Frog and Goat

We met The Niece and her parents for dinner tonight. During dinner the brother-in-law wrote this on a napkin and had the better-half read it, “I am sofa king wee Todd did”. It is funny–send in the hate mail if you must. We left the napkin on the table for others to enjoy.

After dinner we hung out in the parking lot doing things to make The Niece giggle because hearing her giggle is the best thing ever.

We scored some odd little statuary that The Niece painted with her cousin…I honestly have no idea what the things are supposed to be but, by God, she painted them. And, we each scored finger paint masterpieces. I can’t wait to take my thing and my masterpiece to work tomorrow and proudly display.

-I saw a tractor trailer on its side on the way home. I’ve never seen one like that in person. The whole area smelled like fuel even though it was not a fuel truck. A highway exit was actually closed and there were tons of fire trucks and police cruisers.

-I rode public transportation in Richmond today. I have lived in the Richmond area for nearly all of my life and I have never ridden public transportation until today.

-We sold the house this afternoon.

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Yesterday after work we went over to the old house to have one last beer on the porch. We walked through each room of the house and told funny stories about each room and then went outside to the porch to have a beer. The whole time we were out there the nimrod neighbor’s dog barked at some animal it had cornered. After quite a bit of time, the nimrod neighbor came out of her house and hollered for Fifi. The dog kept barking and then she let the other dog out. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and for old time’s sake yelled, “SHUT UP ENOUGH ALREADY JESUS CHRIST”. And, I thought I was going to be melancholy.

I decided to buy a container of pool shock while at the Depot this morning on the advice of reader Jet. She said in a comment ages ago that her husband thought pool shock would work on our jetted tub. The tub is running for its third and final 15 minute cycle (I just picked that number out of the air) and I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll be able to take a bath with the jets running. Jet you may have to tell your husband he’s a genius.

I’ve kind of had it with the tub and cleaning the bathroom in general today so I’ve marked my calendar to give the tub a try after work on Friday. I may not be able to control my curiosity and give it a whirl earlier in the week. At any rate, I’ll be sure to mention if the tub is usable or if it spews forth gunk. A posting about me taking a bath–cutting edge journalism, no?

Last night, I felt the need to channel surf and happened to catch the NAACP Image Awards just in time to see Prince and friends crank it up. When Morris Day came out on stage, the better-half and I whooped it up (I actually flung my hands in the air like I just didn’t care). Then, Sheila E, still looking great, wailed on her drums and we were very happy.

This morning, I checked my HR account and am finally showing up on “the system” which means that a paycheck will actually end up in our checking account next week. I love the fact that the university requires everyone to have direct deposit and that they don’t provide paper copies of anything. It makes my technology-loving heart sing.

In other news, the family buying our house completed their final inspection this morning and it looks like we are a Go for closing on Tuesday. The closing date got moved up from April 1st–thank heavens, it felt like we were tempting fate to close on that date. We also found out the couple buying the house have two sons 6-8 years old. The better-half mentioned how there will be plenty of boy stuff going on in that area since the kid next door is about that age too…and he has a motor bike and four-wheeler. Let the racket begin…so glad we moved away from the race track.

I was in Virginia Beach today to observe a class that I know I’ll be partially responsible for rebuilding. Hopefully it will be better, stronger, faster.

On the way home traffic was reduced to one lane on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. An ambulance went by on the shoulder miles in advance of the tunnel and I was nervous as I approached the tunnel that there was going to be mayhem and gross stuff in the tunnel. Apparently, that ambulance turned off on one of the last exits before the tunnel because VDOT was only towing an old beat up truck full of debris.

Since I had a lot of time to sit on the bridge, I kept looking for something cool. I didn’t see any dolphins and no subs popped up or anything like that. I did see a bunch of warships (but that’s not really a sight down there) and a few huge helicopters.

After getting away from that traffic snarl, I did see two very interesting things. One was a car that had a piece of thin plywood riveted over the back, side window. It was some good work if you like that sort of thing and the other item was a pick up truck with the gas cap dangling. How the driver didn’t see that and fix it, is beyond me. I guess he never used the side view mirror or just didn’t give a damn. When that annoying Service Engine light won’t go out, maybe the driver will care next time around. Of course, maybe that driver was one of those people who have been in the news for driving off without paying for gas and he pulled away so fast that he didn’t have time to put on the gas cap.

Nine years ago today the better-half and I got married. Neither one of us enjoy being the center of attention so I have to say that my main feeling about the wedding was that I was glad when it was over and all those people got the hell out of my house (we got married at home). Then we went to 3rd Street Diner with my sister and her husband for dinner. Nothing but the best greasy spoon for our first night of wedded bliss.

A group of us ate lunch in our office kitchen/break room. The woman sitting to my right kept looking at my right shoulder when she talked to me. I started to feel very weird like there was food or worse on my shoulder. Not once did she look me in the eye. I couldn’t tell if she’s that way with other people because her hair is curly and fluffy enough that I couldn’t follow her eyes when she turned her attention to someone else.

Three of us are going to a conference tomorrow. I’ll have to watch her while she’s watching my shoulder.

Today we were outside chainsawing our way through all the dead fall (leftover no doubt from Hurricane Isabel) that the former owners never cleaned up. While taking a break, I noticed someone was putting something in our mailbox.

Later, there was something laying in the driveway. The better-half went out there and it was a flyer/invitation to participate in Easter festivities at the southern baptist church that our neighbor lady goes to.

About 10 minutes later, someone rolls into the driveway. As I was not wearing a bra (sometimes I just have to be free), I ran upstairs to put one on. The better-half opened the door and it was another neighbor bearing gifts. She and her son seemed nice enough. They thought we had a child since the gossip was that a little one was seen on premises. The better-half said that was the Niece. (Hold the phone, someone saw our trip through the woods and now it is community gossip?) When they left the better-half held up a small box and said, “they made them at church”. A chocolate easter egg in a box with bible scriptures from you guessed it, the same freakin’ church as the lady down the street and the family across the street call their spiritual home.

I said we’ve fallen into the cult neighborhood and the better-half asked if he should mix up the kool-aid.

Herein contains a little post where I bust on people I know and don’t know and how I should learn to suffer fools better.

The other night while at 3 Monkeys with the two ladies that used to comprise the office coven (we weren’t really witches but the oldest of the three of us dubbed us that one day and I have always held it close to my heart) we discussed the whereabouts of the people we used to work with at the Bank. One of those people used to douse herself in so much perfume that I could tell when she entered the office because I could taste her perfume. If you just got a nasty image in your head, then you understand how horrible it was to not be able to see perfume lady but to know she was in the office because your tongue became encased in perfume. Her son has asthma difficulties. Which is terrible and I understand and sympathize with the horrible feeling of not breathing. What I can’t understand is why this woman would be surprised that her child has breathing difficulties when he has had to suck down that perfume every day of his life.

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OK, so the posts have gone down hill this week. Chalk it up to having to drag myself out of bed at o’dark hundred and the working all day and then having something to do every night this week. I’m so glad that tonight’s activities include grilling burgers and beer.

Yesterday I had to take the scenic way home because there was a wreck right on the interstate where I get on. Every single place that could was cranking up the french fries. We’re baking some in the oven to go with the burgers…nothing but healthy eating tonight.

Tomorrow night we’re going here with our friends C & B. Yeeehaw.

Speaking of Yeehaw, I saw the resident Dukes of Hazzard mobile on the way home today.