Can you guess?

Today I nailed the baseboards to the kitchen (dining area) walls. Yay!

Here is a Loralee's Hammering Skills quiz for you to take. Write down your answers!

1.  Does Loralee use her feet (like an ape) to hold things in place while she's hammering in the nails?
A. Yes
B. No

2. How many times, on average, does Loralee strike a nail before it goes all the way in?
A. Three
B. Seven
C. Twenty-two
D. Fifty-three

3.  How many times does Loralee have to hit a nail before it even breaks the surface of the board she is trying to nail in place?
A. One
B. Ten
C. Three

4.  How many nails did Loralee bend beyond usefulness, and maybe beyond recognition while trying to drive thirty-nine nails?
A. Two
B. Thirteen
C. Nineteen

5.  How many times did Loralee hit herself in the shin with the claw side of the hammer because it bounced away from the wall?
A. Twice
B. None at all
C. Once

6.  How many times did Loralee hammer her thumb, trying to drive thirty-nine nails?
A. None
B. Ten
C. Who's counting?

7.  How many times did the hammer bounce off of the nail head instead of driving the nail into the wall?
A. Three times per nail.
B. Every freaking time.
C. 1/4 to 1/3 of the time.

8.  Loralee holds the hammer:
A. Like a pro!
B. Like a girl.
C. Like a weirdo.

9.  If Bruce were around, would he laugh at Loralee's hammering skills?
A. Yes
B. No way!

10.  With a nail-set, Loralee:
A. Still smacks the baseboards about once every eighth nail.
B.  Has cute fingernails.
C. Never hits the baseboards with the hammer.


BONUS QUESTION:
True or False: Loralee is writing a blog-post to avoid working on the very last, stubborn nail.

Here she is, hard at work.

OK. Did you write your answers?
Here are the correct answers:

1. —  A  Loralee does, indeed, use her feet to hold things in place so she can work with both hands.

2. —  D  It takes Loralee about fifty-three strikes to get a 1 1/2-inch nail all the way in. (I counted.)

3. —  A  Loralee can break the surface of the board (dent it, at least) with one hammer strike.

4. —  B  Loralee bent thirteen nails, and drove thirty-nine into place. (Although a few of the thirty-nine that went into the walls might have bent too...)

5. —  B  Loralee did not hit her shins with the hammer's claws even once!
This time around.
(She has done this a few times in the past).

6. —  C Loralee didn't count how many times she hit her thumb with the hammer. It was a few times.

7. —  C  That stupid hammer bounced back at Loralee 1/4 to 1/3 of the time.  Good thing she learned to keep her shins out of the way!

8. —  C  She might just hold the hammer like a weirdo.
B is also an acceptable answer.

9.—  B  If Bruce were around he would not laugh at Loralee because she would have asked him to do this job—and he would have done it!

These are not my tools. If they were, the red you see
on the hammer would be my blood, not paint.

10. —  A  Loralee still dents the baseboards, even with a nail-set, about every eighth nail.

BONUS QUESTION:  TRUE!  Loralee is absolutely avoiding working on that last nail because it refuses to go in. She even asked her sons to try it, and they couldn't do it either.


>sigh<   Back to work.


p.s. I may not be great with a hammer and nails, but I did a great job cutting and fitting the boards!

Growing into myself

I posted this picture on facebook yesterday so I could show off my hair that was full of drywall dust.

When Bruce laughed at my white hair, I told him
I was just trying to match his hair color! :-)

But I almost did not post the photo because of...

...my nose.

After a tiny debate, I decided that it was actually a good picture; I look pleasant despite the powdered wig, and everyone who knows me has seen my proboscis.

I don't know which family member I inherited this member from, but there is no denying that I've got me a schnoz—not the kind you see on cute little actresses and models. The funny thing is that I probably wouldn't ever think about my conk if it hadn't been for junior high school (jr. high is a lovely place!). I didn't really think of it before then.

Once, when I went to a maturation program with one of my boys, the teacher-guy was talking about ways your body changes when you go through puberty, and one thing he said was that some kids' noses grow faster than the rest of their faces do. But, not to worry—your face will grow into your nose. I wondered if this was true of me.

In 7th grade a few kids—boys—made comments about my nose. I felt a little bad, but didn't think about it again once we got started on our lessons. But there was one boy who sat behind me in my history class who gave me the name "Eagle Beak," and he would. not. let it. drop. That was how he addressed me every time he had anything to say to me. So one day Kim and I were talking to Mr. Taylor (the 7th grade history teacher) after school, and this boy was there, and he was calling me "Eagle Beak" over and over again until finally Kim reached into my dance bag, pulled out my pointe shoes and smacked him on the head with them (and yeah, they are hard—made of "densely packed layers of fabric, cardboard, and/or paper hardened by glue.") I think she started to chase him out of the room, waving the shoes at his head...  He quit after that.

