Needing to move some stuff out of the house in Orlando, we made a vacation weekend out of it. The Dreambear(TM) and I just returned--and god was it a perfect trip.

We have pretty good luck as it is for great vacations... but this may take the cake so far. ( Read more... )

We're all sorts of homebody-ish tonight, and that's just fine and dandy by us.

The day started with our newest tradition: eating at the counter at the Silver Diner a few minutes down Rt. 1 in Laurel. Saturday or Sunday, I make sure to bring enough quarters to pick up a Washington Post to read as we eat. (Although the kindness of a stranger helped me with the last quarter a few weeks ago when I realized the Sunday edition is $1.50, not $1.25 that Dan and I swore it was...)

Anyway.. we share our paper and try something new each week. A waitress has gotten to know us, and superbly recommends different things to try--or, as was the case today, she didn't have us in her section, but dropped by and brought (without our asking) some Southwestern Ranch dressing to dip my shoestring fries in... because, "..they're good this way, try 'em" Oh, she was right.

I drove our shiny, freshly cleaned and Armor-all'd Santa Fe back toward our apartment. Stopped briefly to drop off yet another prescription aimed at helping me shake this chronic headache-mystery sinus/hormone illness I've been battling for more than two years now. Headed home.

We had been discussing checking out the Maryland Renaissance fair. Some of Dans coworkers would be there. It was the perfect weather for it. The morning had had a chilly-ness to it that was firmly fall, but the sun wasn't going away without a fight. The kind of day you prepare for with jeans, but sadly end up sweating your ass off in once 1 or 2pm arrive. Anyway... I thought it would exactly the right event to go to today--but alas, my mood shifted, the day's headache worsened, and I thought it better to stay by home, and perhaps get my MD license tag and titles today. Things continued not to work out since the damn DMV was only open until noon... and we definitively had slept late.

Dan jaunted off to the Renaissance Fair, and I realized a trip to bed for a long afternoon nap was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. I played with Dan's CPAP and Abbie and I found the right configuration for a 4 hour Siesta.

I woke with the most intense craving for Sweet Dinner Rolls and Honey Butter that one can reasonably tolerate without going mad. Seeing as how I had all the ingredients in the house, dinner was settled on. It was 5pm already, and a quick jaunt to pick up my prescriptions was in order before the CVS closed. I picked up my pills... and it seems there have been enough medications recently, that they're all running together... because I thought it was supposed to be another nasal spray. Eh. Whatever. Abbie was thrilled to be along for the ride: alternately standing up on the door handle and curling up on the back seat, ears blowing in the breeze.

Made it home just as Dan did, and I informed him of our baked goods to come. Dan never has an argument against homemade bread. Really, against anything that rises or is doughy.

Dough in oven to rise, we settled on the couch. Dog between us, mugs of tea made fresh from exotic loose-leaf varieties from TeaVana. We each cuddled with our newest books. I snuggled up with Kathy Griffin's memoir that's quite good. Dan with some science fiction book. I told him how much I loved him, and how happy and lucky I am to spend a Saturday evening like this with him. We closed our eyes and talked about the house we dream of having on the coast of Maine someday.

The timer just beeped on the oven. The house is filled with the smell of fresh baked sweet dinner rolls. The dog is curled up at the bottom of the stairs. The evening air is sneaking in through our crank window in the living room. Nowhere I'd rather be.

I haven't posted in a while.

Just haven't felt "chatty".

And tonight I'm tired. And i still don't feel chatty... but I do feel whiney. And therefore, post!

Yah. Tired. I'm on antibiotics for another sinus infection. And I've got shit to do tonight that keeps me from just sleeping starting at 6:17pm. (Note time of post.)

Eh. I'll sleep when I'm old.

Pasta is ready.

Yay for bears who cook me pasta.

Moo.

Today my boss e-mailed myself and my telecommuting co-workers that we needed to all work in the office until further notice.

Lovely.

One of the biggest reasons I took the job was to work from home. Its been amazing for me. I struggle with daily headaches.. and at home, its much easier for me to take a 15 minute break laying down in a quiet dark room with a cold compress (or hot) on my forehead... So that blows.

As does the wardrobe. Good golly its nice not to have to spend money on clothes... dry-clean and press them... and be uncomfy all day in wool pants. And dress shoes. Bleh.

