Monthly Archives: February 2009

Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Nikki Weinberg – United Airlines

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I found an email in my box about Nikki – she has Ewing’s Sarcoma and I’ve been following her CarePage for over a year. Make a Wish has arranged for her to go to Hawaii, but can only provide a coach seat. Her dad is willing to do anything to get her an upgrade to first class where she would be much more comfortable. So far he has not heard back from United Airlines.

He is asking for a little help to get the friendly sky people to respond and a little help from anyone who can make it easier for Nikki.

Nikki’s CarePage has information and the story of her two-year rugged journey.

UPDATE: United Airlines has provided Nikki and her mother with first class tickets. Her father announced it on the CarePage.

This and That at The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

A monday that doesn’t seem like one

President’s Day, so it is Monday and there is no school. The kids had a half-day on Friday. We are up this morning to take Der Bingle’s car in for brakes and then he will head back to Fairborn. No one else is up. Tomorrow at this time I will be dropping Summer off at middle school. I feel right now as if I am in limbo. But, then, my cough has hung on and I wouldn’t mind limbo if it weren’t going to end this day. A few days in a limbo hammock sounds okay, although you have to be careful not to turn on your stomach and wind up with your arms and legs dangling down through the holes.

I am in a grouchy mood this morning.  Better set out flares.

Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

aspects of our morning

Once upon a time in the land of California, dre Bingle and Quentin got piece of furniture, which for some reason, we call “the cube” instead of “the cubes”. It moved to Geogia and it came here and now it is going to Fairborn . . . in a car. That means dissembly.

Well, this much is left:

the-cube

And here is Der Bingle realizing he needs metric allen wrenches to finish the job.

der-bingle-contemplating

Now, while he is going to get some, his helper, Cameron has formed the subject of a photo I shall call

DECADENCE ON A BEAN BAG.

decadence-on-a-beanbag

Oh, yeah . . .  Here’s a handycam film from the tour in San Diego Bay. I, the am amazingly selfless grandma, stood in a strong wind for a tour I have been on repeatedly and filmed Navy ships just for Cameron.  I came across it while looking for allen wrenches and stuck it in the DVD player; the picture quality is quite good.

sd-bay-tour

Once when Quentin came home for a day, we stuck one of these little DVD’s in my computer, not realizing this was NOT meant to be done. Grandma Sarah was downstairs and we had to be very careful we didn’t make any noise while we walked around trying to shake the disc out.

Just Me - AmeliaJake, The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Morning sunlight

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So many things in life now we can do anytime thanks to electricity and rapid transportation, but there is this matter of the sunlight of the day. When it comes in a window, especially at a strong angle in the morning, it marches quickly, spotlighting things as it goes. You cannot say, “Well, I’m going to spend five minutes watching it reflect off  something on a shelf.” It does not linger; you see it only for the short while it is there. And the next day, even if it is sunny, the light will not hit quite the same spots again.

This is the light as it hit berries and a tree sitting on a window sill opposite:

sunlight-on-berries

bigger-sunlight-on-berries

Just Me - AmeliaJake

You bark, I get up

Thank you, Sydney, for another Saturday morning event. You come bark at me; I get up; you go back to bed and sleep some more. I particularly like the way you raise your head from your pre-going back to sleep position and follow me walking around with your eyes. What keeps me from pouncing on you and grabbing your ears and pretending you are a motorcycle and I am riding you? Vroooooom! You didn’t think of that, did you? Well, of course, not. If I did something so heinous, all your little admirers would come running and I would be placed in a cell of shame with words or reprimand taped on the bars for me to read as I sit on my little prison cot.

You  .. . . . FURHEAD!  YOU SLEEPING FURHEAD!  I guess I will just have to go eat something tasty while you are sleeping, something like last night’s grilled hamburgers. Or maybe steak? Or Girl Scout Lemon Cookies . . . you know you love them.

Maybe I’ll just sit here and lean and NAP myself. How about that . . . FURHEAD?

