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Okay, I promise this will be the last Jeopardy reference, at least until my prize check arrives, but come on, don't you want to read my article?!?!

Once

This weekend, the husband and I saw an absolutely amazing movie. "Once" is an Irish drama/musical. An Irish street musician meets a Czech immigrant who is also musical. The movie then follows their friendship/love through the creation of a CD. Rather than a story highlighted by music, it's music highlighted by story. It was stunningly simple and emotionally powerful. Go to the site and hear the beautiful music. Go to your nearest art movie theatre and see the film.

This means you, Rambling, a., Smitty, Dunces, even Diane if you're dropping in from Scotland!

Sing it, Al

I have been dying to post this for months:

"I Lost on Jeopardy" by Weird Al Yankovic

Thursday cometh

Okay, so since people insist on remembering, my Jeopardy appearance is this Thursday. There's even a video clip of me online, though it makes me squirm to see myself -- I talk too fast! My head is really big! Why didn't I smile?!

I also received my fabulous commemorative picture with Alex last week. Okay picture, though he looks kinda like a cutout and it was printed off a computer. And no, I didn't really get to talk to him. There's all kinds of legal stuff around that dating back to the big quiz show scandals of the 50s. He just sort of snuck up behind me, said "Come back out and show 'em no mercy," smiled for the picture, and moved on to the next contestant.

And by the way, my sister obviously won't be able to see this. Can someone tape it for me? I don't have the official remote for our VCR, so I can't set it to the right channel to tape. Thanks!

Bet you didn't know I was gone

We just got back from a week at my mom's house, probably the most relaxing vacation we've had as a family. We didn't really have an agenda of things to see, Brad forswore the computer, and Abigail was able to play by herself for a bit each day -- even, gasp!, going out into the yard alone as long as she let a grown up know. It was a good time in Bagdad. (Yes, that's where mom lives. It's also the home of Mary B's, those fabulous frozen biscuits.) We went shopping, ate good Mexican, ate even better off the grill most nights, visited the Naval Aviation Museum, and went to the beach a couple of times -- though it actually was a bit cool, go figure.

So, in good mommy form, a few pictures. First, an up-close encounter with a heron in Navarre. Second, Abigail taking out the bad guys at the museum. Third, feeding fish along the Blackwater River in Milton (the gulls were a no show).

Hip hip

Hooray! Smitty is getting married! Yaaay for Smitty!

Ooh, ooh, and I just bought the perfect dress for a Florida wedding! I had no specific purpose for buying said kick-ass dress, but I even said to Brad that it would be ideal for a warm weather wedding and that it was too bad no one I knew was getting married. Thank you, Smitty!