OMG I cannot believe they rickrolled us during the Thanksgiving parade on TV.
Roy was sitting on the couch, glued to the imaginary friends performance, and all of a sudden there is Rick Astley himself, taking over the float. So wrong!
Showing posts with label Life in General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life in General. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
La maison de Livvy et Nick
Bonjour peeps! Me and Nick have been on the house hunt since mid-February, and it's been really annoying. Who knew buying a house was so time consuming? It seemed to me that when Awrissa and Pesto did it, it went by super smooth and quick. But not for me and Nick--or at least I don't think it was a breeze. We found one house and put an offer on it. It was a townhouse. Super nice :). But, it took the bank about a week to get back to us and tell us that he wasn't accepting any offers that weren't for the listing price. We were like "screw you bank." If you don't want to even consider our offer--the guy wouldn't even look at it--then we don't want to do business with you. So we started looking again. (It's funny, but they didn't get any other offers on the place. Ours was the only one. And they called us back about a week ago. We sent in a letter to withdrawal our offer. Hahahahah.)
We found another house, that was on a quarter acre. It was two stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and was perfect for us :). We loved it. It was listed for 254,900. It was a foreclosure and it's assessed value (for tax purposes this year) was 344,900 or something. The year previous it was like 414,000 or something. So a really nice property, that we were already getting for pretty cheap, but that was a good investment too because the value will most likely go up since it was up in previous years. Anywho, we had the second best offer because someone else came in and offered well into the 300k's. We were like "what the hell? Who does that? The appeal of this place was because it was CHEAP, so why offer so much more for it?" Whatever. So we started looking again!!! I am super down at this point and beginning to think that we'll never find a house. Especially since Nick LOVED that one sooooo much and kept saying things like "in our price range, that's probably the best we can do." So mean of him seriously :).
So, the weekend before last we go out again. We're looking at everything--strictly single family homes though because Nick really wanted one, and they are better and more private--and not being picky. Within three houses, we find another one that we both really really really like. It's a rambler, so just one level, but it's pretty big for just 2 people; 1830 sq. ft. It's got 3 bedrooms (one of them used to be two bedrooms, but a previous owner took out the dividing wall, so now it's a huge bedroom with a sitting area), 3 full bathrooms, a GORGEOUS and completely updated kitchen--granite counters, brand new cabinets, tile flooring--a seperate laundry room, a small formal living room/dining room combo, a family room with a huge stone hearth and fire place/woodburning stove, that's also set up for surround sound, and a lovely stone patio. It's sitting on a quarter acre of land and has two storage sheds in the back yard, with a stone path lined with rose bushes leading out to one of the sheds. It also has a vegetable garden, but we don't know if we'll keep that. Anywho, it's all ours :). We got it.
We're paying 278,000 and the seller is paying all the closing costs. But, it's assessed at 356,000 for this year, and last year it was 404,00, and the 2 years before that it was 465,00 or something obscene like that. So, it's a really good investment property that we'll already have equity in after purchase, and it's also just a really nice house. We are both soooooo excited! We can't wait to move in :).
So, anyone who lives in a state other than VA should come visit and bring your puppies. There's a fence in the backyard :)!
Wish us luck. I probably got ahead of myself with this post, but all that's left is to settle, so hopefully nothing goes wrong between now and then!! Keep your fingers crossed for us :).
Toodles,
Livvy
We found another house, that was on a quarter acre. It was two stories, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and was perfect for us :). We loved it. It was listed for 254,900. It was a foreclosure and it's assessed value (for tax purposes this year) was 344,900 or something. The year previous it was like 414,000 or something. So a really nice property, that we were already getting for pretty cheap, but that was a good investment too because the value will most likely go up since it was up in previous years. Anywho, we had the second best offer because someone else came in and offered well into the 300k's. We were like "what the hell? Who does that? The appeal of this place was because it was CHEAP, so why offer so much more for it?" Whatever. So we started looking again!!! I am super down at this point and beginning to think that we'll never find a house. Especially since Nick LOVED that one sooooo much and kept saying things like "in our price range, that's probably the best we can do." So mean of him seriously :).
So, the weekend before last we go out again. We're looking at everything--strictly single family homes though because Nick really wanted one, and they are better and more private--and not being picky. Within three houses, we find another one that we both really really really like. It's a rambler, so just one level, but it's pretty big for just 2 people; 1830 sq. ft. It's got 3 bedrooms (one of them used to be two bedrooms, but a previous owner took out the dividing wall, so now it's a huge bedroom with a sitting area), 3 full bathrooms, a GORGEOUS and completely updated kitchen--granite counters, brand new cabinets, tile flooring--a seperate laundry room, a small formal living room/dining room combo, a family room with a huge stone hearth and fire place/woodburning stove, that's also set up for surround sound, and a lovely stone patio. It's sitting on a quarter acre of land and has two storage sheds in the back yard, with a stone path lined with rose bushes leading out to one of the sheds. It also has a vegetable garden, but we don't know if we'll keep that. Anywho, it's all ours :). We got it.
We're paying 278,000 and the seller is paying all the closing costs. But, it's assessed at 356,000 for this year, and last year it was 404,00, and the 2 years before that it was 465,00 or something obscene like that. So, it's a really good investment property that we'll already have equity in after purchase, and it's also just a really nice house. We are both soooooo excited! We can't wait to move in :).
So, anyone who lives in a state other than VA should come visit and bring your puppies. There's a fence in the backyard :)!
Wish us luck. I probably got ahead of myself with this post, but all that's left is to settle, so hopefully nothing goes wrong between now and then!! Keep your fingers crossed for us :).
Toodles,
Livvy
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Russ the Rock Legend
LOL. I couldn't help it. I just had to tell all of you that Russ just beat Guitar Hero III on Hard. Go Russ!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Mom Says... - tagged by Celeste
Thanks for inviting me to play! I've been wanting to do one of these tag things for ages!
What is your husband's name: Neil
How long have you been married: 5 years as of the 21st of this month.
How long did you date before you got married: About a year and a half.
Who eats more: He eats a tiny bit more than I do, but stays way thinner. I eat faster than he does.
Who sings better: We both sing pretty well. I am the section leader for the sopranos in our choir, and he is the tenor section leader. I've been singing way longer though.
Who is smarter: I dunno. Sometimes I think I am, but then he comes along and shows me up completely out of the blue. I learn faster, but he has a much better memory.
Whose temper is worse: I think mine, but both of us are pretty darned mellow.
Who does the dishes: me, usually, unless I am sick. He will help me unload without my even asking him...which is huge in my book.
Who pays the bills: I do. I do everything on-line. If it were up to Neil, it would all be paper and pen, and I hate it that way.
Who cooks dinner: me. Neil can cook a mean frozen pizza. Nevertheless, I make him get all the meals on Fridays, which means we go out to eat. Yah!
Who drives when you are together: Mostly Neil. He is an excellent navigator, and cannot read in the car, so he prefers it that way. I read out loud to him when we are on long trips, which he likes.
Who is more stubborn: Sometimes I think I am, but on some things, Neil just won't budge an inch. He's like my dad that way...he smiles and agrees but then does it his way anyway.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong: me, because I can't stand it when I've done anything to hurt Neil.
