Guardian

My daughter has a guardian at night.
This thing goes into her room and watches.  Stays by her side and protects her.

You don't dare go into the room.  You don't know what it will do.
It's eyes glow in the dark.  My daughter sleeps. Unaware that right next to her is a monster.
Watching over her.

Etiquette at the Drive-In

What is Etiquette?  This is how you behave in certain situations.
Your table manners are etiquette.  Speaking with people requires etiquette.
How you behave in a group or social setting is.... say it with me...Etiquette.

This is an example of how etiquette was not observed.

Our group of SAHDs went to a drive-in movie.
The new Pixar movie BRAVE had just come out.
And the double feature movie was The Avengers!
We brought the whole family.  Moms also.

The Warden, kids and I arrived just after 8pm.
Which means we had an hour until sunset and the movie was to start.
We pulled in line next to Hossman and family, and a few KCDADs.
Then more of the KCDADS joined us.
Our group took up almost half a row!

We watched BRAVE and the little short that Pixar put before the movie.
We all loved it.  The characters and scenery were awesome.
Yes.  I know it's animated.  Doesn't mean I have to like it any less.

After the first movie, a lot of the kids were tired.  And well they should be.
After all, it was 10:30pm!  A few of the parents were tired too.  With getting up early to take care of the kids, anyone would be.
Hossman and family followed almost all of our little group out.
The only ones to stay moved their car closer to us.  It was a better view anyway.

Then just before the next movie started, a car pulled up on the other side of us.
No big deal.  I waited for them to turn off their engine and wait for the movie to start.
They didn't.
I figured they were just pausing to hit the restroom before leaving.
Nobody got out.

I don't know about you.  But I go to a drive-in to hear the movie.  Not the car next to us.
So I walked up to the driver's side window (tinted) and tapped on the glass.
A young lady rolled it down and I politely asked her to turn her engine off.
The man in the passenger seat leaned over and looked at me.
knowing they had both heard me, I walked back to my van.

I stood outside the back hatch of the van and listened.  I listened for the music over the speakers.
I listened for the cars racing by on the highway just beyond the trees.
I listened to just how much I could hear the car in the stall next to us.
While I stood there, I noticed that the breeze from the south, would blow the heat from the engine over to us.  I could smell the exhaust from the car.

The Warden had taken our daughter to the restroom.
The dad that stayed had taken his son.
So there I am with Monkey and someone else's wife and child.
I decided to try one more time.  I walked over to the car and again, knocked politely on the window.
I saw the light go on inside and watched the man get out his door and shut it.
I asked again for them to turn off the car.  I told him about the heat off the engine.  The exhaust blowing our way.

He said the car was quiet.  I told him I could still hear it.  I wanted to hear the movie.  Not their car.
He told me to go the F*&# back to my van.  I asked him to be polite and turn the car off.
He said he was polite.  I informed him that being polite does not involve cussing.
He told me to leave if I knew what was good for me.
I said there were other spots to park, we were here first. If you wanted Air-conditioning, go to a theater, not a drive-in.
I walked back to my van.

After The Warden and Princess got back from the restroom, I went inside the concession stand to get a soda.  I asked a person who worked there if they had a policy about turning the engine off during a movie.
He said he didn't know and walked over to one of the older workers.
After I bought my soda, I looked at the worker.  All I needed was a "Yes we can do something", or a "No, not unless they are really disruptive".
The worker walked with me to the exit.  He said he would "Look into it."
He followed me out to my car.  I told him I was in the silver van and the car next to us was the one running.
He walked out to the car, which was still running and asked me, "Is it this car?" (a real genius here)

He walked over to the driver's window and talked to them.  I heard laughing.  Not a good sign for me.
He walked back over to me and said that the couple wasn't being disruptive and there was nothing he could do.
We stayed for about an hour.  Then The Warden said her asthma was acting up and we would have to leave.  The Princess was done too.  Monkey wanted to stay and watch.  So did I.
So we packed up the chairs and food.  Climbed in the car.  And listened to the movie for the first mile down the road.
After we got home, The Warden said she wished I wouldn't do things like that.  I might get shot.
I figure if I get shot over something like that, the other guy is an idiot.

So tell me.  Am I being unreasonable?  Should I have not asked the people in the car to turn their engine off?
They can run the A/C without the engine, right?
I am sure I left out parts to this story.  But the point is the same.

Have some manners.  Use etiquette.

And don't be an ass.

Texture

Now we all know what texture is.  We learned about it in school.
But just to refresh, texture is the way something feels.  Rough, smooth, coarse, slimy, etc...

Now, the other day I made a Cheesecake.  This is something I do about once a year.  The reason only once?  Because I would eat it all myself and then couldn't roll out my door.
That night I had my Dad over for dinner.  Burgers and chips.  Not a big deal.

Now my Dad has had the Cheesecake before.  My Mom used to make it on her birthday.
But since my parents divorced when I was about 6, I was not sure when the last time he had a piece of this Cheesecake.  So I offered him a slice.

Now for those who bake cheesecake know, you have to let it cool for about 6 hours after baking for everything to stiffen up. Go back to acting like a cheesecake.  Not the batter that made it.
If it gets too warm, it gets mushy like Cream Cheese you leave out too long.

I cut a few pieces because Monkey decided he wanted some.
The middle was a little mushy.  Not bad.  Just mushy.
I apologized for it since the cheesecake had only been resting in the fridge for about 4 hours.
My Dad made the comment "That's okay.  I like the texture."

At this point Monkey said: "Yes, I like the texture a lot.  It's a very good texture."
I could not stop laughing.  Here is a 5yr old commenting on the texture of food.
My Dad laughed.  And asked Monkey about the texture again.
This became a running joke all night.

Kids are great.  They love to be part of what's going on around them.
Even if they don't understand the texture of things.

How Long?

I have been blogging for 3 years now!
Can you believe it?

Of course nobody cares what I have to say.
Nobody reads this anyway.

I go about my day without something to say.
And when I type, I try not to play.

I have some fun before I sleep.
I try and not get too deep.

Here's a poem that slightly rhymes.
Not sure I can do this too many times.

I'm getting tired, should head to bed.
I must make sure the cats are fed.