A PSA

Got a call from Wegman's today. The ice cream we ate several months ago could have been contaminated with those nasty peanuts.

Wegman's Heavenly Hash (this was our purchase)
Wegman's Tin Roof
Wegman's Cones and Peanutty Cones

I just want to say kudos to Wegman's for using the purchase-tracking cards to let people know about recalls of foods.

I also want to say that none of us seem to have gotten sick from that ice cream, and it was delicious.

Say the magic words

In my neck of the woods, there are two magic words that will get the commenters flocking to your site: "h0spita1" and "$ch001$". Note that I am not actually using those words. I'm hoping those people will stay far, far, far away from me.

However, I do love reading what our local papers have to say about those topics, and what the various local blogs and their commenters think about it all (I won't link to those blogs, but if you Google the last name of the commenter on the local news site who doesn't like MS much, you'll find those blogs).

Right now, commenter-watching is a fun hobby in my county!

I prefer actual politics to office politics

I can't say what my co-worker did today. Suffice to say that I have lost all respect for her and am glad that once we're doing what we're SUPPOSED to be doing, I will have little or nothing to do with her professionally.

On the plus side, next Wednesday will be a winner for me.

The things you find poking around on the internet

This one's from Waistlines

One week later

I still feel giddy. As MS said, the great thing about GWB doing so much unilateral harm is that President Obama can start undoing that harm with just a stroke of his pen. Guantanamo, the Global Gag Rule, stem cell research...all reversed. I like this guy!

Time Suck part deux

I finished Stage 33 (the final stage). Whew.

Now I'm fiddling around with Tetris. I'd forgotten how addictive that one is.

Time suck

Bloxorz. Sincerely. I'm on Stage 30. MM is in the middle of Stage 32. MS finished Stage 33 yesterday.

Flashback Friday - This makes me giggle

Flashback Friday


Is there anything sillier than a child playing dress-up?



Wearing mommy's slippers...
...and boots. He's so stylin'
Gettin' his hair done, rockin' those paper clips.
And sunglasses are always tres chic. Especially when worn upside-down.

He turns seven a week from this coming Sunday. Where does the time go?

Blogging for Choice

I am pro-

• honest, useful sex education.
• easily attainable birth control.
• widely available OTC Plan B.
• fully-funded social support systems, including free pre-natal care and affordable health care for everybody.
• good subsidized day-care and respite care.
• keeping abortion safe, legal, and rare.

I'm constantly disappointed in the "pro-life" politicians who want to ban abortion but refuse to let sex-ed be taught in schools, want to ban birth control and Plan B, won't fund services or support day-care. Their policies make it clear that the pro-life label is misleading. If they were truly pro-life, they would be pro-pre-natal care. If they were truly pro-life, they would be pro-free-health-care. If they were truly pro-life, they would be pro-Planned Parenthood, which performs cancer screenings for women at reasonable prices.

As always, the thoughts expressed on this blog are mine.

Still giddy

I can't believe how relieved and happy I feel. We have an intelligent President!!

Me, all ready for last week's ball in MD

Click to embiggen

Not shown in picture, the gorgeous bouquet of brown curls that a wonderful stylist did for me.

Unknown, why I look like as stiff as a wax statue.

More on the whirl of gaity

Last week's ball was in MD on the totally opposite side of the beltway from where I live. MS and I sat with three really lovely women, one of whom works for The Library of Congress and could I be more jealous? No, I could not. We had a great conversation about lots of things, including Star Trek trivia (who was the captain of the Enterprise before the captain before Kirk? MS knows.)

We all toasted Obama - his historic win, this historic moment. And then I turned to the three women we were sitting with and said, "And to having a smart President!" and they all said, "Amen to that".

Two of the three women were going to yesterday's concert and tomorrow's parade, the other said, "Yeah, you have fun with that. I'll be home watching it on TV." MS and I nodded and told of our plans to go to a Young Democrats watch party.

I'll stand out in the cold and rain all damn day to hand out sample ballots on Election Day, but I'm going to be warm and dry while watching Obama take the oath.


Tonight, we go to another ball at LargeMuseumAtTheAirport. The new DNC chair will be there -- I mean the Governer will be there, and so we have mild hopes that a surprise appearance might be made.

On the one hand

MM insists that he hates the new house.

On the other, he is eagerly planning how his toys will fit into the new playroom (which, incidentally, is larger than his current play room).

On the one hand, he definitely does NOT want to play on the new playground.

On the other, it IS really cool that he can walk there without crossing any streets.

On the one hand, the house is ugly, the paint is ugly, and he's NOT MOVING.

On the other, "No! Don't peel off that window thing! I like it!"

I think that once we've moved and his stuff is there and it's easier to play with it all, he'll be okay with it. But the transition's probably going to be a fireplacer.

Oh no! I forgot about Flashback Friday!!!

So this is Slacker Saturday instead!

