My Babysitter of the Year Award is going to be revoked.

I was babysitting for my usual family on Saturday night. Great people. Lovely kids. Not a bad way to spend an evening, playing, making a few bucks. The parents walked out the door, and immediately, the baby (20 months) began to cry hysterically. Wanting to cheer her up, I decided to take the two kids outside to play on the recently-installed swingset. This was a super idea, as both kids had a great time, and peace was restored once again.

After a while, I decided it was time to start getting ready for dinner, so I rounded the kids up and marched back to the house. Upon arriving at the back door from whence I'd come just an hour before, I realized that the knob wouldn't turn. I tried the front door. Locked. Basement door. Also locked. Window? Not without breaking it. "This is not a good situation!" exclaimed the 3-year-old. Indeed!

Trying not to panic, I began to ponder my options. Not to say I had very many, of course. The kids were getting hungrier, and the baby would soon need a diaper. I could call the parents...but no, as the cell phone numbers (and my phone, for that matter) were all in the house. I was getting rather nervous by this point.

As a last resort, I sheepishly approached the neighbors, who happened to be outside working on their lawn. They were more than kind, inviting us into their house. While I minded their two daughters in addition to the two rugrats already under my care, they somehow managed to contact the parents, getting the code to unlock the garage door. It was an agonizing and somewhat embarrassing situation. The neighbor was even kind enough to feed the kids dinner, which I definitely appreciated, as they were most likely starving by that point.

After they ate, we trooped back to the house, and I even managed to get them to bed on time. Their parents found the situation quite amusing, but I was completely mortified, and for a while, certain they'd never invite me to watch their kids again. Not so, however, as they began listing dates they'd need me again. Whew. Still, though, sometimes I can be such a ditz. Ugh.

Were you touched by His Noodly Appendage?

I am endlessly amused by this, an open letter to the Kansas School Board. While the School Board is proposing that Intelligent Design theory be taught in public schools, perhaps they should be aware that there is more than one theory of intelligent design.

Aside from pondering whether eating spaghetti is a sacrament or an abomination, I haven't been doing a whole lot lately. I've been completely lazy. I did go to the art museum today, which was lovely. I decided to sketch for a bit, and at one point, a guard came up to me an complimented me on what I was drawing. It was an awkward moment, for several reasons. First, my drawing isn't too great at all. I just started drawing a few months ago! Second, I mainly draw for my own amusement, not to impress anyone. And finally, but related, I hate when people look over my shoulder when I'm writing/drawing/reading. It seriously gets to me. The guy meant no harm, but it still gave me the jibbidy-jibbidies. Oh well.

Now, I leave you with this. It also amuses me.

My car bit it.

I know, I know. I haven't posted in forever. I've been busy.

The latest bad news is that my car is broken! As I was driving home from Mass on Saturday evening, it died right in the middle of an intersection. No good, I tell ya. I figured it was the battery, so this morning I called a garage and asked if they could replace. Sure, they said, bring it over. So I got in, turned the key, and...nothing. Not even the half-hearted rr-rr-rr it had made the other day. Not even the slightest click-click. Nothing. This is a problem, I said to myself. I called the towing company, cringing at the thought of a towing bill. But what could be done? It couldn't be helped. The towing guy showed up, told me that in fact the battery was absolutely corroded, and that if he could jump start my car, I could just drive it to the garage. Which he did, so I did. It was much cheaper than towing the car, so that was a happy thing. After I dropped the good old car off, I had to walk home. I was that person walking down High Street, something I swore I'd never be. But it couldn't be helped! It wasn't an awful walk, anyway. Just annoying. I'm hoping it doesn't rain today, so when I walk back I don't get soaked. We'll see. It's always an adventure.