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So, I’ve finally gotten around to redecorating my office from being a disorganized drab room into a place where I can be productive. As someone who works from home, four days a week, this is essential for my sanity.

I actually have two desks: one for work and one for play. My office is in the basement of our house in the “fourth bedroom.” I use the term loosely because to be counted as a bedroom, there must be a closet and a window for emergency egress. The closet rod was barely hanging on to the horrendously installed drywall screws. The window is too high, too small, and I’m not convinced it opens. First order of business when I set the room up was get rid of the closet doors followed by lightly tapping the closet bar and letting it come clattering out of the wall on its own. I moved my desk in, set up my workstation and largely left it at that the past two years.

When the husband and I were getting hitched, I made up a seat assignment board out of steel sheeting, spray painted one of our wedding colors and accented with ribbon. They never saw the light of day because 1) We had no place to stand them up at the reception and 2) It was so hot the day we got married, the hot glue holding on the ribbons, melted and wouldn’t stick to the sheeting. Because of this, I was determined to repurpose them. Or purpose them, I guess, since they never saw their original destiny take form. They are now the backdrop behind my computers where I can put notes to myself or keep information I always need but haven’t committed to memory. And they are magnetic! I have lots of magnets. It’s the little things that amuse me most.

Last but not least for this round are the shelves in the closet. None too fancy shelves from IKEA, drywall screws properly installed with a suitable weight limit and I was good to go. Let’s just gloss over the fact that those shelves have been languishing in the basement for 3 months while I goofed off in my spare time playing video games. (along with the lights I need to install on either side of my desk to give me more light in the space…) I needed a place for my work notebooks, programming, books, and assorted other bits of documentation that I will need when working. One might say I have an unhealthy relationship with flat surfaces, so, I was bound to say “hell yes” to some shelves. That they are level and didn’t fall out of the wall the second I put books on them is a feat enough to make me giddy.

Not pictured are:

• my papasan on the other side of the room, usually occupied by Felix, my older cat
• gate leg craft table with drawers in the center console
• Expedit 4×4 bookshelf on the adjacent wall cluttered up with craft things, old papers and other various flotsam
• plastic craft drawers for yarn, fabric, and various crafty jetsam (to go with the flotsam, you see)

The room is still pretty messy, but it’s coming together, slowly but surely. I have mad dreams of taking out all the ceiling tiles in the basement and seeing what is up there fully exposed and properly lit. You should know, my dreams are usually terrifying. So far, I’m pretty happy.

Continue reading »]]> Two posts in one day? What is the world coming to!? But, I was checking my oft-neglected RSS feeds and had to reblog this from Frederick Maryland Online.

Mealey’s Table will open in “Spring 2012.” Here are some articles about the chef, the excitement of the town, and jobs at the new restaurant.

Mealey’s Restuarant has been closed ever since we moved up here. I think we started looking to move out this way maybe six months after they’d closed up shop for good. Color me officially super stupid excited.

We have Milo’s which is cute and great and we like Morgan’s which is a hair further up the road out of town. But, getting something new/old back into the mix of offerings is super awesome. It’s also going to be open for breakfast on weekday mornings which has me SUPER psyched.

The only coffee shop in town when we moved in (now closed) was open only on specific days and NEVER early in the morning which was a huge bummer. We never went there because it was never open.

Join me in shouting “YAY!” won’t you?

/flail

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I am not the gardener in the family. Never have been. My mom had a decent sized garden when I was a kid and she taught me the basics of crop rotation, watering, and weeding. I took advantage of plucking fresh string beans off the vine and popping them in my mouth (and yes, I did get yelled at to wash them first).

Now that I have my own house and yard, I’m still not the gardener. The Husband is the get of a seasoned veteran of growing and tending plants and other landscapey pursuits. I get input on what gets planted and what vegetables we’ll try and grow but, it’s his domain. It’s just as well, though, my flesh is of the “burns crispy” variety, so not spending copious amounts of time in the summer sun, isn’t the worst thing to have happen.

That being said, I do get whims. This is how we ended up with purple carrot seeds.

Today’s silliness is no different. We had a spider plant. We brought it inside the garage before the first frost in the fall, but never treated it with insecticide before bringing it into the house. So. Ex spider plant.