Chair and desk comfortability and work environment is a large plus too. I can set my own temperature, hum, click a pen, talk to myself, open a window, burp, and yell in frustration as loud as I want at home... but clearly, not in the office. My desk and chair here are suited to my size. At work? I don't fit at my desk right... and when we're going through layoffs its hardly the time to ask for a new desk or chair or anything.

And yes, that's really the point, isn't it. We're going through layoffs. My boss wants us all to be in the office so its visible we're doing work, and not just goofing off at home or taking care of kids or whatever. (Do you know how many mom's have said to me... "oh I wish I could work from home... do you know how much i'd save on childcare?" Um.. no, dipshit... I'm at home DOING WORK, on the phone negotiating asset recovery... not wiping my child's ass and refereeing Hunter and Madison.)

Anywho. I'm pretty devastated and hope the powers that be change their mind pretty soon. Abbie does too. She's sitting next to me now, sighing... and I just know she's going to be lonely while I"m at work. Its really not fair to her. We got her because I'd be able to be home all day with her.

*sigh*

I wrote a post a moment ago... and realize I need to expand on the fact that my parents are nurturing, hospitable versions of the Gilmores.

So here they are in all their glory. Via their e-mails from last night. I also wanted to write about Dan and my dinner celebrating our 2nd Anniversary too. So... this suffices.

My e-mail reply to her earlier one encouraging me to look for 9 to 5 tickets:

Yes. I got it. [Her e-mail.] Dan and I are driving back from the most wonderful anniversary dinner (we celebrate the time we met until we can get married for real). Sooo good. This little french place way out of the way. A farmhouse type of place. Foie gras crème brulee, salmon on top of a spinach flan. And a praline souffle for desert. (dan had sweetbreads with a green pea custard). Live piano music playing beautiful music (all I ask of you from phantom, send in the clowns... Others...)

On the way out to the car... It had just finished raining...steam coming up from the ground... And hundreds of fireflies were flying about the edge of the woods. Just absolutely picture perfect. Two years... Can you believe? Its flown by.

~Matt


Her response:

"How funny you should tell me in this email that it was your anniversary of when you met. I was thinking about that. You know my ESP. Probably because it's Dave's and Brynne's first on July 12. Hint, Hint, send them a greeting please.

The restaurant sounds wonderful. Making me hungry just reading it. Music too and then, when it can't get any better, fireflies lighting the sky.

You both are very happy and I wish you many more years of happiness come what may. I love Dan for making my son happy again.

Dad got the cards yesterday (when we picked up 2 weeks of mail). Loved both cards and especially all of the cards you gave him. Nice touch Matt.

OK so now I am ironing and trying every excuse not to. Dad has my car so I cannot go anywhere as his car is being detailed. So, I guess I am stuck.

Looking forward to 9 to 5. Mrs. Sutter said gals from her office saw it last week and said it was GREAT. Paid $140 per ticket.

DO IT MATT. We will be in New Bern the first 3 weeks of August."


Shortly thereafter, I receive an e-mail from my Dad...


"Mom relayed that you and Dan first met 2 years ago. We are both very happy you found one another!

By the way, I enjoyed the Father’s Day cards – your cards are always special and I really appreciated Dan’s.

Keep me posted on the Fl roof. You might want to consider replacing even if the insurance does not cover much or any. Patches are always a problem, and a patch hurts resale – just highlights a potential problem. You might be able to replace only the long run down the right side of the house."

[SNIP]


*smile*
Oh happy we.

... Oh my gosh.

On Wednesday, I casually mentioned to my mom that I wanted to see 9 to 5: The Musical.

Yesterday, while driving home from the most romantic Anniversary Dinner with the DreamBear, I get an e-mail saying "look whats available, call me to check my availability, and then we'll book it on my Amex. ~Mom"

So today, after work, I check out tickets online... Looking for discounts through Playbill.Com... sure enough none of the discounts were available where she was free. (When thinking of my mom, think of a hospitable and nurturing Emily Gilmore.) So she says, "Oh Matthew, just book it on a Sunday and get good seats. Pay full price--you're worth it."

I booked them. And then realized I booked the wrong date. I booked the show an entire week early. The date now coincides with my brother and his wife's first anniversary. Lordy.

We'll make it work..


...and SQUEEEE I'm going to see 9 to 5: The Musical with the amazing unbelievably Allison Janney... who is quite possibly my favorite actress. And also Stephanie J. Block the lady with the crazy pipes. And Megan Hilty--who I think I saw in Wicked (either in the tour or on b-way... i don't remember... but I've seen her...)

