The Highlight Reel: 29 February – 06 March

Screw you, leap year. You have the audacity to add an extra day without making my employer pay me an additional 0.274%?! I declare shenanigans!

Booze

Apparently, this was DC’s unofficial Whisk(e)y Week, with two whiskey festivals taking place only a few days apart and a spate of events in between to prevent one’s liver from ever recovering. For reasons that are not at all clear to me, WhiskyFest (the bigger, more expensive of the two) was on a Wednesday, which basically eliminated any chance of my attending. Whisky Live, however, is always on Saturday, and after two years of hemming and hawing, I finally decided to go.

dc-vip-16-9

The VIP package got us in 30 minutes ahead of the crowds, which actually weren’t too bad, and included a lovely, cut crystal Glencairn glass and access to a special tasting area with more whisky (because 150 options isn’t enough). Apart from a single barrel Four Roses poured for me by their new master distiller, I wasn’t blown away by anything in the VIP area. Some of the general access bourbons were fantastic, though.

Jared at The Bourbon Source really blew everyone else out of the water with his selection, but it wasn’t exactly a fair fight—he brought a bunch of dusties whose rarity alone provides a special allure.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCMEiLrl6GU/?taken-by=barrellbourbon

Joe from Barrell Bourbon had a similarly impressive spread and excellent product to boot. I’ve been clinging onto a bottle of their Batch 001 for about a year, and now I want all of the others. Curse you, Joe!

And I finally got to try Brenne, a French single malt whisky about which I’d heard many good things. It lived up to the hype, and now I want these, too. And that’s how they get ya…

The event was so much fun that it warrants its own post, so I’ll get right on that.

Food

With The Missus out of town on Friday, I decided to try something a bit out of the ordinary. No, not the chocolate chip cookies: dinner at a gun shop. That’s right, the local gun shop—which has a sign outside that reads “Guns and Coffee”—hosts a free spaghetti dinner on the first Friday of the month. It’s too off the wall for me not to try, and it was actually quite good.

My having been raised well, I couldn’t show up empty handed, so I threw together some chocolate chip cookies beforehand. I’m toying with my recipe, and I can’t decide whether the changes were a net improvement, but everyone there seemed to enjoy. The cookies were gone before I left.

Oh, and I ate McDonald’s on my way back from Whisky Live, because it was the only thing open near me. I mean, apart from Taco Bell, which is farther away and even worse. I feel dirty.

Fitness

A long time ago, I was a triathlete. Not a good one, mind you, but a triathlete all the same. Then time and budget constraints got in the way, so I quit swimming and evolved into a guy who just runs and bikes a lot, but never in conjunction. This week, for the first time in years, that changed.

In the midst of a long, lung-burning trainer session, my apparently oxygen-deprived brain decided that a short run off the bike was just what the doctor ordered. The next 30 minutes of cranking the pedals to steadily increasing fatigue wasn’t enough to convince me otherwise, so when my bike workout was done, I quickly changed into running gear and sped out the door. Somehow it wasn’t terrible. It actually felt…good. I just might try that again. In fact, I might even go for a swim. Maybe.

Interwebs of Intrigue

The Highlight Reel: 22-28 February

A quiet week, and one most welcome. After all the home projects and party prep over the past few weeks, I was ready for some downtime. Is it any wonder I’m now trying to plan a short vacation?

Life

The Missus and I tried to attend the Capital Remodel + Garden Show on Saturday. She was hoping for a chance to see the Property Brothers, but apparently so was everyone else, and it was an utter mob scene, complete with traffic jams and long lines to even get in. We had to punt and go back the next day. Who knew that identical twins with a TV show were such a draw?

Booze

Have you been to McLellan’s Retreat? No? Go! Like, now. Why are you even still reading this?

Food

All-you-can-eat BBQ is a dangerous, delicious proposition. My friend and I again came away from Fat Pete’s feeling too stuffed to move gracefully, but this time I didn’t eat so much that I felt sick. Progress!

Did you miss my easy homemade hummus recipe yesterday? It’s maybe not as delicious as a nonstop stream of smoked meat, but I like it fine.

