Easter weekend

We were on the road by 8am Sat and arrived at Spouse's brother's house at 10:30.  We visited with him and his wife for about an hour, then went to meet friends for lunch.

Our original plans were to meet Jeff & Shaun whom we met on a cruise a few years back, and their friends Brandon & David.  However a family emergency called Jeff & Shaun out of town, so we just met up with Brandon & David whom we'd not met before.  We had a wonderful lunch at Taco House (its actual name is Cantina Mexicana) and easily understood why Jeff & Shaun thought we should meet.  

It was a lot of fun and the 2 hours passed quickly.

We returned to check on the dogs and get settled in, then went to Spouse's sister's house to visit.  We normally stay there but she was expecting a full house.  We had fun catching up on the family happenings, then returned to our home base to wash up before dinner.

We met up with our friend Carl who took us to Bar Louie, one of his favorite haunts, for cocktails and dinner.  Carl and I both had delicious cosmos.  Spouse had a Corona.

Its a lively place so there was plenty to see while we chatted and laughed with Carl.

And speaking of things to see, we noticed several men wearing onesies, so when one of the guys walked past our table in a cow print onesie I said "Nice udders!"  He laughed and thanked me, which opened the door to my question about why he and his friends were wearing the onesies.  He explained that they were members of the local rugby team and once a month they have a themed pub crawl.  This month's theme was onesies. 

This led to a broader conversation after he left about why we weren't hip enough to participate in themed pub crawls, and what possible themes we'd suggest.  After dinner we strolled the promenade and had some frozen yogurt.

Sun morning we helped Spouse's brother get ready to host the family for Easter, then made a quick run to Trader Joe's to stock up on pantry staples.  

Back at the house I put on my Easter shirt (worn only on Easter day) and took the dogs out to play in the back yard where I took this selfie.  Then Spouse & I went to pick up Aunt Mary.  The rest of the family started arriving around noon and we had a great time visiting with everyone.  The weather was sunny and in the mid 60s so it was fantastic.  

I got to hold our niece's son Alonzo who was born 2 days after Christmas.  He's such a good baby, never fussing or squirming, and he stayed awake for more than 5 hours.

We took Aunt Mary home and then headed back to DE.  It was a whirlwind weekend but an enjoyable one.

Easter plans

Spouse & I typically drive to VA on Easter Sunday to spend the day with our family, and then go back home that night.  That's about 5 1/2 hours of driving round trip.  But we usually do that because I typically work on Saturdays.  

This year I was able to request off on Saturday so we're going Saturday morning, meeting up with friends for lunch, and staying overnight.  This will give us more time with the family and spread out the driving over 2 days instead of one.

What are your Easter plans?

Easter

Spouse & I brought Marvin & Walter with us to spend Easter with the family.  On our way we picked up my aunt Mary, then went over to Spouse's sister's house.  We hung out and talked and snacked for a while since our family Easter meal wasn't until 3pm.  

Then we went outside for an Easter egg hunt which was so cute!

Then we went over to Spouse's brother's house for our Easter meal which consisted of ham, turkey breast, green bean casserole, beans, potato salad, sweet potato shuffle, fruit, and assorted desserts.

 

Randy & Anna just got a new puppy so they brought him for the family to meet.  Eric took a special fondness to him and they shared a nap in the yard after dinner.

It was a really nice day.  Unfortunately my sinuses had just started acting up and the sinus medicine I took made me feel less than 100% but I enjoyed the day anyway.

We got home at 9:30.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday and our State government is closed, so Spouse is off today.  I'm working today but have no appointments.  I had 2 settlements scheduled for today, but since the courts are closed, the attorney's offices are closed, and since the attorney's offices are closed, the settlements were moved up to yesterday.

My mind is on Sun when we'll be in VA spending Easter with the family.  There will be good food, lots of candy, and an Easter egg hunt.  For many years we didn't have an Easter egg hunt because our nieces and nephews were too old for it.  But now 3 of our nieces/nephews have little kids so we can restart this old tradition which should be fun.

Easter egg hunts remind me of an Easter about 15 years ago or so when our nieces and nephews were still little and we had our beloved beagle, Jordan.  Spouse's sister made the mistake of hiding real hard boiled eggs for the Easter egg hunt.  Being a hound with a keen sense of smell, Jordan sniffed out all the eggs and ate them before the children had a chance!  The kids all cried and said "That's not fair!  Jordan ruined Easter!"  It was like a scene from a National Lampoon movie!  And naturally, Jordan had THE WORST GAS that night.

