Random Bits

What we've been up to that we've been too busy to write about:

1. Refinancing the house. Lots and lots of paperwork. When we got the original loan we basically said, "Hey, we'd like some money, and we promise we'll pay it back!" Or something like that. In the intervening years the loan procedures have tightened up a lot, and we need to provide copies of our last dental check ups, along with affidavits detailing how many clean pairs of underwear are currently in the dresser drawer. So, lots of signing of papers, delivering of papers. An assessment of the house, which means it should be relatively clean, which has meant lots of cleaning. That's what we spent the Labor Day weekend doing -- cleaning, throwing out stuff, taking stuff to Goodwill.

2. Signing up for classes. Life was simpler when we just signed up for a boatload of Irish Dance classes, and then tried to figure out how to fit in piano lessons. Now we're figuring out where and when to take ballet and tap and voice and musical theater and piano lessons. Also, assessments for which level of tap and ballet. And what is the dress code at THIS place and THAT place? Yeesh.

3. Signing up for Girl Scouts. Or not, as the case may be. Thalia had thought she'd stay in until she completed her Gold Award, which she had sort of thought she'd storm through this year. But now Physics Class has happened, and, well, when you take physics pretty much all you have time to mess with is physics (well, and all of that stuff mentioned above, plus babysitting one morning per week). So, we'll see where we go with this. In the meantime, much weirdness has occurred in Annabeth's troop. I had sort of heard about it last year, but ignored it, figuring it didn't involve me (thankfully). Now, however, the repercussions are hitting, and it DOES involve Annabeth and some of the other girls (the weirdness was a parental thing, as is so often the case). So it looks like she's going to be doing this year as a Juliette, which in this Council is known as PEG. Looking on the bright side, this means we can pick out the Journey we want to do, do it how we want to do it, then move on to the Silver Award. I look forward to going at our own pace, which should be more streamlined. But she's disappointed that she won't be camping with her friends. Current plan is to return to the troop next year, which is why we're even bothering to do anything at all this year. The Journeys have no intrinsic appeal, and we wouldn't mess with them if we didn't see extrinsic reward -- in contrast, the old badges were pretty cool, and we would've done them whether we needed to or not.

4. Hot weather. Dry heat. At the beginning of August we had hot and humid, and at the end we had dry heat. I've decided that once you're over 100F or so, it doesn't matter if it's humid or not -- either way you're miserable.

5. Gah! Cool weather! Annabeth needs long pants! To my knowledge, long pants are not manufactured and sold in her size. She really really really wants store bought pants -- the charm of homemade has worn off. Alas, it's the only way to get pants that fit her. Time for panic sewing!