"How Tasty!"

Yes, the time of year has come around once again as the Taste Of Arlington made its way to the Arlington Convention Center! We went last year and had just the best time. This time Cari and Branda remembered to bring the one thing they forgot last year: Ziploc bags! No, they really did bring them:



I laughed in the beginning, but when I got to take some stuff for lunch the next day, I wasn't laughing anymore. A few pix:



Here we see Jerramy fulfilling his lifelong wish of getting his picture taken with a giant squirrel. I could tell the guy in the costume wasn't having any fun, but I made him take the picture anyway.



I waited in line forever but I got to spin the wheel of fortune at Dave n Buster's! I even managed to win a free appetizer card! The fine print said we have to buy two entrees, but a deal's a deal, right?



Not sure why this event was comparable to the Statue Of Liberty. Drawing a blank here.

Emmy had some kind of Girl Scout Ceremony Monday night:



From what I can tell they are graduating from Juniors to actual cadets! I think. Not too up on the hierarchy of the Girl Scouts. I coudln't be there so Cari took some pics! Well, whatever it is, I'm very proud of Emmy. She's been a part of GS for over five years! Five l-o-o-n-g years if you ask her, what with the cookie sales and candy and nut sales.

This morning Zach and Emmy had their Pumpkin Parade! I managed to get a shot of them holding their pumpkin:



Zach, in his continuing quest to become all things Power Rangers, painted his pumpkin to look just like his mask from his costume.



Emmy did...um...a lot of fuzzy balls and sequins and glue! Not sure what the theme is but it looks awesome!

Then everyone marched down the halls of JB Little:



Guy Smiley ha ha.



Not so Guy Smiley. I'm afraid Emmy is reaching that age where hanging out with me in public is not so much fun as it is embarrasing. Ah well. I don't care.

Halloween is only 5 days away! I have a few memories of Halloween. The after school place I went to after kindergarten had a Halloween party back in 1980 or so, and Mom wanted me to be a ghost and wear this big sheet over me, which looked like and felt like a dress, so of course I refused and probably threw a fit until I didn't have to wear it anymore. But she was always looking out for me. Still would if I needed her to. Somehow, miraculously, I managed to support myself and my family and not screw up doing it. I know I owe a lot of people who helped me get here, but it feels pretty good knowing I'm not letting everyone down all the time or always having to borrow money from someone. This Christmas is going to be pretty cool. Cari says we will be in a really good place financially, which is really good. But for me, and hopefully Zach and Emmy one day, they won't look at Christmas as what they got, but what they got to do. And since there are only 56 more days until my super Christmas vacation, we'll be a-doin' plenty!