Lesson learned.

Easter recap

This is probably not going to be the bright and sunny Easter recap full of rainbows and unicorns you were expecting.  In fact, it was rather bittersweet.

About 2 weeks ago Spouse's mom had emergency surgery to fix a kink in her intestine, and while they were 'in there' they also removed a tumor.  Although they called it a lymphoma, fortunately it appears to have been self-contained and there were no other signs of trouble.  She remained in the hospital for a week.  A few days later she had a terrible cough and trouble breathing, so she returned to the hospital where they suspected an infection.  Apparently sometimes patients with breathing tubes during surgery develop infections.  But keep in mind she also has a degenerative heart condition that is slowing her down.  Even at 86 year old she's been very active with multiple social activities/outings each week.  But the surgery apparently put even more stress on her heart which lead to the infection and severe weakness.

So when we arrived Sat night we had a late dinner, watched a little TV and went to bed.  I didn't sleep well, having several odd dreams, and Marvin & Walter seemed restless.  Sun morning we had a bite to eat at Spouse's sister's house, and then she & her husband and me & Spouse went to the hospital to see his mom.  Spouse's older brother was there, and a conversation took place in the waiting area that got rather tense and emotional.  I'm not going to air the family secrets, but suffice to say it left me feeling uncomfortable.  But we were able to go in and she Spouse's mom.  She was alert and talkative, but very weak.  After about an hour she said she'd like to take a nap so we left.  

Just hangin' with mah peeps!

A little while later we picked up my aunt Mary and we headed over to Spouse's brother's house for Easter dinner.  Everyone was there except Spouse's mom and our nephew David who couldn't come home from college.  We had a nice time and the food was great.  Later we packed up some things at Spouse's mom's house, collected Marvin & Walter, took aunt Mary home, and then drove back to DE.  I was tired.

This morning I got an email from my aunt Mary, telling me that her cousin Helen passed away.

Easter recap

As I accurately predicted, it worked out very well not having the dogs with us for Easter.  We fed and walked them and put them in their crates as usual, then drove to Spouse's mom's house.  We visited a little while with his mom, then slipped over to Trader Joe's to stock up on our favorite things.

We picked up my aunt Mary and took her and Spouse's mom with us to Spouse's brother's house.  He and his wife always have lots and lots of chocolate bunnies and eggs, jelly beans, and other Easter candies.  

Just one of many Easter candy options we enjoyed!

Spouse & I both decided to go off our diets/eating plans that day so we could enjoy all these treats.  In addition to the treats they also served ham, turkey breast, rolls, green bean casserole, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, and sweet potato shuffle that my aunt brought.  For dessert we also had cupcakes, peanut butter cookies, and my all-time favorite cake:  hummingbird cake.  As much as I love chocolate and peanut butter, hummingbird cake is my favorite cake and it contains neither chocolate nor peanut butter.

Hummingbird cake with cream cheese icing - my all-time favorite cake

The weather was a little cool but it was relatively sunny so we spent a fair amount of time on Spouse's brother's screened porch.  It was nice to spend the day with the family and NOT worrying about the dogs, since our neighbor texted us to let us know the boys were fine and happy.  They actually went on 2 walks rather than 1, which they love.  We got home that night and received lots of puppy kisses, which I love.

Easter plans

Since Easter is this coming Sun, we will be heading back to VA again to spend the day with family.  

I say "again" because we were just there 3 weeks ago when we visited Kerry & Hugh for the St Patricks Day parade and spent some time with the family.  But its our tradition to spend Easter together too so that's what we're going to do.

Spouse reluctantly agreed not to take the dogs with us.  I plead my case as follows:

• there is no advantage to going to VA after work/dinner on Sat since we would arrive just in time to go to bed, therefore we should just go there and come back the same day
• there is no reason to take the dogs with us because they would not be "with us" at Spouse's brother's house because our dog Marvin does not get along with his dog Pepper, therefore our dogs would be sleeping in their crates at Spouse's mom's house while we spend the day at at his brother's house
• not bringing the dogs frees us up from needing to take them outside for multiple bathroom breaks and eliminates the stress we feel that Walter may pee in Spouse's mom's house.  (He's still a puppy and is still working on house training.)
• since both dogs are used to sleeping in their crates while we are at work, they will be fine until 5pm when our neighbor comes over to let them out to relieve themselves, take them for a walk, feed them, and play with them
  

So I'm looking forward to a little break from our boys while we zip over to VA, spend the day with our family, and zip back home.  We're both going off our diets on Easter so we can enjoy a yummy Easter dinner and chocolate bunnies!

