I found a fatal flaw in the logic of love.

Flickr Meme

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into flickr search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Bathrooms, Babies and Backs

So it's Tuesday, but this past weekend was full of excitement.  I hurt my back helping my dad lift a greenhouse window (apparently I ain't no spring chicken!), our bathroom was demolished (see last post) which scared the beejeebus out of our dog.  Many a storm came rumbling through (which also scared the beejeebus out of our dog) and I got my first sunburn of the season (because I'm an idiot).

Aside from those things it was great.  We had dinner with dear friends not just one night but two nights of the weekend!  They cooked which was fabulous and we always enjoy both couples' company.  It had been quite a while since we had seen either of them and it was great to get away from our demolished house and scared dog for a nice evening with friends.

Here are some of my favorite parts of the weekend. 

• Sitting on the screened porch at friends watching the first of many summer storms roll through.
• Relaying to a friend just how much we loved visiting his home town.
• Girl talk in the kitchen while assembling dessert.
• Swimming with my niece and nephew in my parent's pool.
• Making pies in jars with Evan.
• Finding out just what was behind the walls of our bathroom (answer: a built in shelf and floral wallpaper)

Bathroom = Demolished

"I'm Lovin It"*

Inspired by my Internet Soul Sister, 10 things I'm digging right now.

1.  Dr. Mario on our Wii.  I'm obsessed to put it mildly.  In fact, I was looking at someone the other day and imagined the type of pill I could drop on their head to form a color block.  Sick.

2.  Envirosax.  My friend Kerri got me a pouch of 5 of these gems and I carry them everywhere I go.  The Farmer's Market, the grocery store, the mall.  I LOVE them and constantly have people asking me where I got them.  They're my new favorite thing!

3.  Tandoori Style Chicken & Mango Jasmine Rice.  I made this for dinner last night and fell in love.  I reserved some of the marinade (before pouring it over the chicken) for dipping and that was my favorite part.  It's a great summer meal!

4.  McManus Cabernet.  This is my go-to bottle of wine.  At only $10, there is always one on our rack.  It's big, bold and delicious.

5. Our new ceiling fan in the bedroom.  How did I ever live without one of these?  Now we just need to install the one for the dining room.  Oh sweet air flow.

6.  Using my French Press for coffee in the morning.  It just tastes so much better, with fair trade beans and real coffee cream too.  Mmmmmmm.....

7.  Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bars I had one of these on my flight back from Houston (thanks Allie!) and fell in love.  There are WHOLE almonds in it, and it's just good and good for you.  I brought a box of the Trail Mix bars to Boston and we threw one in our bags for a mid morning snack while touring the city.  Delicious!

8.  Owls.

9.  My Aveda Pure-Fume.  Seriously, go to an Aveda store and do one of their free Scentsory Journeys.  So good.

10.  Planning our dinner menu a week in advance.  My mom even got me these cute magnetic note pads that have the days of the week and space to write in the menu.  I love planning out our week, we eat well and save money and time by only going to the store once!

What about you?  What are you 'hearting' right now?

* I read in a magazine that McDonald's has copyrighted this phrase so I told Evan that I was going to use as much as possible.  Like... that song on the radio?  "I'm lovin' it".

It's a Fine Line

Me:        I had a dream that I was friends with Maggie Mason of Mighty Girl.  She smelled good and took me shopping.

Sandra:  Should Evan be worried?

Me:        No, I want to shop with her, not sleep with her.

Sandra:  Oh, Ok.

Romance

Me:     I booked Evan and I a weekend in October at the place where we stayed the day after our wedding.

Mom:  How Romantic!

Me:    Yeah, we go October 17-19, we'll be staying in the same room.  I'm looking forward to it, the colors will be so pretty!

Mom:  Wait, isn't that Sweetest Day?

Me:     Oh man, we aren't that Romantic!

Mom:  Cheesey.

Me.     Barf.

Thank You...

