Cleveland

Road Rage

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I hate to come back with a complain-y post but I’m feeling a bit blog-blocked right now. New job has me timid about what I say online. Also new job for me + new job for husband = no time for anything else right now. So, forgive me as I rant a bit about drivers in the CLE suburbs and issue some reminders.

1. A 4-way stop at a boulevard is still a 4-way stop. The divider of grass in the middle doesn’t mean you can ignore what’s coming from the left and right.

2. A 4-way stop at a wide intersection (*cough* South Park & Eaton *cough*) still means you have to stop. All the way. If you try to roll your way through I WILL creep and crawl my way through the intersection, forcing you to stop. And no, just because you stopped when the car in front of you stopped, does not mean you are next in line to go through. You still have to pull up to the stop sign and not just sit 2 car-lengths back.

3. If you are dropping your kid off at a preschool that has room for 5-6 cars parallel parked in front, DO NOT leave 9 feet of space between your car and the one in front of you! Likewise, if you are in the front spot, pull all the way up for the love of god. Those 4 feet of space you left in front means one less car can park there and I now have to drive around to the other parking lot. Common sense, courtesy, things you should have learned in driver’s ed – use them!

4. Being allowed to turn on red does not mean you can turn right in front of someone (I’m looking at you, ladies in SUVs leaving the JCC).

5. My dear westsiders, I know that the whole traffic circle thing is confusing. Circles are round; there are no comforting, pointy corners or stop signs for you. Infinity scares you. But please, please pick a side and stick with it – drive on the inside or outside – NOT in the middle of the 2 lanes. When all else fails, just drive around the circle again. Bonus points for saying “Look kids! Big Ben…House of Parliament!” as you do. We won’t laugh at you too much. (Note: perhaps it’s the traffic circles that make people bad at rolling stop signs as mentioned in #2. Hmmm.)

6. If you drive 45 MPH on my one-block, residential street you are an awful driver and, most likely, an awful person.

7. If you are crossing the street at a busy intersection, I would suggest you do so at a decent clip and not while checking your phone.

8. If you ride your bike to work I will think you are an awesome person who is fit! and environmentally friendly! And I will fist bump your hipster self. That is until I see you flagrantly ignore a stop sign or red light and I have to slam on my breaks because you think you don’t have to follow the rules. Then I will have fantasies of you and your raggedy beard meeting the grill of my car.

I think that’s all for today. What are your biggest road rants?

 

Ski Bunny

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One of the best things about being a parent is introducing some of your favorite things to your kids, right? This is why I’m SO! EXCITED! that Matilda started ski lessons.

I grew up skiing. From age 5 (4?) through age 13 I spent just about every winter Saturday at the local ski hill. It was a family affair – we’d pack up a picnic basket for dinner, load our ski-swap-purchased skis in the station wagon and spend 6+ hours there. We met families from church on the hills and the kids would take lessons or split off to do their own thing, then meet up for dinner in the lodge, followed by more skiing and warming up while playing Miss Pac Man in the lodge. A childhood full of memories was created at that ski resort. We’d go home rosy-cheeked and tired.

I started getting really exited as I read Angella’s tweets and instagrams from her family’s ski vacation. Her Emily and my Matilda are nearly the same age and Emily was learning to ski, too. Knowing that Matilda can get anxious about new situations I asked Angella if Emily had any advice for another 5 year old skier.

Angella went on to add…

We have 2 local ski hills and we chose the smaller of the 2 – hearing that they are better for younger skiers. Plus the lesson price was much cheaper. Because of my lack of calling early in the season we ended up purchasing a private lesson package (group lessons were sold out) and they cut is a great deal on a rental package. We had the lessons, we had the advice, we had the excitement. All we needed was snow.

We finally got some snow and her lessons started a week ago.

Matilda and I got there way too early and she was anxious to try on her skis so I let her get a feel for them outside the lodge. She did pretty well navigating in the bulky equipment. When her lesson time came she scooted off without any hesitation. She spent the hour mostly upright and had a blast.

She told me later that “it was hard, mama, but Emily and her mama said it would be so I didn’t cry. I kept my legs wide. And it did get better! I love skiing!”

Yesterday, her 2nd lesson, she was much more confident … almost cocky. She just wanted to put her feet “in french fries and go fast!” I skied, too and she had fun watching me on skis. (Sidenote: OHMYHOLYHECK I am sore today.) She’s mastered the J-bar but our attempt at the rope-tow was comical. Next time, if she masters her “pizza” maybe I’ll be brave enough to take her on the chair lift with me.

