Pumpkins!

Scott and I went to the pumpkin farm last weekend, and it was full of autumny goodness. We saw lots of wee animals:

We got to take a hayride to the pumpkin patch, where we picked two out:

And we also saw a kid (maybe 10 years old?) who had seriously wicked dreads. Scott and I were both pretty jealous. And our desire for dreads has increased ten-fold. We just have to wait for our hair to grow out now... I don't know how long he intends on waiting, but since I don't dig the "Rasta Lisa Simpson" look, I want to wait until my hair is at least shoulder length. So maybe a year?

We plan on carving the pumpkins tomorrow, and I'm sure pictures will follow. Until then, here are our squinty-at-the-sun selves, enjoying the awesome fall weather:

My Favorite Goblin

My pug, Spencer, turned 7 today. He's small, so I think that's late-middle age for a dog. Little gray hairs are popping up with more frequency, but he doesn't seem to be slowing down much. I made a cake for his birthday:

Spencer really loves his weiner. Even though he's fixed, he gives himself the ol' rub and tug often and with great zeal. He has no shame.

Yes, my frosting letters are improving... thank you for noticing.

Back to little Spencer, he also received a new hippo (to replace the smelly old one) and a new collar. He's had the same collar for a few years now (we get him a new one about once a year) but they were out of them today, so now he has a snazzy green stripey collar. I think he likes it better.

In honor of his birthday, I give you a list of the weird things I call Spencer:

1. Stinkerbell

2. Stinkerella

3. Smelly Belly

4. Stinker

5. Little Man

6. Bunny

7. Little Bear

8. Bunny Bear

9. Knob Goblin

10. Tough guy

He really is a Goblin. In fact, Spencer is remarkably gross for such a little dog. He snores, farts, blows snot on you, has terrible breath, drools, snorts, and makes gross hacking noises every now and then. But he's our little stinky goblin, and we love him bunches. Happy birthday, little man.

And This Too

It says Lazy Cunt because I once again used Betty Crocker cake mix and frostings. I did, however, get some cheap tips so I could write better. Obviously, I still need some practice.

Today's Musings

My neighborhood is infested with Stink Bugs. They would be cute if they weren't so keen on getting in my house. But they only stink if you smoosh them, so we have to either suck 'em up with the vacuum or catch the little suckers and toss them out the door.

It occurred to me today that I am going to be 27 next year. For some reason this makes me feel old, and yes, I am aware that the idea of 27 being old would be laughed at heartily by many. Maybe I just didn't realize I was so close to 30. Maybe I'm also a little freaked at how quickly the past 5 years or so flew by.

The weather at this point of the year is absolutely perfect. Just a touch of warmth during the day, then nice and cool all night. I love needing a sweater at night. I love not wanting to run away from the sun. I love the crunchy leaves, the colors, smells, shorter days... and everything else about fall.

We received a flier today warning us to vote against legalizing slots in Maryland. I used to live less than a mile from the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, IL, and I think these people are way off. They say, specifically, that slots in Maryland will bring: crime, bankruptcies, debt, traffic congestion, addiction, business closings, greed, and divorce. Crime I can see, they have a legitimate point there. Elgin had a handful of colorful homeless residents, and a slightly higher crime rate than the surrounding area. But it wasn't freakin' Cabrini Green or anything. Traffic congestion I don't see- at least not any more than adding a new Walmart would bring. Business closings I don't believe either. True, some of the people who normally spend money elsewhere will lose it at the casino. But what about all the other people that normally wouldn't come here, but come for the gambling then happen to spend money elsewhere? And 5 of those 8 (bankruptcies, debt, addiction, greed and divorce) really aren't my problem. I mean greed? Really? I'm supposed to care now that my neighbor is greedy? Give me a break. It really sticks in my craw when laws move from protecting us from each other to protecting us from ourselves. It's a waste of time and energy. Self-destructive people will always find a way to ruin their own lives. Not legalizing slots isn't going to stop them.

While the riverboat was a full casino (not just slots, as this amendment proposes), it is not "grand" as the name suggests. It's just a dirty little suburban casino, but it provided jobs and revenue to the city. Elgin had awesome holiday displays and fireworks shows, an annual rib-fest, a massive police force, a local orchestra, social services galore, and free parking. FREE PARKING! Scott and I have always said that if we move back to IL, we'll go back to Elgin. I really believe that the riverboat plays an integral role in making the City of Elgin great.

Normally, I don't vote on stuff like this because I really don't care. But now I'll be voting for spite, because the back of this flier contains what I'd call easily misconstrued facts. Here's the entire bullet point, quoted exactly:

"The industry's own numbers show that one to two percent of gamblers will have addiction problem. One in five will attempt suicide."

Now, what I believe they meant was one in five gamblers with an addiction problem will attempt suicide. But we are lead to believe is that one in five gamblers will attempt suicide. That's just rude. So now I'm making a mental note to vote YES on Question #2!