Wait. What is this that's happening?

I've never had allergies. It's kinda dumb to be proud of that, but for some reason, it was always something that I felt made me a bit more impervious to the world around me. Nothing affected me, and I was stronger than everyone who fell victim to it.
And then, there is this particular spring. All of a sudden, my nose is all running, my eyes feel heavy because they're kinda puffy, and my throat is bloated, if that's possible. All of a sudden, I'm uncomfortable with the world around me. I look around and see these beautiful yellow flowers, and think, "Ugh, they're killing me." I'm antsy in my pantsies, and I find myself super eager for the summer to come and burn this garbage away.
These palo verde trees spread their hell throughout my neighborhood. There are several along every street. And, much to my horror, there are two in my own backyard. Last year, my issue was two dogs tracking these irritating little flowers into my house. This year, my concern is farther reaching than that. How do I keep my house from being infested with this and making it worse on all of us (Brian and I)? I see a very close relationship with my Shark vacuum over the next couple weeks.

I graduated, too, University. Respect that!

For the first time ever, we received only one alumni magazine in the mail at our home. Brian and I both went to the same university, and we've always gotten two copies of the magazine. I'll allow that it always bugged me that we received two copies when we only needed one, and neither of us even reads it, really. I appreciate the school's sudden interest in saving paper and postage. In fact, I applaud it. I was pleased to see only the one copy.
But then I read the address label. It was addressed to us as, "Mr. and Mrs. Brian G... ."
Wait.
Hold on.
Brian's take: "Did you see that? It makes me feel old. We're like old people."
Me: "It makes me feel insulted."
All of a sudden, I go from being a full-fledged and full-bodied alumnus in my own right, to being someone else's "and Mrs."? What is that about? My education and diploma were just as much work; just as much cost (emotionally, psychologically, financially, and mentally); and just as much of a fight, as anyone else's. Just as much effort as Brian's. I did not go to school to become someone's "and Mrs." Not cool, school.
Being Brian's "Mrs." is a big part of my life, but I am more than that. I'm more than Sydney's mom, as well. I am, above all things, me. I worked hard at me. I expect to be acknowledged for all that work. I would expect that from my own university, as much as from anyone.
Had the magazine been addressed to "Brian and Kimberly G...," then all would be fine. That shows me that all they wanted to do was reduce magazine copies. But to relegate me and my own accomplishment to little more than being an "and Mrs.," if only on an address label, is irritating. My school should be better than that. They'll be getting a letter.

I wanted to name my daughter Buttercup

I started reading the Cary Elwes book, As You Wish, about his recollections from working on The Princess Bride, this morning. It looks like it will be a pretty interesting, if quick, read. I love that movie so much, and his writing style seems fluid and easy to read (or is that the co-author?). I only got through the first couple chapters, as the family was quite needy today, but I look forward to some time alone with the book tomorrow.
Also, the season finale of The Walking Dead was tonight, and I'm quite annoyed at the prospect of waiting six months for my next fix. This show is awesome, and I don't like my Sunday night's without it.
Also, it's super late, I'm super tired, it feels super warm in my bedroom, and tomorrow is Monday. Which is ... super.

That's the Pacific Ocean. It's super big

Oh my gosh, has it been three days since I posted? I guess so. The timeline never lies.
I just went downstairs to open windows and lock doors, and also ate a lemon Oreo. A cookie that Mom and I decided is best when eaten one at a time, because the synthetic taste is yucky when you consume two or more in a sitting.
Also, we fixed a random flower arrangement that's been bugging me, and bonus, it didn't cost anything because the "new" vase is one that I already had in the cupboard. Sometimes, my friends, it's better to not have vase fillers in a vase, because they can be too bright and reflective. Anyway, I think all the fake flower situations in my house are better situated now.
My recent obsession with pink continues unabated. That is all.

This picture reminds me of a particularly funny Yahoo! Answers question and answer I saw on Twitter.
Q: How big is the specific ocean?
A: Could you be more pacific?

