Poor Loser?

So Bab's and I make an effort to spend quality time with her Grandma Mae (and BF Joe) whenever we can. The typical visit is usually on a Sunday afternoon where we go down for lunch (she calls it Dinner) to find a very tasty roast of some sort cooking away in the oven while she prepares all the fixin's to go along with the main course. Most of the time I'm responsible for making gravy from scratch (something she taught me to perfection) with a little oversight from Mae.

After cramming our belly's full of good homecooking we squeeze in some serious card playing. We play boys vs. girls as it would just be unfair for Brandy and I to team up on the "old folks"...don't tell her I said that!

Undoubtedly what ensues is an old fashioned butt kickin' by Joe and I in any of the games we play. We rule at cribbage, canasta, pitch, and most recently hand and foot. It's funny because Mae gets really upset when I win. Not when Joe wins, but when yours truly puts the smack down.

I thought it was important to capture the moment so you could all share in the fun. So see the video below. It's Mae in all her glory...whining about losing. (In full disclosure Brandy and Mae actually beat us this time...but only by 100 points or so!)

I Want a [No] Snow Day!

Denver is apparently being hit with a crazy (12-20 inches) snowstorm today, so our office is closed. [Un]lucky me, I work from home, so my office is never closed. Regardless of my lack of commute, I would still enjoy an unscheduled day off every now and then. Remember the joy of snow days? I want that joy back.

I'm wearing sweats today out of defiance for my lack of snow days. If I can't sit on the couch all day and watch crappy made for TV movies and cuddle with my cat, I might as well wear what I would be wearing if given the opportunity. I guess I'll just sit here at my computer and be happy I don't have to shovel the walk. Who am I kidding? I make Lawrence do that sort of stuff.

photo courtesy of Denver Post capitol webcam

Some Like it Hot!

I've been threatening for a while now (basically this entire dreary, cold, snowy winter) to turn our guest bedroom into a sauna. I LOVE saunas- it's like a warm beach without the sand getting into your drawers. Silly me, turns out I don't have to sacrifice a lot of space for a sauna. So we can have a sauna AND a guest room. Although, I don't know how much time I'll have on my hands to entertain guests once I have a sauna. I guess just bring your suit! The more the merrier, right?

Check out this link to see 5 compact home saunas. Anyone will do just fine. My birthday is in May, but early presents are welcome, too. Although the Trendir Cube Sauna 'from northern Europe includes chromotherapy, a shower and "vibromassage."' I'm not quite sure what a vibromassage is, but I don't think I want it in my guest room. Then again...

Happy (?) Monday

How about you? It's another lovely dreary grey* day here in Iowa. Even though the weatherman says it is supposed to be 50 today, I don't believe him just yet. And wouldn't a nice little nap be a great way to idle away the time until it gets sunny and 50? I thought so, too. Bummer that whole work thing gets in the way, especially on Mondays.

*I never know whether it should be gray or grey, so I find myself interchanging both words just to try and fool the two readers that I do have that I must know the correct spelling and just must have mistyped it here or there. I think the gig is up, so I'm wondering if any of you know the correct spelling for the color between white and black. Lacretia, this is right up your alley so I'm sure you'll have the answer.

Forget the Easter Bunny...

I want a baby polar bear in my Easter basket. Don't you agree?

The Nerve.

Lawrence drove by at least four gas stations, one donut shop and one bakery on his way home from working out this morning and completely failed to bring me back a strawberry donut. Honestly! The nerve of some people! It's not like I don't know the path he takes or the wonderful food distractions on the way- I've gone there before. Albeit, not lately, but I've been to the gym once or twice and I know a good gas station donut location on the route when I see one. Casey's has the best ones, but QwikTrip is coming on a close second. The very best ones are the ones with strawberry frosting, but the maple frosting with sprinkles takes a close second. Mmmm... I want a donut RIGHT NOW.

And I don't want to hear any heckling about not going to the gym with him this morning! It's not my fault! I know your instinct is to tell me I'm just being lazy, but I blame this all on Donna and Bernardo. You see, they bought us the fabulous horrible heating blanket for Christmas that just sucks me into bed and zaps away my brain cells into a warm, coccoon-like barrier against the world and it forces me to forget that there is even any other place on earth that I should think about visiting. And honestly, who wouldn't pick a warm coccoon over a sweaty gym any day? I'm not lazy, I'm just not stupid. And I think our heating blanket has a mind hold on me. At least until springtime. By then I might have saved up enough energy from my warm bundled trance to fight its hold on me long enough to drag myself to the gym. Until then, at least while there's still at least 2 feet of snow on the ground, I'm just impressed I get out of bed at all these days. You should be impressed, too.

Des Moines in the NYT!

I'm reblogging this from someting my friend sent. I thought you'd all like to know how Des Moines is doing!

As shown on KCCI's website, the New York Times gives Downtown Des Moines a shoutout for making good decisions for growth. Take a look at the article from the NY Times.Here are some of the highlights:

Christopher B. Leinberger, a professor of real estate at the University of Michigan, said Des Moines was one of a growing number of cities that recognize the potential of downtown development, as well as the urgency of changing economic and political strategies to encourage it. Mr. Leinberger said that Des Moines, like Salt Lake City, Denver, Dallas, Seattle and Chicago, was adopting development plans based on persuading residents and employers to cluster homes, jobs, schools and stores rather than spreading them out.

Mr. Leinberger also said that Des Moines was able to find a nonpartisan formula for making decisions on taxes, infrastructure, parks and housing that support downtown construction. “Des Moines is one of those places that recognized that to pull off being a special place they can be proud of, people have to work together,” Mr. Leinberger said.

Way to go DSM!