Trick Or Treat

My mom won first place for Goofiest Costume at her senior apartments Halloween party.

It Went Well

Hubby's practice for the physical test went pretty well. He was able
to complete the whole test in 8 minutes and 6 seconds. The time limit
is 8 minutes. He would have made it under the time limit, but he got
the jelly legs during the last task - dragging around a 150 lb dummy -
and tripped over his feet and fell down. He got up and finished, but
the delay put him over.

He will go again on November 1 for another practice.

He is feeling quite confident about his written test though. And is
fairly certain of high marks. I don't doubt it a bit. He is super
smart.

Just look at the size of that head!

Scooby Doo - Where Are You?

Oh! There you are....

My nephew's birthday cake.

My sister called yesterday and was telling me about how the bakery advertised the cake could be ready the next day. She went on Thursday to order a Scooby Doo cake to have for Saturday. They told her they had to order the cake kit; which would take a week. After they got the cake kit in THEN the cake would be ready the next day.

So then I had a moment of temporary insanity. I volunteered to make his Scooby cake, if she went to the store and bought the pan and decorating supplies.

I used to have all the decorating supplies - bags of different sizes, couplers and tips galore. I learned cake decorating in Girl Scouts and when I got older I took the Wilton home course of cake decorating. I wasn't half bad at it either. I was especially good at doll cakes. I think it was the ruffles. I like ruffles. I had more than a dozen different kid birthday cake pans. I even made my sister's wedding cake.

But then I just got out of doing them. Sold off the supplies on ebay one year. It's been many years since I did one. It is still fun. But, oh my, I had forgotten how long it can take.

And I didn't lick a single finger, spoon or egg beater - or taste one tiny bite of icing. Not even the chocolate.

AFD

The Arlington Fire Department is hiring. They have their own fire
academy. And it is paid training. And when he is done with the fire
academy he will have an actual job with the AFD.

Tomorrow is step one. The written test.

This should not be any problem. Hubby is super smart; just to be sure
though he bought a practice test with the types of questions they ask
and has been going through it.

After the test he has an opportunity to practice their physical test.
They have 2 other days to also practice their physical test.

This should also not be any problem. The information packet they send
out contains a DVD showing the parts of the test. It even shows
someone going through the entire timed test in real time. The test
consists of a few different ladder exercises, including going up a 70
ft extension ladder (yikes), some stair climbing and some lifting and
hauling stuff. No timed running. And he gets to practice the actual
test.

After he passes the written test he will schedule his physical test.
After he passes the physical test, he will schedule an interview.
After he passes that interview, he will schedule a second interview.
After he passes THAT he will start their fire academy in February.

In the meantime, he is still training for the other physical test, the
one with the timed run. Just in case. The bad thing is going to be
the timing of the two. The timed running test is in December, with
classes starting in mid-January. This means he won't know about the
AFD job BEFORE the other classes start. He will have to pay all of
the class expenses and probably start classes until he finds out.

Cross your fingers for the AFD job. Paid training!

Who Knew

Snails eat cat food

Happy 18th Birthday Surly Teenager

You've grown from a silly, and beautiful little girl

To a beautiful young lady

Who still likes to be silly

Unexpected Perk

Hubby helped a customer, who happens to be in town because she is touring with a show, and to show her appreciation she gave Hubby 2 tickets to her show.

So Friday night I got to go see Mary Poppins! And it was totally awesome; from the house opening up like in a giant pop up book, to Mary Poppins flying, not just across the stage, but out, and up over the audience!

Date night 2 weekends in a row. I could get used to that.

I will never grow up

Friday night Hubby and I took a night off and went out for a "date". Dinner and a movie, the perfect date.

Made even more perfect by it being dinner AT the movies.

Made the most perfect by being a double feature of "Toy Story" & "Toy Story 2". In 3D. With previews of "Toy Story 3".

It was great fun.

And I am not even embarrassed about being spotted by my 7 year old nephew, who happened to be at the same show.

The flu is everywhere

My sister's youngest son has H1N1 (swine flu).

I got my flu shot on Friday morning. So by dinner time I felt fairly crappy. I was nauseated, running a low fever, FREEZING, and achey.

I was in bed by 8:15. I put on my long underwear, warm socks, and threw my fuzzy blanket on top of the regular blankets.

Hubby came to bed around 10ish and made me take some Tylenol. I think I warmed up around 3am.

I slept 12 hours!

Luckily, I feel better this morning (just a little achey) because I have way too much stuff to do.