Easter

So, yesterday was Easter.  

Due to family drama about which I do not care to elaborate, Spouse & I opted to just drive down Sun morning, spend a few hours with the family, and then head back home.  In the past we would have spent the entire weekend there.

Sitting is not a comfortable position for me with my herniated disc, so I popped a pain pill before we left and headed up the road.  We picked up my aunt Mary 1st, then headed over to Spouse's mom's house.  Two of his brothers were there, and then his sister and her husband and 3 kids stopped over on their way home from church, so we had some time to talk to them before the official Easter dinner at his other brother's house at 3pm.

Other family members came too, so it was a full-fledged soiree.  Aunt Mary brought her famous hummingbird cake, which is reason enough to celebrate Easter or any other holiday for that matter.  By 4pm my arm was hurting a lot, so I took another pain pill and waited eagerly for it to kick in.  We stayed at his brother's house until 6pm, said our goodbyes, then dropped Spouse's mom off at her house, dropped aunt Mary off at her house, and headed back to DE.  We got home at 9:30.  I learned the hard way that 6 1/2 hours is too long for me to spend in a car in my condition.  I was happy to sink into bed and into painlessness.

Easter redux

Not much "excitement" in our Easter weekend, although a few things were different than usual.

One different thing was that I happened to be scheduled off on Sat, which is unusual for Easter weekend, which often brings spring home buyers/lookers to the beach area in anticipation of summer.  But I wasn't going to argue with having Easter Sat off, and in fact, took advantage of it by leaving town.

Spouse & I left Sat morning (with Marvin Parker in tow, of course) and headed to VA.  Traffic was light and we arrived before lunchtime.  Spouse's mom was expecting a friend to stop over to chat and have coffee, so we left her there and went out to lunch with Spouse's sister (and favorite sibling) and her 2 teenage sons.

Afterward Spouse & I made a stop at Trader Joe's (since we do not have one near to where we live) to stock up on our favorite items.  $119. later we were loading our booty into the car.  

Back at Spouse's mom's house we hung out with her and visited.  She got us all caught up on the goings on of her friends we affectionately refer to as the Hag Brigade, as well as some other gossip.

That evening we went to dinner with Spouse's mom and 1 of his nephews and his neice.  Spouse's mom recognized an old woman, likely older than herself, someone who'd lived in her neighborhood years ago.  She walked over to the woman seated at a table with people who appeared to be her adult children and said to her "Do you remember me?"  The old woman looked at her and said "Why, yes I do" but didn't say her name.  "Then what's my name?" Spouse's mother pressed her.  The woman stammered for a minute and then said "Well, I've can't remember your name at the moment but you're Mary's mother."  Spouse's mother wasn't satisfied with this correct statement but decided to let the poor old woman off the hook by saying "That's right.  My name is Evelyn."

As the 2 continued chatting about 'where do you live now' and such, Spouse & I looked at each other in disbelief and amazement.  His mother was almost antagonistic with the old woman but somehow it registered as funnier than hell to us as we tried to hold back our laughter!

The next morning we had a light breakfast, showered and dressed, and picked up my aunt Mary.  Then we all went to Spouse's brother's house for a very early Easter dinner at 1:30.  (Its nice to do it early, since Spouse & I still have to tidy up our room and get Marvin before driving the 2 1/2 hours back home to DE.)

Typically Spouse's brother and sister-in-law get a honey-baked ham and turkey breast, and several family members bring side dishes to go with them.  But for a change of pace this year, Spouse's brother told everyone not to bring side dishes.  Instead they ordered food from Red Hot & Blue.  We had delicious pulled pork and chicken, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, and green beans.  Aunt Mary brought her famous "brown stuff" (sweet potato shuffle) and hummingbird cake, my favorite cake in the whole wide world.

We had a very nice Easter but I ate too much, as usual.  That much stayed the same!

Easter shirt

It started with a typical browsing through the clearance rack.  That's when I saw this long sleeved white shirt with pin-stripes in pastel shades of mint green, yellow, lavendar, pink, blue and peach.  I don't know why, but I kind of fell in love with it!

