Homecoming

Ahhh... homecoming week. I remember the class color wars, senior stunt day, pep rally, working on the float, a week of organized chaos leading up to the well cheered game and finally the dance.

Now that my kids are in high school I get to re-live it all through their eyes. We have had the closets emptied looking for outfits for 50's day, pajama day, crazy hair day and color wars day. One of my sons was in the pie-eating contest earlier this week (who's bright idea was that? What a mess and in the middle of the school day. He smelled like day old bakery for 2 days) and the following day the class tug-of-war.

Carroll University http://www.cc.edu/ is also celebrating Homecoming this week. Expect a fun crowd to be lining the streets. Carroll has around 3000 students that will be out and about the celebration. The parade begins at 10 am tomorrow. The route will head west down Main st. Here are the streets on the route:

• Main-Clinton, to Wisconsin, to East, to College, to Barstow, to Cook.

Barstow will be closed from 9am-5pm.
Have Fun!

V.P. Debate

Today I have spent my morning working and peeking through the news from the waiting room at the hospital... again. This time it's not a motorcycle accident but one of the surgeries, which needed to follow-up from the accident two weeks ago. The good news, it's only a day surgery and I will be home with my recovering spouse this evening. Just in time for the V.P. Debate.

I hope you are planning on watching. What to expect? Well, Gwen Ifill will be the moderator for the debate. Gwen is a strong advocate for the Obama camp. An author of her new book, to be released in January called "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama". The book itself has not been released for view but according to its publisher Doubleday:

"Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the
impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential campaign..." http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385525015

She is at liberty to ask questions on any topic. No doubt she is, by far the most qualified and unbiased person to moderate this debate... after all, she is a woman? Right?? GIVE ME A BREAK! Certainly there is a more qualified, less biased person for this job.

Ifill has been accused of media bias in the past. Most recently after Sarah Palin's speech to the GOP.
This is why I get so sick of politics... it's a love/hate relationship really. I am all in favor of a good honest political debate. But I know that is, without doubt, an oxymoron.

My Morning Latte'

Here are the briefs from the
Waukesha Freeman:

• What kind of sick pervert thinks he has the right to sexually assault a disabled woman while she is sleeping? Man assaulted disabled woman
• Man investigated in murder-for-hire plot Really! I'm not making this up.
• Don't speak disrespectfully to your girlfriend. That's what this guy learned, I hope. Unchivalrous man allegedly has gun drawn on him
• I'm not sure if I feel badly that he: 1. felt so financially desperate that he needed to STEAL gasoline. 2. He was burnt. OR... wait a second. Ya I'm sure, we are all strapped buddy. Gas is expensive. DON'T STEAL! Man burned trying to siphon gas for SUV

Lake County Watch

• Counterfeit $100 bills in area I've heard this around Waukesha too. Some of the downtown local businesses have been effected by the counterfeiter as well.

Scarecrows

The Scarecrow worked. Well sort of. The truth is it scared the ba gee bees out of me this morning. I thought this would entertain you.

I woke up at 5:30 to get breakfast made and lunches ready for all...not to mention getting the java going. Still dark outside and me being half awake I thought I saw something outside when I walked past the window. Just my imagination... too dark to see anything.

Considering the day ahead, a doctor apt. that needs to be made, appointments that need to be kept, bills to be paid... yaada, yaada, yaada phone calls, letters, e-mails... I'm in my own little world putting mayo on the turkey sandwiches and carefully splitting apart the 'fork split' english muffins for the egg sandwiches my oldest would certainly want for breakfast. (what does 'fork split mean anyway??? I ALWAYS need to cut the thing open)

Then I saw it again. Something.

I need to let the dogs out. We don't want a mess on the floor. I send them out the other door. Not the one that might be by something. I don't think I want to know.

Back to my morning coffee pot and deli meat... the 'something' outside was forgotten about. Children are up now, I hear them. Radios on, shower's going, toilets flushing. I hear the dogs bark. Great. Let's wake up the neighbors too.

I rush to THAT door, forgetting that something is out there. AND EEEKKKSSS!!!! It's still there, but now it's light enough to see the shadows of movement. EEEKKKSSS again!!!! The dogs are barking at it too. It IS something. I flip on the light. Its the stinkn' scarecrow that I got at Retzners two weekends ago by some mom & pop crafter. (I don't usually get into crafts but this guy was cute in the full sun on the Sat. afternoon I bought him)

Big breath. I walk outside, pick him up, and move him away from the window. I changed his shirt to a green packer sweatshirt that has become too beat up. Certainly the green will be a bit less shocking for the next victim.

We don't have a crow problem anyway. That thing is a Scarepeople, not a Scarecrow.

Autumn Thoughts

"The gilding of the Indian summer mellowed the pastures far and wide. The russet woods stood ripe to be stripped, but were yet full of leaf. The purple of heath-bloom, faded but not withered, tinged the hills... Fieldhead gardens bore the seal of gentle decay; ... its time of flowers and even of fruit was over."-

Charlotte Brontë 1816-1854

My Morning Latte

Here are some of the Waukesha Freeman in the buzz 'briefs':

• Teamsters end strike against Waste Management They didn't want to wait around for a better offer to be put on the table.
• Financial bailout awaits approval from Congress $700 Billion!
• CC Sabathia steers Brewers into playoffs for first time in 26 years It sounds as though the playoff paraphernalia is selling off the shelves. Go early if you want in on a shirt.
• Town of Waukesha faces tough calls on budget
• BIG READ kicks off again with ‘Gatsby’ fundraiser

Some news from JSOnline:

• Waukesha Water Utility testing clean-water system by Darryl Enriquez
• Waukesha professor has plan for security at small airports by Scott Williams

And it's Homecoming season for the local high schools. This is the week for Kettle Moraine. Arrowhead, North, and West (i think) had theirs last week. South's is next. I love parades and marching bands. Their orchestra will play a bit before the parade as well. Can't wait for this one. Come by and say hi if you see us there.