Propper Copper Coffee Pot

Ever have one of those friends who make you really, REALLY wish someone would look over your shoulder when he/she is writing you, just so you can feel all awesome for being friends with such an amazing person?  I have a small handful of those, and here is one:

http://kill-the-bear.blogspot.com/2013/04/free-state-100k-me-vs-myself-and-feelin.html

He's one of those guys you want to marry off to your most worthy girlfriends.  And he's my friend.  How did that happen? 

I finished reading Ivanhoe.  Great fun.  Slightly melodramatic.  Would make a great film.  Speaking of film, my dearly beloved (unrequited, of course - we haven't met) authoress, Sarah Addison Allen's book, The Sugar Queen, has been optioned for film.  Hope something comes of it.  It would be an excellent opportunity for someone to show off his or her talents for evoking mood.

It's funny that during my reading of Ivanhoe, Richard III has been making the news.  Did you read the recent article?  They have examined his skeleton - recently discovered below a car park - to find that it really had been one of a hunchback.  Historians had previously assumed that the deformation was just a symptom of vilification by his contemporaries or immediate predecessors.  And now we find that the accounts were true.  Wondering how this has anything at all to do with Ivanhoe?  Richard III was the last of the Plantaganet dynasty, which was the family of Richard the Lionhearted - who appears in Ivanhoe.

Spring is in the air.  My neighbors are mowing their lawns.  Hitomi has planted her first red bud tree.  I spent yesterday afternoon pulling up dandelions.  (I wore gloves this time, but still got rashes on one arm and both ankles.)  I have also noticed a surge in political/social commentary.  I wonder if there is a significant connection, or if it's coincidence.

Grant got his first ever B+ on a report card, and Josh was seriously going to fuss him about it.  Grant is harder on himself than we could ever even try to be!  Plus, there was a note at the bottom that said that days test brought him up to an A-.  Grant does not need to be reminded to try hard.  The kid apologises every time he misses a question.  It's a little ridiculous. 

Abbie is the opposite.  She works hard to not have to work hard.  Any natural bossiness/snottiness she had has been increased greatly by her classmates.  I really wish I could afford Catholic school.

This weekend there was a small fire in our toaster.  It damaged one side, so I said I would get a new one.  What really happened is that Josh got a new one that is twice as big and won't fit in the cabinet.  It has four slots.  I'm sure it's also very cool, but since we primarily used it to make one package (i.e. two) of poptarts at t time....I've got to question the wisdom of its purchase.

We took out our old entertainment center TV stand and replaced it with one we had downstairs.  It's the first step in trying to downsize the house and pack away things for the purpose of showing and selling.  It isn't much, but it's a start.  Josh thinks we will be ready to sell in May.  I think July.  Next, we will research whether a "pod" or a storage garage are the cheapest.  Any thoughts?

Today I didn't have my usual students.  I had to cover for someone else.  I've had better days, but I'm home now.  Tonight we have music lessons, and then Abbie's softball practice.

Next big thing:  Josh's graduation picnic this weekend.  Well, that and I am going to win the lottery on Wednesday.  For real this time!! 

Because it is Monday:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSUQgfyplIY