tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56583532012-02-16T04:00:53.674-08:00The World According to SchrenkKathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.comBlogger6311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-31924419447357323922012-01-27T11:04:00.000-08:002012-01-27T11:06:08.612-08:00

This week my son got a break from homework. Just as a reminder, he's 6. Years old. Here's the school's reasoning behind this one-week homework vacation, which they call "The Week of the Family": During the week of January 23, Encinal and Laurel schools will celebrate the Week of the Family to honor the vital role that families play in supporting the growth and education of children.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-55831293332519544422012-01-13T09:48:00.000-08:002012-01-13T09:48:32.330-08:00

We just got back from a fabulous trip to the "Mayan Riviera," just south of Cancun. None of us had ever been to Mexico, and Nathan has a friend from way back in Chicago days who lives in Playa del Carmen, so we decided to check it out. Knowing no Spanish and wanting to have some relaxation as part of our vacation, we decided to try an all-inclusive resort. Nathan's friend knows a travel agent

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-53998199824969886082011-11-17T21:18:00.000-08:002012-01-13T09:49:28.139-08:00

There has been much made of the Occupy Wall Street movement not knowing what it wants. There have also been many comparisons to the Tea Party movement in its grassroots nature. Of course the "liberal" media has derided OWS for being unfocussed and time-wasting. Hopefully at some point they will gel and figure out who's going to be their Bachman and get inside Washington and actually get

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-8995523765356751242011-09-24T20:55:00.000-07:002011-09-24T20:57:38.395-07:00

Saw "True Grit." Some observations:Jeff Bridges' best movie for not being reminded of The Dude a lot.In the "This movie has been rated" screen at the beginning, one of the resason for the PG13 rating was "Western violence." As opposed to eastern violence?I should watch more westerns. Any suggestions?

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-3201011835870970282011-09-20T13:48:00.000-07:002011-09-20T13:51:10.624-07:00

My almost-six-year-old has always been the picky eater (at least I can say he's not the pickiest eater I'm related to). But he's tall and seemingly always growing, so he's Always Hungry. And not just hungry, but "STARVING TO DEATH." Despite this, nothing every sounds good to him.Last year we made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch every single day. Now he refuses to eat them. He has

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-76166803710096751312011-04-20T17:20:00.000-07:002011-04-21T21:19:02.478-07:00

I am so proud of my two little men for hiking alll the way up to the top of the 600-foot waterfall. They complained less than the 8-year-old boy that was with his parents hiking behind us. Probably because his mom forgot the granola bars.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-48192684490870763492011-04-19T21:19:00.000-07:002011-04-19T21:48:04.071-07:00

We learned many things today. Fifty-seven people were killed when Mount St Helens blew its top in 1980. One of them was a revered volcanolgist named David Johnston. Another was a cranky, drunk old jackass who wouldn't listen when the scientists told him to get the bleep out. No one in this area of the country does anything recreational between the months of November and April. But while we were

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-49977847912712397062011-04-18T20:32:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:40:54.932-07:00

Apparently the Trailblazers are in the playoffs and it's a big deal.Arthur's getting ready for his turn as a J Crew model.Hippies carrying a mannequin leg.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-77220478043799517842011-04-17T17:25:00.000-07:002011-04-18T08:11:45.577-07:00

If you remember our last house swap, you may recall we had a tiny apartment with no heat and single-pane windows in a great location. This time we kind of have the opposite: A big, beautiful, comfy house in a residential neighborhood sandwiched between an industrial area and a district that made us kind of sad when we drove through it on the way to the house. But it's not too far from downtown

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-91358226763337011712011-04-16T21:45:00.000-07:002011-04-16T21:51:13.386-07:00

On our way to our second house swap. Certainly the most epic drive we've attempted with our munchkins. It was a good day with minimal whining. It won’t be quite as exciting as our last one: no driving on the wrong side of the road or mysterious coffee ordering problems (aside from the ones I usually have at Starbucks). Presumably the people whose house we’re staying in have a clothes dryer and a

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-90401951870742910042011-04-07T21:30:00.001-07:002011-04-07T21:43:45.056-07:00

The latest in an occasional series of totally gross photos is thanks to my dear husband, who ran into some of the nasty weed in Mariposa last Friday. He went to the doctor yesterday and she gave him hard drugs (prednisone) and the healing seems to have begun.I can't seem to find the totally gross picture of my pulled tooth from about 5 years ago. Very disappointing.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-73582183658661928722011-03-19T18:25:00.001-07:002011-03-19T18:25:11.378-07:00

"Next year we'll have a new baby." Me: "Will this baby be a boy or a girl?" "A girl." "And where will this baby come from?" "Your tummy. Or we'll buy one from someone with some dollars." "Most numbers are six hundred and fifty." (Our area code is 650.) "Can you drink hand sanitizer when you turn 21?"

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-38173939773610033022011-03-16T17:07:00.000-07:002011-03-16T22:13:50.881-07:00

We have our own little Fox Mulder here, apparently. Yesterday our kindergartener told us "Leprechauns are really real, I know it!" We asked him how he knows this. "There was some writing on the back of a piece of paper." Hmmm. OK. We didn't press the issue.Today he claimed to have more proof, and as we were walking home from school, he told his classmates that we passed how "leprechauns are real!

