Now you know how the steeple gets up there. And other equally life-changing stuff.

I feel like I've been running like crazy all day but haven't gotten anything done. I know you've had those days.

PETE FROM BLUE AND GRAY DRIVING SCHOOL called Man-boy this morning to say he wasn't coming, so MB got the spark plug out of the mower and we went in search of a new one. Traffic in our Northern Virginia suburb wasn't any better today than it was last night at rush hour, and the stupid quotient was at an all-time high. When we finally got to where we needed to turn, the construction workers wouldn't let us turn there. We had to go up the road and do a U-ey. The trouble with that is you could drive fifty miles looking for a place to turn around.

When we finally found said place, there just happened to be a Starbucks there (well, whaddaya know!), and Man-boy begged some breakfast (he's very concerned about nutrition). Since I had a coupon for a free drink, I agreed and ordered him a Grande Caramel Frappuccino. When we got to the window, the very nice gentleman (who looked astonishingly like Adam Lambert and also shared his very distinct characteristics, if you get my drift) suggested that since it was FREE, we might want a venti, which is Italian for "more liquid than you can possibly fit in one stomach unless it is the stomach of a 16-year-old boy."

Never one to turn down MORE food, MB said, "Sure!" and received his next week's worth of caffeine, all in one giant plastic cup.

Of course, the first thing he had to do was text a picture of it to his friend, Johnny, who was stuck on an un-air-conditioned bus with the rest of his high school band, because boys are compassionate like that.

(For the record, Man-boy had no trouble drinking all of it.)

On our way into town we passed this:

I really wanted to stay and watch them lift that steeple up there, but I had a ton to do (I can't remember what it was, but I know it didn't get done), so we took a quick photo and left. On the way home, here it was:

 You just never know what you're going to see when you go out. Take the camera!

Tonight Niriel of Pancit fame and her boys are coming for dinner. The movers came today and she has an almost-empty house. Isn't it sad when friends move away? But we're glad we've had these five years with them. They're a lot of fun and she cooks good stuff.

One more thing and then I'll shut up. Yesterday Man-boy went out to cut a lawn and I was left alone to work at my computer. All was peaceful until I heard a really loud, fast b-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d, like a machine gun. I ran to the dining room window in the front of the house and heard it again. As I was looking around, I spotted a pileated woodpecker on the edge of the roof (the dining room window sticks out), pecking furiously at the shingles over Man-boy's room. I ran for my camera, got my flip-flops, and snuck out through the garage thinking I could get a picture without scaring him, but no. He knew I was coming and flew off into the oak tree out front.

Our area is full of these guys and we see them quite a bit. In case you've never seen one, here's a picture (not taken by me—my photography skills are way too pathetic for this):

Cool, huh? They range from 15-20 inches long with a wingspan of 2 1/2 feet. And they're LOUD, especially when pecking holes in your roof. Most people never see one because they're pretty human-shy. We just happen to have a lot of them here because we live in a forest with a river right out back. This is the kind of bird Woody Woodpecker was. Can you see the resemblance?

Except our friend didn't have a blue suit.

Okay, I'm done now.

Be thankful ~

Karen