Since the shirt was like $7.99 on clearance, I decided there really was no reason not to buy it.  Only when the cashier rung up the shirt, it was 60% off the clearance price, so it came out to be like $3.  Score!!!

But once I had it, I realized I really couldn't wear the shirt because it just looked too much like Easter.  I could picture myself showing up at work or someplace in the shirt, only to have people ask me "Oh, is it Easter again already?"

So, since the shirt looks so much like Easter I decided it would be my Easter shirt.  I have worn it to Easter dinner with the family every year for the last 7 years.

Weekend highlights

After my client appointments on Sat I left the office early so Spouse & I could drive back to VA for the Easter weekend.

We arrived at 5:30 and visited with Spouse's mom and sister and her kids for awhile.  His sister and the kids went to church that evening and Spouse's mom went with us to dinner at Taco House (aka Cantina Mexicana).  

OMG, the food was SOOOO good!  Its a good thing we can't eat there regularly or I would be huge.  It was a mild evening so some people were eating on the patio, but since we had Spouse's mom with us and she's always chilly we ate indoors.  Gloria & Juan (the proprietors and our friends) greeted us like family and it was truly good to see them.  It occurred to me while we were there so I said it outloud to Spouse and his mother that I loved Taco House not just for the wonderful food, but also for the wonderful energy there.  The restaurant is bright and colorful but still cozy.  I always feel happy and positive there.  Once we returned home we watched a little TV and went to bed.

Sun morning while Spouse's mom was at church, Spouse & I went to Trader Joe's, World Market, and Panera.  We joked that the owners of TJMax and World Market were "good Christians" because they weren't open on Easter Sunday, while the owners of Trader Joe's, World Market, and Panera must be Muslims.  Later on I picked up my aunt Mary and brought her back to Joe's mom's house and we visited for a while before going over to Spouse's brother's house for Easter.  Most of the extended family was there with a few exceptions and we had a great time.  The weather was mild so we were able to sit out on the new screened porch and on the patio below.  The kids played badminton and volleyball in the yard.  We had fantastic food (as usual) and enjoyed a nice family holiday with no drama.  We took my aunt Mary home and then headed back to DE.

Weekend highlights

Wow, what a day I had on Sat! It started at 9:00 when I picked up my friend Jon, who was staying at a friend's house nearby. We went to see 4 homes between 9-11:30. He ruled out 2 of them as I expected, and liked the other 2, as I expected. I dropped him off and ran to my next appointment.

Our real estate team doesn't normally have public open houses because in this area we usually get 'curious' visitors instead of potential buyers. However, because it was the Sat before Easter and lots of folks were expected to be in town this weekend, we decided to have 7 properties open to the public from noon-3:00. I arrived at mine with just enough time to put up the 'Open House' signs and start turning on the lights when the 1st couple came in. They were self-identifying "noisy neighbors" who were simply curious about the interior of the house. Of the 8 or 9 couples/groups who stopped in, I did manage to get 1 lead. A couple from PA who has just begun thinking about a 2nd home here at the beach. The wife mentioned her affinity for the 'classic beach cottage' style home so I will email them what's currently for sale that fits that description. When the open house concluded I turned off all the lights, locked up, and took down the signs before heading back to the office to debrief with the others. Then I went home and had a snack (since I'd not eaten lunch), packed an overnight bag, and left to meet Spouse at his mom's house.

Just as I was heading out of town I got a call from the listing agent that 1 of the properties I shown Jon that morning had gotten a contract so I pulled over to call Jon. He said it was just too soon for him and that he wanted to make sure he made a well-thought out decision, not a hasty one. I told him I understood completely, and then called the agent back with the news. When I arrived in VA I had a late dinner with Spouse and his mom, and then Spouse's eldest brother arrived from out of town. We visited a little while but I was exhausted and began nodding off so I went to bed.

Sun we had a leisurely morning at Spouse's mom's house. After a light breakfast (saving our calories for Easter dinner) we went to Trader Joe's to stock up on stuff we can't get back in DE. At 1:00 I picked up my aunt Mary and met the rest of the family at Spouse's other brother's house for Easter. The food was terrific as usual, and we all had a great time. I took my aunt home and then at 7:00 I headed back to DE.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Today is Good Friday and Spouse is off work. I encouraged him to go back to VA today so he could spend today and tomorrow with his family since I am working both days. I'll join him there Sat night so we can spend Easter Sun with the family.

