Rainbow Alert

Nate sent me a rainbow alert this afternoon; I guess that means the world is not actually ending tomorrow.  Sigh, now I really have to clean my bathrooms.

The Big 02!

I love how his hands are mirroring the wave on the TV behind him.  Unintended, but kinda cool.


Not only was the present a hit, but he really loved the Blue's Clues wrapping paper as well.


KiLee made this seriously awesome cake!


All the Thomas themed presents were a huge success.  The kid totally loves trains.


He's very lucky to have this terrific big sister.

I (don't really) Love a Parade

Tuesday, April 19th there was a parade downtown to celebrate Wachovia officially becoming Wells Fargo.  I mentioned that I was thinking about going since it was a light work week, and KiLee told me I should definitley go because it "sounds like a blog post".  I went, saw the stagecoach and had a pretty good time.


Brenda at the permanent stagecoach display




These kids were freaking fantastic.  They did a full-on routine like the movie "Drumline".  And some of them were only thistall.

1000 Places

New post at 1000 Places ...  I've crossed the Philadelphia Flower Show off the list!

The scene when I walked in:


And when I walked out:

Amelie

Yes, the cover makes this movie look creepy, but really it an incredibly charming movie that I adore.  I have also discovered that watching a movie in French is the best way to get Ryker to go (almost) immediately to sleep.  No fighting, no fussing, just sleeping.

This is my favorite quote, and alas, I have been guilty of this train of thought here and there in my life...

Nino is late. Amelie can only see two explanations. 1 - he didn't get the photo. 2 - before he could assemble it, a gang of bank robbers took him hostage. The cops gave chase. They got away... but he caused a crash. When he came to, he'd lost his memory. An ex-con picked him up, mistook him for a fugitive, and shipped him to Istanbul. There he met some Afghan raiders who took him to steal some Russian warheads. But their truck hit a mine in Tajikistan. He survived, took to the hills, and became a Mujaheddin. Amelie refuses to get upset for a guy who'll eat borscht all his life in a hat like a tea cozy. 

You should see the visual that goes with this quote.  Love it!

Ice Storm

Philadelphia had our second ice storm of the season, and both happened midweek - when I had to go to work and was, therefore, preoccupied by scraping off the car and getting to work.  Today, we had a delayed start, and when I went out to ready my car the ice was already starting to melt, but as I passed the tree by the door all I could think about was how I wished I'd brought me camera out with me. 

While I was scraping, I got a phone call saying the power was out at our office building so we were officially closed for the day.  I was thrilled (free day off!) and headed back upstairs to grab the camera.  I still have photos I haven't uploaded yet (thanks, Verizon, for your truly crappy internet service), but will get them up as soon as possible.  In the meantime...enjoy, especially those of you in Utah who have never had the pleasure of an ice storm. 

A Return to Civility

I got this book for Christmas.  A co-worker had mentioned it in a meeting more than a year ago, and I admit, it captured my interest.  It is basically a little guide to help us all be a little more civil in a increasingly uncivilized world.  I plan to share some of the things that I'll be working throughout the year with all of you. 

The website linked in the title also includes a daily act of civility if you want something new every day.

So... first up a personal pet peeve of mine:

If you are invited to an event that requests an RSVP, respond, and do it in the time required. If you RSVP  yes to an event, plan to show up.

Or let the organizer know as soon as possible if your plans change.  Your RSVP could trigger decisions that cost money and time.  Remember, too, that there may be someone on the waiting list who would be happy to take your place.