Undefeated and Looking For a Sure Thing.

That's the run down after two weeks in our (completely legal) Fun Family Football Pool.  I am currently undefeated and have every intention of keeping the streak alive.  My little guy, on the other hand, is winless.  The only winless participant, I should add.  He is handling this very well so far, but I'm thinking if he loses a third game...let's just say, we need a sure thing this week.  

We need a victory for the boy. 

My middle guy, also undefeated and very competitive, feels his brother's pain.  He actually spent the better half of Sunday evening researching possible options for his younger brother.

His carefully selected list is above.  

So which one is it?  Which team is the sure thing, guaranteed to win, keep civility in our home, keep the boy happy, football pick?

He has until noon Sunday to decide.  Let's hear what you have to say.

It's Like Watching Paint Dry.

That's what I discovered from my weekly leaf scan project.  Fall leaves are beautiful, don't get me wrong.  I love to watch the trees changing color.  But on a weekly basis, at least at this point in the season, the individual leaves are boring with a capital B. 

Still a lot of green on those leaves.  No clue why the one scan is so freaking huge.  I guess I could lie and say I did it intentionally.

Like I said, it's about as exciting as watching paint dry.

A Nice Way to End the Day.

Went to bed last night and was 

greeted by this post it on my bedroom door.

A note from my little guy.  The perfect way to end my day.

A Monster of a Wine.

I confess, I cheated on this week's "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label". 

1. Didn't really drink it this week, actually drank it awhile ago and saved the bottle.
2. In fact, I drank it so long ago that I no longer remember what it tasted like.  It must have been good.  I would have remembered if I didn't like it (this is really not helping my fantasy of being a world famous wine reviewer).
3. I did not choose this bottle, this one was my husband's choice.  Frankly, I am a little afraid of this label.

So here it is (and I am sure the winemaker is thrilled of my mention so far.  Hopefully, they will never read this post.)

The Big Red Monster is a California Red Wine produced by Bennett Family Vineyards.  My husband bought it somewhere within a 10 mile radius of our house (just can't remember where) for under $10.  Definitely an original, reach out and grab you design.  It would be awesome at a Halloween party or while watching an old horror flick like "Godzilla" or "King Kong".   While I don't remember what I was doing when I drank this, I can guarantee you I was not watching a horror movie (those films absolutely terrify me).

Oh, and don't worry, I did consume wine this weekend.  Went back to my old favorite Pomelo again (can't get enough of that wine).  And also, I was joking about the fantasy wine reviewer thing.  Just not seeing that in my future, especially after this shameful post.

Go Take a Hike.

Really.  You should.

Every fall, the MetroParks in the county I live in hosts a Fall Hiking Spree.  Basically, participants have 3 months to hike 8 of 13 selected park trails.  First time hikers receive a hiking staff once the spree is complete, veteran hikers receive a medallion to hang on the staff.  Pretty cool and free for residents of my county.

Every fall, I say I am going to do the spree.  And every fall I never get around to it.  Until now.

And I am so glad I did.

I took the photos above.  My little guy surprised me by asking for the camera halfway through the hike.  He's never done that before, so it was interesting to see the journey through his eyes.  His photos are below.

It's okay if you like his photos more than mine, I do too.

I will note that I did have to drag the boys to the hike.  No interest at all on their part.  But once there, they had a wonderful time playing with sticks, climbing on rocks and tossing stones in the pond.  And they spent the entire car ride home picking out the next trail.  It was a great day.

1 hike down, 7 more to go.

It Went "ZIP" When It Moved and "POP" When It Stopped...

...."WHIRR" when it stood still.  I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.

If you happen to know that those are song lyrics from "The Marvelous Toy" by Peter, Paul and Mary, can I just say I am so impressed with you right now.  

"The Marvelous Toy" is from the Peter, Paul and Mommy album.  It's about a mysterious toy that a father shares with his son and eventually the child passes on to his own son.  Just like the toy in the song, this timeless album has been handed down in my family from generation to generation.  My father shared it as a record with me when I was a child, I've listened to it on a cassette with my oldest son and now my youngest enjoys the music on his MP3 player (I wonder what format it will be on when I share it with my grandchildren).  No trip to the zoo has ever been complete without "Going to the Zoo" playing through my head at least once.  

And who doesn't know the lyrics to "Puff the Magic Dragon"?

I was truly sad when I heard the news that Mary Travers passed away on Wednesday.  Really, truly, sad in a way I don't usually feel about people I've never met.  I'm also disappointed that I never was able to see them perform live.  I never went to a Peter, Paul and Mary concert.  

And, sadly, I guess I never will.

B-I-N-G-O

Went to bingo last night.  Yeah, you heard me right.  Bingo.  And I learned that I can cross the professional bingo circuit off my list of back up career options.  Googled it today and there does appear to be a Bingo World Championship.  I may be missing something, but I don't know how one can practice bingo or develop a bingo strategy.

But I am thinking the picture taking, incessant talking, drinking, paper throwing and not paying attention to the bingo caller attributed to my downfall last night.  That's what I'm thinking.