Molly Goatwax

Paper

Sometimes it takes a while to learn my way around all this hardware, software and webware. Now I'm going to go play with some real paper and maybe some ink...um, gesso...scraps of cloth?

The Baltimore Zoo

You know how Scarlett O'Hara - and me too, shamelessly ripping off Margaret Mitchell-keeps saying "Tommorrow is another day!"? Well today was that day! The weather was delicious, cool, dry and blue. I've had a full aerobic workout, cleaning the bugs off the at the self-wash. I bought a loaf of sour dough bread and a slice of almond rainbow cake at the German bakery, and at a different German establishment, marzipans (is this craving for almonds indicative of a vitamin deficiency?). Speaking of almondy, I discovered in the course of my research that there's a drink called the Baltimore Zoo! I bring this up because my older daughter and I went to pick up from a closed show one of her pieces and then attended "Brew at the Zoo". For 20$ each we got bands, baboons and beers, many different local microbrews in a small complimentary commemorative plastic mug. There was a long line to get our IDs checked, lines for each brewer's kiosk and another for the convenience, then back into another line for a beer, then off to the line for the convenience again. I felt like a star bellied sneetch! But no matter, it was a beautiful day and we had a great time. The kid even paid my way in and drove me about! So what if I had to pick off from my person a few cicadas and put them back outside when I got home...if it was good for the elephants, it was good for me, too.

3 kids

Due to the timing of the red and green traffic signals on Northern Parkway this morning, we sailed right by the newspaper man. I'm so glad, now. Today's ghastly news from Baltimore has left me speechless. Run. Hide. Scream.

Muppets for Peace

ELMO LIKE KOFI! Elmo and his buddies are off to Afghanistan on a teaching mission!

Molly Mo-Mo Head

Last night's air was freshened by a terrific storm, being atop a hill we had lightning strikes all around us. Keeping a wary eye on the sky to determine if it was the shade of pea green* that would send us into the basement, I was reminded of the storm we were watching out the kitchen window while idly playing in the sink with the younger daughter. Our hands were in the water ( I am also reminded of what a moron I can be) when inches away, the back window filled with blinding light and our ears with a humongous boom. I saw a sillouette of the youngster's hair dandylioned out by the charge as we tingled all over. All the electrics in the back of the house were fried. I guess we're lucky we weren't fried, too. While we are on the subject of my shortcomings, have I mentioned recently that I'm a midget? Well, only a fraction of an inch taller, but any way, after she stopped laughing about the latest popped tire, a co-worker suggested I use my tot's booster seat to improve my visibility while driving. This may sound insulting to you, but I was considering something like that (I used to come home from college and sit in my old high chair, tray removed). So I went out and adjusted my driving chair from the lowest setting to the tallest and pitched it forward- it was already as close to the pedals as it could get- so that I can still reach the pedals with the ball of my foot while keeping the airbag as far from me as possible. What a difference! Why didn't I think of that before?

* Maryland does get tornados. Two touched down in the course of this storm.

Danger!

As if the cicadas weren't bad enough, now we are being plagued by menacing groundhogs! And they tell us to keep away from the wildlife. Before you know it, we will be invaded by muppets.

They're everywhere

As I awoke this morning, my first thought was to wish that someone would turn off their car alarm. Then I heard lots of small thunks on the screens and shingles. The panic subsided when I remembered the cicadas.
Outside they were thick on the sidewalk and clinging to everything. Driving, they hit the windshield and windows. They've already caused a crash in Bethesda. A friend wants to give me a filing cabinet, and I told him it wouldn't fit in my trunk. He said I should put it in my back seat with the top down. I asked him if he had any goggles...

Day-O

Yesterday morning, as I was slipping sideways into psychosis, Hubby asked how I was feeling. "I feel like a big jerk!" was my response. He prodded my arm and gave my head a slight squeeze, as if it were a melon.
"Nope. You don't feel like a jerk to me"
"But I've popped so many tires!"
"Well you needn't keep bringing that up. You can't help it."
He gave me a big hubby wubby hug and I went out to weed the front beds for a bit. I didn't make much progress before a cicada growled at me and lunged directly for my midsection. uck. So here I sit, they are laughing at me out on the farm but certainly not at the tire store. I'm one of their best customers! Speaking of melons, a gorgeous cantaloupe that I bought from an Arabber is calling my name. Sometimes the fruits come to us in a horse-drawn cart led by a man singing his wares. (Think Harry Belafonte doing "Day-O"!) Cheap, too! What a blessing! In Japan they are sold in department stores at astronomic prices.

Kinda Glum

Oh, my word. I've popped another tyre on my car. ( that's what it calls its tires) I left it down in the um, hood, and took a cab home. Mr. Beetz and Hubby have been dispatched to put the doughnut on and limp it home. I can't be bothered. And we can't leave the yuppie pig mobile exposed and vulnerable. Isn't that, well, kinda princessy? Its 100 degrees outside and nice people offered to help, but by that time my skin was crawling and I couldn't deal with ANYTHING! Oh! Oh! Oh! And between the pay cut and the gas hike, I'm caught by the short hairs. This calls for some creativity in the budget department. Yow! Besides which, those cicadas are filling the air with sci-fi sound effects, like the UFOs are landing. We'll muddle through this one like we have every thing else. Oh well! Tommorrow is another day!

Beer O'Clock

I've had such a mind-numbingly frustrating/boring/happy/roller coaster week....