How did I not know about this? Maybe because I don’t live in D.C., but I was just reading a blog that mentioned The Washington Post’s annual Peeps diorama contest.  And even better, from this year’s photo gallery, you can access galleries from the first two years. Freakin’ awesome.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/04/10/GA2009041001969.html

So, one of my best friends, Marie, got married in April (the same weekend I met the love of my life!) and the party in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, was May 30. Mike and I traveled down there for what was an outstanding time. Here is, more or less, what I said to those gathered to celebrate:

“I have never been one to pass up the chance to give Marie a hard time. So, brace yourself! There is a very fine line between roast and toast — let’s hope I get it right.

“Marie and I met about 10 years ago in a volunteer organization, Indianapolis Ambassadors. About five years ago, I moved into her neighborhood, because I just couldn’t get enough of her. We would walk the dogs many evenings, talking about meeting people, online dating, good dates and bad dates. But it was mostly bad dates. [At this point, the DJ inserted a well-timed rim shot, which scared the bejeebers out of me.]

“But then, when you least expect it, when you’ve stopped looking for it, you meet someone who totally completes you. Someone you didn’t even know you were looking for and yet feels like the other half of your soul. It’s been a joy and an inspiration to watch Will and Marie fall in love and develop their relationship.

“Marleen [Marie's mom], I hope that you are proud of the wonderful, caring, witty woman you and Norman have raised. She’s the best friend I could have dreamed of, even if she is only a micro-economist [long-running inside joke].

“Now, Marie, I know that only one thing could make this night more perfect for you, and that’s if your dad could be here. But I know that, wherever he is, he’s stopped fishing that great salmon run in the sky and is looking down, blessing this marriage. Because all he ever wanted was for his little girl to be happy, and I am here to tell him that you are.

“So, let’s all raise our glasses in a toast to Will and Marie. May you have a long and happy life together.”

The things I wish I had rememebered to include in my toast

• reminding everyone that Marie is one year, two months older than I am. (I never miss a chance to remind her of that.)
• warned Will about how she snores, especially in the boat cutty in the fresh air of Vancouver Island.
• told a few stories about our home improvement escapades, such as laughing like Beavis and Butthead when reading the chandelier installation directions that referred to the “nipple” and Marie watching while I crawled out my bathroom window to nail a tarp over the hole in my roof (in my pajamas). Marie has always been there for me, and has always had the phone predialed with 9-1, with her finger poised over the 1 again, just in case.

Except for some touch-up paint and the trim moulding in the linen closet (which Dad and I will do when he’s here in August — he’s the best finish carpenter I know), the bathroom is done!

Here’s another one making the rounds on Facebook:

A – Age: 38
B – Bed size: queen, but I’m shopping for a king
C – Chore you hate: mopping the kitchen floor
D – Dog’s name: no dogs; three cats: Tazzy, Duchess, Valentine
E – Essential start your day item: a text message from Mike
F – Favorite color(s): purple
G – Gold or Silver: silver
H – Height:  5′ 8.5”
I – Instruments you play: played the clarinet for about three months in sixth grade
J – Job title: Senior Production Director
K – Kid(s): none
L – Living arrangements: four-bedroom house in Indy, that I have renovated from almost top to bottom
M – Mom’s name: Kate
N – Nicknames: Pip, Bessie, Lizzie, Bella
O – Overnight hospital stay other than birth: a week for salmonella poisoning
P – Pet Peeve: people who throw cigarette butts out windows, people who use reflexive pronouns incorrectly
Q – Quote from a movie: “Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours.”–Mr Big
R – Right or left handed: right
S – Siblings: one sister, three years younger
T – Time you woke up today: 5:30 a.m.
U- Underwear: not telling!
V – Vegetable you dislike: broccoli
W – Ways you run late: I think I’m going to be too early, and then I end up killing too much time
X – X-rays you’ve had: teeth, ankle, hand
Y – Yummy food you make: waffles
Z – Zoo favorite: penguins, dolphins

Okay, you gotta say that last word like the little girl in the Shake ‘n’ Bake commericals. Just didn’t want you thinking I had a typo…

May 2 was the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon in Indianapolis, and for the sixth year, I was part of the team of 4,000 volunteers making it all happen. I am one of the leaders of the “Post Race Party” (formerly known as Rest & Recovery) and spent Friday and Saturday helping things run smoothly. Like last year, we had a horrible day on Friday for setting up — rain and wind and general cold misery. But race day was just gorgeous. It started out pretty cold (I could see my breath when I got there at 4:30 a.m.), but the sun came out around 10 a.m. and it turned just gorgeous. I ended up with a tiny bit of a sunburn.