_MG_7904

 

Fitness

Ripping through my shirt is perhaps a sign that I need to lift less, eat less, or both.

Interwebs of Intrigue

This is where I plunk down stories/videos/crap that caught my attention.

Easy Homemade Hummus

_MG_7904

I love hummus. It’s great with carrots. It’s great with pretzels. It’s great as a sandwich spread. It’s all around wonderful, but it’s also kinda expensive, given the quantities I’m liable to consume in any given sitting. When I think about the amount of money I’ve spent and the number of plastic tubs I’ve thrown in the recycling bin, a little part of me dies. Assuming $4.00 per tub × 2-3 tubs per week × 52 weeks/year, that’s $600+ each year. Why was I buying this stuff pre-made?!

For one, I didn’t realize how easy hummus is to make. You basically just dump a can of chickpeas and some spices into a food processor and blend until smooth. Don’t have a food processor? No problem; use a blender. Don’t have one of those? Use a stick blender. Don’t have one of those? Sorry, can’t help you, but I can assure you that it will pay for itself after only 10-15 batches of this stuff. This recipe makes two pounds and costs less than $2. Just do the math!

Okay, so there’s a little bit more to it than just dumping the whole can in and processing, but not much. Since I doubt you’d be reading this if you wanted to experiment on your own, here’s how I do it, as precisely as possible (because cooking is more art than science).

Easy Homemade Hummus

Makes about 32 ounces (900 grams)

Ingredients

_MG_7888

  • 2 cans cooked chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
  • 5 tsp olive oil (just less than 2 tbsp)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup reserved chickpea liquid (or water, if you accidentally tossed this)

Instructions

  1. If you haven’t already, drain chickpeas and save the “juice.”
  2. Add chickpeas, spices, olive oil, and lemon juice to food processor.
    IMAG1597
  3. Process until smooth (about 1-2 minutes), scraping sides at least once if you don’t like chunks.
    IMAG1599
  4. Sample and adjust seasonings to taste.
  5. Transfer to bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with lemon slice.
    _MG_7904
  6. Try not to eat the whole batch—I’m not responsible for an upset stomach if you do.

 

 

Sweet Baby Jesus! Cupcakes

I don’t like beer.  I never have.  But I needed beer for a party that The Missus and I were throwing, so I found myself in Dominion Wine & Beer asking the knowledgable clerks what I should buy.  One of them spoke about Sweet Baby Jesus! as though it was dessert in a bottle: decadent, creamy, sweet, rich. Basically, the perfect beer for people who don’t like beer.

I’d seen Sweet Baby Jesus before, but I didn’t know that it was a Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter (whatever that is); I just thought it had a great name. So after hearing the description and seeing that the store had but one single bottle available in their mix-and-match case, I decided to give it a shot.

I still don’t like beer. Not even this one. I also don’t like being wasteful, so put my noggin to work and tried to figure out what I could do with the leftovers. It didn’t take long to think of cupcakes. I mean, it’s not as though I can make my own Reese’s Cups, at least not with beer. Any how, I broke out my baker’s spreadsheet, pulled up the cupcake tab, and got to tinkering. The result was an incredibly rich but not terribly sweet chocolate cake with just a hint of peanut butter flavor. Just a hint of peanut butter just won’t do. Peanut butter frosting to the rescue!

_MG_7885

The end product was guinea pigged by guests at my housewarming party. Bold decision or calculated risk? Regardless, they were a hit! A bunch of guests asked for (demanded, even) the recipe. Hence the rush to write this, despite a paucity of photos. So without further ado, here’s the recipe.