I hope she continues to like it and that she forms her own fond memories of skiing. Of watching the snow swirl in the spotlights as she rides the chair lift. Of feeling the freedom of finally being able to ski on her own. Of feeling the thrill of controlling the speed that is skiing.

 

*I am linking to Alpine Valley because they really are great for young/beginner skiers. I’ve been impressed with the lessons so far and it’s really laid-back. The terrain is all very tame but enjoyable. I’m posting about my own, paid-for experience. I got nothing from them – they don’t even know I’m posting this. 

Looking back on 2011

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I just read through my 2011 archive. Literally – I read the whole thing because there are only a handful of posts. I realize that I have been a terrible blogger this past year. If you can even call me a blogger anymore. Yikes. I’m not making any promises for 2012 but hopefully I’ll be able to carve out some more time to write in this space. This is truly an online journal of our lives and I value it; however this year seemed to be archived more via Twitpics & instagrams than words.

In the meantime I feel like I need to get an end-of-the-year post up, even if it is a few days late. (Read others here: 2008, 2009, 2010). So, here is a review of 2011 in no particular order:

Cheered on Mark as he ran his 1st marathon just days after turning 39.

Contributed to my daughter’s horse obsession by throwing her a pony party at a stable for her 5th birthday.

Everyone stayed more or less healthy for the entire year (despite 2 trips to the Pediatric ER and one overnight hospital stay with Madman).

Weaned my son at 16 months.

Moved Madman to a new daycare. Both kids are finally at the same place, at least for a little while.

Painted the dining room. You might think this would be an easy task, but then you don’t know old houses.

Had our first kidless night in over 2 years.

Got my first ticket in years.

Celebrated the last 1st birthday this family will see.

Watched Matilda perform on stage for the 1st time.

Mark started a new job even closer to home (and my office). We get to have lunch together once in awhile.

Found some gnomes in a garden.

Lived without a dishwasher (again) since the one we got 2 years ago broke big-time AND was recalled. Hopefully this won’t last much longer.

Made Halloween costumes for both kids.

Had some amazing conversations with my girl. That girl is smart, funny and opinionated.

Took 2 awesome trips to Hilton Head.

Discoverd that Mark isn’t the only runner in the family.

Went primal for a few months (I really, really need to hop back on this train).

Screwed up RITA (Regional Income Tax Authority) again. I’m not stupid, why does this always go wrong? (“I hate RITA” remians one of the top searches to this blog!)

Went to New York (work trip) for the 1st time since 7th grade.

Got rid of all the baby stuff.

Celebrated the 11 years of marriage.

Relished everything about having a 1 ½ year old. I love this age so much.

Started and quit running. Turns out my hate for running is stronger than the elusive runners high.

After 4 years of living in Cleveland, finally feel like this is home.

2011 was a pretty boring year as nothing major happened to any of us. I’m think I’m officially at an age that I think boring is good.

Happy 2012 everyone!

What We’ve Been Doing (Instead of Blogging)

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Running!

Snuggling

First tube slide

First Chucks

Chalk art

Parks

Baseball

Cloud gazing

NYC in August (Loved!)

But I was so happy to see my city again

I swear he grew 3″ while I was gone

A week at “grandma & grandpa camp” and suddenly she’s this big kid

Watching The Avengers blow up CLE

Pretending she’s a teenager

16 months = endless entertainment

What have you been up to this summer?



Review: Lodi Station Outlets

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A few weeks ago I was invited to a blogger day at a local outlet mall. I had never been to Lodi Station Outlets before but we pass it on every trip to my parents’ house. Every time we pass we talk about stopping but the kids are never cooperative. So this invite was a great way to finally check it out.

As a parent I was thrilled to see all the kids’ stores on the list of shops: Gap Kids, Carter’s, OshKosh, etc. My husband wanted to check out adidas & Levi’s. I couldn’t wait to be let loose in Kitchen Collection. (Why yes, we are quite the stereotypical cast of characters aren’t we?).