Whose parents do you see the most: His folks. They are right up there in OK. My dad won't fly anymore, so we have to save to go see him.
Who kissed who first: Neil
Who asked who out first: He asked me out to lunch at Romano's.
Who proposed: Neil. He took me to Palo Duro Canyon for a picnic, and he proposed then. Very old fashioned.
Who is more sensitive: When it comes to other people, I guess I am the one who is more easily bugged, when it comes to each other, he is the more sensitive.
Who has more friends: We both have a ton of friends, church, dance and band. They're all mutual friends, so it works out very nicely.
Who wears the pants in the family: I don't wear pants much anymore. Neil makes the final decisions about big money purchases. He is not a pushy man, but I defer to him.
Where did you meet your husband: at a contra dance. He was the first man to ask me for a dance, at the very first contra dance I attended in Denton.
Where was your first date: Romano's Macaroni Grill.
What was the first thing you said to your husband: He asked me if I would like to dance, and I said I would love to.
Where was your first kiss: At my old house in West Plano.
Where did you get engaged: Palo Duro Canyon.
Where were you married: St. Barnabus Episcopal Church, Garland, Texas.
How did your reception go: Everything went well. Good cake, my girls all looked gorgeous, and we had a wonderful dinner out at my friends' Elizabeth and Ron's house.
Where was the honeymoon: We went to a bed and breakfast in Dallas that had the most awesome food and afterwards drove to an annual dance weekend in Dennison, TX on Lake Texoma.
If you could have changed anything about it, what would it have been: Nothing. Great food, great dancing, all of our friends there.
Editor's note: I would have changed something! I would have made sure Livvy's boyfriend, Nick stayed away from the green beans almondine!!
What is your husband's name: Neil
How long have you been married: 5 years as of the 21st of this month.
How long did you date before you got married: About a year and a half.
Who eats more: He eats a tiny bit more than I do, but stays way thinner. I eat faster than he does.
Who sings better: We both sing pretty well. I am the section leader for the sopranos in our choir, and he is the tenor section leader. I've been singing way longer though.
Who is smarter: I dunno. Sometimes I think I am, but then he comes along and shows me up completely out of the blue. I learn faster, but he has a much better memory.
Whose temper is worse: I think mine, but both of us are pretty darned mellow.
Who does the dishes: me, usually, unless I am sick. He will help me unload without my even asking him...which is huge in my book.
Who pays the bills: I do. I do everything on-line. If it were up to Neil, it would all be paper and pen, and I hate it that way.
Who cooks dinner: me. Neil can cook a mean frozen pizza. Nevertheless, I make him get all the meals on Fridays, which means we go out to eat. Yah!
Who drives when you are together: Mostly Neil. He is an excellent navigator, and cannot read in the car, so he prefers it that way. I read out loud to him when we are on long trips, which he likes.
Who is more stubborn: Sometimes I think I am, but on some things, Neil just won't budge an inch. He's like my dad that way...he smiles and agrees but then does it his way anyway.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong: me, because I can't stand it when I've done anything to hurt Neil.
Whose parents do you see the most: His folks. They are right up there in OK. My dad won't fly anymore, so we have to save to go see him.
Who kissed who first: Neil
Who asked who out first: He asked me out to lunch at Romano's.
Who proposed: Neil. He took me to Palo Duro Canyon for a picnic, and he proposed then. Very old fashioned.
Who is more sensitive: When it comes to other people, I guess I am the one who is more easily bugged, when it comes to each other, he is the more sensitive.
Who has more friends: We both have a ton of friends, church, dance and band. They're all mutual friends, so it works out very nicely.
Who wears the pants in the family: I don't wear pants much anymore. Neil makes the final decisions about big money purchases. He is not a pushy man, but I defer to him.
Where did you meet your husband: at a contra dance. He was the first man to ask me for a dance, at the very first contra dance I attended in Denton.
Where was your first date: Romano's Macaroni Grill.
What was the first thing you said to your husband: He asked me if I would like to dance, and I said I would love to.
Where was your first kiss: At my old house in West Plano.
Where did you get engaged: Palo Duro Canyon.
Where were you married: St. Barnabus Episcopal Church, Garland, Texas.
How did your reception go: Everything went well. Good cake, my girls all looked gorgeous, and we had a wonderful dinner out at my friends' Elizabeth and Ron's house.
Where was the honeymoon: We went to a bed and breakfast in Dallas that had the most awesome food and afterwards drove to an annual dance weekend in Dennison, TX on Lake Texoma.
If you could have changed anything about it, what would it have been: Nothing. Great food, great dancing, all of our friends there.
Editor's note: I would have changed something! I would have made sure Livvy's boyfriend, Nick stayed away from the green beans almondine!!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
The Power of Music
Whenever I have a really stressful day at work (and today was definitely one of those) I have a sure-fire way to make myself feel better and regain some perspective and energy. I head upstairs, put on the Ipod and start dancing in the kitchen with Roy while I do the dishes and clean up.
The following songs are guaranteed to help me shed the stench of the work-day and lift my spirits:
The Eels: "Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)"
The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Head On"
Chris Isaak: "Always Got Tonight"
Dwight Yoakam: Fast As You or "I've Got You"
Mike Doughty: "Looking At The World From the Bottom of a Well"
Cake: "Love You Madly"
The Killers: "Everything Will Be Alright"
There are a bunch of others, but those are some of my top songs. In particular, "Looking At The World From The Bottom of a Well."
Right now, the project I'm working on has me stressed beyond all belief. We were supposed to be code-complete over a month and a half ago, and I was supposed to have two other full-time QA engineers working on it. Instead, I only got the other two QA under me in the past week, and we're still only 75% code-complete. I'm starting to lose it, and to make matters worse, I got on a status call this afternoon, and started complaining how the product guy was pointing out issues like "the search box border is 2 pixels off" when the frigging page he was looking at barely even worked. And then it turned out he was on the call! Whups. When my blush finally died down, it turned out to be a good thing, because he'd been tuning me out when I told him the product wasn't anywhere near ready for launch until then. Still... I don't normally lose my cool like that.
So as soon as I finished work for the day, I headed upstairs, turned the music up to just short of ear-splitting and proceeded to dance around the kitchen like a madwoman while I fixed Roy's dinner and did the dishes. By the time I was running through my favorite Chris Isaak songs, I'd calmed down and felt much better.
It's true. Music does have the power to tame the savage beast.
The following songs are guaranteed to help me shed the stench of the work-day and lift my spirits:
The Eels: "Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)"
The Jesus and Mary Chain: "Head On"
Chris Isaak: "Always Got Tonight"
Dwight Yoakam: Fast As You or "I've Got You"
Mike Doughty: "Looking At The World From the Bottom of a Well"
Cake: "Love You Madly"
The Killers: "Everything Will Be Alright"
There are a bunch of others, but those are some of my top songs. In particular, "Looking At The World From The Bottom of a Well."
