Snood!

Last weekend Michael and I went into the Apple Store because he wanted to look at the new somethings that were just released. Macbooks? Nanos? Not sure. We looked, but we also bought software. I convinced Michael to buy PrintShop so we can make save-the-dates for cheap(er) and also place cards and other wedding-related items. And post-wedding, PrintShop is fun. But the real excitement came when I saw Snood and said "LOOK! Let's get Snood!" in a quasi-joking manner. Michael agreed (!), probably because he was surrounded by new computers and doesn't seem to mind spending gobs of money in the Apple store.

If you're unfamiliar with Snood, be grateful. It's so much fun (and I can be rather obsessive) that I start to play and then look up and realize 90 minutes have passed and I have to go to the bathroom and still haven't eat breakfast. The game should come with a timer. Snood was actually a college discovery. Pannie's freshman-year roommates played it and she and I resisted playing until the end of the year, when we ultimately caved and downloaded the free trial game. Of course we used up the free trial game quota in less than a week and paid for the game upon returning to AU for sophomore year. Our Snood obsession resulted in many many evenings of Ash coming over to get dinner and Pannie and I alternately saying "One sec- I'm almost done" or "Wait. I finally beat level 9 and I can't stop now" and other such statements. Thank goodness it didn't adversely affect our grades!

After a year or so our computers got old and we never reinstalled the game. I believe Pannie recently downloaded the trial again but promptly used up all the games again. Turns out Snood is actually new and improved. Games include "Snoo-do-ku" which is basically a grid with crazy faces instead of numerals and really give you a headache. But there are so many more puzzles! And the "Journey" level has a pirate map! And the music is even more fun than it used to be. I told Pannie this week that we had, once again, purchased the full version of Snood, and she was obviously pumped. Michael successfully shared the game with her last night after some sort of weird Windows, hidden-file sharing thing over AIM, and I am happy to report that Pannie remains just as obsessed as I am:

I played Snood for THREE HOURS last night (while watching tv and whatnot), and then it almost made me late to work this morning. I could not get past that damn Hexagon City level--it took me like 10 tries--but I eventually did.

Super Saturday!

The day started off well when we had TCBY after lunch! I didn't know they still existed. I had a trip down memory land (and a 90s flashback) when I ordered vanilla with reese's cups. It was very yummy.

But it got better! We went into EPCOT to have dinner at the Food and Wine Festival. We were almost ready to go (Michael still wanted soup in Canada) and a nice lady tapped him on the shoulder and asked if we wanted to attend Party for the Senses. After she explained what the heck it was, ('A tribute to the sensory arts' that features more than 25 chefs and more than 25 wineries and breweries, with tasting stations set up all over the place, all you can eat. They're giving away 2 free tickets, which are usually $135 each.) we said yes and IT WAS AWESOME! We ate and drank a lot and every bite and sip were delicious. Highlight of the evening for Michael: Meeting Chef Robert Irvine from FoodNetwork's Dinner Impossible. Highlight of the evening for me: Unlimited champagne and truffles. Oh and we each got a free* wine glass with this year's theme/logo etched on it. Since this year's theme is Cities in Wonderland, I have a legitmate fear that my mother will steal it

*Of course if you buy a ticket, you better get something to take home- but we didn't so it was actually a free gift.

Auditory amusements (2)

Mary Lynn: So you guys are engaged and Marissa has a kidney infection and that's all the news we have.
Marissa: Yeah, and my news is stupid!

-----
Donald: Mazel tov!
Julia: Thanks! I haven't gotten that one yet.
Donald: That's probably because your Catholic. You might not hear it again from anyone else, but, you know, I thought it was appropriate.

Wedding Planning

It has begun! We are still in the early stages, but it has been quite entertaining thus far.... mostly because of my sister. Here are some reactions/comments from Al.