I went to Lodi Outlets on a mission to replace our 10-year-old hand-me-down blender. I was prepared to spend up to $75 on a new one. I had done my homework and knew what I was after. I’ll cut to the chase – the deals at Lodi were great. Here’s what $100 bought: 

Matilda got a pair of Reebok running shoes and a pair of Buster Brown sandals at Famous Footwear Outlet. I got tongs, pure Madagascar vanilla extract, a leave-in meat thermometer to replace one that just died and my pièce de résistance – a Cuisinart SmartPower 7-Speed Electronic Blender – all from Kitchen Collection. When I found this Cuisinart for $39 I grabbed it so fast that Mark’s head spun. It was 30% off regular retail. Plus I had picked up some coupons in the food court so I only spent $34 on it – nearly half off regular price.

Just so you know that I wasn’t the only one burning through cash, Mark also scored some great deals from the Father’s Day sale at adidas that aren’t pictured above. A runner can never have too many socks or tech shirts.

The best part about Lodi Station, and a big reason why we will go back, is the things for kids to do there. This is a great spot to shop with the family because mom & dad can take turns – one shops while the other explores with the kids. There is a very nice playground and grassy area near the parking lot. They also have 2 custom-made classic trains that ramble around the property all day and Matilda could not wait to get on one.

Another thing I found was that the staff was extremely kid-friendly. From the Lodi Station Outlet staff working in the food court area to the staff at the shops we visited, everyone was super-nice. Our last stop of the day was in Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for some ice cream. Matilda had $2 burning a hole in her purse and she decided that she wanted to spend it on chocolate. The RMCF staff was so sweet – helping her find what she could afford and what would be the best value for her money. She decided on 4 chocolate coins for $1, went to the counter to pay for it herself and they made such a fuss over her. She was so proud of her first transaction and held on to that receipt like her life depended on it.

  The Madman wants you to know that parents & kids can relax at Lodi Station

Matilda has already asked to go back to “the train mall” a few times. And I’m pretty sure the next trip to my parents’ house will include a stop at Lodi Station; Mark can take the kids on the train while I shop!



Disclosure: I was invited to have lunch, ride the train and shop at the Lodi Station stores. I was given a gift card to do so along with a swag bag of items from some of the shops. All opinions are, of course, my own.

Share the Shearer’s

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As I mentioned before – Mark’s race was a weekend-long family affair. We were in Cincinnati for 2 nights/3 days along with my parents and other family. I have 2 rules when traveling with kids: 1) a suite or 2 regular hotel rooms are essential and 2) bring SNACKS. Lots of snacks.

Luckily not long before the race weekend Shearer’s asked me to be part of their Share the Shearer’s and try out their new line of healthier chips (in comparison to their classic Red Bag line). Ever since I learned that Shearer’s was not only a local company but one of the greenest good manufacturing plants in the world, we have made an effort to buy only their chips for parties and home. So accepting their offer was a no-brainer as I already buy their product.

It was perfect – I could stock our hotel room with snacks for us, for my parents and for other family who would be stopping by throughout the weekend. Shearer’s sent me a box of assorted chips – the new potato chips, along with several flavors of Riceworks and Shapers. The day we left I also went and picked up some grocery items like cheese, yogurt, water and fruit to round out the selection we’d have in the hotel room.

Thank goodness for the snacks! First of all, the Black Bean Salsa and Cinnamon Shapers were gone days before we hit the road. Mark and Matilda took care of those in short order. In fact we passed the cinnamon ones off as dessert a couple of times (18 grams of whole grains and low sugar in a dessert – score one for mom!). During our 4-hour drive to Cincinnati we all shared the Sea Salt Riceworks which were NOT what I was expecting from a “brown rice crisp”. They were a little nutty, salty and crunchy and quite delicious; I’m pretty sure I had way more than my share of that bag.

In the hotel room we sampled the chips with visiting family….believe me, people were more than happy to come hang out in our room! The sour cream and onion and the rippled were everyone’s favorite. And no one had any idea they were eating chips without trans fat. In fact, my mom asked for a bag of Rippled to take home – they were as good as her favorite potato chips (and that woman is a potato chip connoisseur). Mark chowed down on the BBQ and Classic flavors post-race… he said the salt was “essential” after running.

I gave the Sweet Chili and Tangy BBQ Riceworks Chips to a co-worker who is gluten-free. Later that day he not only thanked me 3 times he asked to throw one of the bags in my trash. He had eaten both bags and was embarrassed to have 2 “empties” in his own trashcan. Guess that means they were really good!