Right now, the project I'm working on has me stressed beyond all belief. We were supposed to be code-complete over a month and a half ago, and I was supposed to have two other full-time QA engineers working on it. Instead, I only got the other two QA under me in the past week, and we're still only 75% code-complete. I'm starting to lose it, and to make matters worse, I got on a status call this afternoon, and started complaining how the product guy was pointing out issues like "the search box border is 2 pixels off" when the frigging page he was looking at barely even worked. And then it turned out he was on the call! Whups. When my blush finally died down, it turned out to be a good thing, because he'd been tuning me out when I told him the product wasn't anywhere near ready for launch until then. Still... I don't normally lose my cool like that.
So as soon as I finished work for the day, I headed upstairs, turned the music up to just short of ear-splitting and proceeded to dance around the kitchen like a madwoman while I fixed Roy's dinner and did the dishes. By the time I was running through my favorite Chris Isaak songs, I'd calmed down and felt much better.
It's true. Music does have the power to tame the savage beast.
I AM TAGGING MYSELF :)!
Ahem. Me and Nick have been dating longer than anyone else I know (I think anyways), so I thought I'd fill this out too :)! (I did make a few changes to some of the questions though, since we are not actually married.)
What is your partner's name: Nick
What is your partner's name: Nick
How long have you been in a relationship: 5 1/2 years. (It will be 6 come June 10, 2008).
How long did you date before you moved in together: about 4 years. We MIGHT try to buy a house together next year, but we'll see ;).
Who eats more: Nick. He tries to eat 4000+ calories a day. This is really annoying to me because if I eat more than 2100 I start to gain weight. He never does. Guh!
Who sings better: It depends on what you prefer to listen to. Something akin to a beautiful songbird (haha) or a Dave Mustaine immitator. It's your choice :).
Who is smarter: Nick is definitely smarter than me...which means he's really smart because I am definitely above average. He might actually qualify as a genius or something.
Whose temper is worse: Mine. Nick is very even tempered which can be a problem when I feel like "expressing" myself because he won't respond in a like manner. It's probably for the best though.
Who does the dishes: We both do. We try to do it so that he unloads and I load, but most of the time that's not what happens. It's usually like he'll do the dishes for a few days because I am being lazy, and then I'll do them once, then he'll do them for a few days more just to make me feel bad (LOL), and then I'll start to feel really bad about being such a slob, so I will do them for a little longer than a few days, and then we'll get back on track, and then the cycle will repeat.
Who pays the bills: We both do. Nick pays a portion of the rent and all the utilities. I pay a portion of the rent and groceries.
Who cooks dinner: We both do. I might cook him dinner slightly more than he cooks me dinner, but it's usually pretty even. Also, those "slightly more" times are usually oven-baked pizza nights :).
Who drives when you are together: It depends on whose car we are in. Although, sometimes when it's my car, I will force him to drive.
Who is more stubborn: Nick is definitely more stubborn than me, which is something because I am pretty stubborn. But, I am stubborn for maybe a day before I get over it. Nick can be stubborn for years on any given issue...I'm pretty sure.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong: Me. It's usually me just throwing a tantrum, so I'll apologize about 10 minutes afterwards.
Whose parents do you see the most: Well, I see my Dad the most because he is closest. Nick has odd hours so he can't come everytime I hang out with Dad. Then for holidays we try to split it up, but I would say we see Nick's parents the most, simply because his parents are still together and mine are divorced, and now in different states, so it's hard to see my parents equally or something.
Who kissed who first: Nick kissed me first. But I asked him if he was going to do it. So, I guess it's a toss up.
Who asked who out first: In high school, Nick asked me out first. He was googly eyed over me. When we started dating again when I was about to turn 20, I guess I asked him out first, since I invited him over to my house to hang out. But he was still googly eyed over me :).
Who asked who to move in together: I asked Nick to move in with me. Then about a year or two later he finally did.
Who is more sensitive: I am definitely the more sensitive one.
Who has more friends: Oh, I dunno. Probably Nick. I kind of stopped making friends after my first year of college. So I have my sisters and other family members, my high school friends and then like one or two friends from college. Nick has his high school friends, his college friends, and now his work buddy friends and then who ever else he decides to be friends with. So yeah...Nick.
Who wears the pants in the family: Mmm...I don't think either of us is dominant. I can be bitchy, but Nick does not consistently give in to me... But, then I am kind of a pushover when it comes to Nick... I dunno. I think it's a toss up.
Where did you meet your partner: at lunch time in high school. We went to Homecoming together :).
Where was your first date: I don't remember. It was in high school sometime. Nick remembers because he doesn't ever forget anything, but I forget things all the time, so yeah...no answer. Unless you are talking about when we started dating again right before I turned 20. Then I guess it was at my house to watch wrestling.
What was the first thing you said to your partner: It was probably a quietly muttered "hi". I was dark and quiet in high school. Or, I think I was. Other people might say differently. I was definitely quiet though.
Where was your first kiss: On Kyle Swan's deck in 1998.
When did you start dating: Well, we dated for a couple of months in high school, during the Fall of 1998 I believe, but then we broke up. Then I moved to Texas in 1999. I moved back to VA in 2002. Then we officially started dating June 10, 2002. Or, that is the date we celebrate because that is when Nick asked me if I would go out with him officially (we had been seeing eachother for a little bit before this) and I said yes. It's basically the same as an engagement.
Where was your first apartment: Falls Church, VA.
What was your 1 year dating anniversary like: Hmmm...I think we probably went out to dinner somewhere. I don't really remember. I'll have to ask Nick. I remember what we did last year for our 5 year anniversary though :). We went to King's Dominion for the day, and then we had Dinner at Mom's, which is a cute little pizzaria/italian restaurant in Arlington, VA. I guess Nick didn't think that was special enough though because a week later, he took me out to a pretty expensive Italian restaurant in Burke, VA. I don't remember the name though...Nick would know...
What was your first vacation together: I think that the first vacation we ever took together--by ourselves and not just with friends or to visit family--was a week-end camping trip out to Wolf Gap (I think that was the place) in WV. I loved it and would like to do it again sometime!
If you could have changed anything about it, what would it have been: Nothing :). It was perfect.
I will tag: Anna and Aunt Jeanne.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
He'll Remember This Christmas!
These are Christmas Lights, Roy!
Yes... and I will wreak havok with them!
Just kidding! I'm going to help Daddy decorate the front of the house!
I'm also going to hang my first ornament!
But Mommy did the tree in front of the house without my help.
Wedding Bliss - Tagged by Autumn
What is your husband's name: Russ
How long have you been married: 2 1/2 years
How long did you date before you got married: about 5 months, then he moved in with me and my sisters, then the two of us bought a house together, then we got married.
Who eats more: We both eat about the same, except he has me beat hands down in the ice cream department.
Who sings better: Russ
Who is smarter: I made sure I chose a man who was as smart or smarter than me. We haven't compared IQ scores though.
Whose temper is worse: Definitely mine. Russ has done a lot to mellow me out over the years, he's so easygoing. In turn, I've made him a little less willing to take crap from anyone who feels like dishing it out.
Who does the dishes: me, always. But Russ does all the lawn care, car maintenance, house maintenance, vacuuming, most of the laundry, and more of the grocery shopping.