When realtors want to get extra exposure for their listing they will sometimes hold an agent open house (AOH) and include some kind of drawing to entice agents to come. To familiarize myself with new listings and to meet agents who work for other agencies, I try to attend as many AOH as I can. This week I won $50. cash from an AOH drawing!

Today's home tour with Maria and her daughter Valerie went very well. Maria called me this evening to say that she'd like to find out if the living room ceiling could be vaulted in a particular home, and if so, she'd like to talk about making an offer!

My friend Jon is coming tomorrow to look at a few properties. He's trying to decide between an investment/rental home near the beach that he can enjoy when its not rented, or a more moderately priced home he would simply enjoy whenever he wanted. This should be fun!

We've had crazy weather this week. On Tues it was 86 degrees. On Thurs it was 46 degrees.

I hope everyone has a nice Easter weekend! Mmm, chocolate...

Weekend highlights

WOW - what a weekend! The weather was amazing (bright, sunny, warm) and we had a wonderful time with friends and family.

We arrived in DC just before noon on Sat and met our realtor Betsy at yet another (foreclosure) condo. We liked the floor plan and the space a lot, but it will needs a substantial renovation. There are no kitchen appliances and the cabinets/countertops must be torn out. The kitchen is a total gut job, much like the bathroom. We're not sure yet if the purchase price, renovation price, and our budget will work on this one. Next it was on to Capital City Brewing Company to meet our good friends Kerry & Hugh for a late lunch. The weather was delightful so we sat outside and ate and talked. They surprised us with a handmade crochet blanket for one of our guest rooms! We had a terrific time with them.

With the top down we headed to Spouse's mom's house and arrived just minutes before my old high school friend Patrick arrived. Patrick figures prominently in my coming out story. We lost touch after he moved to FL more than 15 years ago, but thanks to Facebook he found me! We talked over lunch at a nearby diner, then sat outside on Spouse's mom's patio and talked some more since it was such a beautiful day. Spouse's sister and her family came over so our visit with Patrick kind of took on a 'family' vibe but it was still great to see him. That evening Spouse's mom joined us at our favorite Mexican place Cantina Mexicana (formerly the Taco House). It was busy and vibrant! Our dear friends and owners Gloria and Juan were there, as were their kids who really aren't kids anymore. We had a delicious meal and a wonderful time. I was very happy and felt 'at home'.

Sun morning I went back to the old church where Spouse & I used to be members. (He slept in.) It was great to see how the bldg had been improved and wonderful to see old friends again. I was really happy to be back there for a visit. Then I picked up my aunt Mary and brought her back to Spouse's mom's house where we talked for a little while before heading over to Spouse's brother Louis and sister-in-law Karen's house for Easter dinner. Everything was so tasty we couldn't help but over-eat. And don't even get me started with all the Easter candy Karen bought! Again it was a beautiful day and I ate outside on the deck. That evening I took aunt Mary back home, Spouse & I packed up and said goodbye, deposited some checks at a local bank, and then headed back home to DE.


Between the weather, the food, the friends, and the family, it was an exceptional weekend!

Crush du Jour: Andrew Levitas

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Mon the stained glass people called to say our 3 window inserts were finished. They came that evening and installed them.

Whereas they aren't exactly what we pictured, we still like them and we got a great deal on them.

Spouse & I are both off today for 'Good Friday'. I scheduled a locksmith to take a look at a lock that stopped opening, and a landscaper to give us an estimate on fixing our yard up. Since the construction I think the grade of the yard isn't right for draining water to the street, and we have little to no grass left; its all weeds. So we'll see what they come up with.

Please take a moment to watch this video of a truly inspirational young man. He truly puts challenges and limitations into perspective.

Still no replacement for our totalled Honda CRV, but our friend Bryan said he thought there would be 3 possibilities for us at the auction today, so we'll see what he comes up with on Mon.

We're going to VA on Sat morning for the Easter weekend. We're meeting our realtor Betsy at noon to see another condo, then meeting Kerry & Hugh for lunch at 1:30. Then my old friend (and gay mentor) Patrick is coming to see us at Spouse's mom's house later that afternoon. I haven't seen him in about 20 years (that story will be forthcoming) and he and Spouse have never met. It should be a spectacular day!

