Saturday, May 28, 2011

Long Weekend Rinse & Repeat

So I went to write a post about how restorative long weekends at the lake house can be, particularly after busy springs. Then, I looked back at my May posts of previous years and apparently, this is a theme:
I guess this is my annual routine - take 1 tired girl (buffeted by the stress & tension of January-through-May), apply warmer temps, the sound of the lake lapping the shore, beer on the deck, and time with family. . . voila! A calmer Stacey. Wait until the following spring's stress has worn her down again and lather, rinse, repeat.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Pink 'Splosion

Lovely pink peonies on my living room table.  I bought them as closed-up buds on Monday night and they've since exploded into color & scent.

Also - turns out that I'm much better at this one-photo, mobile blogging than I am at long, old-school posts these days. Hey - let's take what we can get!

Crickets between the Cars

First night sleeping with the windows open! May 24th - mark it.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Losing It . . .

I've been going quietly mad over here recently (for reasons which I will detail in another post).  However, I would like to offer proof of my compromised mental state.

I just found yesterday's half-full coffee cup on the bookshelf.  As might be imagined, it smelled decidedly un-lovely.  Sigh.  

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Visit from Some Superheroes

Two very cute boys . . . Oops, I mean Batman and War Machine . . . hangin' at their auntie & uncle's house.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Scotland by the Numbers


So remember how I went to Scotland, didn't tell you before I went, then told you when I came back, and then weeks went by and I didn't post ANY pictures? Right. I can be a bit of a jerk, apparently. Sorry about that!

To make it up to you, there is another silly video above & here are at least some of the photos we took: Scotland Album of Doom (part 5). Justin has the rest & I can't figure out out how to share them publicly from his Facebook albums. If anyone knows how, do let me know!

Also - just for fun, here's our trip to Scotland, by the numbers (in descending order):
  • Infinity:  # of times I said "Oh, I want to live here again."
  • Also infinity:  # of sheep we saw in the Highlands & Islands (glad it wasn't an infinite number of monkeys . . . )
  • 1037: total # of miles driven in rental car (I think this is right). I know it was at least 1036 because on the way to return the car, I made a joke about it being 30 years still before the Norman invasion. Good thing my husband loves me and didn't just leap out of the car into Edinburgh rush hour traffic then & there. 
  • 858: # of photos we took 
  • 190: £ we spent at a used bookshop in Inverness - the second highest amount we spent in any one place, even trouncing the bills for 3 very posh dinners and almost every hotel bill 
  • 42 and 32: % ABV of two of the beers we tasted at BrewDog Aberdeen 
  • 15: total # days we spent in fair Alba 
  • 9: # of beds we slept in throughout that time 
  • 4.2: miles we drove on a single track road through a peat bog to get to this place. Soooo worth it. 
  • 1: # of Majestic Wind-Swept Ponies we saw on Aberdeenshire hills 
  • 1: # of City Foxes we saw hanging out in back alleys near Edinburgh Castle 
  • 1: # of fragments of seashell from Portobello Beach still embedded in my heel (should probably see a doctor about that . . .)

Monday, May 09, 2011

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Where I've Been


I went to Scotland!  I couldn't tell you the details before I left because of military stuff, but now I can. I promise many more photos and recaps to come (we took around 900 pictures), but for now, enjoy this video of us at Urquhart Castle along Loch Ness.