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-22850705684794065882011-03-08T18:06:00.000-08:002011-03-08T18:13:53.532-08:00

Apparently my resolution to quit yelling at my kids is working. Yesterday I was picking up my 5yo from a playdate with his best buddy and my kid was being a big grump and yelling and fussing becase I wouldn't let his friend's mom give him another cookie (he'd already had two). I calmly told him he needed to be nice and thankful for the cookies he got and say thank you for that and the playdate.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-88876345220292326102011-02-26T23:03:00.001-08:002011-02-26T23:09:15.116-08:00

this is why I'm spending my weekend in meetings. This pictured valley is under 300 feet of water. This can be another Yosemite Valley. this is why.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-32011566987206462492011-02-21T21:27:00.000-08:002011-02-21T21:32:42.592-08:00

Mostly based on an Outside magazine article I read recently, I've decided it would be fun(?) to try giving up one thing a week. Just to see if I can do it. Or for something to do. Or whatever.This week it's yelling at my kids. When I get the urge to yell, I'll whisper. I've heard this works. Um, we'll see?Other things to give up:AlcoholDiet popCoffeeJudgingRed meatBuying items that are not

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-12266035550122755612011-02-20T22:15:00.000-08:002011-02-20T22:28:07.532-08:00

My dear husband, with shopping list written by me in hand: "I can't find baking powder."Trader Joe's employee: "Let me go check."(Husband waits with 3-year-old)Employee: "We don't have any right now. It must be a seasonal item."Yet another reason Trader Joe's is completely stupid and a total pain in my butt.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-8220044169060123212011-02-19T09:36:00.000-08:002011-02-19T11:59:44.507-08:00

The good news is that my foot is feeling a lot better. went to the doc yesterday and the wound is great, motion is good, I should start trying to go for walks around the block. The bad news is my back is making me feel like I'm roughly 94 years old. This took me by surprise, since the surgery was 6 weeks ago and this just popped up in he last few days. It felt a little wonky Tuesda and

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-52120011381790687662011-02-14T19:58:00.000-08:002011-02-14T21:38:15.968-08:00

Wow, I looove how Will Arnet plays Magic Max on Sesame Street, and his intro music is the same as it was for his illooosion shows on Arrested Development.It's totally not my fault I found out some lousy new random Cub is wearing #17; I'm babysitting and when I turned on the Tivo it was on WGN because their 2 year old loves the People Falling Down Show.I totally want one of these:

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-79603835035829767092011-02-07T21:46:00.000-08:002011-02-07T21:57:25.891-08:00

Why isn't "Super Bowl Sunday" a standard listing on my calendar? It's at least as important to most Americans as Valentine's Day, or St. Patrick's Day, right? Go to June on your calendar, and on the 14th you'll see Flag Day. Flag Day! Who celebrates that?? Even if you don't "celebrate" the Super Bowl, if you go out to your favorite store or restaurant, you'll have it mostly to yourself. Doesn't

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-78793543656665574552011-02-05T22:59:00.001-08:002011-02-05T23:00:00.309-08:00

Scroll down to page 16. It takes a bit to load; I wrote the story about the dirt-bike-racing kid :-)http://www.spectrummagazine.net/pdfs/2011_02_SpectrumArchive.pdf

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-30397055619250421042011-01-28T08:57:00.000-08:002011-01-28T16:41:16.196-08:00

Top 5 Random Things that make me Happy:5. The word insouciance4. The word corporeal3. The intro to the Colbert Report (yes, I've seen it a hundred times, but it makes me smile every time)2. Making my own background on google:1. This collection of "treasures" at the Menlo Park library:Not shown are a slide rule and high school diploma from 1957.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-1901037717626822042011-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:002011-01-26T10:19:07.942-08:00

The Menlo Park City Council voted 3-2 last night to let a developer cut down one of the biggest redwoods in the city so she could extract the most possible profit from her investment.In tree vs. cash, cash wins.This developer, Kim Lemieux, referred to for the rest of this post as The Once-ler*, bought a house on University Avenue in 2007 with the intention of tearing it down and building a bigger

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-24115012544036468662011-01-21T13:28:00.000-08:002011-01-21T13:45:19.564-08:00

Both these xrays show same foot, my very own right foot. Is that amazing or what? I had another doc appointment today and got my stitches out, which wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it was going to be. He changed the bandages and said I can start taking showers without wrapping my foot in a plastic bag. I'm a little nervous about taking care of the wound myself, but he says it's healing fine.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-63386681139414236022011-01-20T15:58:00.000-08:002011-01-20T22:16:55.131-08:00

Sitting here at my dining room table, wearing two sweaters and slugging hot coffee, I'm practically shivering. Why? $250 to PG&E last month, that's why. This giant rented box we're living in, with its single-pane windows and shoddy construction, is a sieve, and there's very little we can do about that. I've set the thermostat to 66. In the master bedroom, we've put a plastic sheet -- the kind you

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-65505711745996170082011-01-14T12:33:00.000-08:002011-01-14T13:26:37.085-08:00