I noticed during our Spring cleaning that the spider plant managed to live long enough to seed. I stole some excess dirt from a re-potted sheffalera (different story entirely), grabbed five seeds, and threw them into a plastic cup this morning. I don’t have a lot of faith in its success. But I don’t care! It might work!

It hasn’t sprouted yet.

I’m impatient.

Nope. Definitely hasn’t sprouted yet.

Continue reading »]]> I’m incredibly surprised at myself for keeping so quiet about this issue until now. What seems like a million years ago now, I participated in “Grey Day” as a sort of grassroots effort in 2000 for People of the Internet to self-regulate how they generated their web content. It was the advent of “hot-linking” and posting whole swaths of copyrighted content on your website, because who cares? The C&D you got in your inbox very quickly informed you of who cared indeed.

Basically, it was trying to send the message that if everyone steals content for their websites, no one will make anything any more and everything would just be drab and blah and boring and “grey.” So, stealing is wrong, mmkay, don’t do it. It was a cute effort, but ultimately didn’t work. People still steal content on the Internet. All the time. There’s tons of ways to do it. And lots of people don’t even think they’re doing anything wrong.

I don’t like copyright infringement. It makes me kinda grumpy. I like copyright infringement on the Internet even less. People who honestly believe “Everything on the Internet is free” need a boot to the head as far as I’m concerned. Just ask Cooks Source magazine how free the Internet is. I’m fascinated by copyright law. I have extended family members who’ve made it their specialty (I come from a very litigious family).

So, with the hub-bub of SOPA/PIPA/Censorship, etc it’s very odd that I’m not being more active or vocal on it. If there was ever a day to be so, today’s the day. I’ve already written one of my senators, Ben Cardin. He supports PIPA and I was shocked and appalled. Then I saw text from a press release that he’s a co-sponsor of the bill to have an active role in it since he is no longer on the committee that would give it the most attention and also that he wouldn’t vote for it as-is. So, if you’re in Maryland, be a dear and encourage him to stick to his guns on that one.

So, what’s finally spurred me to comment? Google and this: End Piracy, Not Liberty. The last paragraph is the crux of the whole SOPA/PIPA thing: As written, it won’t work to stop piracy.

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Once upon a time, I had quite a laugh sifting through the weirdo spam comments I was getting on the blog. They haven’t been very funny in a very long time. They still aren’t. However, I’ve noticed that I’ve been getting tons more lately. And they’re all on really old posts. Yay Google indexing?

To all my recent spam readers, I bid you welcome and good tidings… Or something.

This post brought to you by “Doing anything under the sun to make me not notice the horrible headache I have right now,” the number “3,” and the letter “M.”

Continue reading »]]> So, I’m in Dallas for work. When away from home, I avoid restaurants I can eat at when home like it was my only purpose in life. Technically, I’m in Addison. There are 3 things in Addison: a big fancy mall, hotels, and 873,000 restaurants. Finding an interesting place to eat is not even a little bit hard.

Two coworkers and I ended up at a place called Blue Mesa Grill. Wonderful place. Nice atmosphere, great food, and a ridiculously large tequila menu.

One of my companions and I ordered margaritas. I opted for a blood orange sage and he went for grapefruit tarragon. Our waitress switched them when she brought them. I knew from the first sip I had the wrong drink. My dining companion looked at the drinks and said, “Yeah, you’re right, but you’re not getting this back. Mine now.”

I had the waitress check to make sure the drinks had been swapped. She carried it off back to the bar, confirmed, and brought it back. I put in another order for the right drink and before she got too far, hollered, “Well, there’s no need to let that one go to waste…”

Hehehehe.

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I am about to share a letter from Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) but before I do so, I want to preface with a few things:

1. I don’t like telling people how their politics should lay out. Don’t tell me how mine should. If we can agree on that ground rule, we can talk.
2. I very strongly believe that even though the person in office is not the one I voted for, they still represent me and my interests. So when I write to that person, I do expect them to hear what I say and respect the gravity of their office and their civic responsibility to represent their constituents. You don’t only represent the people who voted for you.
3. I’m sharing this letter at this time in correlation to the recent “personhood” amendment that was shot down in Mississippi yesterday. Mr. Bartlett shares similar views as to what that state amendment was trying to legislate.
4. I do like Mr. Bartlett’s positive environmental work he has advocated. It would seem the environment is his strong suit and I would urge him, in the future, to focus on that instead.