Who pays the bills: I've always been the bookkeeper, now I'm also the breadwinner, at least until we have a second baby, then we'll switch.
Who cooks dinner: me. Russ is the fire-chief. I do the actual grilling. He helps me prep. Except shortly after the baby was born, then I'd sit at the table and nurse while I gave Russ directions on how to cook the meals.
Who drives when you are together: Russ, unless we're on a road trip lasting longer than 4 hours, then we switch off on every fill-up.
Who is more stubborn: me. Russ is one of the only people I'm willing to compromise for, which is one of the many reasons I knew he was the one I should marry.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong: probably Russ, but it always goads me into admitting where I've been an asshat as well.
Whose parents do you see the most: My father, since he's geographically the closest. Otherwise, we try to divvy up vacation time evenly.
Who kissed who first: Russ
Who asked who out first: I asked him.
Who proposed: that was more of a mutual thing. We bought a house together with the understanding that after a year, if things were still a fabulous as they were then, we'd tie the knot. After a year passed, we started planning a wedding date.
Who is more sensitive: I dunno about that one. Neither of us are particularly sensitive.
Who has more friends: Russ. I have sisters, and a husband. They keep me busy enough!
Who wears the pants in the family: Russ. I wear the pajamas.
Where did you meet your husband: at work. On a cigarette break.
Where was your first date: I convinced him to drive me up to Pennsylvania to pick up a cast iron bed I bought on eBay. There's something women like about a man with a pickup truck.
What was the first thing you said to your husband: Howdy, I'm Celeste.
Where was your first kiss: In front of my house, in his truck.
Where did you get engaged: We didn't really have an engagement. We were lying on the couch watching TV and hanging out, and sort of said to each other "Well, it's been a year now. Let's get married, so we can have kids."
Where were you married: In our back yard. We were married by some nutty new-agey catholic preacher that had all sorts of silly things he said during the ceremony - like holding up our wedding bands and asking the attending guests to direct thoughts of goodwill and happiness into them. I spent the majority of the ceremony trying not to laugh. I thought it was perfect! I still grin every time I think about our wedding.
How did your reception go: wonderfully. My sister Alicia threw a party for us after the wedding, and we had all of our friends there, and had a great time.
Where was the honeymoon: In the Great Smoky Mountains. We rented a luxury cabin and spent a week hiking, grilling out, and then soaking in the hottub after.
If you could have changed anything about it, what would it have been: I wouldn't have worked until the very day before our wedding. I had a really high-priority project I was working on, and the one girly thing I was going to do prior to the wedding - get my nails done, I ended up having to cancel because of some emergency last minute changes to the project that kept me working late that day. And I would have put all of our relatives in a hotel, so we could have had the house to ourselves on our wedding night!
I will tag: Leigh, Alicia and Mom.
How long have you been married: 2 1/2 years
How long did you date before you got married: about 5 months, then he moved in with me and my sisters, then the two of us bought a house together, then we got married.
Who eats more: We both eat about the same, except he has me beat hands down in the ice cream department.
Who sings better: Russ
Who is smarter: I made sure I chose a man who was as smart or smarter than me. We haven't compared IQ scores though.
Whose temper is worse: Definitely mine. Russ has done a lot to mellow me out over the years, he's so easygoing. In turn, I've made him a little less willing to take crap from anyone who feels like dishing it out.
Who does the dishes: me, always. But Russ does all the lawn care, car maintenance, house maintenance, vacuuming, most of the laundry, and more of the grocery shopping.
Who pays the bills: I've always been the bookkeeper, now I'm also the breadwinner, at least until we have a second baby, then we'll switch.
Who cooks dinner: me. Russ is the fire-chief. I do the actual grilling. He helps me prep. Except shortly after the baby was born, then I'd sit at the table and nurse while I gave Russ directions on how to cook the meals.
Who drives when you are together: Russ, unless we're on a road trip lasting longer than 4 hours, then we switch off on every fill-up.
Who is more stubborn: me. Russ is one of the only people I'm willing to compromise for, which is one of the many reasons I knew he was the one I should marry.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong: probably Russ, but it always goads me into admitting where I've been an asshat as well.
Whose parents do you see the most: My father, since he's geographically the closest. Otherwise, we try to divvy up vacation time evenly.
Who kissed who first: Russ
Who asked who out first: I asked him.
Who proposed: that was more of a mutual thing. We bought a house together with the understanding that after a year, if things were still a fabulous as they were then, we'd tie the knot. After a year passed, we started planning a wedding date.
Who is more sensitive: I dunno about that one. Neither of us are particularly sensitive.
Who has more friends: Russ. I have sisters, and a husband. They keep me busy enough!
Who wears the pants in the family: Russ. I wear the pajamas.
Where did you meet your husband: at work. On a cigarette break.
Where was your first date: I convinced him to drive me up to Pennsylvania to pick up a cast iron bed I bought on eBay. There's something women like about a man with a pickup truck.
What was the first thing you said to your husband: Howdy, I'm Celeste.
Where was your first kiss: In front of my house, in his truck.
Where did you get engaged: We didn't really have an engagement. We were lying on the couch watching TV and hanging out, and sort of said to each other "Well, it's been a year now. Let's get married, so we can have kids."
Where were you married: In our back yard. We were married by some nutty new-agey catholic preacher that had all sorts of silly things he said during the ceremony - like holding up our wedding bands and asking the attending guests to direct thoughts of goodwill and happiness into them. I spent the majority of the ceremony trying not to laugh. I thought it was perfect! I still grin every time I think about our wedding.
How did your reception go: wonderfully. My sister Alicia threw a party for us after the wedding, and we had all of our friends there, and had a great time.
Where was the honeymoon: In the Great Smoky Mountains. We rented a luxury cabin and spent a week hiking, grilling out, and then soaking in the hottub after.
If you could have changed anything about it, what would it have been: I wouldn't have worked until the very day before our wedding. I had a really high-priority project I was working on, and the one girly thing I was going to do prior to the wedding - get my nails done, I ended up having to cancel because of some emergency last minute changes to the project that kept me working late that day. And I would have put all of our relatives in a hotel, so we could have had the house to ourselves on our wedding night!
I will tag: Leigh, Alicia and Mom.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
WARNING: Check your license expiration date!
Gaak. What a pain in the ass! Russ' driver's license expired yesterday, less than 24 hours ago. He went into the DMV to get it renewed, and, because it has been expired (for all of 24 hours) he can't get it renewed without first presenting a birth certificate or unexpired passport. If he had decided to endure the hassle of the DMV yesterday, on his birthday, it would have been no problem. But now we're having to scramble to try and find his birth certificate, which I'm pretty sure he's never had, and is still with his parents.
We went through less hassle getting our marriage license.
Welcome to the new USSA. Present your papers, please.
We went through less hassle getting our marriage license.
Welcome to the new USSA. Present your papers, please.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
I'll Miss You, Jeannie
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, since it's the time of year when we specifically get together to enjoy our family, and eat, and there isn't any of the attendant stress of Christmas gift-giving to take the shine off of it.
