No Parking Zone?

I'm Back in the Game!

Those of you who've hung around here any length of time know that I'm a fan, big-time, of the hapless Washington Nationals. In fact, they've been so bad in recent years that I've taken to calling them The Gnats.

The team's standing in the lower echelon of the National League notwithstanding, I'm proud to be a Gnats Fan. We head on down to Nationals Park several times each season, and are sometimes even rewarded for our troubles...with a win, in the case of last Saturday night, or with a foul ball, in the case of a game earlier this season.

I saved this snap to use as my Back-to-School post. I'm headed off to Our Humble High School this morning. And while I'm not going to run the bases this week (my cherubs report the day after Labor Day), I'm optimistic for a winning season.

I haven't been this upbeat about a new school year in I don't know when. And I'm sure you'll hear some bitching and moaning from me before long. But for now, I'll just savor the excitement that a fresh season brings, OK?

I've Looked at Clouds from Both Sides Now

Over the River and Through the Woods...

This Land is Your Land

Greetings from America's Heartland...somewhere along I-80 in Northwestern Ohio. I had a choice of sharing either this peaceful roadside snap or one featuring the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago on a hot summer's day.

This pastoral landscape, however, really does represent nine-tenths of what Ella Numera Dos and I experienced during our most recent iteration of The Great American Silo Tour...All 888.9 miles of it. Fifteen hours in a Honda Civic, cutting a swath between DC and Northeastern Wisconsin.

We made good time, too. And except for the hour-and-a-half it took us to travel 16 miles through Chi-Town, the trip was rather uneventful. Well, at least the car didn't break down this time in Second City.

I'm between stops here, so just wanted to give y'all a shout-out, and remind you to tune in today to Chapter 4 in our collaborative creation, "And What Happens Then..." Please let me know what you think!

Take Another Little Piece of My Heart Now, Baby

With apologies to the late, great Janis Joplin, this snap makes me a think that the clouds are gonna gobble up the sun. Plus, there's a cool reflection way out there in the Caribbean Sea. And since I shared a pretty pastel sunset with you on Tuesday, I thought I'd dabble a little more in the avant garde today.

The feeling of being on "Island Time" is rapidly fading, as we grapple with all we have to do. I'm going into work today, to see how Room 215 held up over the summers. It's always to get a head start on jack-assing stuff around, too.

Ella Numera Dos and I are headed out on another Great American Silo Tour early Sunday a.m., on our merry way to the Upper Midwest. She makes this trek twice a year, going to and from college. Then I'll be back home next week and ready for the new school year to begin. Or, not.

My chica has a really cool sunset series over at her place today. You should check it out. Catch you on the rebound!

We've Come a Long Way, Baby...

Today's writing prompt, c/o Mama Kat? Dear Mommy and/or Daddy…(write a letter to yourself from one of your children).

Dear Mom:

After spending some time with you and Daddy this summer, we've got a lot to account for. We've decided to make a few "Summer Resolutions" by way of apology.

10. We're getting older, but not always wiser. We promise to call you next time we go out and don't come home at the appointed time. We don't want Daddy waking up at 2 a.m. in a cold sweat, dialing our cellies, and telling us what irresponsible imbeciles we are. Ever again.

9. We've learned a lot at school, but don't always remember our manners, which we learned from you when we were wee ones. When we finish dinner, or even just a glass of juice, we promise to ferry the detritus not only to the sink, but also under the running faucet and into the dishwasher, as well.

8. We've come a long way since learning how to ride our bikes in elementary school, but don't always handle our cars with safety in mind. If we go on a road trip, we promise to drive the speed limit. And if an officer of the law stops us for failure to obey that limit, we promise to call you promptly, and not several months later when the DMV catches up with us.

7. We're really good at zoning out, but not too good at listening. We promise to pay attention when you remind us of something important, and not to treat you like a silly old lady for "repeating yourself again, Mom."

6. We know that time is often of the essence, but that's no reason to twist our heads around on our necks just like Linda Blair in "The Exorcist." The computer failing to print does not signify the end of the world, after all. If we can't get the dang resume to print, we promise to go to Kinko's, OK?

