How great is Nordstrom...customer service lives!

The economy, at least in King of Prussia, seems to be doing just fine. The mall was bustling with shoppers, and yes, people were carrying many bags, so one can conclude that they were, in fact, shopping. Maybe they'll return stuff later?

The mission I chose to accept was to accompany moomy to Nords so she could return some shoes. I didn't know they were having a sale, but the show department was mobbed, as was the rest of the store. Realizing pretty quickly that we could spend all afternoon just in "Shoes", we left, and went upstairs to see about ruffled shirts. There was one online that Mommy liked, but the one she tried on in the store...not so much.

Fortunately for me, there were no cool colors of big shirts, or skirts, for me to buy. I mean there were really NO skirts.

Back downstairs we went, and that was where the trouble started, in the "Fashion Jewelry" department. I will leave out the gory details of that expedition, and the one in Handbags.

After drooling over the pocketbooks (it's genetic) I wandered over to "Accessories" and immediately spotted the COOLEST green belt. It reminded me of a belt I had back in the Priscilla/Favorites day except mine was wider and a brighter green; this was more lime. But it was great nonetheless. On an adjacent rack I spied a belt I had purchased two months ago, except, alas, it was now on sale. I bought it in yellow and red, and would have bought the blue that day, except I couldn't really justify it.

However, for $33 and double points, I could buy the one blue belt hanging there. It was my size, so I think I was meant to have it.

So I did. I went to the register where the same lovely Australian lady who had sold me the previous two cheerfully rang up my sale and told me how nice I looked in the red one- and then she said that if I still had the receipt, she could give me an adjustment.

How cool is that!

Catching Up with the Jones'...

...a veritable cornucopia of priceless pics...

soccer, baseball, Halloween, general goofiness and, of course, the boys' first Fall Classic -- the Phillies' epic win!

Fall 2008

Pumpkin Patch 2008

Pumpkin Patch 2008

Summer Daze...

in Charlotte! Click through to the full photo album -- including some pretty cute vids...(sorry the orientation is off on a few)...

The good news -- I DID edit significantly, I swear...

The bad news -- Leslie is in possession of her own camera again and those pics are NOT represented in the attached...

A wonderful, kid filled weekend...Nick looks slick on the field, Will was the ultimate big brother and the girls...are, well, the girls...ENJOY!!!

The Game Last Night

Of course, somewhere along the camp day, someone blew the surprise... but the boys were psyched!

Tuesday at Mountainside

Here's a photo from the Bar-T Website... Nick's group found turtles in the creek at Mountainside!

Link: http://www.bar-t.com/programs/default.asp?programid=6&view=p&iid=3068

Quote of the Night

Courtesy of Nick Jones, speaking to why girls are shorter than boys (more specifically, why Rory is shorter than Joe):

I know why girls are shorter than boys... because someday they turn into grandmas and everyone knows that grandmas are shorter than grandpas.

You just can't argue with that! Oh, and Will's quip to me after I said "Mario" (Mary-Oh) when talking about the Wii...

Gosh Rory, you're saying it wrong just like my mom does... it's Marrr-ee-oh!

Another thing too add to my "Just Like Leslie" list! :)

Making up for picture drought

Pictures from Myrtle Beach - should catch everyone up on the kids - especially Annabelle - she is a HOOT!!

Dog (Birth)Days!

Bailey turned 1 on Friday...


Celebrated with Finley and Sirius over the weekend...



...and Sirius turned 1 yesterday!!

Life Lesson

To say that growing up with the Captain and the First Mate was an adventure, or was interesting, would be an understatement. For his part, the Captain, dealing with a house full of girls and then women, certainly took his share of abuse and put up with a lot of . Still does, in fact.

We learned early on that Daddy could do no wrong and that there was nothing we couldn't ask him- well, almost nothing. Daddy is pretty open to most things but eventually we all learn that there are some conversations better left unhad, and questions better left unasked.

This morning, I slipped up. I did the unthinkable. I asked one of those taboo questions. I asked it so innocently too, as if I had just asked him how they built those smokestacks in Knoxville. It was such a simple question, with such unanticipated results!

"Should I go in the pool or take a shower?"

Well, now, the wheels are turning in some heads as the High Cs surely must be contemplating the pool vs shower equivalent of, "They get Mexicans in helicopters to build those smokestacks from the top down!"

"Go in the pool," he exclaimed. "The water's poured already!" Then, after a short pause, he added, naturally, "And it's paid for, too!"

