Day 59 - February 28

Another shot suffering from "I-was-taken-with-an-iPhone-itis" but what are you gonna do? :)  I picked up a zillion paint chips on Friday night.  I want to do the front room in a blue similar to the townhouse, but it's been almost 7 years so colors have changed a little.  We're thinking green for the kitchen, but there aren't many walls in the kitchen so we have some freedom there.  Hopefully the brown that the bedroom is matches the brown/blue comforter set we have so that we don't have to paint that room! :)  The dining room is white and dark blue but that is staying.  Other bedrooms and office are white.  They can stay.  White is simple and easy!

Day 58 - February 27

I understand that the fact I took this picture from the passenger seat in Mike's car near sunset means it's pretty much impossible to tell what you're seeing.

But if you look closely, you can tell that the phone number is missing a digit.  It's 3 dash 3 dash 3.  They even centered it perfectly between the two doors, so they split one of the numbers in half where the doors meet.  It would have been *easier* for them to do 5 and 5 with a regular 10 digit phone number.  Funny.

Even funnier, on the side of the van it had a regular 10 digit phone number!

Day 57 - February 26

Another day, another dr's visit. Today I had to re-do bloodwork because the stuff I had done a month ago "expired" as far as surgery goes. Both the doctor and the lab tech at patient first thought that was silly, too.

Meanwhile, I've been researching doctors for a second opinion, due to the prevailing symptoms having nothing to do with my suspected diagnosis and my lack of symptoms that this diagnosis usually brings.

It's been a rough work time because I'm in charge of some timely things but missing work for both medical and house reasons. This snow day without snow was well timed so that I can get stuff done.

Day 56 - February 25

Now that we have the approval to waive some of the snow days, I say bring it on!! :)

Wearing my snowflake pajama pants tonight. But not inside out. Or backwards. :)

Day 55 - February 24

See this?  It's grass.  I read about it in a book once.  Get a good look, because it might not be showing for long! 

Day 54 - February 23

 

In an effort to (there's no delicate way to say this) cram for the upcoming state test, it's all hands on deck.  One of the people teaching math to small groups this month is ME.  I love it every day, but it is a LOT of work.  Totally fun though!

Today, the superintendent was supposed to come and observe.  (This is truly a all hands on deck thing. All the way up to the top.)  He didn't make it so now he's coming Thursday.  Cross your fingers for me. :)

Day 53 - February 22

 

Best. Cookie. Ever.

6 weeks ago, my little friends at school came a'knockin.  I, as always, bought a box from each girl who asked.

Fast forward to this week.  Every day, a kid brought me cookies.

Cookies that I can no longer eat!!!!!!!!

Needless to say, my husband has been a very happy man this week. :) 

Day 52 - February 21

 

Yesterday, we finally got around to visiting the International Spy Museum in D.C.  We have wanted to go for a long time, and so we met up with Mike's friends that live down there.  At first, I was super impressed.  The first few rooms are ultra-interactive.  You pick a "cover" and have to memorize some facts about it.  Then after a couple exhibits, there are computer terminals that test your memory and give you a "job" to do.  Disappointingly, after that you don't come to another computer terminal until the end.  Also, I understand that they can't give away any current day stuff and that we have to rely on TV and our imagination to think about modern technology, but the information definitely skewed towards long ago.  

My picture is of the Christmas ornament I got in the gift shop.  D.C. now has a "green bag" tax.  They were happy to wrap this ornament in several pieces of tissue paper, but if I wanted a bag it was 5 cents.  (I just popped it in my purse.)  I understand the tax - I'm sure more people are willing to go without the bag if it means paying extra as opposed to getting a 5 cent discount.  Even though it's a grand difference of a dime - the psychological difference is much more. (I'd assume.)  However - to use that much tssue paper seemed counter productive! :)

Day 51 - February 20

 

