Ohhh! Today my parents are throwing a big birthday bash for my nephew. Whenever my SIL mentions a birthday party, my nephew excitedly yells, "CAKE!"

My mom got him a little kid sized house for the backyard that has a wee nephew-sized picnic table and the front door has a doorbell that goes, "DING DONG!"

As for my mom, well, I think she's at the point she would accept even a pirate. Maybe even with the eyepatch, the wooden leg and the "arrrr"s. She would anyway prefer that to any explanation regarding singlehood, no matter how hard it may be to introduce him to family and friends.

Snerkity.

It's a gorgeous day here. I haven't actually gone outside yet, though, and I think I'm going to have to spend most of this afternoon studying and grading. I can possibly study outside, but I'd be afraid of papers blowing away if I tried to grade outside. (I've already had one instance this semester of a student's paper getting lost in the pile of junk that is my desk. I really don't want to have to expain, "Well, it's probably somewhere in the Potomac."

It's like a faraway dream.

Sometimes I can't believe it actually happened. Or that it happened to me of all people. So I go look at pictures to make sure.

You really should come back.

Oh, yeah. I definitely intend to.

Or I should go there!

Oh, another yeah.

Maybe claim my citizenship!

Oh, and there will be already people here with copies of your book, too!

Burrell! How wonderful to post with you! How are you and your doing?

[Edited to wave at Hil, and to note that, yup, Allyson's nephew is still adorable.]

I love all the decorating talk and pictures and stuff. Lovely!

But not as much as I love the picture I have in my head of Nilly's mother telling people, "She's finally getting married! He's... well, he's a pirate. Yeah, eyepatch, pegleg, the whole bit. But Jewish!"

Ohh, Burrell, the butter yellow must really open up the room. It's such a fresh cheery color. Did you find that walking into the house after the painting you'd think, "yeah, this is home."?

Whenever I add something that makes my place more cozy and Allyson-like, it cheers me right away the minute I come home from work.

t waves back at Nilly

So you're saying that my lack of presence in Bitches is why I'm still single? Hmm, that would be really difficult to explain to my mom.

Well, my presence in Bitches hasn't done anything about my singleness yet. I've had a couple dates lately, but nothing that led to anything. (Well, one led to a guy who seems to now be in "friend" territory, which is nice and cool and everything, but still leaves me single.)

Also, my attempts at being more religious seem to be backfiring. Yesterday, I got blisters on both feet while walking to synagogue, nearly fell off the riser I was standing on when I took the three steps backwards before the Amidah, and then burned my finger on the havdalah candle. Somehow, I didn't think Judaism was supposed to be this hazardous to my health.

I love those colors, Burrell!

Oh, but I'm fairly sure that the ottoman is also available with chrome feet rather than the wood ones in the picture -- the whole thing's kind of predicated on that, actually. Would that make it fit better? I find that chrome = instant retro.

Definitely. It was the carved wooden legginess of the ottoman that was making me think too traditional for the room, but chrome would go great.

Take a look at what I turned up yesterday while looking around—talk about becoming the focal point of a room! [link]

Not only is it gigantic with an overwhelming pattern, but you get the extra cachet of having probable wildlife poachers in Tanzania kill something to make it!

Nilly, Teppy and SA are also finding some romance (uh, not without each other, though that's not outside the realm).

Burrell, the colors read lovely. I love the lavender for the bedroom.

find that walking into the house after the painting you'd think, "yeah, this is home."

My baby sister recently moved out of our parents' place. I was twice at her new apartment, once before she painted it, and the second time, last week (the bus from my former post was on the way to her place) was after she painted it, in - oh, what are the names of the colors in English - some sort of very light yellow, with certain places in blue. It just felt like "yes, this is her home now, this is where she lives, no matter where most of her stuff still is" when I got in there last week.

I didn't think Judaism was supposed to be this hazardous to my health.

Well, they do say that you get "paid in heaven" (I have no idea how to translate it from Hebrew) if you have to invest for your beliefs. But still, Judaism prefers people to be healthy and well and unblistered.

Hec! Thanks for the update. I hadn't posted with you in forever! How are you doing?