I'll take the grey, please

I recently decided that I wanted a grey quilt for my bed. I saw it at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and quickly fell deeply in love. I hadn't planned on loving grey bed linens. In fact, I still really, really want pink. But the flower pattern was too much to deny.
Horrifically, the quilt was only available in twin and full/queen. I need it in a king. Checked the web site? Yes, and it's still only those two sizes. So, I wrote a letter to BB&B:
Hello!! I'm looking at the [linen's name withheld because I'm selfish], and I love it!! There are two sizes listed on your web site (twin and full/queen), but in the product description, the dimensions for a king quilt are listed. I need this quilt in a king!! Do you have them in that size? I can't find it anywhere else! I MUST HAVE IT. :) Thank you SO MUCH for any help!!
And within 12 hours (as promised), I had a response that was kinda heartbreaking:
Hello Kimberly,
Thank you for your e-mail. We were able to do some research on the quilt for you. At this time, this item has been dropped from our line and we will no longer be receiving anymore inventory for this. However, we do have some inventory at our store locations worldwide. You may visit any store location to see if they may have that item available for you, if they do not have an item available then you can see if they are able to transfer one from another store to that store so that you can have that item. We do truly apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Believe it, Bed, Bath & Beyond. I'll be checking out your store soon, and asking for an inventory search. I need that bedding.

The finale is here, and it's perfect timing

I finished a book last night, The Book of Life, by Deborah Harkness. It's the third in the series. And while I enjoyed them all, I'm actually pretty excited that they're done. These books are thick. Thick in pages, sure, but in mythology and plot, as well. When I started reading them all those years ago, it was a simple love story of a witch and a vampire. At the end of this third novel, they're married; have twins that are both witch and vampire; have created a whole new vampire society; time travel regularly; and are heads of a very large and complicated extended family.
Each book rolled with more than 500 pages. Each one began right where the last one left off, with minimal catch-up for the reader. And each one was about two years separated, so it's very easy for someone with a very in-one-eye-out-the-other reading sensibility to forget a lot of the plot, characters and minutiae. So, starting this one was an exercise in memory rebuilding.
Still, it was good, I like the characters in it, and the action moves along quickly. Anyway, that leaves only three books left in the Pile. Reminder: Reading is a good thing.

Boxers or briefs? I'm a boxers girl

I don't hate doing laundry. In fact, it's something that I just do, with little to no emotion about it at all. I don't resent it; I don't mind it. I enjoy folding Sydney's clothes, actually, since it's a trip to notice how big they are all of a sudden, and to gauge how much stuff she wears regularly, and what is never worn. I keep track of the family's patterns, and likes and dislikes.
It's always been my policy though for everyone in the house to have enough underwear to last for quite a while. My panties pile is a couple weeks' worth. Sydney's is probably closer to a month's worth. Brian's boxers number about the same as mine.
Why is this relevant to tonight's blog post? Because thanks to a severe miscalculation on my part, I ended up wearing boxers today. And surprise, they were super comfortable.
Today, I wore a dress with boxers underneath it, and it was super awesome and liberating.
You know what it showed me more than anything? That I need some bike or yoga shorts to wear under my skirts and dresses, because it makes for a much better situation in regards to thigh chafing. I had no concerns about that today, not matter how warm the weather. That is a treat, my friends, and one that I'll look forward to enjoying this summer.
Boxers are fantastic.

Everybody's smiling for the weekend

This picture is among the greatest of things ever.
He looks so happy and excited!
And for a Friday, this is exactly what we need heading into the weekend.
You're welcome!

Alert! Alert! Easter is on April 5

Easter is April 5, so says my brilliant, and more calendar-adjacent, friend, Andrea. She's right, of course, as I realized when I counted up how many days there were until Easter this morning. Having realized my error, I hopped online to fix it, only to discover that Andy had already corrected me. So, the post stands as it was, because it's more fun that way. (By the way, doing an image search for "Easter Bunny" is a wormhole of adorable.)
So, in celebration of getting the Easter decorations up, I went and had my mammogram for this year. You know what's entertaining? Trying to explain to your husband what it feels like to get a mammogram. Does it hurt? Well, it's not like pain "OW!" But it is definitely uncomfortable. Because they really squeeze you, right? Yes. They really squeeze them, and they get super squished. Don't misunderstand, it's not anything that I would want to do more than once a year. That sounds like it hurts. Yes. It's painful. But I'm a tough chick, so I don't cry or anything.
I've attached a sticky note to my computer, upon which is written, "NO FOOD HERE." That kid of mine ate her pita chips at the computer this afternoon, and I had to wipe all kinds of crumbs off the keyboard before getting started online tonight. I do not appreciate this. We've discussed it several times, and she keeps saying that she'll refrain from eating at the computer, but I'm pretty sure that we both just keep forgetting. Anyway, the note will definitely help. Because notes always help.
A couple movies are coming out soon that I'm super, super excited about. Insurgent, of which I know absolutely nothing, but I really liked the first movie (Divergent), so this one should be cool, and Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, which warms my little Marvel-junkie heart. Insurgent comes out tomorrow, Avengers 2 in early May. I'm beside myself giddy, and have resorted to watching trailers of Avengers over and over. All good things.

