We have a winner!

Mike got his 3rd place award from the Mudrun!!

It doubles as a beer opener.

Pictures from Maryland

First off...I apologize for my crappy ipod photos. Forgot the camera. Anyway, those cute yellow flowers are daffodils. The were popping up everywhere we went, even on the freeway divider islands. Reminds me of a little mountain town in San Diego called Julian. We also saw tulips! Tulips, can you believe it! I thought of my sister, she always likes to plant bulbs (they don't always do well in SD though).

So we visited Ellicott City a couple times. The downtown area is old, historic and just so darn cute!
I think this is a cherry tree. The Cherry Blossom Festival was going on in DC, but the weather wasn't so great and we were short of time, so we passed this year. Plenty of more years in our future to check that scene out.

Had to get a shot of Mike and his maps. We had a GPS, who we called Gertie, and used her most of the time to find houses, restaurants, etc. Pretty handy device, I must say. I think we may purchase one for when we move to help us (read: ME) find our way around.

Here is one of the houses available for rent that we checked out in Columbia. The neighborhood was SO cute...tons of trees, rolling hills and walking/biking paths throughout the neighborhood and wooded area. Maybe it will still be available this summer...who knows? Mike and I really liked this area but we also liked a couple areas in Anne Arundel County (Severna Park and Arnold). That area is nestled between two rivers so the rents are higher with so much land on the water.

Here's the Yarn Garden! It's located in Annapolis. Very nice ladies and tons of wonderful yarny goodness. I asked if they had Shelter by Jared Flood and they didn't carry it, but she said a shop in Virginia did and it wasn't too far a drive (other side of DC, apparently). Sounds like a field trip! Anyway, this shop was very nice, it has a good cozy feel to it. We also visited a shop in Baltimore called A Good Yarn. She doesn't carry alot of yarn and is mostly a teaching shop, which I thought was interesting. I did buy a skein from her though...gotta support your LYS!

Here's looking at you kid.

Last night Mike and I went to a special showing of Casablanca for it's 70th Anniversary. 70 years! Before the movie there was a clip from TCM with Robert Osbourne talking about the making of the movie, interviews with actors, writers, studio executives, etc. They interviewed the guy in the movie who plays Abdul, he's the big guy with the fez who blocks the entrance to the gambling room. Mike was surprised to remember all the humor in the movie. It really is a perfect movie, it's got it all: action, comedy, romance and suspense! Did you know that they didn't have a complete script when they started filming? No one knew how it would end for quite a while during filming. And did you know Ronald Regan was up for the roll of Rick? So glad THAT didn't happen. The whole movie was shot on sound stages with exterior shots on old movie sets and around the Warner Bros. lot. It cost $850,000 to make...unbelievable!

It won Best Picture Oscar in 1942...there was an interesting story about when the Oscar was announced for best picture. I guess Hal B. Wallis, the Producer, got up to accept the award (he really was the moving force in getting the picture made, as most producers are) but Jack Warner (you know, of Warner Bros.) jumped up and ran up on stage and accepted the award. Wallis was humiliated...and I venture to guess, pissed off, too!

I think Casablanca also is known to have the most number of famous movie quotes.

Do you know them? Here's a few:

"Here's looking at you, kid."

"Round up the usual suspects."

"We'll always have Paris."

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" (This is a quote from Ilsa, not Rick and no one says "Play it again Sam.") Rick says something like..."You know what I want to hear...play it, if she can take it, I can!"

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

And if that's not enough for you...check this out.

Mixer and Mud

Look at my new toy! My hand held electric mixer crapped out and I really didn't want another hand held mixer. The last one was so bad; it didn't have a gradual start so when you turned it on dry ingredients would go flying. So Joey went on Craig's List and found me a standing mixer for not a lot of money. What a guy! It's a Sunbeam, not a Kitchen Aid. I'll work up to one of those someday. Probably when this one craps out.
Mike had a Mud Run race yesterday. It was 3.5 mile run with 30 obstacles. Can you see how muddy his shoes are! Ugh!!
Anyway, he was watching the postings of the finishers (they actually post these during the race now that things are computerized) and saw that he was in 4th place. The awards were for the first three finishers in each age group. So he left early before the awards ceremony. Then this morning he checked the times and he actually came in THIRD!! He was so mad he didn't stay for the awards...now he has to track down his plaque (or trophy) from the race officials.
I'm so proud of him! He said the course was much harder than the one he did last Fall, too.

Good-bye white t-shirt.
Funny thing...his race number is our area code!

Good Bye St. Margaret's

Today was the last service at the church I work for, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church. The church is officially closed. The picture is the cover of the last bulletin. The first service was Margaret Seton Fleming's funeral in 1878. In case you're wondering, she's NOT the Margaret the church is named for, that would be Saint Margaret, you know...the Saint.

The office will close on Wednesday.

I'm really sad when I think about only three more days of work left. My partner in crime, Diane is so much fun to work with and our Priest, Mtr. Kimberly is wonderful. I've learned so much on this job. Maybe someday I'll find another like it...I can only hope I'll be so lucky.

Here's what has been going on...

I finished a sweater...but haven't bought any buttons yet. The yarn is thick and warm, kinda tweed-y looking. It's long and the sleeves are long...so good for wold fall/winter days in Maryland maybe. We'll see. Gotta get those buttons first.
Just in case you were having a bad day...he's Joey to cheer you up.

Last weekend we went to Opopka (near Orlando) to watch the drumline compete. Since I don't post many pics of Mike, thought you'd like to see him. We were in the stand waiting for the show to start. On our 2.5 hour drive, we took the scenic route and ran across some interest things...

This was a garden shop...with more than you could even imagine, including Godzilla. Alright, alright, maybe that's just a t-rex, but it looks like Godzilla to me.

Atlas was there too.

And Velocity came in third. Here's the WGI website link...Joey's photo is on their front page. You have to check it out! It's the Orlando Percussion Photo Gallery and his pic is the fourth one. You can click ahead or wait in suspense. Great photo...even he likes it!

And Justine got her ears pierced. Just like Veronica. Of course.