Happy Birthday to Me

We had the cousins over along with Jim and Reet on Saturday afternoon. We had pizza and played cornhole in the back yard. Kate made me a cake and I got presents, so it was a good birthday.

Jack "helped" Mom make the cake.



I got tickets to the Circus, a video converter for my laptop and a DVD.

Trip to the Fire Station

Last week the Day Care Center sponsored a trip to the fire station so the kids could learn about Fire Fighters and their trucks. We walked to the station since it was about four blocks away from the center.



Thanks to all the Fire Fighters at Station 440 in Fairfax for showing us the station.

Value Pack

We were in Target Sunday afternoon for some odds and ends. I needed to pick up some more dental floss, since I am should be doing this more and more these days. When I find the aisle that has all the dental care products, I find the brand of floss I use (Glide, mint flavored). I spot a "Value-Pack" of two and pick it up, barely noticing the price. Then I spot a single of the same product and it strikes me that its more when you buy two, of the value-pack.

I can't process this, so I read the package and sure enough, they are both the same product, 40 meters of Glide, mint-flavored floss.

I took a picture so I could be sure that I had this right:


So when you pick up a "Value-Pack", be sure to look at the price, you may find the value is actually theirs, not yours.

Funny Bread Truck

This truck was just ahead of me the other night, I laughed when I read it. If it akes me chuckle, its usually something funny or inappropriate.

Thanks For The Sticker Booklet and Crochet Books

Kate got a little care package in the mail the other day, some crochet books so she can continue making new stuff. Grandma Witchey also sent a little booklet full of stickers for Jack.

First Signs of Spring

In honor of my parents, in Oklahoma, who got 5-inches of snow this weekend:

Krokus flowers beginning to poke out of the soil.


The Daffodils busted out this week too.

Aunt Karen Visits

Karen came to visit this weekend and I hope she had a good time, we certainly did. We introduced her to Margaritas at Chipotle, Cake Love Cupcakes, a Pit Fire with Home Brewed Beer and Cornhole.

Friday we went out to Chipotle for dinner and found out they serve Margaritas now. Kate and Karen said they tasted like they were from a Slurpee machine instead of the broken-ice type.



On Saturday we awoke early and Kate and Karen went out to Starbucks and gabbed while Jack and I watched cartoons. Then we went to the mall to see if we could get our grubby hands on an iPad and see what the hub-bub is all about, but Apple didn't have any out for display yet, so we just perused the stores and grabbed some lunch. We went to the Redskins store and Karen got a Redskin shirt since they are so hard to find in Atlanta. We also stopped by the new CakeLove shop and met Warren Brown. I introduced myself as the guy who recorded his podcast with the Library a few weeks ago. He seems like a genuinely nice guy. We left with a few cupcakes cause they all looked so darn good ( and tasted great).

Making wishes with Aunt Karen


We took Jack home for his nap and Karen and Kate went out to look at stuff an shop in their mind (where you just buy stuff in your mind).

For dinner we went to Coastal Flats, but had to wait for a hour and had appetizers while waiting inside the bar. It was a beautiful evening and there were lots of people out and about.

Karen and I got the same hing for dinner, the lobster roll with Corn on the cobb and fries. They make a great lobster roll, well worth the wait.

When we came home, the next door neighbor, Eric, already had the pit fire up and the CornHole game out. Hos friend Tom had come up from Fauquier County and they were sipping the Fairchester Ale (Home brewed Beer).

I played a few games and lost handily to Tom, who is a CornHole demon. Jack liked "playing" and watched and picked up the Bean Bags when we threw them.

Sunday we got up and went to Starbucks again for a light breakfast and then it was off to Dulles to drop Karen off for her flight back.

Good Phtoto of Jack

I snapped this one at Starbucks in Arlington when we went to meet Jim and Reet for breakfast last week, We decided to go into Arlington because the farmers marke had just opened that weekend.