I went to the doctor this morning and finally got to see what's been under the two inches of bandages on my foot all week. The doc says it's healing nicely and it seems like I've been doing all the things I'm supposed to. This week I need to keep using my ice machine and gingerly putting weight on the foot. I am also supposed to wiggle my toe back and forth with my fingers, to make sure the

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-88799295395444456462011-01-07T21:40:00.000-08:002011-01-07T23:08:32.460-08:00

My foot has been sliced on and the healing is underway for my formerly-bunioned right foot.In case you're wondering, as I did, how they make sure they do the correct side, a nurse had me write YES in purple marker close to the spot that's to be worked on.Basically the doc cut my foot open, broke the bone below my big toe, shaved some of it off, shoved it into place, and put in some kind of screw

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-22560281024897908112010-12-27T06:12:00.000-08:002010-12-27T06:22:56.752-08:00

I've been spending most of the last couple days trying to remember why I used to like staying in hotels. There's just not a room big enough to make staying in one room with two hyper, out-of-their-routine little boys a pleasant experience. There is humor in the TV, which reveals the ridiculous "news" channel practices that get even more ridiculous during an event like the current east coast

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-88238293856562551622010-12-23T19:41:00.000-08:002010-12-23T20:21:58.955-08:00

Faithful readers of this blog will recall that I have long struggled with a diet soda addiction. Fortunately I've been able to replace most of my soda consumption with coffee. At least at home. When I'm out, I default to pop, mostly because of the temperature. Every time I have coffee (non-iced) from a shop or restaurant I experience severe tongue damage. Yet I see people get a steaming cup from

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-89530774636286002512010-12-15T09:51:00.000-08:002010-12-15T14:50:27.723-08:00

Something magical and wonderful has happened in San Jose of all places. Yes, I know San Francisco banned plastic bags a while back, but that sort of action is expected from them, despite their unforgivable sinfulness. Marin is going for it, too. One county and city at a time, I guess.I actually have a lot of plastic bags in my house right now, on purpose, since I learned how to crochet them into

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-69888119422096475832010-12-09T23:20:00.001-08:002010-12-11T14:29:01.525-08:00

If you are planning to rent a house any time soon, hire a home inspector. You may think this is only necessary if you are purchasing a house, but you would be wrong.When we signed a lease a year ago, we were in a bit of a hurry, since we wanted to unload our old house and the rentals we were seeing were mostly hideous and overpriced. The home we ended up choosing is hideous and overpriced, but

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-10725299096185932812010-12-07T23:05:00.000-08:002010-12-07T23:18:07.038-08:00

This guy and this guy have written books. Not just books, but successful books that people read. They don't necessarily like them, but they read them and make TV shows and movies out of them. Books made into TV shows and movies, for the love of pete.Maybe I just need to pick something and write a book about it. There are always people on the Daily Show who wrote books about random stuff. Like

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-9121706659981333172010-11-24T23:33:00.000-08:002010-11-25T21:32:41.416-08:00

It seems that Americans on both sides of the cultural divide have found a common enemy: the TSA. No one wants to be groped or back-scattered or microwaved in the name of airport safety. We'd prefer to have dogs sniff our bags -- and we'd probably rather have them sniff our crotches than have our nether-regions grabbed by TSA hacks.San Francisco progressives and Midwestern conservatives seem to

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-31748095375059452702010-11-17T23:23:00.000-08:002010-11-17T23:24:45.408-08:00

Feeding my kids has always been the single biggest source of stress to me as a parent. As an infant, my oldest didn't nurse well and I didn't make enough milk, and I had bought into the breast-feeding propaganda about how your baby would be ruined for life if they got formula from a bottle. (Luckily I managed to figure out that it wasn't that big of deal and was able to relax with my second

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-91880159758606584522010-11-14T15:19:00.000-08:002010-11-15T13:42:37.123-08:00

Why can't I get myself back in gear here? The idea of writing something is a good one. But the something is the sticking point. When I read “Where I Was From” on a plane a couple months ago I wished for a computer to type at and get out all my thoughts. I scribbled out some thoughts in my travel journal about asking my mom about our ancestors and writing about my thoughts on the Donner Party

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-47850133767182820492010-10-22T22:46:00.000-07:002010-10-22T22:51:15.479-07:00

Top 5 Things about my neighborhood that are completely insane5) I can't see my hand in front of my face after dark on the sidewalk in front of my house4) There are no sidewalks between my house and my kid's school3) I live closer to the big park in Atherton than the one in Menlo Park, but I can't walk there, unless I pay $125 for a key to a special gate2) I can't park my car on the street in

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-54885423577085670532010-10-21T17:03:00.000-07:002010-10-21T21:04:34.447-07:00

If you're a perennial absentee voter in California, you've already received your ballot and maybe you've even voted. Hopefully you voted Yes on 19 and No on 23.Let's start with 23. It's pretty much a no-brainer. Unless you're a global-warming denier (I actually heard a news clip in which someone said global warming is probably a scheme to make money for the solar panel companies, cause

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-23723678145665961732010-10-08T23:25:00.000-07:002010-10-08T23:28:56.201-07:00

