Off topic - a little tiny bit of stitching

And what are you going to do in your spare time???? lol

Isn't Marshall's the coolest place to shop? I was there yesterday and found several goodies, none of which I needed.

Lucille

Snip

Free time - it's hockey season, there is no such thing.

I love Marshall's - if yours ever gets the flower fairy tins, let me know, they never show up here.

It's funny, I like Marshall's, find TJ Maxx overly "youthful" and Home Goods vaguely tacky most of the time, despite being owned by the same company. Mind you, I'll browse at all of them, but really like Marshall's the best.

Cheryl

What are flower fairy tins? I finally finished the needlepoint fan and a Janlynn sampler that I did some time ago, and brought them to the framer. They will be ready on Thursday or Friday and the framer is in the same shopping center. I'lll surely stop in at Marshalls (I always do) and will certainly ask about the tins, but it's best that I know exactly what I'm looking for.

TJ Maxx I agree but I kind of like Home Goods. It's fun to look through all the junk and I've even found some really cute odds and ends, mostly among the china or pottery things. They make very nice little house gifts.

There is an Italian line of chocolates and other sweets that are in tins (among other things) that are decorated in Mary Cecily Barker's flower fairies! Dang cute and I'm a sucker for all things Flower Fairy.

I love the fabric covered boxes and such and the bath aisle. Sometimes there are good things in the food section.

Cheryl

Snicker!

Lucky that he remembered tix, id, & head.... Next time - just leave him with a self-addressed stamped envelope to drop the "forbidden" items in the psot and save you the trip. Poor baby.

Glad you got the turtleneck for yourself.

Wish we could think of a Lake Placid place - but our crew generally stays on the training campus - or last time, rented some condos.

Why are you hauling the stinky gear????? You haul sticks for little one - little one must haul own gear. Big own definitely must haul own gear... Can take leg pads out - or do the I'm cool throw over shoulder goalie thing. But they've got to haul their own gear....Baking soda.. But the big bag at Costco. Cup in every wash load. Your day sounds like me - and now you can laugh - as DH left his stinkin' ref gear to fester in the bag for a few days

- for the 3rd week in a row - and first thing this morning -I'm sticking my hands in that wet, smelly, mess to wash it all - as we call it - the full monty - including the ref pants with pads built in. At least there were 3 other towel rolls full of the other sets of used understuff (leggings, undersarmor long sleeve shirts) and man does that synthetic hold some stench. I should have stock in Arm & Hammer (I do swear by it - added to the detergent).

Yeah for you! I'm getting stuff ready to send your next stitchin' package.

It's so cute when the little ones come in and out all dressed except their skates. There's a guy on DH's prior team (who skated on our team when we had one together) that does that. We're always hysterical about "Tom the Mite" . He's a short guy, anyhow - and it's a riot as he comes racing into the rink like a Mite - in all his gear, save the skates. I think the room is merciless - asking if his mommy had to dress him, or the wife - or his 5 year old. Although, he grew up playing youth hockey in Ohio - so maybe it's a holdover.

OK - this is when I'm questioning your sanity - you stayed for them to public skate - after 2 practices?????

Long day - long practice. We used to do 2 hour practices when we could get the ice - alternating with the 90 min blocks. It's definitely a get tired full practice. But, it does let you get a lot done.

Hmmm - tough day. Tell him to start getting his game face on en-route, and just deal with getting there a little later. When he's a pro and has someone paying him to play then he won't have to compromise, but given all your driving he should be able to deal. When we're heading out to only get there 20 min ahead - DH does the game-face music in the car. I just don't talk to him.

DH is armbanding U-18s right now - that was the 12:40 - 2:40 game, (35 mi south near Potomac Mills) then he comes home - should be here about 3:30 (maybe) 'cause that rink has no showers for the refs (it's an awful ref room

- in the coaches equipment/locker room. Alsways stinks like old gear - in the cages. And there are disgusting carpetted "becnhes" to sit on. The women - we usually get the figure skater pro's room - has a little couch, is clean, etc. The he's doing a house midget double - other end of town - up in Rockville (30 mi? North) starting at 5:50. And I think I'm supposed to go and do ref evals on the other sheet. So, we'll be out of there around 9:30.

Sounds way too busy. I'm pissed - just got an e-mail from our patio/deck builder - that our bank returned the last payment check (which was bout 7% of the bill - which we'd paid all in cash quite on time). First the guy put the check thru the wash. Then we gave him a new one. Then they lost that. Then someone came and got yet another one. I'm thinking they held that a few days - but with our credit union we've had some issues. I kept checking the account, no problem - and on Tuesday I moved some money into DH's account (shopping ?) and a couple of hours later replaced the money. The account doesn't let you transfer money out - more than the available balance

- so if the check was in process it would shouw a lower balance than the items that have gone through. No such thing. And, of course, within hours the balance was back up. So, now I've got to go fight with the bank, and get some big certified check - and pay the $25 to the builder (that we're a little annoyed with anyhow) and get back the $20 the bank deducted. I just can't figure out how when there was at least $1000 more than the check in question in the account they can bounce a check, and deduct the fee.