Kim wasn't around in 8th grade, and I walked the mile home all by myself. For the first couple of months there was a group of boys who followed ten to twenty paces behind me and teased the snot out of me for the first half of my walk. (Huh. Bullies. Although I didn't think of it like that back then; they were just jerky, mean boys.) I took to ducking into the library, which was just a block or two from the school, and looking at books until I was sure they had gone. And then one day I had an epiphany:

Who cares what they say? They are just some really jerky boys, while I am actually a pretty cool person! 

I don't know how or from where I pulled that up at the tender age of fourteen, but there it was. And I knew it was true. And when I quit hugging my books to myself, and walked with my head up instead of down, and didn't change my pace for them, they stopped!

But I have never really liked my nose ever since. Over the years I've gotten used to it; I don't really think about it too much. And, more recently, I don't even think rude things about it when I look in the mirror. It's just my nose. Not that I want my profile carved into a cameo or anything, and I do still think twice about sharing a picture where it's kind of prominent...

But, hey! Everyone sees my nose—or rather, they know it's there. I think maybe my friends—most people, really—just see me. And I'm a pretty cool person.

I think I am finally growing into it.

Drive-Thru Graduation

Rachel graduated from Uintah High School on Friday, May 22, 2020!

...I think.
I mean, I was there, but... Well, it's a story. :-)

This was not at the graduation. This was a little tribute that the transportation department made to this year's senior class.

Because of the covid-19 foolishness, the entire nation kept their school children home for the last semester of the 2019-2020 school year. As they announced longer and longer closure times, and then finally that there would be no return to school this year, the big question on everyone's mind was: WHAT ABOUT GRADUATION?!

Well, Uintah High School decided to have a Drive-Thru Graduation Celebration for the Class of 2020. Families decorated their cars, students donned their caps and gowns, and we all were part of a graduation parade.

First of all, Rachel was going to wear Kaylie's cap and gown, but the cap got ruined in the bad weather at Kaylie's graduation last year. the cap was "her ticket in" (for the procession...although I wonder why anyone who wasn't graduating would want to enter...) I tried to order a mortarboard online, but there was a $60 shipping charge! So I made Rachel's cap. We did order a 2020 tassel, but it still hasn't arrived so she used Kaylie's tassel.

Anyway, on Friday, the 22nd, we went to the store and bought some red, white and black balloons (Uintah's colors)—along with the whole rest of the city of Vernal. And then Rachel did some window-painting on Lindsey's car.

painting the windows
Rachel has a fascination for chimeras; that's what she's painting on the back window—in Uintah colors. :-)

She finished the car just in time to put on her regalia.

the kitchen pre-graduation photo

At 5:00 Bruce, Rachel, Ruth Ann (Rachel's best friend) and I were headed to the high school. Along with a lot of other people.

There's a happy girl.
And there were about twenty cars that looked a lot like that one
in front of us on 500 North, and several more behind us.

Here's the driving route we took at the high school:

We turned onto the east drive to the high school, passed the Seminary, then cruised around the parking lot north of the Seminary. Then we headed west and around to the west (stadium) parking lot, where we did more zig-zagging. There were teachers in both parking lots, waving pom-poms and cheering for the grads while dressed in their graduation regalia...and black medical masks with the Uintah "U" stitched on them.

First we passed the Seminary where all the teachers and staff—and their families—cheered for the grads.

The Seminary teachers rise and shout—the grads are out!

Just after we got through the first parking lot, we had to stop and wait for about five minutes and wait to start the actual "ceremonies".  So I hopped out of the car and took a picture.

waiting to go...

This year's graduation was announced, parade-style, on the local radio station, and broadcast through the local TV station (and to the internet) as well. We had a bit of a wait because we were probably right in the middle of the lineup. We were stopped right by the sheriff, who was radioing to someone out on 5th North somewhere monitoring traffic.

There were a few banners on the way, like this one, which had been donated by previous graduating classes.

I don't know who these two guys are—presumably faculty or school board, judging by the way they're dressed. I guess they are helping keep an eye on the traffic flow too.

We finally started moving—slowly—and got to the west parking lot. As we drove around that lot several teachers recognized Rachel, said "hi", and congratulated her. 

Rachel had lots of opportunity to practice her Queen of England wave that evening.

Since I was sitting in the back seat, I had lots of opportunities to take pictures of her in the rearview mirror... And she took some pics, too. :-)

There was a jumbletron on the west side of the parking lot, so we got to see the grads' names and pictures up on the jumbletron as we queued around.

We weren't actually lucky enough to see Rachel's photo on the jumbletron. This picture was taken by a professional photographer (and I stole it off of facebook).

Here's one of the teachers, in a graduation robe, Uintah High ball cap, and Uintah mask. Waving pom-poms.

