Medicaster Graphomaniac

So, I've been trying for a couple of months to write the companion story to Mary's Painting, but I can't seem to get the set-up part of the story written to my satisfaction.  Each time I write it, it seems forced and doesn't fit the tone right.  So I throw it away and start over.  The story is a good idea, but only if I can get the beginning written, then I'm sure the rest will settle into place just fine.

Hopefully I will get past this horrible writing phase on this story soon.  What I should do is move on to another story temporarily, but this is the only one of my stories that keeps sticking in my mind, so for now, I remain a quack writer.

The Ghastly Photos

Here's a few pictures of Halloween House in progress:

The neighbors are also letting us use one side of their yard...

Mephistopheles Has Started Decorating

So, we've started the decorating for Halloween House this year.  It's both a sad and exciting time.  It's sad, because our neighbors no longer decorate (they were the original Halloween House).  It's exciting because now WE are Halloween House.  Shawn, the neighbor who used to decorate but has moved, left us most of the cemetery fencing, window coverings (that make it look like the house is boarded up and condemned), and partial coffins (that look like they're erupting from the ground), so we're touching them up/repainting/etc to put them out.  We've already hung the bride and groom from the eaves along with some bats, spiders, and a huge spider egg pouch.

Changing from grey marble to beige marble for the cemetery columns

We drove to Illinois for the wedding and returned safely.  But I can safely say that Bishop girls between the ages of 12 and 18 months don't travel well for long distances.  Before that seems to be fine, and so far, the data suggests that after 2 years they're good, too.  Not great, mind you, but not screaming because they're too stimulated to take a nap.

As expected, Donna did not do too well as a flower girl.  I was actually surprised that she walked halfway down the aisle during the rehearsal before she started crying in terror.  I had to go help her during the actual wedding.

Over the four day period, Megi didn't really get any of her naps.  She normally gets at least two hour long naps each day.  Instead, she over the four day period, got about three hours of nap total.  :-(

That's all for now, hopefully, we'll have some decorating pictures to post in the next blog update.  Thanks for reading.

C'est Fini

So, I've finished the playground set.  I cut a new piece of wood and fixed the broken picnic table bench section, I finished digging the hole, putting the monkey bars on, and re-filling the hole.  I still have some other things to do, such as pick up the cardboard boxes that it cam in for disposal/recycling, removing the rocks underneath it for safety purposes, and anchoring the swing side better.  But essentially, it is done and the kids are enjoying playing on it.

(No, Ginger was in the process of sitting down when this picture was snapped, not the other act it looks like she's about to do...)

The next big long-term project for outside is to start leveling out a place to put the pool for next summer, and for the trampoline to occupy until we build the gazebo.  The next big project for outside, however is to become Halloween House.  But that has to wait a couple of weeks as we're driving across country to Peoria, IL for Candice's sister's wedding.

The next big projects inside are painting the girls' rooms, and the kids' bathrooms and to set up the art studio in the basement for Candice's glasswork.  The latter requires me to cut holes into the back side of the house and put in ventilation and hoses  for the short-term fix, and to build her some workbenches and a tank cover box for the long-term fix.  This will have the added benefit of letting me re-organize the workbench side of the garage so I can park in it (I think) since the '53 Mercury is taking up my parking spot.  The hardest part of doing that will be placement of the radial arm saw so that it is still useable with long pieces of wood wherever I put it.

Wednesday, I have to go to Buckley AFB, so I plan to take that opportunity to try to fix some stuff with Gabe and Megi in my official Military/VA paperwork.  Gabe, since I officially adopted him fully several years back, has been showing up sporadically with various different last names, depending on which system is referencing it.  Hopefully, I can get that straightened out.  Megi is still not showing up on my VA Disability pay, which isn't really a big deal except that means she's not on there for Survivor Benefit Plan purposes.  And since I've been trying to call the Disabled Veterans for over six months without a single answer (and they don't have voicemail), this is my one opportunity to make sure that wheel is turning without taking a day off work just for that.

They should be getting my serum in for allergy shots in the upcoming week or so, which means I'll be getting shots on Mondays and Thursdays for a while to come, and carrying around an epi-pen.

That's all for this log entry.  Thanks for reading!