In which I gripe about the holidays

Easter is way too early this year. Typically and conveniently, Easter is usually in the middle or so of April. This year though, Easter is on April 3. Which is especially problematic because of my decorating neuroses. And because of my desire to decorate for any particular holiday on the first day of that holiday's month, Easter is a pain in my ass in 2015.
So, rather than take down the St. Patrick's Day stuff today and wait a couple weeks to put up Easter, I need to pull out all the Easter boxes and decor tomorrow and get it up quickly. After all, the decorations will only be up for a couple weeks before the holiday (and once a holiday passes, I'm eager to take it down and have a normal house). So, go on, ask me what's on my agenda in the morning: BUNNIES.

Dog, kid and shoes are all good

I just took a two-minute-long video of Oliver laying against me, snoring like a freight train. This video is guaranteed to be on a loop at some point in time, and I shall cry uncontrollably when watching it. But until then, it's super awesome and funny. He's all loud and cranking. And right now, he's rolled onto his back, and I have an unimpeded view of his foot, tummy and chest. Also, he's still snoring and twitching.
Well, my St. Patrick's Day treasure hunt was well received, in that she dug it, and then asked me if she could have candy before breakfast. I allowed it, of course, but it was painful to see. The best part was that she was amazed that I did it for her, and truly enjoyed that I put forth the effort to give her candy and make her smile. It surprises me that she doesn't realize, and know for a fact, that I'd do most anything to make her smile. Punky kid.
Sydney and I also celebrated the day by going through shoes and piling up the pairs that she's outgrown. Note to self: CHILD DOES NOT NEED FLIP FLOPS. She's got tennies for school and flip flops. That's her life right there in a shoebox. I've got Toms, tennies and flip flops. That's my life in a shoebox. Our lives in shoeboxes are incredibly comfortable. And awesome.

Leprechaun treasure = chocolate, ring pops

I just finished something ridiculous that my daughter will love thoroughly, and I will have to continue and follow through for the rest of my life: a leprechaun treasure hunt. I fashioned five different clues. At every place, I put the corresponding clue's number in Hershey kisses, and at the end, is a small burlap bag all full-up of ring pops. She will find this delightful.
CLUE #1:
Today is St. Patrick’s Day,
and you’re on your way,
to finding some really neat stuff!
Where do you play your favorite game?
 CLUE #2:
Leprechauns are swell,
they also sleep well.
go to the room with the most decorative sea shells! 
CLUE #3:
Today we wear green,
as well as shamrocks between,
but go to where Santa,
puts presents that gleam.  
CLUE #4:
Pots of gold and rainbows,
some people say shows,
that leprechauns sure do exist.
But do they?
Check Mom’s bedroom!
CLUE #5:
Have a great day,
smile big and you’ll say,
St. Pat’s is truly the best!
The last stop is your space,
where you hide; it’s your place,
where you’ll find the stuff that’s the rest!
LEPRECHAUNS ARE AWESOME!

Obviously, not all this is poetry gold. But now I will have to come up with new rhyme-y, cute and different cheesy poems every year. Why did I sign up for this? I didn't. She asked for it, and of course, I follow her lead, because it's all for Sydney, and making her smile is my reason for life, really.

