Driving and Heart Day challenge

Had a good day today. The coffee-and-donuts thing that happened every week after church has officially been cacelled ;_; for one reason and another, but other than that had a really good time. Ended up knotting in church, because drawing, which I tried last week to keep my hands occupied, did not work out too well.
Was bullied into driving by Mom ^^; It's not that I dislike driving; nor is it that I'm a bad driver (I think I'm pretty damn good, in fact). It's just that I'm lazy about getting my liscence. So, drove Tomas to his confirmation meeting this afternoon. Went to K-mart afterwards to get me a new watch, as my old one had finally broken. (It was a good watch for only ten bucks.) Spent most of the time convincing myself that no, I do not actually need a pocket watch, despite how snazzy it would be. Ended up getting a nice little blue watch.
Went to Ben Franklin's after that (this is a craft store, of which there are only four left(?) in the country--and about three of those are on the east coast ^^;). There was a sidewalk sale going on, and Mom bought a bunch of dollhouse miniature stuff to send to my baby cousin Kate (whose birthday it is today; happy first, Katie-chan!). I got some beads, because I've recently learned a way to weave them into headbands and bracelets and stuff ^_^. A way that does _not_ involve a loom! So, got some beads. And some jump loops, because they were on sale.
Since we were in the mall anyway, we stopped by Waldenbooks, and I spent what little money I have on a copy of xxxHolic (volume 4). (The Japanese sample in the back has Doumeki's name <3 <3 <3. (Socchan: Oh! The kanji at the bottom is 'oni'! And the one in the middle is for 'eye'! And the one at the top is--shit, I know this kanji. I _know_ I know this kanji. So why can't I remember it?! *looks it up* Oh, 'one hundred'. Wait, so Doumeki's name is 'hundered eye demon'? *bursts out laughing*))

Hey, let's play a game! It's called ( 'see if Socchan will bite off more than she can chew' )

Chocolate

As the rest of the family was occupied with the superbowl and commercials, I decided it was a good time to take over the kitchen and attempt to make a test batch of chocolate.
I started setting up to nuke the melting chocolate on and off for twenty seconds at a time, stirring in between nuking as directed, when Mom interrupted me. "They say it's not good to cook chocolate directely. Use a double boiler method." I follow Mom's lead.
"Your grandpa Jim used to make chocolate," she tells me. "You may not remember. He used to set up the chocolate to melt like this, then dip pretzels in it and set them on wax paper to dry."
I blink, surprised. "No, I remember." I do remember, a little. I have a vague memory of Grandpa Jim melting chocolate on the stove.
Grandpa Jim is no longer with us. He and Grandma Ruth used to live in the house that my family and I now live in. There used to be a creek in the side yard, which I barely remember. Then it was filled in, which I also barely remember, and the yard is covered up now. I remember a long time ago when Grandpa used to have both his legs. Both of them had to be amputated above the knee, first one and then the other. Toward the last years of his life he got around on a 'Rascal' ^^. (Mom and Dad tell me how he used to be a terrible backseat driver when he couldn't drive any longer; he even had a second rear-view mirror installed so he could give Grandma directions ^^;) I remember when he went to the hospital; he left us before Grandma did. I remember his face and his voice were both scratchy and his arms were strong.
Mom smiles at me. "You're continuing a family tradition."
I smile back. It's good to keep things alive in the family.
(The chocolate just came out of the 'fridge a little while ago; it was good ^_^)