TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS: While Annabelle was at ballet this afternoon, CJ and I took a stroll through the drizzle.In the park next to the community center, we admired some lovely tulips. I like the multi-colored ones best.
First stop, the Magnolia post office (my favorite place - not!) to drop off the replacement replacement phone from *&%^$# Virgin Mobile. I am now awaiting a replacement for my replacement's replacement. And I'll stop there, because I can't talk about it any more without swearing profusely and my blood pressure spiking.
From there, it was on to Bartell Drugs. As we approached the store, I told CJ that just a couple of days ago, a woman drove her car through the storefront. CJ took a few seconds to mull that over and then he asked me, "Did she do it on purpose?"
I kind of chuckled and said, "I really doubt it. I think it was an accident. She just put her car in drive instead of reverse and stepped on the gas."
CJ replied, "Well if she did it on purpose, she could have been a terrorist."
"Um, well, yes, I suppose that's true," I responded.
Then CJ, apparently a conspiracy theorist, said, "Maybe before Osama bin Laden died, he told her that if he was killed, she should do that."
"I suppose that is possible," I said, "but it's really just not very likely. All signs point to it being an accident."
By that time we were in the store and the first Bartell employee he sees is a 60-plus woman stocking cosmetics. He starts grilling her about the incident - how exactly it happened, was anyone hurt, was any merchandise destroyed, and so on. I could tell he was still somewhat harboring his terrorist attack theory. :/ Just another example of life in the post 9/11 world.
FLYING MACHINES: Also on our walk, we heard engines roaring overhead. There was heavy cloud cover, so the plane was flying lower than usual. It was easy to read its tailfin, which was labeled with a 747-8! "Cool!" I told CJ, reminding him Seattle is "Jet City," and we get to see lots of jets before the rest of the world. In fact, no 747-8s have been delivered yet, they're just being test flown, and just today stories were all over the media that production of them has been temporarily halted while Boeing plays catch up.
According to its maker, "The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and 747-8 Freighter are the new, high-capacity 747s that offer airlines the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger or freighter airplane-while providing enhanced environmental performance."
Sorry this picture is so crappy. I was too slow wrestling my camera out of its bag. Below is a MUCH better pic, culled from the Internet. ... :)
TEXAS SIZED: After working on a couple pages in their correct-the-writing-mistakes workbooks, I was a little depressed at the kids' lack of remembering their capitalization rules. (Oh how I wish there was a snappy Schoolhouse Rock ditty about them.)
According to its maker, "The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and 747-8 Freighter are the new, high-capacity 747s that offer airlines the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger or freighter airplane-while providing enhanced environmental performance."
Sorry this picture is so crappy. I was too slow wrestling my camera out of its bag. Below is a MUCH better pic, culled from the Internet. ... :)
TEXAS SIZED: After working on a couple pages in their correct-the-writing-mistakes workbooks, I was a little depressed at the kids' lack of remembering their capitalization rules. (Oh how I wish there was a snappy Schoolhouse Rock ditty about them.)I turned to YouTube looking for some backup and we did find an "Electric Company" song
about capitalization, or making letters "Texas sized." Interesting spin on it, and, unfortunately, it's not a song I think will burn the rules into their brains.
about capitalization, or making letters "Texas sized." Interesting spin on it, and, unfortunately, it's not a song I think will burn the rules into their brains.
LITTLE BIRDY: Today we learned about a live Web cam monitoring the nest of Phoebe, a Channel Island Allen (S.s. sedentarius) hummingbird in Orange County, California. We enjoyed watching the mama bird fly to and fro the nest (in a rose bush) and feed its baby (we thought we just saw a single young'un).
We learned all sorts of interesting things about hummingbirds on the World of Hummingbirds Web site. According to them, hummingbirds can hear better than humans, see farther than humans (and see ultraviolet light!). Supposedly the birds have no sense of smell, however. Interesting.
Hummingbirds don't suck nectar up via their beaks, they lap it up with their tongues. Female hummingbirds reportedly lay two eggs (called a clutch) at a time.
The hummingbird cam Web Master reports Phoebe has laid 4 to 5 clutches each year for several years. He's been broadcasting her nest since 2007.
We learned all sorts of interesting things about hummingbirds on the World of Hummingbirds Web site. According to them, hummingbirds can hear better than humans, see farther than humans (and see ultraviolet light!). Supposedly the birds have no sense of smell, however. Interesting.
Hummingbirds don't suck nectar up via their beaks, they lap it up with their tongues. Female hummingbirds reportedly lay two eggs (called a clutch) at a time.
The hummingbird cam Web Master reports Phoebe has laid 4 to 5 clutches each year for several years. He's been broadcasting her nest since 2007.
SPACE FLEET: We had a bag to drop off at Goodwill today, and you know what that means - we have to bring a bag HOME from Goodwill. ;)
Our deal of the day - a bag of NASA vehicles for 99 cents. Score!
Those NASA vehicles are a real score!
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