My five most-hated MLB teams (in order):5. The Dodgers. Just because I have lots of friends who are Giants fans.4. The Yankees. They just win too much.3. The Braves. Godspeed, Giants. I won't be watching the rest of the series because I can't handle those redneck fans and their tomahawk chop. And too much winning.2. The Angels. Three words: Rally Monkey. Thundersticks (one word afaik)1. The

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-5100348798460514412010-10-01T23:16:00.000-07:002010-10-01T23:20:50.996-07:00

Top Five Things you can do for me if you forgot to get me a birthday present (it was Sunday, silly!):1. If you live in California, vote Yes on Prop 19 and tell three friends to do the same2. Leave your car at home for one trip this week and bike or walk instead3. Donate $50 (or more!) to Restore Hetch Hetchy4. Bug me if you don't see a post here in more than a week5. Use your turn signal for

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-30961169010516464482010-09-29T17:40:00.000-07:002010-09-29T17:41:02.592-07:00

I just read a blurb in a magazine about a book chronicling the myriad movements for secession throughout the US. It’s a topic I’m interested in (there are certain states we could really live without, aren’t here?) but the review was luke-warm on the execution. I know myself well enough to know that I won’t make it through a whole book on any topic if it isn’t well-written (case in point:

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-24805118991782111752010-09-27T20:15:00.001-07:002010-09-27T21:01:17.424-07:00

Yes, I'm attempting to blog again.I can not WAIT for the new recycling regime to start Jan 1. I don't know which I'm more excited about: the weekly pick-up, or the yard waste containers that will take COMPOST! No more throwing the food scraps into a pile in the side yard and waiting for it to disintegrate.Prop 19 is ahead in the polls! Is it possible?? Common sense prevailing in the polling booth

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-19500272600600761502010-05-05T20:58:00.001-07:002010-05-05T21:02:42.590-07:00

Lost lost me when the time travel started. Today on facebook somebody revealed that a major character died, and I did not feel sad at all. I think this is a good thing. It seems that dramas these days have to get more over the top to keep viewers, but then they end up losing people because they are so bat-guano crazy. Big Love (really Bill?) and 24 (chicks will never learn that sleeping with Jack

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-87115958848995923282010-04-26T21:50:00.000-07:002010-04-26T22:02:26.547-07:00

I took my first class at a new exercise studio in MP, The Dailey Method. It's mostly light weight training and core work with pilates and dash of yoga, and boy did it kick my butt. I will be so sore tomorrow.I finally got an external flash for my D70. Better test it out before Saturday.Tonight I made a delicious meal from many ingredients with NO RECIPE! This is a big deal for me. I've never been

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-44640771622087607142010-04-20T07:30:00.000-07:002010-04-20T07:33:16.422-07:00

With all the houses being built by people with unlimited budgets in Atherton, you'd think some of them would be just a bit different. They all seem to have this vaguely Mission style but are huge and loom over the street. I did see one on my ride along Greenoaks and Oak Grove today that looked just like a mission would have looked 150 years ago, but without falling over itself trying to be

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-82104744969916641602010-04-17T21:38:00.000-07:002010-04-17T22:01:56.244-07:00

Today was the quarterly Restore Hetch Hetchy board meeting. Usually it's in SF, but this time I had to go to the East Bay. Trauma. I left a little late, as usual, and was half way to 101 when I realized I forgot my purse. Hah! I went back and grabbed the purse along with my outlet phone charger, just in case it was low on batteries, since I knew I'd need it for the meeting.Got back in the car,

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-32343630473723259422010-04-13T14:24:00.000-07:002010-04-15T18:53:50.456-07:00

Than Manic Monday (though somewhat stream-of-consciousness)I wish people wouldn't send messages to the mothers club about stuff like spanking and circumcision. Honestly. It just clogs the forum and pisses people off. What is with the Menlo Park-Palo Alto people? I'm hoping these kinds of messages are coming from the latter. I didn't have this problem in Redwood City.Speaking of Redwood City, I

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-38995321331088077792010-04-05T18:47:00.000-07:002010-04-06T14:38:20.655-07:00

After my first three experiences with seaming, I may quit working straight needle projects.What a day. Is it too late to sign up for the MLB package?I have now owned a total of five devices for conveying children via bike. (Don't even ask about strollers; Linda had to help me with those.)

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-25002194905093031462010-04-02T16:18:00.001-07:002010-04-02T16:33:57.089-07:00

Top 5 tasks I really want to accomplish this weekend:5) Unpack CDs4) Reorganize the garage3) Repot the basil and jalepeno plants I bought last week2) Hang a curtain rod I bought in January1) Make candy

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-61413332718848398452010-03-29T13:51:00.000-07:002010-03-29T23:04:24.158-07:00

It looks like there is FINALLY some physical movement happening on the future site of the Redwood City In N Out.This is disappointing, but not exactly surprising. At least it frees up Kiefer to be in lots more terrible movies.I truly hate Heidi more and more every year.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-26854558028095899442010-03-26T22:36:00.000-07:002010-03-26T22:39:26.833-07:00