Upon first hearing the news:
Al: Do I have to be in the wedding?
Me: Yes
Al: Can I wear black? I look good in black. Can I wear flip-flops? Will there be booze?
Me: No, perhaps, definitely

After sending her a photo of a bridesmaid dress with a bow on the back:
No. I get spoken to in Spanish enough without a huge bow calling attention to my ass

General thought:
This all sounds really stressful... the money, dresses, colors, flowers, food, booze, hall, invites, family, weather, church, guest list, Mom. I can't even imagine planning a wedding. Granted, I can't really imagine having a date, so first things first. I want an arranged marriage.

Auditory amusements

I went to Disney World again on Tuesday afternoon to meet up with Aunt Helen Susan, who was in town with her family visiting the parks. As I approached "Disney Security" so my bag could be inspected, the "security guard" said: "I bet you have a million faults, but your smile is beautiful."

Ok, first, this is DISNEY WORLD. And that is lame. AND!!! He was way too old for me. What was he thinking? Goodness. I thought that kind of nonsense only happened to Al.

Visitors!

We had our first non-family visitors this weekend and it was so fun! Becky and Ryan arrived Friday morning and spent the holiday weekend with us touring Orlando. Despite some miscommunication with the Reunion cleaning staff, their visit started off nicely once we took a trip to the lazy river. I think we scared them both a little spending 12 hours at Magic Kingdom on Saturday, but being the expert tour guides that we are, we got in every attraction except the Jungle Cruise and managed to watch the parade and fireworks. We even managed to do something totally new (even for me!) when Ryan decided we should ride segways at Epcot! It was awesome. And if any of my loyal readers ever come visit, I promise to give you a fun tour, too!

Follow That Bird

I see two Sandhill Cranes every morning when I jog. They are huge: they have a nearly 7' wingspan and can be up to 48" tall. I knew their height because I see them walking around but have never actually viewed their 7' wingspan... I didn't even know they could fly till today. They're the size of a small 4th grader. And today they provided me with a great deal of entertainment.

This AM I saw them crossing the road as I was jogging past. Not so much crossing as just standing there. I saw them and thought "Oh there are the ginormous birds" and all of the sudden I saw a car zooming toward them as it rounded a curve. I then thought "Oh goodness, they don't see the birds" and they didn't! So they slammed on the brakes and the car behind them was forced to do the same thing. Then I heard someone lay on the horn. I don't know if it was car #1 that almost hit the birds or car #2 yelling at #1 for stopping so suddenly. The horn was awful and it scared me a lot more than it did the birds!!! They sort of looked up at the car and were like "whatever" and started to make a strange bird sound. It was rather loud and bird-like but they did not move out of the way very fast. I was cracking up because the birds are literally not afraid of a damn thing. Two automobiles, one of which is honking? No biggie. As car #1 swerved around them the 2 birds did manage to get up on the grass so car #2 didn't have to swerve quite as much. I continued to hear them and their bird noises OVER the iPod noise as I turned into the development where I do a loop and again as I was leaving, toward the end of the jog. They were clearly agitated to be warbling and chattering and such for 20 minutes. But I'm pretty sure that, because birds are stupid, I'll see them in the same place the next time I jog.

Bleach

I love bleach. I use it to clean white towels and most surfaces. I also use it (specifically, Clorox Cleanup) to clean to teapot when it starts to get stained. OCD? Probably.

This AM as I squirted the Clorox into the teapot, bleach came out of the nozzle (as usual) and also out the top (where you turn the nozzle from on to off) and evidently landed on my shorts. I didn't notice until I sat down and saw weird pinkish splotches on my brown shorts. Ugh. The shorts are not new and probably shouldn't be worn too much longer, but still. The reason they are a little worse for wear is because they were a favorite pair. Also, this incident means I now do not have a pair of brown shorts. I'm thinking I can still buy shorts in September since I live in Florida, so that's good news. However, the fact that I tend to try on at least ten pair before I find one that fits does not bode well.

Jobless Julia

I am sorry to report that I remain unemployed. I had a lovely job lead in September but it didn't work out. They rewrote the job description after telling me they would probably have me come in for an interview the following week. Booooooo. So, back to square one. I promise to let everyone know the moment I find a new job. But until then--- no need to ask :-) I have no job currently. I have decided that until I do, I will spend most waking hours in the gym so at least I will be buff and skinny. Stay tuned for the results!