 

Sweet Baby Jesus! Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes one dozen jumbo cupcakes or 18 regular cupcakes

Cake

IMAG1534

  • 3/4 cup (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup Sweet Baby Jesus!, room temperature, flat
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat), room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • Simple syrup (optional, for brushing)

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove lumps
  • 1 tablespoon milk (optional, for thicker frosting)
  • Miniature Reese’s cups (optional, for decorating)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter and cocoa powder until smooth.
    IMAG1538
  2. Whisk Sweet Baby Jesus into butter–cocoa mixture.
  3. Using an electric mixer (I prefer my KitchenAid, but a hand mixer will do), beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until completely free of lumps.
  4. Add in the cooled chocolate mixture and blend on low speed until just combined.
    IMAG1539
  5. Whisk together dry ingredients and add to the mixer. Beat on medium-low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl at least once.
  6. Divide batter evenly among baking cups, filling each about two-thirds. Don’t overfill or you’ll end up with muffins that won’t frost easily!
  7. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center cupcake comes out clean. Unless you know that your oven heats evenly, rotate the trays once during baking.
  8. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then brush the tops with simple syrup to lock in moisture.

While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting as follows.

  1. With an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter on medium speed until fully combined.
  2. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.
  3. Beat in milk if desired.
  4. If you get any frosting on your hands, try not to lick your fingers (unless you’ll wash them before handling the cupcakes)

When it’s time to frost the cupcakes, don’t go overboard. The frosting is even richer than the cake, and too much of it makes for an imbalanced treat. I frosted just to the brim of the baking cup, then perched a mini Reese’s cup on top for good measure.

I hope you like them as much as my guests did. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments, and don’t be afraid to share!

The Highlight Reel: 15-21 February

To lamely paraphrase lame philosophers everywhere, “when a snow day falls on a holiday, is it really a snow day?” Regardless of how you choose to answer that question, when it happens, I feel like we should get the following day off, just for good measure. Who’s with me?! Yes, Monday was President’s Day, and we in the DC area awoke to a couple inches of snow and the prospect of not being able to go anywhere because no one in this area knows how to drive in moderately inclement weather. At least it wasn’t another Snowzilla.

Life

Would you believe it if I told you that we had more projects to do around the house? This time, repainting and wallpapering a bathroom.  On that subject, when you move a washing machine to paint behind it, is that OCD or just being thorough?  Regardless, attention to detail is important, amiright?

IMAG1559

Booze

Our halfhearted plans for a Grammy Awards drinking game were basically put to rest by the paucity of awards actually given out during the broadcast. Looking up who won this or that award before the ceremonies is decidedly anticlimactic and would also lead to consuming large quantities of alcohol very quickly, which was never the intent. So instead, just good whisky for me during that glorified music festival.

IMAG1518

Yamazaki 18 Japanese Single Malt Whisky

While the Grammy festival may have been a dud, our own housewarming party was a resounding success.  We made a batched cocktail inspired by this gin-elderflower-strawberry concoction that was so popular it required a second batch.  Recipe coming soon!

Food

One pot chicken lo mein might just have the best flavor-to-difficulty ratio of anything we’ve ever made. Just throw everything in a pot and wait? It’s a veritable epiphany! What’s more, the concept is so versatile that it’s sure to be the basis of many meals and recipes to come.

6.2

One Pot Wonder Chicken Lo Mein | Photo & Recipe: The Wholesome Dish

A party at our place means baked goods, and even though most of our guests were unaware of that, I couldn’t let them down. To that end, oatmeal raisin cookies and a brand new cupcake creation.  And let’s not forget the homemade hummus, a charcuterie spread, and chili lime drumsticks.

IMAG1550

Oatmeal raisin cookies

IMAG1534

Where cupcakes come from

Recipe posts are already in the works, so stay tuned!

[UPDATE] Sweet Baby Jesus! cupcakes recipe is live!

_MG_7885

Fitness

After suffering from serious fatigue issues a few times recently, I decided it was time to change up my routine a bit. I didn’t so much change what I was doing as the order in which I was doing it, building in more recovery time between hard efforts and worrying less about “filler” workouts.  It largely paid off.  I hit a recent squat PR, and I continue to get faster on interval and tempo runs.  My long run didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, but not every workout can be a winner, and it’s important to always focus on the big picture.

Interwebs of Intrigue

New “feature” this week: A list of stories/videos that caught my attention over the the past seven days, generally but not always related to the theme of this blog.

See you next week!

The Highlight Reel: 08-14 February

Ugh, I’ve been slacking even with these weekly wrap-up posts.  My apologies to what I assume are the 1-3 of you who actually read my ramblings.  Let’s blame holidays and home projects as opposed to my laziness, k?