Chips aren’t a pantry staple in our house, but Shearer’s will always be our go-to when the craving hits. It’s nice to know that you can get the flavor you want without the junk you don’t want. It’s a company I’m more than happy to support.

Disclosure: Shearer’s provided chips to sample and a grocery gift card to supplement our selection for the weekend. The opinions are strictly my own.

In Defense of a 30 Minute Meal

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Foodie. Hippie. Locavore. Food Douche. Call it what you will but we, like thousands of other families, have take great strides to improve what we eat. Make more homemade. Support local agriculture. Cook more.

There’s an article by fellow Clevelander, Michael Ruhlman, that’s been making the rounds for the last year and when first I read it I nodded along in agreement. Everyone has time to cook – just not everyone makes the choice to cook.

But as it’s resurfaced and I’ve read it again, this time through the lens of a working mother of 2 kids under 5, I get defensive.

I cook a lot. I make much of what we eat from scratch. But why should it have to take an hour or more for it to be considered real cooking? In reality, if it weren’t for the “fast and easy meal” recipes from people like Jamie Oliver and – my favorite source – America’s Test Kitchen, then I would probably not cook as much as I do today.

America’s Test Kitchen – my current favorite recipe magazine

Here is our evening: I pick up Matilda from preschool, drop the carpool kid off, and walk in the door between 5:15 and 5:30 . Mark and the Madman get home between 5:30 and 5:45. The Madman goes to bed at 7:00.  That leaves –  at the most – 90 minutes for dinner to be cooked and eaten, baths to be given and, hopefully, some playtime, reading and snuggles thrown in. I imagine that this scene is played out in countless homes of working parents throughout the country.

My solution is to seek out recipes and ideas with faster cooking times and things I can do ahead. The entire family loves this Korean Beef Rice Bowl. It’s a 30-minute meal that, with a little prep (I do all the chopping, cutting and marinating the night before), can be on the table in 10 minutes. Because of this recipe and others like it, on the nights Matilda has gymnastics we can still have a healthy, real-food dinner cooked by me. We all enjoy it, it’s healthy and it makes me feel good that I made it. A really crazy night might see scrambled eggs with spinach and herbs from our garden thrown on a plate. In the few minutes it takes to cook dinner Matilda can have the table set and when the boys walk in we all sit down for dinner. 

My goal every work-week is to make 3 home-cooked meals with enough leftovers to get us through 2 more dinners. I do what I can on the weekends to make this happen. Something I learned from the 30-minute-meal type shows is to prep all the veggies as soon as I get home from the market. On the weekends I’ll roast a chicken (or 2) to use during the week or make overnight stock if my freezer stash is getting low. I’ll clean and chop and measure out all my mise en place for the 3 meals on Sunday night. I store them in tupperware, labeled with blue tape. I’ll fill a huge bowl with torn lettuce for my lunch salads and will make a big batch of tuna salad. If I’m feeling wild and crazy I’ll make my own mayonnaise, butter or bread, too. 

Some weekends I’ll even get chicken breasts from the Plum Creek Farm stand at the farmers market and will spend an hour cutting them up to make chicken nuggets to stash in the freezer for nights I don’t feel like cooking. Or I’ll make a big batch of waffles on a Sunday morning and freeze the leftovers for out-the-door breakfasts (yes, I give my kids waffles that are still-frozen…they eat them in the car). But I also never feel guilty serving my kid a store-bought nugget or waffle when the homemade supply runs out.

Listen, I do love to cook – when I have time to enjoy it. Give me a weekend with nothing pressing and I’ll make chicken pot pie, braised short ribs or a luscious lasagna from scratch. But trying to shove the meal prep or long cooking (and/or oven-heating) time into my small window of weekday evening of time with my kids is not a high priority. That’s not even mentioning the stress of trying to cook while tripping over a one year old who is reaching for the burner knobs on the stove while the 4 year old whines that she’s hungry. That is not enjoyable for anyone.

I do think that Ruhlman’s overall point is very valid: everyone has time to cook, but not everyone chooses to do so. And while I’m happy that today he has time to enjoy “carnal exertions” with his lovely wife during the hour his dinner roasts in the oven, I’m sure he remembers a little bit of what life was like when his kids were knee-high rugrats clamoring for “food! food! now!”

So please, Michael, stop making at-home 30-minute cooks feel like we are the enemy to good food. And please don’t discourage editors, publishers, producers and chefs from developing new fast meal ideas. I rely on them. In fact, I invite you over to see how I can have a rocking from-scratch meal on the table 20 minutes after I walk in the door.

