my birthday party

about this time last week i was pretty frustrated with my wife. a few days earlier she'd told me we had to go to nashville for one final birthday present. i know, this makes me sound like an ass, which i am. but at least let me explain. first, we've been out of town a lot this summer. second, sonic youth was playing in st louis for free last weekend, i thought on saturday, leaving plenty of time for us to get back. last friday morning i checked the concert date and found it was set for friday evening. of course, i protested, "do we really have to go this weekend? why do we have to go to nashville to get this?" again, you can see what a jerk i am. my wife has a present for me in nashville, clearly she's put some thought and care into whatever it is, but i want my plan.

despite my efforts, we got on the road friday afternoon and drove to nashville, had dinner with my parents, and went to the barmes' house to hang out/receive my present. to some of you it might seem obvious what was coming next. the thought went through my mind several times during the 4.5 hour drive, "either she's gonna give me some lame antique that she bought in nashville, or all my friends will be there. she should know that all my friends would make me the most happy. just prepare for a random gift, jason. otherwise, you'll be disappointed." obviously, i'm egocentric and cared little for whatever my wife had actually invested in this present. it didn't help that i talked to several nashville friends along the way who told me they probably could not hang out friday night.

we arrived and anna and joe's house and said hello. franny urinated all over there brand new carpet so i took her out back. at this point, i had resigned to the belief that it was just the four of us hanging out. mildly dissappointed, but still happy to be among friends, i went out back and was surprised by everyone hiding under the porch.

you can check out the few picture we got of the party below. the last of us were up until 3, so i'd say most had a good time. in spite of my selfish whining, my wife planned a great birthday present.

snow, part iii

at this point, i'm about as tired of images of the snow and my dog as you are. but i'm a man of little imagination and easily revert to homeostasis. so more of the same it is.

i know six inches might be next to nothing to most people in the midwest. to a southerner, there's little difference between six inches and four feet. i might as well be living in alaska now. in fact, this is the first time that i've had residence in a place where the snow fully covered the blades of grass, so you can imagine what a big deal this is. i hope you enjoy the pictures.

snow day, part ii

i guess i spoke too soon concerning snow in stl. we got a lot yesterday and are supposed to get more tonight. 

from google's weather application:

Tonight
Snow in the evening...then snow and chance of sleet after midnight. Snow and sleet accumulation of 2 to 4 inches. Near steady temperature around 18. Northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 90 percent.

snow and then sleet. sounds fun.

the dog just stared out the window at it coming down. for half a second i wondered what she could be thinking about her first snow. probably something like, "what...the...hell just happened?" at least, if i was a dog who only knew eating and walkng down my street to the park, that's what i would think.

things that make me laugh, part iv

franny, discovering herself. 

she just heard the birds on planet earth. naturally, she tried to find them behind the tv. 

franny

yes, we did get a dog. yes, we named her franny. try not to read into it. we're pretty obsessed with her right now, even through she has issues in the urination arena. she is a 7 month old golden retriever from a local rescue shelter. so she has some confidence problems as well. but have no fear, she's starting to come out of her shell inch by inch.

right now, sticks are a pretty big deal for fran. that, and sleeping underneath my desk while i work. we'll have plenty more stories to come, but enjoy the pictures for now.