Monday evening roundup and ramble

Echoing the comments that say, "really, Express? This is a question??"

I may be getting sick of Paul coverage, but I think it's cool that he's getting offers.

Please stand by while I laugh hysterically over the fact that Alexandria scored lower than *Centerville* in Best Places to Live. Have they considered factoring in walkability??

Bless this woman for arming her children with manners, but it's unfortunate that it's come to people falling over her with gratitude and praise because her family is such an exception:

I've also noticed that people tend to get anxious when they see families with children boarding a plane. I've been on both sides, and I know that when other passengers see us coming, they say a silent prayer that they won't be sitting anywhere in close proximity to us. When people see us coming, they have low expectations about how my children will behave.

But over the years, I have armed my children with manners, and I think people are pleasantly surprised at how well-behaved my older children are. Because of that, they tend to give me more latitude when it comes to my toddler. Flight attendants also tend to slip us extra pretzel or peanut packages, or they let us keep the the full can of soda.

On this last trip, several people, including the flight crew, complimented me my children's behavior as they disembarked. In other words, they thanked me for the fact that my children didn't drive them crazy during the flight.

***

My house and yard are happy: new chimney cap, clean gutters, reinstalled utility room cabinet (thus unencumbered stairway), new flapper and valve in the downstairs bathroom, new shed, and newly constructed garden components--composter and bed--that I need to find the right place for. Love the shed, love that the lawnmower no longer lives in the spare bedroom. I don't love that I see it instead of the potted plants when I look out the back door, but I suppose that's another reason to relocate the computer(s)--and new monitor (!) so I can use the new(er) computer--to the other side of the living room. It is so good to have the house looking house-like, rather than clusterf*like, again. I feel inspired to clean, organize, etc.

And, lest you were wondering whether I continue to suffer lingering effects from my roommate drama, yes, when I sat down to blog this, visibly exhausted, I did so in full consciousness of how wonderful it is that no one, apart from Gracie, is trying to talk to me.