5 things Caltrain needs:5) Trains that run past midnight (who comes home from SF at 12?)4) More mid-day trains (once an hour? Come on.)3) Conductors who don't act like total jerks2) Bar cars after 3 p.m. (Wait, what's that about a deficit? You're welcome.)1) A hole in the floor enclosed on all sides on each car (cleaner than the existing bathrooms)

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-52798713579457787692010-03-23T11:31:00.000-07:002010-03-23T11:33:31.380-07:00

Wow I've been blogging slacker, but that's a post for different day. Today I have something extremely important to tell you. Aspartame is more addictive then caffeine.You know how caffeine is this highly-addictive drug? Well, it's got nothin on the stuff they put in diet pop.As you may remember, I started on this journey toward freedom from the drug more than a year and a half ago. It was not

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-13420172386707985392010-03-22T19:02:00.001-07:002010-03-22T23:09:55.159-07:00

I dig the way links open in tabs next to the one you're working in in the new version of Firefox.I bought a new mp3 player so I could listen to audiobooks, since for some crazy reason my walkman doesn't support it, and am enjoying The Help.Apparently 4 is the age at which males start holding long, narrow objects in front of them and declaring "I have a big penis!"And behold this, the video of the

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-84856474529208765342010-02-28T20:48:00.000-08:002010-02-28T20:53:25.857-08:00

Except at Celia's, apparently.Recently I was upset with a couple of my favorite dining establishments. First I wrote this email:I have enjoyed eating at Fresh Choice for a long time. Recently I found out that I have a number of food sensitivities, so I have come to appreicate the allergen info posted by almost all of the food items. However, it's disappointing that every single soup has soy. I am

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-34964659972025323592010-02-23T16:19:00.000-08:002010-02-23T16:21:31.924-08:00

Saturday I attended the local parents' club's preschool fair. It's a tradeshow for preschools where they all come and set out brochures and pics of the kids doing cute, fun stuff and even drawings and projects by the kids. Both our kids are in lovely preschools now, but we need to figure out what to do with the older one if he doesn't go to kindergarten in the fall (that's a whole other story).

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-696114699547871372010-02-18T13:38:00.000-08:002010-02-18T13:41:04.475-08:00

I know the decade's been over for a whole six weeks now and everyone's forgotten all about it, but I have just gotten around to listening to most of Rhapsody's "Top 100 Songs of the Decade." As I started listening to it, I thought to myself, "this is at least 50 percent crap!" As I listened to more, that number went up. I now believe that it's about 75% crap, 15% listenable, and 10% actual good

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-14191526300729979712010-02-17T15:37:00.000-08:002010-02-17T16:17:25.403-08:00

So it's Week One of the zero-allergen diet. So far so... ok. This weekend I went off the wagon a bit with a cheeseburger (protein style), some red wine on V-Day and blue cheese on a salad. (And maybe a serving or two of you-know-what.) Replacing coffee with tea has caused some more headaches. I have the sniffles, too, but that's probably related to weather changes and blooming. Excedrin has been

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-36752024252698515732010-02-04T18:45:00.000-08:002010-02-05T21:29:03.541-08:00

It seems like in the last few years there has been an increase in the success of Mexican food chains that are "fast" food, but a step or three above Taco Hell. Una Mas, Baja Fresh, Chipotle, and more. This is excellent news for me, since Mexican food is awesome, and it's my three big allergens (soy, gluten, egg) are easily avoided in such establishments. I wonder what it is about Mexican food vs,

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-53746950570821157682010-02-03T22:14:00.000-08:002010-02-03T23:10:09.322-08:00

Well, I'm pretty sure I've been gluten-, egg- and soy-free for at least a month. I'm still eating out, but avoiding Asian restaurants because soy is likely to be pervasive. I made muffins from a mix made by a company called "1-2-3 Gluten Free," and they were mediocre. Candy-making with the soy-free baking chips was very successful. Tastes just like the kind made with Nestle or Ghiradeli.But I

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-59384123916705781692010-01-27T21:30:00.000-08:002010-01-28T22:22:50.127-08:00

Well, it turns out there is something to this gluten thing, after all. A couple weeks ago I decided to add gluten back in to my diet. First I ate a piece of bread with dinner. Then a donut. Then Cheerios. At first all seemed well. A week later, I noticed that my occasional breathing problems had returned. It's not really asthma, and it's not really shortness-of-breath, but it's like I can't take

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-80617078346721486192010-01-21T19:41:00.000-08:002010-01-21T21:05:47.844-08:00

Let's review, shall we?When we first walked through the house after the start of the lease, we made several discoveries: One of the furnaces (the one that heats the first floor) was busted. There was a giant pile of termite droppings in one room, which led to the discovery of half the living being termite-devoured. Then there was the overflowing toilet (which was actually the fault of and taken

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-67716373961107161562010-01-17T12:49:00.000-08:002010-01-18T09:18:38.631-08:00

It's Day 2 in our new house, and there are still boxes piled high in almost every room, but serious progress has been made. Aside from my one box of cookbooks*, the kitchen is unpacked. I made soup for dinner! I had hoped to get our bedroom unpacked by the end of the day, but oh well.It's been quite a week. Tuesday I chipped a tooth, which got taken care of Wednesday morning during time I should

