Apples to apples.

 We rented a gorgeous house in the Shenandoah Valley (except that it was on top of a mountain and not in the valley) for the weekend with some of my awesome museum peeps.

In the morning there was lots of fog, but otherwise the view out these windows was amazing.

Our mountain-retreat cum beach-shanty.

We spent our Saturday picking apples, eating apple-cider donuts, napping, and cooking up a delicious fall feast with a roast and vegetables and home-made pumpkin pie (in reality, so my co-worker's wife did all the cooking and I just ate).

In the evening we ran around the yard, played board games and laughed at ourselves.

 Now I'm sitting on my couch with all the lights on, the TV blaring and the computer running so I can make the best of my electricity before Sandy takes it out. See you all on the other side.

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Awesome Grandmas.

This last weekend B and I went camping with my grandparents. When we got to the campsite, my grandmother was inside her camper reading. I asked her what she was reading, as she's not really a "reader" per se. Her response?

Fifty Shades of Gray.

My 73 year old grandmother is reading Fifty Shades of Gray. 

Me: "What? Mom-Mom!"

Her: "I didn't know what it was about when I bought it! I just knew that it was a best-seller. Don't tell your grandfather what it's about."

She seemed scandalized, however...I noticed she continued reading it throughout the weekend. Then she offered to give it to me when she was done because, as she says "You might learn something."

I love her.

Other prettiness from the weekend:

I haven't been posting much lately because honestly, I just haven't been feeling it. I want to make sure I only post when I want to and this doesn't become some sort of obligation that I start to hate. And that I'm not getting boring and documenting what I had for lunch, etc. So I'm only going to post things that I find amusing, things that I want to remember, and cool pictures. I'm not going to worry about doing so on a schedule, especially since not many people read anyway. That being said, if you do read this...I hope you enjoy it.

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If men could get pregnant, abortion clinics would be like a Starbucks...

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He liked it so he put a ring on it.

I knew it was coming, and I was LOSING MY MIND over it. I couldn't wait. The morning of, we were planning to go for a hike (we had been planning a backpacking trip, but that got nixed because of possible rain the next morning and I can't say I was sorry). I was anxious all morning and finally I said to B, look, I have to tell you that I'm on edge because I feel like this might be our engagement weekend and if it isn't then you should just tell me so I can get on with it and enjoy our day together.

B: "Well, I don't want you to be sad..."

Me: "That's all I need to know."

So we went out to Western Maryland and jumped on to the Appalachian Trail. I hauled my butt up some steep hills and then-THEN-we stumbled onto a copperhead snake. In case you didn't know, they are poisonous. I thought we were going to die. We stared at it for a while and then gingerly walked around it while it eyed me menacingly.

Let me stop here to point out that I had some hints that it was coming: B asked if I was going to do my hair for dinner that night (he's not usually into that kind of detail). He also asked me what I was wearing hiking, which was REALLY odd. He double checked that we had the camera and extra batteries. He was being really lovey on our hike (which I enjoyed, of course, but I knew).

We got to this overlook, which was gorgeous, bee-tee-dubs:

It was also freezing and extremely windy.

And we sat down on the rock and huddled against the wind together. B looked at me and said "I lied to you this morning." My heart dropped, he said lots of sweet things that I will keep to myself, and we were engaged :)

Me really happy.

Huddled against the cold. Warmed by love, etc.

Then we sat down on a rock and ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Also, Happy Birthday to me!

I love cake.

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Born to be wild...or something.

Saturday B and I took our first trip together on his motorcycle. I drove out to his parents' town, where he keeps it in his brother's garage, and we went all over the little towns and mountains out in his part of Western Maryland.

We stopped in a local state park and walked down to an overlook with a great view of his hometown. I may  have slipped and fallen on my butt because my boots have no traction. I've skidded across Constitution Avenue in them too...perhaps I should do something about that.

Dastardly steps.

Sexy biker babe.

Middletown

I look like a man because I'm wearing my dad's old motorcycle jacket. At least I'm hoping that's why.

Meanwhile the kittens enjoyed sleeping in boxes.

       

I call this "Truman with toys in box."

Also, apparently I was really into yellow last week:

People made fun of my rain boots, but I had dry feet and they didn't, so the jokes on them.

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It's Friday...Office Birthdays

When someone has to be in the office on their birthday, you do your best to make it good. This generally means decorating with whatever leftover decor you have from other parties, ordering pizza for lunch and giving them a card filled with insults from their coworkers. At least that's how it goes around here.

D was already scheduled to recieve a new office chair, so we thought, what better way to celebrate his birthday than with his brand spanking new chair?

We had Halloween decorations and 30th birthday spiral hanging things so we said "eh, they'll do" (even though D is turning 56, not 30) and slapped them all over his chair.

We also had a contractor in a box.

Nothing says "I love seeing you more than I see my own family and trying to complete impossible projects with you, procrastinating with you and raging against the machine with you" than the office birthday.

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Dagnabit, candy corn!

"The worst thing about Halloween is, of course, candy corn. It's unbelievable to me. Candy corn is the only candy in the history of America that's never been advertised. And there's a reason. All of the candy corn that was ever made was made in 1911. And so, since nobody eats that stuff, every year there's a ton of it left over. And the candy corn company sends the guys to the villages and they collect out of the dumpsters all the candy corn we've thrown away. They wash it!! They wash it!

I'll never forget the first time my mother gave me candy corn. She said, "Here - Lewis, this is candy corn. It's corn that tastes like candy". [high pitched sound] This tastes like crap! And every year since then, Halloween has returned and I, like an Alzheimer's patient, find myself in the room, and the room has a big table in it, and on the table is a bowl of candy corn. And I look at it as if I've never seen it before. "Candy corn", I think. "Corn that tastes like candy. I can't wait". Son of a bitch!!

-- comedian Lewis Black, from The Daily Show"

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1) I love Lewis Black. He speaks the truth in a very angry manner that I find amusing.

2) I actually feel the exact opposite as he does about Candy Corn, and I'm mad at it because I ate too much of it. So I'm really mad at myself, but let us agree to place the blame on candy corn.

It tastes deliciously syrupy, since it's mostly made of sugar and chemical dyes. Plus, it comes in little bites and so you take a few because hey, a few bites can't be that bad for you, how many calories can be in something that's only .5 inches long? And then you mindlessly eat them and they're delicious, and then it's like well, I'd better get another handful since they only come out once a year. And by then you have consumed five handfuls and your stomach is revolted by the saccharine sweetness and you realize you made a really big mistake.



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And then the next day someone puts out a new bowl of candy corn and you know what? It only comes out once a year, so...

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