It's weird to think I'm going to get older while he doesn't.

I fear what with it being his birthday and rain pouring down, I basically just stayed in bed until this afternoon when Charles came by, skipping the line dance class.  Slept off and on, dreaming of being on a cruise ship but without identification and not remembering which cabin was mine.  When I'd awake I'd play a game on my DSi for a bit.  After Magellan came in I used the DSi to take pix of us. 

Charles' pleasure in Magellan was a pleasure to me, and it was also amusing when he attempted to scold Zeus (who had stayed on my bed even after the kitten was brought up, as he likes to be on my shoulder while she (Zeus) bags the foot of the bed) for hissing at him...he pointed a finger in her face and she proceeded to hiss at it.  If I'd been able to capture a picture of Zeus hissing at the finger barely an inch away it'd have been suitable for a poster labled "Defiance!" 

While I was getting dressed Jonathan Andrew came over, too, so that was doubly fun!  He was kind enough to replace the cyan ink cartridge in the printer (okay, fine, turns out one opens a door, pulls out the old one and sticks the new one in...easy peasy).

Both sons professed themselves pleased with the kitchen, and especially enthused about the prospect of the screened-in porches.

After they left I proceeded to make a loaf of banana bread, having two nicely aged bananas.  It's in the oven now and I'm eager to be able to eat it.  It's tricky knowing just when to pull it out, as I like it a bit underdone. 

Ummm...I can smell it baking.  Yum! 

Well, poop. I didn't make the cast of "The Music Man." I'd be lying were I to deny I'm extremely disappointed.

Life's full of disappointments, though, isn't it? Not being chosen to be part of a church musical is - in the grand scheme of things - a minor matter.

Apparently the LORD has planned for me to spend that time doing something else.

One, that the kitchen should be completed....well, the painting and papering, anyway....and two, that the casting for "The Music Man" should be announced. =8^o

Waiting for the email....

Kenny was expecting to be able to put the wallpaper up today after almost finishing the painting, but reckoned without 30 year old wallpaper's tendency to suck up paste.  Not to mention the "prepasted" paper wasn't, especially.  Of course, I've had it for a few years.

Anyway, he's going to finish up tomorrow in the kitchen, starting the patio on Monday.  Here are a couple of photos, one of the painted part and one with half old, half new wallpaper....quite a difference, eh?

And look what a fabulous job the flooring people did!  Remember the hole?

All gone!  It's the same color....that's just the flash that's washed it out in the forefront. 

Speaking of the patio, last evening I found the set I want at Wal-Mart, so this morning Joe obligingly drove out there to haul the box home (naturally, it needs assembly); here's the photo from the website:

All the furniture pieces are included, but not the rug.  I do want one of those outdoor rugs, though.  It's very comfortable, and was the most inexpensive set I found, to boot! 

Magellan is playing up a storm and always underfoot, or trying to climb up the chair into my lap:

This makes him look big, but he's really quite small.

Today I decided to spend some of the American Express Reward Points I've been collecting for ages and ordered myself a netbook!  Took fewer than half my points.  Really looking forward to sitting on my screened-in patio, sipping coffee, and surfing on my netbook. 

Tomorrow it gets patched. 

Kenny's in there painting up a storm, and I think it's going to be great! 

Another new addition is - tah dah! - a kitten!  (Sorry, Beth and Matt, but I do like cats.)  Meet Magellan:

Magellan is a darling little kitten, but hoo boy....he's turned into a pricey pet.  I noticed fleas on him so took him down to the vet (the one at PetsMart) and according to the vet, he's got a bad flea infestation, to the point he's anemic.  He also has an eye infection, the beginning of a common respiratory ailment, and a little bit ago the vet's office called to say the stool sample (guess who pooped and peed in his carrier?  the vet decided seeing as how Magellan provided a fecal sample, he might as well test it) showed the presence of a bunch of parasite eggs, meaning he has a parasite that tends to cause digestive and intestinal distress (he's not been eating, though he'll drink water).

Nothing like a "free" kitten, huh? 

And Zeus is, shall we say, less than happy about the presence of Magellan.  She's been growling and hissing at him all day.  Poor Zeus.  First Max the MegaDog invades her house, and now this. 

Hopefully Zeus will accept him eventually. 

Tomorrow the floor gets fixed (the laminate), and the painting begins! 

And my voice teacher swears my range and vibrato have improved.

Oh, Friday's the day the casting for "The Music Man" is announced.  Stay tuned. 

This morning Mary (my sis-in-law) and I went to the Achevez closing luncheon in the Gift area of Neiman-Marcus.  Fabulously good chicken salad and and orange mousse, with a presentation (with samples!) by Godiva, and a sumptuous chocolate "martini" dessert:

Good day, all in all.  ;^)

Mine was very nice, thank you.  The main event is really next week when we have our May celebration, as today was Meredith and Margaret's ballet performance. 

