We had a very exciting weekend, which Mama will write about elsewhere and in great detail. One small highlight was the purchase of a little girl (or boy) desk at a local yard sale, the kind we had in grade school—wooden top, metal legs, and a matching chair. For $20, we couldn’t pass it up, although it will need sanding and possibly a new coat of paint. It will be hard to match the original purplish-gray color they painted the metal, but I’ll do some digging. The surprise came when I was lifting the chair into the back of the Scout: stamped to the underside of the wood was this recognizable logo—something that commands more of a price on big-people furniture than children’s desks. Still, it’s nice to know our girl rides in style.
That’s WBAL Channel 11, Kids.
A sunny morning walk with my bride and my baby, with plenty of dogs to meet along the way.
A 1-mile commute to work on an 80° day in a noisy, clanky convertible.
From hivelogic, a simple (and functional) Python script to back up your Flickr photos. If you don’t feel comfortable with the Terminal, it may not be for you, but it worked flawlessly for me.
I caught up with an old friend from high school this afternoon, and among other things he casually mentioned a Frank Lloyd Wright house that was recently built on an island in the middle of our hometown.
Seriously.
Read the story; it gets even more interesting.
I did a little research last week about the Cash for Clunkers program to see if our Jeep qualified under their rules. After some digging, I found the list:
Be in driveable condition – check
Have been continuously insured consistent with State laws and registered to you for at least one year immediately prior to trade-in – check
Be manufactured less than 25 years before the date of the trade-in – check
Have a combined MPG of 18 or less – check
According to the Fed’s official site, our Cherokee gets a combined MPG of 16 miles per gallon, which would put it firmly in the qualifying category.
The next step was to check the Kelly Blue Book value for a trade-in price. According to their calculations, it’s worth a little over a grand in excellent condition and half of that in poor condition. Their private party value is still only half of the maximum CFC value, which makes it a prime candidate for the program.
I was torn, though, thinking about the Jeep being scrapped when it still has running and driving value left. It’s been a great vehicle for us in the five years we’ve had it, and the idea that somebody would chemically destroy the engine and then scrap the carcass filled me with sadness.
In the meantime, we’ve been watching the government seesaw back and forth over funding it with an additional $2 billion, as the original cash was depleted in a week’s time. Sadly, I think this may be yet another instance where timing will not be with us.
Wow, it’s already Tuesday and I haven’t finished writing about the weekend. Well, here goes.
Firstly, we scrambled for a good portion of Saturday to clean up the house in preparation for guests; in between scrubbing and vacuuming and straightening we made time to check out a local butcher that Jen’s been curious about for years. Walking into this place is like stepping back in time—it’s a small store fronted with cold cases filled with meat of all sizes, flanked by six attentive butchers. I stood in awe, holding the baby, unable to process all the choices, until Jen suggested we ask for help, and we walked out with four beautiful porterhouse steaks twice the size and half the price of what we would have found at the grocery store. Along with the steak we decided some fresh Maryland crabs would be an appetizing side dish, so we ordered a dozen and a half 55’s from the restaurant down the street. Dinner was delicious, and our wonderful guests brought a salad, drinks, many questions about childbirth, and a beautiful cocker spaniel who was happy to lay at our feet and get pets from two puppy-starved adults. I enjoyed myself talking so much I didn’t realize how late we stayed up.
Sunday Finn and I rose early (a little too early, if you ask Papa) and after some toast, blueberries, and yogurt we went for a short walk around the neighborhood while everyone else slept. Over coffee and bagels, we introduced the baby to the puppy, and the two of them got along famously. Finn is fearless in the face of large slobbering dogs, which is a great sign—she giggles and reaches for them even as they’re licking every inch of her face.
After our guests got back on the road, Mama and I decided to lay low and enjoy some time laying on our bed with the girl in the air conditioning; she played happily with her toys while we watched the Matrix (perfect mindless Sunday entertainment) and when it came time for her nap we all laid down for some rest. In a weekend of highlights, I’d have to say that was one of the best parts—just the three of us relaxing together on a big comfy bed, with noplace to go and time to enjoy ourselves.