Confusing Signs Of The Stroud

Strawberries & Sundresses: Elmo Does Drugs

We hit up the Marshall's Creek market this afternoon. Gotta go once a year at least. Really wanted to pick up some corn salsa but the Amish were absent, again, so we made do. Of course Laura wanted to eat, and pizza was the winner, and while "dining" we spotted Elmo. He was sweeping the lot. True story. We followed him out of curiosity and caught him acting a little too friendly with the shady folks selling bongs and pipes. Oh Elmo, what's become of you?



We came away with another bushel of strawberries and Laura found 4 sundresses that she will fill into nicely, soon, all for under $40. I also bought a new pair of sunglasses because gold is my new shade.




Good Saturday. Burgers on the grill tonight.

Ears: She & Him - Gonna Get Along Without You Now
Eyes: Saving Private Ryan

The Good Are Dying

It's been a rough couple weeks for my favorite bands. First, Emma Ditchburn leaves the Most Serene Republic, which is a crushing blow and leaves me a little unsure that they'll be able to remain on my all time high list of bands who can pretty much do no wrong. Even after my initial balk at their latest album, it's been slipping into my "random" playlists more and more recently and I'm positive it's mainly because of what she brings to the septet. I hope they can either replace her with someone even more a perfect fit or maybe really up the ante going into their next recordings. I'm keeping optimistic.

And today I find out that another one of my favorite bands, Bound Stems, has officially broken up. Bound Stems, for those of you who may not know, were the best band to come out of Chicago since the Smashing Pumpkins back in the early 90's, imho, so you can imagine what a blow to my already fragile aural psyche this news was. I have managed to pull it together and can only hope that the brains behind the outfit will carry the torch on to brighter & greener & better.

Oh music.

Morty Buys A Cuke

Yes, those are pink pants.

We Are Radiating

We finally got our radiator replaced. We've been living with a massive crack in it and just pumping it full of antifreeze and water and Wawa peach iced tea, whatever we could get our hands on. But this week, with Laura on vacation and Sexy Bird just sitting in the driveway, we decided to test our new mechanic, Marty, who is as advertised. He even remembered my name when I called today. Pleasant and honest, a rarity in these times. I don't know why they spray painted our battery but now we can fill our tank with fluid and after a winter without it, we can run the heat.



We've been thinking about landscape alot, and we found some trees we like. Laura liked the little flowery ones. I liked the 30 foot dead ones. Some are more feasible than others.

It was one of my trainees birthdays today so I got him the smallest cupcake imaginable. He laughed but didn't eat it. I'm not sure it was edible. I found it in the lab from this weeks seminars. Maybe it was a cupcake model. But who would need such a thing? But who would need any of the things that are created under that roof. It all seems very fruitless. Yet people get their feathers ruffled there on a daily basis. I like it. I find it entertaining.

I came home early and found my pregnant wife killing a bowl of extreme moose tracks and watching Roseanne on the couch. Caught red-handed. She had no alibi. An hour later we were eating strawberry & cream. Then two Kashi pizzas. If we had three it would've been three. Trouble.

Never Rub Another Man's Rhubarb

or...

Always plant another woman's

Grey's Rainbow

Happy Easter People

A change of scenery this year then.

In Small Town America

intentions are unimportant



importance is irrelevant



relevance in non-existent



existence is what's left

Ruth Norma Sheldon

October 21st, 1924 - April 2nd, 2010

George & Fawsja

She's obsessed.

Must've Been Cosby Sweater Day

Jon Kragh posted this photo to his facebook a couple days ago. I remember all of these people and have caught up with most online. We were hands down the most fashionable 5th grade class ever to strut down the halls of Switlik Elementary. I wish I could remember my teachers name. Mom?

Off To Ohio

We're leaving soon here. As soon as she's ready. Going out to Ohio to visit family. Laura's Grandma Sheldon has been ill and we wanted make sure and see her if things were to suddenly take a turn for the worse. Driving out to Genoa today, out to the Krupp grandparents in Carey, Ohio on Saturday, and then Brad & Erin's in Fort Wayne for Easter Sunday. Busy. We'll keep you abreast of any exciting details.

Have a happy Easter everybodies!

Can You Feel Her?

We got a tumbler!

Hotcake Tapioca Leather

Traditional anniversary celebration is lost on us, as is many things, but we manage to come out the other end feeling like we honor an event in our own little way and have no regrets, so far. So we set out...

We've made it a tradition to eat McDonald's at some point on our anniversary. We spontaneously consumed it for dinner on our wedding day out of fear of starvation and last year because we had such an early day and it was the only thing open. This time it was the simple craving of the hotcakes that beckoned us. We are not strong people.