Sun is Easter so we're planning to return to the old church where we used to be members so we can see the building improvements and many old friends. Later we'll have a big Easter meal with family and head back to DE. The weather is supposed to be very good this weekend (sunny and warm) so that should just make the weekend even better.

I hope everyone has a nice Easter!

Crush du Jour: Daniel Robinson

Easter highlights

Just like all holiday weekends, this passed 3-day Easter weekend flew by.

We arrived at Evelyn's (Spouse's mother) house shortly after noon on Fri and then went to lunch. Then Spouse's sister Mary took their mother to church at 3:00, and I picked up my aunt Mary and brought her back to Evelyn's house. The 5 of us sat and visited for a while, and then Spouse's sister went home, while Evelyn, my aunt Mary, Spouse & I went to dinner. Ugh - 2 meals out in the same day! After dinner, Spouse's sister Mary came back over and visited some more. She left, and I took my aunt Mary back to her home.

Sat Evelyn, Spouse & I went to a few stores, had lunch, and hung out again for a while. Spouse & I went to our friend Michael's house for dinner and got to meet his partner. They got together just before we moved away a little over 2 years ago. Also there was Michael's twin brother Mark and his partner Roger. We had a lovely evening talking and laughing and catching up. Then Spouse & I went to Spouse's sister Mary's house and joined her and the kids who were coloring eggs for Easter.

Sun morning Evelyn and the other family members went to church, while Spouse & I slept in, being the heathens that we are. When they all returned from church I took some photos of everyone in their Easter finery.
Spouse & his niece/god-daughter Anna.

Anna, Evelyn (grandma), and Mary: 3 generations.

David, Anna, Eric, and Evelyn (grandma).

The kids and their parents.

Then we picked up my aunt Mary and headed over Spouse's brother Louis and sister-in-law Karen's house for the big Easter feast. We had a honey-baked ham, a turkey breast, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, green bean casserole, baked beans, sweat potato casserole, orange/pineapple mold, ambrosia salad, and cup cakes and assorted Easter candy for dessert. I over-ate, as expected, but it was my only meal for the entire day, so I didn't feel too guilty about it. We had a really nice time. Then we took aunt Mary home, dropped off Evelyn and picked up our dog Jordan, and headed home. Traffic wasn't bad so we got home at 10:00.

Crush du Jour: Joel West

Friday fragments

Its been a full week now with no street work. That doesn't mean its done; it just means there's been no work done in a week. There have been several 'visits' by engineers and construction people, with many short conversations and pointing and arm waving, but no actual work. The street is a mixture of sand and soil we are trying desperately not to track into the house.

After more than a bit of coordination, we've confirmed the dates of our next NYC trip: May 28-31. We had such a great time last Oct that we're going back for more. We had such a positive experience last time taking Boltbus we're taking it again. I purchased the tickets yesterday, online of course. Since we didn't have time to see Central Park last time, we're scheduling an entire day for that on this trip. It should be blooming to beat the band by late May. We're also hoping to meet up with some NYC bloggers and friends while we're in town. If any of you are planning to be in NYC during May 28-31, let me know! The famous (or infamous?) DavidDust will be coordinating a night of carousing and debauchery on Sat night. No doubt this will include all the places where the hot Papis hang out! (I wonder if that new Arby's in Brooklyn will be open by then?)

My recent foray into Facebook reminded me of many school-related memories. One such memory was a 'picture day' in 3rd grade. I have a vivid memory of seeing all my classmates dressed up in their photographic finest, and commenting to my teacher how good Jim Brown looked in a suit. I expected my teacher to respond with appropriate agreement, but she didn't. I remember my confusion at my teacher's non-reaction.

We're going to VA today to spend the Easter weekend. Spouse's brother Louis hosts Easter at his house on Sun, but we'll be at Spouse's mom's today and Sat. I'm hoping to work in some visits with some friends while we're in town, too. Please send positive energy to me so I don't over-indulge in all the chocolatey, Easter goodness.

Happy Easter!

Crush du Jour: Haaz Sleiman

Winding Up The Week

I forgot to mention that last weekend was our 'entertaining at home' weekend... Our friends Robert & Liz came over Saturday night. Joe made homemade pizzas! But Robert & Liz got stuck in a terrible traffic jam and arrived an hour late. Unfortunately the pizzas weren't as good because they were baked, then came up to room temperature while we waited for Robert & Liz to arrive, then got warmed up again. But we had a great time visiting with them. We ate in the kitchen.

