AWD Rocks - and other things

We had an amazing downpour here on Friday. The kind that used to scare me about driving. There was standing water and running water in the streets. Drainage ditches overflowed and waterfalls fell from parking lots. Through it all, I got Z to school and me to work. All-Wheel-Drive is wonderful!!!!

I had lunch with ZBoy at school on Friday too. He's bought a "lunch bunch" pass, which allows him to eat lunch in the classroom rather than in the cafeteria. The TV was on and "The Backyardigans" was on. I'm sorry there was no camera or at least a tape recorder going on the ensuing discussion as to the gender of each of the characters and what animals they actually represented. Especially the blue bird-thing. Penguin or bluebird? Anyone actually know? After all the mutterings about being too old for Backyardigans, the kids actually watched and discussed the show, singing along with it as well! It was quite an amusing lunch period!

This morning, I went to visit my friend Kelly for a little bit. She is hosting her entire family for Thanksgiving and is trying to get organized between rounds of pneumonia. We talked about how to pull this off and how to slipcover two chairs with five twin sheets. I got a sheet and we tried various ways to cover it and came up with a winner. Two folded sheets per chair, plus one to make cushion covers with. I think it's going to work. I left, glad to have helped and thankful that I wasn't in the same boat.

At least I wasn't. After a call to my FIL today, it fell on me to host Thanksgiving for my husband's family. The other local brother is going to travel to visit his daughter. So we'll be twelve. Me, Z, DM. MIL & FIL. Kurt, DIL, Kylee. Out-of-town brother, his wife and two kids. I talked to my sister-in-law late this afternoon and we started nailing down a few things.

I spent a few hours in hell today. At least, hell as far as I'm concerned. My son had been invited to a birthday party for a classmate, which was being held at "Fun Station." That's kind of a Chuck E Cheese for the older set. No mouse costumes or animatronic jug bands, but lots and lots of games, bad pizza and noise. I brought earplugs. And I used them.

I do have to say that the teenager that wrangled the party was excellent though. She managed to be upbeat and cheerful and efficient, serving cake and cleaning up and packing the presents away, then leading kids down to bumper boats and go karts before bringing them back up to the game room. When she gets out of school, that girl is going to make some employer VERY happy. Hell, I wish she could come work for me! (Wonder what she's doing for Thanksgiving!)

Very tired now. And hopefully not getting sick. I started getting woozy tonight. Please don't let me come down with the flu like everyone else in town. There is too much to do!