...without a mustache before.

Dan decided to shave his mustache. Well, not exactly decided... but it was shaved, and he wasn't upset about it. Anyway...

He shaved his mustache the other morning then came downstairs and said, "good morning sweetheart"... and a) I almost didn't recognize him. and b) kissing him good morning was like kissing a stranger.

Yah. Stranger.

Because as I thought about it... I realized that I haven't kissed a man without a mustache before. I mean.. maybe really drunk at a bar, perhaps... and if so, it's been long enough ago that I don't remember anymore... Just wow--it was so different.

And now, a few days later... I'm kinda used to it... and I think he looks really good with or without mustache--but still its eerie.

Its like my lips can't get a grip on his mouth or something...

Just so bizarre a feeling.

I forgot how much I loved Guitar Hero. And Michael Jackson's music.

Dan and I played Guitar Hero tonight.. and so many of the songs reminded me of our move to Virginia together. We played that game quite a bit back then.

While we were playing tonight, I texted my brother... it was weird... We have a fun relationship. I chided him a little bit about his obsession with Michael Jackson when he was little. (He had a white Michael Jackson glove...) And when we were little... things were cool... and things were MICHAEL JACKSON cool.

Its one of those parts of childhood that you forget until something somewhat shocking happens. Michael Jackson died. He was always looney in recent years--but dead--oh my gosh.

Thinking back... I remember playing Black or White on my computer speakers. I remember being fascinated with the dancing in Beat It. (We all knew the words.. and my parents loved to make us sing and act like Michael Jackson.) And Thriller. Yah, I was a little frightened at Thriller when I was little.

...and the weirdest thing... kids these days don't know who Michael Jackson is... they don't understand him like we don't understand The Beatles or Elvis... the way we don't understand --eh--I was going to say Jonas Brothers or something... but I'm struggling to find a younger generation's band with talent. Bleh.

Michael Jackson couldn't have died old. He wouldn't have gotten this kind of reaction. And hey--now its ok to listen to his music again in public. Its not creepy anymore. He's a legend.

Well, its two years on Monday.

The Dreambear and I, having had a hankering for Cracker Barrel, scouted out the nearest location from our home... turns out, we're about an hour away from any Cracker Barrel these days. Do you you hear that, Cracker Barrel? Two fat guys who are easily tempted to visit your establishment for hashbrown casserole and dumplin's are too far to easily DRIVE to your nearest location without advance planning. Fix it!

So anyway... the nearest location was in Frederick, MD. I told Dan to look for other things to do in the Frederick Area while we were there... cause... hello hour there, hour back.. just for hashbrown casserole... a little hardcore.

He found out there was an outlet mall--and when looking at the other businesses in the area over his shoulder (he loves when I do that), I spotted a Paint Your Own Pottery place. Dan stated he wouldn't be averse to trying it out. I immediately started to *squee* all around the apartment.

I used to go with my brother and my neighbors to pottery painting in New Egypt, New Jersey. Or I think it was New Egypt. Pretty sure it was. Really out of the way place. More like a shack. I remember there being wooden floors... like... not hardwood laminate flooring, but actual rough/ramshackle wood on the floors. There were these shelves along one side with the different pottery you could paint... and it often took more than one session to finish one piece. My brother once made a giant brown (chocolate-looking) Easter bunny for my grandmother. I'm fairly sure she liked it... as it sat under a table with pictures of all of her grandchildren on it... for years... not just at Easter. All the time. I was jealous he made the cute bunny. I made little cherub-looking bunnies... and one had a sparkly top on it with special sparkly paste you could use... I don't remember seeing them displayed year round.

Anywho... Dan and I are bad at getting ready quickly... so it turned into late morning, then early afternoon before we really left the house. I realized there was a pottery place in Silver Spring, right near by... and we hadn't been to Red Rock Canyon grille in a while... so we didn't go to Cracker Barrel at all, even though that's how it all started.

The pottery place was filled with kids. I didn't want to go in at first... to be the old adults in there with a bunch of kids painting pottery? But Dan announced he was going in... and I sheepishly followed... until after he opened the door, he pushed me in first to have to explain why the two big men were there by themselves...