Feed the basketball players

I think I'm going to not fill out a March Madness bracket this year. I have no horse in the race, metaphorically, and have no interest in which school wins, literally. It's an interesting thing, to just decide that one year you're going to ignore something that has been an active hobby for several years before. I've filled out brackets for a long time. My one claim to fame is actually predicting the four number one seeds in the Final Four in 2008. Honestly, I can only lose and lose and lose from there.
Also, I think I may have decided that I'm going to boycott the NCAA basketball tournament because of the way the players are treated, or not treated, as the case may be. Yes, my head has been turned, perhaps permanently, by John Oliver and this week's Last Week Tonight. I mean, I know how unfair the situation is, and I appreciate that the NCAA is full of creepy, greedy douches because of how they exploit the kids, but the whole thing just kind of came to a head tonight, with the story about the coach who took the player to dinner before putting him on a plane for a parent's funeral, and how the kid was penalized for accepting a freebie. This is horseshit of the grandest kind, and if the NCAA is making billions of dollars on these kids, at the least, the kids should not go hungry, or get in trouble for eating and not paying for it.
So, count me out for the big tournament this year, and our television will not be tuned to it as much as I can help it. You'll get no money from our viewer numbers, NCAA, until you start sharing that money with the players.

Could I have a triple-wash on the car, please?

No joke, I'm crazy exhausted. I don't even know what made this week any more tiring than other weeks when we go out to California, but I'm just totally drained right now. I am looking forward to the delicious night's sleep in my own bed with my dogs cuddled up next to me.
It was a super productive and social week, though. I saw most everyone there was to see, and ate most everywhere there was to eat. I'm full up. I would say that I don't plan on eating anymore this weekend, but I know I'll wake up hungry, because I didn't have as big a dinner as usual.
My car is very filthy, so that's atop my list for tomorrow. Yes, I will even brave the car wash on a Sunday. I'm going to the place farther down the street though because they have the free vacuums. What else awaits me? Laundry, natch. I ran the dishwasher tonight, so that'll need to be emptied in the morning. The bread in the pantry was moldy, so that's a situation that'll need to be sorted out. I still have stuff in the trunk of the car. And I need to figure out a better place for my outside potted daisies, because Brian thinks they're getting too much sun, so they need a shadier spot. I refuse to have them indoors because of outdoor plant bugs coming inside. ... Speaking of that, I watered the apple seed pot tonight, and upon doing, all kinds of tiny black bugs scurried through the bottom of the pot when the water started to drain out. Ugh! HEEBIE JEEBIES. So, there goes that experiment. No more apple seeds inside the house. I'm thinking about putting new ones in a larger pot outside, and seeing how that works. Maybe even creating an extension to the drip system, so it'll water better and more often? That sounds like a great new project! ... Oh my goodness, you guys, I'm coming up with a brilliant idea about making that happen. Maybe that'll be the fun thing for Sydney and I to do, as well as get the car washed.
... I just ninja-slapped a crane fly that had the nerve to get too close to my computer, and when I smacked it, I found nothing but a couple legs. I have no idea where the rest of it went. That's two cases of the HEEBIE JEEBIES in  one night, and that is unacceptable. I'm grossed out. Spring must be here, all the icky bugs have come out to play.

Stop ... minion time

Of all the awesome presents and coolnesses that I picked up over the last couple days, perhaps the most ridiculous is the Despicable Me minion watch that I got at Target today. It was in the girls' section of the store, lights up to tell you the time, and is fantastic. I've become kind of a closeted minion obsessive lately. I've got a minion text alert. When Sydney needed new underwear, I bought her a package of minion panties. I'm waiting for the ideal minion Pop! vinyl, and it will have a place on my shelf. My watch is the best though.
Another random I got at Disneyland: a giant eraser in the shape of Ariel on the rock. You know the pose I mean. Anyway, it's a giant green eraser in that shape. And it's weird. And I bought it fully knowing that I would not ever use it. It's going to sit on my desk, looking super effective and editor-like, and will never, ever be used.
I am really pleased with my random purchases over the last couple days. Sometimes, it's the special, little gems that make shopping worth it.

California is ALWAYS a good thing

I always get so eager/stressed/excited the night before we leave for California. All day today, I've been wandering the house aimlessly asking myself what I've forgotten to pack. It's weird because usually I've got a large pile of stuff for the trunk, and this time, it seems as though it's just our clothes and stuff. I mean, of course the food and snacks and such. And of course, the magazines and randoms. But really, there's nothing big for me to transport this time.
Sydney and I are getting up early so we can leave early, so she went to bed on time, and I'm currently on track to do the same. All that's left, really, are the toiletries, and putting everything in the car (which always seems to take so much time). I've got gas in the vehicle already, so excepting the time it'll take to get my Starbucks, we should be on the road on time.
I'm hoping to make it to the DMV along the way though, to get my California driver license renewed. I wasn't able to get an appointment, so I'm rolling the dice with a wait time. We'll see when we get there, I suppose, but I hope the California road trip gods are smiling down on me.
Wheee!! I'm so excited to get out there!!

