Almost immediately after the marathon the temperatures plunged 40 degrees and we finally got some of the rain that didn't fall all summer. I think we've had about 8" in the last two weeks. Things are still very green around here, when usually we're past peak color by mid month. It was so dry this year that I don't expect the colors to be very vibrant. We've already had a lot of reds but most of the trees look like they're just going to fade to brown and drop their leaves. It's still very beautiful. I love October! Even with a more muted color palette, the sky and the lakes are bluer than any other month. Plus, every beautiful day has the added poignancy of maybe being the last before snow flies. We've had snow by mid October many, many times in my life. The temps have been in the mid 50s for the past two weeks. It's not bad but I'd love some low 70s, high 60s. I mean, we cancelled the marathon due to extreme heat and had to turn on the furnace within days.
The weekend after the marathon was time for my nephew Jake's annual fall party. He lives on a beautiful spread west of town and throws a bonfire party for family and friends that features food, beverages, pumpkins, hay rides, face painting and even live music. It's really fun. The next day Jay and I took my mom to another of the kids' rodeos. It was a lovely day and the kids were all on their A-games. I think Xena won every event. Babalouie placed highly as well. The rain had finally stopped and it was sunny but windy. the wind was relentless and we'd had enough after about three hours. I should have worn my winter coat.
Wednesday morning, Jay and I were rudely awakened by the alarm he'd set to go off at 4:45 am for some reason. It went of VERY LOUDLY. We both hit the ceiling, screaming. It's just a shame no one was there to see it, I'm sure it was very funny. Jay apologized, turned it off and got up. I went back to sleep and slept till 9. By the time I got up, he'd been to morning mass, worked out and had several hours of work under his belt. All I'd done is get a good night's sleep. I win.
Thursday morning I awoke to find Jay trying to unclog the kitchen sink. He battled that clog for hours. By the time he threw in the towel, he'd gotten our snake firmly stuck in the drain. Before I went off to hang with BoopityBoop that afternoon, I texted Josie's beaux, Nick, who's a plumber, trying to entice him with the promise of cookies to put us on his schedule. When I got to Katie's I had to text Jay: Nick says he's sorry but has no free time for the next 5 days. Call a drain specialist. Adam is changing my flat tire.
Yes, on the way to Katie's my dashboard lit up and when I arrived I found my front right tire flat as a pancake. Adam, my son in law, immediately said "I can change that for you in no time!"
Adam gets a batch of chocolate chip cookies!!
Not only did he change the tire, he filled my spare, which was also flat. Meanwhile, the girls and I took a lovely walk: they rode their bikes, which they can both now do with no training wheels and we went to a park near their house. Unlike the park near my house, it has a very fun play ground where kids actually can do stuff. After we returned to the house, we had dinner together and watched a fun Halloween movie. Then I read them a chapter from their current bed time book (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) and they went to sleep. Adam returned from wherever he went around 9:30 and told me to call him if anything went wrong with my tire on the way home. I arrived home with no mishaps.
In the wee small hours of Friday morning, Jay and I awoke to a lovely soft voice saying "Hello...are you awake?" I immediately thought 'oh, Jay's finally got that alarm right.'
I was wrong.
Jay had forgotten to set the alarm at all after promising to give our daughter a ride to the airport for a 7 am flight to NYC. Once again, Jay got up and I went back to sleep.
By Friday afternoon our kitchen sink was unclogged (the snake was completely trashed) and I had a new tire on my car and Katie was safely in New York. The Pharaoh never had to deal with these problems.
Friday night, I went with my sisters and several nieces and nephews to the Minnesota zoo's Jack-0-lantern Spectacular. If you've never been you really must go. It's worth every penny, braving the weather, the crowds and the drive. It's not something I feel the need to do every year but at least once in your life, you really MUST see it. Like Mt. Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge or the Rocky mountains. Seriously.
For the first Saturday in weeks, I had no party to attend. It's a good thing, since we'd agreed to have #6's first birthday party here on Sunday! On Saturday, I did some long neglected housework. In between baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies and several dozen chocolate cherry cupcakes, I dusted and vacuumed rooms I've ignored all summer long. The house looked great by the time the party started on Sunday! I thought I'd done a pretty thorough job but the sun came out a few hours after the party started and lit up a cobweb I'd missed, hanging like Christmas lights from the rungs of the dining room chair my Mom was sitting in. Oh well, maybe I'll get that one next time.
The birthday party was great fun! #6 seemed to enjoy every minute of it. All her grandparents were there and lots of friends. Josie and Nick (the plumber) had been on a camping trip but arrived back in town in time to make the party shortly after the presents had been opened. Josie then stole #6's thunder by announcing that they'd just gotten engaged!
YAY!!!
Nick gets cookies, after all!!