Snowtober

I spent all weekend sick with a bug, taking it easy by mostly laying on the couch and watching the first season of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix (I loved the early seasons but had only watched them once - when they were on TV originally). I woke up early on Saturday, knowing that snow was in the forecast for the morning, but was disappointed by a whole lotta nothin outside and went back to bed. Later in the afternoon we got some slush and sleet and tons of rain. I figured that was all we were going to get. But then as Jason cooked our meatball dinner, he came into the living room and said, "Honey, look!" I turned around to look out the window and what did I see? Giant beautiful snow flakes. We hopped outside and took our first family snow picture!

It was funny to take a snow picture with green bushes behind us because it feels like fall has hardly started around here. There are a few red trees around, and more and more turn everyday, but it seems like most everything is still green! So, while it was fun to have that little bit of snow and cold, I'd like to enjoy fall a little bit more before we get into the true snowy winter season.

[Two of our four pumpkins and our pumpkin tree]

To enjoy fall we lit some candles next to our little pumpkins and watched them glow. We enjoyed some acorn squash and then cooked its seeds (with olive oil, salt, paprika, and crushed red chili powder). They were delicious.

I was just going back through posts from last winter... 

I cannot WAIT for it to truly feel like the holidays. 

There is no better time of year.

But for now... Happy Halloween!
We'll be hanging out with our baby cousins and watch them in their neighborhood's Halloween parade.
Can't wait!
How are you (or did you) celebrate?

Anniversary Numero Dos

Happy 2nd Anniversary to this guy. 

Damn, you're cute. 

I think I'll keep you forever.

What a magical and beautiful day (freezing, but picture-perfect) it was.

One of the best days of my life.

Not many people get to say they married the one they fell in love with when they were 14.

I got lucky.

Love you, Jason!

Playing the Real Estate Game in the DC Area

It's been a five (blissful) months since we've gone out to look at houses. We were burned so badly in our search. Countless contracts, three inspections, three realtors. All for nothing. We were searching in vain for over a year by the time we decided to take a break for a while. We needed that break very badly, and the changes we made really did make a difference in our attitudes and life. In that time off, I tried to convince myself that buying a house wasn't the right choice for as many reasons as I could come up, including (but not limited to):

• I should enjoying being young and carefree without a mortgage.
• Spending money on concert tickets, going out to eat, etc is way more fun than spending it on a mortgage.
• We've always wanted to live in another state doing it now before we have kids and want to be near our family makes sense.
• The majority of our future kids' grandparents will probably move out of town in the next 10 years anyway.
• Grad school would be the perfect opportunity to live somewhere else for a while.
• My tools for yard work right now include kitchen scissors and a serving spoon. And I like it that way.
• Similarly, if something breaks, our sweet land-lady arranges to get it fixed. And pays for it.
• I love our neighbors and our neighborhood.

Then I devised an alternative five-year plan that did not include homeownership that enabled me to think of those reasons listed above. I did a really good job of convincing myself. It really was a great plan - it was valid and smart.

So I'm still not sure I want to be back in the real estate game, but for every con I came up with there is also a pro to buying right now.

Still, I don't know how I feel about it. If it says anything about our experience, we couldn't even remember our realtor's name when we wanted to contact her yesterday. Which might be understandable except that her name? It's my middle name (the one I had 'til I got married, anyway)... and I still had to look it up to remember. (It should be said that this memory black-out had nothing to do with her as a person because she's sweet as can be.)

So all this to say, we're going to start looking again. So... wish us luck? I guess? We'll see how long this lasts. Because honestly? I can see myself walking into one house and then being done again.

P.S. I'm still catching up on posting. I posted two entries (concerts, Baltimore) this weekend to start my catch-up process and plan to do more in the next week or so. And yes, I skipped over the last half of our West Coast vacation. Someday I'll get back to it. Maybe in the dead of winter to remind me of summer again.

Baltimore

We have taken to visiting Baltimore recently after realizing that it's the halfway point between us and some good friends, Christine and Kyle, who live in Delaware. The first time we went we met Christine and we walked around the harbor for the afternoon. I actually really enjoy walking around the harbor. It's quite lovely. The top corner pic is Christine and Jason on a cool lighthouse along the harbor.

The second time? Well, I'll let Christine explain that one because she took the better pictures.

But I'll give you a hint: mmmeat.

Concerts. Twice is Nice!

Remember a little note I wrote back in July at the bottom of a post? It went like this: "I swear I haven't been listening to [Katy Perry's] music non-stop since then or trying to convince Jason to get pit tickets to see her live again while we're on vacation so we can be THIS CLOSE to her..."

Well, I'll admit that I've listened to nothing other than Katy Perry in the car since the show in June. And that includes the entire drive from Seattle to Los Angeles. And no, Jason's not sick of her yet either.

 I have to fess up to something else as well:

I convinced him. 

It wasn't hard to do. 

Clearly he likes her music if he's not sick of it yet.

Not to mention he thinks she's a knockout.

(Who doesn't?)

We got tickets to see her while we were in Seattle. We were in the pit, right in front, and it was totally worth it. It was so much fun being right there up in the action rather than watching her when she's as big as an ant like last time. She's my first true pop love and I'm having fun with it. It kind of makes me feel like I'm in middle school again.

We saw Guster live again too when we got back home. We saw them with Jack's Mannequin who were okay (once upon a time we liked Something Corporate and it's the same singer), but we won't see them again because we didn't think they were that great and I wasn't digging the music anymore. I guess I've outgrown it. Guster, on the other hand, is one of those bands that is even better live than they are on albums. In fact, I really only listen to their one live album. I'd love it if they would release another!

And the venue? Wolf Trap. I love seeing shows there because it's so beautiful and it just so happens that the first time I saw Guster in 2004 it was there (along with Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright - now THAT was an incredible show).