Of a Spooky hunt weekend~~~~

Yes My Darklings,

I did not post the entire weekend!  Shame on me, but I had a very good reason.

We had Coralline for the entire weekend,  her Dad (my brother) dropped her off at my work, and since I went in early that Day (Friday the 13th) I left early.

But Friday was not all fun and games, I had to do some grocery shopping, and we went to our nearest Safeway, I know Darklings, Safeway how mundane, well they do offer things that one can't get at Trader Joe's which was right next door, so we shopped there too.

But Coralline spotted them at Safeway, yes, in purple and black and black and orange, salad plates and serving platters and dip trays all done in skulls, bats and cats with a few spiders thrown in for good measure, so we bought a set for 6 (just in case a guest or two), and the serving platters were a good idea as well.

And we spotted doggie sweaters with skulls just in Belladonna's size, so we bought 2 because they do wear out, Coralline was so happy to have the weekend with us, just to get away from her 3 stooge brothers, but I told her she had homework that needed to be done.

I did promise her we'd do shopping on Saturday if she did her homework right, so as quickly as we could we went home and while I prepared dinner she started her assignments, math, a review of a chapter in her history book, and she needed to read a poem and analize it for her english assignment, I asked her which poem and she said Robert Frost the one about the snowy woods, I knew immediately which one she referred to.  I suggested she do her math first, then history, then we'll talk about the poem.

Since we were home early, I did an oven pot roast, using the timer to remind me when to check it, and then prepared the salad, chilling it, and put the veggies to one side to cook the last 15 minutes along with the rice to serve with it.  Doyle pleaded with me to have rice, so easy anyway.

Then we went over her homework, espeically about the Robert Frost poem, she knew that the person in the poem was sad but what was it about, I told her that the person in the poem was thinking of taking his own life, things seems so bad to him,   it was a question of which road should he take, but the presence of the horse brought him back to reality and practicallity and that he had to endure tough times, just as his horse had to plow through the snow, the horse shaking its head was saying "come on snap out of it".  So we went over it line by line with her realizing what each line meant.  Especially the last line "the woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have miles to go before I sleep"  I told Coralline that when life seems bad or difficult to not give up that is what the last line means.

Coralline liked that and wrote that down in her paper, which she had to re-write checking her spelling, which she did at her little desk. 

Dinner then with Doyle, Sis, Coralline and Brian who needed a home cooked meal, and we relaxed watching "Perry Mason and the Case of the Avenging Ace"  So retro and so much fun.

Doyle surprised Sis and I with some new wines,  The Diving Rod Cabernet Sauvignon and their Chardonnay and a bit of a surprise Once Upon a Vine's Big Bad Red Blend, and the Charming Pinot Noir, well he bought 3 of the latter, I was surprised by these new additions, but Doyle said the Pinot Noir is good relaxing wine and the others were recommended to him by a friend who knows wine.  So they have been added.

I chased Coralline to bed because we were going to have a busy day Saturday,  she had an assignment to go to this place called "Playland Not At the Beach"  and do a writting assignment of her immpression of the place, as a matter of fact everyone had an assignment in which either Saturday or Sunday they were to go to a place that they drew out of the box----the parents knew of this and agreed to take their child to whatever place they drew, my brother warned me about this and told me that no where was he going to have the 3 monsters near a place that had antique displays. 

I found it to be fasinating with displays of antique games and devices, moving train type displays, opitcal illusions, hints of an old fashion 10 in 1 Bally show, and they had a magician performing as well, it seems that it can be booked for birthday parties for children or adults,  I believe they have a web site, it was all too much to take in but Coralline was enchanted by it, so I made a note for us to go back perhaps with her friend Marissa.

When we got home she started her paper right away, but afterwards I suggested that she nap since she wanted to watch Svengoolie present "The Phatom of the Opera" the 1940's color verison with Nelson Eddy
and Susanna  Foster (and yes Darklings gowns by Vera West).

Coralline snuggled with me and Belladonna on the couch on one end Sis on the other and Doyle in his recliner snoozing,  never have I seen the color in the costumes used to such advantage by West, one of her few color productions, and even the Opera house set that was used in the original Lon Chaney Sr.'s Phantom was beautiful almost an actor in its self, Foster's and Eddy's voices sounded beautiful even if the so called opera's were never really written, in the end Coralline felt sorry for the Phantom, it was not really a horror story but a tragic love tale.  But she laughed when both the Inspector and the Baritone were left behind as the heroine was swept away by her admirerers,   she looked at me and said "I guess she preferred her career, I think I would too."   I could only smile, I too perferred my career as well, and even with Doyle I have not given it up.