This week's Flashback Friday's theme was "Feeling Red, White, and Blue", which made me think of this past year's Fourth of July parade, which I got to participate in, and a certain day in December 2007, and November 4, 2008.

Our country is great because every couple (or 4 or 6) years, we have a quiet revolution. We get to throw the bums out, or keep them. We get to say what we think out loud in front of God and everyone and we don't look over our shoulders to check if Big Brother heard us. It may take us a while to get there, and sometimes we have setbacks, but little-by-little our country keeps getting fairer and more just.

A whirl of gaity

I, professional smiler that I am, have not one but TWO balls to attend. One tonight and one Monday. I even have a new dress for Monday (can't wear the same dress twice in a week! What would the Governer think?)

MM's going to spend the night at DeepVoicedFirstGrader's house tonight and then DVFG will stay at our house Saturday night. We have a sitter for Monday.

I'm so glad everyone got out okay

Unbelievable

More hula!

Barry Baker

Please read what Dave has to say about this case of criminal bigotry.

Watch their FEET!!!

I am such a sucker for these things

Oooh! New thing from Anne Glamore!

She's doing a carnival called "Flashback Friday," which sounds like fun. Count me in!

We've signed the lease

We're taking possession on the 15th, but not actually moving any of our stuff probably until after MM's b-day on the 1st. We'll get the utils put in our names, change our drivers licenses (mine is due to expire soon anyhow), and register to vote and whatnot.

Then we'll actually move in February and that will be that.

Then we'll rent out our current house. I'm going to miss the garden. But we're not going to sell the house right now...certainly not in the current market! I will also miss several of our neighbors, though I expect to see them often.

MM will stay at the same school for the rest of the year. I'll drive him there on my way to work. Our section of the neighborhood is probably getting sent to a different school next year anyway, so I don't feel bad about switching him next year.

The townhouse we're renting is on the same side of the street as a playground, so MM will be able to walk or scoot there without a grownup right beside him the whole time.

I need to remember to ask about after-school options. I'd like to keep MM at PoshPlace for aftercare next year, but they don't pick up from the school we'll be zoned into. I need to ask if we can get him placed into one of the four schools they DO pick up from. If not, the zoned school is actually close enough to my job that I could pick him up and drop him off at PoshPlace (which is literally right around the corner from my office). But that might not always work what with meetings and such...

I hate waiting

And that's what my life is about right now. Waiting for stuff to happen over which I have no control. It's like sitting in a traffic jam on the way to a great concert. MOVE PEOPLE!!!

Answer to the question of what to do for MM's Birthday

Pool party at the local indoor pool. A bit pricey, but it allowed us to invite 14 of MM's friends and is a longer time period.

He'll be 7 in 3 weeks.

ooh! this is nice!

To the tune of "What shall we do with the drunken sailor"

What shall we do for MM's birthday?
What shall we do for MM's birthday?
What shall we do for MM's birthday?
That isn't too expensive

Ooh! Hey! That's a doozy
Ooh! Hey! That's a doozy
Ooh! Hey! That's a doozy
For a kid with thirty buddies

Take a small group to go skating
Take a small group to go skating
Take a small group to go skating
But he has thirty buddies

Take a small group to build with Lego
Take a small group to build with Lego
Take a small group to build with Lego
But he has thirty buddies

We could take a small group to go swimming
We could take a small group to go swimming
We could take a small group to go swimming
But WOW, that's kinda pricey

Alas, the laser tag place went bankrupt
Alas, the laser tag place went bankrupt
Alas, the laser tag place went bankrupt
Oh! Hey! They re-opened! (higher prices tho)

We could do it in the house if I cleaned it
We could do it in the house if I cleaned it
We could do it in the house if I cleaned it
But, I'd have to clean up again after*

His birthday is in 3 weeks, so the park is out
His birthday is in 3 weeks, so the park is out
His birthday is in 3 weeks, so the park is out
Alas for winter birthdays

So, what shall we do for MM's birthday?
What shall we do for MM's birthday?
What shall we do for MM's birthday?
That isn't too expensive