The lack of writing might also reflect what I’ve realized is an exceedingly pedestrian life as of late.  No partying, traveling, or racing means I have to be proactive about doing blog-worthy things if I am to keep this up.  Which again goes to the laziness, I suppose.  Any who, here’s the Highlight Reel.

Life

That feeling when you go to eat breakfast and realize a piece of your tooth is missing…
Thankfully, I actually just broke off part of an old filling, so it wasn’t painful.  And I found a fantastic dentist just a short walk from home.  AND my dental insurance covered all but $25 of the repair and cleaning!

On a more positive note, more home projects off the list (which somehow doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter, but that’s for another post).

IMAG1525

Gallery Wall

IMAG1522

Rustic-ated plate covers

IMAG1519

De-brassed door hardware

Booze

With more yet more progress around the house, I rewarded myself with a fancy ass cocktail on Sunday.  Good bourbon makes for better drinks, so boo hoo to you if you think I’m wasting expensive whiskey.

IMAG1511

As-yet-unnamed cocktail

Food

The Missus cooked! The Missus cooked! And it was fantastic! I wish every day were Valentine’s Day.

IMAG1508_BURST001

Ginger soy salmon with rice and veggies

Oh, and I tried a quesalupa, because I have a strange fascination with Frankenfoods.  It actually wasn’t bad, although I don’t have any urge to rush back for another. Good thing, that, because we’re within walking distance of Taco Bell.

IMAG1504

Quesalupa

Fitness

If you’re going to do a bunch of stiff-leg deadlifts, don’t plan on doing much for the next day or two.  Thankfully I made this mistake Monday, so the entire week wasn’t ruined. Still in the process of dialing back my gym work so that I don’t require an entirely new wardrobe, and I miss it already.  RIP, gainz

On the running front, I continue to make progress toward not being heavy and slow (now just heavy and not fast), which is very much welcome.  I did intervals for the first time in ages, and to my delight I didn’t die or end up like Shalane Flanagan after the Olympic trials.

The Highlight Reel:01-07 February

Booze

Another week of limited boozing, albeit with a bit of Super Bowl and finished-a-ton-of-projects indulgence on Sunday.  On a related note, I made some progress on the long-term project of drastically reducing the number of open whiskey bottles that had accumulated over the previous year.  Hooray, me!  Although I may have opened two others…oops.  At least I took a pretty picture

IMAG1475

Food

We made a couple of The Missus’ tried and loved recipes this week, both of which came together nicely.

Pesto Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus
IMAG1468

One-Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers (sorry, no photo)

In addition, we experimented with a new recipe, BLT grilled cheese, and were quite satisfied with the outcome.
IMAG1460

I also made my famous-among-friends oatmeal raisin cookies for a work thing but somehow forgot to document any of it.  I’m a failure as a food blogger, essentially.  Guess I’ll have to make more.

Fitness

Evidently, I can’t do three straight days of hard workouts combined with a lot of time on my feet and come away feeling refreshed.  Who knew?

Yes, this was a week to remind me that I’m human.  I actually heeded my body’s advice this time and kept to easy efforts until I felt ready for a real workout.  To my utter amazement, the world kept turning, and I didn’t suddenly get fat!  Rest may go against my very nature, but it’s not actually a bad thing.

Life

As alluded to above, huge headway on the honey-do list.

  1. Refinish our cabinet? Check!  
    IMAG1484
  2. Hang the crates that The Missus stained?  Check!  
    IMAG1490
  3. Caulk in new doorway?  Check!  
  4. Install bike rack?  Check!  
  5. Hang decorative lights?  Yeah, that too, and all over the weekend!

The Highlight Reel: 25-31 January

IMAG1436

Another relatively uneventful week, albeit one significantly affected by the after effects of the previous weekend’s massive snowfall, which wrought havoc on the roads and rails and made it impossible for me to get into the office.