We had lunch in DC today at Gordon Biersch Brewery.  I was excited to find a (not boring!) menu item that I could order without substitution.  I had a garlic white chicken pizza.  When they say garlic - they mean garlic!  There were no less than 10 whole cloves of garlic hanging out on top of the personal sized pizza.  It was tasty.  I've done a lot of menu reading and haven't found many meals that I can eat, so we've been avoiding restaurants since my diagnosis.  So kudos to you, Gordon Biersch! :)

Day 50 - February 19

 

This picture was taken looking down over our balcony/walkway that leads to our front door.  The guy in the other apartment on our floor has 2 dogs.  Rather than clean up after them, he just leaves the mess there.  This has always been the case, but at least he used to take them to the grassy area that was reserved for animals.  Now they go right here, next to our downstairs neighbors' door.  The downstairs neighbors have a 3 year old daughter.  Where is she going to play when the snow melts?  The dog poop ain't gonna melt!  Grr...

Day 49 - February 18

It's free stuff night at Duclaw. I can't eat my favorite meal anymore but I can still get free stuff!!

Day 48 - February 17

This is an update on the icicle from last week.  It's hard to see because I took this picture with my phone this morning, but the icicle has doubled in size!  I've noticed that about icicles all over the place.  As they slowly melt during the day and then refreeze at night they just keep growing!

Day 47 - February 16

We sold our townhouse last summer and have been hanging out as renters, waiting for the right house to find us.  Finally, it did, and more importantly, it was at the right price.  We got it for a considerable discount which is making it that much more exciting.  I honestly didn't think we'd find one that we loved that we could afford!  Here's a shot that hopefully we'll never see again - the house with feet and feet of snow. :)

Day 46 - February 15

 

A friend at work recently had a little girl.  Her nursery is Dr. Seuss (http://bit.ly/bPhOBm) which I think is totally awesome.  I wanted to make her a name frame to match (or at least sort of match) her room.  

I thought I had seen Dr. Seuss scrapbooking stuff, but I couldn't find it at any of the stores in my area.  Therefore - I had to improvise.  I brought a picture to the store and just bought stuff in that color scheme.  I did polka dots and stripes because I figured that was Dr. Seuss-y.  It's hard to see in the picture but the letters are double matted in blue and red to bring that in.  Hopefully it looks ok in her room!

I love the name Molly.  It has always been on my short list but Mike hates it, so it was nice to get to make a Molly thing for someone else since I'll never have my own Molly! :)

Day 45 - February 14

 

I have wanted to visit The Prime Rib in Baltimore for a very, very long time.  About 6 weeks ago, Mike read a review of the restaurant talking about how good their seafood was (He isn't a big steak person.  I know, I don't get it either!) so he made us a reservation for Valentine's Day.  We got a Visa gift card for Christmas that was just about enough to cover a fancy dinner so off we headed.  It was tasty.  And because they were fancy, they were able to accommodate my wacked out nutritional (or lack there of) needs without a fuss.  I was suspicious because it was SO GOOD and had SO MUCH FLAVOR!  But I didn't hurt afterward, so life was good.  The only thing I wouldn't order again was the mashed potatoes.  I am sure they weren't instant, but they kinda tasted like they were.  

This all pales in comparision to the picture I *wanted* to take today.  When leaving White Marsh earlier in the day, I witnessed men shoveling the snow on Ikea's roof into large containers, sort of like a container that goes on the back of a tractor trailer, but with the top and back cut off.  Then a giant crane was carrying the container down and putting the snow in the retaining pond.  It was awesome, but the light turned green and I had to drive instead of take a picture.  I think we can all agree that was the better option. :)

Day 44 - February 13

The insurance adjuster's office had a cool old time gas pump. I don't think it's real though, cause it has a thin, gold power cord like you'd see on an end table lamp.

Day 43 - February 12

My husband is a smart man.  He bought these roses at Wegmans on Tuesday, for $9.99.  Today when we met over there for lunch, the same roses were $34.99!!!!!!! 

