Jeep Jamboree

It's not every day that someone buys their very first new car! Janice has taken the plunge and joined the Jeep owners. It has 47 miles on it -- that's new.

Nick and I were discussed that this means no more "can you take me to the store," "can you pick me up from work," "can you take me to the gym" moments. I suggested to him that perhaps we should have subsidized this purchase several months ago! Needless to say, we're all excited about it!

Mental notes

Notes to self on what I learned from this interview:

1) Smile already! When you're delivering good news, put a little twinkle in the eye. (And this goes for absolutely every single time you're saying something, because they will inevitably only pick up a fragment of that 20-minute discussion.) And when you're delivering bad news...well, smile more. You look like you're delivering a death sentence! I know it's Halloween and all, but, sheesh...

2) Turtlenecks do not look good on TV.

3) Even if you don't have a TV interview scheduled, do not wear said turtleneck to work the week of Halloween. (Remember? You made that same mistake on Tuesday when you wore a bright pink turtleneck sweater and then the local Fox station came by. That didn't look good either...do you not learn?!?)

4) A red shirt and brownish-red lipstick do not work. Folks, do not try this at home. And definitely do not try this on TV.

5) At least you don't look like the guy from the Charlottesville costume shop.

6) You are your own worst critic. [At least...I hope!]

Orange you glad...that I wore green?

When I was at CNN yesterday, they told me the Halloween segment I taped would air all day. I jokingly mentioned I should have worn orange. The producer said he was so glad I didn't! Apparently everyone was showing up in orange to talk about Halloween and it was becoming a running joke in the office.

That didn't stop me from wearing an orange shirt today, though!

Boo

Yes, it's been a week since I updated my blog. So, I'm sorry. I've been drowning in Halloween press calls and TV interviews (really, I have).

But when I got this cartoon from Janice, I just couldn't resist a quick update:

A "pair" of shoes

I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge shopper, so when I need something I stock up to ensure I won't have to make another trip for awhile.

The other night, I decided I needed a new pair of winter shoes. I ran to the store after dropping Chad off for football and made it back in time for the start of the game. I was gone less than 30 minutes.

Later, he asked if I had found a pair of shoes. Yes, I said, I did.

What do they look like? he asked.

[silence]

"Which ones? I bought three."

They were on sale, I needed shoes...and I've worn a new pair every day this week!

The 30 verdict

I sure was dreading it, but, man, my 30th birthday was fabulous! It started with donuts at work around 9 a.m. and concluded with drinks and dinner with some of my favorite people in the whole world about a dozen hours later.

If I knew 30 was going to be this fun, I would have done it years ago!

Group of girls

Friends from softball and former jobs

Me and Chad

Goodbye to my twenties...

More than a month ago, Chad told me not to make any plans for my birthday weekend. (Nevermind that I already did have plans, though I managed to cancel them.) For several weeks, it was a great mystery what we would be doing or where we would be going. I asked a lot of questions to figure this out but Chad held steady, which is impressive considering I did my very best to get him to slip up.

The night before we left, here's what he told me to pack:
1) an outfit for a nice dinner
2) a swimming suit
3) clothes to hang around in

It turns out that numbers 1 and 2 were simply to throw me off--I didn't need either!

On Friday afternoon when I got in the car, Chad gave me our destination: a cabin in the Shenandoah (a place near where we'd been earlier this summer--that I loved--but not the same place). We got there around 5 p.m., just in time to watch the sun set.

The other surprise was that, while Chad went to the store to buy food for dinner, Rachel and Paul showed up! We spent the weekend reading magazines, playing cards, eating (a lot), fishing (a little), and hanging out by a fire. Talk about relaxing!

It was such a fun weekend and a great way to say goodbye to my 20s. I wish I had a few more of them left (both days in my 20s and days at the cabin), but it was a pretty awesome trip. Chad put a lot of thought into what I wanted and I'll always remember what a thoughtful, perfect getaway he planned.

Some highlights:

Our little cabin in the woods

A rare moment when neither of these two is movingWatching the leaves fall Rachel and Paul by the river Making s'moresStaying cozy by the fire

Tote-ally unacceptable

On a walk home from Shirlington last night where we had dinner, I told Chad I'd take the leash for a bit and give him a break from walking Lucy. I handed over the bag with Lucy's bowl, a toy and some treats I bring along when we take her with us and eat somewhere outside. The little thing is quite convenient to just throw stuff into--and it's washable, so I don't worry if dirty toys get in there or if it's drug on the ground.

He took the bag, but a few moments later when I looked over, he had bunched it up and was carrying it under one arm like a rolled up blanket. Frankly, it didn't look comfortable. I told him it was perfectly acceptable for him to put the bag over his shoulder, the way it was meant to be carried. Apparently I incited a controversy.

"Men carry backpacks and duffle bags," he said. "They do not carry purses."

I told him it wasn't a purse, it was a tote, upon which he told me that men do not carry totes either.

So I gave him back the dog and the "tote" and I had a nice walk home.

Off the beaten path

Chad and I both had Columbus Day off so, after the appliance pick-ups and deliveries, we took Lucy to Teddy Roosevelt Island, a literal island in the middle of the Potomac that is a national park.

Neither of us had been and it seemed like as good of an idea as any for a beautiful afternoon. Plus, it was about ten minutes away and free...you can't beat that.

The trail through the woods was really peaceful. We didn't pass many people and it was incredibly quiet considering it's near just about everything. There were several times while we were walking around that I thought it smelled and looked and sounded just like home. And it was quite a bit like home. It just cost a lot less to get there!

Crossing the bridge onto the island with a view of Georgetown

Taking a dip in the Potomac (this seemed like a good idea at the time but Lucy has been sick all week and I'm pretty sure this is why)

On the nature trail, appeasing me as I make them pose for a picture

Christmas comes early

All of the appliances are here! The range was delivered today, which finished the project.

Strangely enough, I was a bit sad to get rid of my stove. The fridge and dishwasher I couldn't care less about, but I had a lot of memories with that oven...one of the most memorable being when it died one Thanksgiving and I had to go to a friend's house to bake the pumpkin pie I promised to take to Chad's boss's house for lunch!

But it also saw me through lots of great meals, too. It's funny that one can be sentimental about a stove.

Anyway, here are a few pics.

Soundbites

This is what you call one soundbite repurposed. It's funny that the interview lasted fifteen minutes and this specific answer was picked up both times. But I do appreciate that NBC didn't make me go there twice to say the same thing!

I taped this interview last Saturday for a piece that was supposed to air last Sunday. I was hoping that taking two hours out of a beautiful weekend day wasn't fruitless. Eight days later, pieces from the interview finally ran.

Alone time

It's 9 p.m. on Friday night. Both of my sisters are out of town. Chad and a basement full of guys are watching baseball and playing poker. Lucy, not wanting to be left out, has joined them.

I am by myself. I have nothing to do.

This is weird.

I have already taken the dog for a walk, cleaned the kitchen, folded laundry and paid bills. I could go to sleep, but I'm not tired. I could read a book, but that requires more thought than I'm willing to commit. I could work, but I've been doing that way too much lately and prefer a break.

Since I can't remember the last time I had a legitimate night to myself, I will savor this for awhile...then probably get bored and go looking for a project.

Curb appeal

We got our new roof yesterday! And new gutters. They also took down the huge antenna that was up there and some snow guards which serve no purpose on the East Coast. (The roofer said that he isn't sure why we had them and that they don't make sense. I told him that most of the things the people who lived there before us did made no sense.)

They had the roof off by the time Chad went to work yesterday and were finishing everything up by the time we came home. While the roof wasn't leaking (yet), it was almost 30 years old. We knew that when it comes time to sell this place, a new roof would make a big difference in asking price...and that was that.

We're very happy with how it turned out!

In case you missed it...

My first holiday 2008 TV interview. And there will be more to come...

Sports strain

This weekend's itinerary:

Saturday
3:30 p.m. -- Watch IL vs. Michigan
8:30 p.m. -- Go to Chad's flag football game (now 3-0)
10:07 p.m. -- Watch Cubs vs. Dodgers

Sunday
1:00 p.m. -- Watch Bears vs. Lions
9:30 p.m. -- Go to Chad's flag football game...yes, it starts at 9:30...
10:25 p.m. -- Watch Cubs vs. Dodgers...hopefully!

My day made better

To those of you who think it's impossible for me not to talk about something, I would like to first note that I've kept a secret for a whole week! (...from my mom, anyway...and I did this by not calling her...)

Yesterday morning, my mom was selected as one of the teachers to receive OfficeMax's "A Day Made Better" package. She was surprised in her classroom with a new chair, a digital camera, and a bunch of school supplies. They do this to bring attention to how much of their own money teachers spend in their classroom every year and, of course, for good PR.

I would have loved to go home for it, but since it was in the middle of the week, it didn't work out. So I was excited to see the Register-Mail article and the video they posted on You Tube! It made me feel like I was there.

Congrats, mom!

Night walker

The only part about fall I was dreading was taking Lucy for walks at night in the dark. She hates shadows, I'm always worried about walking into something (parked cars, street lights, you name it...), and there just isn't as much to look at. But I've found a silver lining: when we walk at night, I can peek right in on all the houses in the neighborhood.

Last night while we were out, I discovered some really interesting floor plans and creative decor (and a few things I'd never do with my own house...). From one place to another, I could smell dinner being made (and, in one case, burned), see families playing board games, and snoop on who was watching what on TV. You can tell a lot about a person by if they prefer Gossip Girl over CNN.

I also realized how easy it is to tell if people are keeping their place clean. I made a mental note to keep my living room more tidy in the event that all the passersby walking by our house are peeking in my windows, too.