5. We learned before we could speak that talking to strangers is a bad idea. And that goes for at the playground, in the Starbucks, or on a pirate ship in the Cayman Islands.

4. We've always been able to confide in you, and have to remember that just because we're almost grown up, you're still here for us. We promise never again to tell you something's "fine" when it isn't.

3. We now know that just because one of us has a GPS in her car doesn't mean that we'll always arrive at our destination without a few wrong turns. We promise to call the next time we get lost, and always to remember that DC's Capitol Hill neighborhood involves both the US Capitol and a really, really big hill.

2. We've noticed, over the years, that both our parents are quite well-informed. If either you or Daddy wants to watch the news on the good TV, you should be able to do so. We promise either to switch channels or to move to the basement when you want to watch your "shows." Hey, maybe we could even learn a thing or two!

1. We promise to remain good kids, and to continue to be true to the values you taught us. We know you love us very much. We love both of you even more...

Still Your Daughters,
Ella Numera Una & Ella Numera Dos

Bad Hair Day

Seeing Red

Every Tuesday, a group of really talented bloggers posts another chapter in our collaborative creation, "and what happens then..." Chapter 3 is debuting this Tuesday. Please visit and leave a comment; your encouragement helps us keep the creative juices flowing!

Breaching the barricades of civilization once more means a return to the ebb and flow of daily life. We get to sleep in our own beds; even Mr. Fairway's nightly concerts are in the proper pitch. But the nasty necessities need to be taken care of, too. The catbox gets changed more regularly. The dishwasher gets emptied, and I fill the fridge once again with groceries.

My chicas and I just finished up a week in the Cayman Islands. No special occasion. Just a "girls' getaway," if you please.

Many of my friends and co-workers enjoy "event-filled" vacations. Hiking here, diving there. Getting everyone all gussied up to go out.

The Scribes are a tad different in that regard, especially when it's just "us girls." We didn't do much last week except sit on the beach. Or at the pool. We shifted positions occasionally, and went "exploring" at least once. We actually had time to read. We gorged ourselves on fish and fruit and a few piña coladas, too.

But now that we're home, we've got responsibilities at hand. Ella Numera Una is interviewing for summer jobs (yup, June 2011 will be here before we know it) this week. Ella Numera Dos is packing up a summer's worth of junk, so that she and I can take The Great American Silo Tour back to the Upper Midwest and her junior year of college. I'm getting ready for school, which starts in three weeks.

We had a nice break. We tuned out for awhile. But now we've got to focus.

It's good to be back.

Life's a Beach

While I'm away, with little-to-no Internet access, please visit our collaborative creation, "...and what happens then." Twenty-one bloggers have gotten together to write a novella extraordinaire. I'm the proud author of Chapter 2, which debuts today. See you in a few!

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.”

~Anonymous~

OBX Real Estate

While editing my recent digital acquisitions, I came upon this gem, shot at sunset over the Currituck Sound in Duck, NC. I'm headed to quite a different beach next week, so we'll have to see how it stacks up against the dark and brooding shores of my beloved OBX.

I can't help it if I play favorites...

Take a "Time Out" at Georgetown Cupcake

Mama Kat's Prompt #2 captivated me today: If you were put in “time out,”

where would you want to be placed and why?

As a young mother, I really wasn't ever one for "time out." With at least one willful child, I didn't have the inclination, the time, nor the patience.

Hence, my oldest (the sister of Miss Willful), thought of "Time Out" as a magical place, sort of like nap time, with all the quiet, but none of the sleeping (How many years must one attain to realize that there is no shame in napping?). Her friends got to sit in "time out" all the time. So when, on the rare occasion, I chose to use this as a punishment, I was rewarded with quiet children, who in no way thought they were being punished.

"Time out" became synonymous with going to one's "happy place." Even now, one of my almost-grown daughters will turn to me on occasion and say, "I think I'm going to put myself in time out."

If you're interested in finding a sweet spot, I've got just the place for you.

You've probably seen TLC's summer show, "DC Cupcakes." It features sisters Sophie and Katherine, who leave the fast track and all the stress that professional DC has to offer, to open a designer cupcake bakery in trendy Georgetown. But this isn't just another yuppy place to meet and greet, or a tale of leaving the fast life behind to rake in big bucks pursuing one's passion (although I'm sure there is quite a bit of buck-raking going on here).

