♥

miss you already

♥

Wine and Meeko (a.k.a. My First Raccoon)

Last week my friend, Elspeth, and I decided to FINALLY use the Living Social deal for The Winery at Bull Run that we had purchased way back in July (read: it was about to expire).

So, we made plans to meet at the winery after work on Friday. . . . We left our respective locations at exactly the same time. I made it there on time, she got there an hour and a half later. . . . That's the difference between going to Centreville from Sterling and going there from Arlington. Gotta love that Northern VA traffic.

Anyway, while I was waiting, I decided to walk around the property a little bit and just enjoy nature. It was a beautiful night and it had been a little too long since I had spent more than a few minutes outside, especially outside in a deliciously cool, woodsy/field smelling spot.

A view from the winery

The Winery at Bull Run

The cool hearth/stone space where I sat for a little
while just enjoying the November evening.

Once Elspeth finally got there we did a wine tasting and enjoyed the yummy bread and cheese basket that the Living Social deal got us. The wines were all really good. I probably would have bought a bottle or two if I were feeling rich enough, but since I (1) barely ever drink and (2) am very happy with wine that costs under $10, I decided that a $29 splurge was above my price grade for the moment.

When I got home, I had another exciting event. I saw my first raccoon (I think). 

It was huge, sort of adorable, and digging through my dumpster. I acted like a huge city girl and sat in my car taking pictures with my phone . . . I felt like my college roommates who got excited when they saw cows or ducks or most "wildlife" in general.

I may or may not have even waited for him (her?) to climb back out so that I could get a better shot.

It was so big!

I was super surprised at how much he looked
like Meeko from Pocahontas!

Did You?

My voting center had
The. Best. I Voted Stickers. Ever.
Hurray for first time in person voting!

I had to get up at 5:45 a.m.
(it was dark)

I had to wait in line for nearly an hour and a half.
(at least 30 minutes of that was outside)

I may be on some international news broadcast tonight. . . .
(a news crew was filming us waiting in line)

I got several free things because of my sticker.

(thanks for lunch, California Tortilla)

I voted.

Did you?

Can it Just be Wednesday Already?

There are two things I hate about the end of October (actually most of October) and the beginning of November.

The disgusting abundance of Christmas/Holiday stuff out before Halloween and the disgusting abundance of political ads.

Seriously. 

Fortunately for me, the election is tomorrow and starting Wednesday morning, I'll be able to watch TV again without gagging every three seconds from a new political ad.

I. Can't. Wait.

The nearly unbearable bombardment of political disgustingness has been way worse than usual this year, mostly because I have the misfortune to live in a battle state and in a metropolitan area (that's right Marylanders, I know allllll about Question freaking 7). 

I have literally experienced entire sixty minute prime time television shows where there have been about four non-political commercials. My favorite is when there is an ad for a democratic guy saying that his republican counterpart cut tons of money for this or that program, which is then immediately followed by the aforementioned republican guy saying that his aforementioned democratic challenger cut the same (or similar) amount of money for the same program. 

Thanks. The other guy cut funding. We get it. What will you do for us?

I'm still waiting.

But until you're ready, from now on (in the months of August, October, and early-November) I'll be exclusively watching TV via OnDemand, the mercifully commercial-free PBS, and the less influenced channels like HGTV and Food Network, which have about an eighth of the number of rude experiences per commercial break.

Because, really? How many of these ads do anything other than lie?

I'd rather not let my vote be influenced by that rubbish.

It's Wet Outside.

Here are three Hurricane Sandy related pictures for your wet and wild afternoon pleasure. For those of you wondering about the window situation, so far, so good . . . mostly. So far everything is still intact, but there are some fun leaks springing around my A/C units.

Stay dry east coasters!

So true.
I'm the one with the bow.

This actually went around the office on Friday.
It was hilarious to hear people randomly burst out laughing. 

A friend of mine shared this picture.
It was taken this morning at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
That is dedication.

The Purrfect Little Lady

My favorite kitty is so dainty when she sits with her toes all lined up.

She's so cute ♥

Now This is What I Call a Preemptive Strike!

As most of my family knows my living room window and heavy winds don't get along very well. In fact, in the year and a few months that I've been living here, my window has popped out four times.

The first was during Hurricane Irene, when my window popped out at 4 a.m. Fortunately my mom was there and (after nearly an hour of holding in place ourselves) we finally came up with the ideal to lean my empty bookcase against a box against my window. That worked pretty well and a few hours later we hit up Lowes for some tape to hold it in place a little less cumbersomely.

It next happened a few months later. This time I was prepared and taped it in right away.

And then two more times after that. . . .

Well, when I heard that Hurricane Sandy was supposed to pound us with mad winds on Sunday and Monday (and maybe even Tuesday), I (with my parents' urging) decided to make a preemptive strike this time around.

Enter the 2 x 4.

For the record, a full 2 x 4 will fit in my car. Who knew?

My window is now taped, braced, and as I discovered today, it's also screwed into the window frame. I guess maintenance got tired of visiting my apartment armed with a caulk gun. However there's only one screw and it's not flush with the frame, so I'm not convinced that it will do much good, except to prevent the plexiglass from falling completely out. I've also got towels packed around the A/C unit to catch all the leaking water that inevitably happens when it rains hard.

So, BRING IT Sandy. I'm ready for you.

Just don't take my power. . . .