Take the other ... [ more ]]]> Have you ever been on the news or in the newspaper? I actually have been quoted about five or six times, a few when interviewed about the Delaware Shakespeare Festival back in the day, but a couple times about really odd stories that I know nothing about.

Take the other morning, walking to the Metro there was a camera crew set up on my path. They stopped Selena and I and asked if we had any trouble with the wind and rain last night. I told them we didn’t encounter and rain but I did notice it was windy when I walked the dog first thing this morning.

They asked me to describe the wind, and I was at a loss. I just told them I was surprised that there was a lot of wind out there. Selena mocked me as we left them for calling the wind “surprising”, I insisted, that I gave them nothing of value, there is no way they would use my soundbite.

Eight hours later, I received this Google Alert:

The story is no longer on their site, and that’s a relief, because I sound like a buffoon, but I guess I can’t blame the ABC News. I did that myself by calling the wind surprising, and they just ran with it.

The story, as Greg relayed it to me went something like this:

Surrounded by walls of snow double the height of her, we cleared a small area on the porch where Sookie’s training pads are for her to use the bathroom. ... [ more ]]]> (WARNING: Gross material ahead. May not be suitable for all audiences.)

The story, as Greg relayed it to me went something like this:

Surrounded by walls of snow double the height of her, we cleared a small area on the porch where Sookie’s training pads are for her to use the bathroom. On Sunday morning, after finishing her business, Greg grabbed some toilet paper to bring it in and flush it down the toilet. (Our poop receptacle and pooper scoop were long buried at this point. Plus, it was more eco-friendly.)

Unfortunately, with all the water tracked in and out near the door, Greg lost his footing as he came in, skidding across the hardwood and sending poop flying into the air for a brief moment before it fell back down and landed neatly on three different levels of our leaning bookshelves next to some small decorative items, as if that was where it was meant to be.

I lament that I only got to hear this secondhand; I was asleep through all this. However, my vision of what this cartoon-like scenario must have looked like in my head is probably better for it.

I ... [ more ]]]> Ever since we watched The Mist and other such films about the world ending, Greg’s been working on his zombie contingency plan. While I have continued to let this be one of Greg’s pet projects, I couldn’t help but notice some of the changes that were happening around the house.

I thought the cushions that came with the couch we bought were so hideous that I wanted to get rid of them. Somehow, they re-appeared out of storage and made their way back into the house. Now, they’ve migrated to the attic after a brief layover in the study room. When asked why they were back in the house, it was because, “if we need to hide out, we want to be comfortable.”

Another day, our building shut off the water to do some maintenance and we used bottled water that day. After the water was turned back on, I had noticed several bottles were missing. I found them later on stashed away under Greg’s sink behind bottles of Clorox.

The baseball bat that lived under our bed for the longest time was replaced with a heavy duty and more accessible Magnalite flashlight. Apparently, someone “couldn’t get to the baseball bat fast enough.”

Greg recently went to a firing range with some web buddies. (Geeks Love Guns, they called themselves.) He suddenly decided now was the time to prioritize learning how to shoot. And where he had never before shown interest in my martial arts, he was suddenly supportive of the fact that I took up boxing.

While I’m really glad that Greg is taking an initiative in learning survival skills, I’m just wondering if I’ve missed some signs of the apocalypse, particularly in the past few months. If the world is ending, will someone please let me know?

Previously I wrote about how we may have mailed our taxes in a blank envelope. Selena tried to track down the post office that would have received our blank envelope, but realized they wouldn’t have been able to tell if it was ours, because it was blank.

I ... [ more ]]]>

Dreaded Taxes

Previously I wrote about how we may have mailed our taxes in a blank envelope. Selena tried to track down the post office that would have received our blank envelope, but realized they wouldn’t have been able to tell if it was ours, because it was blank.

I determined the best course of action was to just ask our accountant to reprint the papers so we could resend them this time in a labeled envelope. It was then that we realized the accountant gave us the envelope and would know if it was pre-addressed.

Sure enough, it was. Tax day crisis averted.

After we signed the documents and put them in the envelopes, Selena agreed to take them to the post office. It was April 15th, and we were making sure our taxes were post marked that day. Selena took extra care to make sure she had more ... [ more ]]]>

Dreaded Taxes

After we signed the documents and put them in the envelopes, Selena agreed to take them to the post office. It was April 15th, and we were making sure our taxes were post marked that day. Selena took extra care to make sure she had more than enough postage on the envelope and put it in the mailbox. Unfortunately, the postage way the only part of the envelope that Selena double-checked. She walked away from the mailbox and suddenly a sense of dread rushed over her.

