Yay mobile blogging!

I just registered my phone so I can blog on the go! If we see something on the road, or the mood strikes our fancy, we'll be able to share it with friends and family.

Way to go technology......

Test for mobile blogging

Okay...now you are just taunting me.....

I have had a dream for almost a decade. That dream is to own a Mini Cooper. A dream chili red Mini with contrasting white roof and side mirrors. Her dream name is Evie.

I have fought this dream first when I was in grad school and couldn't afford squat without running up my credit card debt. Then in Georgia where I was paying off grad/undergrad school loans and credit cards. And then in Virginia where I am just to fiscally responsible to take a car loan on my own while paying off grad/undergrad school and having a family. That and while I always drive manual in my dreams (always, I swear to you), I have never actually learned how to drive a manual vehicle except for a few lessons in Georgia by friends and my cousin in West Virginia.

When James returned from Korea we purchased a Ford Espace which was practical at the time with the boys. My first ever car loan with financial support from James. Then Lulu arrived and the boys kept getting bigger. The two door Mini Cooper just wasn't in the cards. Then the Clubman arrived last year, and with the third door I was still hesitant. While all four of us could sit in one (thank you Washington, DC auto show) there wasn't much room for anything else. And this past May we upgraded to third row seating and heated seats with Lola, a Ford Freestyle, my "mom vehicle". The car loan got bigger. But the space was pretty good.

And today I received an email from Mini Cooper USA that they have just introduced a four door Mini Cooper called the Countryman in the United States. OH! and you can get one in an automatic.

Are they trying to make me crazy!?!?!?! I want to motor so badly.....damn you sensible thinking!!!

Today I voted. Have you?

I hate to admit it, but today was the first time I have ever voted in a mid-term election. Seriously. And with the way things are going these days I will never miss a chance to vote ever again.

I have my sticker, but I haven't put it on. I really think that we should go to the ink on the index finger like they do in Afghanistan. That would be super cool! And it would stay around all day unlike our stickers which typically fall off your article of clothing after a couple of hours. And it would be more easy to spot folks who haven't voted and encourage them to vote. I wouldn't mock them unless they had a plausible excuse like early voting. If you are over the age of 18 you should be a registered voter.

Image from the Federal Voter Assistance Program (www.fvap.gov)

If you haven't voted yet today pollsare open until 1900 (7:00 PM)  in Virginia and until 2000 (8:00 PM) in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Monthly Update

Seriously. Over a month? It's been over a month since I last posted something about this family? Jeez! I should be fired! Well here are the highlights:

• I should be in Austin, TX, right now at the National Preservation Conference attending the ACHP booth. However, James got his flu shot last Thursday and by Friday night what ever his body had been fighting won and he was down for the count. James gets sick about once a year. And when James gets sick...I get sick. But if I get sick James doesn't get sick. On Monday morning when I was suppose to get on a plane to TX I felt like complete crap and knew I couldn't get on a plane. I spent several hours playing phone and email tag with work while we sent an emergency back-up to take my place. I'm glad that I didn't go because it wasn't healthy, but then again I have the work ethic of a bulldozer so it was hard to make that decision. I have since spent the week on the couch and/or bed napping and watching Netflix instantly on the Wii. Man I love Netflix on the Wii. Oh! And James spent last weekend sleeping and ended up taking two sick days this week. He to is doing better except first thing in the morning when his body is waking up...I can't sleep in...and he is now on antibiotics
• This past weekend we had the boys. With James sick he missed out on attending the Richmond Games, but Joe, Jaime, Lulu, and I made the drive south to meet up with the parents. We had a really nice time. And of course Lulu was loved by one and all. Since I was solo parenting with two boys and a dog I failed to take a single photo. Beautiful weather--it usually rains a biblical amount and is freezing on the weekends of the Richmond Games, so the sunny blue skies was a nice change.
• One of the biggest cases I have been working on since 2007 finally came to a close this past week. Yahoo!!!!!!!
• The lovely new command still apparently can't make up their minds on where they would like to be based. The debate between Fort Belvoir and Fort Meade has arising once again like a blasted Phoenix. Can't they just decide and let me live in VA!!!????
• At the beginning of October we had Halloween craft day with the boys. The big project was a spooky front bush decoration:
  
  
  

The boys made a giant spider from a milk jug, pipe insulation, and black duct tape. Love you Family Fun!

• And lastly, Lulu graduated from Beginner Education this month. And will be starting Intermediate Education next month. She looked pretty cute in the cap!

I've written this before and I will write it again. I will do better about keep up to date with this blog!