This Thanksgiving was extra-special, and really exemplified why I love the holiday. My Aunt Jeannie came out to visit! Dad's little sister, who I hadn't seen since I was just a very little girl, and my youngest sisters had never met, came out to stay with dad over the holiday, and we all got a chance to meet/reconnect. I had such a great time with her, I'm really kicking myself that all these years, I've had an aunt that's only 4 years older than me, and we never got to know each other before now. I'm looking forward to future visits, and plotting how I can get Russ and myself out to Vegas so we can see her on her own turf, and maybe meet my uncle, too!
So for a wonderful Thanksgiving, thanks Jeannie, and I'll miss you. Here's hoping we manage to get to see each other again before another 20 years pass.
Friday, November 23, 2007
I'll Miss You, Santos
This morning, I overslept and didn't wake up until I heard the kiddo making noise over the baby monitor. So I dragged my ass out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen to fix his breakfast and a pot of coffee for myself. Stumble downstairs for a smoke while everything is heating up. The nicotine helped, so I managed to trudge rather than stumble back up the stairs to assemble Roy's tray and fix that first, blessedly reviving, hot, sugary and creamy cup of coffee for myself.
Grab the filter to pull it off of the carafe, and spit! Dirty drawers! The damned thing is stone cold. Peek inside the filter.... grounds are still completely dry, and none of the water has moved up into the filter as it should. I ended up having to boil water on the stove-top and pour it through the filter just so I could get some nasty over-perked sludge to make it through the morning.
My first Bodum Santos lasted a year, and then the heating element died. The coffee I was getting from the machine was so wonderful I went ahead and replaced it with another one. This one only lasted me 3 years - not a sufficient return on my investment for a machine priced over 100 dollars. It makes a great cup of coffee, but it's a bitch to clean, since even with my tiny hands I can barely fit one inside the carafe to scrub it out, and every time you try to give it a good cleaning, you're taking the risk of it not coming back on. So, while I love you, Bodum Santos, I had to replace you with a different brand.
Here's hoping the new Oster I ordered arrives before I expire from caffeine withdrawal tomorrow morning, and lives longer than the Bodum did. That morning cup of coffee is too important to me for me to screw around with unreliable machines.
Grab the filter to pull it off of the carafe, and spit! Dirty drawers! The damned thing is stone cold. Peek inside the filter.... grounds are still completely dry, and none of the water has moved up into the filter as it should. I ended up having to boil water on the stove-top and pour it through the filter just so I could get some nasty over-perked sludge to make it through the morning.
My first Bodum Santos lasted a year, and then the heating element died. The coffee I was getting from the machine was so wonderful I went ahead and replaced it with another one. This one only lasted me 3 years - not a sufficient return on my investment for a machine priced over 100 dollars. It makes a great cup of coffee, but it's a bitch to clean, since even with my tiny hands I can barely fit one inside the carafe to scrub it out, and every time you try to give it a good cleaning, you're taking the risk of it not coming back on. So, while I love you, Bodum Santos, I had to replace you with a different brand.
Here's hoping the new Oster I ordered arrives before I expire from caffeine withdrawal tomorrow morning, and lives longer than the Bodum did. That morning cup of coffee is too important to me for me to screw around with unreliable machines.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Black-Market Milk
Russ and I have already had to deal with the depressing knowledge that when the Farmer's Market season ends, we'll have to go back to buying our dairy products from the grocery store. We were looking forward to just two more weeks of real, raw, farm fresh milk and butter though. Seriously, if you haven't had raw (meaning unpasteurized) milk before, it's like sex without a condom... there's just so much more enjoyable about it. There's none of that gummy milky after-taste at the back of your throat. The flavor seems both fuller and more delicate. We liked it so much we were discussing the possibility of doing regular pickups somewhere nearby after the market ended, so we could keep the milk-love going.
Trust The Man™ to spoil the fun, though. Russ and I showed up at the Archwood Green barns yesterday, rubbing our hands in anticipation of our next batch of fresh milk and butter, only to find our milk vendor had only a supply of baked goods, some canned vegetables, and this article from the Washington Post sitting out on a shelf, to explain why there would be no more raw milk or butter forthcoming.
I already knew half the stuff I was buying at the farmer's market existed in a legal gray area at best. I figured it was somewhat like illegal fireworks though... as long as no one was complaining, the cops would leave you alone. I should have known that the state that tried to starve out the homeless by outlawing private food donations and thought the hopsicle was a danger worthy of regulation wouldn't be able to resist sticking their nose in the farmer's market business though. The Post devotes most of the article's space to a Charlottesville farm that we hadn't dealt with before, but Mark Nolt was responsible for the fantastic milk we were drinking, and Satyrfield farms are regular vendors at Archwood Green barns.
Russ and I have endured food-poisoning from the 'inspected' kitchens in Warrenton's restaurants enough times that we're leery of eating out in general. We've never had so much as an upset tummy from something we've picked up at the farmer's market. We know from experience that inspection and certification means very little in terms of actually making you safe. We'll continue doing what we can - even if it means clandestine sales to avoid the feds - to continue supporting local growers and producers. That white gold - and knowing my food money is going to my neighbor, not Venezuela - is worth it to me.
Trust The Man™ to spoil the fun, though. Russ and I showed up at the Archwood Green barns yesterday, rubbing our hands in anticipation of our next batch of fresh milk and butter, only to find our milk vendor had only a supply of baked goods, some canned vegetables, and this article from the Washington Post sitting out on a shelf, to explain why there would be no more raw milk or butter forthcoming.
I already knew half the stuff I was buying at the farmer's market existed in a legal gray area at best. I figured it was somewhat like illegal fireworks though... as long as no one was complaining, the cops would leave you alone. I should have known that the state that tried to starve out the homeless by outlawing private food donations and thought the hopsicle was a danger worthy of regulation wouldn't be able to resist sticking their nose in the farmer's market business though. The Post devotes most of the article's space to a Charlottesville farm that we hadn't dealt with before, but Mark Nolt was responsible for the fantastic milk we were drinking, and Satyrfield farms are regular vendors at Archwood Green barns.
Russ and I have endured food-poisoning from the 'inspected' kitchens in Warrenton's restaurants enough times that we're leery of eating out in general. We've never had so much as an upset tummy from something we've picked up at the farmer's market. We know from experience that inspection and certification means very little in terms of actually making you safe. We'll continue doing what we can - even if it means clandestine sales to avoid the feds - to continue supporting local growers and producers. That white gold - and knowing my food money is going to my neighbor, not Venezuela - is worth it to me.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Winning the Layoff Lottery
Well Smithers and Burns got their way, and the bloodbath has started.
These days are always the hardest for me. The constant "are you okay?" pings. The constant emails from folks saying "Well, nice working with you." Showing up for meetings only to find out that the majority of the folks running the show are gone. Chaos! Tension! Tears! Wondering why the hell they're keeping on one jackass that never did much of his own work anyway, but letting go the actual productive members of their team. I'm so glad I work remote, so don't have to be in the office for this round.
In this case though, it's at least partly tears of joy. Russ got the word this morning that he was being let go. With the severance package, it evens out like this: instead of Russ quitting in March, just after we get our bonuses as we'd planned, Russ gets paid pretty much through March, is still eligible for bonus, and gets to take the next four months off while we get house ready for market. Win!
