Naebody in Particular

They're not on a shortbread tin, but the dead live on so long as we keep telling their stories. Scots, Yanks, Canucks and the Auld Enemy. Newest posts are the ancestors, but scroll for the living.

williamsburg

April 23, 2011

See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
williamsburg, va
earthday

April 22, 2011

We’re going in a different direction this year for Earth Day — with a Picnic for the Planet campaign this attempts to use healthy food to demonstrate the relevance of conservation to our daily lives.

The campaign includes an integrated mini-site, social community efforts via Facebook Events and meetup.com, outreach to chefs and food bloggers, and a series of YouTube animations.

UPDATE The effort resulted in over 600 picnics (that we know of, and we estimate we only know about 30% of them) in 60 countries around the world — number I certainly won’t kick out of bed in the morning.
found: anteojos de sol

April 21, 2011
the waiting

April 19, 2011

thirty-seven days and counting — and right now that seems like a reaaaally long time.

our Memorial Day closing date was an unfortunate by-product of our buyers freaking out about us doing a “rent back” of our current place from them, and going from “unlimited flexibility” to “you have seven days to sell the place, buy a new one, and move.”

so, when they went rigid, we had to pick an arbitrary date far enough out that we were certain we could find a place to live in the meantime. a noble idea made kinda silly by us signing a contract later that weekend to buy the place on Monroe.

regardless, we have this kinda awkward four weeks in the middle here — all of our inspections and appraisals are done (so nothing left to do with the buying or the selling) but we are still five-plus weeks away from moving (so it’s a little early to pack).

and so we wait.
out with the boyfriend

April 18, 2011

after nine months of romance, sparklet’s boyfriend is leaving her — following his parents to north carolina at the end of may.

sparklet’s PR people haven’t yet issued a statement on the relationship’s demise, but according to one insider their relationship has become “stormier” since news of the break was made public.

never one to waste time, sparklet has already been seen with a new beau whom she has nicknamed el español picante (which is loosely translated as “the steamy Spaniard.”)

stay tuned for more news in early June.

See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
out with the boyfriend
now that they’re 4-10, the bandwagon fans start jumping on

April 17, 2011
out: national zoo

April 17, 2011

See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
out: national zoo, washington, dc
“yaa, mule — yaaaaa!”

April 16, 2011
sleep

April 15, 2011

i don’t want to jinx anything, but i think sparklet’s starting to figure out the whole sleeping thing.

these last couple of nights we’ve been able to leave the room while she’s still awake, and she’ll settle herself down.

there is still a bit of a process — she has to have her three sleeping buddies (tiger, kitty and puppy) and we’re obviously still doing three or four books before hand (and a full bottle).

but, when we’re done and walk out, we get just a little bit of a wimper and then nary a sound until three minutes later when snoring starts pouring through the monitor.
waiting

April 15, 2011

we’ve been going to Dr. Robert Silverman, MD (Pediatric Dermatology in Fairfax, VA) since last year to get sparklet’s port wine stain treated.

for of our three appointments so far, we’ve sat in the waiting room for a collective four and a half hours because — wait for it — they can’t turn the laser on while other appointments happening or the building’s electrical system will collapse.

it seems to me there are a couple of options here: (a) don’t offer the treatment, (b) slap your landlord around a bit and make him solve the problem, (c) move, or (d) don’t schedule multiple appointments when you know one is a laser treatment.

but, Dr. Robert Silverman, MD (Pediatric Dermatology in Fairfax, VA) has just chosen an intriguing “fifth” way — he’s told his staff to no longer process insurance claims for the treatment, so now we’d have to pay in cash and work with the insurance company ourselves.

i’m guessing this is his effort to drive down demand.

needless to say, we’ve already started looking for other treatment options. as exciting as the long slog to Fairfax is, it just doesn’t seem worth the trouble.

PHOTO CREDIT: The second hour in Dr. Robert Silverman, MD (Pediatric Dermatology) waiting room in Fairfax, VA. Photo © Tiredangrybitter Dad.