Turns out, they were all very friendly, though the rest of the patrons kept giving us little "hehe... aw... isn't that cute" faces. Although somewhat uninspired by their choices to paint... we settled on Goblets. After sitting a while deciding on colors from their very-hard-to-decide-on-color-chart... I began noticing we weren't the only adults there. There were a few moms that were painting, their kids NOT painting, frantically making "#1 Dad" mugs made for putting a kids picture on... More than once, people went up to the register, and we're visibly upset when told it would be a week before their father's day gift would be ready. (Yah, fathers day is Sunday... oops!)

Then I started to institute rules. We'd need to have the same color palate. (Well, cause it'll look stupid to set the table with goblets that don't match each other... OR the table or tablecloth...) Then I broke my own rules and added an extra color at the end... which was ok, because Dan wanted to use the same extra color too. (Hooray bright yellow for making the cut!).

After about... um... 4 hours of painting goblets... we were done, and quite satisfied with ourselves. Our bellies needing food again, we stopped into Fudruckers for some naughty burgers.

We returned home to an eagerly waiting-in-the-window puppy, with tummies full and having made commemorative art-pieces celebrating our second anniversary of meeting.

We get to pick up the pottery next Saturday. Woot!

This may end up on our wedding invitations...

"He is not my boyfriend, that's what you call someone when you're under thirty. He is not my partner, because partners tend to agree on things." ~13lovestories.com

The 10.2 lb bichon/poodle mix clawed her way through the aluminum and thick canvas crate last night while we were seeing Star Trek.

The most exciting part of Star Trek for me was Ms. Ryder. Squee Winona playing old, convincingly this time, not like in Edward Scissor hands.

WeE had to leave the puppy by herself this morning for the first time. it was bad enough when I had to leave her at the groomer... but alone? murder. I had to go to a convention general session today... and it was brutal walking out the front door.

Dan texted me that he was going through similar after he left the apartment after me.

Abbie has really awesome puppy dog eyes. Not that tbey're awesome as in enjoyable. Awesome as in really well perfected.

Dans words: "I feel like such a bad parent this morning."

I'm on the bus on the way back to my office... and then its a 10 minute drive home from there... and I can say with a fair amount of certainty I won't be thinking of anything but how shes doing and worrying the entire way home...

Ahh puppy parent-hood.

Please welcome the newest member of our family, Abigail Hyacinthe Bougere-Thompson. (Abbie)

Abigail means "Her father's joy".




Last night... we took her for a long walk along the woods behind our complex... she bounded and pounced through the grasses, sniffing each tree and bush and moth.  Then we introduced her to "fetch" with a squeaky tennis ball... she was beyond excited... like... "OH. MY. GOD... I can chase it and bite it and then you'll THROW It for me again?!"  She wore herself out.... and mid stride tilted over on the stairs and fell asleep.



She's curled in a little white ball on an ottoman right now.

She's doggie dreaming--her paws are running. The poor little dear has had a rough life until now.

So lucky to have her in our already happy life.

Well.. not really... we are GETTING our dog, Snow!  Snow White is the name the rescue organization gave her. We get her tomorrow!

The Dreambear and I need need your help with name ideas.  (While "Snow" is cute, it sounds too much like "No" and a rescue dog is likely to need a lot of correction... But how funny is it that after dozens of tries and applying for rescue dogs... we end up with one named after a Disney character...

Like before, we have a few names in the running:

Hyacinthe (Family Joke, but pretty somewhat)
Penelope (Penny)
Phoebe
Yvette
Truvy
Clairee (Steel Magnolias...)

She's a white female 1-2y/o miniature poodle.



 

Comment to be in the drawing for Moosey's Cookie of the Month:  White Chocolate Rosemary.

(Chris, you and Victor are the the winners for next month already: Moosey's Healthy Cookie Bonanza)
(Puppy, congrats! You already won! And you'll actually receive them this time.)

I need help earning the Monday after Christmas off, and 4 more days of vacation. Here's how.

My company, Choice Hotels, is encouraging all of our employees to enroll members to Choice Privileges.  Sounds logical.

But here's the incentive.

If our company meets our membership enrollment goal this year of 1.750 million new members (we're at 500k for the year already...), we'll get to have the Monday after Christmas as a paid holiday.

Pretty cool, eh?

There's more... for every 25 people I enroll, I can earn an additional vacation day. Up to 4 days. So that's 100 people I need to refer for membership.  That's totally reachable, I'd say. Right?

So... how do I do it?

A few weeks ago, The Dreambear went out to lunch with a friend and I stayed home.  In turn, while he was away, I bought a ticket to go see RAGTIME at The Kennedy Center.

I was bubbly for a week.

