Day 138

"Dude, when you said your cousin was empty-headed, I thought you were kidding."

Day 111

For Lori, this was the last straw. She'd have to call the caterers and tell them that black olives would be banned from all future corporate retreats.

Day 86

Mary Lou had never seen such carnage in her life. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Day 62

Herc had finally found what he determined to be the ultimate hiding place for Hide and Seek.

Day 48

One of the questions I'm asked a lot is, "Do you work?" That's usually met with the Captain Obvious look and a smile. I have six children. Of course I work! When do I ever NOT work? No, I don't have a salaried position outside of my home.

Every six months, though, I spend two days working as a staff member for Divine Consign, one of the largest semiannual consignment sales in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. (We may even be the biggest; I'm not sure.) With two locations, Grapevine and Plano, DC has a combined 70,000 square feet of kids' clothes, baby gear, toys, maternity, and nearly everything else that's baby- or child-related. As a staff member, I work during the presale, when the sale is closed to the public but open for volunteers, consignors, and first-time moms. I'm a devoted DC shopper--with raising six kids on one income it's been a lifesaver--and have shopped there almost exclusively for eight years.

This is a shot taken last night in Plano--AFTER all of the consignors and volunteers finished shopping, and this is still probably less than a third of what is there. (And yes, that's Drew ducking to try to get out of the pic. Didn't work.)

So yesterday, at the Plano presale, I scored some great deals as a shopper but also spent 12 hours on my feet working my staff position. Total exhaustion, but I'm excited to do it again next week in Grapevine! If you're in the Dallas area, check out the Plano sale, at the Plano Center on Spring Creek just east of 75. The Plano sale is open to the public today (Friday) from 9a-8p, and Saturday is half-price day, also 9a-8p. Grapevine is next week, and there are still volunteer shifts open that will allow you to shop the presale night.

With all that being said, the Plano sale floor was the setting for yesterday's photo.

Brian and Josh had heard about the black market for body parts, but neither had any idea it was this bad. In any case, they were confident that they could rescue the next intended victim.

Day 37

Very few authentic photos exist of the Cabbage Patch Kids' lesser-known cousins, the Flower Bed Legoheads.