Busy (Not-So Holiday) Weekend

So the visitors arrived and just before they did, Hubster found the Roomba filters in a quite logical place. Much eating of crow was done by yours truly, but all was well and the carpet was vacuumed. YAY! It was especially important when we discovered that the menfolk in the family were allergic to cats. Fortunately, both did well all weekend, although how they managed to avoid petting our adorable little deities is beyond me.

Our guests left us to our own devices Saturday for the daylight hours, but we tagged along as their "Tour Guides" for their Sunday tour of the National Mall including most of the monuments and stopping short of the capital on accounta kids. They had friends drive up from Richmond so we were a crew of 12, half kids and half adults. Big fun until the batteries wore out. Still, we had dinner at the Old Ebbitt Grill for the first time in ages, so it was worth all the complaints and discussions of school projects. We really had a great time. Of course, we've got the pictures to prove it:


I love this picture because, although it's speculation on my part, I can imagine that these men are either veterans or friends of veterans. I wonder what it's like to stand there, sixty years later, and share the experience together.



Hubster took this one at the apex of the Korean Memorial. Isn't he brilliant?



This is my youngest cousin interacting with the Vietnam Memorial. Those flaxen curls! Excuse me whilst I photoshop myself having blond curls. I'll be back. Probably in tears, but you know.



This is a lovely quote and image from the FDR Memorial. The integration of stone, water, metal, and words is really well done in this monument.

Aunt, Uncle, and kids all left Monday morning for home. I worked while Hubster watched MythBusters mere feet from me, so I get a gold star for being productive under duress. Mr. T and Southwest came over for dinner, bringing spinach artichoke dip, dessert, and an excellent Argentine Cabernet Savignon (Antigua Cava, 2004 - can't seem to find a link with more info, sorry). I made a Butternut, Rosemary and Blue Cheese Risotto, which was, frankly, scrum-diddily-um-dum-tious. It was also quite easy because you get to cheat on the liquid absorption - no standing and stirring while slowly feeding in liquid for twenty minutes. Southwest is a vegetarian, so I made it with vegetable instead of chicken broth. I also skipped the heavy cream and that was fine. Lastly, the store was out of fresh rosemary so I substituted sage like some of the other commenters, and it was good, although I'd like to try it with rosemary sometime, too. Keeper!

Now if you'll excuse me, my freshly cut fabric calls to me. It says "Maaake mee a puurse. Mmmmaaaake meeeeeeee a puuuuuurse!!!" I should heed the call before this rampant vowel abuse continues.

Domestic Crisis

In about five hours my uncle, aunt and three cousins are driving down from Conneticut to hang out and see the sights. So of course my house isn't ready for them.

Monday, in a bid not to procrastinate for a change, Hubster and I ran the Roomba overnight in the basement. The amount of dirt collected was mildly frightening, and the already used filter was unsalvageable. (Hubster would argue that filters are just a gimmick to keep you spending money, but he also thinks sheets need to be washed once a semester, so what does he know?) I threw it out with Monday's trash pickup and then started hunting for the rest of the replacement filters that came in the box which Hubster had moved to install the new cabinets.

He seems to have thrown them out.

I mean, it took me over a year to convince him to BUY the filters in the first place, and now we paid $15 for the one we used and we're out the rest. Lovely. No doubt our planet will sustain a nuclear winter before my husband resolves to buy those again.

But like I said, CAN'T TALK NOW TOTALLY GOTTA CLEAN. Good thing I don't have enough time to strangle my husband and hide the evidence!

Because ya'll are here for these anyway.

Little stretches out before curling up for a long, hard nap. Though, 'twould appear it's time to trim Her Pointiness' claws a bit methinks.



I particularly like one of the Tiny. It shows off her her beautiful fur. My old camera rarely captured any variation in it at all, but now you can see more of her true coloring and personality.



Her personality says, "what's with shoving things in my face?"


P.S. I am having a much better day today. Hubster was an absolute doll, I MEAN "STUD." He's helped me do all those piddily projects and been very encouraging and sweet. Also, hott. I enjoyed choir rehearsal tonight, too. I managed to acquit myself well on a soprano solo part, even maintaining a long high A all by my lonesome. Good thing I'll have a couple of other sopranos with me for the performance, though.

Okay, you've had your fix. You may return to your regularly scheduled surfing.

Listing Wednesday

This list brought to you by BadMood Erica - Now With More Grumbles!

1. Today was not a good day. I found out I double booked my boss for events. Horrendous error, and I haven't had many of them, but I am so very ready to drop this job like a bad habit, especially since the person taking it over is so capable she'll do MUCH better job than I am. The countdown reads something like two weeks. Praise the Maker, but BLECH what a day.

2. The story of the Amish schoolroom rampage has been in the headlines for days, but this USAToday article takes the cake. The entire mess is so horrible with the overtones of misogyny but the fact that he took advantage of the Amish, some of the most peaceful people on Earth, makes it positively sickening. God bless those grieving - including his wife who must be FREAKING OUT right now. Kyrie Eleison.

3. The E Coli Spinach Debacle, I know, I know, but this article talks about some different stuff. The author shines a light on bad agricultural practices and the other options available to us including eating local. It includes an honest discussion of the difficulties with those options, so it was illuminating. Check it out. Oh, and continuing with the crankiness theme, we're all gonna die of bad health food.

I'm tired so you only get three. And they're dark clouds on your day. Apologies. I'll try to be back to my usual sunny, scattered, and superfluous self by tomorrow.

Baby's First Pictures

My baby, it takes really good pictures:


Persephone preens prettily and poses perfectly.


Loki languidly lurches the length of the living room.


I call this one: Fun for the Whole Family. (Too bad the resize for blogger's upload makes the pinks/reds look like pixelated death!)


Leaves on a statue by Savage Mill.


Antique wrought iron, this season's falling leaves.


I love my baby!