Columbus day

It was great to have some time off yesterday. Most of our activities were cancelled due to the holiday. But it did make us realize that we really LIKE our busy schedule. Just hanging around gets annoying after a while. I mean, really, how many games of "Old Maid" or "Crazy Eights" can we play? Luckily, the weather has been beautiful, so we get outside and use the trampoline or swingset or take a walk in the woods.

I wish there were more holidays coming sooner than Veterans day. But I suppose I shouldn't wish it away too quickly. Christmas shopping time is upon us and will be in full fury soon. I can't believe Wal*Mart already has all the holiday things out. We have just decorated for Halloween, never mind Thanksgiving or Christmas.

We did leaf "rubbings" yesterday. It was truly a step back in time to me. We used to do it every year with my mom. Now we've got apple prints to try. Oh, yes, there is also carving the pumpkin for some real excitement with a knife!

We had a fire in our chimnea Saturday night. It's actually an old wood stove my sister gave us, with a pretty, glass door/window to it, that we now have on the patio in the above picture. It was very chilly outside, but beautiful and clear, so Scott came up with the idea to burn some stuff and heat the patio area at the same time so we could enjoy being outdoors. We've moving up from yard bonfires!

Here's an irritating thing that happened this afternoon. I went to buy gas and snacks before going to the studio. You know the high prices of gas; it's not like I'm going to get anything for only $10. So I had the only money I had at the time with me - a crisp $100 bill. Walker and I went into the local Mobil station (possibly my 1st mistake), shopped around and picked up a bunch of drinks and snacks (to keep him busy and quiet with me at the studio). We waited forever in line and I ordered my gas - $40 (you have to "prepay" here now). With all the other stuff we were buying our total was going to be over $50 so I didn't think paying with a $100 would be a problem. After all, it's really only 5 $20's! I was refused service if I didn't have anything smaller. Yeah, I could have paid with a credit card or debit card, but I wanted to pay with cash. What the hay? Can't you use cash anywhere anymore? The guy would only have had to give us back $50. Anyway, we walked out with all our stuff on the counter. I will NEVER go there again, even though it is convenient. Even Walker was upset about it, of course, because we didn't have any fun snacks. He kept telling our story to everyone at the studio. Good boy - so I didn't have to be the one to actually start the whining, but I could chime in, whining, with his story. After our classes we actually did get to buy gas - at the local Shell station where we should have just gone in the 1st place - they have a Dunkin Donuts there! So anyway, that is my biggest aggravation of the day. The inconvenience of that "convenient" store!