But I needed to be clean as well as refreshed, and my brain was spent, so I stupidly continued, "Oh, OK, can I take a bar of soap in the pool?"

From the master bedroom, the First Mate yelled, "Sure! Why not!"

So I got into my bathing suit (yeah, yeah I was dressed, none of that stuff), removed the bar of soap from the shower, and headed outside.

As I reached the kitchen door, I heard Mommy turn on her shower, so I complained to Daddy, "Hey, she's cheating!"

"Yeah, but she didn't ask my opinion!"

Memories

Will is making a latch hook rug!! It all comes full circle doesn't it . . . but I don't remember having a sccoby doo - I think I had a horse. What did you have???

Getting Into the Swing of Summer

...whether it is a batter's swing OR the swingset in the backyard -- the Jones Kids were into it! Here is a somewhat unedited glimpse into Memorial Day -- it isn't easy making that cut! (And I promise there is another hundred or so you didn't get...)

Lilybelle in action

just a little preview - perhaps choreography is in her future . . . or not, but you gotta love a girl for trying!!

Cotton Candy and a Toy Ballon

So teh roses are definitely beautiful, and I hated to boot them from the front page, but I think this is worth it . . .

Everything's Coming Up Roses!

The Name Game...Starring the Littlest Jones

...someone has found their words...and just in case you didn't get the name, press play...

Watch out Indy, here we come!

So on our way home, Dad and i are going to stop and spend the day at the Indy 500! I found a hotel (which was the hardest part) and booked it so we're set!

We should be home sometime Monday, May 26th.

blah blah blah again

I'm hoping that a bird flies into a window and cracks it, a patio glass table randomly shatters, or someones dog throws up their underwear because these blogs need some new and exciting posts!

Miss Everyone!

Love, Ally!

And the answer is....

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the First Mate did it with the Camera in the Master Bathroom.

Siriusly, it is a towel that fell off its little hook and landed on the floor, just as you see it in the photo.

What IS this?

Not sure if there's a prize for the person who guesses this right, but here it is anyway- a mystery photo. What is it?

The Blah Blah Blog

I was just thinking that the title of this blog is perfect cause this past month's blog has been BLAH. Is no one doing anything exciting? Can we please get some updates? Updates make my work day so much more exciting!

Thanks!

Love Ally

Go Flyers! Haha, JUST KIDDING! I won't rub it in Rory! I'm glad you went from a band geek to a hardcore sports fan even though you're not a PA sports fan it still counts!

PS- PLEASE COME VISIT ME!

Utah Pics!

FYI - I uploaded my pics from this past weekend!

http://picasaweb.google.com/Allyson484

Mom also put hers up!

http://picasaweb.google.com/TheHighCs

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy Birthday to me!

Here's the list you've all been waiting for.... My BIRTHDAY List!

I must say, this is my shortest list EVER... and maybe the most practical price wise!

http://www.kawasaki.com/products/detail.aspx?id=263&content=details

Florida Pictures

Pics from the trip

Just trying to catch up

Thought I would share some photos from earlier in the year

Morons everywhere!

Over the past several weeks, I've had lots of "wrong number" calls on my phone. It seems that Verizon has stupidly given people a voicemail number which is remarkably similar to mine, and they didn't ask my permission. Most of the callers are nice, occasionally they act as if it's MY fault they can't dile a phone or read a number, but I am getting sick of picking up the phone only to find it's not for me. (I really need Caller ID!)

So, my tolerance for morons is pretty low. Well, OK, my tolerance for morons is usually at rock-bottom, so this is not news.

I'm eating Ellio's again today, and this time I've spelled it correctly. The fact that I goofed the first time proves that even I am occasionally one of the morons! I hate it, but it happens.

Since I have not prepared Ellio's in a while, I read the directions on the box and baked the pizza accordingly. After the directions, written in bold, is the following:

"CAUTION: PRODUCT BECOMES HOT WHEN COOKED"

Wow! Evidently I'm not the only one who thinks there are morons everywhere.

Two Guys from Charlotte?

...I've heard of Two Guys from Italy but this is sort of a stretch for a pizza joint...

Don't Fence Us In

Here are a few snaps of the new and improved back yard!

Happy 50th Birthday Kip!

Happy Birthday!!

Just a little shout out to wish the big guy a "Happy 50th Birthday!"
I looked for a baby pic, but I guess he's getting so old, they didn't have photos back then! ;) j/k So I opted for my personal faves... Dad in all of his prom glory (at Mom's prom!) and him in Paris last September... what a fashionista he is! ;)

Happy Birthday!!

