I was talking to Apple last night about the election. (Note: Apple is Canadian but is very invested in this election.) I was telling her that I believe everyone has the right to their opinion and that I am willing to listen to other's opinions, I felt that my friends who support McCain have resorted to name calling. One accused me of "drinking the cool-aid" (OK. I do admit that it was really difficult not to respond with, "At least Obama's supporters know it's Kool-Aid, dumbass!") and another accused me of not understanding what I was doing to the country. Which, actually, I believe I'm doing the right thing for the country or else I wouldn't be doing it. (The general implication has been that I have bought into some Cult of Personality and that I am not even thinking of the issues.)

Apple said, "I haven't noticed that. Of course, I'm not friends with any McCain supporters, so there is that."

I’ve been babysitting Monkey a lot lately. The week before last I watched him while TRgirl played soccer. (Randy was working.) That night I was feeding him dinner when she left, and she made the mistake of kissing him goodbye while having her purse over her shoulder. He cried, and after about five minutes I told him, “She can’t hear you anymore. She’ll be back later.” He looked at me and stopped crying.

We called Mom later that night. I had her on speakerphone and he closed the phone, hanging it up. (Apparently that doesn’t happen with TRgirl’s phone.) I called Mom back and he grabbed the phone away from me. He clearly had something very important to tell her, because he chatted on for a few minutes before handing the phone back. The unfortunate part is that we do not speak his language.

On Friday he came over to trick-or-treat. We were trying to get pictures; he was more interested in Orion. And doing “nice” to Orion.

I babysat again on Saturday. Now, for some reason he has decided that the thing we do together is go outside. He will bring me my shoes if I’ve gone inside and taken them off. So, the first he did when I got there was look for his sock and then get his shoes. We went outside and were playing when TRgirl and Randy left. I don’t think he noticed they were missing. We played outside, we had dinner, we read the same book three times. We watched Center Stage. (He was imitating the dancers.) When TRgirl and Randy got home, they asked me when I’d put him to bed. I told them 8:15, but admitted he could have lasted longer; I was the tired one.

I’m babysitting again this Thursday.

If my weekend were getting a performance review, I would give it a rating of “Did not meet expectations.” The final straw was Sunday night.

I had gone out earlier in the day to get spare house keys made. I am heading up to NJ this weekend with TRgirl, Randy, and Monkey for Thanksgiving. We’re doing it early because of Randy’s work schedule. (It will be my first “Thanksgiving” at my parents’ house in 7 years.) I have to get a friend to watch the boys as TRgirl is generally the person who does it when I’m away.

Anyway, I had keys made. The cat-sitter was supposed to come over last night and learn the routine. I wanted to test them out beforehand. Phoebs had called earlier in the day, so I was returning her call and decided to test the key. Grabbed one of the new spares, closed the door, turned the key, and locked the door.

Except that now I couldn’t unlock the door. The key that had locked the door was not able to open it. I was stuck outside with no coat; luckily it was about 50 degrees. Also lucky? The part where I was on the phone. I let Phoebs go and called TRgirl- they have my spare key.

When I told TRgirl the story, she said, “Well, I’m in the middle of eating dinner.” My eye-roll was apparently audible; she corrected herself by saying, “I could leave, but Monkey is also in the middle of his dinner.” She promised to come over when he was finished.

I called Phoebs back and we talked for another 20 minutes. TRgirl called and said, “Randy has your key and hasn’t called me back.” Yep, Randy had taken my keys to work. At his 24 hour shift at the firehouse. In a completely different county. He was on a call, so we had to wait until he got back to the firehouse to go and get them.

I had to reschedule the cat-sitter’s visit.

Last weekend we (Randy, TRgirl, Monkey, and I) went up to the parents' for Thanksgiving. Yes, it was a week early. Randy and TRgirl rotate Thanksgiving with the families, and it was their year to go to our parents', but he had to work on Thanksgiving. So we had it early.

(I never go to my parents' for Thanksgiving. I hate the drive.)

We were cooking that Saturday and the turkey had finished early. Mom was worried about the timing because she'd planned everything else around the turkey finishing when it was supposed to.

Fear not! We will always come up with a solution. TRgirl was picking up the pan with the turkey in it. Mom had used and aluminum roasting pan. It had handles, but TRgirl did not use them. She used the sides of the aluminum pan. Said pan promptly collapsed and spilled the drippings all down the front of TRgirl. Goose had stepped in to help, and they didn't drop the turkey, but she was yelling. I ran into the kitchen where Mom was taking TRgirl out of her pants. I went and turned the shower on- cool water. At this point we were all convinced that the grease/drippings were hot and she was burnt. At this point, Randy took over her (he's an EMT; we thought it prudent.)

I walk out into the kitchen to see greasy pan drippings all over the floor. Mom was crying, Goose was crying, and I started cleaning up the mess. I took my shoes off because, well, feet are easier to clean. It took 3 washings to get the floor semi-clean.

TRgirl was fine; the drippings had cooled before she spilled them on herself. Apparently the clothes she was wearing still smell like turkey.

I spent actual Thanksgiving out at Bob and Steph's. It was a good time, up until I hit the deer on the way home. I'm fine; deer is not. Car is in the shop, but it will go on my comprehensive. Therefore, my rates won't go up. The End.