Boing!

(standardizing my online personalities a bit -- still the same useless rambling you've come to love)

So my computer decided that it was fundamentally unhappy, and created another login for me with the same password, but it wouldn't remember little things like MY EMAIL PASSWORDS. Input password, click "save password," get mail. Popup: "enter your password" Me: "bite my ass"

"The guy" at work offered to rebuild it for me, so we've restored the original settings and I'm now in the fabulous process of trying to remember all the handy shit I had installed on it before, and getting them back in place. :rolleyes:: Just really what I wanted to do with my weekend.

Last night was the first of three RSO concerts featuring the women of the chorus on Debussy's Syrenes. For fun, we were asked to dress "siren-like," as opposed to just our regular concertwear (formal black, contemporary black, or white top/black bottom). "Siren like" to most of the women meant red, it would seem, although a couple of them wore "boas" -- the most anemic tiny thin featheresque things I've ever seen. I wore a seafoam green beaded/sequined tank top (sort of like labradorite -- hard to describe, but tres elegant) and a black silk chiffon skirt that was reminiscent of waves. Very fun. Our dress change was only supposed to be for last night, but Mark liked it so much he asked us to do it again tonight. I will resist the urge to break out some feathers and show them how it's done.

Took Hagen to the vet yesterday because he wasn't seeming his normal self. Wasn't interested in food at all on Wednesday, and yelping occasionally when he moved. The doc gave him an anti-inflammatory/pain med with instructions to bring him back if he's not better in 5 days. He's MUCH better today, so I think this may have done the trick -- praps he just twisted something.

Got my haircut this week, and bought myself a flat iron, so I'm rocking the sleek look. Fired my manicurist for being a tool (booked me for an appointment, and then offered to take me a half hour later when I showed up at the proper time -- I don't mind a few minutes wait due to walk-ins, but that's why I MADE AN APPOINTMENT) -- am trying out new one.

Next weekend -- In Our Cups at VARF! Houseful of friends and another dog! Five vehicles for five people! And...I expect we'll be busting out THE MARGARATOR...I love Jellyfish so freaking much. :)

It occurs to me that I haven't updated in a coon's age, so here goes.

The new job is going well -- they like my work, I like having something to think about for a change, Dana and I can carpool most mornings and get together for lunch. Getting used to being out of the house for 10+ hours a day is taking some getting used to, though. I'm trying to start a load of laundry every morning so it just needs to be dried and put away when we get home at night.

We found a marvelous butcher AND a store that specializes in fresh pasta, so we're feeling a lot happier on the food front. The pasta place isn't the most convenient place in the world, but it's a damn sight better than buying up at Dean and Deluca in DC and schlepping it home.

Haven't heard anything about Hagen in a bit. I emailed Conny last week to see how he was doing, and whether she would be having a birthday party for him with a silly hat next month. :) I miss my big black nose.

I'm writing this from the rescue squad. Dana and I pulled duty Wednesday night and Thanksgiving day, plus our normal Friday night shift, and we're staying over until 5pm today. He's outside with his rescue team, going over what is on the truck and what should be on the truck and where, and putting things under the dumpster to make it lean, and fun things like that. *I* am entering sweepstakes and staying inside where it's warm. Tomorrow, I want to sleep in. :) But I must finish decorating for Christmas and cleaning -- yesterday I got most of the tree up and situated, so now it wants trimming and the house decorations scattered appropriately.

The Symphony Chorus is coming up on a big performance weekend next week. We'll do Handel's Messiah on Friday and Monday nights, and then a Christmas pops concert on the Saturday inbetween. The symphony conductor is sidelined with a detached retina until at least January, so we have no idea who will be conducting. It could be a different person for each concert -- should be exciting.

Sweeps-wise, I haven't won a thing all month. I got a coupon for a free Armor All product yesterday, but I won that back in September. I haven't had a lot of time to enter them, but I would have thought that the wins would trickle off over the next couple months, rather than precipitously. Perhaps it just means that I'm due for something nice. ;)

Tonight is my 20th HS reunion, which I will not be attending (as it's in Bethesda and I am here). I didn't mind missing it in the least, but last night I got an email from my tennis partner/gym buddy, who is going and pretty much only wanted to see me. It was lovely to hear from her, and I'm looking forward to catching up.

I think that's all I've got. I'm reading some of you on a regular basis, and the rest of you when I can, but if there's something you desperately want to talk about, drop me an email at my normal address. Love love love.

Two weekends ago, the incomparable pyratelady and I set out to replicate the dangerous sounding Schadenfreude Pie. In an effort to do justice to the original recipe, we photoblogged the experience. Let it be a warning unto you.

( graphics heavy, emotionally crushing )

Regarding this entry:

The winner is 3fingeredsalute, for the word in question was "heat."

Not even *I* am desperate enough to eat pee-infused Duds.

(The complete transcription is: "Happiness is playing *all* weekend at the renaissance festival with my friends. Sadness is discovering that my bag of Milk Duds was exposed to heat, and it's a bag of Milk Dud.")

Dana took the practical portion of the NREMT paramedic test yesterday, and passed! At this moment, he's sitting down with a 3-hour written exam, and then he will fling himself homeward -- he's been gone since Thursday, and I miss him terribly. He won't find out the results of the written portion for another couple of weeks or so, but I have every confidence he'll breeze through.

The kitchen is full of what looks like too much alcohol and various foodstuffs. Between now and 1-ish, I have to make the bed and vacuum the entry level, give all the bathrooms the once over, make four dips and a garlic aioli, prep up 6 pounds of potatoes, and run back out to the store for ice, more beer, a cake, and a big loaf of pumpernickel for the spinach dip.

I have the vaguest idea of how many people are coming over, but they're casual enough that if we run out of food, I think I can direct them out to the nearest grocery to pick up reinforcements.

You know you've moved to the hinterlands when the stores don't open until noon on Sunday. I'm sitting in my car, sipping my Route 44 cherry limeade (waves to ilostonjeopardy), and watching the employees pick their way through the rainy parking lot in their workclothes.

SO glad I no longer work retail.

To close, for pyratelady's amusement:
Fingers: Cozumelted in the Sun
Toes: Your Villa Or Mine?

I just got an email saying I'd won a Krups Home Cafe coffeemaker! We have a good Cuisinart that grinds beans, but this is a pod system, and I've been secretly longing for one (as an infrequent coffeedrinker, I love the easy cleanup part). :)

I realize it's summer and hot beverages may be the last thing on your mind, but I'd like to heartily recommend Wawa's hot buttered rum drink thingy. It's not coffee, but just like a big mugful of liquid butter rum LifeSavers.

That is all.

30 seconds of an advert, followed by THE BEST 56 SECONDS OF YOUR PANDA-LOVING LIFE.

(and then, hi!monkey!'s recipe for Panda Cub-cakes.)

Dana and I spent a blissful couple days up in Arlington at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, where we caught up with old friends and ate a LOT of damn food. On Friday we wanted to get Thai at our favorite place, only we were far too full from breakfast, so we went to see a movie and then reassessed. Still too full, so we saw another movie and then beat feet back to Georgetown to go to the Sea Catch, where our wedding chef is now the executive chef, only he wasn't there. Yummy food and a GREAT room, though.

Very, very tired now.

And tomorrow morning we're taking a bike medic class, which will be 4 hours of lecture and then 4 hours of on-bike time. My bicycling skills, they are nonexistent. I fear there will be crying. And then our regular duty shift from 6p to 6a, albeit sans bikes.

I think bed would be prudent at this juncture.