Karma, also, is totally awesome

For a day that had the potential to be super productive, it was decidedly ... not. I was not productive at all, but for the laundry. I would have liked to have done some packing, or water the plants, or paid bills, or you know, something. Instead, we picked up the car, ate some sushi for lunch, bought some smelly hand sanitizer, and played video games all afternoon.
Obviously, tomorrow will have to be more productive.
Also, we got some super interesting news about our nemeses from our lives before, and we're silently taking joy in their implosion. We have the facts, but lack the gossip, so we're on pins and needles to find out the dirt. This new information has been the spring in our step today. And while we never really hope for someone's failure, it sure is nice to know that they're suffering a bit. They shouldn't have ruined us. Karma will come back at Y'ALL.

A working car is all important

My lack of automobile knowledge is super frustrating to me. It never bothers me more than when I take the car into the shop, and they're like, "oh, this and this and this need to be fixed," and all I can say is, "well, okay." In a situation like today, when I need the car in working order for our drive out to California on Monday, it's not like I can hold out for a second opinion.
But nothing bugs me more than feeling like I've been taken advantage of. Sure, the intake manifold needs to be replaced. But do I really need all the other services? Who knows. But the guy who does know all kinds of things about cars said that I do need them. And while facing a drive across the desert with just me and the kid, I'm in no position to argue with him.
But I hate dealing with dudes and cars. I hate that I'm that girl who doesn't know anything about the car other than how to drive it expertly. And I hate that I need to be the girl who says, "tell me again what's wrong so I can tell my husband." Sure, I made the decision to fix it all, because, what the hell else am I going to do, but at the end of the day, I still feel like I got tricked into something.
It's like paying for a $400 car wash, since that'll be the only difference from this afternoon to tomorrow. Damn it.

No more Netflix DVDs? Yeah, okay

In the spirit of simplifying my life bit by bit, I took care of another randomly useless thing that is a small but persistent draw on the finances. I canceled the Netflix DVD subscription. We've had a copy of Wish I Was Here on the TV stand for the last several weeks, and we had yet to watch it. In fact, we even rented three iTunes movies during that time. My conclusion: Netflix was not worth the money there.
I did, however, hold on to the Watch Instantly portion of my Netflix membership. That is something that we all use, via computer, iPhone, and Apple TV, so it is definitely worth it.
I returned the movie today, and my abbreviated monthly payment takes effect in the next week or so.
One more thing that we don't use, need or want to pay for, thy name is Netflix DVDs.

I'm like, "Cascade, take me away ..."

One of the most relaxing things in the world for me is a running dishwasher.
It's soothing because of the rushing water and the repetitive splashing around. It smells good because of the detergent inside. And it's awesome because it's a machine that washes dishes so I don't have to. The dishwasher is among my favorite of all household appliances. Luckily, my family and I go through dishes quite quickly, so I end up having to run the thing about every other day. (I do not use paper plates. It's a preference thing.) Anyway, my magical machine is downstairs running right now, and it's making me happy because it's a super loud dishwasher, and I can hear it all the way up here.
Another super awesome relaxing thing for me is spending time in the backyard. It's almost the perfect time of year for my yard, because the orange tree is budding, and the blossoms should be smelling fantastic soon. I spent some time in the yard today. It started as me having a chill from the living room, and sitting out in the sunshine for a spell. Then, I smelled some orange blossom, but then some dog poop, too. I picked up the poop, but then also was distracted by the weird large weeds that grow hither and yon out there. I picked weeds, but then realized that it's actually past time to fertilize the orange tree. So, I did that, but then needed to water my cactus. Having done that, I was able to sit again, but by then, I was too warm from all my work, and needed to head inside out of the warm sunshine. Still, it was super relaxing and good for me.
Let me make this a trifecta, and hit you with one more thing that relaxes me: Oliver snoring next to me. He's a freight train tonight, you guys (thought still not loud enough to drown out my dishwasher)