I mean, who was it who spent two months on a futon with you when you broke your leg so you would stay calm? Who carried you in and out to do the bathroom thing – so, okay, once I did misjudge and knock your cast on the doorframe. Who fixes you rice and drained buffalo meat because you have a system vulnerable to pancreatitis?

Oh, wait. Is this some hazing thing? Some initiation into honorary doghood? That would be such an honor. Do I get a little pair of fur ears to wear? Whoa, I’m getting excited.

Just Me - AmeliaJake

Terri Ford – lady at bank

Stopped in at Scott’s this morning and then at the Chase Bank – went inside because I’m really not a drive-thru person. I filled out my deposit slip and then went to Terri Ford’s window and she told me I was looking good. Well, she always makes me feel good, raises my spirits. She and her husband Regan also provide music at local events and she said they’d be at Cobblestone tonight for the fundraiser for Noble House.  I feel like a party myself . . . so maybe I’ll put my Diet Coke in a fancy glass and actually pour my popcorn into a bowl while I sit here in front of some cable movie and let the last of my cold play out.

I could get an old steering wheel from some junkyard and mount it on the floor in front of the sofa and pretend I’m watching a drive-in movie . . . but then I would need a window to hang my speaker from and I’d have to put risers under the front legs of the sofa to simulate the parking ramp thing.

Or maybe I could buy an old non-operative auto from the 60’s and put a flat screen on the hood in front of the windshield. It could be our media room.

See, I probably would not have considered these ideas had it not been for Terri at the bank being cheerful . . . so I guess we’ll have to name the car/media room after her. I guess a patched together Reagan Ford bumper sticker would work – sort of.

This and That at The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Woo Hoo . . . back from head cold hell

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Three O’ Clock this morning – it happened. I awoke and thought, “My gosh, my head is not a snot-filled bowling ball.” I had about given up hope, as you can probably guess by the fact that this cold wore me down to frequent use of the word “snot” and the phrase “snort snot”. Yes!! I actually feel sort of bouncy and my eyelids are staying up voluntarily. My cough is still here, but it is breaking up.

Now I hope I have not jinxed myself . . . and I hope Der Bingle didn’t pick up this germ last weekend because he is coming back this weekend.

The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Peanut Butter – public service reference

Yes, here at the Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse, we haven’t mentioned the peanut butter recall because all our peanut butter has the Bear Cave Seal of Approval, having passed all safety measures. (They sample everything and not one bear has become ill – well, if you don’t count Little, who wound up with chickenpox after having been exposed to AmeliaJake and her shingles.

polar-bear-cubbie-little

We did receive an email today from Der Bingle that he received from someone who received it and forwarded it to him. It has a link to products involved in the peanut butter/salmonella problem. So it would stay within easy reach, we have taken advantage of the site’s widget connection. See, it’s over there to the right about the upside down cow.

The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Our scout

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100_1334

Remember Alien Poo? This is from Halloween when she kept an eye on who was coming up the walk. Well, yesterday she headed down to Fairborn with Der Bingle to check things out for us – you know, bring back info on the complex’s pool, exercise room, community area and the balcony off the living room. However, since it has been rumored that there are artifacts of UFO landings at Wright-Patt, we are wondering if she is going to check in on that situation.

She can sneak almost anywhere because she has mastered the Obi Wan Kanobi technique of putting thoughts into other people’s heads. Thoughts like: I do not see an odd Raggedy Ann. No small person is scurrying across the tarmac. No one in a blue dress is walking through the gate. We have no idea what thoughts she has put into our heads, but often we will have not the slightest idea what happened to the last piece of cake or pie . . . or why we changed the TV channel to a special on Roswell.

Tonight we will get out our special receiver and wait for her transmission.

UPDATE:

AP sent this picture of herself and Otter and Bing in front of the fire stove in the Bear Cave.

ap-fire

And this shot which is a little eerie.

ap-two