Day 42 - February 11

 

This is why you shouldn't stand in the entryway to our building!  These aren't the longest ones I saw today, but I didn't have my camera with me on my walk.  I saw some that were probably as long as I am tall.  Granted, that's not THAT tall, but for an icicle it is. :)

Day 41 - February 10

 

And so it continues.  We had another 18-20 inches of snow fall in the last 24 hours.  I'm tired of looking at bright white snow pictures, so I hit the "old time paper" action in Photoshop for this one.  That small speck you see towards the left is Mike walking back from the dumpster.  It was a cold day.  It was a windy day.  Not unlike a hurricane of snow.  Which is going to make "snow" even bigger in my tag cloud. :)

Day 40 - February 9

My husband bought this shirt from shirt woot and it came today. He thinks it's hilarious. I don't get it.

Day 39 - February 8

 

The Super Bowl Weekend Blizzard, as experienced by our cars.  It's hard to believe they're going to be covered again in less than 24 hours!!

Day 38 - February 7

 

I submitted this to one of my favorite blogs, Cake Wrecks, but I figure they get a ton of pictures every day and there probably isn't time for it to be featured on there today.

So, I share it with you, my 5 loyal readers. :)  

I get what the baker/decorator was going for, but last I checked - that wasn't a real Roman Numeral!  It caught my eye because there were a ton of cakes there, and only this one was spelled wrong.  So he/she really did know what Super Bowl it was, but stopped paying attention.  I wish I could be there when someone gets this home and realizes the mistake!

Day 37 - February 6

 

I poked a few places in the parking lot, and this one came out at 23.  This is a high estimate.  There are snow drifts that are much higher, but there are places that are much lower, too.  Anyway you look at it, it is a LOT of snow.

So far Mike shoveled a loop around the cars in preparation to clean the cars off later.  It's hard because it's still coming down hard. 

School website, email, and online gradebook are all down.  I think that's permission to ignore all work! :)

Day 36 - February 5

We had an early dismissal today, so I got home about 45 min early.

At about 3:30, the only evidence of the impending storm was this light layer of new, white snow on top of the never melting pile in the parking lot.

Day 35 - February 4

I got backed into today.  It didn't smash in, thank goodness, but it took the paint off in a bunch of places.  All along the seam and then scratches on top.  (It was a big pick-up truck.)

Mike's taking it to get an estimate tomorrow and then we'll see what we're dealing with.  Luckily, my carpool partner is coming back to work next week so I will be able to survive w/out a car for a couple days without dealing with the rental car situation.

What made me most mad is that he didn't really learn his lesson.  It happened in the school parking lot, and after we did the info exchanging, he peeled out of the spot and raced out of the lot.  Geesh!

Day 34 - February 3

More proof that my husband rocks.  He brushed my car off when he left for work!

Day 33 - February 2

My mom works at a used book store in her local library.  People donate old books and people like my mom spend more hours a week volunteering than normal people do getting paid to price and sell the books.

She e-mailed me last week and said she had this book and did I want it.  The way she tells the story, she pulled it out of the box and said "Hey! That's Mike Mussina!"  The other lady pricing books with her was confused at how my mother would possibly know that.  My mom's response?  "The guy has been plastered all over my kid's room for decades." :) 

I'm sure you are as surprised as I am that there is a Mike Mussina book out there that

a) I didn't own
and
b) (worse!) I didn't even know existed!

But now I know.  And now I own it.  It's a story about him and Greg Maddox being old pitchers.  It's too bad it was written when it was, because a year after the horrible season chronicled in the book, Mike had his first 20 win season. 

Day 32- February 1

It's going to be harder to count the days now that it's not January!

You may have read that the NFL is claiming that they own the rights to the phrase "who dat" that is heavily used in new orleans with the saints as well as in other places. Therefore, this shirt cracked me up!!!

(For those of you who don't get it, the saints quarterback's name is drew.)