Checks with Commas

So, what's the deal with the Hamburger Helper commercial?! Since when does HH count as a 'home cooked meal'? I'm sure I'm being unbearably snobby & pretentious, but jeez. Yuck. That stuff is horrible.

Do you know how fun it is to write checks with commas- especially when it's someone else's money? Seriously. Even better when you're giving the money to charities helping the neediest in our community. Seven grand, spent in just under two hours. Not me by myself, the committee had five other people there to discuss who got what. It's the end of the fiscal year & if we don't spend the money they gave us we'll get less next year. Less money is a bad outcome. We want to be more generous, not stingier. That sounds awkward. I suppose I ought to say- not less generous- but that was entirely too much typing. HAHAHA

We've tickets for tomorrow's morning showing of Harry Potter IV- 11 am. I think we'll need to be seated no later than 10:30 if we all hope to sit as a group. The reviews I've seen claim much of the plot was excised & that the movie is harder to follow unless you've read the book. Supposedly the tone & visual aspect is similar to the last film, so hopefully there'll be some conitnuity.

The ten year old son has a buddy spending tonight & tomorrow. A very nice young man, he & the son have known each other for three years. Amazing from my point of view. At ten I doubt I'd known anyone outside of my family longer than a year or two. Then again, we were military & we moved often. Not that I'd change anything about my childhood, but it's good to see my own children thrive in an environment completely different from my own.

The temperatures have dropped precipitously over the past thirty six hours. Wednesday afternoon it was seventy five degrees & this morning it was in the low forties. Beautiful, classic fall weather: sunny, breezy, bright blue sky. You'd think it was September. The earth has tilted enough so that my livingroom is filled with sunshine all day & will remain so until spring. The walls are painted buttery yellow & the sun makes the whole room glow during the bleakest, darkest days. Very cheerful. Husband was correct to insist on yellow & I'm happy he did.

I'm slowly wading through Shana Abe's Smoke Thief. The story is good, but not really a compelling, compulsive page turner. So far it is typical Abe work- well executed & thoughtful.