Birthday Roundup!

I think Official Birthday Weekend can be deemed a terrific success -- especially because it resulted in no broken digits and instead involved blueberry coffee cake, presents galore, Belgian brews, healthcare reform debate, and science nerdishness.

Three -- it's serious business, especially while continuing to wait in line at the Baltimore Aquarium. And wait. And wait. Until finally...

Spot the marmots!

Identify the sea creatures!

Swim with the fishies!

(Public Service Announcement: Did you know that jellyfish are pretty much responsible for destroying local economies in Europe and eradicating existing ecosystems? Who knew they were non-native invasive species capable of adapting to extreme environments and wrecking havoc? Too bad, because they're so adorably photogenic!)

And now onto the crowning glory of the birthday celebration: spoiling an old man rotten.

First, a birthday suit, in miniature.


The next morning, the fiesta continued.
Ta da!

The aged wonder contemplates his selections.
He asks, "Hmmm, would a Miele would fit in this box?"


Without delay, he answers, "YES!"

And then he spent an hour on the morning of his 29th birthday blissfully vacuuming the apartment. That's just how this birthday boy rolls.

Biltmore: In Pictures

North Carolina Retrospective: A Week Late

No photos inside Biltmore, so we went a little shutter-happy in the greenhouses, where we saw our first bulbs of the season blooming. There was an orchid house and a cacti room, too.

Spring break was over and done way too quickly. I'm ready for Part II already.

We were bound

Generally, this is the kind of thing I'd email to one specific person, but I figured it might have some universal appeal.

Last night, as we were catching up on DVR'ed shows from the week, we were surprised to find that half of 30 Rock was preempted by ... local coverage of qualifying rounds for the Scripps Howard Bee.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but it certainly felt like d-i-v-i-n-e intervention.

Miscellaneous Catch-Up

1) Heather, we found a place I think will make you very happy for one reason alone: SPOON. Vinny's Italian Restaurant in Hollymead. I'm thinking we may need to eat there next time you're down.

(Photog hereby acknowledges the potential for psychological accusations re: chopping off husband's head [Yet including the nose and mouth, natch!-BB] in digital photo. However, she also attests to the people in the booth directly behind him who were giving her dirty looks for taking photos of spaghetti.)

2) Life in Charlottesville is dangerous. We returned from North Carolina to find a series of escalating alerts about flooding from the city. Also, as a precaution when you visit the University arena, you might want to steer clear of the CrushStation.

3) Other dogs, take serious note; Luke/Sam-Sam is now a working pup, which means he gets positive reinforcement in the form of stale Mellow Mutts and various other disgusting dog treats tucked into the pockets of his backpack. Doogie, we're looking your way here.

4) This week, just as the snows melted and the rains began, the peepers apparently returned and began peeping once more. That, combined with the whispers of growth on the trees and the daffodils about to burst must mean one thing: Ben's Birthday Month! Yippppeeee!

5) You know you're back from a spring break vacation when you find yourself, in the same day, at the dentist's office for a 9am appointment and listening to an academic lecture on a Friday night. On the plus side, we heard Jon Kabat-Zinn (UMass pride, woot!) and meditated with 300 of our closest friends (read: no one we knew [Well, one person from my Advanced Cognition & ID class-BB]). Mindfulness was in the hiz-ouse.

To come: a smattering of images featuring the landscape architecture of Mr. Frederick Law Olmsted and a fat helping of Ben enthusiastically trying new Belgian ales. When in Rome (or the Appalachians)!

Guess who's on spring break?

Homework? Abandoned.
Day in the car? Check.
Brews? Oh yeah!

Of course, it's locally crafted Belgian-style beer, and locally crafted White Zombie brew, and pretty much nobody else in the restaurant. (We just had to represent the vegetarian early bird contingent with our waxing appetites and gratuitously convenient parking space.)

Worry not! We're making the most of it in the crisp and clear North Carolina mountains.

What the Kids are Watching These Days