I'm guessing this kid is the first in line to get his diploma.
The teacher on the right is Mr. Richins, Rachel's chemistry teacher.

Finally we were on the last leg of the graduation procession!

The visitor lot sign marks the way to the diplomas.
I am of mixed opinions about "worst ending ever"...
The school board (?) ...officials, anyway.

Rachel got her diploma, the photographer got in her face, and the kids at home saw her on the TV!

Now Rachel is famous!

receiving her diploma

She opens up the diploma case and sees...
Not a diploma. It's a coupon for a free drink at the Soda Shack, and a paper saying that she'll receive her diploma at the commencement exercises that will be held either on June 26, July 17, or August 21. That's some pretty solid information right there.

Well, I say she graduated.

But wait. There's more!

We drove away from the school and headed to Main Street, where we waited to start a parade through town.

This truck was in front of us as we waited to start driving.

The parade started at 6:45, so we were only waiting for five or ten minutes. Then we drove down Main Street (not Highway 40, which is also called main street by a lot of  Vernalites...), then to Hwy 40, and we finished at 300 East. All along our route people were parked, standing, or sitting on the sides of the streets. Everyone waved and cheered—honking horns, yelling, "Congratulations!"—for every student, not just their own. I love our town!

We had our radio tuned in to the graduation still going on behind us the entire time. Just as we reached the end of the parade route, at 7:30, they announced the last of the graduates back at the high school. :-)

We took a few pics back at home, but I want Rachel to get back in her cap and gown for more graduation photos. Maybe on June 26, July 17, or August 7...

There's the grad!
She's wearing a medal for finishing with a 4.0 GPA, a medal for Best English Student (9th grade) and a medal for majoring in Life Sciences. She is awesome!

Inside, Lindsey had a little graduation gift for Rachel (wrapped very fancily).

ALL of my kids agree that this is the way to do all graduation ceremonies, every time. I am inclined to agree—it was a lot of fun. Rachel got to sit and chat with Bruce, Ruth Ann, and me the entire time, teachers got to greet and congratulate their students on a one-by-one basis, there was something interesting to see and hear all along the way, and the whole town cheered for the grads. It was great!

But, greatest of all, is that my smart, hard-working, motivated, and super-cute daughter graduated Friday! 

Congratulations, Rachel!

Senior Pics

Well! Rachel is going to graduate this year! 

Theoretically...

Despite the school's being closed since March 16, Rachel has kept up with all her schoolwork, still has a 4.0 GPA, and is still on track for graduation—whenever that will be. And all of this because she is awesome! And a hard worker! And awesome!

So we went out to take her senior pictures last week—at Remember the Maine Park which, apparently, is the place the Norths go for senior pictures.

She'll cross that bridge—graduation—whenever it comes.

When we first got to Remember the Maine, Kaylie said that we were too early—there were no flowers. . I suppose we could have waited a couple of weeks, but Rachel is more of a wilderness girl than a flowery girl, so this is kind of her thing. And, anyway, we were being asked to submit a picture of her ASAP to put on a flag that will hang on Main Street. (They are doing this for all the graduating seniors this year, to make up for... missing out on going to classes?) So it was time to do her pics.

Rachel and the paparazzi

What can I say?
I am awesome!

The river was lower and slower than I've ever seen it so, naturally, the girls had to get as close to it as they could. Not that I blame them. I would have joined them if my feet had been happier that evening.

It didn't take long before Bruce decided the light wasn't good enough at Remember the Maine, so we drove up Yellow Hill to get some pics in the setting sun.

Wait. What?

Soon I got tired of the sunset on the hill pics (and Rachel probably got tired of us...), so we headed back down to the wilderness.

a girl and her wheat-stalk
No. Seriously. Isn't she cute?

Well, Rachel will be graduating. Sometime soon. In June? July? August? We don't know. What I do know is that I am proud of this amazing girl!

Rewriting Mozart

Does he look shocked? Or horrified?
Should he?

Kaylie has been back home from Snow College for about a week-and-a-half. This doesn't mean she was finished with her classes...COVID-19, you know. So I got to hear her practicing her songs for her private vocal class final—which was delightful for me. Unfortunately for her, this whole COVID-19 thing has left her without an accompanist. So she asked me.

She sang The Lonely Goatherd (from The Sound of Music). That music was easy. In fact, because that music included the melody throughout the entire piece, I rewrote it to sound more like an accompaniment than like I was just trying to play the song for my own listening pleasure. So I can also say that I rewrote Rodgers and Hammerstein—or at least Rodgers. Or, really I rewrote someone else's rewriting of The Lonely Goatherd ... But it's pretty much just a boom-chuck song, and it was easy to write and easy to play. :-)

The Mozart was something else altogether. I could not learn the music Kaylie gave me in just a few days' time, so I set about rewriting it—to make it easier—too.