We then had an appointment to meet our new baby, who is turning out to be quite lovely, but we'll wait til the final results are in before we make any calls to the Little Miss Perfect pageant. And it is a girl, which is awesome and overwhelming and incredible and horrifying and astounding and calming all at the same time. I didn't know that was possible. It seems unpopular to find out the gender of your baby nowadays. We did not know this. But the way we look at it is that on the day she's born, there's going to be so much excitement just because she's actually being born that the surprise of the sex couldn't possibly heighten the emotional level any, so why not find out. Plus it lets us know what kind of pants to stockpile. Pants among other things. We have family waiting to unload their backstock on us, two with daughters, one with sons, and they were waiting to see who gets to clean out the attic. (Sorry Brad & Erin. Maybe next time) But it's nice to know so we don't have to refer to her as she/he/it/the monster anymore and we know what section of the baby stores we should be browsing. And not that I'm against the shade itself, I'm sure we'll end up with more than a few articles that are, but does anyone know where they sell baby girl clothes that aren't pink?

Having the whole day ahead of us and not really having a plan past that we dropped in at the mall in hopes of redeeming some of these free Auntie Anne's cards we have stockpiled from the summer. But alas, they have no such stand in the Lehigh Valley and we settled on a bathroom break in Boscov's and a stop at Jasmine Smoothies. Laura had a mango/peach smoothie and I a coconut milk tea with tapioca beads the size of matzo balls. Delicious tho.



We were close to Easton so I showed Laura where I worked, dangerously close to quitting time, so it was a quick spin thru the lot to avoid any encounters. We headed back thru downtown Easton, which was hopping at 3pm, and found a little antique shop nestled in the far corner cross the square from the Crayola factory. We take note of these things nowadays. Laura found this lovely coat that I think may have been worn by one of the curler girls in the Beauty School Dropout number. We left it on is rack. And left the shoppe in its corner.



We took 611 home, my new favorite American highway, and made an impromptu stop at the Middle Village Bakery in Mount Bethel. When I pass the sign out front it always says "Closed", but when I saw that it was "Open" I couldn't resist. I thought fate. At the helm were two teenage girls covered in flour, sugar and sprinkles, from who we ordered an two apple danishes for the morning ride we have the next day. Also a lemon square for Laura and an elephant ear for me for the ride we had now. Good things.



We were almost home and at our last stop of the day picking up a rental car for our weekend jaunt westward and realized we still had yet to bestow our anniversary gift of leather unto one another. We didn't want leather bound books or key chains or purses. Leather jackets were too pricey for something we'd never wear. We both have wallets we like and aren't looking to replace them. We had looked in the antique store for a leather box or photo album to no accord. We had wracked our brains. Then, we thought...



How perfect and timely! Plus we would totally use them, baby belly and all. So we hurried home to get changed and test out the new set of mitts and balls, made of leather of course. Laura was up first...



and I swear to you this is where she hit my very first pitch...



Homerun! And 1 ball down. Must be the extra baby power. We hit a few balls, played a little catch, worked on our fielding and I helped Laura with her knuckle ball. All in all, I think it's right up there with the paper tickets and the cotton robes. Year three: leather gloves. A success.

In The Dark Of Room 3

...we met our baby today. It was kind of a shock. We knew why we were there, but we didn't know it would be so.... mind-boggling. But I guess there's no good way to prepare for something like that. I think we're still in shock.



So we're having a girl. Let the name-storming begin. Today we saw her face, her hands and feet, her bones and even her brain. Sonograms are dead serious. We saw her move her arm and wiggle around, then she struck a few adorable poses placing her cheek on her shoulder and her palm against her face. I didn't blink for 40 minutes and it was all over before we were ready to say goodbye. The sonographer has a great job, and a pretty awesome keyboard to play with all day, which she navigated with expert timing & precision.



We have another appointment set for May 11th. Today will hold us over til then.



We'll leave you with her foot...

Three Year Anniversary

Paper Cotton Question Mark

Weddings anniversaries: there's rules. Themes. One year is paper. We got tickets to see Rent. Tickets made of paper. We enjoyed the show and the day on the streets. The two year mark is stamped with cotton. We spent most of that one in white robes eating Chinese food made of cotton. The robes were made of cotton, not to wontons. This day will mark our third anniversary (Congratulations!) and the theme is peculiar. Leather. Immediate thoughts of harnesses and straps come to mind, but we ain't that kind of celebrators. So right now it's up in the air. We've got some important errands to run today and I guess we're hoping to come across something that fits the theme. If not, we'll try again next year with a little fruit & flowers. That one's too easy.