Do you ever have those moments when you think, “oh my God, this is totally something that happens on TV.” Well I seem to have an inordinate number of these moments.

Like the time Tilly locked me and Ruby out on the patio and we watched her run amok in the house… Or the time I got two speeding tickets in two weeks from the same motorcycle cop.

Or how about two Sundays ago: I was cleaning to get ready for a variety of company, and was trying to be efficient. (Which never works out much for me.) I thought I would try the sink-cleaning tip I had read once. Fill a sink with hot water and add a couple capfuls of bleach. I mostly wanted to do my tub because it was scrungy, so I thought I’d do the sinks too.

I got our tub and sink going, which were both taking forever, so I started the guest bathroom sink and came back to check. I let my mind lapse for just a minute and then thought I should go back and check the guest room sink.

Well, it was overflowing. Apparently I didn’t think about how fast the water flows from that faucet. So I’m freaking out because there was bleach in the water too (although really not much.) Everything was wet, including all inside the cabinet. So instead of cleaning my bathrooms I’m pretty much just cleaning up a mess. The bath mat was bleeding pink all over the place too, ugh.

Now, the water was only on for a total of a few minutes, and I don’t know how long it was overflowing, but although everything got wet it was really not a huge flood. So I cleaned up as much as I could, and got the fan out to dry up the area.

I went downstairs an hour or so later to make some lunch, and I found water on the floor! It had dripped through a light fixture and splattered on the floor. Again, not much, just a dash. But I of course was not thrilled, worrying about the drywall and everything. (Did I mention Mike was gone in yoga training all day?) So then I dried that up too, and pointed a fan up toward the light to dry it up. I took the lightbulb out carefully and set it on the counter.

When I thought everything was dry I put the messes away. And while I was taking down the fan I was using to dry the area by the light fixture, the cord caught the lighbulb on the counter and smashed it to the floor. Classic.

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How about TODAY: I was getting my thanksgiving groceries — not all of them, because we are going to have fun by shopping at Pike Place Market on Wednesday (which will be a zoo…) But I needed weird things like quick cook oatmeal, crushed walnuts from the bulk section, coffee I ground myself for the coffee press, a tiny little measurement of Cardamom…

It takes me about an hour to get through the store. It’s not really more crowded than usual, but there are tons of workers stocking and I also don’t know where some of the stuff is located. I get finished, find a short line, get everything on the belt and…

NO WALLET. Wallet is in my yoga bag. Oh, I’m horrified. I’m looking through my bag in the hopes that I accidentally had some card loose in the bag. Nothing. SO I have to tell the cashier “Wait! I just realized I don’t have my wallet!”

She was so nice, said this happens every day, and that they just do this suspended order where they ring it up, bag it, and I can come right back and get it. We had a funny chat about it, and I left feeling not so humiliated. Oh, I hope I never do that again. It was so stupid, and I was so grateful to have such a nice cashier. (The people who work at the market are always nice.) I’ve already written a note to the store. But, OH MY GOD, I can’t believe I did that!!! Classic!

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Matilda has a houseguest. Okay, well, WE have a houseguest, but you would not think that to be the case.

Anyone who’s been here knows that she becomes enamored with visitors. Mike’s cousin Susan is staying with us this weekend to see Seattle for the first time. And Matilda thought she came to see HER.

Last night she sat outside her door until she was let in. Then she slept in bed with her. All night. Crazy dog.

This morning I had to let her out to eat, go outside, etc. You would have thought I was torturing her while I made her sit downstairs with me instead of going back up to sit outside Susan’s door and pine.

You know, Tilly, people don’t actually come to see you!

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Apparently 30 is officially OLD, because we had to complain about some “kids” being on our property.

We live across from the high school, and it’s normally quite peaceful. Even if the school has an event it’s not a big deal. They’re football field does not have a sound system, so it’s nothing like living by St. X! Last year we didn’t have any issues aside from more litter than on a normal street, and some extra traffic at 8 and 3. When we chose this place we knew it would be inconvenient at times, but there’s also some benefit to having the extra light on the street, having people around, and having some parking for when the school is not in session. The school also allows us an unobstructed view of downtown, which is a huge bonus.

HOWEVER, suddenly our DRIVEWAY is a smoker’s hangout. I’m sure they can’t smoke on school property, so they just come here. There is a student from the school that lives in the townhouse on the end. Sometimes I think it’s her friends, but they hang out in front of her house — which is fine. It’s her house. And as long as they’re not really loud it doesn’t bother me. But today (and a couple of other times) it was out of control. Observe the photograph. (I blurred out the faces, just incase! Minors and all…)

There are more than 25 students on my property. More were on the way over when I took this picture. Not on the sidewalk, but on the driveway and the lawn that we mow. Some of them are under the patio, you can’t see them in the picture. Most of the smoking, many of them were yelling. Yesterday and today I let the dogs on the porch conveniently, to let them bark. Yesterday the kids were probably annoyed, and they left. Today they just taunted my dogs by meowing at them, barking a them, and one kid screamed “stop barking!!” when I was standing right there. I wanted to say ‘you’re not allowed to yell at my dog! you’re not allowed to stand on my property and you’re probably not allowed to be smoking!’ Instead I scowled, said “please do that somewhere else,” and slammed the door shut. I don’t care if my dogs bark at trespassers, not one bit.

We decided to call the school. We’ve mentioned it before and always decided against it. I don’t like complaining to a school, and I normally don’t have a problem with high school kids. But this is ridiculous. There was some dirt on the top of the mailbox next to our door, and someone wrote grafitti in it with their finger. So they’re touching my stuff, hanging out on my front step. Not to mention leaving cigarette butts everywhere. And being insanely loud. Ugh!

I let Mike talk to the school from work today. Not sure where it stands now, someone from security was going to call him back. I left the house earlier on foot, and saw a pair of sneakers run past the garage door over to the neighbor’s garage. (Yeah, that’s better…?) It’s raining today, so they’re actually standing under the awning made by our first floor balcony, right up against the garage door.

It’s been pretty quiet since I got back in the house at 12:30. Didn’t have a lunch crowd. We’ll see how it is tomorrow around 9:30, that seems to be the crazy time. They must have a longer break then.

Tried to go to yoga today. Got half way and turned around because it was already pretty wet and I forgot an umbrella and didn’t have time to go back and get one. Bummer. Mike’s got his big first weekend of teacher training this weekend, so he’ll have our car in Bellevue. I’m hopeful that he has a really good time in training, it’s a big deal.

Monday he flies home to Cincinnati for services.

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Mike’s Grandma Carmella Conte passed away today. We are very very sad to see her go. :(

Thoughts are with Rosalie and her brother and all the grandkids and everyone. We wish we were closer so we could be a little more help!

Grandma was a great lady and a great cook! We love you!

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