Guest Post: Work it Out (+ Giveaway for Locals!)

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UPDATE:  Congratulations to eleventh commenter Jessica for winning the session’s with Jen! Thanks to everyone for entering. Don’t forget – even if you didn’t win you can call Jen at 216-513-6989 for a free session and give her workouts a try.

(note: there were 20 comments but Allison asked not to be entered, so the winner was chosen randomly from the other 19 comments)

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During the second half of my maternity leave I went to the gym every day. I got a break from MAD, I got to sweat out my stress and I got to do something for me. I love group classes so I sampled everything they offered. By the time I went back to work I was in great shape. Then life hit.

Adjusting to the 2 working parents of 2 kids schedule was brutal. My gym (despite repeated requests) never offered any classes after the kids bedtime which is the only time I can workout,  so I was curtailed to 2 weekend classes a week. I felt like crap.

Enter, Pauline (honestly, she’s my go-to person for knowing the best of what’s happening on Cleveland’s east side) who invited me to a group session with her trainer, Jen Arenschield.  I was hooked. I love that I was pushing myself to the max, using the heaviest weights possible and feeling strong. Jen is the perfect mix of ass-kicking trainer and someone you’d love to grab drinks with. I’ve been working out with her for about 4 months and can honestly say that I crave her workouts. I look forward to them every week. And last week when M came home with this I knew I was teaching her something about the importance of being strong:

Without further ado, here are Jen’s thoughts about the holidays and weight gain plus a suggested workout to avoid it:

Avoid Holiday Weight Gain!

At this busy time of the year, there simply is often not enough time in the day to work out.  There are plenty of days where I could use a lot more than 24 hours to get everything done.  With the holiday season upon us, extra time is a precious commodity that’s hard to come by.

However, it was recently stated in a major media article that the average person gains seven pounds during the holidays (between Halloween and New Years).  After some online research, it seems that the statistic is not entirely accurate.  In fact, most people gain on average about one pound.  Whew! What a relief!

Not so fast…the news is not all good.  Just think:  as we age, the average adult gains between 1-2 pounds.  It stands to reason that this holiday weight gain could very well be the reason for an overall weight gain as we get older.  Often, the weight  gained during the holidays is not lost. The average person is gaining 12 pounds a decade. If you gain a pound or so over the holidays, there it is.

Fat loss can be broken down to simple math: Your body must burn 3,600 calories in order to lose one pound of body fat.  With very hard work, a person could theoretically burn a pound of body fat in a week with four or more very intense workouts.  At the very least, maintaining a consistent, challenging fitness program, even during the busy holiday season, will allow you to enjoy all the holidays  have to offer without the guilt and weight gain that often follows.

Then, instead of being one of the many who flock to the gym to carry out their New Year’s Resolution (for three weeks) to undo the damage, you’ll be right on track to look and feel great for Spring.

Try this workout at home with your own body weight.  I have always recommended interval training as a superior form of fat loss over steady state cardio. Interval training is essentially periods of hard work alternated with easier periods of work using one or more cardio exercises.  This workout pairs two simple exercises to work your entire body.  Do not be fooled, this is not for the faint of heart. This workout will get your heart rate up and burn calories like crazy.

You will alternate repetitions of Squat Jumps and Running Push Ups.

Squat Jump:  With your hands behind your head, sit back and down into a squatting position.  Explosively jump vertically, keeping your chest up.  Try to land softly, immediately going into the next squat.  Do not pause at the bottom of the movement. Progress the exercise by increasing range of motion in your squat and intensity in your jump.

Running Pushup:  This is a Pushup/Mountain Climber combo.  Do one pushup and two reps of Mountain Climbers in alternating fashion.

Mountain Climbers:  In pushup position, brace your core and keep your body still.  Bring your right knee towards your right arm, then back to the starting position, with feet only touching the floor in the starting position.  Repeat with your left leg, that is one rep.  Alternate legs with each rep. Progress the exercise by increasing speed and intensity.

Progression:  Exercises can be progressed in range of motion, speed and intensity.  You can also progress your work/recovery times.  A good rule of thumb to start is:
Beginner: 10 seconds work, 20 seconds recovery
Intermediate: 15 seconds work, 15 seconds recover
Advanced: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds recovery

You don’t need a lot of time, an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment to get a great workout.  The right exercises and a healthy dose of motivation are all you need to burn calories and enjoy the holidays guilt-free.  About 30 minutes is all it takes to keep you on track throughout the holiday season while saving time, frustration and stress.