So don't be sad for us. We're not. The only way this could have been better is if Smithers and Burns weren't such cheap pricks, and instead had done what AOL did a few years ago, and based severance partly on years of service. Then we'd be cracking open the champagne. Four months ain't bad though. ;)
These days are always the hardest for me. The constant "are you okay?" pings. The constant emails from folks saying "Well, nice working with you." Showing up for meetings only to find out that the majority of the folks running the show are gone. Chaos! Tension! Tears! Wondering why the hell they're keeping on one jackass that never did much of his own work anyway, but letting go the actual productive members of their team. I'm so glad I work remote, so don't have to be in the office for this round.
In this case though, it's at least partly tears of joy. Russ got the word this morning that he was being let go. With the severance package, it evens out like this: instead of Russ quitting in March, just after we get our bonuses as we'd planned, Russ gets paid pretty much through March, is still eligible for bonus, and gets to take the next four months off while we get house ready for market. Win!
So don't be sad for us. We're not. The only way this could have been better is if Smithers and Burns weren't such cheap pricks, and instead had done what AOL did a few years ago, and based severance partly on years of service. Then we'd be cracking open the champagne. Four months ain't bad though. ;)
Saturday, October 06, 2007
You Save NOTHING!
I was shopping on Amazon today, reading customer reviews on various Capresso products, and one of the reviewers said:
So I checked it myself.
Amazon says the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder has a list price of $120.00, and their price is $89.99, so "You Save: $30.01 (25%)".
Capresso says the same grinder costs $89.99.
You save nothing.
Amazon says the Bodum Chambord 8-Cup French Press has a list price of $37.50, and their price is $29.99, so "You Save: $7.51 (20%)".
BodumUSA says the same french press costs $29.95.
You save less than nothing.
To be fair, Amazon actually was discounting Dyson. And Bissell wasn't offering prices on their web-site. But for Vornado, of the 4 items Amazon was selling, one was priced the same, one was priced rather higher, and two of the products were not only marked higher on Amazon's "list price" but one, has a list price of $80 with a savings of 1 cent and is actually $10 cheaper direct from Vornado.
Lesson: for larger items, especially if you don't have an incentive like Amazon Prime to shop Amazon anyway, shop around! And don't be fooled by "You save!" because sometimes, you don't.
"I just checked the Capresso website and they list the 560 at $90, the 565 at $140. Amazon has inflated their MSRP's to the point that I will now research every item I purchase from them."
So I checked it myself.
Amazon says the Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder has a list price of $120.00, and their price is $89.99, so "You Save: $30.01 (25%)".
Capresso says the same grinder costs $89.99.
You save nothing.
Amazon says the Bodum Chambord 8-Cup French Press has a list price of $37.50, and their price is $29.99, so "You Save: $7.51 (20%)".
BodumUSA says the same french press costs $29.95.
You save less than nothing.
To be fair, Amazon actually was discounting Dyson. And Bissell wasn't offering prices on their web-site. But for Vornado, of the 4 items Amazon was selling, one was priced the same, one was priced rather higher, and two of the products were not only marked higher on Amazon's "list price" but one, has a list price of $80 with a savings of 1 cent and is actually $10 cheaper direct from Vornado.
Lesson: for larger items, especially if you don't have an incentive like Amazon Prime to shop Amazon anyway, shop around! And don't be fooled by "You save!" because sometimes, you don't.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Well That Was Easier Than I Expected
We finally got the last of the mechanical malfunctions I was whining about taken care of. Russ fixed Livvy's computer and sent her home with a surge protector and a ram upgrade,was able to recover all of our pictures/mp3s and place them on a bigger, better drive, and our TV was completely repaired on Tuesday. As soon as he got the time, it was like knocking over dominoes. Having an electronically/mechanically inclined husband is a real bonus.
I just have to comment about the TV repair. I've heard so many horror stories about people taking their big flat-screens in to be serviced, and waiting months to get their television back, that our experience was just really nice in comparison. Russ had done some research, so he already had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with it, and had priced replacement parts. Panasonic was prompt and friendly, and the authorized service shop they had contact us - G&E TV Service - was very nice, and quickly picked up our TV and took it in for diagnosis and repair.
Friday evening, a little over a week later, the manager calls me up to let me know the repair is complete, and he wanted to schedule time on Tuesday to return the TV to us. I say "Great!" while privately thinking "Dammit, another NFL weekend on the little TV!" He launches into a frustrated speech about how wrong it is that the parts are so expensive, and apologizes for the high cost of the repair - the total of which is lower than the techs had estimated, and lower than Russ and my private estimation. I tell him it's okay, that Russ and I had been prepared for as much, and we were happy to hear our TV was done. The manager pauses, probably because he'd called prepared to defend himself from an explosion of bitching about the high cost of an out-of-warranty repair, and then says "Actually, if you're around tomorrow morning, I can have your TV delivered between 12 and 2pm." Awesome!
Sure enough, the tech was back with our TV the next day by 1pm. The faulty part is replaced, the firmware is up to date, and we had our big TV back in plenty of time to watch the Ravens' embarrassing loss to the Browns. But a rant on the Ravens' D isn't positive, and I meant for this to be a positive post.
It's so nice to have everything working again.
I just have to comment about the TV repair. I've heard so many horror stories about people taking their big flat-screens in to be serviced, and waiting months to get their television back, that our experience was just really nice in comparison. Russ had done some research, so he already had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with it, and had priced replacement parts. Panasonic was prompt and friendly, and the authorized service shop they had contact us - G&E TV Service - was very nice, and quickly picked up our TV and took it in for diagnosis and repair.
Friday evening, a little over a week later, the manager calls me up to let me know the repair is complete, and he wanted to schedule time on Tuesday to return the TV to us. I say "Great!" while privately thinking "Dammit, another NFL weekend on the little TV!" He launches into a frustrated speech about how wrong it is that the parts are so expensive, and apologizes for the high cost of the repair - the total of which is lower than the techs had estimated, and lower than Russ and my private estimation. I tell him it's okay, that Russ and I had been prepared for as much, and we were happy to hear our TV was done. The manager pauses, probably because he'd called prepared to defend himself from an explosion of bitching about the high cost of an out-of-warranty repair, and then says "Actually, if you're around tomorrow morning, I can have your TV delivered between 12 and 2pm." Awesome!
Sure enough, the tech was back with our TV the next day by 1pm. The faulty part is replaced, the firmware is up to date, and we had our big TV back in plenty of time to watch the Ravens' embarrassing loss to the Browns. But a rant on the Ravens' D isn't positive, and I meant for this to be a positive post.
It's so nice to have everything working again.
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Adventures of Livvy Sawyer and Huckleberry Anna
The other day after Livvy and I spent a nice afternoon with 'Pa, we decided to work off the copious amounts of candy and sushi we had devoured by taking a walk. By the way we seriously ate so much sushi that the waiter was laughing at us. He's all "you fatties want dessert? Of course you do!" I was so affronted that I smacked him across the face with our picked clean ten pound sushi boat. Who's laughing now guy?