The 2008 Meme

As seen many places, this one copied from Crunchy Granola.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Graduated College.
2. Did you keep your New Years’ Resolutions, and will you make more for next year? No.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Yes! Look at that little punim! And look at him now!
4. Did anyone close to you die? No.
5. What countries did you visit? I only travelled within the lower 48, and only to states I've been to before.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? A President I don't despise. I think I might get that. A legal marriage for any couple that wants one.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Oh, definitely Election Night. The rally in Leesburg. My graduation.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? My graduation. And helping Obama decisively win my precinct. But that wasn't MY achievement. That was OUR achievement
9. What was your biggest failure? Not being able to keep my mess under control. Losing my shit with MM.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Do colds count? Oh! My doctor diagnosed me with Mono!
11. What was the best thing you bought? The VTech Kidizoom Camera. Though it's actually in the penalty box at the moment.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? MM, definitely, MM.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Crunchy Granola speaks for me when she says, "The K of C, the LDS, and everyone else who supported Proposition 8."
14. Where did most of your money go? Paying bills, eating out too much.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The election.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Ummm....None.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:i. happier or sadder? 'bout the same, I guess. ii. thinner or fatter? Yes. Smaller pants-size paired with the Ever-Expanding Rack of Doom. iii. richer or poorer? Richer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Sleeping, cleaning.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? I like Crunchy Granola's first answer here, "Mindless websurfing (usually too late at night, and addictively unsatisfying)."
20. How did you spend Christmas? The morning at home, the afternoon on the train, the evening at my Dad and Stepmom's, the night at my Mom and Stepdad's.
21. What LJ users did you meet? Like Crunchy Granola, I'll amend this to how many online friends did I meet for the first time in 08: Kathy A., redzils, and Elizabeth
22. Did you fall in love in 2008? I think I fell back in love with America.
23. How many one-night stands? Seriously??? I mean SERIOUSLY? Good GAWD.
24. What was your favourite TV program? The Daily Show and Dr. Who.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No.
26. What was the best book you read? (So glad you discovered Archer Mayor, Crunchy G!)This is a hard one. I think, though, that I might have to give the crown to either Barbara Cleverly's Joe Sandilands mysteries or to Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun series.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? That my son has a nice singing voice.
28. What did you want and get? A job five minutes from home. An election outcome I really really really like.
29. What did you want and not get? Legal marriage for any couple that wants it.
30. What was your favourite film of this year? Forbidden Kingdom.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? 39. And I don't remember what we did. Do you?
32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If Prop 8 had failed, and the Democratic Senatorial candidate from GA had won.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Does it fit? Is it stain-free?
34. What kept you sane? Blogging, knitting, reading, snuggling.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Obama and The Yarn Harlot.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? What Crunchy Granola said. "The presidential election, generally, and marriage equality."
37. Who did you miss? My grandfather.
38. Who was the best new person you met? My new co-workers.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. No amount of walking is ever enough the night before an election.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. Can't. Sorry. It is too much.

Happy New Year!!!

First lines

I try to do it every year. The first line of the first post of every month last year.

January: I've introduced MM to the joy that is Bugs Bunny. (Wabbit season!)
February: First off, my SIL is profoundly awesome. (party! Again!)
March: He was well-behaved and very, very quiet. (I brought my six-year-old to a three hour class)
April: Nearby U has a slot for a student speaker at Commencement. (alas, it was not me)
May: MS shakes me to get me out of bed this morning. (I'll never hear that song the same way again)
June: This morning we woke up and we knew... (we've made it three times since then, yay us!)
July: Tomorrow I'll be marching in the parade with the Obama section, wearing my husband's name emblazoned across my chest, holding my son's hand, and smilingsmilingsmiling. (That was fun!)
August: I'm gonna work Five Minutes From My House! (They'll have to pry me out of there with a crow bar)
September: 1. Eating his lunch that he brought from home in the cafeteria. (He still loves bringing his lunch. As long as it's not pizza or taco day)
October: I woke up at 4:30 to leave at 5:30 to drive 4 hours to a place SW of me in my state to attend a conference on my volunteer committee work. (That was definitely worth the trip)
November: I have knocked my last door. (damned funny how the first post in November two years running is about my tired tootsies.)
December: I scored the sole Boston Cream donut at the cafeteria today! (mmm)

Sorry so silent...again

The unbloggability of some aspects of my life are making it hard to blog about ANY aspects of my life. Suffice to say that if I ever can write about it, I will.

In the meantime, random bullets of what to write about when I can't write about what's really going on:

• Somehow MM has accumulated over 330 Pokemon cards without us buying him any or, in fact, being allowed to watch the show.
• He wants ice skates and skating lessons for his birthday. That's a birthday present I can get behind.
• He keeps growing taller. How come he's not gaining any weight?
• He has made me swear not to cut his hair after August 1st, because he wants to be Harry Potter for Halloween.
• We bought him a black-and-grey-pinstripe suit this weekend and he looks like the world's smallest, cutest gangster.
• I got two shirts and two pair of pants for me at the same time. I love clothing store gift certificates!
• The meatball sub at the cafeteria here at ThreeMilesFromHome is delicious.
• I love to watch my husband work.
• On my white board here at work I wrote the following:
  DON'TS
1. Don't throw bouquets at me.
2. Don't please my folks too much.

Nobody got it. I mean COME ON PEOPLE. I've TOLD them I write snippets of song lyrics up there. WHAT IS THEIR PROBLEM?



• I love my Never Not Knitting Page-a-day Calendar
• I took a break from knitting those socks to read. Now I'm back to knitting.
• August is a long way away.
• So is May.

So, what's up with you?

He is sooooo my son

Reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, in bed, an hour after lights-out, with a flashlight.

MINE.