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Jen is awesome and when I asked if I could promote her on my blog she offered up a generous giveaway to my readers.  Plus ALL potential clients can always do the first workout  free. If you live anywhere on Cleveland’s east side, come have Jen kick your butt and see if it’s the fitness solution for you. Call her at 216-513-6989 or send her at Tweet @JenArenschield

Giveaway – Your Choice:
–  Two individual training sessions with certified personal trainer, Jen  Arenschield ($90 value) or
–  Two weeks of small-group training with certified personal trainer, Jen Arenschield (six total sessions, $90 value).
Location is in Solon, Ohio.
Individual training to be scheduled at both the trainer/client’s convenience, group session times are as follows:
M/W/F:  5:45am or 9:30am
Tues/Thurs:  8:00-9:00pm
Saturday:  9:30am

Want to win? Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. For an extra entry follow @JenArenschield and tweet about the contest (come back and leave me a comment with a link to your tweet).  Giveaway ends at midnight EST on December 5, 2010. Please don’t enter if you can’t make it to Solon for your workouts!

(Disclosure: I am hosting this giveaway on my blog simply because I love my workouts with Jen. I got nothing in return for this post).

One Week in Cleveland

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Cleveland get crapped on a lot. Especially about our weather. And while it can be cold and grey, it can also be spectacular, if fickle. Here is one November week in Cleveland:

Snowmen on Saturday

Leaf piles on Wednesday

Beach time on Friday

Who Are The Weirdos in Your Neighborhood?

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We live on a pretty short street.  It’s quiet and there are several elderly people here who have been in their homes for 30 or more years. It’s a nice little suburban setting with people walking their dogs, kids learning to ride their bikes and weirdos mowing lawns barefoot.

Wait, let be back up. When we moved in the woman across the street who is about my mother’s age, came over quite a bit to chat with us as we were playing outside. One of the first things she mentioned was Bob*, the neighborhood odd-job man. “He’s a little odd.” she said “but he’s harmless”. If I remember correctly she said he grew up on the street and was just a normal kid. He went to college and came back a “little off” as she said. Having lived here now almost 3 years I’m going to guess that Bob had some kind of mental episode while at college because the dude is not right. And he creeps me out.

He does indeed do odd-jobs for many of the older folks on our street. He mows lawns, walks dogs, rakes leaves. But he does all of this barefoot and early in the morning. Every Thursday all summer long at 7:45 AM we’d hear the mower start up next door and sure enough he’d be out there, rain or shine, mowing their lawn. Ever see someone mow grass barefoot in a thunderstorm? Weird.

He wears the same thing just about everyday – cut off jean shorts, a ball cap and an old ratty t-shirt. Buddy Holly glasses. No shoes. A bright yellow rain slicker if needed. I would guess that he’s in his mid-fourties or early fifties. He moves between the close-set yards quickly and quietly, often cruising up a driveway on his bike. It never fails to startle me to see him walk by my kitchen window that faces our neighbor’s driveway.

I always thought Bob lived in a slightly unkept house a few doors down as he seemed to come and go from their property a lot. Then, this summer, our new babysitter who has lived in the house catty-corner behind us her whole life, revealed to me that he lives in her neighbor’s garage! He lives in his van right behind us! Turns out that the house behind us is vacant – has been for over 5 years (and here we thought it was old people who were snowbirds). The house is now owned by the son of the previous owners and he allows Bob to live in the garage during the summers in exchange for keeping up the house and property. I had heard music coming from that garage in the evenings many times and had always just assumed someone used it as a workshop. Silly me.

Now is the time of the year that Bob disappears for the winter and I have to say I am relieved. He seems harmless. He’s very kind and we even had him mow our lawn once while on vacation. I’ve never heard anything but good things about him. But he still gives me the creeps. And I’m never totally comfortable with M playing alone outside when I know he could pop up just over the fence anytime. Call me over-protective if you want, but the dude is weird.

So, who are the weirdos in your neighborhood? The people that you meet /when you’re walking down the street/ the people that you meet each day?

*You know his name is not Bob, right?

UPDATED: In case you were wondering, today (11/11) he started at 7:41 and is wearing a winter parka and an ear-flap hat with his jorts.