efforts to limit my exposure to such things.

The first step is to survey the area well, making note of all the available tables. It is also necessary to evaluate the tables that are occupied, not only for the general make-up of the guests seated there, but also to estimate the time remaining on their stay.

Open tables must be examined for their value to mothers, especially of young children. Things to take into account are:
1.) Proximity to the bathroom. (young children, I've noticed, pee a lot!)
2.) Proximity to the soda machine. ***this one can be tricky, as some parents will want to be close to the machines, so they can send the kids up for their own refills. Yet others want to be far away from the machines, to keep the children from demanding Coke, when Mom prefers they drink Sprite. Choosing a table between the two extremes is vital.
3.) Ease of use with a high-chair as well as distance from where the high-chair is kept. Parents tend to prefer ailes where the high-chair will be in the way to servers, rather than in corners where the would be unobtrusive.
4.) Booths or tables- booths tend to have a higher value for the parents' ability to pin the child in between themselves and the wall.

When evaluating the occupied tables, you must take into account whether or not their food has arrived, are the consuming alcohol, and if it's a larger group.

All of these are variables in a complex mathematical equation that produces the probability of being seated next to a screaming child, and must be computed within a matter of seconds and without use of a calculator.

Needless to say, I haven't yet perfected the math!

Things I learned Playing Racquetball

When Gene and I were in college, approximately 3498572683 years ago, we used to play racquetball in the evenings before dinner. Since we recently joined a gym, we decided to give it a shot, since we enjoyed it so much in our younger years.

I realized one thing rather quickly:
We suck!

Among other things I learned:
1.) I don't have to worry about the strings on my racquet breaking, because in order for old strings on a racquet to break- it requires something actually making contact with the strings... (like, oh, say, THE BALL!)
2.) The ball does not come to you. You have to actually move around to get close to it.
3.) The plexi-glass on the wall the door is on is NOT your friend
4.) 10 minutes in a racquetball court for us is more exhausting than an hour on a treadmill
5.) Children will laugh out loud at old people attempting to play racquetball.
6.) *playing* racquetball is all relative. Let's just say that there was no sense in either of us keeping score and leave it at that.
7.) Your own husband WILL laugh at you when you swing and hit dead air.
8.) When the ball hits you in the back of the head, it really hurts! (But, you do NOT see stars like the cartoons say you do!)

Needless to say, we need lots of practice to get back to our college days skill level! (Maybe I'll stick with hanging out in the hot tub! Hard to get injured that way!)

For the first time EVER!

I started wearing glasses at a young age. In my early teens. As I entered High School, Dad and I went to the eye doctor together to get contacts. As I aged, I found my eyes become less tolerant to the contacts.

when I turned 35, I was told I needed bi-focals. This made wearing contacts even more difficult. When we started obedience and agility, my glasses seemed to just get in the way.

On July 12th, I underwent Laser surgery to correct my vision. While the healing process was slow, the results have been amazing.

Sunday night, October 5, 2008, I experienced something I haven't in many, many years. I was able to swim, without worry of being able to see where I was going, and what was around me.

It has been such a liberating experience!