Georgetown Cupcake is a perfect location for a proper adult "time out."

Ella Numera Dos and I made a maiden voyage down to the bakery last week, in search of dessert for the young one's 20th B-day. She and her friend, JR, returned on Monday to pick up two dozen of Sophie and Katherine's cupcakes to serve at the celebration.

Yes, the Cupcake Queens were working the counter when the kids walked in. And I'm pleased to report that these entrepreneurs are just as pleasant and enthusiastic and down-to-earth as they appear to be on their TLC show. They posed for pictures with JR and Ella, and even had a quasi-lengthy conversation with them.

I've lived in DC for 20+ years, so I'm pretty numb to celebrity-sightings. But I can tell you why TLC picked up "DC Cupcakes" for its Fall season. You can just taste the "nice" in their product. And that's a quality you can take to the bank. Or, to the "time out" stairs, if you wish.

One of These Things is not Like the Other...

So...What Happens Then?

When I was a but a wee one, all I wanted to do was write. The same can be said of me today.

At the ripe old age of 10, I told my Nana that I was going to be a "book-writer." Well, my life didn't quite turn out that way. I've thought, from time to time, that I should sit down and try to write that first novel, but my life kept getting in the way.

Over the years, though, I've done some "writing." I majored in Journalism in college, and worked for two big-city newspapers and one college-town rag. I interned in NYC for a reputable mass-circulation mag. I worked for a DC trade association (euphemism for "lobbyist") and as a spokesperson for three politicians.

I kept writing in my blood, becoming a high school Journalism and English teacher 16 years ago. And, of course, I started this space, The Scholastic Scribe, in 2008.

All of this as prelude to an exciting writing endeavor, which launches today. It's entitled "and what happens then," and is a collaborative effort of 21 bloggers. The project is the brainchild of Tara R., Bloggess Extraordinaire over at If Mom Says OK.

"Back in 1996, I read a book titled Naked Came the Manatee," Tara R. wrote in her original post inviting the blogging world to join her. "What made this mystery thriller unique was that it had 13 different authors. Each writing a separate chapter. Dave Barry opened the tale and Carl Hiaasen wrapped it up in the final chapter. In-between Elmore Leonard, Edna Buchanan and many more added their voices. The book was originally published as a serial in the Miami Herald’s Tropic Magazine."

Tara R. thought that if the pros could do it, we amateur writers could, too.

"I would love to do something like that," she said, "inviting different bloggers to write an ongoing story, adding characters, killing them off, using their prowess in dialog and storytelling, interjecting humor or dark themes."

Well, Tara R., you've done it. Chapter One, which will premiere today, is Tara's own creation. I wrote Chapter Two. Tara says she's got three chapters in hand right now, with the fourth on its way.

I'm super-excited about this enterprise. Of course, the project could turn into a mishmash, as different styles, ideas and approaches get in the way. But I prefer to think of the effort as a gumbo of creativity. A bit spicy, with subtle, sophisticated roux holding it all together.

Please tune in today to "and what happens then." Comment, critique, suggest, propose. Tweet about our enterprise. Form a Facebook group, a fan page. And, above all, please thank Tara R. Without her vision, we'd be flying blind.

The Road Not Taken

20 years ago;
a red-haired baby,
with a gap in her teeth.

Born the day
Sadaam
invaded Kuwait.

A girl
of few words,
but big plans.

"Do it myself!"
You always could,
too.

"Actually, I want that one."
Fickle might be
your middle name.

"Recycle, Mommy."
The first two words
out of your mouth.

"OK, Mom..."
Punctuated with an exasperated tone
and a roll of the eyes.

"Mine!"
Yes, we always
knew.

"Mom, I'm not stupid."
You said that to me just
yesterday.

"It'll get done."
Cleaning your room?
Taking out the trash?
Emptying the dishwasher?

"I don't know."
Uttered when someone asks
about your future.

"I love you."
Sometimes by text;
sometimes out loud.

But I can always
feel the hug.
Even when you roll your eyes.

Please visit Ella Numera Dos at her photoblog, MOO,
to wish her a Happy Birthday!