Saturday Delights

On Friday, when we were thinking about Saturday, we weren't really sure what we were doing. But it ended up being a full and fun day. 

We left the house at 7AM, making a stop at Steve T's (formerly known as Tahoe's), to buy 3 garbage plates for Corey and a couple of his friends.
We then made the 90 minute drive to Syracuse with garbage plate smells escaping from the cooler in the back of the car. We got to Corey's about 8:45, picked up his running buddy, Pat (from Fairport) and got back on the Thruway to go to Marcus Whitman High School, in Rushville, for the Section V cross-country meet.

Both Corey and Pat are past champions and still have many friends in Section V running. We were there to see the Odyssey boys team compete because they have had a good season and were one of the serious contenders for the Class C title. The Odyssey boys ran well but ended up in second place, by only 3 points! Corey had a brief reunion with Coach Joe and gave encouragement to his former teammates.

We stayed at the meet for 9 out of the 10 races and headed back to SU around 3 PM. I walked a lot during our 4.5 hours at the meet, almost 15,000 steps! We all enjoyed seeing many people who we've known for years. It was also enjoyable to watch these races and not have a case of nerves because one of our boys was competing!

Corey suggested a local German restaurant for dinner in Syracuse so we bypassed his apartment and went for an "early bird" dinner. We were all starving because we never managed to get lunch! The restaurant was filling quickly when we arrived. SU had a home football game at 7 tonight and it was Parent's weekend, so we felt lucky to get a table after a 3 minute wait! I love German food and was not disappointed. I ordered a dinner with knockwurst, sauerkraut and hot German potato salad and it was all soooo delicious! 

This photo does not do the meal justice-it tasted much better than it looks! Jim and Corey were able to easily find menu options that weren't so German and we all agreed that this restaurant was a keeper. Corey hopes Gram and GrandDad will come visit him again because he knows they would enjoy this place. 

We got home by 7:30 PM. Our biggest surprise on our drive home was seeing how much the price of gas dropped in the 12 hours we were gone. When we drove by BJ's this AM, gas was $2.79/gallon. When we came by tonight, it had dropped to $2.65!

I finished knitting my moebius scarf and don't like it. Because one edge is all knit stitches and the other edge is all purl stitches, I knew that those edges would curl in. However, the whole thing is curling into one tube with a twist in it. I'll certainly wear it around the house to keep my neck warm this winter, but I am in no hurry to make another one. I did learn some interesting techniques with that project so it wasn't a complete waste of my time.

I had a fair amount of knitting time in our 342 miles of driving today and started a sweater for Jim. I am using some yarn that I bought at Rhinebeck last year. I knit my gauge swatch and started the ribbing on the back piece. It is a fairly simple pattern with an all-over moss or seed stitch design. 

This past Thursday night was my third basket making class and I made a rectangular bagel basket with blue and orange trim colors. Corey is the recipient of this basket since he said he would welcome a new basket for his apartment. Unfortunately, I gave it to him before I took a picture of it so I cannot show it to you until he send me a picture.

On our way out of Syracuse this AM we drove by the house where Corey will be living next year. He and one of his apartment-mates this year will be sharing the third floor apartment in this house. 
Hope all is well. 

Halloween Eve

Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house. . . there must be a poem there, but I'm too tired to make words rhyme.

Today was the last day of the Fall Fun House in Physical Education at school. In addition to helping (carrying) 54 Pre-K kids on the rope swing, I had to put all the equipment away at the end of the day. Fortunately, one of the father's who was a volunteer in the gym this afternoon stayed and helped me haul some of the heavier stuff. 

Before our first class this morning, our principal came into the PE office and said that the superintendent of our schools was coming by today and the principal wanted to know if it was OK if she sent him into the gyms to see what was going on. My colleagues and I said "yes" because we think the Fall Fun House activity is great for a variety of reasons. So, shortly after 10 AM, the superintendent walked in my gym. He got to see a multi-age activity with the older students helping out the younger kids. He got to see all 80 students actively engaged in meaningful and challenging activities. He got to see 4 parent volunteers helping the kids. And he got to see all 80 kids having fun and working hard! Their joy made him smile! He told my colleagues that it looked like a great activity! With so much emphasis on students' reading and math test scores, it was our pleasure to show him another important component of a child's education-Physical Education. I told him to come back anytime!

Liz left a comment on my last entry, asking who I was hoping would win on Dancing with the Stars. From week one, I have been rooting for Derek and Brooke. I think Derek is an amazing dancer and choreographer. He always seems to come up with dances that have very unique moves in them and that showcase his star's strengths.  Plus, he is cute!

Congratulations to all you Phillies Phans! Last night's 3 inning game was just the right amount of time for a game!

Are you ready for Halloween? I bought Raisenets (sp?) and Kit Kats to give out. Those are 2 of Jim's favorites so he will eat what ever is left over. 

Time to go to basket weaving class.

Hope all is well. 

Tuesday Tidbits

After an hour's delay in Cleveland, Jim is on the last leg of his flights home. He should be here around 9:30 PM. Today is his 55th birthday, which brings him great joy because he is now at the young end of a new age group for competitive running.

On Sunday I potted 3 amaryllis bulbs which hopefully I can get to bloom around Christmas. I supposedly have bulbs for one red plant, one red and white plant, and one white plant with red edges. I'm just hoping that I get 3 plants to bloom, I'm not too particular about the colors. In previous years I have started the bulbs too late for Christmas blossoms, and had to enjoy them around Valentine's Day! They take longer to flower because we keep our house on the cool side. I will keep you posted on their progress.

Speaking of flowers, I noticed that my Christmas Cactus is getting some buds. And one leaf has 2 buds-twins! Ever since I repotted that cactus into a larger pot it has looked much healthier, so hopefully it will put on a good flower show.

Yesterday was the first day of my Fall Fun House in Physical Education. It is a wildly popular event for all of our students and they have been doing a great job. There are 2-3 classes participating at any given hour time block and it is wonderful to see the older kids helping out the younger ones. 

While watching the news tonight, the weather report from the other side of the state was pretty shocking for October! Jenny Lake may be under a nice blanket of snow! It was reported that Syracuse got some measurable snow so I called Corey and sure enough he reported that snow was accumulating on the ground. We had a nice conversation about his comings and goings. He is going to travel with the team to the Big East meet on Friday, in NYC, but probably won't be one of the 9 runners. There are a couple of questions about a few of the guys in front of him, so there is a small chance that he will be needed to suit up and race. 

In a few minutes I will tune into the results show for Dancing with the Stars. As usual, you know who I am hoping will get the boot. Her dance last night was an embarrassment to the show and to the other dancers who are taking the competition seriously. 

This time next week we will be listening to the newscasters predict the presidential winner based on .07% of the returns! Is anyone else ready to be done with all the campaign nonsense? 

I continue to knit on my moebius scarf. I must be 3/4 of the way through the ball of yarn. 

Tomorrow night is my bell rehearsal and Thursday night is basket making. Never a dull moment!

Hope all is well.