Guess who’s grumpy?

Hi. It’s cold out. And this weekend it snowed. At first I was angry, but that’s more so because when I woke up at eight to feed the cats, there was pretty, photographable snow on the ground, but when I woke up again at eleven to actually photograph the snow, it was gone. Poof. But it was still snowing! Where did the snow go? How can it be warm enough to melt snow if it’s still cold enough to snow?

But now that I think about it, as much as I dislike winter I dislike being hot even more, which means summer isn’t exactly my favorite time of the year. So even though it’s still cold out, I’m looking forward to next fall and winter. Well, not all of next winter, just the beginning part where the snow is still a novelty and the cold isn’t the rip-your-skin-off-with-its-teeth kind. Let’s forgo all obnoxious, too hot, too bright, too loud summer jazz this year and skip straight to the mild, even tempered autumn, ok? Who’s with me?  

I’m just finishing up the last of my girl scout shortbread cookies, which means no more cookies and coffee, which means life? It sucks. But it doesn’t suck cookies, unless I can capture and enslave some girl scout elves to bake me more shortbread cookies. But then I’d have to find a place to house the girl scout elves and give them badges and stuff for the cookies; this idea is sounding too complex and annoying. Never mind.

I’m not really in the mood to do anything or be anywhere or associate with anyone. Nouns are pissing me off and verbs sound like too much work. Blah.  

 

Spring is springing!

It’s still cold outside, but overnight (Monday night, to be exact) everything started turning green and coming back to life. There are green zombie plants everywhere!

At this rate, it just might become summer before it starts to snow again. Knock on wood… I was so excited to photograph stuff not covered in snow that I ran out to my yard yesterday after work and took a bunch of pictures. Revel in the green!

I had assumed that the flowers I had planted last year were gone, dead, worm food, but one plant not only came back to life, but it already has a flower on it. One out of…many. But still. It’s the most beautiful, hopeful flower I’ve ever seen. (And it really is this blue! The color isn’t photoshopped.)

We’re planning on removing the big wooden garden box where the flower is currently growing, but I’m definitely relocating my hopeful little flower to a safer area.

Dead Apples

I was tempted to dare Noah to eat one of the dead, drowned apples that have been floating in the pond all winter, but I was afraid he might do it.

 

I think I made the right decision.

Take Me Out to the Driveway

Finally, finally, it was warm outside. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the bat was swinging and the camera was clicking. It was a typical summer day (after the world’s longest winter ever).  

 

I was starting to believe that this day would never arrive, that we would spend all summer curled up on the couch, huddling under blankets and watching Scrubs like we did all winter. I was wrong; what a relief! I’m starting to think it might not snow again until next winter! Awesome!

 

Since it was warm out, we decided it was baseball time! Well, they decided it was baseball time; I decided it was camera time. Surprise, surprise, I know.

While Dan was passing on his endless baseball knowledge to the next generation, I was noticing that someone put his shirt on backward this morning. Oh well, Noah’s going to be a famous professional baseball player someday. He’s probably trying to start a new trend.

 

In fifteen years or so all the young baseball player wannabes will be wearing backward clothes to pay hommage to their favorite new baseball player, Noah The Great (if fifteen years everyone will replace their last name with modifiers like “The Short” or “The Hungry” or “The Amicable”. Just you wait and see.)

 

Fully armed and ready for battle

All any battle-ready seven-year-old needs to wage war is a tennis ball and a water gun. Just imagine how much better the world would be if all wars were fought this way.

 

Of course he knows he’s not supposed to “play war” or “play kill people with guns” at our house (I have no clue where the watergun came from). We’re more the “if your seven-year-old little boy brain must blow something up, use imaginary love and beauty bombs” type folks. (Not to mention water guns filled with kaluah, but Dan doesn’t need to know about that part.)

Mary had a little Henry…

We bought a lamb!

No, just kidding. It’s just Henry. Henry Henry Henry Pants Pants. (He wears pants of Hen-rrryyy. That’s my song.)

 

Grrrrrrrrrrr

What a crud-tacular way to start out a week. I’m catching a cold (sniff, snork, growl), I’m so chilly that my vision is being skewed by frost forming in the corner of my eyes, and I’m having blood drawn in a few hours for some tests so I’m not allowed to eat or drink anything except water or black coffee. This is where I would insert a Thank God For The Coffee, but I just got a cup and it’s cold!  Apparently the world is conspiring against me today. Whine, whine, my life is so hard. Etc, etc…  

Ok, enough of that! I have a bit of lukewarm caffeine in my system now and I’m feeling GOOD! Woo!

Cats!

 

Oh my god, when will the cat pictures end? I know!

Good stuff for those who like good stuff

Marcoda has posted an interesting query on her blog; What albums can you listen to over and over without getting tired of them? Go check out her list; it’s quite lovely.

I had to think about this for a long time because I rarely listen to whole albums; I am the Queen of the Mixed CD. But there are some albums I love and listen to over and over and over (and will for ever and ever and ever…). And I know I’ll think of more when I’m laying in bed, trying to sleep but totally failing tonight, but this is what I have for now:

• [DARYL]: Ohio
• The Beatles: All of ‘em (especially Revolver and Let It Be)
• Ben Folds Five: Whatever and Ever Amen
• Bill Mike: Better News
• David Bowie: Hunky Dory
• Digitata: Sexually Transmitted Emotions
• The Dresden Dolls: The Dresden Dolls
• Flickerstick: Tarantula & Causing A Catastrophe\
• The Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs
• Radiohead: OK Computer & Live Somewhere in Ireland (whatever that one’s called)
• The Redwalls: The Redwalls
• Rilo Kiley: Takes Offs and Landings
• Robert Skoro: That These Things Could Be Ours
• Thunder in the Valley: Thunder in the Valley
• TV on the Radio: Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

There are two more, but they’re so very special and so very, very good that I had to list them seperately.

And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead: Worlds Apart

Man, what a great album. You absolutely need to listen to it, and when you do, listen to it in order, in one setting. The songs just flow into each other so well, and every single song is fabulous. Awesome.

Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE ALBUM EVER! Again, it needs to be listened to in order, every single time you listen to it. Just do it. Yes. Now. Go.

Sunshine on my shoulder…

Everyone has a little angel and a little devil on his or her shoulders, whispering, cajoling, controlling the puppet strings. I have, through the miracle of modern science (and years of watching Three, Two, One Contact and that show with the old science dude), managed to photograph mine.

The Devil (Fear her, do as she says!):

 
The Angel (Fear her, do as she says, too! She has laser eyes!):

None of this is important

I just found a picture of me from when I was 22 or 23 and had cute, short hair. (No, I have no clue what’s going on with the chunk of hair in my face. Thank you for asking.)  Now I kind of want a haircut… I know if I cut my hair I’ll totally regret it since I’m trying to grow my hair out, but change is good, sometimes. Maybe I’ll dye my hair this weekend.

I’m one of the few people at work right now; no clue where everyone else is. It’s so quiet in here that I’m having a horrible time concentrating on anything. I also have a work project coming up soon that’s making me a bit nervous.

Oh ok, I get it now. I understand where this weird, wanting-to-change-my-hair restlessness is coming from. It’s the weather, and that it’s sunny and warm-ish out, and that it’s baseball season again (Dan and I are going to the Twins game tonight). It’s spring, the time for rebirth and change. Apparently I’m restless and my hair is such an easy, attached vehicle for change. Must remember to keep my wits about me and not let the weather affect my brain too much…