Booze

I decided to do a blind tasting on Monday to see whether I could pick out some of the whiskies in my collection by taste alone.  Apart from one, I could not.  Not terribly surprising given the number of possibilities.  More amusing was The Missus’ idea of a small pour—I had already tried each twice before I took this photo!

IMAG1457

Food

A Monday snow day felt like pulled pork (recipe), so I got to work on the whole picnic shoulder that I’d bought in advance of the storm.  Ordinarily I’d just season and go, but an 11-pound cut was too much even for my six-quart slow cooker.  Turns out that disarticulating a joint is hard work, and that’s without needing the ability to put it back together.  I’m starting to understand why surgeons are paid so well.

Fitness

The snow might have kept me from the gym for the better part of a week, but it gave me an alternative workout on Monday.  I shoveled out a neighbor’s car, moved two massive snow piles, and cleared a few hundred square feet of parking lot on Monday.  Not only did I get a workout, I helped my little community, and what’s the point of being strong if I can’t put it to practical use?

Apart from laps of the Metro parking lot on Monday, running was strictly on the treadmill, and I continue to make progress toward what I consider respectable paces.  Patience and determination are paying off.

Getting some of my bike fitness back, too.  I can handle moderately hard efforts with grace—it’s the top end where I’ve really fallen off.  Fortunately, I know how to address that, and I’m cool with pain.

Life

With only three days of work a most of my time off spent dealing with snow, it was a decidedly uneventful week.  I’m pleased to say that I finished installing our new doorway, and The Missus is sufficiently satisfied with the work that I may be given permission to install our new washing machine.   Maybe she should see how I handle the drywall repair before making any final decisions.

While the doorway was a success, the cabinet refinishing had a setback.  Failure to sufficiently prep/prime the surface led to quickly peeling paint, complete removal of which will take significantly longer than doing it properly would have.  Oh well, at least now we have an opportunity to reevaluate the color we chose for the main body of the cabinet.

The Highlight Reel: 18-24 January 2016

What a week!  Holiday-shortened weeks are supposed to be breezy, but this was anything but.  I’ll put much of the blame on Virginia’s total lack of preparation for a 1″ snowfall, but more on that later.

Booze

Tuesday was supposed to mark the start of a more-or-less dry spell, as discussed earlier, but Snowzilla 2016 led to my drinking hiatus being put on hiatus.  To commemorate the occasion, I decided to crack one of my most recent finds, a septuagenarian bottle of Seagrams VO.  Despite nearly 75 years in a bottle, it’s still quite tasty!  I’ve never before had a whiskey in which the nose/smell was so different from the palate/taste.  $15 well spent.

Food

Practically nothing to report here.  The prospect of being trapped at home for days and hilariously empty shelves simply put a damper on my kitchen ambitions.  I threw together a basic chicken and veggies dish on Sunday, but we were otherwise eating deli meats and canned soup.

Fitness

With snow wreaking havoc on the roads, this was a week spent largely on the bike.  I’m coming to terms with the fact that I just can’t put out the same power I as I could a few months ago.  I know I’ll get there eventually; I just need patience and hard work.  At least I’m good at one of those.

I’ve also come to terms with the fact that I can’t pack on any more mass.  I already blew out the elbow of a suit jacket, and I had to have a seam repaired on a pair of trousers, so unless I want to buy a whole new wardrobe (I don’t), I need to work on maintaining rather than growing.  The Missus is no doubt overjoyed.

On the positive side, it seems my run fitness is coming back around.  A pair of tempo progression runs on the treadmill went much better than expected, with my comfortably holding a sub-7:00 pace for the first time in recent memory since before I was injured. I don’t put much stock in treadmill paces, even at the prescribed if scientifically invalidated 1% incline, but it’s encouraging nonetheless.   Maybe a race is closer than previously thought.

Life

After a delightful date night with the Missus on Wednesday, we were treated to a three-hour traffic clusterfuck thanks to a minimal accumulation of snow and Virginia’s decision not to treat any of its roads.  They didn’t even bother to salt I-66, the major East-West artery from DC, which pushed everyone onto side roads and snarled traffic well past midnight.  After a minor fender bender that occurred when the driver in front of us slammed on his brakes and slid into a parked car, we eventually circled back to Ballston, parked the car in a garage overnight, and took the Metro home, arriving around 00:30.

