kyburg | Stuff from the weekend.... (Reply)

I'm still pretty certain hotel rooms are evil for anyone under the age of 12. No, I don't think taking a small child with me to conventions is a Good Idea, particularly if the idea is to have kid cooped up with one of us bouncing around a hotel room while the other one has a normal time of it, doing whatever.

Everyone should be having a normal time of it, whatever. (Then again, that original hotel stay might have left some marks - ya think? Poor everyone. I think about that and still cringe. No place to play, nothing to eat, no sleep. No, no hotels for a while.)

I'm also not a fan of traditional strollers. But jog stollers rock. We found one at a Salvation Army store some time ago (remember

caitlin?) and put it into service this weekend - both at the Hermosa Beach Fiesta and the Topanga Days Country Fair. Large enough to be comfortable, not too large to navigate (would not take to Disney, for example) the events attended and open to the sky - so kid can see everything, including helicopers, birds, you name it. Add ballcap and sunglasses and get ready for some action.

Also, consider that the Topanga event is in Topanga Canyon - yup. Nearly vertical site. Climb UP to get there, slide DOWN to get out. Sisterhood of the OMG KID YOU WEIGH A TON as you pass each other on the grade (and exhort each other to FEEL THE BURN YAH YAH) as you go by. The Topanga event was every bit as crunchy granola hippie as it looks - but they also had a bona fide safe playground that kid could get out of the stoller and play in for half an hour, no charge. (Yes, there were some carnival games to the side, but no interest whatsoever when there's a jumpy bridge, a slide and things to climb instead!) Butterflies. An artwalk - with canvas for 'instant expression' complete with tempra paint, brushes and so on. I left a happy face with red hair.

I bought clothes. Seriously - and didn't pay more than $10 an item, except for a couple of event wear pieces, and they might have been $15. Also found some used CDs (oh I wished for

bigbigtruck, WISHED), refrained from buying more honey (I have a lot yet and can get more every weekend, wow must have a lot of beekeepers locally, ya think....) but also truly missed having others with me...place had a gypsy alley. Gypsy. Alley. People were talking about looking for belly dancing gear. *sigh* Wish you were with me Sunday. Seriously.

Found some beautiful handblown glass heart beads for really cheap. The second day at the Fiesta, found a vendor who did nothing but gilded leaves...and some seed pods. Think of things like this. Normally, I'd find this in a pretty singular fashion, but this guy had hundreds of examples, across both size and type of leaf - and he'd done peanuts in the shell and some smaller pinecones as well. Gold, silver and iridescent copper. So, I found some things to make other things with as well. (Now, all I need are some decent findings. THAT'S the hard part for me.) I also found a glassblower who was getting 'rid of some extras after completing an order for 50 of them' - oil lamps. Christmas pressies!

I see a new community

glee_tv - FOX was handing out ballcaps with the show logo on them Saturday (we snagged two). Needed them. Didn't care what they said. (May eBay them someday. Who knows.)

I will be hearing 'doggy doggy doggy' in my sleep for a week. Hermosa Beach's Fiesta was pet-friendly and that meant a lot of pretty puppies. Tons of Poms. At least four pet rescue/adoption groups were out in force...right next to the Libertarians and the Republicans. (The Dems, they put behind the lemonade stand, next to the 'bait and switch Baptists.')

Finished the weekend last night at an old favorite restaurant - but very glad to have survived it intact and ready to go back to work.

Added last night for the first time - bedtime routine now includes being put to bed after a bath, one episode of Spongebob, two books and a snuggle. (Around 8:00 PM.) It took a lot of checks, re-tuckings (and night-night smooches), but about 9:00, one last tuck in and settling of the jazz hands did the trick and he fell asleep in his own bed. He only got out of bed once, and once scooted back, stayed there. (Did not mean he didn't stay awake looking at the pictures on the wall, playing under the covers, etc.) Bodes well. (Note to self: get some new pictures up on the wall.)

Your Tuesday, now in progess.