As I said on MB, from here on the hot and dry West Coast, it was difficult to get a true understanding of the effects of Hurricane Sandy on millions of East Coast and Midwest residents. But in looking at pictures of the cleanup and hearing about those that lost their lives, I am sending all the positive vibes possible in an easterly direction.

Insert awkward segue here…

To my utter surprise and delight, my son decided to join a local youth volleyball league a few months ago, and has decided that he truly likes playing this sport.

As a mom who has been desperately seeking a sport for her son (anything, I would have taken pretty much anything! Fencing, swimming, whatever!) just so that he can get out and set some physical goals for himself, this was welcome news.  I don’t expect him to become some sort of pro player of anything, but I do think that getting the discipline involved in sports, as well as the physical and emotional outlets, is an important thing.   And dare I say that I think he might have some natural talent?

Did I mention that I played volleyball competitively for years?  Or that I also coached for years, including at the junior college level?

So when I see some well-meaning city employees who may or may not have much experience playing volleyball trying to teach my son improper form or telling them to do ridiculous things like trying to return a serve by setting, I sit on the bleachers and try to shut my damn mouth.  As I slowly clench and unclench my fists.  Kidding! Sorta!

Last weekend after my son’s game, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.  I HAD to know why they were encouraging these youngsters (8-10) to engage in something I consider sort of wrong (trust me, I am being a bit anal, but I am also thinking that they shouldn’t be introducing bad habits) I went and asked the coach.

The young man looked at my 41 year old self and gave me some sort of unsatisfactory answer, to which I responded with another question, which in turn I’m positive earned me the nickname of “Old Hag Who Thinks She Knows Everything.”

Sigh.

I apologize for my tardy appearance here on the blog.  Can I just say that it’s complicated and leave it at that?  Mostly mental, but some other things thrown in as well that left me completely uninspired and with a fairly severe case of writer’s block.  But I’m back and trying to get into the groove.

Quite a while ago, I asked you if you were a fan of horror movies, and 50% gave an emphatic no.  30% like suspense-type horror, and 15% are good with any type of horror you’ve got.

Today’s question is one that has been rattling around in my brain for a bit, and I am curious to see what the consensus is.

As a child, I can scarcely remember an occasion when a meal at my grandparents was not followed by a round of Clue or Connect 4.

It is a crying shame that traditional board games such as these are being replaced in our children’s lives by computer-based activities. I find it hard to imagine my children sitting down with grandma for a few games of Need for Speed or FIFA. This is why it is important to keep the games of our childhood alive through our own kids.

How many happy memories do you have of family games of Scrabble as a child? Arguing with your sister over how you spell queue or keeping an eye on granddad to make sure he isn’t cheating again creates real closeness between family members, and it seems a shame that this is being replaced by the largely-solitary pursuit of computer gaming in our children’s lives.

This may all just be me thinking with my nostalgia-tinged glasses on again, but I have always enjoyed the tactile quality of board games too. There is something quite satisfying about the elaborate setting up games like Mouse Trap needed before you could get down to the serious task of playing them.

Despite this, without doubt my favourite board game ever has to be Cluedo. I think I loved it originally because my sister hated it and I just wanted to be contrary, but after a while it took top spot on its own merit. Whereas in many board games your success is as much down to chance as it is to skill, Cluedo required cunning and strategy, and a Cluedo victory always tasted somehow sweeter than any other.

I know my children are both asking for computer games this Christmas, but I am going to make sure I get them a classic board game each too. Then, when the turkey is bare and the crackers have been pulled, I will make sure we all stay around the table and have a huge family game of Monopoly.

It is childhood moments such as this which you recall fondly as an adult pulling a dusty game out from the back of a cupboard, and I hope by creating the situation for my children they may repeat this process when they are older.

47% of you luckily have no remodeling experience one way or the other, while 31% of you claim it is one big headache.  21% said it was only a small headache, and not one single person voted for “no headache at all” which is very, very telling.

Today my husband and I received some precious, precious babysitting, and because it was 90-some degrees outside, decided to see a movie.  We saw no less than four horror film trailers before the start of the movie.  Now, I know it’s Halloween season and all that, but I thought four was a bit much.  You see, I am NOT a fan of slasher/gory flicks at all, and I squirmed through most of the trailers with my eyes shielded by my hands.  I can do something like Silence of the Lambs but not something like Final Destination, if that makes any sense.

I never would have thunk it, but Sean Connery actually beat Patrick Stewart!  I am taking the lovely Lali’s suggestion and elevating Patrick Stewart up to the Hall of Fame anyway.  Insert “beam me up” jokes here that don’t quite apply to Star Trek: TNG but are still funny anyway.

Taking a cue from my Manolo Beauty post, I’ve got my next contender.

But seriously, older Sean Connery just does not do it for me.  Young Sean Connery, yes, but we’re not voting on young Sean Connery now are we?

VERSUS

I have to say the basketball player one is my favorite.

My  husband and I have been mulling over party ideas for our three year old daughter.  She was born after Halloween, but very soon after, so we thought about a Halloween-themed party.  Or we thought about just renting a bounce house, putting it in the front yard and being done.

Silly us, we should be doing this.

My daughter loves swimming.

Now if only we lived in Florida.

38% of you are equally split between loving where you live and hating where you live, which I find interesting.  I think I would love where I live more if we were closer to my husband’s job.  As it stands, he has an hour commute and the price of gasoline is eating us alive.

I asked last week’s question because very soon I will embark on a whole-house remodel of a place we should have moved into months and months ago, but have been prevented by various circumstances not under my control.  A place that is ten minutes away from where my husband works.