Ecstasy and Agony and Ecstasy

After a WONDERFUL Tuesday with the rest of the United States, celebrating the dawn of a new Presidency, the rest of my week really blew chunks. Nothing I want to blog about, but some ongoing issues with the Luals, a family I love very dearly.

My Dad used to use the expression "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?" The rest of this blog makes me feel like that a bit, but honestly, it was a wonderful weekend. It started Friday night when I went to dinner with my friend Susan. She let me vent and cry... and she even picked up the tab, bless her little information librarian heart. We even had a giggle about a very odd Women's Leadership luncheon she had been to the day before, after which we came to the conclusion that people from American University are excessively touchy feely. If you have any information related to this topic, we would really love to hear it.

Then I went home and did a "Test Skype Conference Call" with my friends Mo (also in Richmond) and Jenna (Pittsburgh). At that time we realized that the "Virtual Baby Shower" we were planning for Jen Hen for Sunday was going to be a disaster - technology is not ready for 5 video participants across the globe! Oh well, Jenna had a blast, since she had "control" - as the Skype Host - to decide who she wanted to have on video at a time. Ah, the power. :)

Saturday morning I got up and headed to Yoga Source in Carytown to meet Susan for a Yoga Day USA - free classes all Saturday! We chose a Vinyasa Flow class, and it was HARD!! I spent a lot of the class in Downward Dog and Child's Pose while the other people had twisted their bodies up into all kinds of imposible positions. Pretty amazing.

After class, Susan and I treated ourselves to a Honey Almond Latte and a pastry from Can Can, thus probably ruining all of the good effects of my limited Vinyasa Flow, but who cares! It was delicious. I went home, took a hot bath, packed an overnight bag and headed out to Short Pump to meet Mo for lunch! Mo knows the Luals really well, so she was a huge help in working through some of this junk. Unfortunately, she is also currently crippled by a very uncooporative ankle. I think her hot chocolate may have helped! I know my chai tea did!

Mo, with her Hot Chocolate and her "Polar Bears for Obama / Biden" shirt

(a gift from her man Geoff, who had to look hard to find one with Biden's name on it because Joe Biden is actually Mo's cousin)

After hanging out with Mo and heading to Best Buy so that she could use up a $5 coupon on the new Beyonce album (which I think I will also be downloading soon!), I jumped in the car and started heading toward Annapolis.

I met the Karen and Billy Spies and their Ocean City gang at Middleton's in Annapolis, MD for a last-minute night out. A band they know from Ocean City called "Tranzfusion" was playing at Mike's on Riva Rd.

Mike, Billy, and John were able to hold their vow to "No Shot Saturday" for about ... hmm, I guess it was about 4 and a half minutes into the evening. Well done, boys.

After dinner (steamed mussels - Mmmmm!), we headed over to Mike's

Tranzfusion!

Karen, Erin, Sloane and Mike

Who to our wandering eyes should appear? Alison and Tom! We couldn't believe they made it. It was a HUGE surprise. I had already surprised Ted at Middleton's earlier in the night, so to have the Spies, Staeger, Lizas and Kennedy contingent all under the same roof was a pretty big deal. I cannot remember us all being together for probably 5 or 6 years. Quite a coup - especially since it wasn't planned in advance!

Ted's face was priceless - he kept gawking.

Billy, Tom, Spies, and Moge

Their friend Mary Paula was DECKED OUT, including these pumps with little fur bunny tails on top. (Mary Paula and I convinced ourselves that the bunnies were already dead when they decided to use the tail, but we really can't be certain.)

Michaela and Ted - Teddy is still gawking!

Aunt Crazy and Mike - Dori was on her way!
(Apparently Dori was a bit late, however, because we found out that on the way home, she had to make a few "unscheduled stops" for her darling hubby... hee hee!)

Billy and his cousin Sloane in the cab on the way home - what an example he sets. :)


After picking up the kids, the cars, and some McDonalds, we had a fabulous, lazy Sunday (watching Will Ferrell videos and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun) at the Spies house

Then it was time for me to leave Maryland and head down to my friend Kari's house in Manassas for ...

Jen Hen's Baby Shower!!

Darrin did this to is daughter Katelyn's hair while we were setting up ... it cracked me up! She is still so cute, even if she does look like a human dandelion.

Anna, Jen and Dave

Eleanor (Dave's Mom) was so great! She not only opened the box while Dave and Jen were running errands, decorated the room, decorated the cupcakes and lent Jen her cell phone with a speaker phone for the "conference," she also took pictures during the Shower! This is the Henderson family, kitted out with all of their Baby Shower paraphenalia!

Baby Anna and Mommy

The bibs I knitted for Anna - both organic cotton with multiple button holes, so they can be used as she grows and washed in the washing machine and drier! (The only thing I'm hoping is that the buttons themselves aren't choking hazzards - I didn't exactly have them approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission!)

I found that the bib is more attractive close up than from a distance. Who knows how long they will last, but it's the thought that counts! (I hope!)

A picture I took of Jen through Skype - this is what she looked like to us on the screen.

Virtual Baby Shower Aftermath:

Computer with Skype screen on the left and chat screen on the right, empty wine glass with used up Baby Bottle from the "how fast can you chuck apple sauce through a baby bottle" contest, candy bars with wrappers displaying Anna's stats, empty cupcake holder, and finally a Baby-shaped-Salt-Water-Taffy with timer, which was never used.

Hanging out seeing all of my friend's kids really made me miss my nieces, though. Lauren and Kyla, I really hope to see you soon!! Your Aunt Crazy misses you!!