Babysitter - hope it's for fun nights! I'll be getting our planting all done - the HOA just sent us a nastygram - I have 25 more days to get all my plant containers cleaned up, and the mulch (under a tarp) removed. We're bad.

Ellice

That's funny. The Home Goods here has really good deals and some really nice things - mostly in linenes, rugs and some glassware. We got a lot of the fairy china stuff last year - I bought a bunch for gifts. Don't like TJ Maxx so much.

We end up browsing the Home Goods a lot. But, Marshall does have some super stuff. I'm afraid to buy anything -because I have no idea how much stuff will start erupting from cartons once we get out of our storage unit - I'm hoping to do that next weekend.

ellice

Phew - thank the Lord we don`t do all that any more!!! I`m worn out reading it! In our case it was when DS was in the Sea Cadets Band, which meant chasing all over the country with them - we set up and ran their canteen, too! It was three or four nights a week and Sundays cadets and band practice - two nights a week trumpet lessons for DS, and wherever the Band was doing displays and band contests, particularly in the summer. In between (???) we used to organise discos for the kids AND for the adults and fund-raising for instruments and gear for the band. I can`t imagine how we survived several years of this - but we loved it!

Oh yes - I used to have a full time job and breed Siamese, too, which meant half a dozen cats and sometimes a dozen or more kittens to look after ( the record was 17!!!) - plus any visiting Queens who came to stud!!! There MUST have been 36 hours in a day at that time!

Pat

Never seem to find much there except giggles.

Better you than me!

LOL - well, you have to do more hockey stench laundry than me....I guess that's why I'm marathoning laundry now, and trying to get that silly summer garden sampler finished - today - before heading to a rink tonight.... But, maybe I'll blow off the rink - I'm really not in the mood to evaluate refs. Especially after last night's really boring CAPs-Lightning game - officiated by fine linesmen, one standard NHL ref, and my new candiate for worst ref. I've had this guy on my worst 5 list for a while, but with the last couple of games, have moved him to the bottom - unbelievable. Our friend who was an AHL off-ice official, when I griped about him last season said "yup, he stunk in the AHL - so he'll probably stink even more" - cute guy, but that doesn't make up for judgement as if you're in 1st year mites, and hate everyone. At one point this guy called 6 pnealties in a row on the CAPS, of which about 2 were fine - and nothing on the other team. Very uneven - and very ticky-tacky. Like a first year official. Ouch.

So, we're reduced at the last two games to doing Project Runway cheers. Yup

- talk about some boring hockey.

ellice

We know where to stay but I still needed to explain that you don't want to walk the 10 blocks from the Hilton if it is snowing.....

If he didn't need the head so bad, he'd have done it. He swore he was going to burst otherwise and the toilet sure needed an air out after.

I use vinegar - the bulk white Heinz.

Tonight, I mi

I'll take pictures. Or you could consider coming up in Dec when she has a pre-game at the Monarchs.

DD and BestBuddy only get to see each other at practices - we live in different towns and they are so good for each other. And they have so much fun on the ice. Yesterday, they were easily the best skaters out there on hockey skates excluding the "ice guards". There is one older man that comes most weeks. We all think he must have been a competitive figure skater at one time; he is pure poetry to watch.

Oh, the game face music will be on in the car, but there is some team building going in the locker room.

Yah right, they are nights when ice time for him starts at her bedtime.

I'm hoping for a garden day or three next week....

Cheryl

... Go home. Drive to HS, ...., drive home,.... load truck

.... We

She's on ice at 4:30 PM, he's on at 8 PM

Good Lord woman!! Do you get to breathe somewhere in there,cause I didn't see it. AK in PA

That was today!

Coffee - just give me the coffee!

Ok, I'm exhausted just reading your list. This is why I stopped with one kid and was sooooo thankful she didn't like to sweat! I'd have been berzerk running around like that to different practices. Ballet and piano were bad enough!

So you live in 'Derry?

Cindy >HUGE Stephen King Fan!

Well - hockey is their only sweaty activity. She's still in Brownies, I really hope to keep her in for Juniors.

Yes - you near by?

Ack - I read, but have never gotten into King....

Cheryl

You'll have to tell me who off list! I guess being a pro ref could be a thankless job at best.

I have never watched Project Runway - I'll just have to imagine it!

Cheryl

Sit over here on the couch by me. I love Stephen King. His new book, "Lisey's Story," comes out this week. Washington Post Book Review loved it. Of course, he did just write them an article on writing back in September...

Donna in Virginia

Being any kind of ref is a thankless job at times. We're always reminding the newer officials, and the ones that've been doing it too long - "you're the only one out there being paid - be a professional" - even in the USAH ranks, etc. The pro refs we know quite love their jobs. By the time you get there, you've had many years of screaming paremts, bad coaches, kids, etc. In the real pros - there's much less aggro from the players/coaches - they deal much better than the fans realize. The fans - well - for the most part are idiots with respect to rules, and are emotionally involved. I learned a long time ago - I can't really see the lines, etc from the other end of the rink, or even 60 ft away. SO, I always love when people are screaming about some offsides call - from minimally 130 ft away - as if they could really tell.

I will pass on the name off-list.

Ah, well, the re-runs will start. It's awesome....although my sewing/design instructor makes fun of it.

ellice