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-83148655406737757982010-01-08T20:22:00.000-08:002010-01-09T09:22:57.854-08:00

In late October, we decided to move. Doesn't matter why, it's too late to back out now. We're selling our lovely home in the RC so we can rent in Menlo Park.About the same time, I learned from a nutritionist that I can't eat anything. More specifically, I am highly sensitive to wheat, soy, eggs and almonds. I'm moderately sensitive to a number of other foods, which I don't have the energy to

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-37130287441758155522010-01-04T17:48:00.000-08:002010-01-06T14:58:09.510-08:00

Here's a list of some random things we found during our first post-lease-signing walk-throughs of the house:-A pile of termite droppings in the downstairs bedroom.-A half dozen fingernail clippings in a drawer in the master bathroom-One of the door keys is pink, studded with teeny rhinestones and has the word "Princess" engraved on it.-The downstairs furnace doesn't work.-The second fridge is

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-50050771543928758632009-12-25T19:19:00.000-08:002009-12-26T18:22:07.279-08:00

We got a huge pile of cards in the mail yesterday -- I don't think we even got around to opening them all before we left for our plane-viewing activity. While reading some, I marveled at the level of detail in the letters summing up the year. Do I really need to know what levels your kid has completed in some video game? Or which one of your kids placed higher with their calf at the county fair?

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-6662942655406428652009-12-21T22:23:00.000-08:002009-12-22T15:37:03.362-08:00

Perhaps I'm feeling sentimental because it's Christmas, or maybe I'm just getting old, but there are a couple developments that came to my attention yesterday that I just can't get out of my head.First, there's the second X Files movie, which came out last year but which I only just saw, for some reason. I have many problems with this movie, but the biggest one is the only one that really needs

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-31425508803649926042009-12-20T22:33:00.000-08:002009-12-20T22:36:50.760-08:00

Having kids changes everything about your life. It even changes the way your brain works.Last night I was flipping through the channels and watched a 9/11 documentary compiled from random people who were in Manhattan and happened to have their video cameras handy. As they showed masses of people fleeing, I scanned the crowd for children (thankfully lower Manhattan is not a great place for kids).

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-91530624344339091082009-12-18T23:49:00.001-08:002009-12-18T23:51:01.479-08:00

5 Best Things in The Hangover:5) The tiger4) The baby3) Naked Chinese mobster jumping out of the trunk2) Jeffrey Tambor1) Carrot Top

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-58276372044988596602009-12-12T19:04:00.001-08:002009-12-12T19:17:00.810-08:00

Top 5 Things I'd like to see turn up in the move5) The other one of my favorite earrings4) My point-and-shoot camera battery charger3) The wherewithal to get rid of about a quarter of our stuff2) My bracelet1) Roughly three dozen Arthur socks

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-54965168296027183962009-12-07T19:56:00.000-08:002009-12-09T18:23:04.469-08:00

Oh holy crap, we're doing it. We're moving. There are many reasons for it, but it's happening, despite my misgivings. We've signed a lease and a listing agreement, and we're going from owning in Redwood City to renting in Menlo Park. We love Menlo Park, and we lived there before we bought this house. The house we're renting is more than twice the size of our current house, for the same monthly

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-48309336211150381082009-11-28T17:32:00.000-08:002009-11-28T19:14:39.625-08:00

My 5 Favorite things on the Interwebs right now:5) Worst toys of the year4) TLo3) Cakewrecks2) Awkward Family Photos1) People of Walmart

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-62274028313495592352009-11-16T21:00:00.001-08:002009-11-16T21:22:31.076-08:00

"Under Pressure" is my favorite song of all time.It seems there's only one other person from my high school who braved the grueling four-day drive to move to California. (Mike Marshall doesn't count.)I may have mentioned this here before, but why do they have shuttle and rocket launches in Florida? What's wrong with Edwards? They wouldn't have anywhere near the number of weather delays...

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-37674859263186081902009-11-13T22:45:00.000-08:002009-11-13T22:59:12.444-08:00

Top 5 Things You and All the Other Humans Need to Accept5) Gail Collins is the greatest newspaper columnist of our generation4) Heidi needs to auf herself3) The dam will come down sooner or later, and the sooner it does, the better off we'll all be.2) Your life is not complete without one of these, these and these.1) My Android phone can kick your iPhone's heiny.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-15828703409880431672009-11-12T16:22:00.000-08:002009-11-12T16:23:58.500-08:00

This kind of thing just makes me sick. Why can't we just charge farmers for water, for pete's sake?!?