I have discovered a new delicious sandwich

I have a new delicious sandwich that I love.
We went to have dinner at IHOP tonight because of the National Pancake Day and the free short stack, but upon discovering a waiting area brimming with cheapskates like us, we decided to go a different direction. Our path turned to the Paradise Bakery on the other side of the parking lot. In that Paradise, Sydney ordered the buttered noodles, and Brian ordered some chili and a turkey sandwich.
Now, I've always liked Paradise in principle, but rarely in practice, when it didn't directly involve iced tea and a snickerdoodle. So, I had a rough time with the menu as I stood there. But then I saw it: a panini of tomato and mozzarella. You may not know this about me, but I love, love, love a good tomato and mozzarella sandwich. (There's one at Off Vine that is amazing. And the Cafe Amsterdam near our apartment in Boston made a fantastic sandwich.) So once I saw this on the menu, I couldn't get past it.
I changed the bread to the white rather than ciabatta, because ciabatta bread is gross, but that was all I switched up. The sandwich also comes with a tomato-based pesto (which sounds random), and some basil leaves on it. I could not wait for this sandwich to land on my table, and when it arrived, I dove right in. Let me tell you, by the third bite, I was in love.
By the time I finished it, I was in raptures, and planning my next visit to Paradise so I could have it again. This dinner was so far superior to anything that I would have gotten at IHOP, even with the promise of free pancakes. Yes, I am glad to have paid for a better dinner than I would have had for free.
I can not wait to go back.

I like TV, you guys. It's fun

I feel like it's time to revisit some television shows that I'm watching, and not watching.
There are only a couple more episodes of Hart of Dixie left, and I'm watching it, hook, line and sinker. I'm all in again, and enjoying it. I love the most that it's now on Friday nights, and my Fridays rock because of it.
I stopped watching The Mindy Project. I feel like a traitor to all womankind, but the show was just beginning to bug, bug, bug me. I still like Mindy Kaling a whole lot, but the life and times of Mindy Lahiri were on my last nerve.
I ended up fast forwarding through most of last night's Once Upon a Time this afternoon. It's official: I watch this show for only one character, and his name is Captain Hook. The rest of it is irritating, predictable, and getting super silly. I sped through every single scene that was a flashback, because I don't care about the other characters. I based any other viewing solely on how much each scene bugged me in its first 10 seconds. I'm thisclose to removing it from the DVR list.
I have the entire first season of True Detective on the DVR still, and I am not at all interested in watching it. I'm considering, this minute, deleting it, and not letting it bother me anymore. Wait. Wait for it ... There. Done and done. I just deleted them all. That is liberating!
We are, as a family, watching and thoroughly enjoying The Voice again. I didn't know how I would like Christina Aguilera, since I love Gwen Stefani so much, but I'm finding her to be insightful, and funny. All good things. The only thing that bugs is that we have to save the episodes until the next day so we can watch it together and forward through the commercials. I want to watch tonight, but have to wait for tomorrow to keep my family happy. Worth it?
I find that I'm getting excited about shows that are ending their runs. It gives me a real reason to stop watching them without the inevitable guilt associated with just giving up on it. I loved The Colbert Report, but I enjoy having one less half-hour show to keep up with.
And then there are the shows that I can totally take or leave. Like The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. I deleted four episodes from last week without the slightest concern about what I had or had not missed. The NBC Nightly News, as well.

It's an awesome pink bike with a white basket

For whatever reason, Brian decided that we should stay up and watch all our Sunday night television, rather than let one or two shows wait until tomorrow. So, it is really late, and I'm tired and just want to go to bed. However, it's also the first day of March, and I want to get something up here to commemorate that and post the new monthly avatar.
We watched this show called The Last Man on Earth. It's pretty fascinating, but I have to wonder: Why, when you are actually the last person on earth, you would, in the very real circumstance of not having any running water, live in the desert? This guy has holed up in Tucson. I understand that this is obviously where he's from, but really. When you're looking for a water source, why would you pick the desert, where very little water is available? Why not pick Oregon or Washington, where there is a steady climate of clean water falling from the sky? Or somewhere in the mountains near a freshwater stream? This guy's logic is nonsensical, and will bother me. But, the show is pretty funny, so I think Brian and I will continue to watch it.
I rode my new bike around the neighborhood a few times today, and it was quite lovely.