Good for 6 months of laughs

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Frog

Our house is now on the market and we currently have not one but two signs that say “I’m gorgeous inside”. Whatever you thought that meant when you saw real estate signs is probably pretty accurate. It has zero meaning. We have a nice house, no lie. But, gorgeous? Hardly.

Today, I was standing in the parking deck catching some fresh air and a breeze when a big white hearse pulled out of the medical examiner’s lair across the street. I emailed the better-half that it was gruesome inside. Then I told him that I will make bad jokes about being gorgeous inside until we sell the house. Be prepared.

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National Symphony Orchestra

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Frog

We went to Wolf Trap last night with a friend to see the NSO perform Pictures at an Exhibition and Carmina Burana. The draw for us was Carmina Burana. You know this piece if you’ve ever seen The Exorcist.

We sat down on the lawn and hoped for the best with the weather and ended up quite lucky. Like everywhere in Virginia the freaking rain will not stop. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MOTHER NATURE KNOCK IT OFF.

As we were putting our spread together,

a couple set up shop in front of us. Eventually seven people gathered in that picnic spot. Check out their over-the-top table with fresh cut flowers and candles:

Cheers to the over-achievers:

Posted in Listening | 1 Comment

And you’re rolling in the blender with me

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Frog

We have finally made good on endless conversations we’ve had over the past several months. We contacted a realtor and the house goes on the market by next weekend. We’ve had a hard time with living so far out in the sticks for more than a little bit of time. When I went back to school, we spent time in the college town and loved being five minutes from everything. When the job search didn’t pan out with a required move, we started talking about what we wanted since we’re staying in the Richmond area.

Living where we do is no longer working for us. It is quiet and we love seeing fox, racoon, deer and other various four-legged creatures, but it’s time to go.

We have a short list of things the realtor gave us as homework. One of those things was to pull up the garden fence. That nearly did us in because it has finally decided to be summer and 90+ days with 90% humidity is cuckoo for cocoa puffs for pulling up fence posts. Another thing was to paint the master bath. I had a minor breakdown on Friday night when I realized that ugly, ugly room is going to need three coats of paint. WTF?!

This coming week we’re having a landscaper spruce up the front flower beds. My sister has been the lucky recipient of some very mature hostas that had to come out in order to make the front of the house more tailored. I’m going to miss those hostas but I’m sure I can have visiting rights (hint, hint).

This afternoon, I’ve been depersonalizing the house and removing clutter. We are really not clutter people, but talk to a realtor and everyone is apparently one step away from appearing on a hoarder show.

Ah, memories:

Posted in Generic Thoughts, House Proud | 1 Comment

Really excited about this

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Frog

I got this in the mail today. You know how sometimes you are struck by music you’ve known for years and then you realize you don’t have a copy of any of her work?

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That situation has been rectified.

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Baby did a bad bad thing, baby did a bad bad thing.

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Frog

Lucy’s path of destruction today while we were at work in one picture.

Exhibit A:

Look at the upper shelf with the canning jars. Notice there’s a little towel pulled half off the shelf? Yes, that would have been a disaster.

Look at the down blanket pulled out (actual target of mischief).

Look at that blob on the floor…that is a punch bowl with cups. One cup is out by itself on the floor and all others are still neatly packed in the punch bowl. How that got off the shelf and landed perfectly is a mystery.

Posted in Watching | 1 Comment

Dinner Celebration

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Frog

The better-half’s birthday was yesterday. When I asked him what he wanted to do for the big day, he said steak at Morton’s. So a few weeks ago I used Open Table to reserve a table. I had seen on the internet that Morton’s will do something nice for celebrations so while I made the reservation, I let them know it would be his birthday that night.

When we arrived, we were seated in a booth by the sommelier. He wished the better-half happy birthday and then we noticed the table was tastefully and subtly decorated. And we had pared down versions of the menu to take home:

They also threw in a dessert because it was his birthday. How much better is this than having to endure singing and clapping while the rest of the restaurant stares?

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It’s all about your tolerance

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Frog

A day or so ago I was attacked by the snots. It usually happens in late April, but since nothing has been normal this year weather-wise, I guess it makes sense that it is mid-June and here I am full o’phlegm. Delightful. Anyway, whenever this happens it goes straight to my chest and I sound like I have kennel cough if I were a large dog, maybe a Saint Bernard.

Today at work I apologized for the noise and then tried my best to keep it to a dull roar. At some point, I had just finished barking and I heard someone snipping their nails. Friends. I can’t stand the idea of someone clipping their nails at work. It has been a peeve of mine since the head of HR for a company I worked for ages ago clipped his nails while I gave him a report on something or other. I don’t remember why I was on the executive floor giving a report to the head of my division, but there I was and he clipped his GD nails while I talked to him. Asshole.

So, I’m sure there’s someone within earshot of my barking who thinks “will she just shut up”, but at least I’m not clipping my nails.

Posted in Generic Thoughts | 1 Comment

Our cat food brings everyone to the yard

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Frog

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In under time and for less time predicted

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Frog

I’ve been doing some freelance work for the past few weeks. The deadline is this coming Friday. I turned in the last file this afternoon. Of course, there may be some tweaks necessary, or the project manager could hate the whole thing, but I’m pretty sure I’m under-budget and I exceeded the expectation on time. Yay. Now I can go fall down. Working all day and then coming home to work some more is tiring, y’all.

Today at work it was nothing but a series of meetings or trainings and I have to admit most of it made no sense to me. Seriously. I was in the second session of a training listening to the technical person describe what goes on behind the scenes of the thing my colleague just trained us on and I found myself saying I have no idea what in the hell this is about. I’ve been to nearly every project meeting and have reviewed the material. Still. Don’t ask me a dang thing about it. It’s all blah, blah, blah-tee, blah-blat as far as I’m concerned.

I walked over to our other building to talk to some testers to get their advice on training I’m leading later this month. I was early and so I did some research on my phone about a problem I was having with that last file I turned in today for the freelance gig. This is the first time I’ve spent a second of work time on this project so I don’t feel bad about it. I found something that seemed like a path to success so I sent myself an email. Lo and behold, the thing I could not “see” yesterday evening was as plain as day. It took me less than a half hour to fix the problem and turn in the file. Thank you Articulate Heroes. I can’t tell you how that little bit of success made me so much better after the beating my brain took today at work.

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Sad and circle of life

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Frog

Yesterday as I pulled out of the neighborhood, I thought I saw the skunk laying in the middle of the road. The skunk that was stinkin’ up the area. But that was no skunk. It was one of the ferals. Whiner went on to the great hereafter. I’ll spare you the details, but his tail was unique enough that both the better-half and I are sure it was him. Further proof is that he hasn’t been here for any feedings.

Whiner was in Lucy’s litter and while he never quite wanted to be someone’s pet he was a nice cat. Last Friday he got part of the fancy food festivities that happen every week just because I knew he’d like it. I talked to him on Wednesday afternoon and gave him a quick pet. He was whining because I was taking my sweet time getting the ferals their evening meal. I had to work late on Wednesday so I was about an hour and half late getting home. He had a complaint. It always cracked me up about how vocal he was about feeding time.

So long little dude.

Posted in Generic Thoughts | 2 Comments