What are you doing Saturday night?

I know where I'll be.

What's on your iPod?

If you are in shuffle mode, what are the first twenty songs that come up on your iPod? And no skipping past the embarrassing stuff. (My comments aren't necessarily about the song that comes up, so don't email me to inform me that I'm referencing the wrong album/period/whatever. I already know that you're very smart. And stop pushing your glasses up on the bridge of your nose that way.)

* The Specials, Rat Race: In high school I loved LOVED The Specials, then Fun Boy Three. It was really Terry Hall.
* The Beatles, Your Mother Should Know: C'mon. If you know me, you know that the Beatles have like a 98% chance of appearing in random shuffle (even with 4,465 songs currently loaded.)
* The Roots, Sacrifice: Charles gave me this album when it came out. I really want to listen to it, but most of it isn't exactly appropriate for the seven and under set, so I usually have to fast forward.
* Bob Dylan, Can't Wait: Okay, I admit it. I really didn't "get" Dylan until a few years ago. Then I was driving alone one day and his lyrics just smacked me in the brain. I had to pull over, close my eyes and listen to the whole song. Twice.
* Cheap Trick, If You Want My Love: Charles has wooed me more than once by singing Cheap Trick songs. Also, even though they're old (well, older than me) they're still cool and they still rock.
* The Beatles, Revolution: See above.
* Elvis Costello, So Like Candy: High school. I really should go back and thank my friends' older siblings for turning me on to some cool stuff.
* The Police, Demolition Man: You know what I hate? Sting. But man, can that guy sing.
* Outkast, My Favorite Things: Paul & Maggie know more Outkast songs than they probably should. This, however, makes me think of Paul McCartney singing Till There Was You. I bet he got lots of girls on that one.
* The Talking Heads, The Overload: "Stop Making Sense". Best movie date. Ever.
* Gary Numan, Cars: God, I hate iTunes. It allows you to buy old crap you shouldn't have enjoyed so much in the first place. This was Paul's favorite song for a time (it's currently Nowhere Man).
* Billy Bragg & Wilco, Another Man's Done Gone: Frankly, I'm surprised that this is Wilco's first entry on this shuffle. For the amount that I actually listen to Wilco, they should be about every other song here.
* David Bowie, Please Mr. Gravedigger: I'm a great fan of Bowie's later work. He just keeps getting better and better.
* Paul Simon, Kodachrome: Gets stuck in my head for days.
* Sonic Youth, JC: Thurston Moore.
* The Cure, Lullaby: They were -- for a time -- my favorite band. Now it feels like reading the diary of a fourteen-year old.
* U2, All Because of You: I dunno. I hate to admit it, but I'm pretty lukewarm on U2.
* Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nobody Weird Like Me: "Mother's Milk"-era Peppers remind me of moving back to San Francisco when I was 21.
* Violent Femmes, Confessions: Charles and I have very different views of the Femmes, in that I love them. He does not.
* Led Zeppelin, Heartbreaker: For some reason, the string dudes at the conservatory really, really loved Led Zeppelin. Watching cellists and violists try to be cool is funny.
* The Replacements, Nightclub Jitters: Another thank you to the big brothers and sisters in high school.
* Psychedelic Furs, Sister Europe: I love Richard Butler's voice.

(Okay that was 22. The next thing that popped up was Siouxsee & the Banshees, Hong Kong Garden.)

So...what's on your iPod?

What do princesses do when it's 95 degrees and a code red day?

I have absolutely nothing to add.

Annals of Bad Parenting

Paul and Maggie have been left to their own devices more than I'd like this week. I've had a nasty flu thingy since last Friday when Charles had to talk me down from insane hysteria...this is always the first sign that I'm going to get sick. We should have known, because it took a lot of talking down. And -- testament to Charles -- he actually missed a local solo coffee house performance by the Jerry guy from Dark Star Orchestra just to help me regain some sense of sanity. That's love. So a week later, I'm hacking away and have developed a weird rash, which makes me think I've got the leprosy. Oh. And Maggie has pinkeye. And Charles is in Atlanta. Working. How's your summer going? Good? Good. I'm glad.

Anyhoo, back to what I was saying... P&M have been left to their own devices a lot over the past week. They've been remarkably good -- not too much screaming, not too many messes, a lot less fighting than I expected. Now I'm beginning to figure out why...

Paul has been teaching Maggie how to play Star Wars xBox games.

So at least it's been educational. How long do you think it will take for her to win? Personally, I think he has a year, max.

(Note: When you're a three-year-old girl, a princess crown and a tongue hanging out really improve your gaming skills. And it's interesting that, even with eyes red and crusted over with puss, a hacking cough and green sludge coming out of her nose, la Mag still demands to be dressed as a princess first thing in the morning. What a chick.)

(Note 2, for any teachers who may be reading this: Paul and I did actually do flash cards yesterday. And he's been reading stories and writing reports for me. I'm not totally bad. Thanks for reading that. I really do feel better.)

Why I haven't posted.

We've been having too much fun. Sorry.

Between a baby calf eating Paul's shirt at South Mountain Creamery (Paul seemed to really enjoy that. Huh.), days spent poolside, visits to Clagett Farm, our bi-weekly Cheverly Community Market, and Maggie trying to eat things bigger than her head (I think there's some words of wisdom that I should have told her, but I forgot. Whoops.) the blogging thing has been an afterthought. At best. I have been good about taking pictures though...

Already good at the guilt. Or weekends are my undoing.

Actual conversation with la Mag yesterday after returning from my traditional Sunday morning outing sans famille:

What's the opposite of big?
(Scrunches her body into a little ball.)
What's the opposite of hot?
Cold!
What's the
opposite of left?
Go with you!

And just like that, the guilt begins. She is so good at it already! The tea master just sat and laughed. Because it didn't happen to him.

Update: Apparently, la Mag was full of wisdom this weekend, as demonstrated in this verbatim conversation which took place at the Cheverly Community Market Saturday morning (helpfully reported by ace cub reporter Mr. L. aka Drummer Boy):

Is Kelly your lover?
Dunham (after giving it some consideration): Well, yes. Kelly and I are lovers.
But Mommy and Daddy aren’t lovers.
Dunham (without missing a beat): Well, that’s what happens when you are married and have kids.

Well. They're on to the whole deal now.

What I learned today

by listening to WAMU's Metro Connection...
avoid McPherson Square tomorrow starting at 3:00.

Yeah.