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-27381673301691717742009-11-09T16:02:00.000-08:002009-11-09T16:08:47.530-08:00

You'd think Palo Alto could use some of that money to pave their downtown streets -- especially the ones along the "bike boulevards".My pediatrician's phone lines are down, overrun with people calling about getting the swine flu vaccine during their one-day clinic. Luckily Noah got his last week. Maybe Arthur will have one made available to him at some point.I'm really glad I never bought a

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-10521818033659006882009-11-07T15:53:00.000-08:002009-11-07T16:04:16.098-08:00

A day late because I couldn't think of anything yesterday...Top 5 People I Most Frequently Run In To in and Around the RC5) Steve Penna4) Rebecca Ratcliffe3) Becky Robbins2) Ian Bain1) Maggie and Mary Courtney (my sons' classmates)

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-5760951541901555792009-11-03T07:06:00.000-08:002009-11-03T07:33:16.860-08:00

It's time to vote here in the RC. I'm really hoping my fellow citizens make the right decisions at the polling places today.This is an important election because two council members are terming out and someone elected today could be on the council for sixteen years!Cherlene Wright is at the top of my endorsement list. She's a genuine person and not a political insider who has raised tons of money

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-7676521231811842722009-10-26T13:46:00.000-07:002009-10-26T19:45:35.110-07:00

They should really move the Kennedy Space Center to California -- like, to Edwards where it all started...I never before realized how much lust one could have for tableware, until I walked into reclaim in Menlo Park and saw these.Speaking of Menlo Park, why are so many of the shops closed on Sundays, when so many people descend for one of the best farmers markets around?

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-45875433768060439562009-10-23T22:22:00.000-07:002009-10-23T22:25:27.851-07:00

Top 5 Small- to Medium-sized Home Improvement Projects I'd love to get done by the end of the year:5) New light fixture in the guest room4) New light fixture in the front bathroom3) Get rid of the excess furniture2) Get some new furniture that works (esp. in the dining room)1) A low fence around the front yard

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-11666709868857223422009-10-20T22:46:00.000-07:002009-10-21T23:52:39.016-07:00

Alright, Cancer, for realz, I have had it! My friend with breast cancer in her 30s, and now the bad-ass brain cancer in my friend who's even younger than me! As if that weren't enough, my uncle with the melanoma has it coming back for more and stronger than ever. Not to mention the random tongue cancer that almost killed my father-in-law four years ago. What is going on? And if I shaved my head

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-86398285681752812332009-10-16T14:42:00.000-07:002009-10-16T20:50:19.911-07:00

My top 5 beefs with Project Runway:5) Last night's snooze fest4) Chris March got auf'd twice3) Jeffrey2) Daniel Franco got auf'd twice1) Immunity

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-25796826526551935872009-10-15T20:56:00.000-07:002009-10-15T21:11:41.984-07:00

What do you know? Someone told me what to blog about today! Very convenient.So, how does climate change relate to my blog? Well, one of the overriding themes of my blog is my irritation about people being ignorant and/or stupid. Which is the basic tenet of climate change-denial. Well, that plus greed and laziness.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-882272539999468602009-10-02T16:41:00.000-07:002009-10-02T16:45:15.699-07:00

Top 5 things that could use some editing:5) This book I'm reading (see left)4) 95 percent of Hollywood movies3) My to-do list2) Ken Burns (seriously, has anyone watched every minute of the National Parks series? I've only had time for the HH bits)and the number one thing that could use some editing..1) David Letterman's libido (I know, too easy)

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-63236115608877981722009-09-20T15:43:00.001-07:002009-09-20T16:06:15.809-07:00

I have been a really lame blogger. But at least I wrote a little something today!

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-49479673707131602802009-09-11T11:26:00.000-07:002009-09-11T11:30:01.926-07:00

5) People jumping from 70 floors up to escape burning or being crushed to death.4) Firefighters climbing past escaping throngs with almost complete certainty that they will not make it out3) Workers who dug through the rubble and now have asthma or cancer from the toxic dust2) Airline passengers who fought back1) The solidarity we felt as a nation as we mourned and moved forward

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-83756240614968301422009-09-10T15:56:00.000-07:002009-09-10T21:54:15.824-07:00

Here's the second in my series of endorsements for Redwood City Council: Cherlene Wright.I think it's important to have a variety of segments of the city's population represented in city government. I don't know Wright super-well (yet), but I think she has something of a "mom six-pack" quality: she's open an inclusive and can relate to a lot of moms -- and moms are really the people who keep our

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-8954577006052322972009-09-08T16:42:00.000-07:002009-09-08T17:00:05.449-07:00

Yesterday we had yet another fabulous block party. There was* a great band, featuring our neighbor, Greg;* food and drink;* stomp rocketing in the middle of the street;* and best of all, our wonderful neighbors hanging out with us.There were also* at least two people yelling obscenities at us;* at least one person honking in anger and speeding off;* and one folding chair, with a "McGarvey Closed

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-49625583769838566272009-09-05T17:23:00.000-07:002009-09-05T23:18:25.090-07:00

We are getting an In N Out Burger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Some of you might be thinking that I'm exaggerating, or being hyperbolic, but unless Jack Hickey gets elected to the school board, this is it. This is a very, very long time in coming. Right now, Redwood City residents have to drive to Mountain View or Milbrae -- Milbrae! that's almost San Francisco!! -- to get an In N Out burger

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-37980673671121157372009-08-29T21:56:00.000-07:002009-09-01T17:13:06.046-07:00

