Croquet weekend left me with a sunburn and a cold. A nasty cold. Don't get me wrong - it was worth it. But my butt is so kicked that all I can really do is cough and watch season upon season of The Wire.

The swine flu hit Annapolis and Baltimore yesterday. So once I recover from this cold I expect I'll get that. This will probably be my last post ever. I guess I better make it good.














I can't think of anything through the DayQuil. Here's a bunch to think on though - Mrs. Parker's excellent new Tumblr.

Croquet Day 2: St. John's College vs. USNA

It was sunny and perfect and beautiful.

Everyone looked perfect and beautiful.

Dave will kill me for this, but doesn't he look swell?

These guys looked swell too.

Everyone looked swell.

Everyone danced to the Navy Band.

There were a whole lot of people there (the view from our blanket).

This family moved to Annapolis on Thursday. That lady in yellow has a house chock full of boxes, a one year old in her arms, twins in her belly, and she still managed to look like a diva and pack a major picnic and come to croquet. She's the best.

Rowan and Sonora worked on sharing.

Our blanket minus the men (off smoking?).

Last year's shirts still express the general sentiment.


The navy strategy every year is to 'Stay sober longer than the Johnnies.' And by sober they don't mean solemn.
The Johnnie costumes this year were chosen with their opponents in mind- they say the Middies are like Vikings because 'They come to our parties, drink our beer and steal our women.' Pictured here is the St. John's Imperial Wicket in all his glory.

This year, as usual, St. John's won (4-1).

Croquet Day 1 - Annapolis Johnnies vs. Santa Fe Johnnies

The day began with Caramel Baked French Toast and Mimosas.

We stuffed fifteen friends into our little place - the record so far. 

Rowan let Valerie hold him for about 5 seconds, another record. 

Then we went to St. John's.

This is what I wore. 

I loved this feathery thing. 

Ro frolics among the wickets and beer cans.

Pickled Cinnamon Grapes with Mustard Seeds and Black Pepper (recipe coming soon).

Our picnic basket. 

Rowan explores the campus. 

Val watches the match. 

And the day ends, as many good days do, with poker night. 

P.S. Annapolis beat Santa Fe.

Me, Raw

Summer tagged me for a cruel, cruel meme. Take a picture of yourself right now, no extra primping. I figured I was off the hook since I'm at work and my camera is at home, but then I remembered I have a camera on my phone. So here ya go.

Two things: When your ears aren't level, how do you get glasses to look straight on your face instead of crooked? I always forget to look into this until I see a picture of myself. Any suggestions? I would also like to point out, in fact I am pointing out, the copier that is my constant workday companion and my loathed enemy. It screeches and eats paper. Every once in a while it makes a decent copy.
I tag -
Valerie
Melanie
Tacy
Billi
Meg
Jem

Croquet 2008

(Pretend it's one year ago when these pictures should have been posted.)
This is croquet.

It is one of the the biggest events of our little world. Most of Annapolis spends the day on the Great Lawn at St. John's College with large amounts of tea sandwiches and champagne.

The Naval Academy team plays St. John's College. Here is the USNA Imperial Wicket. The Navy boys are always very dashing.

The Johnnies change their costume every year except for the beer and bare feet. Last year, obviously, they were sailors.

I remembered to drag out these forgotten pictures from last year as I began making food for this year. One year ago this week I was making a million egg salad sandwiches for the Graduate Council Tent. This year I'm just making pepper cinnamon pickled grapes for the campers on my own picnic blanket.

The theme every year is 'Gatsby'. We start planning our dresses a year in advance. We start planning brunches months ahead. We start checking the weather ten days ahead. Old roommates and friends and alumni start arriving into town Friday night. Then we picnic hard all weekend.

This year the festivities will stretch over two days with the all new match Santa Fe Johnnies vs. Annapolis Johnnies on Saturday, then the traditional USNA vs. St. John's match on Sunday. We have a case of champagne, a living room full of air mattresses and a different feathered headband for every day. We are ready. (I won't wait a year to post pictures this time)

The Face of a Scapegoat

I believe I can claim that The Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS was the best Christmas present Zeb has ever received. One of those perfect (he would never have said he even wanted one but now that he has it he can't live without it) gifts. I'm pretty hooked too. The squabble caused by getting lost has sometimes made me wanna turn around and forget whatever adventure we were on. But now if we miss a turn (truth be told the Garmin is way more accurate than any Google Map ever was) we just blame it on Lola! In fact, we've taken to blaming a lot of things on Lola. We figure that's half of what she's there for. If the dishes aren't done - it's Lola's fault. If there are an odd number of socks Lola took one. If wine spills on important papers Lola did it. She has really saved us a lot of marital tension.
From what I can tell naming one's GPS is irresistible. In fact, here's a whole thread dedicated to what people have named their GPS's and why. A constant road-trip companion speaking to you in a soothing voice cannot remain anonymous. Our Lola was so named around January 2nd when Jon and Lisa took her out for an inaugural ride. They chose the 'Australian English Karen' voice and based on her sexy, playful, confident tone they decided Karen was a little too bland and they started calling her Lola instead. The name stuck. Imagine our surprise when we discovered this picture and interview with the actual Lola - she is every bit as sexy and amiable as she sounds.

I imagine this amused yet chastising look is the one she wears when she says 'Recalculating.'

(Julene Harrison)

While everyone else seems to be spring-ing around we step hesitantly into this new season. It's not the weather that we're not looking forward to, the sunshine is awfully nice. It's all these decisions and changes that we're facing. Jobs are more precarious than ever (I should have mentioned in January that the restaurant closed so I'm down to just one job), the taxes did not turn out as we had hoped, and that house we just bought is still sitting empty, waiting for tenants. Timing for the move is up in the air, as is the whole publishing industry that I'll be aligning myself with through that move; it feels like we make a new game plan every week. Everything is contingent. Our ideas and applications are all over the place but the waiting is the hardest part. All that's to say, no answers yet - I wish there were. Until it all becomes clear we'll be here still, making the most of croquet and the horse races, and the Chesapeake for (hopefully) one last summer.

Miscellany: I Heart The Internet

Heldentica - Toothpaste Type

Swiss Miss's roundup of The Things Twitter Can Do For You

Academic Earth- Lectures from Top Academics

Photoshop Shortcut Sheets

Wordle - Beautiful Word Clouds

Killpoets has a new home.

Fontifier - Your Own Handwriting as a Font

Free Photoshop Borders

Trespasser on Tumblr