ho ho ho

Happy Holidays, everyone! Tomorrow, a certain husband and I are setting off over the river and through the woods, with sacks and sacks full of pressies! I'm just dying with excitement to see my sister - it's been months and months! Also there are the beloved nephews, my grandmas, mom and dad, M's family, and our own KBM's forthcoming offspring.

I hope y'all have a very merry Christmas!

weekend trip

Over the weekend we went to DC to visit friends - my friend A has been mansion-sitting, and this is where we stayed:Pretty spanky, right? We had a nice time. Only sad thing was a couple of certain DC friends couldn't make it! ):

On the way out of town we popped into Baltimore's Visionary Art Museum - it was terrific. We saw some crazy sh*t, including a guy who carves in pencil lead. This was the most amazing one - I mean, do you see what's going on there?

In other art news, we went to the National Portrait Gallery and saw a few shows there, including an rather ridiculous exhibit: Women of Our Time: Twentieth Century Photographs. There were photographs of famous women of the last century, coupled with labels that explained who they were. Frankly, I thought the whole exhibit was extremely insulting - I don't need no damn plaque telling me who Rosa Parks or Dorothy Parker is. The presentation of these women (Oh, look! Women! Who were important, just like men!) alongside these moronic labels I thought merely perpetuated the idea that brilliant women are something of an oddity. Not to mention that their images were just splayed out all over, waiting to be consumed by the male gaze. Anywho, the gentle reader may not be interested in my radical anti-label ideas, but I found myself thinking What is the use of a portrait gallery? I'll be pondering that.

And while I'm pondering, why don't you watch my lovely hus. play the piano?

That's how we roll

Oh, I'm so furious. After an insane day at work, exhausted, not having had taken so much as any break or even a lunch, I come home (in pouring snrain* [mmm...I just invented that word]) and a certain husband checks the mail only to find a giant box proclaiming the contents therein (along with gigantic picture) thus, in a moment, ruining all Christmas morning surprises and Oh Wife, Aren't You the Best?!?es that would surely have come my way. So, beware, all ye who order from Amazon, that, apparently, your orders no longer arrive concealed like porn in brown wrappers, but just in the box that they come in, letting both your neighbors and your beloved husband know that you've gotten him a KitchenAid 12-cup Food Processor, as recommended by America's Test Kitchen as THE food processor to buy.

NOW I have to send the damn thing back, and, as it was kind of a big and somewhat pricey present, and the ONLY idea I had for a certain, beloved husband, I have to think of something ALL NEW and fabulous to get for him in a mere - what is it now? 14 days? I'm sure many the gentle reader of Agoraphobia knows just how IMPOSSIBLE it is to shop for a certain husband.

NOW on top of utter exhaustion am seething with rage and frustration.

*weeps not-so-silently*

Perhaps the only thing that brightens my spirits is the image of the Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich being arrested by the feds for - what is it now? Ah, a "political corruption crime spree". Yo, world! That's how we rock it CHICAGO STYLE! I'm sure if you've ever been to Chicago, you've heard some annoying native say, "You know why they call it the Windy City, don't you?" and then you say, "Duh, because it's really windy?" and then they puff their feathers and say, "No, it's actually because of the politicians, you see, Chicago has a long, dark history of corrupt blahblahblah"

You may recall that our last governor, George Ryan, also ended up in the pokey. My favorite Illinois politician scandal, of course, is about Jack Ryan, who was married to 7 of 9 on Star Trek? And when she divorced him she said he wanted to go to public sex houses? Although, now that I think about it, it's not really that funny. And he didn't break any laws so who really cares? If only it had been neatly covered in brown paper! Then no one would know! It's only his business what what inside that box!

* Miserable Snow + Rain combo

Inappropriate Things

Well, we didn't have the greatest weekend because I've got this lingering cold and poor M ended up working all day today. I got my hair done, which was sort of fun. I'm brunette again! Now, you may be interested to hear that my hairdresser is a Twilight fan and she gave me a big tip: check out the True Blood series, she told me. I'm in! More to come later.

In other book news, we had a really fun book club meeting for The Brief and Wondrous Oscar Wao, which won the Pulitzer this year. Anywho, I encourage you all to read it - it's amazing!

Just in time for X-mas, Andy Samberg et al have topped Dick in a Box:


And, finally - why aren't more people playing Top Five? This week it's Top Five Songs for your Workout - probably later this week we'll do some Holiday Songs or something - what could be more fun (aside from the obvious answer having to do with vampires and their intimate relationships?)?