Ferret Jonestown

I had to get some dog food late last week and took Jack to Petco for a bag of Beneful. When we go to Petco, we will usually have to do a few things even if we are just there to get dog food. We have to stop and see the fish or maybe the cats that are up for adoption at the front.

While we are making our way to the back to see the fish, I pass the ferret cage and spot a bunch of the weasel-like animals all asleep, piled on top of each other. I snapped a pic because it looked like a Ferret Jonestown had occurred. I kept looking for the little Kool-Aid cups. (is it still too early to make fun of a tragic even like Jonestown? Probably, but this is what crossed my mind when I saw this.)

Dogs Love Pancakes

For the record, my dog loves everything - she is a walking stomach. Never turned away a tasty morsel or smelly bit in her life. Yet she s slim and lean for a Labrador of advanced age.

The latest episode was with a bag of flour left a little too close to the edge of the counter one day. She tore into it and downed a few gulps before realizing that its just flour and there isn't much to it. Blech.


The other day, Kate made us pancakes for breakfast. They were good but she made too much so I gave one of them to the dog and he loves pancakes, or any type of bread. I took my iPhone out and recorded it:

Trip Down Memory Lane

I went to take some pictures at a distant branch this week for a special event and decided on my way back to stop by the old house/neighborhood. It was just off the Parkway exit and took a few minutes. The streets were so small, I remember them being so much bigger, everything being so much larger. The house, the yard and even the school all looked so much smaller than I remember.

The old house, waaaay smaller than I remember. That yard seemed like it took forever to mow but is so small.

The old elementary school (not so big as I remember)

Spelling J-A-C-K

My Minion

Main Entry: min·ion
Pronunciation: \ˈmin-yən\
Function: noun

1 : a servile dependent, follower, or underling
2 : one highly favored : idol
3 : a subordinate or petty official


I call Jack my minion, so he of course repeats me. I asked him to say it again for the camera and he did it beautifully.

Who was Frances Perkins?

Every two weeks I am asked to help create the Library's podcast, which we call a "Bookcast". The bookcast is usually an interview with a local author, we usually carry the book in our catalog so you can check it out at the Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL).

Last week we interviewed Warren Brown, who used to have a show on FoodTV and owns a bakery named CakeLove, also the name of his book all about cakes. This week we interviewed an author, Kirsten Downey, who wrote about a figure who was instrumental in crafting the New Deal under Franklin Roosevelt's administration and became the first female cabinet member.

The figure is Frances Perkins, who helped craft the legislation for the 40-hour work week, social security, unemployment benefits, welfare, regulating child labor, establishing the federal minimum wage, the labor movement and pensions. She served 12 years as the head of the Labor Department and was the first woman to serve in a Presidents cabinet.

RaceCart

When I go to the grocery store and I take jack, I get one of those car carts that has a car in front of it so the boy can "drive". Kate doesn't like to do this because its hard to maneuver such a large object down the aisles without bumping into total strangers, which would mortify her.

We went to Wegmans last week and got him the RaceCar(t) and he loved it. While waiting for Kate to get some coffee, I snapped this of Jack and asked him to give me the thumbs-up.

Crazy Dog

So I've told you about how the dog will, on occasion, get into stuff. She has eaten plastic ant traps, a stick of butter, a whole loaf of bread, a half pound of brown sugar and many other odds and ends.

Last week was no different. I went over to the neighbors house for a visit and left the blinds down. When I got back, the dog had eaten through a few of the blinds so she could see out.

We usually leave the blinds open, but it was evening and dark outside, so I didn't think about leaving them closed. Apparently, the dog really needed to see out the window.

Haircut Time

Jack got a haircut (actually, last week) and he was real good about it. Sat in the chair by himself, didn't whine and put his head down when they said to do so.

He lost about a pound of hair during this thing because he hasn't ha a haircut in almost a half year cause we like it long. We got a few comments about how he looks like a big boy with his new look.

Spray it down to make it manageable and let's start cutting.

Watching the TV while getting his hair cut (Thomas the Train).

All done, have a lollipop.