Anyway, about a half a mile into what was supposed to be a three mile walk, I mention to Livvy that I had mapped out a five mile route and was meaning to try it. She jumped at the idea, and that was it . . . we were committed. About two miles into the walk I start hearing this high pitched squeal. I wasn't sure what it was, so I turned to Livvy to see if she could hear it too. Turns out it WAS Livvy, her little footsies were hurting because she had to borrow my shoes. Me, being the amazingly generous soul that I am, offered to switch sneakers with her so that she would stop whining.
So we stop in this sweet little cul-de-sac to switch, and when Livvy whips out her damaged footsies, I almost puked. At some point between when we started and when we stopped Livvy's feet had become so abused they looked like raw hamburger meat. It was frightening. I managed to keep my cool while she stuffed raw pulsating flesh wrapped in cotton into my new running shoes. Luckily my foot sweat is magical, and her feet healed instantly.
Another mile or so into our walk, I begin to worry seriously about the dog. It is not a cool day, and Rora is built more for arctic climes. I also did not think to bring any water, because the walk was supposed to only be three miles. Thankfully in the distance we spy a sparkling brook, at the bottom of a sheer precipice. Rora smells the water, and she is practically pissing herself to get to it. Livvy and I resourceful adventurers that we are, decide to brave the chasm to hydrate my dog. With Rora in tow, I scramble down the rocky cliff, while Livvy acts as my anchor. Once at the bottom, my sweet puppy frolics in the brook and sucks down about a gallon of water. Satisfied that she probably won't collapse from dehydration, I turn back to begin my ascent. It becomes clear to me that I will not be able to make the climb without letting go of Rora's lead. In a panic I call up to Livvy, and explain the situation.
Livvy full of piss and vinegar shouts down "Throw her up to me!"
I see that there is no other option, so I grab Rora by her ruff and launch her toward Livvy's waiting arms. Livvy catches her and pulls her to her heaving bosom. It was fantastic!
Then we walked the rest of the way home.
Anyway, about a half a mile into what was supposed to be a three mile walk, I mention to Livvy that I had mapped out a five mile route and was meaning to try it. She jumped at the idea, and that was it . . . we were committed. About two miles into the walk I start hearing this high pitched squeal. I wasn't sure what it was, so I turned to Livvy to see if she could hear it too. Turns out it WAS Livvy, her little footsies were hurting because she had to borrow my shoes. Me, being the amazingly generous soul that I am, offered to switch sneakers with her so that she would stop whining.
So we stop in this sweet little cul-de-sac to switch, and when Livvy whips out her damaged footsies, I almost puked. At some point between when we started and when we stopped Livvy's feet had become so abused they looked like raw hamburger meat. It was frightening. I managed to keep my cool while she stuffed raw pulsating flesh wrapped in cotton into my new running shoes. Luckily my foot sweat is magical, and her feet healed instantly.
Another mile or so into our walk, I begin to worry seriously about the dog. It is not a cool day, and Rora is built more for arctic climes. I also did not think to bring any water, because the walk was supposed to only be three miles. Thankfully in the distance we spy a sparkling brook, at the bottom of a sheer precipice. Rora smells the water, and she is practically pissing herself to get to it. Livvy and I resourceful adventurers that we are, decide to brave the chasm to hydrate my dog. With Rora in tow, I scramble down the rocky cliff, while Livvy acts as my anchor. Once at the bottom, my sweet puppy frolics in the brook and sucks down about a gallon of water. Satisfied that she probably won't collapse from dehydration, I turn back to begin my ascent. It becomes clear to me that I will not be able to make the climb without letting go of Rora's lead. In a panic I call up to Livvy, and explain the situation.
Livvy full of piss and vinegar shouts down "Throw her up to me!"
I see that there is no other option, so I grab Rora by her ruff and launch her toward Livvy's waiting arms. Livvy catches her and pulls her to her heaving bosom. It was fantastic!
Then we walked the rest of the way home.
Monday, August 06, 2007
All Of Our Warranties Must Have Expired This Month
Our empire is crumbling! Everything is breaking around us. First Russ and I came down with sinus infections. Then, since I was too tired and sick to cook, we managed to get food poisoning eating chinese delivery, and spent the entire weekend in utter misery. On top of that, Livvy's computer is dead, and now Russ is reduced to trying to recover her data and price out the replacement parts. Our mp3/pictures/print-server failed somehow as well, so we have to figure out how to recover the data from that. I'm typing this on my new laptop for work, since I managed to drop my old one and fry the hard drive on it, and Russ ended up having to do some sort of voodoo to recover the seven years of work documentation I had on it. And we sat down last night to watch the first pre-season game for NFL, to find out that the big TV in our living room is having some sort of problem with resolutions higher than 480, and showing weird fuzzy red lines. So now we have to take that in to get it serviced too.
I'm wondering what'll happen next? Termite infestation? The roof collapses? Sheesh.
I'm wondering what'll happen next? Termite infestation? The roof collapses? Sheesh.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Vacation Wrap-up
Well we've been home for over a week now, and I finally feel somewhat back into the swing of things. The drive home was easy, and since we grabbed 64 to C-ville and then took 29 the rest of the way home rather than going up 81 to 66, the last few hours, which are normally the worst, actually were rather pleasant. I don't know if you've been on 29 between Charlottesville and Warrenton lately, but they've increased the speed limit to 60 for most of it.
The Dallas trip, lacking the torrential downpours and flooding that marked the OK leg of our vacation, turned out to be actually vacation-like. We got some time to really relax, including pool time at Richard and Leigh's. Roy got his first taste of what a swimming pool was like with an inconclusive verdict. As long as mommy or daddy was actively holding him, and another kid was in the pool, he liked it. Otherwise, not so much. But he took his first long walk (long meaning in excess of 5 steps) in order to greet his baby cousin Anna.
We had Richard, Leigh and Anna over to Mom and Neil's for dinner one night, and here's a good shot of Grandma with her Grandson and his Cousin:
We even had an evening off where just the three of us were able to relax, while Mom and Neil were out at a gig.
This is probably my favorite picture from the entire trip, because Russ and Roy both look so outrageously happy in it. :)
So now that we're home, Roy is walking all over the place, although for only short distances, and has started feeding himself. He had pancakes and banana chunks for breakfast yesterday. Russ and I are still trying to get back into a work-week mindset. That's the only problem with a vacation that long - your body forgets how to manage a 40+ week.
The Dallas trip, lacking the torrential downpours and flooding that marked the OK leg of our vacation, turned out to be actually vacation-like. We got some time to really relax, including pool time at Richard and Leigh's. Roy got his first taste of what a swimming pool was like with an inconclusive verdict. As long as mommy or daddy was actively holding him, and another kid was in the pool, he liked it. Otherwise, not so much. But he took his first long walk (long meaning in excess of 5 steps) in order to greet his baby cousin Anna.
We had Richard, Leigh and Anna over to Mom and Neil's for dinner one night, and here's a good shot of Grandma with her Grandson and his Cousin:
We even had an evening off where just the three of us were able to relax, while Mom and Neil were out at a gig.
