Well.  I hope LJ actually lets me post.

Same ol same ol around here.  WEIRD weather this spring.   No real spring.  It was cold, and it snowed in April....and then...HOT.  It was 95 today.  

Weird.

We got our commendation from the historical preservation organization last night.  That was cool.  In some seriously good company.  Including Starbucks.  Seriously.  They took this and turned it into this.  Pretty amazing, if you ask me.  The giant windows in the seating area actually operate like garage doors, and can come up in nice weather.  

What else?  Got thrown under the bus by a co worker this week.  I swear, she is emotionally 12 years old.  Why do grown assed people act like such children?  

Working on a killer burger recipe so I can maybe win some money.  My first attempt at a Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Burger was Meh.   Last sunday I made jam.  YUM.  Indiana strawberries.   Might need to do one more batch.  Couldn't be easier, and so delish!

We just finished the frantic cleaning of the night b efore the cleaning lady.  Oh,  how  I love Cleaning Lady  Friday.  I managed to clean the tiny bedroom.  So now the only untouchable room is the serial killer room.  And if Steve doesn't clean that soon, he's gonna be in deep doo doo.

Operation Catholic is coming along nicely.   We are all set for our Catholic marriage ceremony in NY.  Steve refers to it as "making a clerical adjustment".  My sister and her boyfriend are coming to the reunion, so they will be there, as will my parents.  Any other family member who wants to be there can be....but I am really adamant about not making A Big Deal.  I had my Princess Day, and that's when I had my big wedding.  Not to say I don't take this one seriously, I do, and it will be special....performed by a cousin in the church where my grandparents got married 70 years ago.

I just p lain can't wait till vacation.  Period.  Exhausted.  Can't wait to visit Atlantic City.  Meet a friend in person for the first time.  See my sister and her man.  See my folks (just back from Russia, where mom managed to fall and break her shoulder).  See family.  Go into NYC.  Just....be on vacation.

I suck!  His computer died last week.....hard drive failed.  So he's talking like the repair costs for that will be his gift.   And I am so tired and at a loss for a gift idea, I'm about ready to sign off on that.  

But at least I can get him a card, right?  

Fund drive is going ok, but has me beat, for sure.

So.  Here's a photo tribute to the birthday boy....

Our evening newspaper has a weekly feature called The Rant.  It could also be called "We think change is bad, the old days were better, and politicians are all crooked, and dammit, we want to SMOKE!"

I don't know why I read The Rant.  But I do.  And every week, it pisses me off.  

Why do I do this to myself?  

I get frustrated at the people complaining about property taxes.  First of all, the state has recently redone assessment formulas to make them more closely reflect actual market value.  And yet.  I have a three bedroom house in the city, in a nice neighborhood, and my annual property taxes are FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.  A MERE 500 dollars, I will say.  I mean sheesh.  In the fancy areas, yeah, there are some pretty high property taxes, but lemme tell ya, our sitch is pretty average.

Anyway.  The attitude of people here just frustrated me so.  New ideas are immediately suspect.  We're still longing for back in the day.  What jelled it for me one time was watching our local summer parade on tv, and the announcer was talking about the Navy Club's float.  "It's built on an International Harvester Truck chassis, and the body is made of Joslyn Stanless Steel."

Guess what?  Neither of those companies is here any more.  The IH complex is  now a complex leasing to different businesses.  Where 10, 000 people used to work, 1000 do.  And Joslyn?  It's a division of Valbruna, and near as I can tell, not much is going on there, either.  Oh, except that it was part of the early nuclear program, with radioactivity and stuff, so who knows what's REALLY in that place....

Perhaps i shouldn't read The Rant.

And perhaps I should eventually move.

Fort Wayne.  So fond of its past because it lives there.

Steve's family is...not like me.  Or I'm not like them.  Something.  Very religious, very conservative.  His one sister is a total Goody Two Shoes, all Jesusy and Boy Scouts and holier than thou. His other sister, the one who lives closest, is a total middle class uber yup cliche.

Last week we got an email saying she and the kids would be in town during "spring break", and let's all meet up for dinner.  Cool.  I suggested some places, wanting to focus on local places and not Olive Garden and Applebee's and all that.  Not that I'm all snobby about those places, I like 'em fine....but she can eat there any time where she lives.

She lives in the Indiana equivalent of Stepford.  Look at the demographics.  NINETY TWO percent white.  (Steve and I laughed at the .2% Pacific Islander stat...that must be her husband, who is Phillipino)  Only ONE PERCENT below poverty level.  It's like a white bread bubble!

Anyhoodle.  I suggested a couple of local places, including a diner that is WONDERFUL.  Run by a Greek family, so they serve Greek food.  And American food.  And Mexican food.  It's just great.  Huge menu, great service, great food.  What's not to love?  Well.  I get back this email:  "Is that the place by the strip clubs?  Because that area looks sketchy!"

Yes.  I'm going to suggest a DANGEROUS place for us to eat.    I nicely wrote back that yeah, there are some "boobie bars" in the area, but I work about two minutes away, eat at the diner regularly, and I have never felt unsafe.  But we could do whatever she wanted, just let me know!

But I was a little insulted.  I mean come ON.  I'm thinkin' she'd NEVER set food in my favorite Mexican place.  I probably looks to her sheltered eyes like the middle of the 'hood.

And it IS painted orange.

I've never thought of myself as having some kind of great sense of adventure.  But apparently, for Indiana, I am a wild child.  I live in the city limits!  I walk in my neighborhood at night!  I go downtown!  Alone!  I eat at non chain restaurants!  Clutch the pearls!

What is it about people that makes them want to be like everyone else?  To live in beige neighborhoods with rules about what color mailboxes you can have?  To never have to see things that are different, or challenging, or upsetting? 

Maybe I am not being fair to her.  Because you never know another person's experiences.  But it is often hard for me around her, because I feel judged.  Her life is so perfect looking.  Perfect house, perfect cars, perfect church.  Blah de blah.

Now.  If you'll excuse me, my dealer is calling......

Another weekend gone.  Dang....much faster than two weekdays, for sure.

yesterday was lunch with friends at the Mexican place.  HEAVEN.  Good company, out of this world food....I just had a great time.

Husband is in crisis because his laptop died.  He took it in, and we're fearing a dead drive.  He had much of the stuff backed up  on a USB drive....but not all of it.

I've spent much time with the crochet hook in hand.  My cousin's baby shower is next month, and I need to finish my half finished baby afghan.  I love family showers....we just all have such fun when we get together.  So a lot of crocheting and watching Court TV.  I'm loving Dominic Dunne's show.  It's like rich people gone bad....

Didn't get any riding in....kind of chilly this weekend, but thank goodness for the sun.

This week at work is calm before the fund drive storm.   We have "jump start" on Thursday, and the big event starts on Friday.  Whee.  Talk about long weeks.  Sheesh.  ten days, twice a year, and it seems like the other drive ended just yesterday.

I got Suzy Housewife this afternoon and made dinner for tonight and tomorrow.  Both Barefoot Contessa recipes.  I made her Lasagna with turkey sausage tonight.  Never made it before.  Probably won't again....it has goat cheese in it, and I'm  just not lovin' it.  tastes like feet or something.   That won't stop  me from eating it for lunch tomorrow, though.  Tomorrow night's dinner is Indonesian Ginger Chicken.  It's marinating now.  I've made it several times before....it has four ingredients....soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger.  Marinate overnight, bake in the oven.  YUM.  Delish over rice.  So.  Dinners are planned for the week.  We manage things much better when we're not having the 4 o'clock panic.

Yeah.  It's a laugh riot here.  It ain't bad, but it ain't exciting!