Too Stinkin' Cute

This really made my day.  Such adorable little yummy sounds!  :D

Word Crimes

This was the best.  I am absolutely going to use this for homeschooling.

Our Concert Experience

Overall, it was a lot less intimidating than I expected.  Rather than a huge crowd of hard-rockers, it was a moderate crowd of assorted geeks and nerds like us.  Nobody was mugged, trampled or otherwise injured, so I call the evening a success.

I was amazed by the enthusiasm of the other fans.  We just bought tickets on a whim because the event was in the neighborhood, but some of these other people were practically modern-day camp followers, crossing state lines and some even the Atlantic just to be in Baltimore.  Some were following the tour down from Philadelphia.  There was one guy from France wearing a Delain t-shirt and at least four old concert armbands.  Somehow we felt like we weren't talking the experience seriously enough.

The venue was so small that there wasn't really a bad place to stand, but we managed to be almost right up front.  The only downside was that after waiting all night to see Kamelot and lead singer Tommy Karevik (definite eye-candy), the moment they walked out on stage a sudden thicket of camera phones sprouted overhead along with the distinct oder of at least sixty sweaty armpits.  Fortunately, that didn't last forever, and there were so many other people taking video I knew I would have several good clips to choose from on YouTube this morning.  I found this one which pretty much accurately describes our view.




Dave bought a t-shirt and I came away with a hoodie.  We got home around 1 AM and felt very irresponsible.  :)

Eye Bombing

I found these on a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Pinterest board and immediately thought of my sister.  She went through a googly-eyes phase a few years ago.  Too funny.  :D

Balloons Don't Stand a Chance

Thinking about our imaginary rural utopia last week really put me in the mood to do something outdoors.  Fortunately the weather was gorgeous last weekend while we were visiting my family in Virginia, so I went on a quest to dig out all my old archery equipment.

Since I am an admitted Tolkien nerd with a weakness for superhero movies, I may be accused of picking a trendy hobby.  But in my defense, I requested a bow for my birthday at least a full year before I had even heard the name "Legolas."  I spend a lot of time in the sweltering heat of our barn in Texas developing my own technique since formal lessons weren't part of the birthday package.  I was just starting to contemplate shooting from horseback when we had to pack up and move to a more suburban environment.  With all the distractions of the recent past, I thought I had given up archery for good.  I couldn't practice at our apartment, but suddenly I realized nobody was stopping me from indulging in a little target practice at my parents' house.  It took some sleuthing to find the quiver and finger-guard, and there were only two arrows left in serviceable condition, but in the end we had fun shooting at helpless balloons downrange.   It had been six years since I had practiced at all, but I wasn't as rusty as I had expected to be.  Even the husband, who had no archery experience outside boy scout camp, racked up a few respectable kills.

While we're on the subject, I should note that the skill seems to run in the family.  My grandmother was apparently an exceptional shot.  As the story goes, the man at the carnival archery booth finally offered her as many free arrows as she wanted so long as she left his balloons alone.  I can hit every target if you just give me long enough.  However, my baby brother (12 years old now) is currently the undisputed archery king of the family.  I don't know if he has defended his title lately, but this video was taken when he was 7.  Un-freaking-believable.