DirecTV surprised me with an installation dude this morning. I'm liking the tripod alternative to the bucket and pole option, but I'm accepting suggestions as to how to make it look less like I'm trying to hail a passing spaceship.

Somebody figured out that in the late afternoon, the sun comes through the blinds juuuust right on the couch.

Not the same Mom in the last post. This one's the mom of a local chain of bakeries. Closest one is about a half a mile walk from my new place. I emphasize "walk" because this time I ended up leaving with a loaf of walnut zucchini bread, a buckeye (chocolate-covered peanut butter mousse), a dark chocolate-dipped macaroon, and a slice of key lime meringue pie. And I had to get a shot of their black and whites just because they're so cute. They even offered to take them out of the case to reduce the glare. Glad I didn't since my memory card hosed the full-shot anyhow.

Yeah. Don't point out the irony that I'm using my SK3 to blog about it. DirecTV can't set up the satellite until it's dry outside, and Verizon can't come out to fix my line until "sometime between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m." Friday. I think I'll tell them I'll pay my bill "sometime in October."

I forgot to share this shot of Mom taken yesterday post thrift-shopping excursion and before we noshed at IHOP.

The warmest on earth. A few shots of the Pyrates doing Mist-Covered Mountains. And now I promise to stop because my shots of Pub Sing never come out.

Hitting the festival for the first time this season. Overly pleased that the additional 10 miles south adds only 2 minutes to the trip door to gate. And I can't even tell you which room my costume might be in, although I did find the raincoats. Yay. Unfortunately, the power at the gate was on the fritz, so my wait in line for my pass was actually longer than the commute. Fortunately, we eventually had entertainment in line from Stupina delivering programs, Jean Cabot relating piratical history and the Pyrates Royale camped out at the edge of the crowd, generally causing trouble.

I didn't capture any shots of the outside, but here's the inside, including the Pyrates, Skum, the Princess thang (in which I missed Judy -- this time), Bob Sheets, and general shots of the festival.

Walked around downtown Occoquan today. I apologize for the head-turning angle on one of these, but the shot required it.

A garage is nice, but this trumps garage any day. And by "any day," I mean, "Allow me to reevaluate when there is a foot of snow on the ground."

Here tis. Gorgeous old oak in back yard. Comes with detached 2-car garage and the neighbors' highly-affectionate cat. The cat answers to Milla (the garage comes with a remote; SK3 does not convey). ;)

Got my first, well-deserved Slurpee today. Sug and I have been taking turns with stomach problems. I was up with her from 2 to 4 this morning, and she helped me through similar issues this afternoon (and by "helped me through" I mean she napped on my bed, which is about as much as you can expect from something without opposable thumbs).

While it's nice to be welcomed to the area by a tropical storm, I'd be far more apreciative if I had a raincoat unpacked, so that's tonight's assignment. After finishing the Slurpee and reading Entertainment Weekly. ;)