Then it was time to go this past Sunday morning... and instead of me going by myself... I called the Kennedy Center to see if there happened to be another ticket available for The Dreambear. And there was.  The seat even had elbow room. What luck!  So I looked at him, and said "Wanna go with me to see RAGTIME?" and he looked at me.. and went... "ehh... I dunno, I'm not really in the mood for a musical."  I just kind of stared at him, and he replied, "Oh wait...  are you saying you WANT me to go to Ragtime with you?"

So I dragged The Dreambear with me... and it was lovely.  I'm officially in love with the Kennedy Center. The grand foyer, with the big drapes, the red carpet... those ice-cube chandeliers... good lord I love it.  I need more of that in my life.

And the SHOW. I remember seeing Ragtime in the newly renovated Ford Theater back when it opened on Broadway. It was spectacular... the sets, the cast... I hadn't seen standing ovations in the middle of an act before...   This production, while smaller--was so well done, I was so happy we had gone to see it. Wonderful acting, thoughtful and simple design. Just lovely.

The show is also quite topical nowadays. Immigration, car companies and union issues, equal rights/civil rights.

My favorite part about it all is how great it sounds to tell someone I spent my Sunday afternoon "at a matinee at the Kennedy Center."

Yes, I need more of that in my life.

There's that show, Ace of Cakes?  Their store is Charm City Cakes. Lo and behold there is a god-send called "Campus Food.com" and they deliver food from practically any restaurant in town to our new apartment. (It makes the ratio of home cooked food I've made  to food we've had delivered WAY skewed in the wrong direction... but I digress.)

See--Tuesday night Dan and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. Ate wings, drank, played trivia. Was lovely. Moosus Interruptus (drunken Moosey) decided he wanted cupcakes from Charm City Cakes. (Which was a new restaurant on Campus Food.com).

Dan thought this was a bad idea, but Moosus Interruptus remained steadfast... and with a pouty face, said "I demand cupcakes." (In addition to lots of kisses and attention.)

Ordered the cupcakes online, and waited. Estimated delivery? 60 minutes. No biggie. We watched Tivo.

9pm comes around... we get a call... "We're running late because of the rain." Ok... "We'll  be there 9:30/9:45, is that still ok?"  That would make them an hour late... but whatever.. it's only 9:30pm... and hey, yummy yummy cupcakes from Charm City Cakes.

The cupcakes never arrive.

Moosey looks up the website again and discovers they are "Charm City Cupcakes" not "Charm City Cakes" like the place on TV.......

Moosey decides to go to bed.  After 11:00pm--Charm City CUPcakes calls asking if I still want my cupcakes... There are 6 deliveries before mine still. I said no. (I was in bed.)

So for the entire next day, I was now craving cupcakes.

So I made them. From scratch. Using ingredients already in my kitchen. (So in my opinion they were free.)

Behold: Homemade Vanilla Citrus Cupcakes with Homemade Butter-Cream Icing.

Not that the help wasn't fabu... all ahem... all 7 of you were just peachy in your non-census-building...

But we didn't get the 2 adorable toy poodles.

Why?

Well... because I logged back on to petfinder.com... ya know.. just to stare at our new toy poodles...

And they had been re-labeled as Shih Tzus...  What? Yes. Not poodle-mixes. (The lady on the phone said, "well, they definitely have SOME poodle in them." Then when I called her bluff and told her I had allergies to shedding dogs... she lapsed into .. "well... i can't gaurantee what kind of dog they are..."

I told her forget it... and we're waiting to hear if a cute Poodle named "Snow" (will be renamed) will be our lil' girl.

This will be the 6th dog we're hoping will be ours.

Adopting a dog is apparently similarly hard to adopting a child. I've had to write at least 10 ESSAYS on why I am a suitable adoptive dog parent.

Yeech.

Dan and I may be faced with naming two new dogs next weekend.   There are a few more obstacles to overcome, but we hope to be the proud "parents" of two chocolate brown, male (brothers who couldn't be separated) poodles (possibly with some shanuzer/terrier/scottie in them).

We've gone around and around with names. We loved the name "Wally" for a dog.. but can't come up with another name to go with it...

We've gone through names of designers, artists, literary characters... and even drag queen names (which are my favorite so far)...

(The first choice in the poll should be "Vita" not "Vie" Boheme... I can't figure out how to go back and edit the poll...)

Help us name the doggies!Poll #1386041 Dog Name
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7

What should we name our two male 5 lb poodles?