I had a girls night out last night - it's been a while!  Tami (from work), Meredith and I went out to Olive Garden for dinner after work.  Tami talked us into trying their Italian Margaritas (it didn't take much talking!) and then after dinner, ordered dessert for us to share (and I was already stuffed from the salad, breadsticks and lasagna fritta!) that was to die for.  Then, after lots of good food and laughs, we went to see "Women of Lockerbie", a play that Malorie (also from work) is in.  It is set 7 years after the Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people on board, and 11 people on the ground.  Beautifully moving!  Malorie told me to bring tissues, and she was right.  The plays deals with an American couple trying to deal with the death of their son in the plane crash and the people of Lockerbie trying to deal with their own family deaths caused by the crash and having to deal with the carnage on the ground afterwards (and dealing with U.S red tape and bureaucracy).  It was loosely based on true activities, and....was wonderful.  What a fun evening - I didn't get in until 10:00 p.m. (and I left for work at 6:45 a.m. - a long day!)

I'm also going to finish up posting the rest of the pictures from Mom's.  Alli and I stopped at the Sulfur Works on the way through Lassen Park.  I remember there being a path you could walk up a short way off the road to see more of the boiling mud action, but now - there is just the parking lot and sidewalks long the highway.  I think "they" are protecting us from ourselves again - but I will have to admit - a lot of people probably need it.  I wonder how many people actually tested the boiling mud to see if it was really hot or not?

I couldn't get Alli to pose for me very well - not that I ever can, but sometimes I get lucky.  I love this one - this is such a candid shot of her:

This is probably the best "pose" I got - not bad!

That is the boiling mud in the background, and Alli being Alli - dancing to the music in her head.

The view from the Sulfur Works out over the valley.

I stopped at the rest area outside of Chester, and Alli was getting pretty grumpy by then.  I tried for one more good picture - one with Almanor in the background.  I got pictures, no doubt, but this was the happiest I could get of Alli.  She was done with pictures and just wanted to get back in the car.

Mom's kittens are growing up!  Here's Tommy, playing in Dave's window:

And sitting pretty for the picture:

Jake spent the weekend trying to get the kittens to play with him.  They, being contrary things, spent the weekend trying NOT to play with him - I think they had more fun running from him.  Poor guy - all he wanted was a kitten to hold and cuddle with.  I think he finally got hold of Maddie when she was taking a nap and was able to get her to cuddle for a while.