Lesson: If there is so much as a hint of snow in the forecast, don’t drive.

With Snowzilla/SnoWayOut/SNoChanceInHell expected Friday, we stocked the fridge and prepared to hunker down.  Thankfully, after over a month of being on the fritz, our refrigerator is working properly again.  Two people living out of a “rented” mini fridge was not ideal, and I’m happy to see this season of College Life Redux come to an end.

Rather than just spend the weekend drinking, eating, and watching TV, The Missus and I resolved to make some headway on our various home renovation projects.  She learned how to stain wood, and I began refinishing a cabinet.  I also made my first attempt at an upcycled lamp shade, but it’s not quite ready for primetime.  I think I’ve worked out the kinks in my process, though.  More on that next week!

The Highlight Reel: 11-17 January 2016

This is the first in a series of entirely self-indulgent posts, wherein I rattle off the (hopefully) somewhat interesting things I did this week.  It’s primarily intended to help me remember how I spent my time, perhaps with a bit of self-reflection and pontification thrown in for good measure.  It’s also a good way of helping keep to my “one blog post per week” goal for the year.  So without further adieu, here’s the inaugural Highlight Reel.

12510262_10156477757050531_1820151774538244309_n

Booze

Attended a friend’s whiskey tasting / playoff party on Sunday.  Met some new people and drank a few whiskeys that I hadn’t tried before.  All told, a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Note to self: ask about the barrel number of that peanut butter Willett.

Finally got around to cracking a 1954 Seagram’s VO on Saturday.  It’s a bit funky, as one might expect after 50+ years in a bottle, but altogether a good pour.  Shame it’s such a small bottle, as it’s hard to sample out that way.

Food

When a friend hosts a bourbon tasting, I feel compelled to bring a dessert that fits the theme.  To that end, I made a bourbon tollhouse pie on Sunday morning.  It was, to say the least, insanely rich.  I barely had half a slice, and it was still chocolate overload.  That said, it was very well received, and I’d consider making it again, albeit in a more bite-sized format.

The pie was decidedly better than the slow cooker Hawaiian chicken dish that I made on Friday.  Even after adding a ton of spices, and even the next day, it was still decidedly bland.  If you want a sweet-spicy slow cooker dish that actually has flavor, try this instead.

Though our chicken dish was disappointing, our visit to Lil Italian Café was anything but.  The notion of an Italian joint that advertises serving halal food was too intriguing to pass up, and I’m really glad we popped in.  Merasi got a cheesesteak that was good enough to sate the occasional cravings for a taste of Philly.  I tried their spicy, Eastern spin on a chicken cheesesteak and was thoroughly impressed. We’ll be back!

Fitness

After a few days of bad workouts and generally feeling like shit, I was finally getting back to normal this week.  3 x 8 @ 600 lbs on the leg press is a new post-injury PR, so no complaints there.  Getting in two 11-mile runs this week at quasi-decent paces also assures me that there is yet hope for my running exploits.  The run-specific fitness isn’t coming back quickly, but it’s coming.  My bike fitness is still down a bit from where it was before I started working, but that’s coming back nicely, too.  I suspect I’ll be grinding out the watts like old times, in no time.

Life

This was generally a quiet week, spent focused on final preparations for my Series 66 exam on Friday morning.  I didn’t demolish it like I did the Series 7 a few weeks prior, but I also sort of phoned it in once I was sure I’d gotten enough questions right to pass.  With a four day weekend starting as soon as I left the testing center, it was hard to stay motivated.

Apart from licensing for work, this week was largely about doing stuff around the house. I hung decorative shelving, frames, and a marquee; framed out a new doorway for the bathroom; moved our new washer into said bathroom; installed our knife block; hung a new curtain rod; and generally put a hurt on my Honey-Do list.  With a housewarming party looming, I’m extra motivated to get stuff done.  That, and we finally had a weekend home together.  I think that’s #3 since we moved in November.  Don’t move right before the holidays, kids—it sucks.

See you all next week!