Holy crap!

It cost me \$65 to fill up my gas tank this morning. Considering I don’t drive an SUV, HOLY CRAP!

He is crazy smart and I am just plain crazy

My head just exploded and I died, so I am posting this from the beyond. While the baby was playing with his cars on the floor, I was chatting online with a friend about the awesomeness that is Dick Casablancas. (He is a character from Veronica Mars, and if you didn’t already know that, shame on you.) And here is the head exploding part: while I was wasting time before dinner being completely trivial, my 6 year old son was figuring out the atomic mass for barium chloride. Thud. (That is me falling over after my head exploded.)

I’m home!

Mississippi was great! My parents seem very happy with their new home and city. Their house is really nice, with a gorgeous view of the lake from almost every room. I had such a good time, I even banned South jokes from the house and the kids’ ears.\
I know Kevin was happy to see me, but the boys didn’t really care I was home. I am choosing to think it is because they were in such capable hands of my wonderful husband that they didn’t NEED me. It’s nice to not be needed. Seriously, I am already planning my next trip alone. 🙂

Wicked Miles

I just checked and since January, I’ve already flown 29,599 miles. You need 36,000 to get Premier (you know: the silver card, shorter lines, infrequent free upgrades, no cost upgrades to Economy Plus), and I’ll have that before the middle of May.\
You know, when I first started traveling for work, I thought it was really cool. There’s still a thrill every time I go to a new place, but it’s starting to get a little old. I’ll have 45,000 miles before June first.\
Yes, being home with the kids has made me think of traveling… does that make me horrible?

Flickr Wandering

Whenever I’m stuck for something to do (like it’s 7:45 on a Thursday morning, I’m stuck on the kitchen computer, and not awake enough to think straight), I like to wander Flickr. I usually start with the most interesting photos of the last 7 days page, find someone I’ve not seen before, and then crawl through their photostream. Today, I found a great portrait photographer who apparently lives in Baltimore. His portraits are funny and beautiful (there’s one of a pug dog on a pink lawn chair that’s priceless). He also has an amazing photo of Muhammad Ali.\
Sometimes, I try to find people from the same country. Right now, two of my favorite Flickr-tographers are hkvam and _rebekka. They both have breathtaking landscape shots of Iceland. Oh, and I want one of these. (you can buy some of them, and am wondering if Jen would ever let me do this.\
Brian wants to go play now.

Car Time

It’s time to buy a new car to replace the Blazer. Yes, it’s time to leave the land of the SUV and get something that’s a little more fun to drive. The Blazer was good until it started having fun (and expensive) electrical issues. Apparently, they all do that. Why do they have to do that?\
I haven’t had time to go test drive anything, so my experience in other cars has been reduced to rentals on trips (Ford Taurus: bleagh, Buick Century: I moved down a class just to avoid you, Pontiac G6: more later, Ford Focus Maxx: you were kind of fun, but I think that’s because you were in France). Here’s my initial list, which will get pared down once I start test driving and doing “real” research. You should get some idea of what I’m looking for from the list. If there’s anything you think I should add to the list, please post a comment. It’s got to be under \$20k, have relatively low miles, get reasonable mileage, fit two boys in the back and be fun to drive. Here’s my initial list:

  • Pontiac G6: I rented one on my last trip to Mountain View, and it was actually a really nice car. It was zippy, comfortable and the controls were pretty well laid out. I kept trying to find things I hated about it because it’s a Pontiac, but I really didn’t find anything. Plus, I can probably get a 2005 and come in under budget.
  • 2003 Nissan Maxima: I don’t like the redesign. How is the Maxima different from the Altima now? But, I dig the 2003-2004 model. That’s a unique and cool looking sedan.
  • 2003 Volvo S60: I rode in a friend’s S80 a couple years ago and it was really nice. Plus, I really like the looks. I would go for the S40, but the review I just read says it’s cramped inside, which is bad (in case you missed it, I’m not a small man).
  • 2003 Audi A4: I love the way Audis look, especially the newer ones. If I had no budget at all, I’d get a new S4. But, I have a budget. The ratings I just saw didn’t look so hot, but I’m willing to dig some more.
  • 2006 Honda Civic: I read the “car of the year” review in Car and Driver in a waiting room, and it was compelling enough to check out. They’ve got a good reputation for reliability, and the new one looks good.\
    There you go… that’s the list. Anything I should add?

