A day off from the old grind

First off, I'm still working on patterns. And not much to show for it. This is all.

I had a day off from work today. I'm taking a few more off soon - I had earned some free days and have to take them by the end of March. And I'm sure as heck not going to lose a day off!

Moe has been home from school all week (our district has a silly schedule - this was Winter Break) so I took him with me for a minor adventure.

We first wandered into downtown Hotlanta to a favorite eatery of Moe's, the Varsity. You may recall that I took Isdihara and Nina Libin there on the way to Tat Days last September. Moe dearly loves the Varsity. I offered him other food options, but he would not be swayed. It had to be The Varsity.

True confessions here - I love the Varsity too. Very greasy and not good for you, but delicious. I got a chili slaw dog combo with onion rings and a medium FO. For you unversed in Varsity lingo, an FO is a Frosted Orange, like a creamsicle in a cup, or an orangey milkshake. The chili is great, the dogs are all beef and yummy, and the onion rings are simply divine. But the meal is not for the weak of stomach - the standing joke is that Varsity meal should be served with a side of Tums.

Moe got a different combo - one chili dog, a chili burger, rings, and a large FO. Plus a Varsity paper hat which he swears he will wear to school Monday. He was a happy lad. And one of my dogs and some of the rings are now cooling in a Varsity box in our 'frig, waiting for an eager stomach.

There were a zillion people at the Varsity, including many loads of school kids on field trips. A goodly number were high schoolers, but the vast majority seemed to be the entire 5th grade of a school in a northern county. They were all having a blast. And good for them!



I just found this little item on The Varsity. If you're ever in Hotlanta, you must go!

Moe and I went from that greasy spoon to a more Nordic establishment, Ikea. I've been to Ikea a number of times, but had never taken Moe, and I promised to get him a little something while there. "What do they have there?" he asked. "Everything - except clothes" I replied, "And it's enormous." Moe was entranced. He especially loved the whole apartment setups. I picked up a few things for the kitchen plus a lamp and a clock for Moe. Curly got wind that we were there, and called demanding we get him a thing or two for his new digs, so we added that to the pile. Plus Swedish meatballs, of course. I swear I can't get out of the store for under $75, no matter what my intentions are!

But for $0.59, these just can't be beat...

When I go back to work on Monday, I'll be seeing some weirdness across from my work's parking area. This week, a large steel superstructure started going up. It's in the parking lot for a church, and at first I thought they were building a steeple. But it got bigger and less steeple-shaped. And covered in smashed soda cans and plastic bags and other stuff.

It's an arm and hand. And it's at least 40 feet tall. Some kind of object d'art, I suppose. Um, why?

I won't get to watch Downton Abbey again before work on Monday, as the season is over. And I am sad. No more Daisy. No more Mary and Mathew. No more delightful quips from the Dowager Countess...



But this does amuse me, made with these delightful paper dolls. And it includes Mr. Pamuk! Do watch.

And I must go. But I leave you with Sir Badness himself, perched like an African feline on my chair. Mister I'm Hot and You're Not. He is sooooo bad...