So, who loves Boosterthon?

Rocky Horror Picture Show Reboot!

Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert need to be in a reboot of RHPS. Here's the Facebook page where you can give your opinion on that - and if you like the idea, where you can suggest additional cast members, plot scenarios, etc.

Hoping Richard O'Brien, who wrote the original 1975 RHPS and played Riff Raff, will like the idea and want to get involved.

GS cookies! Find some near you.

Goodness, the time flies.

We're most of the way through Cookie Season '11 now. I've posted a link to this year's new Cookie Booth Locator, courtesy of Little Brownie Bakers (one of the two official GSUSA cookie bakers; the other is ABC).

This year's flavors are the same as last in our Council:
the Fab Five - Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-dos, Thin Mints;
the Timely Three - Lemon Chalet Cremes, Thank You Berry Munch, Dulce de Leches

Girl Scout Cookies & the weather

It's Girl Scout Cookie time again! We had a booth last Sunday and sold over 170 boxes in four hours. Same spot this Sunday, two and a half hours, only sold about 60-70 boxes :-< I figured we probably wouldn't do AS well as last week, but thought it would go a little better. Another troop that had a booth last Saturday (different location near us) sold 240! My second kid's troop's booth is next Saturday, at the location where that other troop did well. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Last Sunday was the first weekend for cookie booths; was warm (40s-50s), sunny, pretty much the first nice weekend since all that snow and before most people's cookies had been delivered. This Sunday was windy and chillier, sunny/cloudy, and lots of people have gotten their cookies delivered to their homes already. But we've had booths a few weeks into the cookie sale other years and have sold 100+, sometimes on cold days and sometimes on nice days. Neither rhyme nor reason...

That said, we have LOTS of cookies left, of all eight flavors! Hopefully we'll get a lot of catchup orders but it looks like we'll need to do some walkabouts (go door-to-door with cookies in a wagon) or sign up for a third booth. And hopefully it'll be WARMER from here on out.

Be Thankful

The world is crazy, but we all have something to be thankful for. Try to find yours.

While you're thinking, here are some causes to consider supporting - financially, in words, or both. They'd all appreciate it.

The Ice Skating Calendar: buy these fabulous, funky calendars to directly support one ice skating coach's son's autism therapy.
http://iceskatingcalendar.info/

LABMED: an organization that helps adopted/fostered Labrador Retrievers by providing funds to cover their medical needs.
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/237321/84356412?m=e56504ed
I've sewn blocks for their auction quilt several times, including the August (yellow sky/red sun) block in this year's quilt.

Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County Libraries, and Fairfax County Park Authority.
All are on the chopping block this budget round. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors - who doles out the money - could make it so elementary school languages, band, strings, and full day KG would be eliminated; so parks would have to charge new fees and reduce staff; so libraries would have to close one day a week, cut back on services, and lose staff. There are a number of groups that have sprung up to protect these important programs and departments and to keep Fairfax County a top-notch place to live, work, and go to school, but a lot more help is needed and support is welcome from all over.

Opinion article about the school budget cuts in the Washington Post
Facebook group "Save Fairfax Band and Strings" (FACE)
Facebook group "Save the Language Immersion Programs in Our Schools!"
and FLAGS (Foreign Language Advocacy for Grade Schools)
Friends of the Reston Regional Library's recent blog post about the horrible budget situation, with a link to a petition to sign in support of the libraries


Thank you for helping when and where and as much as you can. Here's to a safe Thanksgiving that's as happy and relaxing as possible.

Wordzzle attempt #3

Seems my week 80 attempt (the previous one) wasn't at the right time. Let's try this one.

Raven's Wordzzle challenge (week 81 by Raven's count):
http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/saturday-wordzzle-challenge-week-81.html

> The words for this week's ten word challenge were: dangerous, engine, sullenly, bespoke, evergreen, bauble, medicine, freight, destined, tinsel And for the mini: carbon, feelers, outright, ballet, fizzing

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You just don't wear an evergreen bespoke suit to the ballet. Not if you're trying to impress your date, not unless you check with her first. Not even if she's your girlfriend. All the baubles and flowers in the world can't help a certain sartorial stumble.

Charles Barkley or Michael Jordan, they'd look outright fine in a suit this color. Dangerously confident. I had them in mind when I chose the fabric for my own foray into custom menswear. I saw the beautiful, oily raw silk on a high shelf and was sure Sonya would love seeing me in it. Her favorite color is green and she's always saying how she wishes I'd wear something more interesting and adventurous than the plain suits I usually wear to my bank job. I had this made just for her and put it to one side of the closet for the right occasion.

Sonya was everything I'd been looking for, an all-in-one package, but we were taking things slowly. No clocks ticking yet. This was to be an anniversary outing, our six-month celebration. I put feelers out before setting up our evening - do you want to dress up to celebrate, would you rather see a ballet or an opera, are you OK with a meal afterward so we can recap the show. Aye all the way. Great - pick you up Saturday at seven. I can wear the suit! This is the big day!

Saturday, September 19th. I take my allergy medicine. Put extra care into cleaning up and getting dressed. Got my snazzy new suit on, wallet and tickets in my pocket; cell on vibrate, keys in hand; I'm ready. Off I go. Buy her a nice white corsage; rev my engine outside the florist's - gotta make my car feel like she's having a special night too - and go to pick her up. I'm happy, smiling, corsage in my outstretched hand. I'm destined for a great evening with this great woman. Knock-knock!

She opens the door with her hair all done up, sparkly jewelry, nice makeup, huge smile. She's clearly been prepping a lot herself and I can't take my eyes off of her radiant face, inches from mine. I lean in for a kiss as she glances down. Now her smile is fizzing away. She's glaring at me sullenly. What? I'm clean, I'm dressed neatly in my new suit, I smell good, I'm not late. I'm pretty sure I love her enough for that big Someday. "Might as well get us a freight load of tinsel!" she shouts and bursts into tears.

Only as she steps back to slam the door do I get it. It's an old problem, one that should have its own carbon date.

Her dress, a new and very flattering one, is made from the same green silk as my suit.

Another Wordzzle!
http://restonfriends.blogspot.com/2009/09/wordzzle.html

> The words for this week's ten word challenge were:Charitable, alligator, tribute, drunk, slave, preparation, carrots, mountainside, propeller, lark For the mini challenge: chisel, worship, suicide, organic, plus

~~~~~~~~~~
Much easier than the first challenge I tried! I can get this set into just one paragraph. Not a friendly one, but here it is ;->
~~~~~~~~~~

"How charitable of you, my drunk slave, to worship me properly! For I see your preparation of a pot of alligator stew with organic carrots plus the tongue of a lark is now boiling. In appreciation for your tribute, I shall chisel your name on the mountainside. Your suicide? Why yes, that would be acceptable. I'm very hungry today. Do hop in."

Meditation farm?

Getting deeper into Facebook and YoVille, etc. The link is to my entry for the YoVille "farm room" contest.

My first thought - since their current theme is Mafia vs. Police - was to do a body farm, but I haven't the play money for that. I already had the bathroom they give you set up as a meditation room since I don't care if my game character has a toilet; that plus the freebie bouquets I've saved up and some plants that were already decorating other rooms and here you have it: my Meditation Farm.

Please post - here and/or on YoVille - & LMK what you think.