Was the envelope even addressed?

I will be trying to Twitter all through the next two days during baby’s first colonoscopy. And Greg will have to keep me in check and make sure I’m not twittering irresponsibly, like this person.

Well, this could very much be just too ... [ more ]]]> I’ve laid out all of my meals for tomorrow:

I will be trying to Twitter all through the next two days during baby’s first colonoscopy. And Greg will have to keep me in check and make sure I’m not twittering irresponsibly, like this person.

Well, this could very much be just too weird, but you know me…pushing the limits of uncomfortability.

So, while in SXSW I embarked on this game to find the blue hippo (not a euphemisum). I never actually found the hidden hippo, but I did find Kelly, the lady from Smart Hippo who was hiding the plush hippo doll each ... [ more ]]]> Who wants to win a free tee-shirt from Greg and Selena?

So, while in SXSW I embarked on this game to find the blue hippo (not a euphemisum). I never actually found the hidden hippo, but I did find Kelly, the lady from Smart Hippo who was hiding the plush hippo doll each day and told her that I really enjoyed the hunt.

I suppose sincere praise was a whole lot like winning, cause I got a sweet gift card out of that toTeeShirtOutlet.com, which is awesome. Only problem is that I can’t decide which of these funny screen-print tees to get.

So I ask you the visitors of our blog to suggest which of these shirts available I should get for myself or for Selena. Help us decide by visiting www.tshirtoutlet.com and browsing around.  Find the best shirts write it’s name / description in the comments here on our blog.

In a few days we will decide who made the best recommendations, and whoever picks the best choices for Selena and me, can also pick out a shirt for themselves as well, on us, thanks to our friends at Smart Hippo.

What are you waiting for, let’s get some tee-shirts: www.tshirtoutlet.com

UPDATE: This contest will end at midnight on April 1st (or is that April 2nd, I should have chose a time other than midnight).

Guy: Hey, those Levis you’re wearing?

Me: Um, yeah.

Guy: Awesome, what’s the number?

Me: I’m not sure, can you see on the pocket?

Guy’s Wife: 579s

Guy: Ah, 579!

Me: ... [ more ]]]> [In line at a target, ME is at the front of the line with the CLERK, while GUY and GUY’S WIFE are in line behind me]

Guy: Hey, those Levis you’re wearing?

Me: Um, yeah.

Guy: Awesome, what’s the number?

Me: I’m not sure, can you see on the pocket?

Guy’s Wife: 579s

Guy: Ah, 579!

Me: Yeah

Guy: I’m a Levi’s guy myself. Hey, what the cut?

Me: I’m sorry?

Guy: Are they straight leg, boot cut…

Me: I think you are more of a Levi’s guy than I am.

[Guy’s wife laughs]

Clerk: That will be $40.06, slide your card right there

Guy: Hey, if you ever have the chance, try on a pair of 527s.

Me: 527s?

Guy: Yeah, 527s! They are the best, so comfortable. Give them a try.

Me: I will. Thanks.

Clerk: Here’s your receipt.

Me: [to myself] 527.

Clerk: Yes, 527. It’s so nice to see guys bonding over clothes.

Me: It’s pretty uncommon. Thanks.

Actually neither of us has lived in our parent’s homes for years, but a lot ... [ more ]]]> As we say goodbye to 2008, we want to take a moment to look back at the year that was, as described through the Greg and Selena blog:

Top Six things about 2008

6. We finally moved out

Actually neither of us has lived in our parent’s homes for years, but a lot of our stuff continued to reside there until this spring. In April, Selena’s Dad finally convinced Selena to move 20 boxes of Happy Meal toys, Cabbage Patch Kids and Brandan Walsh pillows out of his house and into ours. Selena spent two weeks going through it all and finally getting it all put away. Greg mocked her all the while, only to get his when, as part of a Mother’s Day visit, he brought home from Delaware a full car load of Nintendo Power magazines, baseball cards and Jessica Rabbit cardboard cutouts. As of now, it’s all in storage and both parents houses are cleared out.

