And it's not even my birthday

I have talked to my parents a few times since I returned to DC, even though I haven't had time to blog about it. Nothing glaring or hilarious--mom's actually being really nice. Oh, and Dad continues to express his delusion that DC is a tropical paradise.
Mom: What's the weather like?
A.: It's getting better. The other day it was 10 degrees when I left for work.
Dad: Celsius?
A.: No.
Dad: Right-- I mean it was 10 degrees Celsius.
A.: It was 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dad: Oh, that's cold.
A.: Yes, yes it is. But now it's up to 16.

***
Mom's nice streak started when she was able to give away her TV through Freecycle. She had bought a flatscreen over the holidays and just couldn't bear to throw out the perfectly good set she had before... so I checked the Boston group for her and that day, there was a wanted posting for a TV. The guy came and picked it up, was thrilled, sent her a nice thank-you e-mail, and she was over the moon. She can't stand to waste anything-- rightly so-- and this way it goes to someone who can use it, and she doesn't have to deal with the clutter. Freecycle has been wonderful to me, too, both in getting stuff and being able to get rid of it.

Then, last weekend, she called to ask me for my roasted pepper recipe. This may not sound like much, but my mother is fiercely catty about cooking, and goes out of her way, usually, to slam anything that I cook up, so for her to admit that she liked something I made is quite a step. She even said something like, "it turned out so well when you did it" and I think I recall her actually generalizing that, saying that I always do these things so well, or something.

So the other day I decided to return the love and tell her that I actually used something that she gave me and that it worked well. Again, not a big deal, but you will recall that I am on a mission to get mom to stop buying stuff for me and then making me find a home for it in my house. Years ago she gave me a Magic Bullet. It sat in storage. I used it for the first time on Sunday to puree roasted red peppers to add to red lentil soup, and it worked perfectly. So I got over myself and told mom, whose response was "oh, yes, of course, that thing is wonderful."

***
The anticipation of my first non-altruistic guests (i.e. people who visited for the sake of visiting, rather than for helping me with the house) lit a fire under my butt to get the house ready. So, in honor of that milestone--I hosted my first overnight guest (an inauguration visitor) and first lunch guest (a mutual friend who came down to spend the afternoon with us and introduce her new baby)--I hit another milestone: I unpacked the last box. My house is box-free.

Do you all remember that scene in Old School--when Will Farrell's friends ask him what he's doing that weekend, and he excitedly says that he'll be going to Home Depot, and maybe if there's time, Bed, Bath&Beyond? The prospect of becoming that person once filled me with dread... and now, guess where I was first thing Saturday morning? Lowes, Target, and Bed, Bath&Beyond.

There are still some major infrastructure and appliance issues (non-functioning outlets, leaky washing machine, over-the-range microwave installation drama), but it's been less than three months, and I'm getting there.