Turning a new leaf

I haven't had much time for blogging of late, as for some bizarre reason, I've been spending time with my wife in the evenings. We've watched some DVDs and actually sat in the family room reading books with the children in bed. Not like reading the books out loud to each other. We were both reading individual books. The Mrs. was reading Don't Ever Leave Me, which is some trashy novel about a guy who discovers his wife is cheating on him, and then he psychologically tortures her and eventually kills her or something. I only read the blurb on the back.

I spent a lot of the week going, "Hey, I hope you made something special for dinner tonight. Don't ever leave me," and such. The Mrs. was largely unamused.

My genius is rarely recognized.

I read Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story, which actually was the book that came before You Suck: A Love Story, but I didn't know that and read them out of order. I've now read nine of Christopher Moore's ten novels. I have the tenth on the nightstand. Then, I'll need to find a new hobby. Like maybe blogging.

This weekend was a very exciting one, as it marked the end of The Week of Disappointment, and it was three days long. We got to drop the kiddies off at the science center for some classes on Monday, and then we got to go buy stuff. I got myself some of those 16-mile FRS/GMRS 2-way radios. They were on sale at Big 5. 2-pack, regularly $139.99, now just $44. Big 5 didn't have everything we were looking for, so we went to Sports Authority, where the same 2-pack of radios was on sale, regularly $59, now just $49. Oddly, I felt a little misled by Big 5, yet I was still happy to have gotten the better price.

I have to fill out some FCC licensing form before I'm legally allowed to push the "high power" button that kicks you up to GMRS from FRS. I pushed it anyways a couple times. Breakin' the Law, Breakin' the Law!

I also got to experience the joy of the Red Phone at Performance Bicycles. I picked something out from their web page that was on big-time President's Day sale ($90 vs. $129.99), and we went to the store to buy it. It was a Performance-branded item (not gonna tell you what, cuz Fat Moother will spill the beans to the kids), and when I got to the store they're all like, "Duhhhh... we only carry the Schwinn ones." But you're a Performance Bicycle outlet, you morons. You don't stock the house brand? When I go to Safeway, they never tell me they only stock Claritin. They have the big gigantic box of Safeway-brand knockoffs right next to the Claritin!

But, anyways, the Big Red Phone is the direct line to the catalog guys. It rang about 50 times and then started howling static. The girl from the store came over, listened, hung it up, picked it up again, and it started ringing again, and she handed it to me and said, "It's ringing now," like I was some kind of big dump fuck who didn't know how to use a telephone. Jesus fucking christ, people get on my nerves sometimes.

And the f'ing red phone guys charge you shipping (to the store) AND tax. WTF?

So we had the next-door neighbors over for "Happy Hour" on Sunday. This was a spur-of-the-moment thing. We were out grocery shopping on Saturday, and when we got back, there was a message from the lady next door saying she hadn't seen us in a while on account of the weather, and just wanted to chat in a neighborly fashion. So The Mrs. called back and told them to come over and booze with us. Which is cool and all, except The Mrs. has once again declared that she cannot stand alcohol.

Which is bound to put a crimp in my marriage, and thus the blogging should pick up substantially.

You know the saying that "good fences make good neighbors"? Well, having 100 yards between houses works just as well, in my experience. I highly recommend it. We love all our neighbors, though only a couple ever drop by for happy hour.

I'm starting to get the spring itch. When I sit outside in the hot tub, I think to myself, "Gotta de-thatch the lawn this year. And get the fountain working. And fix the landscape lights. And put in the rock garden. And move those three sprinkler heads. And power wash and seal the play set. And mulch under the pine trees. And pour the foundation for the smoker." Etc. etc. etc. Nothing like a warm spell to get the get-out-of-the-house-and-do-anything-other-than-play-with-the-kids-all-day juices flowing.

It's supposed to get cold again this weekend. Maybe I'll finish shampooing all the carpets. Only got about 1/3 of the house done on Sunday morning.