When the work got too tedious, I took a break to post this on
facebook. I love my friends' comments.

In all fairness (or maybe just in all rationalization), I was actually rewriting someone else's work, who took the orchestral accompaniment to Ruhe Sanft (from one of Mozart's operas) and transcribed it for piano, and who tried to leave in the voices of every instrument, and who obviously had ten fingers on each hand.

Now, my rewriting this music might not have been necessary if I ever practiced the piano...
But it might have.

So I spent all day Wednesday, and half of Thursday rewriting, playing, and rewriting again, until I finally got something I thought I could work with. The trouble is that, even though I heard it a zillion times on Wednesday, I was writing on a computer program, so I only played through it on the piano a very few times. I only had one day to learn this piece which, though simplified, was still Mozart and still tricky. And my sight-reading skills are next to none (not in a good way) these days.

Thursday, after spending three solid hours practicing Ruhe Sanft, I thought I was making some progress. Then I had to make some dinner. When I went back to the piano after dinner, it was as if I'd never played the piece before in my life. And Kaylie had to make a video of herself singing it the very next day. So I told her she'd better call Karilynne—who is the pianist for the high school choirs, and our ward choir, and is an amazing sight-reader. I knew she could do it. And, indeed, on Friday evening she came over and played it very nicely for Kaylie's video. I was kind of bummed out that I hadn't been able to accompany her, but I was glad we had a good friend who could. (I did still play the boom-chucky Lonely Goatherd for her video.)

But, there was more drama to come. When Bruce and Kaylie tried to upload the video so she could send it to her teacher, it sounded like she had gargled the songs. Uh-oh! However, recording, video, and fixing technical issues are within Bruce's realm; he was sure he could fix it.

Nope.

Turns out the camera he used was so old that it wouldn't talk to any of our computers. He was able to get it to talk to the ancient TV I've been begging him to get rid of for years...

So he played it on the old TV, and used a phone to make a video of the TV playing the original video. Which is a very cheesy, and not fabulous-looking or fabulous-sounding way to make a video. And then, it would only play Goatherd, and got stuck on the Mozart. (Kind of like me.) :-/

In the meantime, Kaylie had already submitted her gargling video with an explanation that we were having technical problems, and begging for extra time to submit a good video. At midnight Friday (her deadline) she submitted the ...better? ...version of The Lonely Goatherd, with more explanations, and a little more begging for time. It was all pretty stressful.

Kaylie heard back from her teacher Saturday morning, with the good news that she could still submit a video by the end of the day. Whew!

So Bruce spent almost the entire day trouble-shooting the video, and the camera, and the computer, and everything else he could think of. And by dinner time...still no luck. (And we had a late dinner, too!) We finally decided that our only option was to re-record the entire thing—both songs. And at 8:00 p.m. we just didn't feel like we should ask Karilynne to come over again; I was going to have to play the Mozart. So while Kaylie went away to warm up and get dressed up, I practiced Ruhe Sanft. Then she and I went over it a couple of times together while Bruce got the recording equipment set up.

And then I took a deep breath, Kaylie took a deep breath, and we started.

So here's what was going on in the great room last night: I was at the piano...obviously. (I was playing Goatherd when this photo was taken—I can tell by how many pages are on the piano.) Bruce set up the video-camera's tripod and attached two microphones to it using rubber-bands (the big ones that come on broccoli bunches). This is very high-tech stuff. Those two mics are attached to a digital multi-track recorder (he scoffs as he tells me its name...I think he's unimpressed by this machine), which is sitting on the coffee table across the room. He took a speaker from the living room to hold the laptop—which was going to be the main camera—at the right height. We also have Michael's computer microphone hooked directly to the laptop, in case the multi-track recorder doesn't do a good job. Or maybe the recorder was backup for the laptop...? To the right (Kaylie's left) we have my entire set of The  International Library of Piano Music (sixteen books) stacked up on a chest, holding the kids' Chrome-book, which is doing a backup video—just in case.

After all that, it turns out the computer microphone wasn't on when we recorded The Lonely Goatherd, so we had the video on the laptop, but no sound. Bruce was able to splice the sound from the multi-track recorder onto the video, so it was a good thing we had that set up. We did manage to turn on the mic for the Mozart, and after a really terrible and dissonant piano introduction, we started over and got through the piece just fine. (Well, Kaylie sounded fine).

It took Bruce a couple of hours to splice the sound to the Goatherd video—nearly until 1:00 a.m. (He is an awesome dad!) And at last Kaylie was able to submit a pretty decent video to her teachers. It was a heroic effort all around.

If you want to hear our lovely daughter singing Ruhe Sanft, you can click the name of the song.
If you want to hear her sing The Lonely Goatherd (in which I flub the intro...) click on the title.

Kaylie did beautifully!

But maybe I should practice the piano once in a while.