It pains me to say my camera wasn't up to the task.  Margaret was the littlest Alice, the one who could fit through the door, and according to the others present, as soon as she came out from behind the mushroom she stopped dead when she saw the audience....this year the ballet was held in the Will Rogers Auditorium, which is significantly larger than the theater where it's usually been held.  She had a bit of a "deer caught in the headlights" look, but by jingo, she pulled herself together quickly and performed like the talented trooper she is. 

After her turn as Alice, Margaret morphed into a butterfly:

What looks unnervingly like an alien is the Caterpillar. 

Meredith was one of the Flamingos:

And she's in here...

My poppets after the performance:

My thirst to be on stage is clearly growing exponentially, as that's the only reason I can think of why I gave in to Meredith's urging to go up with the Margo Dean alumni.  I thought "alumni" meant ex-students of all sorts, but once up there I realized I seemed to be the only one who wasn't expected by Ms. Dean.  Give the woman her due, she handled my presence with aplomb, even remembering that my nieces were in her ballet.  Meredith took a photo of the group of us; daresay you can pick me out:

Here's a photo Jessica sent me via her cell phone, of her and her girls, Kirsten, Bridgette (being a squirmy wormy), and Brianna. 

First things first!  Last night Kirstin called me and rocked my world by telling me she's pregnant! 

Apparently she was equally rocked when the doctor gave her the news. 

This will be grandchild #9! 

It was too funny, according to Kirstin.  She says for years now Bethany (her eldest) has - on a weekly basis - informed her that she should have another baby, and that baby should be a girl.  So last night she and Matt gathered the children together (Bethany suspiciously asked if she was in trouble), and Kirstin asked Bethany what she's been wanting for ages.

"A KITTEN!" Bethany yelped excitedly. 

No, no, replied her mother.

"A puppy!" was her daughter's next suggestion.  I'm guessing by this time Kirstin was probably glowering a bit at Bethany, who wasn't playing her part properly at all.  "You've been wanting a girl?" Kirstin prompted, eliciting an almost hysterical "A BABY!  A BABY!" from the children.  Bethany flew to the telephone to call her friend across the street, Lily, and within seconds, it seemed, Lily was at the door and the two girls cavorted madly around. 

Kirstin says after a few minutes there were no fewer than fifteen kids in their front yard, all celebrating like crazy people.  The house next door had been recently vacated, leaving rose bushes in bloom behind.  The children plucked roses and scattered the petals over Kirstin.

I've been pregnant several times and no one ever threw rose petals over me. 

Earlier in the day the handyman I met at Christ Chapel last Sunday came over and we discussed putting up in the kitchen the wisteria wallpaper I've had for ages.  I've only the three rolls and it appears that's only enough for the wall separating the kitchen and dining room, so we headed to Lowe's to get paint for the rest of the room.  I'm going to stencil wisteria on the painted area, and maybe even on the countertops, as laminate counters can be stenciled on.  We agreed he'd start this morning.

Except at 8:20 a.m. the contractor called.  'Twould seem I missed a message saying the plumber would be coming out this morning!  

Cutting holes in the kitchen floor to dig for pipes does not mesh well with papering and painting, so that has had to be postponed till next week.

Most of the kitchen's been plastic-sheeted off, and the sound of a jigsaw cutting through my beautiful laminate wood floor, then jackhammering the concrete foundation, made my head ache.

BION, Joe slept through the jackhammering, falling asleep during the sawing.  How does he do that?  I've been waiting to vacuum when he's awake but if he can sleep through a jackhammer, I strongly suspect the sound of a vacuum cleaner won't disturb his sleep.

There's a big hole in front of the dishwasher and oven, and the pipe down there is all rusted, with holes in it.    The guy cut out a multifoot section to match for size, and will be back in the morning.  Dmitry, Joe and I ate dinner at the Black-eyed Pea, since there's no way I can cook in this:

[wailing]  My kitchen! 

To wind up, here's another photo of Max, this time being cuddled by Dmitry;  ISTM Max is a bit big to cuddle:

Stay tuned for another exciting episode in The Life of Anne. 

...or, conversely, running madly out to purchase them:

Goodness, they're addictive. 

One of my favorite activities on it is the step board.  Doggone it, Dmitry has confirmed my steps are in perfect time with the program but the most I can every get is "OK".  No "perfect", except for occasionally on the advanced step thing, when I do the sidewise steps.

I jog and do the best I can but am continually ranked as "calorie burner", the lowest level.  What is it I'm supposed to do that I'm not doing? 

Still, so far I'm really enjoying the Wii Fit and try to do 30 minutes on it (Wii Fit time).