This weekend was nice. Maggie, who had a bout of ill health, is doing better. I hope Rob is still administering her medicine :P

Susan's wedding was beautiful. She dances and used to teach the tango. She's gracious and elegant. Her wedding gown was a gorgeous deep red with silver stars. This is the first event I've ever attended by non-Con-going folks where there were tiaras and diadems -- and they looked completely normal.

So many things have a symbolic meaning, don't they? This morning I had a praying mantis on my car's driver side door. I'm sure there's some symbolism about this somewhere. I know what it means to me, though. It means I got into the car from the passenger's side door.

What a surprise, considering my first characters are Lael (a half-elf ranger) and Melodie (a bard). Muahahaha!

I Am A: Lawful Good Half-Elf Ranger Bard

Alignment:
Lawful Good characters are the epitome of all that is just and good. They believe in order and governments that work for the benefit of all, and generally do not mind doing direct work to further their beliefs.

Race:
Half-Elves are a cross between a human and an elf. They are smaller, like their elven ancestors, but have a much shorter lifespan. They are sometimes looked down upon as half-breeds, but this is rare. They have both the curious drive of humans and the patience of elves.

Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.

Secondary Class:
Bards are the entertainers. They sing, dance, and play instruments to make other people happy, and, frequently, make money. They also tend to dabble in magic a bit.

Deity:
Mielikki is the Neutral Good goddess of the forest and autumn. She is also known as the Lady of the Forest, and is the Patron of Rangers. Her followers are devoted to nature, and believe in the positive and outreaching elements of it. They use light armor, and a variety of weapons suitable for hunting, which they are quite skilled at. Mielikki's symbol is a unicorn head.

Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

You know that it's time to go home when...

... you notice that a window on one of your monitors is spreading over onto the second monitor, so you reach out to move the second monitor.

Doh!

My TiVo records some very odd shows. It has indeed recorded Trading Spaces, but I don't particularly like that show. I think what gets me is when the occupant says pre-makeover, "Whatever happens, please no pink!" and then in the very next shot, the designer is unveiling gallons of pink paint. Do these folks not listen? :D

I have however fallen in absolute love with What Not to Wear, BBC version. The American version gets on my nerves as the hosts are just plain mean. Trinny and Susannah are mean, too, but they know what they're talking about. I don't get the same feel from the American hosts, who look as though they might need to have their styles tweaked.

It's still too warm to think of flipping around boxes and stapling fabric to them, but now that my sister is rearranging her visit, I'll have time. Heh! When I'm done with it, it should look decent. I'd like to put up some bamboo blinds to snarfle the view of the apartment across. The bedroom I live in has a tree right outside; the second room is off the porch area and so it's cooler but looks directly into the unit across. Perhaps a potted palm or something on the porch to screen the view. Hmm.

Except, you know, I'm tired of schlepping stuff up the stairs. I need rent-a-schlepper.

Yesterday morning, I sat out on the patio for a bit with a cup of coffee and a magazine. Mittens came outside and flooped in the shade of the steps. When I went inside to refill my cup I heard an odd whirring sound I could not quite place. It was the air conditioning, having kicked in as it should anytime the temperature inside gets to 85 degrees. At 9AM, the temperature triggered the air conditioner.

It's really hot. :)

Like any other sensible person, I went shopping. Stores are air conditioned for our comfort. Last Friday was a payday and all my bills are duly noted. The stores are air condititioned.

Part of my catalog perusing is in anticipation of my sister's threatened visit this Fall with the adorable niece. I have no spare bed, just a spare room (which isn't particularly spare, given the number of boxes in it). My goal was to purchase supplies with which to make a window seat, from which pillows can be pulled off to make a nest upon the floor. At the end of the day and several shops later, I had spent nearly $200 and had gotten:

3 huge leather and suede down-filled pillows
4 smaller tapestry-covered pillows
a plastic shelving system that could be (and is!) split in half to create the seats
a bolt of upholstery fabric from a thrift shop
a staple gun set with staples and a retracting tape measure (my old tape measure doesn't retract anymore)
a gift for Broos (it was on clearance...my inner Scotsperson had to buy it for him)
a cross-stitch book
2 paperback novels
2 nightie sets, two pairs of shorts, four shirts, board shorts and a bag for my niece
and
a pair of shoes (after all, this is my shopping adventure)

I meant to get a lamp for the spare room but with my arms full of leather and suede pillows, I had no hands left.

Did I ever mention how I love to shop?

Anyway, the assembled shelves with pillows atop them look suitably window-seat-like. According to the label, the shelves hold up to 600 pounds, so even the heftiest of visitors can sit comfortably without fear (not that anyone I know approaches this avoir du pois, but it's good to know). Mittens has already jumped up onto it and taken a nap, so it has his blessing.

I turned my wardrobe boxes over and currently, with the aid of an old blanket, have a dresser-sized stand on the opposite wall. If it cools down sometime, I will take the staple gun and apply some of the upholstery to the boxes so they match the window-seat.

I had heard this in an NPR story, and looked it up later to make sure I wasn't halucinating. The podium(s) cost $2.5 million. Oh, but tax payers need not be upset; it was paid for by donations from private corporations (who are trying to sway Republicans to vote whatever way they need them to).

The link you put in the comments, ChrisWho, is hysterical although I don't know if it's in a good way or a bad way.