On Sunday our friends Ron & James came over. We had pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, peas, corn casserole, and biscuits. Unknown to us, pork tenderloin is one of their favorite meals, so it was a big hit. James brought a delicious apple pie, which we had a la mode. We ate in the kitchen and had a wonderful time catching up with these friends we don't see as often as we'd like. We also talked about plans for a trip to the shore with them and our friends Mike & Clark in late April or early May. (We've done this before and have always had a blast.)

My American Idol prediction was correct, and with hesitation we said "Buh-bye" to Mikalah. (Am I the only one who thinks she looks like Fran Drescher from 'The Nanny'?) I'm looking forward to this week's competition. I think all of the remaining singers are good, so it is going to be more difficult to predict each week's parting contestant.

We went to the shore this weekend. My company gave me (Good) Friday off, and Joe had some comp time, so we left at 11:30 Friday morning. After a late lunch at our favorite lunch spot Cafe Sole, we went to the grocery store and the video store, then headed back to the house.

We put up curtains in two of the bedrooms, Joe took a nap while I watched a little TV, and then we decided to drive down to Ocean City to have dinner at 'The Wharf', an all-you-can-eat buffet. The food is pretty good and the price is pretty reasonable. The place is decorated with all kinds of nautical stuff, from compasses to fishing nets, to oars, to barometers, to laterns - you name it. It's kind of kitchy, which of course appeals to us. Then we headed back to the house and watched one of our movies "The Motorcycle Diaries". Two pals from Argentina set off on a 5,000 mile tour of their continent on an old motorcycle. Rather than just being a scenic trip, it becomes a life-altering experience for both of them. I thought it was pretty good. Joe loved it. I thought it was too long. It seemed like it could have ended a few times. But perhaps I felt that way because the movie is in Spanish and we had to read the English subtitles.

Saturday we had an appointment to show the Li'l Retro Getaway (trailer) so I experimented with a product called Liqui-Sew to hem the curtains we needed to hang again after washing. It worked like a charm and before you knew it, we were over at the LRG, curtains hung, just waiting for the potential buyer to arrive. The sun had finally come out (even if only for half an hour) and it almost felt balmy, so we sat on the deck until they arrived. They loved the retro feel of the place, and one of them is a teacher who has lots of time off in the summer, so it seemed like a good fit. Tonight they called and said they are interested in buying, and will call us tomorrow to make an offer!

After showing the LRG we made a stop at a store where we picked up some inexpensive fabric and some beading. Revved up by my Liqui-Sew experience earlier in the day, I decided to make a pair of curtains. I couldn't believe how fast and easy it was! In the time it took for Joe to have a nap, I measured, cut, and Liqui-Sewed a pair of curtains AND began attaching the beading onto an old lamp shade. I put up the new curtains and a pair of store bought panels, for a total of 4 pairs of curtains in the house and 1 pair at the trailer. Mission: Accomplished!

After dinner at home we watched another movie "Connie & Carla", written by and starring Nia Vardalos from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. This was really cute! It's about these 2 girls who do a cabaret-style show in an airport lounge who accidentally witness a murder. In order to not be caught by the murderer, they decided to leave town and go somewhere unexpected... somewhere there is no cabaret-style shows where the killer would find them... like LA. They pretend to be drag queens at a West Hollywood bar and eventually talk the owner into making it a dinner theatre where they perform regularly. There were some really funny moments, and a LOT of Broadway musical renditions. Then we watched "Boat Trip" starring Cuba Gooding Jr. I had never even HEARD of this movie before, but Joe said he'd seen a trailer for it. It turned out to be cute too, but a bit sillier than "Connie & Carla". Cuba Gooding Jr and his buddy get 'accidentally' booked on a gay cruise instead of a straight singles cruise. You can imagine the characters they encounter and the antics that ensue.

This morning we had breakfast, cleaned up the house, and headed back home. We both showered and shaved, and got ready for Easter with the family. Joe's brother Louis and his wife Karen host Easter at their house every year. (Joe & I have Thanksgiving, and his sister Mary has Christmas.) We had a delicious honey baked ham, potato salad, macaroni salad, beans, sweet potato shuffle, green bean casserole, rolls, and deviled eggs. And candy. What would Easter be without candy? We all had a ball. It was really fun to have the family together, catch up on the kids' activities, and enjoy the afternoon.

So ends my week.