Sunday I was to take her home so we made sure all her homework was packed and in the trunk of the car, and then after a relaxing breakfast at home, we went to THE SPIRIT STORE near the house.   There she helped me choose things for the outside displays and some fun things for indoors for the Halloween party, such as books that have spiders jumping out,  flowers that wilted,  but she wanted for her room at my house this wonderful candlelabra we also stopped at Beverly's to see what they had and she found a blackbird or raven sitting on top of a white pumpkin with the words "beware" on it and another with an owl and the words spooky, they were small enough to be paperweights so we bought them for her desk at the house.

And there were these craft things with ghosts and skulls and other spooky items to use to make a shadow box, but she wanted them for her Draculina Doll house to decorate with, so why not thought I.  I told her if she needed more she could call me and I would get them.

Am I spoiling her, in a way yes, but her Mother said that it was fine because her time is taken up so much with the boys, but she is trying very hard to make time for her daughter as well.

And slowly we drove back to her home, stopping at the BIG Spirit Store in Hayward, and found some more things that were not in the local one.  But eventually it was time to go home,  I hated to part from her it was fun for the both of us.  But one must be practical as well. 

I did ask her parents if it would be alright for Coralline to come with me to see "Rear Window" on the Big Screen at a local theatre that was doing a retro movie night, it was middle of the week, once I gave the dates, it turned out that they would be in the area for an event the boys were in, so we made arrangements to have them drop her off at house and we'd go straight to the theatre and then we'd all meet back at the house later.   "A Grown Up Movie!!" Coralline exclaimed, I told her that I would explain the movie if she had questions later, but it seems that she's been curious about Hitchcock films, so this would be dipping her toe into it.  I always felt his films from the 40's and 50's were his best, so I'll be on the watch for those and see if she's interested.

Coming home the house seemed empty without her presence, even Sis felt it and Doyle, he said Belladonna had been mopping about all day not having Coralline to play with. 

And now tonight, well it will be time to watch the premire of Bones and Sleepy Hollow, I think I'll record them in case Coralline doesn't get a chance to watch them at her house.

Later Darklings

I agree

Of Trains, Spirit Stores and Transit issues~~~~

Hello Darklings,

And Hello to you Undergroundfortea,   I have to agree traveling by train is the only way to see the country comfortably and in style, and I always prefer having at least a roomette, you can have your privacy, sleep in comfort without having to deal with a snooring neighbor or rude seat mates.  And you see sooo much of the country side, it gives you a better panorama of what our country looks like.....and all in comfort, no weight baggage issues, no long lines, hardly any delays, good food  and to be able to stretch out and walk around.

There have been times when I've had to go to L.A. or back East to visit family or relations but I've always taken the train and train travel has improved.  Many years ago I went back east by Coach----Never again, although service was very good, but having a roomette (at least) made it so much more Luxurious.

I have taken commuter trains when needed and that is not bad and its relaxing.  But flying, unless it was something of great urgency, I never fly.

And when you compare the cost of traveling by train, taking a plane or Greyhound Bus, the train wins everytime.   Unless you're going to a place where there is no train connections so its Greyhound.

Why one of the things Doyle and I plan on doing is taking the train to Yosemite, now the train doesn't go into Yosemite but there is a jumping off point where you catch the Yosemite shuttle into the Valley, then in touring the Valley and other areas you take the Valley tram, one does not need a car.   All one has to do is plan things carefully.

About the Spirit Stores, well with Blockbuster closing so many of them it does leave an opportunity for Spirit to make use of those locations,  they are usually easy to get to, have parking and easily spotted for the general public, it makes perfectly good sense.   I like them because if I see something in the Store and then when Halloween is over I can order it from the web site already knowing the quality of the product.  It can be very helpful.   And I am a tactile person, I like to touch or see the actual object before I commit myself to purchasing it.

I told Coralline on the phone last night and she is soooo looking forward to going,  and we are planning another shopping spree this coming weekend.  Well its just as much for me as it is for her.

About AC Transit.....it seems that Union and that particular Board was on the ball working out their negotiations, they saw the problems BART was having and they were not that far apart on issues and both were in agreement on many things.   At least common sense was working with them.  They were not going to the media but staying at the negotiation table until a final agreement was made.     So the Buses are running----Yeaaaa!!!  says a lot of my co-workers.  It will help with some of their commuting.   But we may have to fall back onto carpooling on Monday if no 60 day cooling off period is declared.

Yesterday the Director said to us that with the planning that we've made for such a problem, that it will be kept in place (that is on file) to have on hand for the possiblity of any other future transit strikes, that way the "wheel won't have to be re-invented"  we'll have a plan on hand and just do a little tweeking as needed.