Moms trip to Utah

Mom and I both posted pictures online from here trip out here!

The Eagles New Philosphy - or what should be . . .

As told by Ninja Nick . . .




How To Play Football, by Nick Jones
(Unfortunately, I could not post the illustrations, your loss, truly! Punctuation as written by Nick.)

1. First, you put a helmet on.
2. Then, you put shoulder pads on.
3. Next, you put on pants.
4. When, the game starts get ready.
5. If, you'r the running back run as fast as you can. Like me.
6. When your on offense be good. If you are a wide recever catch a lot of balls.
7. When, the quarter-back says hike the out. If he hands it off to the RB try to score a touchdown.
8. Then if you win you are 0 - 1. (well, maybe the other way around, but you get the idea)

Pretty on the Playground ... in Black & White

Nothing like pilfering pics with snagit! Some snaps of the sillies from their spring school shoot...

Baking....with an edge

Not at all bad, except for the batter splatter!

Things That Aren't There Anymore...Or Are They?

I just finished eating a piece of Elio's pizza, which proves that Elio's pizza lives. There are two boxes nestled in the basement freezer among the tubs of homemade cat food. It wasn't actually a whole piece; I think it was 2/3 of a slab, or maybe half.

Last week, the Highest C went on one of his shopping jaunts in the Qpon Kng Mobile. When he came home, he announced to the assembled masses, "You'll have to start auditioning corned beef hashes! Shop-Rite doesn't carry Broadcast anymore!"

This is really bad news! I think we have tried others without much success. So I did what any right-thinking geek would do: I googled "Broadcast Hash" and discovered that Amazon.com lists it, and so do a couple of other sites including one that bills itself as a purveyor of hard to find groceries. Alas, none of them had the stuff in stock. I guess it's not made anymore.

Not long before this, I was having a conversation with someone about grooming cats, and something she said made a neuron or two fire, and led me to google another long-lost product...

Do I dare try to order this and hope it's the same stuff?

Silliness

A Visit To The Docktor

In honor of "Spay Day", there is an entry by this name in the kittens' blog.

What you will not learn there, though, is that their surgery went well and was very ordinary, except apparently for the reaction of most of the hospital staff to their extreme cuteness. There were no red thongs or any strange objects involved at all.

Be Mine

Will - some airtime all to himself!

Will had a February program tonight at school - here are shots, sorry there are so many, but a few are worth it - his hair has grown a bit and he looks great!!

The Princess and the um, umm, ummmm Nut

Girls being girls . . . Lily going to a b-day party and Annabelle getting into trouble. Well, not really - but usually!

Panic in Philadelphia

OK, well, really in Willow Grove, and no, it had nothing to do with David Bowie's "Panic in Detroit".

Last night we went out for a wonderful, as usual, dinner at La Vita e' Bella, after a productive economy-stimuliating time at King of Prussia.

During the course of conversation, this blog came up, and the kittens' blog came up, and the FIrst Mate mentioned that she had not noticed the new image on said blog. It is worth looking at, so I do suggest you all follow the link and admire Boop's masterpiece. So, I casually whipped out my charged phone and prepared to go online to show her the spiffy blog, but...

It was dead!

It was bereft of life and pushing up daisies.

It waas well past "Bring Out Your Dead" dead.

It was not nearly dead; it was most sincerely dead.

Yes, bloggers who own iPhones, beware. This could happen to you, and it is pretty scary when it does. I suspect buggy firmware, so if you allowed iTunes to update your phone recently, a few prayers to your diety or dieties of choice might be in order.

I lost all saved E-mail, but since this is an Apple product afterall, the phone was otherwise successfully restored from the backup performed during the firmware update.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Bad Technology Karma, entitled, "Mamas, don't let your kittens jump on your laptop".

Special Delivery...

...for putting up with me for 365 days, I probably should have been the one to send flowers but...Joe really is a very good boy. And here is the unbelievable and beautiful proof. (If only there was smell-o-blogging...)



Updated...more photos added as blooms open...

...seriously can't stop taking photos...digital macro RULES. Enjoy.

Yes, I know she is not a boyscout, but isn't is comforting to know that Annabelle is prepared for both a snowy day and a dip in the pool?? Yes, thats my girl, ready for anything!!

Educating Trixie

Childhood education is so important in today's world. It is never too early to begin molding young minds. Conveniently, the NFL Network offers telecourses!

Christmas Presents put to good use . . .

We are taking advantage of the cold spell here in NC - bundling up and all. Good thing family members hail from the north to keep us supplied with warm and cozies!!