Mr. Mom

Jen’s left me, left me for Mississippi for almost a whole week. Her parents (without my permission, mind you) decided that moving to the deep deep South was a good idea. I, of course, having lived there, tried to talk them out of it, but I lost. Jen’s down there helping them unpack and move in, which means I’m here with the boys.\
It’s harder than it looks, getting a kindergartner ready for school and to the bus stop on time. It’s not all that easy to hang out with a 22-month old all day either. I had no idea how many changes of clothes Brian goes through in day. The kid is a mess machine. I think he’s been training for over a year for this week and is unleashing the combined force of his cuteness and mess-making skills all at once.\
That said, it’s not all that bad. Brian helped me clean up the Amazing Fake Easter Grass Disaster of 2006 this morning. He got really into picking up the pieces of grass, yelling with little boy joy every time he found another piece, then running back and putting it into the bag. We cleaned up all the grass, then played a couple rounds of Tiger Woods, then changed his clothes again and went to pick Max up from the bus stop. After that, it was off to Amphora, where Brian covered 60% of his body with ketchup after I left the wipes in the car. I led him, like a leper, to the bathroom cleaned him up, and now we’re at home, and it’s nap time (time for me to get some work done).\
I wish I could take a nap… pray for me.\
(oh, and the first episode of Season Two of Doctor Who was awesome.)

Doctor Who and You

I know, Jen usually does the TV evangelisation here, but it’s my turn. If you’re not watching Doctor Who on SciFi, you’re missing out. It’s a genuinely fun show. It’s not as morose or self-serious as Battlestar Galactica (which I love), and the special effects are decidedly British, but the stories and the acting are excellent, and the fun factor is way up there. We’re heading into the real meat of season one now, with the four or five best episodes coming in the next month or so (the next two are great, but the two best, the two-part Empty Child storyline, are the absolute best episodes – you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll pee yourself).\
If you’re like me, you’ve already watched season one because you’ve discovered the joys of the internet. If so, you can go download the first episode of season two right now. It premiered last night on the BBC, which means it’s out there on the internet, waiting for you to grab it.\
Now, I’m not normally a pirate. I’m really not. But, if it’s not available on US TV, or I’ve already paid for it and am out of town (like Sopranos), I have no problem downloading it. Do I download movies? Nope. Music? Nope. But, TV? If it’s not out on DVD, or I can’t get to it because I’m not at home, it’s fair game. I subscribe to HBO. I buy the DVDs when they come out (check it out, I’ve already pre-ordered Doctor Who season one from Amazon). So, MPAA, suck it. I’m just a fan who wants to watch your show. If you won’t give me a timely and convenient way to do it, I’ll find my own way.

He laughed out loud too.

Kev finally caught up on the last few weeks of Veronica Mars episodes. (Yes folks, that is how hard and long he has been working, he couldn’t even watch the best show on tv.) He laughed so much, it was fun to re-watch it with him. He had different favorite lines than I did, but was still surprised they got a shocker reference in there again and a dirty Sanchez reference.\
I am going to visit my parents and help them unpack from their cross-country move, so you will be without my VM pimpings for awhile. (It’s sad, I know.) Hey, maybe I can get Kev to do a little pimping for me.\
Just remember: Watch Veronica Mars on Tuesdays at 9 pm on UPN. (Due to possible local affiliate pre-emptions for sports, be sure to check your local listings. The episodes are aired later the same night or on the weekends.) There are only 3 episodes left until the season finale. If you haven’t seen the show before, it isn’t too late to start. I still have no clue who the killer is, and I can’t wait to find out. I also don’t know what is going on with Beaver or his older brother, Dick. All this and the other mysteries will be solved by the finale. Check it out!

Yay for me, too bad for you.

I have the best husband in the world. Yay!