The top comment came from Stef:

So, Greg, what was the occasion when you got yourself a cut-out Jessica Rabbit? Did she adorn the room of teenage Greg for all those years???

5. We watched too much TV

Again. So much so, that we scooped the preview poster for Season Five of LOST. (Hahaha. That became our only Digg’d/Mixx’d blog post). If there was one reoccurring theme on the blog this year, it was that Selena loves Gossip Girl, there were at least four posts about her addiction to the teen drama. Speaking of teen drama, Greg explained Twilight, but that’s a movie, and we didn’t go to many of them. Instead, we taxed our Tivo, watching so much TV that we held a private draft of who would get which TV channels if we were forced to choose. We also started a bracketology (that we didn’t see through to fruition) of who best character on TV is – of course Selena suggest Gossip Girl’s Chuck Bass.

The best comment was from Kitty agreeing with Selena:

I agree with Selena’s points on Chuck Bass wholeheartedly. I don’t even think we’ve seen the half of his character yet, he hasn’t realized his full potential as a character yet – it’s all the more intriguing!!

4. We did some good eatin’

We are not exactly on the same page when it comes to blogging about food. Greg’s (loosely) qualifying posts include leaving Chinese food on the Metro and spilling coffee into the ice machine. Meanwhile, Selena, who takes food a lot more seriously, picked up where she left off last year, converting more foods into cupcake form, by writing in great length about all the meals we ate on our European tour, in fact, she photographed every meal. She broadcast her entire Thanksgiving menu, which was extensive, and even gave away the secret to Thanksgiving leftovers. Selena also gave a complete detail of the food and wine we tasted on the surprise birthday weekend in Virginia Wine Country.

The best comment was from Kitty again:

One of your Sponsored Links is showing up: Wine Coolers on Sale! How LAME is it, that I got very excited thinking this meant those totally 90’s girly beverages… when, in fact, it meant bags for storing and keeping wine cool??

3. We lost some weight, (well sorta)

Probably because of all those good eatin’, we had to focus on weight loss, which happened when Selena invoked a Biggest Loser challenge in the house. Each week we would take to the scale and determine who lost the most weight and the other person would be saddled with a new chore of the winner’s choosing. The competition became fierce as we both fought to avoid having to do the punishment chores. In the end Greg came away with more victories, but mostly due to a flaw in the scoring system.

The best comment was double-edged from Dancer in DC:

Congratulations, Greg! You have proven the master at losing.
Wait – that doesn’t sound right…

2. We tried new things

2008 was a year for trying new things.

Selena returned to camping for the first time in a long time, once she got Greg to agree on getting an absurdly large tent. The camping was the lodging for a weekend trip to West Virginia to try water water rafting for the first time. We went up to Class 4, pretty exciting times on the river.

Selena also tried sharing Greg’s favorite exercise, running, by joining him in the Rockville five mile race. At the end of the race they gave you two beers, and Selena ran as though someone was chasing her.

Selena also got wind for a new packing system from her friend Alex, the basic concept is everything is individually wrapped in Ziploc bags. We tried it and loved it. It proved a very effective system and indispensable in preparing for the European vacation.

Finally, Selena got back to crafting when she got involved in an Ornament swap, where she made Felt Christmas Cupcake ornaments.

The best comment was from Bill in regard to the oversize tent:

Sounds like a tent from the Harry Potter books…

1. We traveled all over

At this time last year as we were saying goodbye to 2007, Selena and I decided ’08 would be the year of travel.

• We started out well in the first month with visits to the mountains and to Florida
• In March we sipped our way around Virginia wine country
• In the mid-summer we took a camping weekend in Western PA that included White Water rafting in West Virginia.
• Shortly thereafter we took a long weekend road trip up to Boston, Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard with our new mascot, because Greg had never been to New England.
• In August, we took a low key relaxing week at the beach with the Robleto family
• A few weeks later we went on the crown jewel of our year of travel. Our two week European tour took us to England, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France.
• And to round out the year, we are making a trip to Egypt to visit the pyramids and practice a little karate.

The best comment was from Dancer in DC:

What a wonderful trip you had! Sounds like a blast. I’m jealous.

And that, in a blog post, was 2008. Thank you for reading our blog this past year, and we hope you will be back for more insights, stories, and discoveries of what’s in store for Selena and Greg in 2009.

Happy New Year!