Good

• My Dad still really likes my Dodge Dakota (the first vehicle I ever bought without consulting anyone), and vehemently opposes any thoughts I voice about selling it or trading up to a larger or family-friendly version.  It makes me feel good that he likes what I picked out.


• In related news, Dad tried my "steak fries dipped in Red Robin chipotle mayo" and pronounced it "gimme that dippin’ sauce" good.  So far, he’s really the only other person who likes it as much as I do.


• My father-in-law was terribly impressed with our house. Words seemed to fail him at how well we’d done in selecting a home. The current… I’ll be nice and say "transitional state"… of our lawn didn’t even phase him.


• My folks remembered enough of their last visit to know that the lawn had taken a serious hit, and that the house interior had seen a lot of attention. We appreciated both their candor and their memory.  After seeing the landscaping at the Consortium, they are nothing but enthusiastic to see the results of our lawn makeover.


• No one screamed and started speaking in tongues when they saw the (in)famous “Green Room.”


• Dave and I got the sprinklers working two weeks ago, and all it took was three guys with a blowtorch and some time on their hands to get entirely rid of the slow leak that we’d been unable to prevent.  All told, the process cost us less than half what it would have if the sprinkler guys had fixed it (and they wouldn’t have caught the underground leak).


• I cooked for my in-laws twice and didn’t screw anything up.


• My in-laws’ close friends who came out here with them (themselves parents of ~ 4 or 5 now-grown kids) were quite vocally impressed with our home, our friends, and our child-rearing habits (the later of which tends to come under some criticism from time to time by those who don’t know any better live out here) — having a few people ‘out there’ on our side is good.


• After two years of wearing shoes that just didn’t quite fit, I picked up not one, but two pairs of Merrells that feel like heaven. My father-in-law liked them so well he got himself a pair the next day, as did his wife and their friend.


• Everyone got the hell out of dodge in time for us to go see Star Wars on opening night like a good couple of geeks.

• Personal Projects:  between the visit and suddenly-critical work projects,  I’m so goddamn far behind that I’m going to lap myself.


• Add onto the already impressive pile of to-do’s a triple-flat of plants (since Jackie bought MORE plants yesterday) and two new rose bushes that need to go in the ground very soon.  Throw in the associated landscaping and making of rock-paths and you’ve obliterated a weekend that we didn’t have free in the first place.


• Justin apparently hid several of his homework assignments in his desk at school last week, unbeknownst to either ourselves or his teacher.  This charming factoid (and resultant stiff homework schedule this week) came to light while everyone was in town, and of course cut into quality-time with Grandma and Grandpa.  (At least they had a chance to experience first-hand the reason we are as strict as we are.)  Upside: Justin immediately observed that the loss of grandparent-time was his doing, not ours — punishments are no longer seen as personal — it wasn’t so long ago that wouldn’t have been the case.


• Did I mention the personal projects?  How the fuck and I’m going to finish that stuff on time?


• The only guy we know who tapes Alias messed up the recording of the last episode and lost the first 20 minutes.

• Chicken Pesto Parmesan Pasta vomit.  For five hours.  (Bright side: My first thought when Justin started throwing up was that I’d screwed up the food prep somewhere along the line and it was food poisoning — everyone would be puking their guts out within the next half hour.  It wasn’t a good night, but at least that didn’t happen.)

All in all, a good visit. I hope we do it again… in a few years.

I think I might start putting a little money away in a ‘visiting relative’s hotel room’ fund.

Chipotle mayo from the Robin Rocks.

Cajun Clucks, 2 ranch, chipotle mayo.

For a while, they went to a watery chipotle mayo, that sucked, but now it's back to normal.

(in)famous Green Room??????

WTH?

We've been painting, and one of the rooms ended up with a VERY green paintjob.

Like... British Racing Car green. Pretty damn green.

Apparently (judging by people's reactions) it's not TOO green.

It is what most folks would call a *striking* green.

But fun.

Y'know, I'll bet with some spare time and a blow torch, we could probably destroy fix a lot of things ...

Three guys and a blow torch. That's like any guy and a chainsaw. You just have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't go toooooo far.