It had rained pretty significantly over the previous week, so Military Park was pretty muddy and disgusting. My golf cart looked like I had been off-roading, which I guess I had been! Note the tiara in this last photo — it had to be re-glittered after the rainy fiasco of the Chicago Half Marathon, but it made it through the day just fine!

Boy, life has been a little bit crazy lately! Watch for a lot of posts as I get caught up. Here are some more photos from my fabulous Easter with the Lahertys. At least this year I was prepared for the outdoor hunt! But I had forgotten my headlamp, unfortunately! On Saturday afternoon, we dyed eggs and decorated cookies (we had so many vats of dye, colors of icing and types of sprinkles and decorations that it looked like a mad scientist’s laboratory!) Jen cooked a fabulous ham for Easter dinner. On Sunday, we did the egg hunt and had breakfast. On my way home from Bloomington, I got my first ever speeding ticket! I was trying to get home in time for a very important first date, and wasn’t paying attention to my spedometer. The cruise control was set for 78, as the speed limit was 70. But then the speed limit dropped to 55 and I didn’t reset the cruise control quickly enough. But, hard to believe I got to the age of 38 without ever getting a speeding ticket!

I foolishly left my camera in Bloomington last weekend, so the only photos I have to share are the ones on my phone. One is what I found on Katie’s dry-erase board downstairs and the other is George enjoying the birthday present I got him. He turns six tomorrow and the bubble machine was a big hit. I clearly should have bought several more gallons of bubble juice!

Just cleaned out the fridge at the office. Here are photos of the first and second runners up for most horrifying discovery. The grand prize winner was so smelly I couldn’t bear to leave the lid off long enough to photograph it. I am pretty sure Fleming discovered penicillin when he couldn’t take the stench coming out of the communal laboratory fridge.

… you go to Home Depot more than you go to the grocery store.

… you use your shop vac more than your fancy Dyson home vac.

… your fridge contains more paint brushes and rollers than food.

…you use purple PVC primer as nail polish.

…your manicurist takes your hands in his, looks deep into your eyes and says “WHAT happened?!”

Last weekend I was in Bloomington for the fourth IU Circle of Life Mini Marathon. The race is a 13.1 mile race and we also offer a 5K for those not quite so die-hard. I was the lead timer for the event and only mildly nervous about it. Everything went off without a hitch. We had 450 people finish the 5K and 788 in the half marathon. The morning started out very cold but once the sun came up, it was a spectacular day. I was able to stretch the power and networking cables enough to set myself up in the endzone of Memorial Stadium.

My computer room was set up in the endzone of Memorial Stadium. Pretty cool!

After the race, I spent Saturday with the Lahertys. The highlight included getting a lesson on driving the tractor and a bonfire that evening, with the best BBQ ribs I’ve ever tasted, some wicked good margaritas, and general merry-making. Good thing the neighbors are acres away and weren’t disturbed by our behavior.

When I got home on Sunday morning, Marie came over and we installed the bathroom cabinets. It’s so weird to walk by the bathroom and see actual cabinets where I used to only see the plywood subfloor and plumbing sticking out of the wall. And when I came downstairs this morning, it was even weirder to not see the cabinets sitting in the middle of the living room!

The countertop installers come today to measure everything, and then there’s a punch list of things like finishing the linen closet, installing the new GFI outlet and swapping the other electrical fixtures to white, and figuring out what to do with the lighting in there. I can’t believe it’s almost done!

I got a lesson on driving the tractor -- sure wish it had an automatic transmission.

Bob enjoys the small inferno he has created.

Mmmmm, roasted peeps!

Another milestone for the bathroom renovation!