For waking me up every morning.  You're so much better than an alarm clock.
For making me the perfect bowl of vanilla ice cream with Sander's hot fudge when I request.
For helping me to find my balance.
For being part of that balance.
For playing the devil's advocate.
For knowing when I'm pmsing.
For not taking my feisty comments personally when I'm pmsing.
For loving our dog and for sticking up for her when I make fun of her new haircut.
For bringing a turtle into our marriage.
For getting me, REALLY getting me.
For making me laugh.
For taking out the garbage and getting rid of spiders.
For seeing Sex and the City on opening day (your birthday) with me.
For loving my cooking.
For being honest with me when you don't love something I've cooked.
For loving my friends and for understanding how much they mean to me.
For having a sense of obligation that aligns with mine.
For adoring Charles & Evelyn.
For allowing me to spoil them rotten.
For respecting my parents.
For calling me out on my neuroses.
For comforting me when my neuroses get the best of me.
For inviting me into your family.
For letting me play your DS more than you do.
For enduring hours upon hours of "Jon & Kate Plus Eight"
For doing your part to help us to score like 90 something % on our pre-marital compatibility test.
For loving me so well, so unconditionally.

I love you my husband (and I still love calling you that!) Happy Birthday and many more!

PS:    Happy Birthday to my baby sister Andra!  I'm sorry you have to share your day.
PPS:  Thanks Mom R. for bringing Evan into this world!  Love you.

A Day In The Life

5:00 - Alarm goes off, Evan gets up but covers Lucy and I back up.
6:30 - Evan gets back into bed and begins the task of waking me up.
7:00 - Finally convinces me that I need to get up.
7:02 - Shower and think about what to wear while Evan turns on the news and puts Lucy out.
7:10 - Lotion, make-up, hair products (still deciding what to wear) while Evan makes me an egg sandwich.
7:20 - Get dressed (this could take as long as 10 minutes on a bad day)
7:30 - Blow dry hair, finish make up, brush teeth, all while sharing the mirror with Evan.
7:40 - Gather purse, computer etc... pack lunch and egg sandwich.
7:45 - Kiss Evan and head to work - listen to NPR the entire way.
8:00 - Arrive at work, set up laptop.
8:05 - Put lunch in fridge, grab cup of coffee while laptop is booting up.
8:10 - 9:00 - log on to gmail, open Outlook, google reader and google calendar, post for the day.
9:00 - noon - work, work, test, test, answer e-mails, chat, play move in scrabulous.
Noon- lunch & Chain Factor at my desk - oh sweet mindlessness.
1:00 - 4:57- work work, test, test, answer e-mails, chat, play move in scrabulous.
4:57 - Shut down and pack up laptop.  Say good-byes to co-workers.
5:00 - Head home while listening to NPR.
5:15 - Drop bags, greet Evan and go through mail (recycle junk mail).
5:20 - Change into comfy pants and greet Lucy.
5:23 - Boot up laptop and bring up recipe for dinner.
5:25 - Start dinner while Evan feeds Lucy.
5:35 - Clean up kitchen while dinner is cooking.
6:00 - Dinner on the couch while watching a TiVo'd show.
7:00 - Evening TV, book, Wii or other activity like walking the dog, doing laundry or cleaning.
9:00 - Put dog out, wash face, moisturize, brush teeth.  Shut off lights.
9:15 - To bed to read or do a crossword. 
10:00 - Sweet Slumber.

My husband rocks the morning routine!  Seriously, what did I do before I married this man?
What is a day in your life like?

Thanks BHO for the post idea

Back to the Grind

A few of my favorite things about our Boston trip.

• Stopping at Niagara Falls on the way to Boston and picnicking in the car (it was raining)
• Ordering pizza, chilling Blue Moon in the sink and playing cards one night in our hotel room.
• Enjoying a drink at the hotel bar with my husband before his evening conference session (after canceling the credit card that was lost/stolen - not my favorite thing)
• Wandering around Harvard's campus, taking photos.
• Touring Trinity Church
• Dinner at Gaslight.  Oh my gosh DINNER AT GASLIGHT.
• Driving through The Birkshires
• Mass MoCA
• Stopping at a small country store for local ice cream.
• Playing Monopoly for the first time in years with Evan's cousins and aunt.
• Bowling and doing well! (but being sore the next day)
• "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "This American Life" on the drive home.

Boston Trip