Does This Mean I Have to Eat a Lamppost?

He's singin' in the. . .

. . .amniotic fluid.  

Weekend Fun

We had a boring, quiet weekend all lined up, and then on Friday I got an email from Hugh (the other part of Hugh and Cassie) saying that he'd be in the SAV for the night.  It was an almost-reunion for our Savannah family (minus Cassie, who was away on a girls' weekend).  Shoot yeah!  We ate and laughed and drank and then ate more because the drink had taken effect and then laughed even harder.  And then I woke up the next morning with a wine headache so bad that I have sworn off wine for at least six days.  Also, I don't have any pictures to show you from Hugh's visit because I forgot to take my camera.

Oh, wait!  Yes I do!  I just remembered!  (see: too much wine drinking).

Also, Brian had 10 pairs of these sunglasses that his mom sent him because they were $.50/each and he's terrible about losing sunglasses.  He was willing to part with one of the pairs, though, and Hugh, for the rest of the night, would incorporate the word sports into what he was saying, and would slowly turn his head to the side and graze the side of the sunglasses with his finger.  When I talked to Cassie this afternoon, she mentioned that Hugh had received some cheap plastic sunglasses during his visit and that he refused to take them off in the house.  Apparently he was playing some indoor sports.

That was the height of excitement for our weekend.  We spent the remaining hours bemoaning Friday night's poor judgment, playing Mario 3*, making marshmallows, catching up with my Brothers & Sisters (both real and fictional), sleeping until 1:00, watching Mad Men, and pretty much just wishing we were as badass as this kid.**

Um, yeah, that kid is riding a skateboard AND playing a trumpet at the same time.  I can do neither of those things.**

How was your weekend?


*Damn you, world 5 airship and fortress!


**Cool: a kid who rides up and down the street on a skateboard while playing the trumpet.  Not cool: the creepy lady who gets caught taking a picture of the kid from her living room window.***


***Guess we're not going to be friends with those neighbors after all.

This and That

1. Bought tickets to go visit Grandma Carol and Grandpa B in Albuquerque before their big move to Florida! I'll be visiting in mid-April, and am excited to head out west. Any Albuquerque recommendations you'd like to share?

2. My brother said a while back that if he was a teacher, he'd have the kids call him Mr. E. Say it out loud. Isn't that awesome? I think Matt should become a teacher so that the kids can call him Mr. F, a la Arrested Development.

 [source]

3. I'm too fat for words right now. Before long I'll have to start buying special shoes, because regular shoes will no longer be able to support my weight. And I'll just get a circus tent to wear to school. Ugh. Someone go get me a sandwich!

4. Because of the fatness, I'm trying to be a little more healthy with home snackin'. So tonight I'll be making Mandy's Famous Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, except that it'll be Mandy's Famous Blueberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt. I'll let you know how that turns out.

5. Mitch loves to lie under the blankets and sheets when they come out of the dryer.

6. My dad put his kid brother in the dryer and turned it on when they were kids. Needless to say, my uncle is a little nutty.

7. The art club at school was making buttons. Naturally, I had them make one out of the best silhouette of all time. Aren't you jealous?

8. I have a new favorite whiny boy band: Noah and the Whale. This also means that I have a new favorite Pandora station. What's your favorite Pandora station?



9. Tried yesterday to convince my students that Jesus had come down from heaven to inhabit my body and to keep an eye on them. Even though I reached out my arms and let my hair down and addressed them as "my children," they didn't buy it. Kids these days are so smart!

10. In need of some sage advice? Don't keep toothpicks in your pocket.


There you have it! I'm off to enjoy a productive night of cleaning, laundry, ellipting, and paper grading. If everything goes according to plan, the only thing I'll need to do this weekend is lie on a blanket in the sunshine.

Happy almost weekend!

What a Wonderful World

A conversation between Matt and Mandy, as they cooked a fancy Friday night dinner (Shake-n-Bake chicken with canned corn).

Mandy [singing]:  . . ."The bright blessed day. . ."

Matt [singing]: . . ."The dark sacred night. . ."

Mandy: I just heard you say "The dark sacred night" and that makes so much sense.  I always thought it said "The dogs say goodnight."

Bienvenido a Miami

Today, after I took a 5-hour nap (fuck yeah!), and made banana pudding ice cream (double fuck yeah!), and cooked dinner with Matt (delicious cashew chicken made to perfection!), and watched Top Chef (go Alex!), I logged into Facebook [for the 30th time] and saw this recommendation.

Wow.  I mean, I was at first offended.  Do Will Smith and Barack Obama really have that much in common?  The Office and 30 Rock I get.  But Will Smith and Barack Obama?  I'm only really seeing one thing they have in common--being black.  Okay, two--being black and having awesome wives.  Okay, three--being black and having awesome wives and liking basketball (". . .shootin' some b-ball outside of the school. . .").  But that's where it ends.  Last I heard, President Obam' hadn't written what is possibly the best song in the history of music: "Miami." 

"Party in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach 'til the break of dawn. . ."



Okay, Facebook.  Fine.  You were right.  I do love Will Smith.  Thanks for the recommendation.  But maybe try not to be so racist next time?

Acoustic "Hey Ya!"

Two of my favorite things: whiny boys with guitars and "Hey Ya!" 

She & Him

I heard the NPR pledge drive was fast approaching, so I bought a new CD.  This probably won't come as any surprise.

I'm a tiny bit obessed.  I've  listened to it about 7 times already, and I think it's going to be a good companion during the pledge drive.

Plus, She & Him take some pretty cute pictures.

I told Matt the other day that if I could choose what I looked like, I would look like Zooey Deschanel.  He made a disgusted face, and said that she was too waif-ish.  I think that was Matt's nice way of saying, "Oh, Mandy, I like you plump."

Other celebrities I would like to look like, say, if someone allowed me to just point to a picture and make it happen: Elizabeth Hurley, Jenna Elfman, Michelle Obama, Connie Britton.

Who's your celebrity dream look-a-like?

Derek Paravicini

If you can carve fourteen minutes out of your day, check out this 60 Minutes story about Derek Paravicini, blind piano playing savant.

And if you want to know more about him, or want to listen to his music, here are a couple of links to get you through your Monday.

Hopefully, In 55 Years. . .

. . .this will be Matt and I. Except we'll be much fatter.



Guess it's time to schedule some piano lessons!

Cutest kid of all time.

Can I buy one of these that already has musical and face-making talent?

A Postcard for Nina

It's been said before that I have the worst taste in music that's ever been. Having said that, allow me to share with you my new favorite song, "A Postcard to Nina." I've been listening to it on repeat for about four days now.

How was your weekend? Did you catch the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm?