Out like a lion? Seriously?

Remember making those cute little lion and lamb art projects in elementary school to celebrate March?  They probably involved cotton balls, maybe some pipe cleaners for the lion's whiskers.  Well, the whole lion-lamb thing is just a cruel joke.  6 inches of snow on Opening Day.  It sucks the big one.  And we were just doing yard work this weekend and trying to figure out what was growing in our gardens.  (By the way, we seriously found PEANUTS growing by the air conditioner.  Peanuts!  With roots!)

I'd better not complain about the weather anymore. I don't want to be one of those people who never has anything better to say about my northern clime. So I'll take you all down memory lane for a moment.  Erin A's Ireland pics brought back some amazing and hilarious memories of 2000.    I thought I'd post my top 8 in honor of Cottage 8 (in no particular order).

1.  Let's have a bake sale to Save Mumia (or that monkey... what was his name?)

2.  Dinner at Bunratty when we all got trashed on mead because the nuns kept refilling our glasses every five minutes.  I seriously remember Large Marge saying, "Drink up!"

3.  Garlic chips at the chipper.  What could be better after a night of Smithwicks and Bulmers?

4.  Irish TV: Den 2 with Socky and Dustin and that cute guy who talked the the puppets, Bouli, Top 30 Hits,  and Father Ted (which I have on DVD-- including the "My Lovely Horse" episode)

5.  Stuffing J-Nell's bed with clothes and shoes to make it look like random people were sleeping in her bed.  Then waiting in Sarah's room for her to get back from the disco and find them.

6.  Peat fires (A tip for those of you who were there: the coal that they use to light a hookah smells exactly like a peat fire.  No kidding.  Now go buy a hookah.)

7.  Maniac 2000.  Yeah, yeah, funky yeah!

8.  This blog tastes like Baby Jesus.

Finally Finished

So here are my first knitting photos.  This is the shrug sweater I made for Baby Audrey.  It's an Australian merino wool and pattern from Cleckheaton.

According to the pattern, here's what it looks like on an actual baby:

So on to the next project.  I have no idea what that'll be yet.  The knitting may have to go on the back burner if the snow keeps melting.  There will be plenty of yard-work to do soon, and I have no idea what is in store since we only moved in November.  It will be an adventure to see what sprouts up, and I will probably have to call in my dad to do some consulting work.

Any advice from the gardeners out there?

I'd like to thank the Academy...

Sarah, thanks for choosing me to accept this very prestigious Meme Award.  I could not have done it without my beautiful iMac, my wonderful husband, and Finnegan's Irish Amber.

And the rules are:

1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.

5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

So here are the six random facts about me:

1.  I really hate sitting in seats that other people have just gotten out of.  There is something that creeps me out about other people's butt-warmth.

2.  I think the reason that I don't like dogs is that my neighbors' giant dog Rhino used to chase me around the neighborhood.  He wasn't mean and never attacked, but it was scary to me as a kid.

3.  I try to like sushi, but the stuff with raw fish makes me gag.  I know it's not very sophisticated of me, but I can't help it!  Give me a California roll, or salmon skin, or anything.  Just not the squishy raw parts.

4.  I really like grammar.  I think it's because I completely understand the rules and finer points.  It's like a secret language that only a few can speak.  I could talk about predicate nominatives and dangling participles all day.  And yes, I confess, I ALWAYS notice other peoples' grammatical/spelling/mechanical errors.  And sometimes I do get judgmental about it. (Sorry!)

5.  In order of preference: 1.  Face-to-face communication, 2.  Email,  3. Other written correspondence, 4.  Phone.  When I was 14, you couldn't pry me away from my parents' cordless, but now it's more of an event planning device than a tool for catching up or having long talks.

6.  Since B and I have been together (which has been 9 years!), I have been all over the world without him: Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, California, Seattle, New York, and so on.  I confess that I've enjoyed it.  It's nice being out on my own, but now I'm tired of it.  I'd rather have him with me. But unless he starts getting his summers off, too, I will probably still have to do some travel alone.

Since I'm still a bit new at this, I'll tag Mike, Erin S., Erin A., and Trent.  Will they all participate?  I doubt it, but I guess them's the rules.

P.S.  Happy Belated St. Paddy's!

The Unveiling

So here's the newly remodeled office. It's been "done" for a while, but this is the first time I've taken pics. I say "done" because I'm sure we'll keep modifying it here and there.

Next to the computer is the print I had framed for my darling spouse for Valentine's Day. The frame perfectly matches the furniture, and the mat looks great with the other orange accents in the room. The color inspiration came from the shadow boxes B bought me for Christmas. Then he decided on the paint colors; the wall behind the computer is actually a shade darker than the other three. I think it still feels a bit empty, but it's a start.
If I had a few grand to blow on the room, I'd buy an Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair to finish out the room. Even without cash like that to spend, I still think I'd like to put in a white, modern-looking armchair.

In music news, I've got the Louis XIV concert (again) on my calendar for late March and Nada Surf for early April. Lollapalooza tickets go on sale soon, too.  It looks like I will likely make the trip to Chicago for the fourth straight year.  B and I are trying to get tickets for the sold-out Hotel Cafe Tour since our dear hometown boy, Dan Wilson, is on the tour.  Guess we'll have to keep checking Craigslist.

In travel news, if things go according to plan, I may not be in the state of MN for most of June.  I'm going to Jamaica with students for a service trip on the 7th.  Then for a week or two, it's family vacation in the Virgin Islands.  Finally, I've applied for a conference on Zora Neale Hurston in central Florida for a week at the end of June.  My suitcase is going to get a workout! And I'll have enough frequent flyer miles for another trip!