Julia's Valentine Box

When I was a kid, I always wanted to get mail. My dad would come home with the mail and I'd ask if there was anything for me (there usually wasn't) and I would dejectedly remark that I never get mail. "Well, this isn't anything fun," my father would say. "This is just an electric bill." No matter. It was mail. To this day, I still enjoy going to the mailbox. There's always the promise of something fun, even if that promise isn't always fulfilled.

So, it's extra fun putting together mail for my niece. Not only do I get the fun of assembling the package, but I get to imagine her delight when a cool-looking box arrives and she discovers it's got her name on it. Oh, the joy. Here's what she got for Valentine's Day. She called me when it arrived and she was so excited and I was so happy.

 

  

Look for the helpers.

 

 

I know what I'm watching while I wrap Christmas presents tonight.

*If the pictures don't immediately move, just put your mouse pointer over them.

Something I stumbled upon...

Does not Alfred Hitchcock look radiant when he smiles? It’s such a rare occurrence and all the lovelier for it. Sort of like, “your good opinion is rarely bestowed and therefore more worth the winning.”

I can always swing the conversation back around to P&P. (“No, no, the green one.”)

Are you in need of a smile?

Because this will do it.

Anticipation

I just realized that exactly one week from this moment I will be eating a delicious meal with my family, or perhaps we'll have just fininshed it and begun packing up the stuffing to sell on the street (family joke) and started to peruse the game closet for the first board game that will be played. Probably decade trivia. Hooray! I can't wait for this week to go by!

I also just realized this means I only have one week to finish up the Cousin Christmas CDs. I need to get on that.

Happy Thankfulness!

What's going on...

Still a little ill, still dreaming of Christmas.

Dying for Fall

That is all.

Taco in a bag!

It's Thunder in the Valley weekend, which means I get to wear jeans and sneakers to work and go out to Central Park at lunchtime in search of festival food. It's a nice perk, considering that I have a nerve-wracking horror nightmare associated with this event.

Today I had my first walking taco. Have you even had one of these? It's pure genius! You take an snack size bag of Fritos or Doritos, crush them up a bit, and add taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Grab a fork and you've got a tasty, delightful treat all contained in a little bag. I really hope the person who originally thought of this is a millionaire or, like, has really wonderful stuff in his life, like an awesome family and easy access to an Ikea.

I'm a little ashamed at how badly I want to see this movie.

That is all.

Except for this: I got to open a brand new jar of peanut butter today and mess up that smooth surface with my spoon.

It's the little things, people.