Here's my first in a series of candidate endorsements: re-elect Jeff Ira for City Council.Jeff Ira is the only incumbent running for re-election this year, since two other council members (Howard and Hartnett) term out. Jeff Ira has been on the council for more than 10 years and knows his stuff. He's fiscally conservative and helped keep the city from having to make major cutbacks when the bottom

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-69151440309495176332009-08-28T16:14:00.000-07:002009-08-28T16:33:12.909-07:00

Top 5 designers who have a shot at the Final Three5) Althea: If Tim says she's gonna blow people away, that's all I need.4) Gordanna: Love her already for her accent.3) Louise Black: Always helps to have a full name that rolls off the tongue, like "Kara Saun."2) Christopher: Producers love drama.1) Johnny Sakalis: Again with the drugs and the drama.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-37191228996373799072009-08-26T12:32:00.000-07:002009-08-26T22:07:42.967-07:00

Before you know it, people will be getting their vote-by-mail ballots and candidate signs will be popping up in what seems like every other yard. There's an election Nov. 3, and Redwood City will be electing new council members and school board members.In coming weeks I'll be publicizing my endorsements here. What makes me think I'm any more qualified to make endorsements than the next blogger?

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-56208059523287354562009-08-24T21:07:00.000-07:002009-08-25T17:31:02.817-07:00

Whenever you clean out a purse or bag or stoller or car or even sometimes a pocket in our house, you are almost assured of finding at least one Lego. And I am totally fine with that.Years ago I started ordering boxes of Legos on Ebay thinking that it would be cool to have a toy around that our friends' kids could play with when they come over (OK, I thought maybe I'd want to build something, too.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-70956467424169543542009-08-20T17:15:00.001-07:002009-08-20T17:20:40.538-07:00

My head hurts, and pretty much has since we got on the plane Sunday afternoon, which was Saturday evening. I'm less disoriented now than I was a few days ago, that last sentence notwithstanding.Our boys, who were waking up daily at 6 a.m. for the months leading up to our trip, have slept past 8 (2 a.m. Sydney time) every day. I have consistently been waking up at 2 a.m. (8 p.m. Sydney time).I've

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-81684748673640709772009-08-18T17:07:00.000-07:002009-08-18T17:12:41.723-07:00

Boys need to be woken up at 8:15; I was wide awake from 2 to 5 a.m.More Australian words:capsicum = bell peppersultana = raisinHouse and cars are in good shape; I suspect they never drove the minivan, fearing it's massiveness.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-47934849472721190262009-08-15T03:16:00.000-07:002009-08-15T03:43:56.647-07:00

Tomorrow morning we'll head to the airport and leave on an early afternoon flight and arrive in SF tomorrow morning.Today I headed to the Farmers Market to load up on the best chocolates I have ever had. Then our local babysitter came over and took the boys to the park so we could pack and clean. During nap time, Linda and I went over to Surry Hills and my favorite fabric store. I'm just sorry I

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-8897543763051336742009-08-13T23:40:00.001-07:002009-08-14T06:14:47.515-07:00

Arthur's top 5 adventures in Australia:5) Taking in the view from the top of Sydney Tower4) Taking the ferry to Manly, twice3) Visiting Wildlife World and petting a koala and a huge bug (on separate visits)2) Playing in the sand at Bondi Beach1) Hiking to a waterfall overlook in the Blue Mountains

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-66969752238565914942009-08-13T04:09:00.000-07:002009-08-13T04:13:04.061-07:00

This is too good just to post on my Facebook page.I was just looking through this column for a graph or two to quote here, but the whole thing is a must-read.

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-47786132366467364972009-08-12T21:45:00.000-07:002009-08-13T01:00:10.415-07:00

Sydney has a fantastic bus system. In most relatively close-in suburbs, you can go to a bus stop and in five minutes or less (most of the day on a week day) a bus will come to take you downtown in a totally reasonable amount of time. Unfortunately, many of the buses are older and aren't accessible.Last week a bus driver gave me kind of a hard time as I was going through the long process of

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-46768869795185760272009-08-10T04:13:00.000-07:002009-08-11T04:44:02.518-07:00

Saturday we set out from Sydney for a weekend in Myall Lakes National Park, which is about 3-4 hours north of Sydney. It's a rural area near the ocean that reminded us of Monterrey and maybe coastal areas north of SF. The difference is that palm trees and eucalyptus are actually native. They live alongside ferns plus other plants and animals that have no place whatsoever in Nor Cal.Saturday night

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-55088079709978166892009-08-07T03:41:00.001-07:002009-08-07T05:10:12.751-07:00

Stuff that's backwards here:5. Driving on the left side of the road4. Steering wheel on the right side of the car3. Wall switches: up is off, down is on2. Sun is in the north1. Winter starts in June

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5658353.post-21847033097243930732009-08-06T04:15:00.000-07:002009-08-06T05:48:43.575-07:00

We had a 3-day trip to Leura in the Blue Mountains, which is a quite lovely and scenic area just west of Sydney. Linda set us up in a really fantastic house close to downtown and great bushwalks (Australian for hikes). Seriously, if you want to book a trip somewhere, but especially Australia or California, talk to Linda.We went to Scenic World, which is kind of bizarre, given that it's in a

Kathy Schrenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17204191003006310165noreply@blogger.com1