And about that truck that caught on fire, it was an unusual situation, it does happen from time to time, its rare but not unusual.  It's just that it happened right at commute time and with a bridge they have to careful of the stablity of the pavement surface and it was also a sort of accident scene so all those things had to be looked into which caused further delays. 

But I have to say I have never seen such tempers fly like what was reported, it was pretty scary.

That is why I and many of my co-workers always have Plan B and Plan C in place,  and thank goodness for basic cell phone service to give family members the "heads-up".

But now I'll be getting my things together and hi-ho its off to work I go,  Sis is home today doing reports, but I'll be taking Belladonna to my elderly neighbor, the dear lady loves to fuss over the little darling.

Later Darklings

Of the Spirit Store is comming!!!

Good Morning My Darklings,

My car pool ride home was relaxing and somewhat uneventful, except we had to take the San Mateo Bridge home instead of the SF East Bay Bridge,  it seems there was a huge truck fire that occurred on that bridge, no one hurt thank goodness, but a lot of sushi went up in flames.  As one of my co-workers remarked "That's a serious fish fry".   A humoriest he is not.

Traffic was backed up for 2 to 3 hours with people running out of gas and people being arrested for fighting.  A sign of things to come I fear.

But San Mateo Bridge traffic was fairly free-flowing so we took the "back way" home and contributed to paying for the extra gas to our driver.

Although I was a bit tired when I got home my sister was waiting very paticently for me and said "we need to get some staples for the pantry", it seems in the fun of shopping for Coralline for me and house re-modeling for my sister and Doyle out of town we forgot to do the basics----grocery shopping.

So with her driving and I going over the grocery list we went into Alameda to the Safeway there, and hoped that Trader Joe's would be open as well...we were lucky we got there in time before Joe's closed and then went to Safeway.   I was amazed at the peace and quiet in the Store and some of the strange "Nighthawks" that shop there after the sun went down.

Ever since many stores stay open either 24 hours or till 10 p.m. or midnight and since the "invention" of on line shopping, those that relish living at Night have many benefits of those shopping hours,  I'm sure during the Christmas shopping hours when many places stay open till 11 p.m. that is also greatly welcomed as well.

I mentioned to my sister about this and she said that in the hot valley areas and desert areas places like Wal-Mart and Target are open 24 hours so that people can shop during the cool of the night avoiding the heat of the day espeically when it gets up into the high 90's or 100's.   When she had to travel as part of her previous job this was something she discovered.    I looked at her and she smiled and said "Maybe we should look at the hours of our local Wal-mart and Target stores, it could prove to be very helpful."

I love the way she thinks.

After we were though loading our groceries in the car, Sis said she had to drop off a number of letters to mail and get stamps, the local post office was nearby and the lobby was open so we drove there and as we were going past what use to be a "Blockbuster" store we saw The Sign.   "Spirit Is Coming!"  

Yeaaaaaa we screamed like teenage girls at a rock concert!

We knew that towards the late middle towards end of September the store would still be stocking but also open to selling with a Grand Opening on Oct 1,   Sis looked at me and said "I guess we'll have to drive by here starting in September aren't we?"   Oh Yes said I.

I hope that they will carry the new Midnight Syndicate album and I do need to add to my Nox Arcana collection as well as any glass and plate wear and things to add to the house.   Sis reminded me to switch to my darker shades of nail polish like "Devil's Lure"  which means that there maybe some new and lovely selections of colors---I hope. 

I know Coralline will be thrilled----And I do hope the larger store south of us will be in its usual place.  Oh I am looking forward to Halloween!  

Sis also reminded me that the Vintage Fashion Fair will also be in October----Oh I thought, maybe I did have to forgo going on a vacation trip this year, but I am all excited in anticipation of the holidays!

And then after we got home and put the groceries away, Brian who was watching Belladonna while we were gone said that Doyle had called and would call back in a short while with some nice news for me.  Hmmmm I thought, I wonder what it could be?

I didn't have long to wait,  Doyle called back and asked me how would I like to spend several nights on the Delta King in Old Sacramento?  Tour the Old Town Sacramento and Sutter's Fort and if we have time maybe an art museum and get there by train?   Yes!!! I screamed.

Doyle had made arrangements for us to go in the early part of October, he said with all the stresses of what was happening I needed a bit of relaxation and fun.   And he made sure his calendar would be clear for those dates, all I had to do was set it up with my Boss, which I knew was not going to be a problem since it was well in advance.

And now with the morning gray and overcast as well as chilly I have my work papers ready and just for today will take the bus and BART and if tomorrow AC Transit strikes or if they don't I will be car pooling.   I just hope that in all this aftermath there will not be any fighting on the on ramps to the SF-Bay Bridge, I have to say on the news broadcast showing the fighting, there was one woman who was so big she could have lifted a bus without much effort.

Later Darklings