In January, I wrote to Mr. Bartlett to express my disappointment in his co-sponsoring of H.R. 3. If you don’t want to click the link, it’s the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. To summarize, I don’t feel these issues really belong at the federal level and I felt it was an unwarranted attack on female reproductive health services. There are already laws prohibiting federal funds being used for abortions and the wording of the proposed legislation was clunky, at best, and dangerously vague at worst.

Unfortunately, I did not save the original text I had sent to Mr. Bartlett.  He sent me this charming response SIX MONTHS later:

Dear Mrs. Lathrop:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3).  I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

I am a proud original cosponsor of this legislation. H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, was sponsored by Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ). This bill would prohibit: (1) the expenditure of funds authorized or appropriated by federal law or funds in any trust fund to which funds are authorized or appropriated by federal law for any abortion or for health benefits coverage that includes coverage of abortion; (2) any tax benefits for amounts paid or incurred for an abortion or for a health benefits plan (including premium assistance) that includes coverage of abortion; and (3) the inclusion of abortion in any health care service furnished by a federal health care facility or by any physician or other individual employed by the federal government.

I earned Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Human Physiology.  It is inarguable that life begins when the woman becomes pregnant.  I believe that abortion is the unjustified taking of human life.  The Constitution protects the freedom of the people to express their moral and religious views and their right to life.  I will continue to work to uphold the Constitution and protect the right to life.  I will also continue to work to restore the value of human life and fight for the rights of unborn members of the human family.

Thank you for contacting my office.  I hope you will continue to keep me informed on federal issues that are important to you.  In the meantime, I encourage you to visit my website http://www.house.gov/bartlett where you can sign up to receive e-mail updates regarding my legislative activity.  It is a privilege to serve you in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Sincerely, Roscoe Bartlett
Member of Congress

A brief summary of my opinions on his response:

1. Thanks, Mr. Bartlett, for summarizing the bill I wrote to you about. I think I knew what the text of the legislation included when I wrote you, otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered.
2. Life begins at conception? “Inarguable”? Watch me. First, there must be agreement on the definition of “life” and already I see that he and I have VASTLY different ideas of that definition. A fertilized egg cannot survive outside the womb. Therefore, it cannot live, so it is not yet alive. And really, that’s where I’m going to leave it.
3. I apologize that I don’t have a fancy degree in Human Physiology. How nice to throw your education in my face as assertion of your “rightness.” Why do I feel like I got “mansplained” at?
4. Claiming to have Science as your support but then instead backing up your opinion with rhetoric about the Constitution and Religion is an affront to Science.
5. Whether or not to bring another person into the world is a personal choice to be made by a limited circle of people and the Federal Government is not on that guest list. Listen to me very carefully when I say this: BUTT. OUT.
6. I do not argue your right to express your religious views. Go on with your bad self. I do, however, argue the right of anyone to impose their own moral or religious views on others via legislation. There’s expressing your views and opinions and then there’s writing laws saying, “My views and opinions supersede yours. My religion says I’m right and you’re wrong.”
7. Mr. Bartlett, you really, truly and honestly lost when you fully admitted to your dedication to a personal crusade while fulfilling the duties of elected office. That’s not your job. Your job is to fight for and represent your constituents. As one of those, I’d much prefer you pay more attention to the needs and requests of the existing ones rather than the hypothetical-not-yet-born ones. Thanks.

Maybe I’m just taking crazy pills. Maybe my ideas for the way our representatives are supposed to work is completely backwards. But if I’m right. And they’re doing everything all wrong. Then the loud yelling of the crazypeople has won. And we’re all doomed.

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Photo by Katherine Gray - Build Your Wings Photography

Ok, not really of DOOM. But, oh the mishaps were very Lathrop-y.

