Setting: The bed. Ben and I snuggle as Tesla purrs happily and walks from side to side, randomly making biscuits before moving on.
Ben: "He's looking for some batter. You know, to make some biscuits."
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Shenandoah
Ben loves Shenandoah National Park, and he specifically loves hiking Old Rag, described on the park's website thusly:
"Shenandoah's most popular and most dangerous hike. The number of blogs and websites about this hike attests to its popularity. The number of search and rescue missions each year attests to its danger. There's no doubt that the scramble is great fun and the views are spectacular. A day on Old Rag is one of Shenandoah's premier experiences."
So he was sorely disappointed when the weather prediction for the weekend we'd chosen to go hike the mountain and camp out in Shenandoah was rainy and cold. But wait! Friday of that weekend looked to be spectacular. So, being the loving wife I am, I took off Friday and we made a last minute change of plans.
As predicted, the hike was difficult, but mostly enjoyable. That is not to say that I did not get cranky when I thought we had gotten to the summit only to find out that no, there was still more to climb. I generally get cranky at least once during all of our outdoor camping/hiking activities so this is no surprise. As Ben said when we got home, "I'm just glad you didn't cry this time."
After the 4.5 hour round trip hike we drove further into Shenandoah and checked in at Big Meadows campground. It took several circuits of the area before Ben was able to select a camp site to his liking, but once set up we treated ourselves to a glorious shower in a trailer brought in during renovations of the camp's permanent showers (no complaints here as the water was hot!), bowls of lukewarm reheated spaghetti and s'mores with marshmallows roasted on sticks Ben whittled out of our $7/cord firewood.
I did manage to sleep, though it required two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, a fleece jacket, gloves, a hat and a sleeping bag to be comfortable enough to do so. I will say, not the worst night of sleep I've ever had in a tent.
I did require a nap on Saturday to recover, but it was truly lovely to get outside, use our bodies, and just be together. Definitely something we should do more often.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Stop it, Pinterest.
I'm admittedly at a point in my life where my hormones are like, let's have babies! But my brain and my husband are like, let's not. (Ok my brain is like maaaaybe and my husband is like absolutely fucking not.) And Pinterest isn't helping.
I searched things to crochet for my friend's impending baby like, once. And now every day is a deluge of Pinterest suggestions that have included childbirth tips, best types of bottle nipples, and of course, ovary-bustingly cute pictures of newborns. The internal war between head and heart is not helped by these unsolicited images.
Case in point-I searched for some sort of kicky "damnit Pinterest!" image and the first two things to show up were crochet baby hat patterns. THOSE ARE NOT AT ALL RELATED YOUR ALGORITHM IS BROKEN.
Oh Pinterest...
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| Via |
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Possibly related: today I've been popping peanut butter M&Ms like it's going out of style.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
At Christmastime. That was two months ago.
I pulled out the nativity that my parents got me way back in 1989 for the first time this year. Actually I think this is the first year that it's been in my possession since as soon as I purchased a house my mother showed up with boxes of stuff that "is yours," including all Christmas decor that was tangentially related to me. Anyway, when I opened it I found this:
A note from my mother, reading: "Where ever you may be when you next unpack this nativity set, remember all the Christmases we shared it together. In its new home it will make many more memories."
I texted my mother as follows:
Me: I opened the nativity :)
Mom: I know I put a message in it. But I have no idea what I wrote anymore.
Me: About remembering its memories and making new ones.
Mom: Oh, how nice of me!
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| I dunno if we broke the angel or it it didn't come with one but that's the angel we have, so there she is. |
Winter Cabin Camping
Because I am a loving wife who also wants to build up "I did something you want to do" points to get to Disney World we went cabin camping in Gifford Pinchot State Park with one of Ben's friends and said friend's girlfriend. It was not awful. I did enjoy being away from the TV and the computer for a bit, as well as the bracing cold fresh air and the novelty of walking on a frozen lake.
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| Cabin. Woods. Frozen lake. |
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| First hat I ever made. Go me! |
Rebels, all of us. Seriously though some ice fishermen let Ben look down in one of their holes and the ice was something like 10" thick. Also one ice fisherman had a canvas tent house thing and planned to spend the night on the ice, which is crazy in a way I don't understand. We watched him pack up and ship out around 8:30 at night though, so maybe the rational part of his brain got the best of him. Or the park ranger kicked him out. Not sure what the proper procedure is for renting a camping spot on what is usually a liquid surface.
And also Ben made blueberry cobbler/cake in a dutch oven and I love cake.
As always, I was pretty ecstatic to get back to these furry munchkins. And also to my comfortable, warm bed.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Halloween was four months ago.
But I'm posting about it now! I will never not be a Disney character for Halloween; this is a given. This year I wore not one, but two costumes: a work appropriate Minnie Mouse and a less work appropriate Snow White.
Did I have my annual review at work that day? Yes, yes I did. Did I wear my Minnie ears? Absolutely.
The world's most cutest museum dog was a 50's lady, complete with poodle skirt.
And Tesla and Truman were reluctant but fabulous Meowsketeers, as usual.
I had some Disney Halloween decor, of course (some of it prompted by yet another Disney trip contest that I did not win. One day I will be victorious.)
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| I marvel at my artistry. |
Ben managed to get me out of the house to a party thrown by his friends. I crashed by 11 and went home.
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| I tried, I really did, to do Snow White hair. |
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| Because he's that cute. |
Because we are an adorably Dis-nerdy family, my mother and I wore the same costume.
Don't you just love it?
Haunted Mansion
Oh, the Haunted Mansion.
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| (this one's in DisneyLAND) Via Pinterest. |
I think it started with a Disney Sing-A-Long video. I seem to remember a couple of kids envisioning staying in the park after closing, and a cast of Disney villains and ghosts singing "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" on the lawn of the Haunted Mansion in the dark. I was five and it was terrifying. I've had a very complicated relationship with the Haunted Mansion ever since.
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| The Sing-A-Long that started it all. Via Pinterest. |
You see, I don't do well with things popping up at me out of nowhere. I don't ride Dinosaur for that reason. I've yet to see the alien on the Great Movie Ride because I know better than to look up. Drew Carey's Sounds Dangerous was equal parts fascinating and terrifying. I still flinch at certain parts of Stitch's Great Escape. I like good surprises, like Disney trips. I don't like scary surprises.
So, things I think you need to know before joining the 999 Happy Haunts for a tour of their abode:
1. This is "Disneyfied" but it can still be frightening for certain individuals (namely children and those with overactive imaginations like myself). There is darkness, there are things that pop up unexpectedly, and there is a soft spoken menacing ghost speaking into your ear.
2. Do take the time to appreciate the humor that Disney injected into the ride's morbid topic, however. Read the tombstones that line the queue, and keep your eye out for sight gags like portraits in the stretching room.
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