This is probably my favorite picture from the entire trip, because Russ and Roy both look so outrageously happy in it. :)
So now that we're home, Roy is walking all over the place, although for only short distances, and has started feeding himself. He had pancakes and banana chunks for breakfast yesterday. Russ and I are still trying to get back into a work-week mindset. That's the only problem with a vacation that long - your body forgets how to manage a 40+ week.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Party like it's 1999
This weekend Livvy and I had the distinct honor of partying with a real Irishman. Earlier in the week Maureen had emailed me with a dilemma. Her 20 year old Irish cousin was in town visiting and she had no idea what to do with him. He was too young to get into the bars and drink and he desperately wanted to go out and have a good time, but what kind of good time can a 20 year old have in America?Well it turns out that D.C.'s biggest brit pop dance party a.k.a. Mousetrap was this Saturday, and it's 18 and up. It's also at the Black Cat which is a hip D.C. venue, so that our Irish visitor could get a taste of the night life in the city and hit on some hot mamas. I invited them both to pre-game at our friend's house as she was having a bbq, I was also hoping that I could get some other people to agree to go out with us, because I am not the club type and wasn't sure if we could show this kid a good time without having other funner people there. Turns out Maureen's cousin is very outgoing, and I needn't have worried.
The night was set to be a disaster, all of the people that I had asked to join us flaked. The cab that I called to take us into the city was still a no-show after thirty minutes, and the night was slipping away from us. Finally I reluctantly agreed to drive despite my hatred for all things involving the streets of D.C. We had to circle around for parking for a good twenty minutes . . . by this time it's a few minutes past midnight and the club closes at 2. I should mention that the Irish guy is inordinately excited, and there is a lot of pressure for me to just park the damn car already because he's basically pissing himself to party in America. He'd been hanging out with older people his whole trip thus far.
Finally thankfully, amazingly I get the last spot in a pay lot two blocks from the club and it is only 12:10. Things are looking up! We go into what I believe to be the Black Cat, it looks like the club there are people milling outside I'm on a mission. I ask the lady for tickets, and she very apologetically informs me that the party is over. Fuck! Over? Who ends a dance party at 12? I tell everyone, and we are all supremely disappointed. It is Livvy, who I should say is already pretty well hammered, that insists we are not at the Black Cat, we are somewhere else. Skeptically I keep walking, sure that we are screwed and we have wasted time and Maureen's cousin will hate us. Until appearing on the horizon like my own personal mecca is The Black Cat. Ok so Livvy was right, yay! The cousin's face brightens considerably.
We enter and proceed to the Backstage bar, in search of revelers. What we find is more like a house party than "D.C.'s BIGGEST Brit Pop Dance Party" also, they weren't playing Brit Pop, they were playing Janis Joplin. "Oh no" I think. I had completely blown it! This sucked, and the cousin looked bored. The first thing he said to me was "There are gay people here!!!" Well, OK so the scene was not as expected, we decide to make the most of it, and at least help the cousin get blasted at an American bar, so we start slipping him shots. At about 12:30 Maureen has me accompany her on a smoke break, they've banned smoking in bars in D.C. so we had to go outside. From there we notice people heading upstairs, so Maureen tells me to ask what's upstairs.
"What's upstairs?" I ask the lady stamping hands.
"Oh . . um, like Brit pop 80's dance music?"
"Fuck me!"
I rush back to the bar, where Livvy is twirling around happily. I mentioned she was plowed right? The cousin is bopping his head, to Mr. Bigshot, and I tell them the good news. The party is upstairs! Off we go up the stairs, and I am hoping against hope that there are more than ten people up there, if there are maybe the cousin won't notice if any of them are gay. I throw open the big metal doors, to find a sea of people dancing merrily. I turn to see if the cousin is happy and he has thrown his hands up into the air and is hooting. I kid you not he is hooting.
The night is fairly predictable from then on. The cousin gets shit-faced with our help, he finds a group of people to be his new American friends. Livvy is still twirling around happily, still drunk. Maureen and I, stake our places in the crowd to watch our two drunk charges, I drove so I stayed sober, and Maureen could not in good conscience make me go it alone. Which is a good thing, because we overshot and ended feeding the cousin one two many shots. Maureen starts to get worried.
"He doesn't look happy." she tells me as she peers at him through the crowd.
"He's OK he's dancing."
"I think those guys are hitting him, I hope he isn't pissing them off."
"No, really that's dancing. They are moshing."
They were moshing too, to The Clash, London Calling. Who knew that song was so hardcore? Well Maureen can take no more, she is worried. The cousin looks like he will fall down any minute, probably directly onto one of his new American friends. Livvy has stubbed her toe badly, and barely noticed. She is still twirling happily and giggling. I had tried to cut her off earlier, but she just looked at me and said "That's silly Anna, I have my own money." The two sober ones are going to have to end the party. Thankfully it is now 1:46 and the club will not be open for very much longer. I am tasked with fighting my through the crowd to retrieve the cousin, for we must make him potty before we skedaddle. As I grab his arm to drag him out of his circle of friends I am met with a resounding cry of "AWWWW!!! Bye [cousin's name]!!"
This is when it gets interesting. The cousin is very agreeable, but he does not want to go. He kicks up a fuss without actually resisting. He is whining. He whines all the way to the bathroom. He whines all the way down the stairs. He whines all the way back to the car. This is us.
Cousin: "We were only there twenty minutes. Why do we have to go?" plaintive mewling and a thick Irish accent
Me: "We were there two hours, they are closing. We have to go"
Cousin: "I'm not stupid, it was only twenty minutes. Why are you making me leave?"
Me: "You are not stupid, but your sense of time is obviously fucked because you are wasted. We were there much longer than that."
Cousin: "Liar"
The car ride is not much different. Livvy tries to placate him, but she cannot understand a word he is saying. He whines the whole way home. When we get there, Maureen wants to leave immediately as it is quite late and she is worried that her cousin who is not used to cars is going to lose it on the drive home. The cousin does not want to leave, it turns out my roommates are home and they have brought friends with them. The cousin sees this and insists that he be allowed to stay. "They are all young here, I want to stay!" he cries. He is really really really drunk. It takes us about twenty minutes to herd him to the car, during this time he; punches a tree, wanders three feet away to sit sullenly on the curb, whines, says 'but why' a total of thirty times. He throws up on the way home.
Well all in all, I had a blast. I thought the cousin was hilarious, and super friendly. I also got a kick out of his accent, especially because Livvy couldn't understand it. The dance party was everything I ever wanted a club to be. I didn't have to dress up, and no one touched me inappropriately the entire time. They also played music that didn't have lyrics like 'back that ass up' and 'bitches they come and go'. Livvy was very amusing as she happily twirled away the entire night. Maureen seemed to have a good time, which was nice, and Livvy and I got to treat an out of towner to a nice night out. Obviously he loved it so much he didn't want to leave, so I would say that's a job well done on our part.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Everyone Loves A Parade
Roy got a taste of Kingfisher celebration this morning, with his very first parade. The firetrucks startled him a bit, but once they got to the llama line, and the mini-bikes, the boy scouts, the classic tractors, and the horses, he was in heaven. I can't decide which was my favorite - the llamas, all dressed up in patriotic gear, or the Kingfisher Republican Women.
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