Because it is so much fun and we have such a wonderful time with it at the Mocks, I tracked down a Beatles Rock Band Limited Edition bundle. It comes with a drum set, Hoffner bass controller, microphone and microphone stand. Buying all the pieces separately can easily creep to $200+. Sears.com has the Limited Edition bundle for $99. WIN! Rock Band 3 was on sale at Amazon (sans keyboard for now) and we were in business. It just all needed to get here. I hate both paying for shipping and being patient. I had to wait! Days! for these things to make their way to me. DAYS! In the five minutes we were snuggling upstairs, UPS came to the door and knocked a knock that sounded rather a lot like a cat running up the steps to us. Boo.

Friday we were supposed to go to Southern Maryland to pick up anniversary cupcakes and go fishing. Instead, we had to wait around for UPS to deliver us unto the Rock Band. . . More waiting! I checked the status of the package and they’d gotten it into their crazy heads my little blue house was a) a business and b) not open on Fridays so they would be attempting the delivery on Monday. This would not do. A very grumpy me called UPS and arranged to pick up my Beatles Rock Band. I was DONE with this waiting horseshit.

When we got there the UPS wage slave was very near a very painful verbal lashing when he hunched over his little computer attempting to track down its current status. Luckily I saw it behind the counter he was standing at (/faceplam) waiting for us to pick it up.

Rock Band achieved! Victory was assured. Fish remained un-retrieved from a lake for one more day.

We followed up with dinner at hibachi where not so tasty (tho very flashy) kerosene vegetables were served along adequate scallops. We scurried home to rock out the night as ‘Civilian Authority’.

Saturday included a plan of the orignally scheduled cupcake retrieval, a free exercise bike from the in-laws and the much-delayed fishing. Visit with the in-laws (all of them), exercise bike, and cupcake retrieval went off without a hitch. However the weather gave Trey’s asthma a run for its money.

Trey’s Lungs: *gasping for breath*
Air: You seek to inhale me? FOOL!!!
Trey and Jess’s fishing plans: *wither and die another day*
Fish: Yay!!

Sad and dejected, we wandered home and emptied the care of the spoils we had successfully collected that day. I convinced the husband the only cure for our sadness was delicious Mexican food. Ever the loving man, he humored his wife’s crazy notions and off to Mariachi restaurant we went. OH MY GOD THE EPIC NOMS LIVE THERE! Stuffed full of some of the most amazing food ever, we rolled home. Comic books and video games capped the evening as we battled food comas. (Oh my lord am I ever behind on comics. Ugh.)

Sunday, our actual anniverary, was nasty hot. We hid in the house. There was also a terrible excursion to the new Frederick Wegman’s that I have pretty much blocked out of my memory. Seriously, I almost moved by Sunday entirely with “We stayed inside all day and played video games and did nothing.” But, oh god, no, the Wegman’s. Huge. Beautiful Market. I think. I couldn’t see much through the ridiculous mass of humanity heaving through it back and forth. We grabbed the things we knew we needed right away and then ran away screaming. Never again on a Sunday. OMG No.

The rest of the day really was full of video games and slack. Dinner was seafood at the Cracked Claw. It was decent but we couldn’t stop discussing how we’d change everything about the decor, layout, landscaping, upkeep of the building and the food. So, while it was delicious, it left a bit to be desired as a complete dining experience.

Monday was a beautiful day. Perfect fishing weather! We didn’t go fishing. We went and met the littlest McCrady! I delivered unto them Steaming Hot Meat Muffins! Meatloaf baked in a muffin tin. Hat tip to Misha for that idear. Nom nom nom nom nom BABY! She was adorable as all get out. We both got to hold her and give Meg a break by giving her a bottle. She fell asleep in our arms mid-noms and was just about the best thing ever. We shooed ourselves outta there in time to get just out of range of the bulk of rush hour and let the family embark on their walk to test drive their new stroller.

The evening unfolded as an adventure to find HDMI cables for our new TV as I altered my intended destination three times before ending up at Costco and finding what I needed in five minutes but still wandered the store for another 30. Our weekend was capped off with tuna sammiches and more comics.

Tuna sammiches were about as close as we got to fishing this weekend, but our fishing spirit is not broken! Fish! You are on notice, bitches!

All in all we spent the whole weekend telling eachother, “Remember what we were doing this time last year?” and reminiscing on the whole thing. It was phenomenal. Definitely an adventure.

[Photo by Katherine Gray - Build Your Wings Photography]